VALLEY CITY, N.D. (NewsDakota.com) – Ashley Martinson of Valley City has been battling cancer for more than a year and has had to make several trips to the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota for her treatments.
Valley City pilot Nathan Sayler works with the Angel Flight program and flown them to the Mayo Clinic and back to Valley City.
Ashley posted this message to her family and friends on her Facebook page earlier this week. She gave me permission to post her feelings about her struggling medical journey.
“As I continue you my journey, I still can’t even begin to tell you how good God has been in my life! Yes, I do have lows. I won’t lie and sugar coat it, but I refuse to let my lows take me down! They will not, but when they hit, I cry out to Jesus! Yup, tears and all but I’m so quickly reminded that I’m not alone in this journey and we are fighting this journey together.
When the world around me is crashing, I pray for all those around me, involved and causing the crash. Jesus said it best on the cross, “Father, forgive them for they know not what they are doing.” It’s amazing the peace and calmness that can fill my body when putting Him first by thanking him each day and crying out for help when needed.”
Here is a summary of her medical journey, “I’m heading into Phase 2 of embolization on my liver. Phase 1 was a quick minimal notice procedure end of January. I’m fully recovered and back to 10k-15k steps a day when I have time and feel great! Now, I get to be taken out again and possible a 3rd later on and then maybe a heart surgery to get the carcinoid syndrome under control and my heart beating like it should again.
Embolization, is where they block the artery that is feeding the tumor to shrink and possible kill it off.
Now, you can see below in the photo gallery a small plane. A flight to Mayo and home. This AMAZING opportunity was through Angel Flight Central. This non-profit flies all over the U.S. patients to hospital appointments, like mine. We even got the opportunity to have a local chiropractor, Nathan Sayler, fly us! This was my 1st time ever in a small plain and Chris Martinson has been in them before. Nathan was so professional and kind to ensure I was okay and that we were comfortable. If you have to travel like this, please check out Angel Flight Central in our area or if you need a place to make a donation, check them out.”
Ashley Martinson is the office manager for the Gaukler Family Wellness Center in Valley City. She had her blood work done on Monday, surgery on Tuesday, and hopefully back home by Wednesday, April 1st.
