They've been doing a great job keeping her pain in check which is a tremendous blessing. She's been sleeping peacefully most of the day. She got up this afternoon and walked about 100 feet. The goal for tomorrow will be to walk several times. She's started a liquid diet and is starting to get "activity" in her bowels. She is doing so much better than her original surgery in January...I'm actually kind of bored, which is a good thing. The mood is so much better this time. There is a feeling of hope, not defeat; peace, not despair; a new beginning, not the fear of the unknown.
"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." Jeremiah 29:11. Thanks for that Toddo
Wednesday, December 19, 2007
Wednesday, December 19, 2007: Update
Kristi had kind of a rough night with pain, but today she is resting peacefully. She got up last night and today and walked about 10 feet each time. This is great progress. She is napping right now. No word yet on when she can come home...we're still hoping by Christmas day.
I got home last night about 10:00. The kids were so excited to see me and tell me about how they heard the news about mommy. When I found out about Kristi, I had our friend Sheryl call the school secretary. The secretary then called each of the kids' classrooms. In Miss Tucker's room, Miss Tucker called Ashley out to the hallway where she shared the news about Kristi. Ashley said she wanted yell but didn't want to get into trouble. In Nathan's class, after Mrs. Wallinga got the phone call from the secretary she announced it out load to Nathan in the class. Nathan said everyone in the classroom erupted. Not sure how accurate those stories are but that's the way the kids remember it. :) The word spread quickly around school.
We are so extremely humbled by the outpouring of love. The blog was hit almost 800 times yesterday. The excitement in everybody's voice when I call them, the e-mails, the text messages, the comments on the blog. Kristi is just in awe at how many people love and care for her. We are just blown away. When I dropped the kids off this morning at school I got hugs from past and present teachers of the kids. What an awesome feeling right now.
Speaking of the kids...since we went to bed late last night, we all slept in and I took the kids out for breakfast this morning. They are so excited that mommy is all 'fixed'. Here is a picture of the kids this morning at breakfast...
Tuesday, December 18, 2007
Praise Be To God
Wow, what a day! Simply amazing, just amazing. What joy. I feel like I just won the Superbowl. Our day started at about 7:15 this morning. Kristi and I said our final goodbyes at about 7:45 and they whisked her away. That was so hard. Overall I think I did OK. Keeping me sane today were my parents, Kristi's parents, my friend Denny, and a pleasant surprise...Pastor Frank and Sally.
The time went by surprisingly fast. The anxiety really built when they told us she would be coming out in 45 minutes...that was about 11:30. Those were the longest 45 minutes of the day. Then when I saw Dr. Downey walking down the hallway he motioned me to come into the conference room with him. I was pretty much a basket case at that point. When you go into a conference room with the doctor that is usually not a good sign. But he had nothing but good news. I could just feel the anxiety melting away as he was talking. There were nothing but tears of joy. I'm pretty sure we were all sobbing. It was extra sweet that Pastor Frank and Sally were there to hear the good news in person. That was really sweet. I just think how many times he has been in that same situation with other people and heard bad news. We're so glad they were there to celebrate with us.
Kristi had a pretty difficult time coming out of surgery. Her pain on a scale of 1 to 10 was a 100. When she got back to the room she was very uncomfortable. After about an hour they got things under control. Right now she is resting peacefully. Please pray that they can manage her pain and she can rest peacefully tonight.
That's all for tonight...I'm just going to sit here and enjoy her.
Thank you all so much for caring and praying.
The time went by surprisingly fast. The anxiety really built when they told us she would be coming out in 45 minutes...that was about 11:30. Those were the longest 45 minutes of the day. Then when I saw Dr. Downey walking down the hallway he motioned me to come into the conference room with him. I was pretty much a basket case at that point. When you go into a conference room with the doctor that is usually not a good sign. But he had nothing but good news. I could just feel the anxiety melting away as he was talking. There were nothing but tears of joy. I'm pretty sure we were all sobbing. It was extra sweet that Pastor Frank and Sally were there to hear the good news in person. That was really sweet. I just think how many times he has been in that same situation with other people and heard bad news. We're so glad they were there to celebrate with us.
Kristi had a pretty difficult time coming out of surgery. Her pain on a scale of 1 to 10 was a 100. When she got back to the room she was very uncomfortable. After about an hour they got things under control. Right now she is resting peacefully. Please pray that they can manage her pain and she can rest peacefully tonight.
That's all for tonight...I'm just going to sit here and enjoy her.
Thank you all so much for caring and praying.
Tuesday, December 18, 2007: PRAISE GOD
I'll fill in more details later, but just wanted to let everyone know that the surgery was a success!!!! The colostomy is reversed and they found no traces of cancer. More details later, for now, celebrate with us and give a prayer of thanksgiving!!
Monday, December 17, 2007
Ready For Surgery
Kristi is done with the bowel prep and is ready for surgery. Unfortunately, there was a little mix up and they gave her a beef-based broth instead of chicken and that might have messed up her bowel prep as she now is not "clean" any more. She may have to do some more bowel prep through the night. How can a mistake like this happen?! Because if this, they cannot give her the sleeping meds. So we just sit here and wait for her bowels to clear up. Other than this, we're just waiting at this point. She was in good spirits until this mix up and a bag "malfunction". Apparently, her bag wants to go out with a bang. Please pray for patience tonight as we're quite tired and frustrated.
Thanks.
Thanks.
Monday, December 17, 2007: Happy Birthday
It's Kristi's birthday today!! She looks great for 29 doesn't she?!
We're all checked in and so far so good. Our room is small but very nice. We're on the first floor so everything is good and close. There's a restaurant, coffee shop, chapel and even a gift shop...and we have wireless!!! wahooooo!!!!!! Here's some pictures of this morning:
We're all checked in and so far so good. Our room is small but very nice. We're on the first floor so everything is good and close. There's a restaurant, coffee shop, chapel and even a gift shop...and we have wireless!!! wahooooo!!!!!! Here's some pictures of this morning:
Here's a picture of her walking in this morning
Kristi just chillin'
Kristi waiting for her I/V's
"Though I walk in the midst of trouble, you preserve my life; you stretch out your hand against the anger of my foes, with your right hand you save me. The Lord will fulfill his purpose for me; your love, oh Lord, endures forever - do not abandon the works of your hands." Psalm 138: 7-8
Sunday, December 16, 2007
Sunday, December 16, 2007: It's Here!
The day has finally come. Wow, on one hand the time seemed to fly by, but on the other hand at times the minutes seemed like hours. Tomorrow we'll drop the kids off at school and head for Blodgett Hospital. Actually, we dropped Emily off at our friend's house tonight already. We're pretty much ready for this week. Kristi has been busy getting everything taken care of and completing the Christmas shopping too. It's amazing how she gets everything done!
We had a very incredible experience this afternoon at church. This past week another very special person from Calvary was diagnosed with lung cancer, so Pastor Frank called a special time of prayer this afternoon for people to come pray over Kristi, myself, Rich and his wife Mary. I bet over 100 people showed up. We broke up into 2 groups and people just poured prayers over us. Just an amazing family to be a part of. For the most part, we are very much at peace. It's only when I stop and start thinking that I start getting overwhelmed and anxious. So we've kept real busy all weekend. I'm sure Tuesday will be a very difficult day of waiting and anticipation.
We heard that in Ashley's Sunday school class this morning they went around the room and each child said what he/she wanted for Christmas this year. Ashley's answer: "I want my mom to be healed for Christmas". What an angel.
Tonight we met with our small group again and spent 2 hours laughing and talking. We ended by them praying for us once again. We love those guys!!
So with Kristi being out for surgery, you all will have to put up with me for the next couple of weeks. :) I'll try my best to update the blog as much as possible over the next few crucial days (I'm not sure if Blodgett has wireless). I'll do my best to be as timely as possible. I know there will be hundreds of people checking throughout each day so I'll be as prompt as possible. I'll for sure update the blog tomorrow night and Tuesday night. If the updates are short it's because I'm tired or I'm waiting for more information...I'll do my best! Thanks for understanding. We know the surgery will begin at 7:30AM Tuesday. Please take some time out of your day Tuesday to pray for Kristi. The estimated time is 5 hours.
I will probably be coming home every other night, so if you send an e-mail I will print it off and bring it to Kristi. This was her favorite part of her first hospital stay. She looked forward to me reading her e-mails to her each day...sometimes I had to read them to her 3 or 4 times because she would doze on and off while I was reading them to her.
Also, Rich heads off to Boston this week so we need to shower them with prayers as well. Please pray for Mary and their kids as well as they start down this path that we've traveled. They will hear a lot of unsettling things/statistics this week and that can get very overwhelming. Please pray that along with all of the information they will be getting that they will remember to fully rely on God and turn everything over to Him. They're in a very scary part of their journey right now and need our prayers.
Some specific prayer requests for this week:
* Kristi's prep tomorrow goes well.
* Rich's flight and traveling is uneventful
* Kristi's surgery Tuesday goes as scheduled and that they find no cancer
* Pray that Rich's meeting with the doctors on Tuesday also goes well and they develop an encouraging plan for his treatment
* Pray that our kids are safe and remain healthy this week.
* Pray that Emily doesn't get home sick. She will be gone until at least Saturday.
* Pray that Nathan and Ashley don't worry too much and can stay focused on school and having fun. They were very upset tonight and worried about mommy, so if you see them give them extra hugs.
* Pray for peace and comfort for me as well.
* Pray for peace and comfort for Mary as well. I remember being in her shoes almost one year ago. Agonizing.
* Pray for everyone involved with both families (you!). This is really a trying time for all involved. We all need to pray for each other.
Thank you all so much!
Love,
Brian & Kristi
We had a very incredible experience this afternoon at church. This past week another very special person from Calvary was diagnosed with lung cancer, so Pastor Frank called a special time of prayer this afternoon for people to come pray over Kristi, myself, Rich and his wife Mary. I bet over 100 people showed up. We broke up into 2 groups and people just poured prayers over us. Just an amazing family to be a part of. For the most part, we are very much at peace. It's only when I stop and start thinking that I start getting overwhelmed and anxious. So we've kept real busy all weekend. I'm sure Tuesday will be a very difficult day of waiting and anticipation.
We heard that in Ashley's Sunday school class this morning they went around the room and each child said what he/she wanted for Christmas this year. Ashley's answer: "I want my mom to be healed for Christmas". What an angel.
Tonight we met with our small group again and spent 2 hours laughing and talking. We ended by them praying for us once again. We love those guys!!
So with Kristi being out for surgery, you all will have to put up with me for the next couple of weeks. :) I'll try my best to update the blog as much as possible over the next few crucial days (I'm not sure if Blodgett has wireless). I'll do my best to be as timely as possible. I know there will be hundreds of people checking throughout each day so I'll be as prompt as possible. I'll for sure update the blog tomorrow night and Tuesday night. If the updates are short it's because I'm tired or I'm waiting for more information...I'll do my best! Thanks for understanding. We know the surgery will begin at 7:30AM Tuesday. Please take some time out of your day Tuesday to pray for Kristi. The estimated time is 5 hours.
I will probably be coming home every other night, so if you send an e-mail I will print it off and bring it to Kristi. This was her favorite part of her first hospital stay. She looked forward to me reading her e-mails to her each day...sometimes I had to read them to her 3 or 4 times because she would doze on and off while I was reading them to her.
Also, Rich heads off to Boston this week so we need to shower them with prayers as well. Please pray for Mary and their kids as well as they start down this path that we've traveled. They will hear a lot of unsettling things/statistics this week and that can get very overwhelming. Please pray that along with all of the information they will be getting that they will remember to fully rely on God and turn everything over to Him. They're in a very scary part of their journey right now and need our prayers.
Some specific prayer requests for this week:
* Kristi's prep tomorrow goes well.
* Rich's flight and traveling is uneventful
* Kristi's surgery Tuesday goes as scheduled and that they find no cancer
* Pray that Rich's meeting with the doctors on Tuesday also goes well and they develop an encouraging plan for his treatment
* Pray that our kids are safe and remain healthy this week.
* Pray that Emily doesn't get home sick. She will be gone until at least Saturday.
* Pray that Nathan and Ashley don't worry too much and can stay focused on school and having fun. They were very upset tonight and worried about mommy, so if you see them give them extra hugs.
* Pray for peace and comfort for me as well.
* Pray for peace and comfort for Mary as well. I remember being in her shoes almost one year ago. Agonizing.
* Pray for everyone involved with both families (you!). This is really a trying time for all involved. We all need to pray for each other.
Thank you all so much!
Love,
Brian & Kristi
Saturday, December 15, 2007
Saturday, December 15, 2007: Counting Down
I knew this week would fly by but I am still stunned at how quickly it went. I've been marking things off my to-do list all week and yet it seems to continue to grow! I'm discovering that a mother's work is never done.
We had a great night Friday celebrating Christmas with our friends. We also had fun this evening celebrating birthdays with Brian's family.
Brian came down with a cold this afternoon and I got it this evening. I was telling Brian's family tonight how fortunate I've been that I have only caught one cold this year. Shortly after they left I sneezed and it was all over. I have a stuffy and drippy nose and sinus pressure. Hopefully our germs will quickly pass and not cause any problems with surgery.
Tonight as I put Emily to bed I had tears running down my face while I sang to her. She is spending the night at friends of ours tomorrow night so tonight was the last time I will put her to bed for quite a while. I don't think she would be able to handle seeing me in the hospital so it will be a long week waiting to see her again!
The other night I was freaking out about the kids, especially Emily, missing me. She is very much a mommy's girl these days. I had a thought though as if God were talking to me. It was "you trust me to remove your cancer but you don't think I can handle a three year old?". It was almost rather comical. I did feel much better after I "let go" of the fear. I'll admit that I am still trying to take control of it though and am struggling with it.
So, some prayer requests for tonight are:
*the cold germs will flee our house!
*I will be able to let go of my worries about the kids
*continued peace about the surgery especially as the day gets closer
*I can tell Brian's anxiety is kicking into high gear and his cold doesn't help matters Pray that God's peace will overcome him.
*that the transition of leaving Emily tomorrow night will go well
We had a great night Friday celebrating Christmas with our friends. We also had fun this evening celebrating birthdays with Brian's family.
Brian came down with a cold this afternoon and I got it this evening. I was telling Brian's family tonight how fortunate I've been that I have only caught one cold this year. Shortly after they left I sneezed and it was all over. I have a stuffy and drippy nose and sinus pressure. Hopefully our germs will quickly pass and not cause any problems with surgery.
Tonight as I put Emily to bed I had tears running down my face while I sang to her. She is spending the night at friends of ours tomorrow night so tonight was the last time I will put her to bed for quite a while. I don't think she would be able to handle seeing me in the hospital so it will be a long week waiting to see her again!
The other night I was freaking out about the kids, especially Emily, missing me. She is very much a mommy's girl these days. I had a thought though as if God were talking to me. It was "you trust me to remove your cancer but you don't think I can handle a three year old?". It was almost rather comical. I did feel much better after I "let go" of the fear. I'll admit that I am still trying to take control of it though and am struggling with it.
So, some prayer requests for tonight are:
*the cold germs will flee our house!
*I will be able to let go of my worries about the kids
*continued peace about the surgery especially as the day gets closer
*I can tell Brian's anxiety is kicking into high gear and his cold doesn't help matters Pray that God's peace will overcome him.
*that the transition of leaving Emily tomorrow night will go well
Thursday, December 13, 2007
Thursday, December 13, 2007: Lori & Eric Update
I have a praise to share regarding my sister and her husband. A few weeks ago they traveled to Ann Arbor for an appointment to determine Eric's eligibility for VA disability. They have found out that he was approved at 100%! This will cover their monthly bills.
Some people have asked me how they can help Eric & Lori. They have a donation account at Macatawa Bank. The money they receive from this will help them pay for treatments for Eric that are not covered by insurance. If you would like to help out in this way, simply go to any Macatawa Bank and let them know that you would like to contribute to Eric & Lori Fox's donation account.
Eric & Lori have two children - Zach & Maddie. I am continually amazed at their family. Their son had a solo at his church Christmas program a couple weeks ago and he totally rocked! Maddie's fashion sense, as always, brightened the room. Eric & Lori's amazing faith is very inspiring.
Thank you so much for your prayers for our entire family!
Some people have asked me how they can help Eric & Lori. They have a donation account at Macatawa Bank. The money they receive from this will help them pay for treatments for Eric that are not covered by insurance. If you would like to help out in this way, simply go to any Macatawa Bank and let them know that you would like to contribute to Eric & Lori Fox's donation account.
Eric & Lori have two children - Zach & Maddie. I am continually amazed at their family. Their son had a solo at his church Christmas program a couple weeks ago and he totally rocked! Maddie's fashion sense, as always, brightened the room. Eric & Lori's amazing faith is very inspiring.
Thank you so much for your prayers for our entire family!
Wednesday, December 12, 2007
Wednesday, December 12, 2007: A Christmas Miracle
We all know of the Christmas miracle 2,000 years ago...our Savior was born!
Well, this Christmas we're asking for another miracle. We have asked you to pray boldly in the past for God to rid Kristi of this cancer. Now I'm asking everyone to pray feverishly. Yup, I'm asking everyone to crank it up! Not that I think you haven't been praying hard enough, I just believe this is a time where we need to cover Kristi with extra prayers. Our God is not too small to perform this miracle. He can do anything, anytime. I'm asking that this be that time. I'm not going to ask anyone to fast for Kristi - I'll let you make that decision on your own; but, I am asking everyone to pray until it hurts so that when they open Kristi up on Tuesday they find nothing.
Kristi is still at complete peace with this. Please continue to pray that this peace continues to cover her. As the day gets closer, I find myself getting extremely anxious. OK, I admit, I'm a basket case. I'm sure some of you are the same way. Tuesday will be a big day. Biggest so far. Please pray for everyone involved, including you. Like I said, I'm sure I'm not the only anxious one out there. Please pray that God gives us all this peace that Kristi has.
As Kristi mentioned before, her doctor is on vacation this week and we will likely not get the official results of her CT scan until Monday. Believe it or not, we're OK with this. At this point, what good would it do for us to know any more. If the cancer is on her liver, it's on her liver. Knowing that now would only jeopardize Kristi's peace. We hope they don't call.
This is crazy stuff. A year ago we were making our Christmas preparations just like everyone else. Now we're fighting for Kristi's life. We would have never imagined. We have grown so much over this past year it's been amazing.
Our blog passed 40,000 hits today. It seems like I just put the 20,000 fireworks video on here...where did 30,000 go?! That is just amazing. The video of her testimony has been viewed over 1,300 times. Wow. Thanks for continuing to support us!
Well, this Christmas we're asking for another miracle. We have asked you to pray boldly in the past for God to rid Kristi of this cancer. Now I'm asking everyone to pray feverishly. Yup, I'm asking everyone to crank it up! Not that I think you haven't been praying hard enough, I just believe this is a time where we need to cover Kristi with extra prayers. Our God is not too small to perform this miracle. He can do anything, anytime. I'm asking that this be that time. I'm not going to ask anyone to fast for Kristi - I'll let you make that decision on your own; but, I am asking everyone to pray until it hurts so that when they open Kristi up on Tuesday they find nothing.
Kristi is still at complete peace with this. Please continue to pray that this peace continues to cover her. As the day gets closer, I find myself getting extremely anxious. OK, I admit, I'm a basket case. I'm sure some of you are the same way. Tuesday will be a big day. Biggest so far. Please pray for everyone involved, including you. Like I said, I'm sure I'm not the only anxious one out there. Please pray that God gives us all this peace that Kristi has.
As Kristi mentioned before, her doctor is on vacation this week and we will likely not get the official results of her CT scan until Monday. Believe it or not, we're OK with this. At this point, what good would it do for us to know any more. If the cancer is on her liver, it's on her liver. Knowing that now would only jeopardize Kristi's peace. We hope they don't call.
This is crazy stuff. A year ago we were making our Christmas preparations just like everyone else. Now we're fighting for Kristi's life. We would have never imagined. We have grown so much over this past year it's been amazing.
Our blog passed 40,000 hits today. It seems like I just put the 20,000 fireworks video on here...where did 30,000 go?! That is just amazing. The video of her testimony has been viewed over 1,300 times. Wow. Thanks for continuing to support us!
Tuesday, December 11, 2007
Tuesday, December 11, 2007: Rain, snow, rain, snow
What interesting weather we are having! I went into the store tonight and it was snowing - I came out and it was raining again. What a mushy mess. It takes more than slush to keep me from shopping though! Brian made it home safely from Ohio but unfortunately he didn't get into Holland until 7:45.
So, I went and did the shopping first and met him at Applebee's for supper. The poor guy was so tired. He had gotten up at 4:15 that morning and rode 5 hours each way. He still came to have supper with me though and it was really nice. He's crashed in bed now so I thought I'd send a little update. A verse popped in my head as I was driving tonight
He said to her, "Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace and be freed from your suffering." Mark 5:34
I have strong faith that God will heal me and that is what is keeping me focused.
My doctor is on vacation this week and he has my test results of the ct scan on my liver. We are fine with not knowing what they are thinking until it is time for surgery.
Wow, next time I need to take the sleeping pill after I update the blog! The letters are starting to blur so I think that means it's time for me to stop typing before I start babbling. I may be too late already.
One quick request I have is for a gentlemen at our church. He had a lung biopsy done a couple weeks ago and just today he was told he has cancer. Please pray for him and his family (his name is Rich). He has been so helpful and comforting to us (as he is to so many people) Pray that the love and encouragement he has sent out will come back to him during this difficult time of waiting.
Thank you prayer warriors!
So, I went and did the shopping first and met him at Applebee's for supper. The poor guy was so tired. He had gotten up at 4:15 that morning and rode 5 hours each way. He still came to have supper with me though and it was really nice. He's crashed in bed now so I thought I'd send a little update. A verse popped in my head as I was driving tonight
He said to her, "Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace and be freed from your suffering." Mark 5:34
I have strong faith that God will heal me and that is what is keeping me focused.
My doctor is on vacation this week and he has my test results of the ct scan on my liver. We are fine with not knowing what they are thinking until it is time for surgery.
Wow, next time I need to take the sleeping pill after I update the blog! The letters are starting to blur so I think that means it's time for me to stop typing before I start babbling. I may be too late already.
One quick request I have is for a gentlemen at our church. He had a lung biopsy done a couple weeks ago and just today he was told he has cancer. Please pray for him and his family (his name is Rich). He has been so helpful and comforting to us (as he is to so many people) Pray that the love and encouragement he has sent out will come back to him during this difficult time of waiting.
Thank you prayer warriors!
Monday, December 10, 2007
Monday, December 10, 2007: The Countdown Begins
Wow, I can't believe how quickly the surgery date is arriving! One week from now I will be in a hospital bed and hopefully past the worst part of the bowel prep. Ugh. I'm getting lots of stuff done but still have a lot to go. I just really love being normal though and doing things like laundry and cleaning and playing with the kids without getting tired. I haven't been able to do this all year. I'm so sad at the thought of it being gone soon. But, one step back then two steps forward.
I've been mostly peaceful these days. I have had a few moments where the anxiety starts tapping on my shoulder and I start to think about the surgery and what the doctor may find. So far I am able to stop my mind at that point. I know if I think much beyond on that I will send myself right into a pity party and that wouldn't be good for anyone. Please pray that I am able to continue warding off the anxiety. I want this week to be a joyful time for my family.
I can tell Brian is becoming a bit anxious as well. He's a bit quiet lately and I'm sure he has his share of ideas running through his head. He has to travel out of state tomorrow for work so please pray for his safety. Tomorrow night we are going out to dinner and then to finish up the Christmas shopping afterwards. This will probably be our last "date" for a while which will be sad.
Ashley has come down with a cold . . . . so much for our healthy streak. She looks and feels miserable. Please pray that she will get through this quickly and that the rest of us will stay healthy.
Nathan has been a bit sensitive lately and asking questions about the surgery. He hasn't gotten enough sleep lately and that usually causes him to become sensitive. I'm hoping getting him to bed on time tonight will help.
Emily is just busy being Emily. She is just such a cutie and I love spending this time with her.
I had insomnia last night so I took a sleeping pill a while ago and am starting to fall asleep while typing so guess I'd better sign off. Thank you so much for your prayers. The prayer pager has been busy lately and is so nice to hear.
"Again I say unto you, That if two of you shall agree on earth as touching any thing that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven'' (Matthew 18:19).
I've been mostly peaceful these days. I have had a few moments where the anxiety starts tapping on my shoulder and I start to think about the surgery and what the doctor may find. So far I am able to stop my mind at that point. I know if I think much beyond on that I will send myself right into a pity party and that wouldn't be good for anyone. Please pray that I am able to continue warding off the anxiety. I want this week to be a joyful time for my family.
I can tell Brian is becoming a bit anxious as well. He's a bit quiet lately and I'm sure he has his share of ideas running through his head. He has to travel out of state tomorrow for work so please pray for his safety. Tomorrow night we are going out to dinner and then to finish up the Christmas shopping afterwards. This will probably be our last "date" for a while which will be sad.
Ashley has come down with a cold . . . . so much for our healthy streak. She looks and feels miserable. Please pray that she will get through this quickly and that the rest of us will stay healthy.
Nathan has been a bit sensitive lately and asking questions about the surgery. He hasn't gotten enough sleep lately and that usually causes him to become sensitive. I'm hoping getting him to bed on time tonight will help.
Emily is just busy being Emily. She is just such a cutie and I love spending this time with her.
I had insomnia last night so I took a sleeping pill a while ago and am starting to fall asleep while typing so guess I'd better sign off. Thank you so much for your prayers. The prayer pager has been busy lately and is so nice to hear.
"Again I say unto you, That if two of you shall agree on earth as touching any thing that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven'' (Matthew 18:19).
Sunday, December 9, 2007
Sunday, December 9, 2007: Cute Kids
Nothing new to report - just wanted to show off our cuties cuddling with their new cuties!
Saturday, December 8, 2007
Saturday, December 8, 2007: A Great Day
We didn't hear anything from my oncologist yesterday. I believe anything they find on the scan is speculation and we won't know anything for sure until my surgery. So, I am simply enjoying this time I have before surgery. I'm still feeling great and full of energy!
Tonight we went out with the kids for supper and then to Build-A-Bear. We surprised the kids by letting them all get an early Christmas present. I recorded something for each of them to put in their bear so they can hear my voice (and have a soft cuddly friend to hug) while I'm in the hospital. It was so much fun watching the excitement in their eyes while they picked out their animal.
Thank you for your prayers for Uncle Jim. The bleeding is under control but he needs to take it easy. Something as simple as a sneeze could start the bleeding again.
Please keep Dawn's family in your prayers. She passed away yesterday. I am at a loss for what to say so please simply pray that Dawn's family will feel God's peace.
"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." Jeremiah 29:11
Tonight we went out with the kids for supper and then to Build-A-Bear. We surprised the kids by letting them all get an early Christmas present. I recorded something for each of them to put in their bear so they can hear my voice (and have a soft cuddly friend to hug) while I'm in the hospital. It was so much fun watching the excitement in their eyes while they picked out their animal.
Thank you for your prayers for Uncle Jim. The bleeding is under control but he needs to take it easy. Something as simple as a sneeze could start the bleeding again.
Please keep Dawn's family in your prayers. She passed away yesterday. I am at a loss for what to say so please simply pray that Dawn's family will feel God's peace.
"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." Jeremiah 29:11
Thursday, December 6, 2007
Thursday, December 6, 2007: No Word Yet
We haven't heard anything from the doctor yet regarding the final reading of the CT scan. At this point we'd prefer to wait until next week...we don't want bad news on a Friday! So, as soon as we hear we'll post the news. Keep praying that the spots they saw on the film is not cancer. Thanks!
Wednesday, December 5, 2007
Wednesday, December 5, 2007: Peace and Prayers
God's peace. What an amazing thing. I wish we could all have it and have it all the time. I have had perfect peace for the past two days. It is just like it was when I was first diagnosed and the week I was in the hospital. It is just unexplainable. Giving all your fears to God is a difficult thing but what a reward to have this peace in return!
On another note, I want to update you on Dawn. I received an e-mail today that said her family was notified to come to the hospital as the doctors didn't believe she would make it through the day. It is her twins birthday today. Please cover this family in prayers.
Brian's uncle is improving. He has to lay low for a couple of weeks but for now the bleeding is under control. Thank you so much for not only praying for us, but for our entire family as well. You are amazing prayer warriors!
I was blessed this evening by the Calvary Women's Bible Study. They invited me a couple weeks ago to stop by so they could pray over me. That was a wonderful experience and they allowed me to stop by again tonight. Hearing their prayers for me was so amazing and calming. Feeling their hands on my back was so comforting. Years ago this would have been way, way, way out of my comfort zone and these days I am so excited to be a part of it. Many of their prayers were that this cancer would be completely gone and my body would be healed. I have been praying that same prayer - that the doctor would open me up in surgery and find only healthy organs - no scar tissue and no cancer. God can do that! How amazing would that be? If it's Gods will than it will happen.
For now, I am just going to enjoy this amazing peace. Brian put the kids to bed tonight and has a fire in the fireplace so I'm going to stop now and enjoy this quiet time with him. The only tears I had yesterday were from reading what he wrote in his update. He is quite a guy! God knew what he was doing when he put us together. I don't know what I did to deserve him but I'm sure glad I did!!!
On another note, I want to update you on Dawn. I received an e-mail today that said her family was notified to come to the hospital as the doctors didn't believe she would make it through the day. It is her twins birthday today. Please cover this family in prayers.
Brian's uncle is improving. He has to lay low for a couple of weeks but for now the bleeding is under control. Thank you so much for not only praying for us, but for our entire family as well. You are amazing prayer warriors!
I was blessed this evening by the Calvary Women's Bible Study. They invited me a couple weeks ago to stop by so they could pray over me. That was a wonderful experience and they allowed me to stop by again tonight. Hearing their prayers for me was so amazing and calming. Feeling their hands on my back was so comforting. Years ago this would have been way, way, way out of my comfort zone and these days I am so excited to be a part of it. Many of their prayers were that this cancer would be completely gone and my body would be healed. I have been praying that same prayer - that the doctor would open me up in surgery and find only healthy organs - no scar tissue and no cancer. God can do that! How amazing would that be? If it's Gods will than it will happen.
For now, I am just going to enjoy this amazing peace. Brian put the kids to bed tonight and has a fire in the fireplace so I'm going to stop now and enjoy this quiet time with him. The only tears I had yesterday were from reading what he wrote in his update. He is quite a guy! God knew what he was doing when he put us together. I don't know what I did to deserve him but I'm sure glad I did!!!
Tuesday, December 4, 2007
Tuesday, December 4, 2007: Comfort
It's never easy hearing news like we got last night. I've told people before that our lives can be changed at any moment...24/7. We are always one phone call away from another life altering event. That's just the way living with cancer is...and it happened again last night. It was a blow to us. Kristi was feeling so good. She said to me last weekend "I feel better now than I did before cancer". She looks great, feels great, and had been enjoying this time. I just told someone at work yesterday "we're really looking forward to 2 uneventful weeks before surgery". Then the phone rang last night about 6:00. Just as we sat down for dinner. We hadn't even scooped out dinner yet. We were just getting ready to pray and the phone rang. "Nice timing" I said to Kristi. As Kristi took the phone from me I knew it was bad news by the look on her face...and she went gray. We were crushed. Oh it was so painful.
The first few phone calls to our parents and friends were very difficult. The words were just so hard to say..."more cancer". We fell apart for the first few phone calls. It was bad. Very bad. I know people say we don't need to apologize, but we know how much people love us and we feel terrible that we ruin other peoples' nights too. And for that we are truly sorry.
BUT - we want everyone to know what transpired last night. Again, immediate prayers began. Kristi sent an e-mail to Norma and within minutes Norma had the e-mail sent out to the prayer warriors. I called our friend Janna (again, sorry Janna) and she called our entire small group. Then about 9:30 last night our small group began showing up at our house (they called first :) ). They just came to pray over us. But you don't know our small group! We ended up sitting in our living room until past 11:00 last night talking about the craziest things (sorry, I can't share the details...what's said in the small group stays in the small group!). At times we were laughing so hard that we were crying. My cheeks hurt. My stomach hurt. Their love for us is incredible. When one of the guys was falling asleep on the floor we realized how late it was. To finish, Kristi and I got in the middle of the group and they laid their hands on us and prayed. One by one they prayed for us. And prayed. I can't describe this feeling. Tears ran from our faces. It was so incredible. After they all left, we just sat in complete peace. "We have amazing friends" I said.
We just wanted everyone to know (especially our parents) that we are doing well. We both woke up this morning still feeling an amazing peace over us. Kristi said it best this morning..."this is nothing more than a faith tester". She said last night "I'm not going to let this ruin my next 2 weeks". I am so blessed to be married to this woman. She is amazing. A pillar of faith. Warm. Gentle. Loving. Helping. Comforting. Beautiful. Amazing, truly amazing.
"God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble." Psalm 46:1
The first few phone calls to our parents and friends were very difficult. The words were just so hard to say..."more cancer". We fell apart for the first few phone calls. It was bad. Very bad. I know people say we don't need to apologize, but we know how much people love us and we feel terrible that we ruin other peoples' nights too. And for that we are truly sorry.
BUT - we want everyone to know what transpired last night. Again, immediate prayers began. Kristi sent an e-mail to Norma and within minutes Norma had the e-mail sent out to the prayer warriors. I called our friend Janna (again, sorry Janna) and she called our entire small group. Then about 9:30 last night our small group began showing up at our house (they called first :) ). They just came to pray over us. But you don't know our small group! We ended up sitting in our living room until past 11:00 last night talking about the craziest things (sorry, I can't share the details...what's said in the small group stays in the small group!). At times we were laughing so hard that we were crying. My cheeks hurt. My stomach hurt. Their love for us is incredible. When one of the guys was falling asleep on the floor we realized how late it was. To finish, Kristi and I got in the middle of the group and they laid their hands on us and prayed. One by one they prayed for us. And prayed. I can't describe this feeling. Tears ran from our faces. It was so incredible. After they all left, we just sat in complete peace. "We have amazing friends" I said.
We just wanted everyone to know (especially our parents) that we are doing well. We both woke up this morning still feeling an amazing peace over us. Kristi said it best this morning..."this is nothing more than a faith tester". She said last night "I'm not going to let this ruin my next 2 weeks". I am so blessed to be married to this woman. She is amazing. A pillar of faith. Warm. Gentle. Loving. Helping. Comforting. Beautiful. Amazing, truly amazing.
"God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble." Psalm 46:1
Monday, December 3, 2007
Monday, December 3, 2007: Unexpected News
I apologize to those friends and family that are finding out this news through the blog. I have tried to make many phone calls tonight to help prepare you for the news but in order to call everyone I would be on the phone all night long.
I had a CT scan a week ago and assumed no news was good news. Unfortunately I was wrong. I received a phone call tonight from my oncologist. He has received the written report from the scan and it showed three suspicious spots on my liver. My doctor believes that the cancer has spread there. He is hoping to get the films in the next couple of days so he can get a better idea of what they saw.
He will be contacting a specialist as the liver is not an area of his expertise. Hopefully these spots are something that can be removed and the specialist will be involved with my surgery on the 18th.
Right now there is mostly just speculation. I am feeling better now than I have felt in over a year. It's hard to comprehend that anything is wrong. I want to enjoy these next two weeks while I am physically feeling so good. Right now I am at peace with this (after getting over the shock). I know I will have some very down moments over the next few weeks. Please pray that I will let go and trust completely that God knows what is best and He is in control.
We are going to tell the kids that the doctors did find some more cancer in my tummy. They know that during my surgery they were going to look for more cancer. We're just going to let them know that the picture showed some more as I'm sure people will be talking at school and at church. For those of you that have contact with Ashley and Nathan, please do not make a big deal of this.
We've just hit another bump in the road of cancer and we'll jump over this one too!
I had a CT scan a week ago and assumed no news was good news. Unfortunately I was wrong. I received a phone call tonight from my oncologist. He has received the written report from the scan and it showed three suspicious spots on my liver. My doctor believes that the cancer has spread there. He is hoping to get the films in the next couple of days so he can get a better idea of what they saw.
He will be contacting a specialist as the liver is not an area of his expertise. Hopefully these spots are something that can be removed and the specialist will be involved with my surgery on the 18th.
Right now there is mostly just speculation. I am feeling better now than I have felt in over a year. It's hard to comprehend that anything is wrong. I want to enjoy these next two weeks while I am physically feeling so good. Right now I am at peace with this (after getting over the shock). I know I will have some very down moments over the next few weeks. Please pray that I will let go and trust completely that God knows what is best and He is in control.
We are going to tell the kids that the doctors did find some more cancer in my tummy. They know that during my surgery they were going to look for more cancer. We're just going to let them know that the picture showed some more as I'm sure people will be talking at school and at church. For those of you that have contact with Ashley and Nathan, please do not make a big deal of this.
We've just hit another bump in the road of cancer and we'll jump over this one too!
Sunday, December 2, 2007
Sunday, December 2, 2007: More Prayer Requests
Please continue your prayers for Uncle Jim. He went into the hospital again Friday night because his nose was continuing to bleed. The doctors tried to stop the bleeding with no luck until 4:00 Saturday morning. He had surgery at 5:00 AM and was able to return home that afternoon. He is recovering at home and is still bleeding a little bit.
Also, a couple weeks ago I asked you to pray for Dawn who is fighting a very aggressive cancer. She has been in the hospital since my last update. She is in a lot of pain and very weak. She will begin a new chemo tomorrow which involves a shot once a week. Her twin boys celebrate their 4th birthday this week. Please cover the family in prayers.
We had a busy weekend here. I continue to enjoy having my energy back. We are still all healthy and are enjoying the pre-Christmas festivities.
Brian is having a hard time sleeping with his CPAP machine. He can tell it is making a difference in how he feels during the day which is encouraging. It isn't uncomfortable to sleep with it on but it is a "psychological" problem trying to fall asleep with something on his face. Please keep him in your prayers that his mind would overcome this and he can learn to sleep with it.
Thank you!!!
Also, a couple weeks ago I asked you to pray for Dawn who is fighting a very aggressive cancer. She has been in the hospital since my last update. She is in a lot of pain and very weak. She will begin a new chemo tomorrow which involves a shot once a week. Her twin boys celebrate their 4th birthday this week. Please cover the family in prayers.
We had a busy weekend here. I continue to enjoy having my energy back. We are still all healthy and are enjoying the pre-Christmas festivities.
Brian is having a hard time sleeping with his CPAP machine. He can tell it is making a difference in how he feels during the day which is encouraging. It isn't uncomfortable to sleep with it on but it is a "psychological" problem trying to fall asleep with something on his face. Please keep him in your prayers that his mind would overcome this and he can learn to sleep with it.
Thank you!!!
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