Where do I start?

Where to start?  At the beginning I suppose...so here goes!   The purpose of this blog is to provide a glimpse into the new journey my family finds itself taking and chronicle the ups and downs along the way. 

To begin I am sharing...okay stealing,  some of the summary that Amy Lou (my little sis) included on her blog with just a few changes to include my personal perspective.

Last Friday began a journey that no one in our family was prepared to take.  For a while now, my Dad’s health has been declining.  We have been keeping watch, encouraging him to eat more, go for walks and try to regain some strength. He ordered an exercise bike last week. Amy made a deal with him that when he could walk on the treadmill for a mile and bike for 30 minutes she would take him and Mom to the Hill Country for a little vacation.  That deal is still very much in place.  Back to the journey… Sunday, October 30 was a turning point.  Dad seemed to have all the signs of a stroke.  He had an appointment with the doctor to set a surgery date on Wednesday.  Thursday was an appointment with his primary doctor to check out the other symptoms that continued to concern us.  That led us to a cardiologist, which led us back to Dad’s primary care, which led us to an MRI, which led to the emergency room, the 6^th floor, surgical waiting room, Neuro ICU, and ending on the 5^th floor.   Quite the journey.

We have been down this road before.  Dad was diagnosed in 2006 with Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma.  During that phase of our life, our family witnessed a miracle.  After one chemo treatment, Dad suffered a strangulated hernia.  While normally that would be an easy repair, if you suffer this after one round of chemo, your body has no defense mechanism against infection.  A miracle was the only way out.  We believed and received. Dad made it through surgery, and he made it through 5 more chemo treatments into remission.  Our faith was strengthened!

Journey’s like these don’t come without your moments of doubt and worry and fear.  It’s human nature.  On Dad’s first journey I  was driving to the hospital talking to my best friend.  Our conversation centered around the fact that prayer was the only thing I needed at the time and we both acknowledged that prayer works and that we would continue to pray for good results.  Just as I was ending the conversation and taking the exit for the hospital I came upon a van with a bright homemade colored poster board which was taped to the outside with the message “Prayer Works”.  This “sign” came at a time when fear and worry had taken over.  After sharing that encounter with the family, we claimed it and believed it.   Last Saturday, I was  in the waiting room taking some phone calls from family members and was unable to sit still.  A cleaning crew member who was vacuuming around her noticed my uneasiness and stopped with his cleaning and spoke to me.  His name was LaVon and this is what he said “when I get anxious my God tells me to be still, don’t worry, I am here and ALL things are possible.” As he turned to go he looked back and told me “not to worry…that HE has got this…HE’s Got this!” 

Dad has since been released from the hospital.  Today we visited with the oncologist to learn the details of his biopsy results and determine what course of treatment we will be following.  Our doctor referred us to one of his partners who specializes in central nervous system lymphomas.  Long story short this cancer is not operable nor is it cureable but it is treatable.  Dad will be admitted back to the hospital on Monday to begin agressive treatment.  I will keep the faith and keep believing for our second miracle...but the kick in the stomach and lump in the throat that came upon hearing all the details will not soon be forgotten. 

So for now we pull back the ropes, tighten up the laces and slip on the gloves as we get ready for our next fight!  My dad is strong, my family is strong and my God is stronger! 

The song below continues to provide me strength and inspiration along with the words of encouragment and support from family and friends.  Words cannot express my gratitude...

I meet with You and my soul sings out
As Your word throws doubt far away
I sing to You and my heart cries holyHallelujah, Father, You’re near
My hope is in You Lord, all the day long
I won’t be shaken by drought or storm
A peace that passes understanding is my song, and I sing
My hope is in You alone
I wait for You and my soul finds rest
In my selfishness You show me grace
I worship You and my heart cries glory
Hallelujah, Father, You’re here
I will wait on You, You are my refuge
I will wait on You, You are my refuge
My hope is in You Lord, all the day long
I won’t be shaken by drought or storm
The peace that passes understanding is my song, and I sing
My hope is in You alone
My hope is in You alone
My hope is in You alone

The journey continues....