Thursday, September 15, 2011
Good News!
Dr. Myers just came out to see us with good news. He removed the nodule (that's what he called it) and some surrounding tissue and had clean margins all around. He snipped a piece of that nerve and it had no cancer. Nor was anything attached to the bone. So round one is done. The neurosurgeon is off the case, the head and neck surgeon is done, and the plastic surgeon is at work repairing the hole that was created. This will take time but it's all good news. Thank you Lord and thank you God's warriors for praying!
And it begins
Scott got in about 8 o'clock last night and we hit the BBQ place next door. That may have been what kept him awake most of the night!
We arrived at the hospital this morning at 5:15 - way early, even for my hubby. Got him all checked in and ready for all the doctor visits: four of them! There was only one small hiccup. Last time (7 years ago) we designated our younger son, Brian, for any blood transfusions. Scott and I have the same type, and Brian and his dad have the same. I told the nurse that we filled out a new form yesterday but she couldn't find it, so we waited for that to be redone. We had to change it - Brian's in France!
So now we wait... about 10-12 hours is their prediction, depending on what actually happens in that surgical room. I'll get back to you later.
We arrived at the hospital this morning at 5:15 - way early, even for my hubby. Got him all checked in and ready for all the doctor visits: four of them! There was only one small hiccup. Last time (7 years ago) we designated our younger son, Brian, for any blood transfusions. Scott and I have the same type, and Brian and his dad have the same. I told the nurse that we filled out a new form yesterday but she couldn't find it, so we waited for that to be redone. We had to change it - Brian's in France!
So now we wait... about 10-12 hours is their prediction, depending on what actually happens in that surgical room. I'll get back to you later.
Wednesday, September 14, 2011
Tomorrow's Surgery
We learned today that T's surgery will be the first one Thursday morning. We will check in at 5:15 in the morning. Yeah... Surgery is a couple hours (or less) later. They still really don't know what they are going to find and basically presented us with four scenarios. I won't go into the details but for those who are praying for us, please pray for the least invasive possibility. We know the nodule has to come out. We know the doctor is going to take a piece of nerve in order to rule out any cancer, even if he doesn't see that it is involved. This is going to result in numbness in his cheek, upper right lip, and possibly part of his nose. It all depends how much has to be taken. So pray for the least amount of surgery possible. The initial surgery should take about two hours - it's the plastic surgery that could take an additional eight hours or more.
Now for some good news: our older son, Scott, is coming tonight. After hearing what we face tomorrow, I think our sons started talking to each other and decided that mom shouldn't be here alone for this initial ordeal. Bless his heart, he canceled a ton of stuff to be with us for two days, then he'll fly home to become Mr. Mom while his wife heads to KC to help her sister hopefully come home from the hospital, after having very serious complications post-childbirth. Brian emailed and offered to come once Scott leaves, but he lives in France! Hopefully there will be no reason for that kind of sacrifice! I can't express how grateful I am to my boys for their care. I know the Lord would help me get through this but to have their support is just amazing!
So please pray for the easiest result possible. God bless you!
Now for some good news: our older son, Scott, is coming tonight. After hearing what we face tomorrow, I think our sons started talking to each other and decided that mom shouldn't be here alone for this initial ordeal. Bless his heart, he canceled a ton of stuff to be with us for two days, then he'll fly home to become Mr. Mom while his wife heads to KC to help her sister hopefully come home from the hospital, after having very serious complications post-childbirth. Brian emailed and offered to come once Scott leaves, but he lives in France! Hopefully there will be no reason for that kind of sacrifice! I can't express how grateful I am to my boys for their care. I know the Lord would help me get through this but to have their support is just amazing!
So please pray for the easiest result possible. God bless you!
Tuesday, September 13, 2011
The Unexpected
Somehow the unexpected is never the news you want to hear and that was the case for us today. We learned a lot, more than we have understood about this cancer until now. We learned that the biopsy caused our doctor to really scrutinize the MRI, and knowing where the biopsy was taken, she was able to find the cancer on the scan, small, but located on the infra-orbital nerve. It's not a good thing when cancer cells land on nerves; they are like super-highways for those nasty little cells. We learned that this surgery is more difficult than the last one because of the transfer of a live graft from T's arm (or thigh or back or side) and the delicacy of that process, hooking up all those little blood vessels and such. We learned that he will have an unexpected hospital stay of several days (last time was over-night) because of that skin/tissue graft. We learned that there are a list of possibilities, none of which we want to happen, but we have to be prepared. Lastly, we learned we can't go home as soon as we thought, which is a bummer. We will have to extend our stay by several days.
All that said, we know we are dealing with the most experienced physicians in the world when it comes to this kind of thing. A few might need to work on their people-skills, but right now we are more interested in their brilliance than their personalities.
We spent some time with dear friends, Sam and Carmen, tonight and were able to laugh and enjoy a lovely meal together. We know that wherever we go, God's people are there to stand, shoulder-to-shoulder, through the trials. It's always fun to have God's people beside you in the good times, but the cherished times are when the difficulties, doubts, and uncertainties of being a part of the human race rise to the surface and these warriors show up to be a part of the battle.
We are learning new levels of trust, with each other and with God. As T expressed his concern and prayed for our students today, we are vitally aware that there are people in place who will stand in the gap and do what needs to be done until we can return. We are praying that our students will rise up in this situation, that they will pray and commit themselves to being the people God has designed them to be. Just by doing this, they will make everyone's life at school a joy.
We have had another glimpse into the fragility of our earthly bodies and are glad to realize that we get new ones some day that will never decay or experience disease. We know God is not surprised by anything we heard today, even if we were, but He is ready to walk with us through each part and be our Healer. So we trust in Him.
All that said, we know we are dealing with the most experienced physicians in the world when it comes to this kind of thing. A few might need to work on their people-skills, but right now we are more interested in their brilliance than their personalities.
We spent some time with dear friends, Sam and Carmen, tonight and were able to laugh and enjoy a lovely meal together. We know that wherever we go, God's people are there to stand, shoulder-to-shoulder, through the trials. It's always fun to have God's people beside you in the good times, but the cherished times are when the difficulties, doubts, and uncertainties of being a part of the human race rise to the surface and these warriors show up to be a part of the battle.
We are learning new levels of trust, with each other and with God. As T expressed his concern and prayed for our students today, we are vitally aware that there are people in place who will stand in the gap and do what needs to be done until we can return. We are praying that our students will rise up in this situation, that they will pray and commit themselves to being the people God has designed them to be. Just by doing this, they will make everyone's life at school a joy.
We have had another glimpse into the fragility of our earthly bodies and are glad to realize that we get new ones some day that will never decay or experience disease. We know God is not surprised by anything we heard today, even if we were, but He is ready to walk with us through each part and be our Healer. So we trust in Him.
Monday, September 12, 2011
Welcome to Texas!
That's what the guy at the car rental said, right after he told us it got up to 110* in Houston today. Oh my word! We cranked up the a/c and rolled down the highway. T knows his way around this city so well. I should never argue with him over which freeway to take, because he is always right on this one! The road systems in this city are incredible... spider webs of over-passes, five or six-lanes on all the freeways, and still everyone wants to drive in two lanes. Slightly crazy stuff.
We rolled into our hotel, Comfort Suites, which provides a special rate for medical patients, at about 7 o'clock tonight. This is a great little hotel, good hot breakfast (or cold if you prefer), AND it's a non-smoking hotel. When we first came here years ago, the second floor was the "only" smoking floor. Someone on our floor (the third) was caught smoking and there was a $250 fine for that! Wow! The owner/manager was so concerned about all the medical people that he ultimately decided to eliminate the possibility to smoke at all in this hotel. It is now totally smoke-free. There are so many medical patients in this hotel that they also provide free shuttle service to the multiple hospitals. I noticed, however, that most people who signed up on the list for tomorrow are headed to MD Anderson, the number one cancer hospital in the world! This is a research hospital, and they want the weird stuff. We're glad they do because it sure is hard to find anyone who has any experience with T's special brand. These people were the answer to our prayers seven years ago. What was surprising was when the doctor at our HMO sent us back here. We had heard that our group liked to do their own stuff, to save money, but no one in the group had ever seen this kind of thing, so the doctor himself did the referral. Nice.
So here we are, and all the fun begins tomorrow, although it's light compared to Wednesday where we begin at 8 o'clock in the morning and go from one doctor to the next, basically non-stop. But it's okay. The Lord is all over this (as my husband assures me repeatedly) and none of it caught Him by surprise. Thanks for praying!
We rolled into our hotel, Comfort Suites, which provides a special rate for medical patients, at about 7 o'clock tonight. This is a great little hotel, good hot breakfast (or cold if you prefer), AND it's a non-smoking hotel. When we first came here years ago, the second floor was the "only" smoking floor. Someone on our floor (the third) was caught smoking and there was a $250 fine for that! Wow! The owner/manager was so concerned about all the medical people that he ultimately decided to eliminate the possibility to smoke at all in this hotel. It is now totally smoke-free. There are so many medical patients in this hotel that they also provide free shuttle service to the multiple hospitals. I noticed, however, that most people who signed up on the list for tomorrow are headed to MD Anderson, the number one cancer hospital in the world! This is a research hospital, and they want the weird stuff. We're glad they do because it sure is hard to find anyone who has any experience with T's special brand. These people were the answer to our prayers seven years ago. What was surprising was when the doctor at our HMO sent us back here. We had heard that our group liked to do their own stuff, to save money, but no one in the group had ever seen this kind of thing, so the doctor himself did the referral. Nice.
So here we are, and all the fun begins tomorrow, although it's light compared to Wednesday where we begin at 8 o'clock in the morning and go from one doctor to the next, basically non-stop. But it's okay. The Lord is all over this (as my husband assures me repeatedly) and none of it caught Him by surprise. Thanks for praying!
Saturday, September 10, 2011
Friday Blessings
While sitting at my desk Friday morning working on "stuff" for the day, the ASB officers filed into my office and asked if it was okay to say a prayer for me before leaving for surgery. Each of them offered a prayer that absolutely blessed my heart. They handed me a card, signed with a personal note from each of them, along with a gift from the ASB. It was all I could do to maintain composure.
The student body came together on Friday afternoon to close the school day with student-led devotions. At the conclusion of the devotional, led by one of our chaplains, the ASB president announced to the student body that their principal would be gone for a few days due to cancer sugery. They asked me to come out onto the basketball court where they prayed for me....again.
What a blessing to be part of this kind of educational environment. With such Spirit-led leadership from our students, of course there is a spiritual battle raging on all fronts. We do not fear....God is all over it!
Just thought I'd share some of what went on this past Friday.....pretty awesome send-off.
Terry
Thursday, September 8, 2011
Graciousness
Sometimes it doesn't matter how hard a person works, the pile simply doesn't diminish. That's kind of what it has felt like for us these days. We leave Oly on Monday for Houston; T has tests Tuesday, consults Wednesday, and surgery Thursday. We are hoping to be back home by the following Wednesday, but we'll see how it all comes together. We keep attacking the work, hoping to have everything ready, but keep finding one more thing... you know how that goes.
Last week was the first week of school, and this week it's game on! When we think that the doctors originally scheduled all these medical things for 9.1 - shudder... that would not have been a good thing! Every evening we've crawled home, exhausted. But Tuesday I noticed that T was different, still tired but not quite so burdened. As he drove home (we loaned our pick-up to a friend so have one car these days) he handed me an envelope. Inside was a gift from his teachers and a card.
I can't begin to tell you what that did for us. I take care of the bookkeeping stuff so I get concerned about things that T doesn't even know about - it's better that way. The gift takes care of some medical stuff - like right now! Wow! God's people rock! But more than the gift, the words of love, prayer, and encouragement in that card meant everything to my husband. I can't begin to tell you how much he loves and respects his teachers. They are not just good teachers; they are excellence personified! And the words they shared were so kind, so caring and totally lifted my husband's heart. When it comes to caring for his teachers, my hubby will do whatever it takes. If someone needs something and he can find it, they'll have it the same day. He would turn himself inside out for them because he absolutely believes they are the best. Times are tough these days. Public schools have been hit with this economy but so have the private schools. Students have chosen other options because the money just isn't available for them to continue. Classes have been cut - it's tough! But in the midst of their own stress and difficulties, NCHS teachers reached out to my husband and shared their hearts and resources. I am so overwhelmed with their goodness! And I am praying for them, that God will not only supply their needs, some of which are massive, but that He will pour His abundance on them in such a way that they will be shocked by His provision.
As we leave for Houston on Monday, we know we don't go alone. The Lord goes before us, and God's people will pray us through, especially a select group of His saints who dedicate their lives to serving Him and some special students at NCHS in Lacey, WA. May blessings, abundant blessings be theirs!
Last week was the first week of school, and this week it's game on! When we think that the doctors originally scheduled all these medical things for 9.1 - shudder... that would not have been a good thing! Every evening we've crawled home, exhausted. But Tuesday I noticed that T was different, still tired but not quite so burdened. As he drove home (we loaned our pick-up to a friend so have one car these days) he handed me an envelope. Inside was a gift from his teachers and a card.
I can't begin to tell you what that did for us. I take care of the bookkeeping stuff so I get concerned about things that T doesn't even know about - it's better that way. The gift takes care of some medical stuff - like right now! Wow! God's people rock! But more than the gift, the words of love, prayer, and encouragement in that card meant everything to my husband. I can't begin to tell you how much he loves and respects his teachers. They are not just good teachers; they are excellence personified! And the words they shared were so kind, so caring and totally lifted my husband's heart. When it comes to caring for his teachers, my hubby will do whatever it takes. If someone needs something and he can find it, they'll have it the same day. He would turn himself inside out for them because he absolutely believes they are the best. Times are tough these days. Public schools have been hit with this economy but so have the private schools. Students have chosen other options because the money just isn't available for them to continue. Classes have been cut - it's tough! But in the midst of their own stress and difficulties, NCHS teachers reached out to my husband and shared their hearts and resources. I am so overwhelmed with their goodness! And I am praying for them, that God will not only supply their needs, some of which are massive, but that He will pour His abundance on them in such a way that they will be shocked by His provision.
As we leave for Houston on Monday, we know we don't go alone. The Lord goes before us, and God's people will pray us through, especially a select group of His saints who dedicate their lives to serving Him and some special students at NCHS in Lacey, WA. May blessings, abundant blessings be theirs!
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