Good News

Mike told me to get on the blog and let everyone know that the Bone Scan was negative for cancer. Praise Jesus! Mike told me he wanted to post some good news for everyone since it has been awhile. I thank Jesus for every joy He sends our way. Mike also wanted me to post Psalms 118:17 from him. That verse states:

I shall not die, but live, and declare the works of the Lord.

I will post more tonight once all doctors make the rounds. Please pray that the nerve block procedure will happen today and that it will be successful

Welcoming the Angels

The night was somewhat better last night, that or I just was so tired I slept through things. Mike went down early for the J tube placement and was in pain even under sedation. I just can't seem to find the words right now. Pain seems to be the theme of the day. Trying to get the pain under control and get Mike comfortable. It is just surreal right now and I am a little numb. We have changed Mike's pain medicines again to stay on top of things. He has been throwing up so we haven't started the J Tube feedings. Just keeping him on TPN for now.

Mike is going in for the celiac block tomorrow. Please...Please pray with me that it will work and take away pain Lord Jesus hear our prayers!

Elizabeth was up here tonight when Mike came back in horrible pain after the bone scan. Melissa and I were trying to get him comfortable and Elizabeth said the angels are right there and she pointed to three places. She left with Melissa to go to a basketball game and I texted her. I said by the way, I feel the angels here too. Thank you for confirming my feelings. She texted back:
I left them for you and Dad. I don't know, I can just feel them when they are at a certain place like tonight.
I read the text to Mike and his response? He said to the angels, "Welcome Friends. Welcome Angels."

Mike is in terrible pain, however all his other labs, blood work, pulse, oxygen, blood pressure are good. I am praying that tomorrow will be the day we turn the corner..

Thank you (especially family) for all comments, texts, calls, emails, visits, food, snacks, deodrant, help, and as always prayers. I just can't respond to everything right now but we feel completely wrapped in God's Hands by your outpouring.

Much love to everyone.

Long Night and Day.. NOT letting go of our Savior

I stayed with Mike in the hospital last night. The pain for Mike is pretty significant. He is hurting in his back and abdomen and continues to be weak. Prayers have been flowing. I have had a lot of help from family and friends. We put Mike on a morphine pump this afternoon and then had the doctor add another pain medication to help with the break through pain. We finally got on top of the pain around 5:00 pm this evening. We also put a Foley catheter in so he wouldn't have to get up to go to the bathroom. It has gotten to the point where he didn't have the strength to pull his legs on the bed after he collapses into bed after going to the bathroom.

I want to make it clear that we are not done fighting but the battle is huge. This afternoon was extremely hard and Mike has been in the worst pain and calling to Jesus. I do love him for that. Even in his most severe moments, he is calling to Jesus. That is how firmly he is planted with the Savior. AND we are not letting go....

Mike as asked me to blog that he says thank you for the prayers and please keep pouring it on.

I am asking to you pray for Elizabeth and my family and local friends that are surrounding us right now. Things are changing all the time and everyone is bending so I can be here non-stop with Mike.

Answered prayers, hurdles ahead.

It was a busy morning. I slept late and got a call from Mike at 8:30 saying the GI doctor was here and he was going to be scoped. He was worried about the insurance paying for it. I had to reassure him that he was admitted through the ER and everything done while in the hospital will be covered. I hate that he is even worried about insurance paying or not. I told him that is my job. Don't worry. So I hopped in the shower, threw some clothes one, gave Elizabeth a list of what needs to be done at home and her schedule and headed to the hospital. I didn't make before they took him back, but thank God my Dad was here. I was able to say I love you over the phone to him and Dad was waiting for me in the waiting room. I praise God that we have a different GI doctor for this procedure. She is actually the doctor that did my Dad's colonoscopy about a month ago and the same doctor that will do my mother's later this week.

The procedure went longer than expected. She stretched Mike's esophagus and then moved into the stomach down to the bottom where the stomach empties into the intestines. It is called the duodenum (sp??). Haven't had time to research that yet. Anyway, that area is now thickening and they took a biopsy. It appears that the cancer has spread there. So the doctor stretched that area just like she did to the esophagus. This is good because it means that Mike's stomach will drain. Mike has been put on IV nutrition and on Monday will get a GJ Tube. The G tube will extend into his stomach and the J portion of that tube will go into his small intestines. In the meantime, we need to be in prayer about placing a stent down in that area. It is something that can not be done here at this hospital and we would have to go to one down in Dallas. I don't know about the insurance end of that so please be praying that if that is an option we choose, that the insurance will not be an issue.

So this new GI doctor is wonderful and such a blessing. As I was talking to her, I realized that God has answered a prayer that I have been praying for so long. She had options. She had ideas for pain management. She didn't suck the hope out of the air. AND her office doesn't take Tricare. My Dad mentioned Medicare and she said Tricare pays less than Medicare. (another doctor). BUT she also said she wished there was something better for these guys because they sacrifice so much to serve our country AND she said she would talk to her office manager and see if there was a way to take Mike as a patient as an outpatient. Thank you Jesus.

Mike is resting and is very low on energy. They are working on clearing his bowels and he is getting wonderful care today. The nurses are wonderful and the tech is one of the best we have ever had. We have many hurdles to jump here, but I can finally see the hurdles and that is an answer to prayer as well.

It is good to journal to see how God moves when you pray. I have seen very real prayers answered in very real ways today. I know God is listening and moving and therefore I fully believe that He has heard and is hearing my prayers about Mike's complete earthly healing and will answer them. In fact He is hearing the prayers for Mike all around the world. So I am on my knees, waiting, praising, and watching.....

Prayer needs:
Mike's strength, energy nutrition, pain, and for the cancer to die
Elizabeth and I as we try to maintain some sort of schedule during the days and weeks ahead
For the insurance to work out for all Mike's medical needs including this wonderful GI doctor
For the numbness in Mike's right foot. It is a side effect from Chemo and it has progressed with this last treatment.

Praise:
Dad
God answering prayers
For the wonderful nurses in GI lab and on the floor. In fact, the GI nurse ran into me in the hall after she brought Mike back from the procedure. She said how much she has been praying for us and glad we had a good Christmas. She said how everyone asks about Mike and she even began to tear up. She cares for him so much. Thank you Jesus. I prayed that He would be with Mike in the procedure and provide incredible care as if it was me in there with him. He answered.

Back in the hospital

Mike is back in the hospital. Our home health nurse was concern about Mike's lack of bowel movements and called the doctor. The doctor told us to go to the ER. So off we went. However, Mike's back hurts so much. It hurts to stand and it hurts to sit up. My incredibly brave husband endured tremendous pain to get to the ER. I truly though he was going to pass out and I just sat there crying and driving. I hate that I can't take the pain away. I pulled up to the ER and ran in crying and he was put in a wheel chair and wheeled strait back to a trauma room. I parked the car and by the time I got back to a room, there was a flurry of activity. To make a long story short, Mike has a blockage at the bottom of his stomach and is partially blocking the entrance to his intestines. They think it is a tumor. This blockage is keeping the stuff in the stomach from draining out at a proper rate. The food is just sitting in his stomach. They have stopped the G Tube feeding and he is now on TPN for the weekend along with good pain medicine. On Monday, he will be getting a J tube which feeds directly into his intestines. Hopefully this will allow us to gain strength and weight to continue the fight with our still undetermined next step.

We are both tired, but that nagging feeling I have had that something wasn't right is gone. I feel like we are headed in the right direction.

Pray:
Mike and all his medical issues - pain management, strength, and the cancer to die
Rest for everyone
Elizabeth and I and the emotions of it all

Praise:
Kathy for dinner last night and ER stay
Rippees for loving on Elizabeth tonight
Dinner from Chick fila
Private room, new doctor, and a great Big God!

Home

We got home this afternoon. We originally coming home yesterday, but some weird stuff in Mike's stomach had to go to the lab to be evaluated for blood. Once they knew it wasn't blood, they released us to come home. It is different this time though. Yes, Mike is stronger, but he is in pain. His lower back hurts and they sent us home with a pill for pain and at this posting I am not sure if it is working. I finally pulled out the liquid morphine and gave him a dose. It took the edge off the pain. I am a little nervous about that and am having to start over learning a new process again. The kitchen table is full of new folders and instruction manuals. The new pump arrived, the new home health nurse came by, and I have 4 new medications to add to our daily routine. I am fine with all that. I will figure it out and it will become routine eventually. The pain is the unknown. For a minute there, I thought that I would have to load Mike in the car and take him right back to the hospital. But I think we are on top of it for now.

Elizabeth had her first ensemble competition (oboe) last night and they got a 1 plus rating and a medal. She is so excited and we are so proud of her.

Please continue to pray and ask everyone you know to pray. We still don't know our next move or where we should turn. I did call Cancer Treatment Centers of America today. They take Tricare STANDARD insurance (not Prime), but since it pays the same as Medicare (have you heard that before?) they only take a limited number of patients on Medicare/Tricare. The next new patient opening is in July.

Father God, we are seeking you and your direction....

I will post more tomorrow. But I do want to say two things. (1) Today is our 1 year retirement anniversary from the Air Force. (2) Our new home health nurse came over and we found out that there is another young military (Army or AF, can't remember) guy retired here in McKinney with young family that has Esophageal Cancer.... makes you think. I did ask the nurse to pass along our information. I would love to connect with them.

Prayer needs:
For Mike to not be in pain
For complete earthly healing for Mike
For medical direction
For rest
For God's will

Praise:
Mike is home
Elizabeth and the joy she brings us
Our AF family. We love you!

One week - still here, but better

Mike is still in the hospital but what a difference a week can make. He is sitting in a chair looking out the window as I typed this. One week ago, he couldn't sit up without breathing hard. He had absolutely no energy. I think I have some blame in this hospital stay this time. I knew that Mike wasn't getting enough nutrition after that last round of chemo, but things seemed to be manageable. Then all of a sudden things just picked up steam like a ball rolling down a hill. Mike was also a little stubborn in this situation, but I am so thankful that we got here.

Mike is up to 60 ml per hour on the food pump. They want him to be at 70, so we are almost there. It is just taking Mike's stomach awhile to get used to eating 24 hours a day. We are also having some issues with the digestive tract and some fluid retention. His blood work is also slowly creeping down. We need to keep an eye on that as well, but THIS day is a good day.

Elizabeth and I continue to bounce between hospital and school. It got hard this weekend when she needed to be at home working on a huge project that is due in two weeks and I wanted to be here. (She needed help learning how to scan and incorporate graphics into her project). But for the most part, I think we did ok. Dad helped by spending time up here with Mike. I hate leaving him alone because you never know when the doctors are going to pop by and come up with something. For instance, on Friday I was up at school when the doctor came by. They had concerns about Mike not tolerating the increase of food. So the GI doctor (remember the one that said Mike should be on hospice back in September), the admitting doctor, and then another doctor felt Mike should get a GJtube. Basically, it is extending the feeding tube that Mike has into his lower intestines. Mike told the doctor that he wants to give the pump feeding more time. Next thing we know, nurses are here ready to wheel Mike down for the procedure. We told them no after a discussion. I think everyone wanted to get something done before the weekend if truth be told. The best thing is that it looks like at this point that was the right decision. Mike has managed to increase from 35 ml per hour to 60 ml per hour.

It is funny how much we have learned on this journey. For us, we are learning how to pray, listen and wait. Sometimes people/doctors want us to make these snap decisions, but we have learned to say wait, no, or we are still trying to decide our options. We have learned that our medical information is OUR information. That means that I can say let me see that blood work. I want a copy of that report. What leads you to make that decision. I have read about this treatment, is this an option for us? Why? I have also learned that you gain tons of information from other resources like nurses, techs, patients. It is a good thing to engage people in elevators, waiting rooms, etc. You never know what you will learn that might be helpful.

I will post as soon as we know if we are going home today. I don't want to be sent home without addressing a few issues like the fluid retention. But we have everything ready to go as far as Home Health for the feeding pump. I am hopeful...

Prayer needs:

Mike to gain weight and strength

Mike's back pain

The fluid retention and the digestive tract issue

Time management - there is so much going on this week with Elizabeth and her activities

VA - of course, we get a letter that Mike needs to go to the VA in downtown Dallas for an appointment this week. I called to let them know he is in the hospital but they won't discuss with me because we don't have a release of authorization on file. How we missed them, I don't know. Everyone else has it for us. I faxed one over, so hopefully I can get this settled. Minor issue in the scheme of things though!

Sleep for everyone

Praise:

Dad for spending time with Mike in the hospital so I could at home

Mom for doing laundry for me

Meals this weekend and Baskin Robbins Ice cream cake in the hospital YUM! (even Mike ate some)

Lisa Tuttle is on the way to the hospital to visit with us from Florida!

Thank you to Millers, Grays, Irwins, and Webbers