One Week. One God.

One week... Is has been one week since they diagnosed Mike with Stage 4 cancer. One week, since everything turned upside down in my life. Here is the thing. I love Mike very much. I really love him. God gave me a great man. But I also like him too. I like to spend time with him. He makes me laugh. He challenges me to think and he constantly surprises me with the depth of his knowledge and wisdom. He is the calm when I am the storm. I love him and I am not quite done with him yet! Here is the most valuable thing I have learned this week....I can not do it alone. I am not in charge. Relying on me creates panic, tears, stress, and utter hopelessness. "I" sucks... (there is just no better word to describe it).



However, it has also been one week since we got that email from Melissa and made the step to call Bill. God has moved many mountains. He has sent us all of you. I can not even begin to express our love for each and everyone of you. Your encouragement, support, emails, prayers, everything. God has covered us and swaddled us through you. We are receiving blogs/emails from friends all over the world. Sherry reminded us tonight that she prays for us in London in the morning. That is 5 hours before we wake up. She is already lifting our day to the Lord before our day has begun. We have people who know people who are praying for us. The intent of this blog was to let people know what is going on. However, it is now our nightly comfort. After running around, doing treatments, throwing up... Mike and I sit in bed and I read him all the comments and emails. They are like spring rain, or a lullaby before we sleep. You strengthen us. God allows you to comfort us. May God bless you for that. From the bottom of our hearts, thank you.



So what are the changes in Mike's health is one week. One week ago, Mike slept all day. He drank maybe 6 -10 ozs of water. (true). He couldn't eat anything. He was so tired that he couldn't even get ready without taking a break. He was pasty white. He couldn't sleep on his back and tossed and turned all night due to the pain in his stomach. He really wasn't even standing up straight.

Today, Mike has drank 2 liters of water. He can swallow 3 tiny pills. He eats soup and hummus. He is tired, but has more energy. He has color in his face. I caught him briefly sleeping on his stomach. He walks straighter.



Now, this is a hard road and there will be good days and bad days. But there is no way Mike could have endured radiation/chemo in the shape he was in. This isn't a program where in two weeks, he will return to work. Though, for everyone who knows Mike well, he is already thinking of working certain shifts. (I will deal with that when the time comes!). I think the best thing that can be said is that Mike is doing better and he is stronger. God is so good.



I want to make sure and write down the everyday miracles that God continues to give us everyday. First of all, Mike and Bill at the Bean Stalk. It is the organic restaurant that grinds soup for Mike and Elizabeth and I get dinner to go every night so far. They gave us hummus last night for Mike. I wasn't going to take it for fear Mike couldn't eat it. But it really refreshed Mike to eat some other flavor. They are watching out for me. They give me herbal tea and tell me I need it and to sit down. Bill is a retired Navy Seal. He stood at the door tonight we I left and caught Mike's attention. He saluted him. God can bring me to my knees so quickly and with the smallest gestures.



Hurricane Ike made his presence known here. Both last night and this morning. It poured down rain. I was stressed and "the storm" that I mentioned earlier. I was trying to get everything loaded to include laundry to take to a Laundromat. AND I was tired. I got everything down to the lobby and walked out and the rain had stopped. As I was walking to get the car, God said, "How could you not know?" As in how could I not know He would take care of it.



He also allowed me a nap. Not a long one, but a needed one. One of God's little mercies that I found today was a Laundromat that has drop off and pick up service right down the street from the ANWC. I have never done that, but needed to today. I took full advantage and paid the extra money so I could go to the hotel and nap for an hour while Mike was doing his IV therapy.



We are headed to bed early tonight. Mike and I get up about 2 - 2.5 hours ahead of his first treatments to get all the supplements (and so he has time to throw up). May God Bless you! I promise to blog Mike's medical/supplement routine this weekend!

To God be the Glory!