I have first have to shared this with everyone, because it made us laugh tonight. This was sent to us in an email from our dear friends Tom and Kathleen:
So every night for weeks and weeks Tom has been saying with Corrina (their daughter) "Please heal Uncle Jeb and Mike Phillips. Watch over Mike and Deanna Phillips."
Well, the other night, instead of asking God to watch over Mike and Deanna Phillips he said: "watch over Deanna Phillips and Mike Phillips."
Erin was listening in and said: "what's Mike Phillips' middle name?"
Tom said: "I don't know. Why?" Erin answered: "Isn't it Indiana?" Which got a big: "what?!" from Tom.
And Erin said: "We always pray for Mike Indiana Phillips."
I love kids! How can you not? Tonight my precious one looked at me with such wise eyes and said, " Mommy remember pain is good". I looked at her and said, "I wonder if Jesus thought that on the cross?" She responded, " Remember Job and all the pain he went through? God blessed him doubly in the end."
I want to be more like her sometimes. She is so matter of fact. It is such an open and closed case with her. She has no doubt that Daddy will be ok. None. She says the wisest things, hugs me, and then goes back to creating her Star Wars journal that she has been working on.
OK. So, here was our day. We got up and Mike has another sleepless night. He is tired. However, he had a protein drnik for breakfast and took his medicines. We have pared down again to two supplements - Natura 201 and Bao Kung. The reason we did this is we need those medicines to stay down and not get thrown up. So we manage to get out of the house and get Mike to the IV Clinic. We left him there and picked him up at 1:00 pm and headed to the Wellness Center. Once we got there, everything got a little hectic. We ran into Bill and he is now concerned that Mike's tumor is blocking the bile duct to the pancreas. He wants us to get and MRI and if that is the case, we will be leaving to go to Jacksonville, FL for surgery. I think my jaw dropped, but off I went trying to get an MRI. Again, God is so in control here. I had an order from Dr. Monhollon for a CT Scan and I was able to call the clinic and get the appointment for this evening at 5:20. AND they would read it and get the report to Dr. Monhollon tonight. So we loaded up and made the 1 hour drive to the Imaging Center. At this point, Mike is so tired, the bags under his eyes are red and puffy. We get there and pay for the MRI. Everything happened so fast, I didn't have time to engage Tri-care. I will hopefully be able to get that reimbursed when we get back. But regardless, there we were. The biggest challenge was that Mike would have to lie on his back for 1 hour. Mike has not been able to lie flat on his back since August. There is so much pain. We prayed so hard for the ability to either endure or that the pain would be gone. God gave Mike endurance. It was so hard and I could hear his struggle out in the waiting area. That is what brought me to tears and the conversation that I shared above. I wanted to take at least a little of the pain from him. When Mike got up, he was shaking. We put him in a chair and wrapped a blanket around him and just rubbed on him. We actually put him in a wheel chair for the first time to take him to the car. He was officially wiped out just from the pain. I told him I couldn't believe he did it, but he was quick to say it wasn't him. It was too painful. It was Christ.
So I left with a CD of the pictures and they email me the quick read report. It said that Mike's pancreas is fine. No swelling, and nothing leaning on the duck. His colon, kidneys, gallbladder, and prostrate were fine. There were multiple lesions on his liver and there is still a mass in his stomach. The size wasn't on the report. It was a quick read. Dr. Monhollon has the CD with the first CT Scan from Eglin so hopefully, he can compare. So we will know more. However, tonight was good. At the very least, the tumor hasn't gone anywhere else. It appears that the tumor is at least the same size (though in my heart, I feel it has to be smaller).
Mike is 5 weeks into a treatment tonight. According to statistics, Mike would have around 3 weeks left because what we are doing is not considered treatment. However, it appears that we have a success tonight. One success in a long line of successes, God willing, yet to come. Remember, they said it was aggressive. So this is HUGE news. It we can stop it in it's tracks, then we can slowly work at tearing it apart. This is all God. ALL GOD!!!
To God be the Glory for the things He has Done......
Prayer needs:
Sleep for Mike
Less Pain for Mike
Mike will drink more
Mike will eat more
Pray that Mike's digestive tract will kick into gear soon. The lack of eating since August has created a lot of issues. But it is a battle we will win!
Friday, October 10, 2008
Thursday, October 9, 2008
Thankfulness
This might be a long post. So much has happened. I will start with Mike. We had a retest today and we saw the improvements in his overall health. We we got her all 1o of his body systems were stressed and couldn't hold the meridian line. Today all but 2 systems did. So that is a great improvement. Mike has been having pain in his left side. We have determined that it is probably pancreatitis. So we will start working on that tomorrow. Mike has begun the IV treatments again today. We are putting him on a 10 day regime and walking back the doses of the Vitamin C over that time period. So we will not be home this weekend. Hopefully next weekend.
There has been a lot of medical discussion about Mike around the country. Bill called a doctor in Phoenix to inquire about laser surgery for his tumor. However the laser will not work with the kind of tumor Mike has.
Tomorrow we will start his vaccine that was specially made for him in Washington State. We will also be doing a new treatment that they are bringing in for Mike at the Wellness Center for his pancreatitis. We still need Mike to drink more, eat more, and keep supplements down. We have pared down all the supplements to Natura 201 and Bao Kung. That is it. We need Mike to hold then Natura 201 down.
Ok. So I wasn't going to blog about this, but after today and especially tonight, I can't keep this to myself. Melissa called Tuesday night and I lost it. I was just so tired and so un-me (I just made that word up!). Something about this journey has stripped away my old self. I use to be able to think, make decisions, ask questions, and just be more forward thinking. I am so caught in the right now. Melissa could here my breakdown and she once again knew what I needed. She sent Pierre to us. He arrived late last night, spent the day here, and is leaving to go back to Dallas in the morning. Pierre has been through the cancer journey with his mom and with Melissa. That brought me comfort. Just knowing someone has been down the road was coming to help. But then Melissa took it a step further and book a spa day for me at the Ritz-Carlton. Pierre took over and took Mike where he needed to be. Most of all, he spent the day with Elizabeth. She absolutely fell in love with him. He made her laugh - the belly kind of laugh. He took her to Sweet Tomatoes and to the beach. He watched her play PSP. He got her to talk and she told him about her fears and all her issues she has been harboring since we PCS'd from Tucson. When he left tonight after she begged him to stay, she ran in and cried. Really cried. She fell in love with him. However, guess where Pierre lives? McKinney! My home town that we visit a billion times a year. So we will be calling on Pierre!
Pierre inspired us. He is in the ministry and he talked about just loving people. We prayed together and he sang to us. Words are failing me right now. I feel so strong right now. The day seems like a dream and an angel from God was sent to us.
I am excited for tomorrow. We are doing fine. My Aunt Mary is flying here on Saturday and staying with us through Thursday. I am going to send Mary and Elizabeth to Orlando for a treat for Elizabeth. She has been so good. She does school everyday by herself. She is a big help and I think it would be good for her to go have fun.
All we need right now is your continue prayers. Thank you for staying with us on this journey!
There has been a lot of medical discussion about Mike around the country. Bill called a doctor in Phoenix to inquire about laser surgery for his tumor. However the laser will not work with the kind of tumor Mike has.
Tomorrow we will start his vaccine that was specially made for him in Washington State. We will also be doing a new treatment that they are bringing in for Mike at the Wellness Center for his pancreatitis. We still need Mike to drink more, eat more, and keep supplements down. We have pared down all the supplements to Natura 201 and Bao Kung. That is it. We need Mike to hold then Natura 201 down.
Ok. So I wasn't going to blog about this, but after today and especially tonight, I can't keep this to myself. Melissa called Tuesday night and I lost it. I was just so tired and so un-me (I just made that word up!). Something about this journey has stripped away my old self. I use to be able to think, make decisions, ask questions, and just be more forward thinking. I am so caught in the right now. Melissa could here my breakdown and she once again knew what I needed. She sent Pierre to us. He arrived late last night, spent the day here, and is leaving to go back to Dallas in the morning. Pierre has been through the cancer journey with his mom and with Melissa. That brought me comfort. Just knowing someone has been down the road was coming to help. But then Melissa took it a step further and book a spa day for me at the Ritz-Carlton. Pierre took over and took Mike where he needed to be. Most of all, he spent the day with Elizabeth. She absolutely fell in love with him. He made her laugh - the belly kind of laugh. He took her to Sweet Tomatoes and to the beach. He watched her play PSP. He got her to talk and she told him about her fears and all her issues she has been harboring since we PCS'd from Tucson. When he left tonight after she begged him to stay, she ran in and cried. Really cried. She fell in love with him. However, guess where Pierre lives? McKinney! My home town that we visit a billion times a year. So we will be calling on Pierre!
Pierre inspired us. He is in the ministry and he talked about just loving people. We prayed together and he sang to us. Words are failing me right now. I feel so strong right now. The day seems like a dream and an angel from God was sent to us.
I am excited for tomorrow. We are doing fine. My Aunt Mary is flying here on Saturday and staying with us through Thursday. I am going to send Mary and Elizabeth to Orlando for a treat for Elizabeth. She has been so good. She does school everyday by herself. She is a big help and I think it would be good for her to go have fun.
All we need right now is your continue prayers. Thank you for staying with us on this journey!
Tuesday, October 7, 2008
Tuesday..Test... Tired
This one will be short. I am more tired tonight than I have been in a long time. I plan to go to bed as soon as I have posted. I know everyone is anxiously awaiting results of the test today.
Mike has a very rough night last night. He had a lot of pain in the middle left quadrant of his stomach. To make a long story short, we need Mike's lower half of his digestion track to start working. He is clogged up. We will be doing colonic three days in a row. We spent most of the test trying to figure out what will work for Mike and really didn't get around to the whole testing. So we will be going in on Thursday AM to finish. So I don't really have any news for you really.
Good news:
Mike has a very rough night last night. He had a lot of pain in the middle left quadrant of his stomach. To make a long story short, we need Mike's lower half of his digestion track to start working. He is clogged up. We will be doing colonic three days in a row. We spent most of the test trying to figure out what will work for Mike and really didn't get around to the whole testing. So we will be going in on Thursday AM to finish. So I don't really have any news for you really.
Good news:
- Mike's liver is still very soft and functioning well.
- His eyes are whiter than they have ever been.
- He also got a haircut and a shave today at a Barber Shop. He doesn't look like he has been stuck in the back woods somewhere anymore!
Prayer needs:
- Pray that Mike will take more fluids. His stomach has been hurting so bad that he didn't get much in. That is complicating the constipation issue.
- Pray that he will rest
- Pray that he will continue to eat a little more at each meal
- I will blog more tomorrow when I am rested. God has worked a great act tonight again. I have been praying for wisdom and a peace and He answered in a mighty way tonight.. in an unexpected and Mighty way.
- John the turtle guy... May God Bless you for your act of kindness. Thank you so much!
- At the Barber Shop - one of the ladies daughter-in-law has just been diagnosed with Lymphoma. I was able to share our treatment briefly and leave a card with her with the ANWC number. God may have allowed us to plant a seed!
Monday, October 6, 2008
Monday...
Well, after the brief energy spurt, Mike a is very tired today. He had his last IV Therapy treatment this morning. We were late because Mike had a extra rough morning. However, we still got some quiet time this morning. I was able to wake up a little early and sit in bed with him and read a little from the Bible. We always end with Psalms 91 and I love to put Mike's name in it, but this morning we read about David and Jonathan. It was nice because it reminded us of all our friends (& family) that continue to take care of us out there.
Anyway, Mike did not sleep much last night and the meds were rough on his stomach. We did get him to the IV Clinic, but he spent the most of his time throwing up. He was exhausted but we still headed on to the Wellness Center. He did about 10 minutes of LBG before it was too painful and he was pulled off. Bill came in and we decided to put him on oxygen and let him nap all afternoon. I don't want to alarm anyone. He wasn't put on oxygen because he couldn't breathe, it was truly because he was just exhausted and to give him a boost. He asked me to stay with him while he napped. So I pulled up a chair and put my feet up. It started raining and thundering and I promptly fell asleep. Thunderstorms make me sleepy, especially in the afternoon. (That makes me think of Dawn!! We both have the same issue!) We also then rescheduled his emotional/breathing therapy for tomorrow. He was supposed to do that from 5:00 -6:00 pm today.
The good thing that happened today is that we worked out a meal plan/nutrition for Mike with one of Bill's colleagues. Broch and I came up with plan. We need Mike to get his strength back so we can go home for a little bit anyway. We went out and got organic baby food for Mike and some Whey Protein along with 2 different enzymes to help in the digestion. So tonight for dinner, Mike had 2 bites of hummus, 3 raspberries, 3 bites of peas, 1 prune, and the whey protein drink. We added enzymes to take in the beginning that will help his body digest the food in his stomach, and then another one after he was done eating to help calm his stomach and work in the intestines. I am excited to help get him built back up.
We have a praise tonight. Teri's Dad - the one we asked you to pray for today - made it through his surgery for Lung Cancer. They removed the tumor, part of his lung and ribs. It was a 7 hour surgery, but he made it. Thank you God.
Please continue to pray for Mike. Pray specifically that we will be able to get nutrition into him and to get his digestive system working. Pray for our testing tomorrow at 2:00 pm. Pray for energy for all of us. Pray that we will be able to get his full protocol of medication into him every day. It becomes more important because we are stopping the IV Therapy. May God Bless you!
Anyway, Mike did not sleep much last night and the meds were rough on his stomach. We did get him to the IV Clinic, but he spent the most of his time throwing up. He was exhausted but we still headed on to the Wellness Center. He did about 10 minutes of LBG before it was too painful and he was pulled off. Bill came in and we decided to put him on oxygen and let him nap all afternoon. I don't want to alarm anyone. He wasn't put on oxygen because he couldn't breathe, it was truly because he was just exhausted and to give him a boost. He asked me to stay with him while he napped. So I pulled up a chair and put my feet up. It started raining and thundering and I promptly fell asleep. Thunderstorms make me sleepy, especially in the afternoon. (That makes me think of Dawn!! We both have the same issue!) We also then rescheduled his emotional/breathing therapy for tomorrow. He was supposed to do that from 5:00 -6:00 pm today.
The good thing that happened today is that we worked out a meal plan/nutrition for Mike with one of Bill's colleagues. Broch and I came up with plan. We need Mike to get his strength back so we can go home for a little bit anyway. We went out and got organic baby food for Mike and some Whey Protein along with 2 different enzymes to help in the digestion. So tonight for dinner, Mike had 2 bites of hummus, 3 raspberries, 3 bites of peas, 1 prune, and the whey protein drink. We added enzymes to take in the beginning that will help his body digest the food in his stomach, and then another one after he was done eating to help calm his stomach and work in the intestines. I am excited to help get him built back up.
We have a praise tonight. Teri's Dad - the one we asked you to pray for today - made it through his surgery for Lung Cancer. They removed the tumor, part of his lung and ribs. It was a 7 hour surgery, but he made it. Thank you God.
Please continue to pray for Mike. Pray specifically that we will be able to get nutrition into him and to get his digestive system working. Pray for our testing tomorrow at 2:00 pm. Pray for energy for all of us. Pray that we will be able to get his full protocol of medication into him every day. It becomes more important because we are stopping the IV Therapy. May God Bless you!
Sunday, October 5, 2008
A flash of energy tonight
Some switch has turned with Mike tonight and I am so recharged because of that and a few things that have happened today. Mike has had the energy tonight to return 3 phone calls and he has been sitting up in bed. That is a huge step over the past really week or so.
First, I need to take care of some things that Mike asked me to specifically bog. To Tony and everyone at Al Udid (? not sure on spelling). Mike said that he could not think of a better leadership team to have over there and Mike will be praying for your every success. To everyone, Mike feels that our family is in the middle of a huge spiritual attack. Since August, Mike's Grandmother and Uncle have been in the hospital battling there own illnesses that are significant. My family has had significant health issues as you are all aware. He needs and wants everyone to pray for divine protection and for Satan to be bound and thrown in the Lake of Fire.
Now, the biggest battle that Mike seems to face is at night. The pain seems to increase along with the gas. It is the hardest to make it to the morning for him. He struggles to sleep. It seems that the best sleep he is getting is during the day at the different treatments. I also had a hard time sleeping last night. So I want to specifically ask everyone that is on the other side of the world to continue praying for us. Your daytime prayers are covering us in the darkness.
I made the mistake of researching online last night. I am still amazed that the Internet can bring us incredible blessings from each of you, but at the same time allow the spirit of fear to creep in a little at a time. The more I dwelled on what I read the worse it got. I finally woke up very early and spent some time in the Word this morning. It did bring a sense of calm and peace this morning. Then through out the day, God has spoken to me even more definitive. Here is what He revealed: the statistics are just that and in the end, they don't apply to us. Mike has always said that you can manipulate data to say anything. I believe that. But above that, those statistics are based on the traditional route of medicine (chemo, radiation and surgery). I wish I could download some of the videos and books that I have been viewing and reading from. There is so much information out there. One book that I would recommend is Anti Cancer: A New Way of Life. Probably the worst thing about Cancer is that when it happens, you are just thrown into the middle of it without any knowledge of anything. You can't even think of questions to ask.
Here is my cancer lesson for the day. Did you know that your pancreas produces two enzymes - trypsin and chymotrypsin. These enzymes are used to digest animal proteins. In addition to digesting animal proteins, these two enzymes break apart/dissolve the protective coating around cancer cells allowing the immune system to destroy the cancer. However, when you eat a diet high in animal protein, it can cause a shortage of these enzymes because it takes a lot of enzymes to digest the animal protein. So everyone eat more veggies! It is recommended that less than 20% of your diet to come from animal protein (meat, eggs, dairy, etc).
This weekend Elizabeth and I were able to go to the pool for a little exercise and she was able to play with kids for the first time in a month. She met 2 kids and the pool and then today, Dr. Monhollon brought his daughter to the IV clinic today. She was able to play a board game, webkins, and have races in the pool. That was an answer to prayer. She has been lonely and just wanted one kid, any kid to play with. Praise God for taking care of Elizabeth!
I plan to blog every day this week. We are doing some retesting on Mike. It has been one month and we need to evaluate where we are and maybe if we can go home for awhile.
Finally, I want to encourage everyone to read the blog comment Melissa left on "Don't give up on me". We miss everyone and God bless your week. May His light glow brighter than ever this week in everyone, no matter where you rest your head!
First, I need to take care of some things that Mike asked me to specifically bog. To Tony and everyone at Al Udid (? not sure on spelling). Mike said that he could not think of a better leadership team to have over there and Mike will be praying for your every success. To everyone, Mike feels that our family is in the middle of a huge spiritual attack. Since August, Mike's Grandmother and Uncle have been in the hospital battling there own illnesses that are significant. My family has had significant health issues as you are all aware. He needs and wants everyone to pray for divine protection and for Satan to be bound and thrown in the Lake of Fire.
Now, the biggest battle that Mike seems to face is at night. The pain seems to increase along with the gas. It is the hardest to make it to the morning for him. He struggles to sleep. It seems that the best sleep he is getting is during the day at the different treatments. I also had a hard time sleeping last night. So I want to specifically ask everyone that is on the other side of the world to continue praying for us. Your daytime prayers are covering us in the darkness.
I made the mistake of researching online last night. I am still amazed that the Internet can bring us incredible blessings from each of you, but at the same time allow the spirit of fear to creep in a little at a time. The more I dwelled on what I read the worse it got. I finally woke up very early and spent some time in the Word this morning. It did bring a sense of calm and peace this morning. Then through out the day, God has spoken to me even more definitive. Here is what He revealed: the statistics are just that and in the end, they don't apply to us. Mike has always said that you can manipulate data to say anything. I believe that. But above that, those statistics are based on the traditional route of medicine (chemo, radiation and surgery). I wish I could download some of the videos and books that I have been viewing and reading from. There is so much information out there. One book that I would recommend is Anti Cancer: A New Way of Life. Probably the worst thing about Cancer is that when it happens, you are just thrown into the middle of it without any knowledge of anything. You can't even think of questions to ask.
Here is my cancer lesson for the day. Did you know that your pancreas produces two enzymes - trypsin and chymotrypsin. These enzymes are used to digest animal proteins. In addition to digesting animal proteins, these two enzymes break apart/dissolve the protective coating around cancer cells allowing the immune system to destroy the cancer. However, when you eat a diet high in animal protein, it can cause a shortage of these enzymes because it takes a lot of enzymes to digest the animal protein. So everyone eat more veggies! It is recommended that less than 20% of your diet to come from animal protein (meat, eggs, dairy, etc).
This weekend Elizabeth and I were able to go to the pool for a little exercise and she was able to play with kids for the first time in a month. She met 2 kids and the pool and then today, Dr. Monhollon brought his daughter to the IV clinic today. She was able to play a board game, webkins, and have races in the pool. That was an answer to prayer. She has been lonely and just wanted one kid, any kid to play with. Praise God for taking care of Elizabeth!
I plan to blog every day this week. We are doing some retesting on Mike. It has been one month and we need to evaluate where we are and maybe if we can go home for awhile.
Finally, I want to encourage everyone to read the blog comment Melissa left on "Don't give up on me". We miss everyone and God bless your week. May His light glow brighter than ever this week in everyone, no matter where you rest your head!
Friday, October 3, 2008
Never give up on me
We received some great inspiration in the mail the last few days. I want to start off by thanking Rhonda and Mary for the packages. Rhonda's package ministered to my heart and Mary's to my physical body. I also want to thank Bruce and Donna for the cards. Rhonda sent a CD with Christian songs and we now have a song to play every morning to go with our reading of Psalm 91. The song is "I am counting on God". The words are:
I'm in a fight not physical. I'm in a war, but not with this world. You are the light that's beautiful. I want more. I want all that's yours. (Chorus) Joy unspeakable that won't go away. Just enough strength to live for today. So I never have to worry what tomorrow will bring cause my faith is on solid rock. I am counting on God.
It is really upbeat and words that are so to the heart of our struggle right now. We have Joy that is unspeakable but just enough strength to live for today. EVERY morning, we say, "This is the day that the Lord has made. I will rejoice and be glad in it." EVERY day is a victory and a gift. It was before Mike has cancer, we just forgot to notice.
So, today we have been here 4 weeks. One month... This week for Mike has been the same really. He is still weak and tired. But his body is fighting so hard. He does struggle to find a good sleeping position. Right now he is asleep on a chair, kind of. He sits in the chair and stacks 3 pillows on the ottoman. He then leans forward and falls asleep that way for a little bit. I think it helps with the pain in his stomach. Mike has pain in his stomach most of the time. He has been ranking it anywhere for 3 to 5 on the pain scale of 10. He has to be the best patient and the most frustrating. He doesn't complain and yet at the same time, he doesn't verbalize what is going on. We are getting better at asking him questions. Again, this may be more information that you want to know. However, I need to give you an accurate picture of Mike so in the end you can see how strong and mighty God is. In the end, this battle is His and His alone.
One of the most encouraging things about this blog is the amount of people praying for us. We covet your prayers. They really cover us and wrap us tightly. Thank you so much and please continue to pray. This is a long journey that Mike and I alone can not fight. That I know for sure. We need everyone to continue in this battle with us with your prayers. But I want to take a moment and ask everyone that is praying for us to add some special people we have met to your prayer list.
Liddy and Nacho: Nacho has melanoma that has met into his bones. He is 40 years old and an engineer. He has 3 kids and a wife that loves him very much. He is really struggling right now and has had some bad detox reactions (bad headaches and stomach aches too). In fact, he has stopped the IV therapy for the weekend.
Beth and Ed: Beth is this amazing women with Stage 4 Ovarian cancer. She is about 60 years old and has 2 children and 3 grandkids. She is this gentle, southern belle with an amazing zeal for life. She is constantly smiling and checking on us. When Mike drinks water, she says, "Good Mike. Keep it up." She had to be a cheerleader at one point. I just want to be in her presence. When she is around, it is like having your mother taking care of you when you have the flu.
Teri's Dad: He has stage 2B Lung Cancer. He is not here. He has elected to have surgery on Monday in PA. The will be removing part of his lung, 3 ribs, tissue and muscle. It is a hard surgery. Please lift him and his family up.
Yesterday, Mike's IV therapy went all day - 9:30 am - 4:00 pm. He had some issues with the vitamin IV they were giving him. It burned and made his arm hurt. He only managed to get about 1/2 of it in. (He says he is not doing it anymore). Then his Vitamin C IV ran slow. It ended up that Beth, Nacho and Mike were doing IV therapy in the afternoon. Liddy showed up and we all sat in the room talking. Well, it was mostly Beth, Liddy and I. Occasionally Nacho would pop in with something. He usually lays in a corner with sunglasses on. You think he is asleep until he says something. Mike was whipped, so he would just smile and nod when I said something. It was so encouraging and one of those memories I will remember the rest of my life. Not really because what was said, but because of the energy (not doubt from God) in the room. Everyone shared stories of their journey and how God is moving. We talked about the treatments. We talked about the science of cancer. Beth reminded me that cancer has 2 sodium receptacles and 23 glucose receptacles. She talked about how when she was doing chemotherapy they would have dunkin donuts for the cancer patients to eat. That is messed up. Nutrition is key.
In the end, this blog is all over the place tonight. I guess the theme of it tonight is never give up. Never give up on Mike. Never give up seeking the truth about anything. Beth and Nacho have not given up. Nacho flew from Mexico. He called Bill and Bill told him to seek treatment with one of his partners in CA. However, he wanted Bill himself. Beth clearly has not given up and continues to fight with a smile. Finally and most importantly, never give up on God. Count of Him. The bible says, "He will never leave you or forsake you!"
I'm in a fight not physical. I'm in a war, but not with this world. You are the light that's beautiful. I want more. I want all that's yours. (Chorus) Joy unspeakable that won't go away. Just enough strength to live for today. So I never have to worry what tomorrow will bring cause my faith is on solid rock. I am counting on God.
It is really upbeat and words that are so to the heart of our struggle right now. We have Joy that is unspeakable but just enough strength to live for today. EVERY morning, we say, "This is the day that the Lord has made. I will rejoice and be glad in it." EVERY day is a victory and a gift. It was before Mike has cancer, we just forgot to notice.
So, today we have been here 4 weeks. One month... This week for Mike has been the same really. He is still weak and tired. But his body is fighting so hard. He does struggle to find a good sleeping position. Right now he is asleep on a chair, kind of. He sits in the chair and stacks 3 pillows on the ottoman. He then leans forward and falls asleep that way for a little bit. I think it helps with the pain in his stomach. Mike has pain in his stomach most of the time. He has been ranking it anywhere for 3 to 5 on the pain scale of 10. He has to be the best patient and the most frustrating. He doesn't complain and yet at the same time, he doesn't verbalize what is going on. We are getting better at asking him questions. Again, this may be more information that you want to know. However, I need to give you an accurate picture of Mike so in the end you can see how strong and mighty God is. In the end, this battle is His and His alone.
One of the most encouraging things about this blog is the amount of people praying for us. We covet your prayers. They really cover us and wrap us tightly. Thank you so much and please continue to pray. This is a long journey that Mike and I alone can not fight. That I know for sure. We need everyone to continue in this battle with us with your prayers. But I want to take a moment and ask everyone that is praying for us to add some special people we have met to your prayer list.
Liddy and Nacho: Nacho has melanoma that has met into his bones. He is 40 years old and an engineer. He has 3 kids and a wife that loves him very much. He is really struggling right now and has had some bad detox reactions (bad headaches and stomach aches too). In fact, he has stopped the IV therapy for the weekend.
Beth and Ed: Beth is this amazing women with Stage 4 Ovarian cancer. She is about 60 years old and has 2 children and 3 grandkids. She is this gentle, southern belle with an amazing zeal for life. She is constantly smiling and checking on us. When Mike drinks water, she says, "Good Mike. Keep it up." She had to be a cheerleader at one point. I just want to be in her presence. When she is around, it is like having your mother taking care of you when you have the flu.
Teri's Dad: He has stage 2B Lung Cancer. He is not here. He has elected to have surgery on Monday in PA. The will be removing part of his lung, 3 ribs, tissue and muscle. It is a hard surgery. Please lift him and his family up.
Yesterday, Mike's IV therapy went all day - 9:30 am - 4:00 pm. He had some issues with the vitamin IV they were giving him. It burned and made his arm hurt. He only managed to get about 1/2 of it in. (He says he is not doing it anymore). Then his Vitamin C IV ran slow. It ended up that Beth, Nacho and Mike were doing IV therapy in the afternoon. Liddy showed up and we all sat in the room talking. Well, it was mostly Beth, Liddy and I. Occasionally Nacho would pop in with something. He usually lays in a corner with sunglasses on. You think he is asleep until he says something. Mike was whipped, so he would just smile and nod when I said something. It was so encouraging and one of those memories I will remember the rest of my life. Not really because what was said, but because of the energy (not doubt from God) in the room. Everyone shared stories of their journey and how God is moving. We talked about the treatments. We talked about the science of cancer. Beth reminded me that cancer has 2 sodium receptacles and 23 glucose receptacles. She talked about how when she was doing chemotherapy they would have dunkin donuts for the cancer patients to eat. That is messed up. Nutrition is key.
In the end, this blog is all over the place tonight. I guess the theme of it tonight is never give up. Never give up on Mike. Never give up seeking the truth about anything. Beth and Nacho have not given up. Nacho flew from Mexico. He called Bill and Bill told him to seek treatment with one of his partners in CA. However, he wanted Bill himself. Beth clearly has not given up and continues to fight with a smile. Finally and most importantly, never give up on God. Count of Him. The bible says, "He will never leave you or forsake you!"
Wednesday, October 1, 2008
Visitor and my big mistake of the day!
I missed blogging last night. Mike's Mother flew in from Ohio yesterday and left this afternoon. She slept out in the living room where the computer is located. She went to bed early since she got up early to fly here.
I am constantly encouraged when people tell me about all the people/friends keeping track of and praying for Mike. Truly people all over the world are praying. I told Wendy that I have created this funny story in my head. God is up in heaven and he is being berated with prayer for Mike at all hours of the day and night. Finally, he rubs his temples and he says enough already and gives Mike that miraculously healing. Kind of like the parable of the judge in Luke 18: 2-6. HOWEVER, I know that is not in God's character. He is probably over joyed to hear everyone lift Mike up to Him and he is just smiling at the time you are spending on your knees in a relationship with Him. So, as we continue down this journey, we continue to say to God be the Glory. The more you (and we) are on our knees, the more God is Glorified so it will be the greatest Victory!
Mike's Mom came in and I prepared her for what she might see in Mike. I was a little afraid that it would overwhelm her. However, she encourage my heart when she said he did not look nearly as bad as she had been prepared for. She even thought he had some color in his face. However, the color comes and goes depending on the level of pain and the amount of throw up (you probably didn't need to know that!). She spent the afternoon with Mike. She was even treated to a detox foot bath. After we went back to the condo, Mike slept. I asked his mom to stay with him and Elizabeth and I headed to Manasota Beach for more Shark Tooth Hunting. We even invested in this medal wire scoop/strainer contraption. We were there for about 2 hours and we worked together to find more shark teeth. The water was calm and clear and shallow for at least 20 feet out. We found teeth by just walking in the water and spotting black triangles on the sand. We also found teeth (mostly baby shark teeth) at the water's edge. We would scoop the sand and put it in a strainer. It was fun just to watch Elizabeth. I have to admit, we had a good time and it really took my mind off of Mike for a while. That is probably bad to put down in writing, but true none the less.
This morning we woke up and headed to the IV Clinic. Linda stayed with Mike for a little bit while Elizabeth and I did our morning errands. We then took her to Veggie-Magic for lunch. She loved that place! By the time lunch was over, it was time for her to leave. She did give me a huge compliment. She said that I was doing a great job taking care of and supporting Mike. That meant a lot.
So Linda left, and I took Mike to his breathing/emotional therapy and now we are at the ANWC doing LBG. I have paid the bills and now I have a moment to catch everyone up. Sunday in our 21st day of IV Therapy. Right now we have a few more colonic, a few more breathing therapies, and we are going to schedule an CT Scan for either late this week or early next week so we can compare results.
Be in prayer for the results. Pray that the Scan's will show God's healing on the inside of his body. We have seen it on the outside, but we want to see it on the inside.
I also want to remind everyone that it is a victory if the cancer is unchanged. We were told that it was particularly aggressive and that with no treatment, Mike had 60 days. We are 30 days into that first time window. Stopping the cancer growth rate is a miracle because once we get that under control we can start chipping away at it. Honestly, when it is all said and done, Mike is doing Chemotherapy here. He is just using more natural substances that don't tear apart the body. That is why sometimes the days get hard. I think when I began this journey, I thought that it would be easier than what it actually is. Somewhere along the way, I have come to realize that no one beats cancer by "tiptoeing through the tulips." You have to fight and fight hard, because the cancer will fight just as hard.
I will confess that I did something today that I promised myself I wouldn't do. I read through Mike's Medical records. I got to the point where it said "terminal" and I stopped and put them away. It was so cold to read. But as I am sitting here, typing my way through tonight's therapy session (ie the blog), that report was written by a human. She looked at everything she knew and it was based on her knowledge. In the end, there was one thing left out before the diagnosis was made... The unseen, and all knowing God. In the end, it His plan that will prevail. His plan for Mike and His ultimate plan for all believers!
Specific prayer request:
Pray for sleep/rest for Mike
Pray Mike has the strength to take supplements on regular basis
Pray that the pain in his stomach will be as little as possible
Pray for Healing and that the CT Scan will be cause to rejoice
I am constantly encouraged when people tell me about all the people/friends keeping track of and praying for Mike. Truly people all over the world are praying. I told Wendy that I have created this funny story in my head. God is up in heaven and he is being berated with prayer for Mike at all hours of the day and night. Finally, he rubs his temples and he says enough already and gives Mike that miraculously healing. Kind of like the parable of the judge in Luke 18: 2-6. HOWEVER, I know that is not in God's character. He is probably over joyed to hear everyone lift Mike up to Him and he is just smiling at the time you are spending on your knees in a relationship with Him. So, as we continue down this journey, we continue to say to God be the Glory. The more you (and we) are on our knees, the more God is Glorified so it will be the greatest Victory!
Mike's Mom came in and I prepared her for what she might see in Mike. I was a little afraid that it would overwhelm her. However, she encourage my heart when she said he did not look nearly as bad as she had been prepared for. She even thought he had some color in his face. However, the color comes and goes depending on the level of pain and the amount of throw up (you probably didn't need to know that!). She spent the afternoon with Mike. She was even treated to a detox foot bath. After we went back to the condo, Mike slept. I asked his mom to stay with him and Elizabeth and I headed to Manasota Beach for more Shark Tooth Hunting. We even invested in this medal wire scoop/strainer contraption. We were there for about 2 hours and we worked together to find more shark teeth. The water was calm and clear and shallow for at least 20 feet out. We found teeth by just walking in the water and spotting black triangles on the sand. We also found teeth (mostly baby shark teeth) at the water's edge. We would scoop the sand and put it in a strainer. It was fun just to watch Elizabeth. I have to admit, we had a good time and it really took my mind off of Mike for a while. That is probably bad to put down in writing, but true none the less.
This morning we woke up and headed to the IV Clinic. Linda stayed with Mike for a little bit while Elizabeth and I did our morning errands. We then took her to Veggie-Magic for lunch. She loved that place! By the time lunch was over, it was time for her to leave. She did give me a huge compliment. She said that I was doing a great job taking care of and supporting Mike. That meant a lot.
So Linda left, and I took Mike to his breathing/emotional therapy and now we are at the ANWC doing LBG. I have paid the bills and now I have a moment to catch everyone up. Sunday in our 21st day of IV Therapy. Right now we have a few more colonic, a few more breathing therapies, and we are going to schedule an CT Scan for either late this week or early next week so we can compare results.
Be in prayer for the results. Pray that the Scan's will show God's healing on the inside of his body. We have seen it on the outside, but we want to see it on the inside.
I also want to remind everyone that it is a victory if the cancer is unchanged. We were told that it was particularly aggressive and that with no treatment, Mike had 60 days. We are 30 days into that first time window. Stopping the cancer growth rate is a miracle because once we get that under control we can start chipping away at it. Honestly, when it is all said and done, Mike is doing Chemotherapy here. He is just using more natural substances that don't tear apart the body. That is why sometimes the days get hard. I think when I began this journey, I thought that it would be easier than what it actually is. Somewhere along the way, I have come to realize that no one beats cancer by "tiptoeing through the tulips." You have to fight and fight hard, because the cancer will fight just as hard.
I will confess that I did something today that I promised myself I wouldn't do. I read through Mike's Medical records. I got to the point where it said "terminal" and I stopped and put them away. It was so cold to read. But as I am sitting here, typing my way through tonight's therapy session (ie the blog), that report was written by a human. She looked at everything she knew and it was based on her knowledge. In the end, there was one thing left out before the diagnosis was made... The unseen, and all knowing God. In the end, it His plan that will prevail. His plan for Mike and His ultimate plan for all believers!
Specific prayer request:
Pray for sleep/rest for Mike
Pray Mike has the strength to take supplements on regular basis
Pray that the pain in his stomach will be as little as possible
Pray for Healing and that the CT Scan will be cause to rejoice
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