Looking Forward to 2017 and Beyond

It's been four weeks since Harry's surgery to remove the tumor that was attached to his pelvic bone. As we reported on our last blog post, the surgery was successful. The surgeon removed all of the tumor and said, it was dried up. However, Harry's recovery has been a difficult one, primarily because of pain.

A lot of work was done in his pelvic area, so we are patiently enduring the after effects. His next visit to the surgeon is February 14, and he continues to receive chemo treatment every other week. Harry is also dealing somewhat with a loss of appetite. We believe this is a side effect of the pain medicine (which is stronger than his chemo pain meds). Please continue to pray for his recovery and healing.

Our special guests.

On the week following Harry's surgery, two special ladies and their husbands visited us. On their way to the airport for a return home trip to Colorado, Gloria and Gary stopped by with Bev and Mike (who lives in Nashville) and graced our living room with their presence. Bev and Gloria, who are sisters, and I have been friends for more than thirty years. We attended the same church and spent a lot of family time together. Bev and Gloria were the strength that I needed during a difficult time in my life. Before they left for the airport, they offered up prayers and Gloria prayed a special blessing for our home.


Jada cooked a great meal.

Harry and I celebrated a low-key Christmas on Sunday. We opted not to decorate this year, because of all we have faced and continue to endure. However, we were blessed by Jada, our thirteen-year-old granddaughter on Christmas eve. She prepared dinner for our family, and we enjoyed a blessed evening with children and grandchildren.

A special thank you to Rev. Alvin and Dorothy Hall who brought us Christmas greetings from a few fellow church members. Your Christmas blessing was timely and very much appreciated. And thank you, Kristie, for the beautiful poinsettia. It added a needed ambiance to our home.

Now Harry and I are looking forward to the new year and beyond. It was nine months ago that Harry received the cancer diagnosis along with a ten month prognosis. At that moment the world that we knew changed forever, and our lives became a daily battle for his survivor. God has been with us through it all. He extended Harry's life and has blessed us with a hopeful future. Thank you, God.

This journey began with many tears and a lot of prayers. But believe me when I say that our faith at that time was not big or strong or powerful. So God did two things. He taught us what and how to believe so that our prayers would be stronger, and He surrounded us with all of you, saints who went to battle for us through prayer. All we have to offer for your love and support are two measly words--thank you. But please know that those words come from hearts filled with love and respect for each of you. We pray that God will shower you with His  love and that your 2017 will overflow with many, many blessings. We love you.

Thank You and Happy New Year!

Still Trusting God

On the heels of Thanksgiving, Harry and I experienced a week that was busy, to say the least. Thanksgiving was a blessed time in South Carolina with Harry's family, where we were surrounded by their love, support, and yes, food. But we had to scurry home last Sunday to begin a week that was filled with daily hospital visits that included an MRI, a chemo treatment, and two surgeries. The first surgery, which was minor, was on Tuesday. Harry received a port for ongoing chemo treatments. He experienced pain following the surgery, but that pain was overshadowed by the major surgery that he received on Thursday.


Waiting for surgery

On that day, we got to the hospital at 5:30 a.m., was admitted, and Harry was prepared for surgery in post-op. His orthopedic surgeon visited with us a bit to discuss what to expect and to discuss the risks. When he left, I looked at my husband and saw that his eyes were welling up with tears. I held his hand and stroked his hair, speaking words of reassurance. He said the surgeon had overwhelmed him with things he had not considered. We prayed and found our peace. Our trust has been in God throughout this year, and it will not change.

The day following surgery

The surgery was over after three and half hours, and it was a success. The surgeon said he was able to get all of the tumor and was able to repair Harry's pelvic bone. There were no issues related to the surgery. The surgeon said Harry did not even require a blood transfusion, which was slated to be part of the procedure. We praise God for keeping Harry during surgery and for guiding the hands of the doctors.

*********

It's been three days since the surgery, and Harry is still doing well. Physical therapists had him up and walking with a walker the day following the surgery. His surgeon said he may be able to go home on tomorrow (Monday) or Tuesday, which is a shorter time than was originally planned. What continues to be an issue is pain management. The pain from the surgery has almost been more than Harry can handle, so the surgeon wants to have it under control before Harry goes home.

Resting in the hospital

Please pray for a speedy recovery, including a diminishment of the pain. And please continue to pray for Harry's total healing. One thing the surgeon said related to the tumor he removed was that it was dried up. Wow!!We're praying this is an indication that the cancer is drying up throughout Harry's body.

Looking back, we can clearly see the blessings that have unfolded as we have traveled along this road. Harry and I continually trust God in faith, still. We are trusting that God will heal Harry and deliver us safely to the other side of this journey. Also, we continue to offer thanksgiving for your continued prayers. May God bless each of you abundantly.

What's In a Name

In Shakespeare's classic play, Romeo and Juliet, Juliet uttered the words, "What's in a name." In simple words, she implied that names don't really matter. All we need to know is what something is not what it is named. In a romantic play, that phrase rings true, but in real life, names as well as the descriptions have deep connotations. Take the word shrunk for example, which means to draw back or lessen in size. Even though in many cases, shrunk can be descriptive of a negative situation, it can be a giant of a word when size matters.

As with Harry. The moment that his oncologist used the word shrunk, we were empowered and exuberated. We were finally hearing the little old word that we had longed to hear, that we had hoped to hear, and that all of our friends and family have prayed would be said. Over and over again, as his oncologist discussed Harry's scans with us, we heard her say that the tumors had shrunk in size. The tumor on his collar bone shrunk from 8 cm to 2 cm, the tumor on his adrenals shrunk from 5 cm to 4 cm, the tumor on his hip from 8 cm to 5 cm, and so on.

The work of God in your life can be difficult to put into words, but we'll try. When God intervened in the course of our lives, turning an inevitably terminal situation completely around and bringing new hope, Harry and I were momentarily caught between two worlds. We experienced a momentary jet lag until we finally caught up to what God had done. It finally sunk in, and we were filled with awe and a deeper respect for the God that we serve. We believed it, and through faith expected it, and at that moment, our expectations materialized. Harry was going to be okay.

To say that we, including Harry's doctor, were joyful is a understatement. She hugged us both and Harry thanked her many times over. Then as he went down the hall for his chemo treatment, everyone he encountered received a dose of what God had given to him that day. Harry shared God's love through a exuberant greeting or a joyful shout of praise the Lord.

What's next? Because Harry will continue to receive chemo indefinitely, he decided to have a port inserted to make the administration of the drug easier. This minor surgery will be done on Tuesday, November 29. Then on December 1, Harry will undergo surgery to have the tumor removed from his hip. The orthopedic surgeon said that the tumor has damaged Harry's pelvic bone, so he will repair it once he removes the tumor. We really have no choice in the matter, if Harry is to have the highest quality of life possible. 

Please pray that there will be no complications during the surgery and for Harry to recover speedily. And continue to pray for his total healing. Our God is able. Thank you for your faithful prayers. May God's blessings overtake each of you and may you be overshadowed by His love and goodness.

Learning to Wait

Whoever said, "Patience is a virtue" understood human nature. The difficulty of waiting on anything goes against the grain of the lives that we hope to experience. We want what we want now, and that's it. This is especially true when something sidelines us. When this happens, we fight with everything we have to get on with life. In many instances, this is the right thing to do. However, there are some things that just cannot be rushed.

Speaking for my husband, this was a lesson that Harry learned this past week. In our last blog, we celebrated the awesomeness of God who has blessed Harry beyond what we or Harry's doctors could imagine. Tumors were shrinking, and new treatment had been recommended. He was on track to recapture the quality of life that had been sidelined by cancer.

Charred grass from backyard fire

However, Harry raced ahead just a bit and caused a little setback. As far as we can see and the doctors know, the cancer is still stable. But because he felt better, Harry tried to reinstate some things that his body was not ready to do, like working a little too long in his office, not resting when he should. This stressed Harry's body, and it was further stressed when he rushed outside to put out a grass fire in our backyard. Our neighbors left a fire in their yard unattended and it got out of hand. Harry actually prevented our house from catching on fire. But this was a lot for someone in his condition.

Harry's body gave in and he became ill when he sat in our Jacuzzi tub after he had already spent time in the whirlpool at the Y two days before. This raised his body temperature and caused him to become sick. His strength was zapped and he began to deal with the same problems he had while on chemo--loss of appetite, fluctuating temperature, weakness, and so forth.

Harry recognized his error in pushing ahead of what his body was ready to do. He spent the weekend in and out of bed due to illness. Yesterday, we went to the hospital for his scheduled chemo treatment, however, the doctor chose to delay it for two weeks so that he can get stronger. Instead, she ordered intravenous fluids because of fluid loss and x-rays to make sure he did not have an infection. With this setback, she also scheduled CT scans for next week to check on the tumors.

Then Harry's doctor compassionately scolded him and encouraged him to listen to his body more. Harry confessed that he had ignored God's promptings to wait, and he promised that he would concentrate on his health all the way. Note that Harry's doctor called today and revealed that he does have a mild case of pneumonia. He has been placed on antibiotics.

Harry said he learned a valuable lesson on waiting. He referred to what the Bible says about waiting on the Lord and being patient. "But," he said, "we all want to get better and be healed quickly, even me. Sometimes we just have to be patient."

Through this journey, Harry has demonstrated trust and faith in God. He knows that God is with him, and last week he recognized his need to remain with God and not ahead of Him. Please pray that Harry will find rest and peace in walking next to God and not ahead of Him. Pray too that Harry will quickly recover from this setback and continue toward healing. Love to you all.

An Awesome God

We serve an awesome God who has done works of miracles throughout history and continues even today. He created heaven and earth in six days (Ex. 20:11). He calmed stormy seas (Matt. 8:26). He provided food to the Israelites (Ex. 16:4). And He touched Harry's body....

Harry's oncologist has prescribed that he receive chemo treatment indefinitely. This would be disheartening except that this second round of chemo treatment has had outstanding results. This Wednesday, Harry's doctor had to admit that Harry had recovered beyond her expectations. She also said his recovery is beyond what she is doing. "It must be a higher power," was her remark. Harry said, "We serve an awesome God," and proceeded to give God glory.

Then on Friday, Harry completed 10-days of radiation. The doctor had targeted the tumor on his hip, which limits his walking. So far there has been just a small bit of improvement, so Harry continues to struggle with pain in that hip. His radiation doctor said that it may take up to two weeks following radiation to feel any relief. This did not deter Harry from giving God glory. He began to tell his radiation doctor of God's goodness and the doctor joined Harry in praising God. Please join us in praying to our awesome God that the results of the radiation treatment will be positive.

Next steps: Because Harry is doing so well, his oncologist will hold off on doing scans, unless the tumor on his collar begins to grow again. It has become a sort of measuring rod for what is going on in the rest of his body. Also, we will be in consultation with an orthopedic surgeon over the coming weeks to decide whether surgery on Harry's hip is a viable option. Harry and I want relief from the pain in his hip; however, we have both heard horror stories about cancer surgery. Please join us in praying for the wisdom of God in this decision.


Harry and Dr. Walker

These new treatment options are more evidence of the awesomeness of God. In the beginning, the doctor did not prescribe treatment beyond the first round of chemo because of the bleak prognosis. But God has changed all of that. Praise God! Praise God! Praise God!

Also last week: We were blessed by a visit with Dr. T. Vaughn Walker, Harry's Louisville pastor, mentor, and friend. Dr. Walker is pastor at First Gethsemane in Louisville and a professor at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. Dr. Walker said that he just wanted to stop by and lay his eyes on Harry for himself. Thank you for blessing us with your presence Dr. Walker.

As always, Harry and I continue to be grateful for your prayers. Things are going well but we are not out of the woods yet. We are trusting and believing for complete remission. God bless.

New Mercies Every Day



Breakfast with Harry

Harry and I continue to give glory to God for the healing mercies that Harry is experiencing. We receive new mercies from God day by day, and both of us are honored and humbled by every blessing. Harry and I know that except for God, we would be at our wits end and without hope. But God has strengthened our faith and our hearts for this journey.

This past week found Harry and me looking forward to seeing his oncologist. She had not seen what the chemo had done to the tumor on Harry's collar bone. It had reduced in size from that of an orange to a egg and by the time we saw her, it was even smaller. When the doctor came into the examining room, she immediately saw that the tumor was smaller. Her response was priceless: with mouth wide open, she could not say a word. She could only hug Harry and then me, and Harry told her it was because of God.

Shopping at Wal-Mart

So we are marching on. Harry received his scheduled chemo on Wednesday. It was the third infusion in this second round. He continues to experience little to no side effects with this treatment. As a matter of fact, this week has been a great week for him. He has been able to work in his office some, reading and writing. Yesterday morning (Saturday), he surprised me by taking me out to breakfast. And yes, he drove. He has not been behind the wheel of a car all summer. We stopped at Wal-Mart and did some shopping, which was another thing he has not done in a while. We also made it to church today, and he was thoroughly blessed. Harry has greatly missed the worship experience. Thank you church family for your show of love to him today.

Up next, radiation has finally been scheduled. The doctors are using this treatment to target the tumor on his hip so that Harry can be free from pain and walk better (though he has improved greatly already). Harry has been scheduled to receive ten radiation treatments, one every day, beginning tomorrow. His radiation doctor says this will provide great pain relief almost immediately and side effects should be minimal.

The reports of Harry's improvement have been based on what we see and the way he is feeling. Around the first of November, he should have new scans to confirm what we know by faith to be true. We will keep you posted. Thank you, thank you, over and over again for your prayers. God hears all of you as you place Harry's name on God's throne of grace. Please continue to lift him up. The journey has not ended. Love you all.

Fighting and Winning by Faith

Harry served our country in the navy and the marines and has experienced war in Lebanon as a medic. However, he has never been on the frontline of a battlefield--neither have I for that matter. We don't know what it's like to experience a full frontal fight with an enemy. Or do we? For the past almost six months, we have been at war as our enemy has waged a full frontal attack against Harry's body. We know that we are fighting a spiritual battle, but even so, the trauma of what we have been going through is equivalent to being on the frontline of a physical battlefield.

Though the battle for Harry's life continues, last week as warring soldiers often do, we experienced victory. My husband woke up one morning feeling much better. After a couple of weeks of eating, he has begun to have more energy. And that same morning, I felt as if a heavy weight was lifted from the house. Everything looked brighter. I believe that God rolled back an oppressive weight that had been on our shoulders. At that moment, I lifted up my hands in praise to our God.

The following day, Harry and I went to the hospital for another chemo treatment. Harry was feeling and looking better than I have seen him look in a long time. His oncologist reported that his red blood cell count was up and he gained two pounds. The one thing that continues to plague him is pain that is caused by the tumor in his hip. Because of that, he does not walk very well.


Harry sporting his haircut

In spite of the pain, Harry is functioning better and even had me to take him to get a haircut and beard trim. He has also been able to concentrate on his books and his Bible, which he has not been able to do for several months. But the biggest victory is that we believe this new chemo is working. We noticed that the tumor that is on his collarbone has begun to change. Since his diagnosis in March, it had grown to the size of an orange. But over the past week, we have watched it reduce to the size of a lemon. We are praying, believing, and trusting that by faith this is an indication of what is going on with the other tumors in his body.

Thank you so much for your prayers. We have a long road ahead of us and the battle is still raging. But we know that because of the sacrifice you are making for us on your knees, we are experiencing victory. Please pray that he gets some relief from the pain in his hip. This prevents him from going to church, which he misses so much. Pray also that the chemo is indeed working throughout his body. The doctor has said that he will be on this treatment indefinitely. But her thinking is still that he will not improve. We want to hear the doctors use the words remission, shrunk, and even healed. By faith, we believe this will happen. Pray also that the side effects will continue to be minimal or not at all. He has some nausea but nothing like before.

We love all who are praying and supporting us. Our prayer for you is that the love that you have shown us will abound more and more and extend to its fullest development to others. That God will be to you what you have been to us, a blessing in so many ways. We know that one of your rewards in heaven will be because of the prayers you are praying for us. Thank you so very much. God bless.

Eating Again



Sunday dinner

What a blessing! For dinner today, Harry requested barbeque chicken, yellow rice with gravy, field peas, salad, and roasted yellow squash. Well, okay. The squash was my idea. The blessing is Harry is eating more, not only today, but he has done so throughout this past week.

Harry began a new chemo regiment last Wednesday. The hope is that it will finish the job of reducing or stopping the cancer. This new treatment includes 11 weeks of chemo infusion plus radiation. With the new chemo, the doctor said that Harry should not experience as many, if any, side effects. This was good news because Harry has suffered so much over the past three months from the treatments.

The first few days following the new treatment, he was a little sick, and we thought that we would face those horrible side effects anyway. But after a day or two, Harry had me cooking some of his old favorites, like stewed tomatoes and grits. (He's from the country, y'all.) And on Tuesday, he even ate a Whopper hamburger plus French fries with no problems. This has been a huge relief for me to see him eating. It's been painful to watch Harry day after day not be able to eat.

In spite of this victory, Harry has been a little disappointed, because he is dealing with pain a little more and does not have enough strength to move around the way he would like. But Harry continues to be strong in his faith and has not lost hope... me either. We both know that God is with us through this journey.


Harry and kids

Yesterday some of the youth ministry kids from our church came by for a visit. They came to pray and read some Scripture passages with Harry. They also took care of a job that I have not been able to get around to doing. They cleaned our front porch and did a very good job. Thank you, guys. May God bless you for opening your hearts to us.

As always, thank you all for your prayers and your support. We will continue to keep you posted. God bless.

Family Strong



Harry and Milo

Last Friday, Harry and I received a visit (for the second time) from his family. Harry's mom, Momma Gloria, his sisters, Wendy, Brenda, and Angie, and his nephew, Shawn, traveled from South Carolina to see their son, brother, and uncle. In tow this time was someone we had not met before--Milo. Wendy brought her dog and companion on the trip. When Milo first entered the house, he went straight to Harry who was laying on the couch. He seemed to sense that Harry was not well and did something that touched everyone's hearts. Milo jumped up on Harry, snuggled close, and then laid his head on Harry's chest. What an amazing Hallmark moment!

The family stayed with us through the Labor Day weekend and blessed Harry (and me) in ways that was so very special. Because of the faithful prayers of all of you who are following this blog, we can feel the presence of Jesus every day. But when Harry's family visits, we see Jesus in action in the things they do and the words of love that they speak.


The family

They made sure that Harry had everything he needed and gave me the gift of time, relieving me of my responsibility as Harry's caregiver for a few days. They cooked meals and cared for him like the angels they are. Wendy at his head, speaking words to strengthen him, Brenda at his feet, helping him to stay strong, Angie at his side, building his body with her wonderful cooking, Momma Gloria at his heart, sending up strong prayers, and Shawn in every corner, serving as Harry's companion and friend. They exemplified 1 Corinthians 13.

Before they left, we formed a circle and prayed for Harry. Wendy prayed a compassionate, tearful prayer of healing. Then Momma Gloria stepped forward, and when she did I could have sworn that I heard the clinking of armor (see Eph. 6:10-18). Momma Gloria boldly rebuked the enemy, quoted Scripture verses, and in strong faith asked and believed God to heal her child. She fought, like a momma bear protecting her cub, through her prayer for the son that she loves and left him covered by the blood of Jesus.

Mom and her son

Harry and I thank God for our family. They are a lesson in unconditional and sacrificial love. Their visit is only a few days, but they leave us strengthened to go another few miles on this journey of faith. Many of you have presented yourselves in the same loving ways. We appreciate you all and thank you for your continued prayers.

Treatment Results

Harry was scheduled to return to the hospital tomorrow (August 31) for a fourth treatment. We were also to receive the results from CT scans that were done last week. These scans were to reveal whether chemo treatments were working.

Well, Harry and I got an unexpected call from his oncologist tonight. When she identified herself on the phone, we both held our breath. All day we have been a little anxious about what to expect. But we both have stood firm (and is still standing) on God's Word: He will take sickness away from our midst (Ex. 23:25).

Harry's oncologist shared the results: the treatments have stabilized the tumors in his lungs. Hallelujah!! However, the tumors on his bones and on his adrenal glands have slightly grown. With that, Harry's doctor is recommending a change in the course for his treatment. She is adding radiation along with the chemo, but the chemo medication is changing.

Harry and I are receiving this report as good news. We understood Harry's next step for his treatment was a maintenance drug, but the doctors are changing that recommendation. Evidently they have been encouraged by the stabilization of the tumors in his lung. The new treatment regiment is a blessing and a new source of hope.

Here are our prayer concerns as we move forward:
1. Pray that God will give Harry's doctor wisdom as she designs a new treatment program for Harry.
2. Pray that Harry will be able to eat more and gain more strength to get ready for the next round of treatments. He especially needs to get his red blood cell count up.
3. Pray that the next round of treatment will be effective on the rest of the tumors.
4. Pray that the side effects will not be as hard. Harry has really suffered because of the treatments.

Thank you, one and all, for your prayers. We know that God is working and feel His presence in our midst. We also have a great sense that He is working through Harry's doctor. It's all because of the prayers that are reaching the throne of God.

Treatments

First Treatment

Harry spends most of his days laying down because of the chemo treatments. They have been brutal and have weakened him quite a bit. The side effects were not severe at the beginning. After the first treatment, sickness took hold of him for maybe three or four days, then he was able to function very close to normal. But each treatment delivers a stronger punch to his body. It may be because Harry has not been able to recover fully before it's time for the next treatment.

This was especially true before his last treatment. He was scheduled to receive a fourth treatment on last Wednesday, August 10. But because his red blood cell count was so low, the doctors opted to give him a blood transfusion and rescheduled his treatment for Friday, two days later. The blood transfusion helped. The next day Harry felt better, and by Friday, he was able to walk through the hospital without the aid of a wheelchair. This was huge.

Unfortunately, I was not about to be with Harry during his fourth treatment. I had a medical scare and spent Thursday and Friday at the hospital undergoing tests because I was experiencing symptoms of a heart attack. Don't panic. The doctors cleared me and put me on over the counter meds to provide some relief for the stress of our journey.


At Centennial Park

The day after Harry's fourth treatment, he felt great. We went to Centennial Park to get some sun and to walk. It was great for him to get out again after spending so many days confined to the bed or the sofa. And on Sunday, August 14, the second day after the treatment, Harry was able to go to church after being away for about four Sundays. However, he felt that he had overdone walking at the park because he was quite sore.

Monday brought disappointment. Harry fought against the side effects as much as he could. But by Tuesday, the side effects of the treatment won. This past week he has been depleted of appetite and strength. He spent a couple of days in the bed and the other days on the sofa ... again.

Harry and I ask that you continue to pray for his healing and also focus your prayers to be delivered from the side effects of the chemo treatments. The next treatment has been scheduled for August 31, but before the treatment, he will undergo scans to determine how the tumors are responding to the treatments. The scans are scheduled for Thursday, August 25.

Thank you for your prayers. We believe that God is great, and He not only delivers us from sin, but also from diseases (Ps. 103:1-5). Harry and I strongly believe that God will deliver him from this disease. Please join your faith with ours as we believe God to get us on the other side of this, healthy and whole. We love you all.



How the Journey Began

Harry and I set off on a journey that we did not choose for ourselves in March 2016. For a week, Harry had complained about pain in his collar bone and had feared that somehow he had a hairline fracture. I pushed him to go to the doctor, but before we could get there, his collar bone fractured as he was getting ready for work. It was a painful injury, but somehow we made it to the emergency room. After x-rays, the doctor said a leison that covered his collar bone was the reason for the fracture. He gently told us that from his experience, the presence of a leison on a bone was an indication of cancer in some other area of the body.

Following a battery of tests, it was determined that Harry had cancer in his lungs that had metastasized to his bones. To say the least, it shocked and disoriented us. I felt as if I had been submerged into a lifeless, anti-gravity pit, floating from room to room in our home and speaking to others in slow motion. Harry was in shock and denial, not knowing what to think. He questioned how this could happen to him.

Slowly, we began to resurface from the initial shock and came back to reality. Through tears, we vowed not to be defeated by Satan and to carry on in faith as children of God. It was time to practice everything that we had learned in our Christian walk up this point. We were already in the habit of praying together every morning and every night, but our prayers became more focused and desperate as we prayed for Harry's healing and restoration to heath.

The doctors said Harry's cancer was an adenocarcinoma with a prognosis of less than a year. It was more than real now. We understood the gravity of the journey and knew that Harry and I were about to be involved in the fight of a lifetime. His doctor said at this point, she would try as best she could to extend his life. But Harry and I want more than just an extention of his life; we want complete healing.

And so our journey has begun. This blog will keep you updated while we are on this journey. Please check back weekly and join us in this faith walk as we pray for Harry's complete healing.