August 5th Update on Dad
so while I'm enjoying our last morning together
in their lovely St. Marys home,
I thought I'd catch you up on his health.
And for the record,
there is no apostrophe in St. Marys,
and it KILLS me to write it
every.SINGLE.time.
Seriously, people.
Who was in charge of the town hall meeting
when they named their town?
It wasn't Charles Ingalls, I can tell you that,
because he would have put an apostrophe where it belongs.
I just have a gut feeling about that.
I just have a gut feeling about that.
Dad spoke twice a day for a week
at a senior camp in June
and absolutely loved it.
Camp, senior ministry and speaking
are where his passions collide
and from what I gather,
he even gained strength throughout that week.
It's amazing that when we're doing what
we're passionate about doing
and what God created us to do,
and what God created us to do,
our spirits soar and our bodies rebound
and Joy is present.
and Joy is present.
he'll hopefully have his last chemo for this second 3-month round.
He's then scheduled for a CT scan on Tuesday, August 15th,
followed by an oncologist appointment on Friday, August 25th,
to share results from the CT scan.
have been harder on Dad,
from taste buds being affected,
to a significant bout of nausea during the take-home chemo last week.
He continues to struggle with sleeping,
but thanks to a friend's recommendation of lavender oil,
he has been getting more hours of sleep each night.
Usually from 2-3 hours,
to 4-6 hours
if he's fortunate.
if he's fortunate.
So while he's still not getting a grand amount of nightly sleep,
when your sleep is doubled,
it does make a difference.
but the last couple of weeks he just hasn't had the strength to do so.
That's hard because he does love to get out and walk
and it's so good for his body to do so.
you can bring before our Heavenly Father,
who knows Dad's body,
knows his situation,
and holds Dad's future in the palm of His hand.
* for better rest each night
*that Dad's numbers will be good enough for
the 'go ahead' for Tuesday's chemo
*that Dad's numbers will be good enough for
the 'go ahead' for Tuesday's chemo
* that his taste buds will get back to normal
so that things don't taste like he's
- and I quote -
"licking the side of a barn."
*that the chemo would, indeed, be working,
and that the CT scan would show
decreased size of each of the tumors
throughout his colon and liver
*for encouragement in the long haul of this journey.
While this new normal is certainly do-able
in comparison to so many others who are terribly ill
with chemo side effects,
it still is wearying for Dad to not feel good.
the next meeting with the oncologist
Once we meet with the oncologist on August 25th,
we'll have a better indication as to next steps for treatment.
If this 2nd round of chemo proved effective,
we think Dad will have a month off to recoup,
and then will start back on another 3-month cycle
of chemo every other Monday.
God's Word is carrying Dad through,
where he can often be found reading,
or listening to Scripture on his ipad.
Your phone calls, emails, texts and cards
have meant the world to Mum and Dad
over the past eight months.
If you've known my dad for any length of time,
you'll know he loves wood,
and he loves to carve.
Most days this week,
Dad could be found out on the deck for hours,
carving walking sticks
for kids in Africa.
His ability to make beauty out of wood found on the forest floor
always amazes me.
If you've known my dad for any length of time,
you'll know he loves wood,
and he loves to carve.
Dad could be found out on the deck for hours,
carving walking sticks
for kids in Africa.
always amazes me.
We carry on,
knowing that this cancer didn't take
our God by surprise,
enjoying every moment that we can spend together.
There's nothing like a cancer diagnosis
to make you stop and appreciate the
little things in life,
the little things we take for granted,
and the gift of family and friends.
This much I know.
God's still good,
and always will be.
