Surgery Ahead...

Today Dad enters his second chemo treatment. We're praying that this time he will not contract pneumonia or any other bug that's floating around.

Also, the neurosurgeon has scheduled his brain surgery for next Tuesday, December 5. At that time, they will perform regular surgery (not with a laser as previously indicated) and will remove the 1/2-inch mass that is there. The Dr. feels confident that it will be easy to get to and that the surgery poses little risk.

I'll probably be heading down to my parents Monday night after work, so I can be up in the hospital with mom and dad during the surgery.

Thank you for your continuous prayers. They are a boon to my spirit.

"May the God of hope bring you such joy & peace in your faith that the power of the Holy Spirit will remove all bounds to hope."
Romans 15:13

Thanksgiving (& Praise)

We're enjoying a bit of a reprieve, as dad is feeling somewhat better and has now figured out a way to get himself out of his chair by putting his weight on another chair in front of him.

How thankful we are to see him a bit more comfortable and mobile. He uses a cane always and relies on prescription painkillers that help him deal with the shooting pains in his hip and pelvic area (caused from bone cancer).

This weekend, we had a visit that caught us by surprise from dad's family. His half brother and his wife, his brother and his wife, and his stepsister and her husband took the 5 hour trip down to my parents' home to see dad. We do not see them very often, so we were touched by their thoughtfulness and the affection and care they are showing. Although my step grandmother (now in her eighties) was unable to come, she sent money and fruitcake, along with other goodies. Dad feels well-loved all around.

Prayer concerns: dad receives his second chemo treatment Wednesday, November 29, and will likely have brain surgery the week after. Please pray that he will be able to maintain his strength and that he'll continue to feel the deep peace that he has been experiencing.

Also, I would greatly appreciate your prayers on behalf of the rest of the family. It is a trying time, and it is easy to take each for granted and to take our frustration or weariness out on each other. Pray that we would love each other well and draw closer during this time.

Finally, please don't take your loved ones for granted. Love them well now, and tell them so. Don't let life get so busy that you cannot make time for these important moments. Live fully; breathe deeply. King Solomon said in Ecclesiastes "However many years a man may live, let him enjoy them all."

Dad swells with pride and appreciation for everything we do for him. A few weeks ago I bought him a small ceramic heart that simply says "Life is better because you are my dad." That sums it up. Cancer is teaching all of us how to love well.

With much gratitude for your support, notes, and prayers...

Suzie

A touch of comic relief

Worst quote Suzie's ever heard on a date:
"I deserve to be remarried because God wants me to be happy...and he says to be fruitful and multiply." :)

My two-year-old niece's comment after seeing a large Santa decoration:
"Jesus!" Hmmm...Father Christmas, the Father of all living things...looks like she needs a bit more Sunday School.

Visiting Dad

This weekend I made another trek down here to Indiana to visit with my parents. Dad now stays on the ground floor, usually in his comfy recliner. Once a day in the morning he makes his way up the steps to take a shower upstairs. (The scary part is when he comes down...)

Gratefully, dad regained a bit of energy this weekend, after being extremely weak from the pneumonia and therapies. He now has the energy to watch television or sometimes read in between resting. (I've brought him an entire season of MacGyver on DVD, so that should keep him busy for a bit.)

This morning, he actually went to his church and sat in the second row. People there were so thrilled to see him, and they all signed up to help mom out for a few hours here and there so she can get a break.

Continued prayers are appreciated, as he has not fully recovered from the pneumonia and is constantly wheezing. Mom needs prayer for sleep at night and stamina as his primary caregiver. She is such a trooper. (This Monday through Wednesday alone, she'll accompany dad to 5 doctor appointments.)

As Thanksgiving week begins, I am thankful for small joys: the pleasure of holding Dad's hand as I walked him a few hundred feet home from their church. I'm so thankful he's my father; so thankful for every moment we can treasure. So thankful for good memories.

Hugs to you,
Suzie

We Need Your Prayers

In a short time of about 6 weeks, Dad has been diagnosed with cancer throughout his body. Today, he is having even more difficulty getting up and down. It now takes two people to assist him.

This morning a visiting nurse came in to check on him.

My parents will have to make some very difficult decisions in the next few weeks...the house in Indiana where they currently live does not have bathing facilities on the main floor. And it does not appear that my mom will be able to take care of him alone.

Please pray for a)wisdom b)provision and c)a deep and abiding peace for mom and dad.

Psalm 146: 13b
"The Lord is faithful to all his promises and loving toward all he has made."

We Need Your Prayers

In a short time of about 6 weeks, Dad has been diagnosed with cancer throughout his body. Today, he is having even more difficulty getting up and down. It now takes two people to assist him.

This morning a visiting nurse came in to check on him.

My parents will have to make some very difficult decisions in the next few weeks...the house in Indiana where they currently live does not have bathing facilities on the main floor. And it does not appear that my mom will be able to take care of him alone.

Please pray for a)wisdom b)provision and c)a deep and abiding peace for mom and dad.

Psalm 146: 13b
"The Lord is faithful to all his promises and loving toward all he has made."

Dad Comes Home

Dad returned home from the hospital late yesterday afternoon. He is still quite wobbly, and he has significant swelling in his feet and ankles.

He now has a walker and will likely be getting a wheelchair sometime today. In addition, a therapist is advising them on how to rearrange their home so dad does not have to go up the stairs. If he falls, he is in great danger of breaking some bones due to the steroids he is on.

Please pray for grace for my dad to accept these huge changes. My mom also asked for prayer last night that she would not be afraid. She so hates to see dad this way and she's afraid he will fall.

Thank you for lifting her up. She is a dear servant of God, trying to make the best of this trying time.

Also, prayers for me are appreciated as I will be going there again this weekend, and then for an extended Thanksgiving weekend as well.

May God bring all of us into a spacious place. (Psalm 18:19)

Dad Goes to the Hospital

Dad grew very weak on Friday and Saturday (following a chemo treatment on Wednesday). It became very difficult for him to get up and down or to get around at all.

Saturday evening he said he thought he had a fever, and we discovered it was 101 degrees. We took him to the ER, and after a chest X-ray, we were told he has pneumonia. He is now in the Oncology unit and is receiving intravenous antibiotics. In addition, he has pain now in his hip bone and his elbow bone and is being treated with painkillers.

The doctors expect him to be in the hospital for 3 or 4 days. Please pray for my mom especially as they will now have to arrange their house for him to stay on the main level. Changes are happening more quickly than we expected, but still, dad’s spirits are strong, and we know God’s presence is with him.

Although there doesn’t seem to be much we can do, the prayers of many are bringing peace to us. Dad’s also a very affectionate guy, and he is being showered with hugs and kisses from his family. Although it’s hard to see him like this, we cherish all the times we have with him.

Chemotherapy #1 Completed

Dad completed his first 3 1/2 hour chemotherapy treatment yesterday. He must not have felt too bad, because he ate a sandwich right afterwards.

The Dr. confirmed earlier prognosis that the cancer is throughout his body and that his time is limited. How limited no one can say for sure.

I will go down to Indiana to spend some time with my parents this Friday and Saturday. Thank you to all for the many prayers that are covering my parents and I. We are in need of your intercession, and we feel so very supported through it. Thank you for walking this new journey with us.

Dad Begins Chemotherapy

Turns out dad got the "chemo talk" yesterday and anti-nausea meds, but he won't start chemo till Wednesday. It will be a three-hour session.

He is swollen from the steroids, but now he will only have to take them once or twice every three weeks, right before his chemo treatment.

Dad's a real trooper, and not complaining, even though he's weak. He and mom are in good spirits.

Peace to you...

Dying and Living - an update on Suzie's Dad

About 4 weeks or so ago, dad collapsed one morning at 6:15 am. He was playing Solitaire on the computer, his usual way to pass any sleepless hours, but he doesn't even remember logging on the computer that morning. I'm glad he doesn't remember.

Dad collapsed with a thud and mom found him seconds later. He was unconscious until waking in the ambulance. My heart soared when I heard he woke up--when I knew that God was giving me another chance to see him and to tell him how much I love him, how much his influence has meant to me.

What we thought was a stroke turned into a cancer diagnosis within days. He now has cancer in his lungs, his brain, his ribs, his spine, and one of his hips. Remarkably, he is free from pain. He has now completed 15 treatments or radiation, and he will start chemo on Monday. An MRI this Thursday will determine how effect the radiation has been in treating his brain cancer. Then we will find out when he will have laser brain surgery. The days are filled with doctors, and the steroids have made him quite weak.

It is difficult for him to get in and out of the car, and his muscles show signs of weakning from the steroids. Mercifully, he will be done taking the steroid pills tomorrow.

His hair (what he had of it) is halfway gone, and his stomach is sometimes upset from his medication. But his spirit is strong and resilient. Last night he told me he is going to live the rest of his life with intentionality. He's always been a gentle person, but he is more bold about his faith. He talks openly about preparing things for mom and us after he's gone.

Someone told me recently that experiences like this make you very weak and very strong. I know exactly what they mean now. I have passed the point of tears, but there is a knowledge that has settled in. Dad may not be there for so many moments in the future where I would like him to be...but he is here now.

We are all dying, all of us...but we are all also living. Dad is living well, and I want to do whatever I can to encourage him to continue on this way. Literally, thousands of people are praying for my dear dad and our family, and I feel this huge support, almost as if I am being held up, as if people are accompanying me on this journey. I know I am not alone.

Thank you, too, for your prayers and support. Each e-mail brings a boost to my spirit, each card or visit or walk helps me stay buoyant. I am doing well, and my heavenly Father is faithful to meet my needs and to meet dad's needs.

I will post often, so feel free to check back anytime. Blessings to you.