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August 29, 2008
Sad news to share
This has been quite a week. On Wednesday morning Denny called and let me say goodbye to Patty. She was in a coma so I’m not sure whether she could hear anything I said, but I so appreciated his calling and giving me that opportunity to speak to her. She died at 9:04 that morning. Then today I was at Interstate for chemo, but again my counts were too low to proceed. I see God’s hand so clearly in the timing, both the delay of a week, then the further delay, because I was able to find out that Dr. P was in ICU at the hospital nearest his home. Dave and I went to that hospital and were able to see his wife and daughter, and I was able to say goodbye to another precious friend. He was still at home and able to speak to his wife at 6 this morning, but hemorrhaging in the brain started and though he was rushed to the hospital, there was nothing more they could do. Basically he is brain dead, but his heart is still beating and they are waiting until their son can get to the hospital this evening before disconnecting the tubes. So two of those I love and who knew one another through me, are getting to meet face to face in heaven.
Since leaving the hospital, Dave and I have been trying to contact the Eastern Orthodox Church and visiting funeral homes and getting information about cemeteries. Apparently Dr. P and his wife had not talked about the possible need for these sorts of arrangements, and she isn’t yet able to decide whether she wants to have his body buried or cremated, so there are many difficult decisions ahead for her and the children. The daughter is in complete denial right now, trying to get her father to wake up, so this too is hard for her mom. I’m sorry if I’m going into too much detail. I have no doubt that Dr. P is going straight to heaven, but the rest of the family have far less assurance and thus are struggling more. They have no relatives in this country, haven’t church connections locally, know very few of their neighbors, and this is a very lonely place to be. Please pray we will be able to be of support, both spiritually and practically.
Posted by David at 4:59 PM
August 23, 2008
God's intervention needed
It is a bit more than a week since I did an update on the website, though some have you have received requests to pray for Andrew, the 17 year old son of missionaries in Cambodia who has been unconscious for more than a week with complications from diabetes.
My friend Patty needs our prayers just now. She also has breast cancer that had spread and has a type which is very resistant to chemotherapy. After radical surgery and radiation, it appears the cancer is back and active. Please pray for peace for her and her husband, and for wisdom in knowing what course of action to pursue now.
And Dr. P is really struggling. He noticed bruising all over his body and it turns out that his brother’s stem cells (now the ones controlling his body) are attacking themselves! His platelet count is rock bottom, his red count is low, every muscle is sensitive, and in his words, “my immune system is taking a beating.” Basically there is nothing doctors can do to right this situation, but there still is plenty God can do.
I went in to see my oncologist yesterday and he decided to postpone chemo for a week because my white blood counts are low. (He didn’t tell me the exact numbers or give me a copy of the blood tests.) That means my immune system is weak and I could be more likely to get an infection if I went ahead with treatment. So I have a week to get stronger before getting more Doxil. But my issues are miniscule compared to those Andrew, Patty and Dr. P are facing. PLEASE PRAY for them.
Posted by David at 9:10 AM
August 14, 2008
Update on our travels and Karen's health
It was almost midnight Portland-time Tuesday when Dave and I safely reached Wiese Road with Wil as our chauffeur. We had a great time in the Midwest, but were glad to be back safely. Thank you for praying. I think I felt better and stronger as the trip went on and didn’t need any of the anti-nausea medicines and only a few Tylenol during the two weeks we were away. Yesterday we read emails and mail which had come in our absence. We hadn’t heard the results of the MRI done the day before we left, so were glad to see a letter from the radiation oncologist. He reported that the tumors in the brain have continued to shrink (the ones where a size was given were about a third smaller than two months ago) so that was not the reason for the headaches. I’m having my eyes checked next week. It may be that I need new glasses or the headaches may have been caused by other chemo side effects. I hadn’t been fretting during our trip, partly because there was nothing I could do anyway, and partly because I was feeling better. But I’m still encouraged by the MRI findings AND my hair is beginning to grow back! I’d been warned that this might not happen after whole brain radiation, so it is an extra gift from the Lord. At the moment it’s like peach fuzz in length, gradually making my head look dark instead of skin color.
Now for a bit more detail about our trip. We were able to rent a Toyota Prius in Minneapolis, so had a very quiet ride and got fantastic gas mileage with that hybrid vehicle. We drove first to my brother’s home near La Crosse, WI and were able to spend time with him and his fiancée Renee, as well as catching up on sleep. We left the next day for Chicago where we stayed with friends Greg and Ruth. Wil had tours of Trinity International University and Moody Bible Institute the two days we were there, and our bridesmaid RuthAnn drove all the way from Huntington, Indiana to see us, our first visit in 12 years. We also got to visit the Botanical Gardens in Chicago, an extra treat. Then back to La Crosse on Friday. We were able to spend time with the wedding party that evening, including Bill’s son Bill and his family. He’s a nephew to be proud of and their two Guatemalan children are adorable. Jessica and Bill are doing a great job as parents of a toddler and an infant.
The wedding was lovely. Simple, short, and very meaningful. Bill and Renee were first engaged in 1972 so they’ve waited a long time to get married! Actually after a broken engagement, they both married someone else and raised sons, but at long last they got back together and appear to be extremely happy. There weren’t very many relatives I knew at the wedding, but it was special to have time with my cousin Greg.
On Monday we drove back to Minneapolis and spent the night with my classmate and neighbor Lee and his family. It’s always a treat to be with them, especially since their sons are just a few years older than Wil. Wil flew back to Oregon on Tuesday and we drove on to Houghton, Michigan, where four of Dave’s siblings live. We stayed with Pat and JoAnn at their beautiful lakeside home and enjoyed watching boats and birds and chipmunks as well as visiting with them and all of the other relatives. JoAnn had a book called “You Are What You Eat” which was entertaining reading. Some of the author’s recommendations on diet seemed sensible, so we tried following them, though it made for some rather unusual meals. I think the change in diet was good for my digestive system and I wasn’t as bothered by mucositis.
Monday we drove to Ellsworth, WI where we stayed with long-time friends Don and Audrey. They invited a number of others from their church over in the evening, so we were able to see almost everyone we knew in Ellsworth. In the morning we phoned friends in Minneapolis to catch up with them, and then drove to the airport for the trip home. Thank you for praying for us while traveling. Now we need to pick up responsibilities here and prepare for a busy Fall schedule.
Posted by David at 1:40 PM