A Daily Miracle

10/06/2023

“In adversity joy grows, with joy comes ideas, with ideas come solutions.” It’s & Steph Lamphere & I were honored to share our breast cancer survivor stories alongside our dad & Men Wear Pink cochair Jon Althoff at Maison Margeaux for an American Cancer Society American Cancer Society of Minnesota fundraiser last week! We were inspired by these words by Chef David Fhima—thank you for hosting us in your beautiful space & for being such a strong supporter to fight cancer!

09/24/2023

💞Blessed to spend this morning at Aspiring Women’s Independent Network (AWIN) Survival 2 Strength Walk at Hyland Park in Bloomington with the lady legends Kaylah & Steph!!! We represented & walked 2 miles together as 3 breast cancer survivor warriors treated at Mayo Clinic Rochester MN🤘 Thanks for the invite and for being an inspiration, Kaylah! You are a warrior & we love you!! 💞

Survival 2 Strength

06/17/2023

Yesterday, I received the "all clear" at my 3.5 year survivorship appointment at Mayo Clinic Rochester's Breast Clinic--AND we brought all 3 babies to meet our breast clinic doctor and care team! It was an amazing day and God is good!

Here’s a link to the full story that features the miracles and gratitude that have come during my third year of survivorship and ovarian cancer previvorship, including:

+All 3 babies visiting Mayo Clinic’s Breast Clinic!
+“All Clear” 3 year MRI checkup on my foobs
+“All Clear” 3.5 year breast ultrasound to investigate potential rupture from car accident
+“All Clear” ovarian screenings so far and healing from a chemical pregnancy / miscarriage in October 2022

https://adailymiracle.com/2023/06/17/my-breast-cancer-journey-part-46-my-3-year-survivorship-appointment-all-clear-continued-ovarian-cancer-previvor-screening/

Thank you as always for your prayers :) God is good!

06/17/2023

My nephew Harold Robert is our most recent miracle story featured in our most recent blog post! He was born at Maple Grove Hospital on Wednesday, February 8, 2023, weighing in at 7 pounds 10 ounces and measuring 21.26 inches!

Here’s a link to read the full story that features the miracles that brought Steph & Paul to be Harold Robert’s parents:

https://adailymiracle.com/2023/06/16/my-breast-cancer-journey-part-45-my-twin-sisters-baby-harold-robert-is-here/

This post is a few months late, but worth celebrating! :)

Thanks so much again for your love and prayers for Steph, Paul, and Harold Robert!!! :))

01/28/2023

Here is our most recent miracle story / praise report!:

1) Miracle Report!: A 1.3cm x 1.7cm lump my twin sister Steph found on her left implant two weeks ago is benign!!!!!! Specifically, pathology defined it as: “Nodular adenosis with secretory type changes. Comment: In an appropriate clinical context, the findings may represent lactating adenoma.” In plain English, this means Steph’s breast / chest tissue is expanding in response to her pregnancy, and it is NOT a malignancy / breast cancer recurrence. We are praising God for His protection and deliverance!

2) Praise Report / Prayer Request!: Steph is 37 weeks pregnant and baby Harold Robert is doing well!! He is coming any day now and you can see his 36 week ultrasound photo in this post!! 🙂 Prayers appreciated for peace for Paul, Steph, and Harold, and for protection and favor for Steph and Harold’s safe and speedy arrival whenever labor comes on! 🙂

We can't thank you enough for your prayers for Steph's deliverance and we are praising God as our Great Physician and Healer. Thank you Jesus!

The full story of Steph's 36-week-pregnant biopsy in the latest blog post: https://adailymiracle.com/2023/01/27/my-breast-cancer-journey-part-44-my-twin-sisters-36-week-pregnant-breast-biopsy-is-all-clear-baby-harold-robert-is-almost-here/

This blog post is the 44th in a series about my (and twin sister’s) breast cancer journey that began when we were 30 years old in July 2019. In 2019, I also started documenting our younger sis…

01/18/2023

UPDATE Monday 1/23/23: PRAISE / MIRACLE REPORT!!!

We just got off the phone with Steph's oncologist, and her biopsy / pathology / test results were totally benign/negative!!!!!! It's a medical miracle!!!!! Her oncologist said: “I did not expect these results, and I was delighted to see them. It is absolutely the best case scenario, and there is no risk of malignancy."

Praise God!!!!! He is our provider on the mountains and in / through the valleys. Up next: The arrival of Steph and Paul’s son, Baby Harold Robert Lamphere! Thank you so much for your prayers for Steph and her growing family. 💕 Jehovah Jireh!

UPDATE Friday 1/20/23: Continued prayers appreciated for Steph, as pathology / radiology results were not final yet today (Friday 1/20)! Her oncologist will call Steph "on the fly" as soon as he hears anything, hopefully early next week. Thank you so much again for your prayers for peace in the waiting, for wisdom for Steph’s doctors, and above all, for a cancer-free, benign biopsy result as Steph prepares to deliver Baby Harry into the world any day now! God is our faithful healer and provider and He’s carrying Steph, Paul, and Baby Harry every step of the way! 😇

Original post Wednesday 1/18/23:

Calling all prayer warriors!! We have a prayer request for Steph!

1) Praise Report: Steph is 36 weeks pregnant and baby Harold Robert is doing well!! He is coming any day now and you can see his 36 week photo in the second photo of this post!! 📸 💙👶🏼
2) Prayer Request: Please pray for Steph as she found a bump on the left side of her chest this weekend and Paul drove her to Mayo Clinic Rochester early this morning for imaging and a visit with her oncologist. Steph got sent to biopsy to investigate the “suspicious” spot on the left side of her chest and we are praying with fervor that her biopsy / pathology results are benign! They expect results in 1-3 days, so now we pray and wait!! 🙏

Clinging to this promise from the devotional Streams in the Desert today:

“If there is a great trial in your life today, do not own it as a defeat, but continue, by faith, to claim the victory through Him who is able to make you more than conquerors, and a glorious victory will soon be apparent. Let us learn that in all the hard places God brings us into, He is making opportunities for us to exercise such faith in Him as will bring about blessed results and greatly glorify His name…Sorrows come to stretch out spaces in the heart for joy.” 💖

11/22/2022

We are beyond thankful to share 3 major praise reports about my twin sister Steph!!:

1) Steph is cancer free as she marches on into remission (18+ months now)!!!
2) Steph is 28 weeks pregnant with she and Paul’s baby boy, Harold Robert! Baby Harry is coming into the world on Valentine’s Day 2023! Steph has a velamentous cord insertion, but doctors are monitoring her and Baby Harry carefully, and her vasa previa resolved this week! Praise the Lord she won't need to spend 2 months in the hospital on bed rest!
3) Steph was awarded a year of free formula from bobbie, an incredible organic women-led formula company that sponsors ~60 breast cancer survivor mamas with a year of free formula every year!

You can read all about these updates in the most recent blog post at this link--God is good! Thank you so much for your continued prayers for Steph, her husband Paul, and their little baby boy Harold Robert!: https://adailymiracle.com/2022/11/22/my-breast-cancer-journey-part-43-my-twin-sisters-baby-boy-bobbie-formula-sponsorship-bobbie-formula-ivf-18-month-remission-appointment/

10/26/2022

In case you missed it!, here is a link to a blog post recap of Jon Althoff's American Cancer Society / American Cancer Society MN fundraising events this past week including a Chris Steinke 2022 Breast Cancer Awareness Fireside Friday concert and the 3rd annual Kick$ 4a Cure event!:

https://adailymiracle.com/2022/10/21/breast-cancer-awareness-month-real-men-wear-pink-2022-events-including-steinke-music-fireside-friday-kick-4-a-cure/

Jon has raised almost $11k of his $15k goal!!! Here is a link to his donation page if you'd like to give but haven't yet:

https://secure.acsevents.org/site/STR/RMWP/RMWPCY22NOR?px=56466281&pg=personal&fr_id=102626

10/22/2022

Today @ 2pm CST: 2022 Real Men Wear Pink Kick$ 4a Cure! Watch live on Jon Althoff’s FB page! how many kicks out of 100?!

Jon’s donation page: https://secure.acsevents.org/site/STR/RMWP/RMWPCY22NOR?px=56466281&pg=personal&fr_id=102626

American Cancer Society American Cancer Society MN

10/21/2022

It's Breast Cancer Awareness Month!, and we are posting to celebrate the American Cancer Society Minnesota's 2022 Real Men Wear Pink campaign! My dad, Jon Althoff, has already raised over $6,500 of his $15,000 goal to support breast cancer treatment and research, and there are 2 events this weekend you can stream on Facebook and Instagram live!

1) Tonight, Friday 10/21 @ 6pm CST: Fireside Friday w/ Chris Steinke

2) Tomorrow, Saturday 10/22 @ 2pm CST: Kick$ 4a Cure on Jon Althoff's page

You can donate to Jon's campaign at this link: https://secure.acsevents.org/site/STR/RMWP/RMWPCY22NOR?px=56466281&pg=personal&fr_id=102626

Also: "A Daily Miracle" has a brand new website, "adailymiracle.com!" (ChicagoNow sadly shut down--but all of the posts made it over to this new site, yay!) Here is a post about all of these events:

https://adailymiracle.com/2022/10/21/breast-cancer-awareness-month-real-men-wear-pink-2022-events-including-steinke-music-fireside-friday-kick-4-a-cure/

01/30/2022

Praise Report!: As of November 1, 2021, Zephaniah Jon Steinke made me a "Breast Cancer Survivor Mama!!!" I'm SO thankful that Zephaniah and I are both happy and healthy! Also, we were blessed to receive a year of FREE formula from bobbie thanks to a Breast Cancer Survivor sponsorship their company sponsors!!! Here is a blog post highlighting my first 3 months of breast cancer survivor motherhood and Zephaniah, our little ray of sunshine!:

https://www.chicagonow.com/daily-miracle/2022/01/my-breast-cancer-journey-part-41-survivorship-motherhood-and-bobbie-formula/

☀️🙏😇

10/09/2021

It's officially Breast Cancer Awareness Month!, and the latest A Daily Miracle blog post celebrates some highlights of the month from our most recent sister visit(s) to Mayo Clinic which involved all of us being declared cancer FREE & in remission!!! Praise the Lord!!! 🙏🙌

Read all the highlights about our appointments including pregnancy, previvorship, plastic surgery graduation, and conquering panic attacks plus the Chris Steinke / American Cancer Society / American Cancer Society MN Breast Cancer Awareness Fireside Friday concert in the most recent blog post at this link!: https://www.chicagonow.com/daily-miracle/2021/10/my-breast-cancer-journey-part-40-plastic-surgery-panic-attacks-pregnancy-and-previvorship-oh-my/

05/22/2021

My most recent ChicagoNow blog post celebrates two Praise Reports!!:

First!: I am 18 weeks pregnant and due October 25th, 2021!!! 👶

Second!: At my first pregnancy checkup at Mayo Clinic's Breast Clinic in April 2021, they ordered a biopsy to investigate an "area of concern" on the left side of my chest. I got an "all clear" as it turns out the area of concern was "benign fat necrosis," or scar tissue that sometimes forms after a mastectomy but looks a lot like breast cancer on physical exam and imaging! 🙏🙌😇

GOD IS GOOD!!! Thank you so much for your continued prayers for me and now for Baby Steinke, ETA October 2021!!!

All the details in my most recent ChicagoNow blog post at this link: https://www.chicagonow.com/daily-miracle/2021/05/my-breast-cancer-journey-part-39-babies-biopsies-breast-cancer-pregnant/

05/03/2021

Praise Report!!!: My twin sister just had her first remission visit with her oncologist at Mayo Clinic and found out that:

1) The corneal cysts that developed last year during her infusions of / are miraculously healed and she can see 20/20 again AND wear her contacts!!!
2) The hip pain she'd been experiencing is a "labral tear," NOT CANCER!!! While labral tears aren't fun and are very painful, we are celebrating the fact it's not cancer and she is treating that labral tear with plenty of rest now!

Thank you so much for your continued prayers for us on the breast cancer survivorship journey we're on!! We are so thankful to be able to share these praises with all of you!!! God is good!

P.S., also: If you need delicious regular or donuts, hit up Drift Dough in . They do not disappoint!! :)

All the details in the most recent ChicagoNow "A Daily Miracle" blog post: https://www.chicagonow.com/daily-miracle/2021/05/my-breast-cancer-journey-part-38-my-twin-sisters-corneal-cysts-are-gone-her-hip-pain-is-just-torn-cartilage/

02/28/2021

We threw a celebration for my twin sister when she arrived home with her husband after her final infusion of TDM1 / Kadcyla at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota! She's now in !!!

02/28/2021

This post wouldn’t be complete without some video footage celebrating my twin sister’s return home after her final infusion of / !!! 🙏🙌🥲🤍💖🤍

02/28/2021

PRAISE REPORT!!!: After 20 chemotherapy infusions totaling 43 hours and a double mastectomy with immediate reconstruction, my twin sister is OFFICIALLY in REMISSION from breast cancer following her 14th and final infusion of TDM1/Kadcyla at Mayo Clinic in last week!!!!!

We are BEYOND thankful for the amazing Mayo Clinic team taking care of her & are so grateful she is cancer free after beginning her journey at Mayo in September 2019!

Thank you so much for your continued prayers for her healing and protection from cancer recurrence forever, and for her strength, health, and for joy as she continues to heal!!!

The full story with updates on my most recent ChicagoNow blog post: http://www.chicagonow.com/daily-miracle/2021/02/my-breast-cancer-journey-part-37-my-twin-sister-is-all-done-with-chemotherapy-is-in-remission/

🙏🙌😇

02/01/2021

We have a Update & Praise Report x 2!!!:

1) My 26-year-old baby sister--who has never had breast cancer!--is "all clear" and free from any signs of breast cancer following two preventative baseline MRIs at Mayo Clinic in Rochester and interpretation by their amazing radiologists and breast clinic doctors! She will likely have imaging done every year to keep an eye on things and we are praising the Lord for her amazing doctors and that she's cancer free!!!
2) My twin sister is 92.9% (13/14) of the way done with her post-operative chemotherapy regimen of T-DM1/Kadcyla and will complete her chemo regimen on Friday, February 19th!!!

The entire update and praise report(s) with photos and videos are in my newest ChicagoNow blog post at this link--as always, thank you so much for your prayers, encouragement, and support!!! God is good!!! 🙏🙌😇: http://www.chicagonow.com/daily-miracle/2021/01/my-breast-cancer-journey-part-36-my-baby-sister-is-breast-cancer-free-at-26-my-twin-sisters-13th-t-dm1-infusion-was-awesome/

!!