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update

Family

Hope, Healing & Chemo Days

by Shalice Noel
written by Shalice Noel

Hi friends,

A lot has happened since I have written in this space. I’ve written this blog post in my head while washing dishes, walking the dog, and even driving home from treatment. I’ve been thinking about you and all that I need to update you on. I love when you send me verses, and tell me that you are praying.

4 words: the surgery didn’t work. 4 dreaded words. On May 14, we had scheduled an IR appointment to oblate 3 tumors in Reid’s liver. We had a zoom call before with the IR doctor to go over the procedure. It seemed non-invasive, calculated with little to no risk, using a needle and CT scan and it almost sounded too good to be true. Until it was. What the doctor explained as an outpatient procedure, with only a minimal possibility of staying over night for observation, became a long procedure (3x as long as they said it would be) with a prolonged stay and some complications afterwards. Just 4 weeks later, I’m here to report that 2 tumors grew since then. That is a very fast growth. But we are doing all we can do to mitigate the growth.

On a positive note, Reid is attending an integrative oncologist for 4 weeks in San Clemente for low dose chemo and supportive IV infusions. He is overall feeling good and tolerating the low dose chemo well. Praise!

Have you heard of brachytherapy? It’s a targeted form of radiation where tiny radioactive seeds are placed directly into the liver, aimed right at the tumors. This focused approach helps minimize damage to the surrounding healthy tissue. It works by damaging the DNA of cancer cells, making it harder for them to grow and divide — while sparing healthy cells as much as possible. The best part? It’s typically done as an outpatient procedure, meaning no long hospital stay.

I understand you will have lots of questions of which you can add to the comments and I’ll try to answer them as best I can.

Asking for prayers today—that this chemo does what it’s meant to do: kill every last cancer cell and stop any new tumors from forming. In the meantime, we are driving A LOT and praying for strength in this season. I’m so incredibly thankful for the loving environment surrounding Reid’s treatment, the kind and attentive nurses, and the surprising energy he’s had lately. We’re clinging to hope, leaning on faith, and so grateful for your continued love and prayers. 💛

Shalice

Family

Updates, Honest Prayers, and a Bit of Good News

by Shalice Noel
written by Shalice Noel
Edited in Tezza with: Contrast & Vintage

Thank you for your patience, dear readers. I know it’s been quiet over here, but the silence hasn’t been from lack of movement — quite the opposite. We’ve been busy doing life in all its messy, miraculous, and sometimes maddening forms. And for us, “doing life” includes navigating the complex and often nuanced path of living with chronic illness — in our case, cancer.

Read more about his traumatic 18 day hospital stay HERE

Read more about his at home healing routine many of you have ask for.

The other day, a mom asked me tenderly, “Is Reid going to be okay?”
It caught me off guard. Not because it was inappropriate — honestly, it came from such a caring place. But the truth is, I don’t have a simple answer. And that’s the part of this journey that is the hardest: not always having a script. Sometimes people ask incredibly thoughtful questions. Other times… not so much. I’ve had to grow thick skin, learn to filter well-intended comments, and lean hard into grace — for others and for myself.

But the most beautiful thing in all of this? God has met me in the quietest and loudest parts of this storm. His Word has been a constant whisper of peace, a balm of encouragement, and the very breath I cling to when mine feels shallow.

A Quick Reid Update

Many of you have been asking how Reid’s doing. While I do try to share day-to-day updates through my Instagram “close friends” channel, I know it’s been glitchy for some of you. If you’ve been trying to get in and can’t, I see you. I’m sorry. Thankfully, this blog space is still here for us to connect more deeply and directly.

So here’s where we are:
Reid has two cancerous spots on his liver — one is 8mm, the other is 1cm. We first noticed them on his PET scan, and they became more clearly defined in the MRI. As you can imagine, those words are hard to type. Even harder to say out loud. But here’s the part where we hang our hope: we’re praying he can undergo an embolization procedure through Interventional Radiology (IR) rather than full surgery in the OR. The latter comes with more risks — physically, emotionally, and logistically — and we’re really hoping it can be avoided.

We’re waiting to hear this coming week if he’s a good candidate for IR. Waiting is always the hardest part, isn’t it?

How You Can Pray With Us

This community has always been so faithful to lift us up — and it truly means the world. Here are a few specific things we’d love prayer for:

  1. No further spread and that he qualifies for the IR procedure soon. Time feels precious.
  2. Mental health — for all of us, honestly. This road is long, and it can wear you down in ways you don’t expect.
  3. A praise report — Reid has had amazing energy lately and even jumped back into his 5:30am workouts! The other morning, Brooks looked up at him and asked, “Dad, how did you get your muscles back so fast?”
    That question did something beautiful for Reid’s spirit. Kids just know what to say sometimes.
  4. Another little praise — I was excused from Jury Duty! Honestly, such a needed relief in this season.

Thank you for being here — for praying, for checking in, for showing up for our family in big and small ways. We’re holding onto hope and trusting that God is still writing a beautiful story in the middle of this unknown.

With love,
Shalice

@2025 Shalicenoel.com