Two weeks ago, in Emory, Texas:
Fighting this cancer has placed us in two extreme locations to live this year. One elevation 10,000 feet on top of a volcano in a city of over 2 million inhabitants, the next 400 feet elevation in the flat part of east Texas where there are more cows than humans. Once again, David and I leave home for more life-saving treatments to fend off this disease called cancer. Just another battle to win the war…..
Since returning home from Ecuador, we have been in contact with the doctor there and a new found doctor in Texas who does some alternate cancer treatments similar to those given to David in Quito. Both doctors have talked and set a new regiment of continued treatments for David after new symptoms of pain started a month ago. When the pain began we immediately decided to do more intense therapies much like those we did in Ecuador. The therapies require David to be at the medical clinic twice a day for a month to six weeks so, plan B developed almost overnight. We packed our bags again, only this time no plane ride, just loaded a borrowed RV and headed to small town America so a doctor
could attack our new problem. Packing an RV in 2 days’ notice is not easy and I did forget many things, but we are only 100 miles from home so in the past two weeks I have headed west a few times to retrieve what I forgot. David’s day at the clinic is much like what happened in Quito only we are trying new IV’s, two being new cancer meds. He says his arms are again nothing but mobile IV ports. Oh, and on the plus side, everyone speaks English here and the food is better. We tried a few things to stop the pain for about two weeks before making the decision to attack what could be causing this intense pain. As of today, David still has pain and the doctors are trying pain meds that would not hinder the
IV therapies. The plan includes us being at the doctor’s clinic in east Texas 24/7, meaning that our home away from home RV is parked beside the medical facility and the doctor is at the clinic 7 days a week for him. We have learned so much from these caring physicians. We are praying and diligently doing all we can to stop whatever new bad thing that is going on in David’s body.
Without hesitation, we continue to walk with our Lord wherever life’s journey takes us. Determined always to endure this suffering knowing that God is Faithful and the devil is a liar. Living this miracle of life no matter what the circumstances a joy for the child of God, we only have to find that joy sometime. God is God, we are his children, and He knows our names including where we are and what is happening in our day-to-day living. We stand firm in the knowledge that our Savior hears us. David and I covet your prayers while we
fight another part of this battle called cancer. We have seen your love as you speak to God on our behalf, we are humbled, and today as yesterday, we believe in the power of prayer.
Many times this year ‘tomorrow’ has been threatened; our response is to fight the good fight today until tomorrow comes. God will take care of us. Our Lord is in our tomorrows as our todays. We have no doubt or fear we trust in God for God is good and worthy of our praise through all things. After all these days of suffering could be ‘blessings in disguise’; this trial another opportunity for us to share the love of our Savior with someone.
Today:
Now two more weeks have passed and another page turns for us in this battle with cancer.
I sit in my office at home trying to convey the news of the last couple of weeks. I have been interrupted repeatedly because of not knowing where to continue with this update, and also being literally too busy, not finding the time to put on paper what is occurring today in our lives. I wrote in one of the first updates how when a person has a ‘disease’ the whole family carries that sickness with them in their hearts also. They fight the disease with you,
they cry with you, they do battle with you, they rejoice with you, they care for you, and they become part of you more than ever before because of love and they too want to win this war. I have found this past year that not only family shares in your life changing circumstances but so do your friends. Believing, hoping, enduring, struggling, ever-praying that you will be faithful through the suffering, our desire while we again rely on God to be our strong tower in time of need. Not looking with our eye but trying to see our life through the eye of God is very difficult to do sometimes. We are willing servants loving our Lord with all our body, mind and soul.
I know you want details. This is what we know: about eight weeks ago, David started having pain that did not subside. We went to plan B and spent two weeks in East, Texas, doing the IV therapies. However, the pain did not diminish; it only worsened. Friday two weeks ago, we made the decision to come home, get another MRI, and seek pain relief for David. We scheduled another scan of his abdomen which showed the liver was normal size, only some lesions looked bigger than in April (some of this normal for the trauma that the liver has endured these past few months) but according to one doctor could be cancerous. What looks like a lobed tumor is growing on the dead tumor on the pancreas.
Doctors that have seen the MRI details say the original tumor is dead but they see a new tumor trying to grow on top of it and this could be causing the pain. The tumors on the pancreas are on the outside, not inside any organ. “Just some worrisome spots on the liver,” they say, and the new tumor is our ‘recent news’. Therefore, a third plan formed rapidly this past week after the report from the MRI and speaking with the doctors. We went to a pain doctor and he suggested a celiac plexus block that promised to help alleviate some of the back pain. Today six days after this procedure we returned to the doctor for follow up and more management pain control for David. We agreed that the block helped decrease the back pain in which we are thankful. He is working with us to help solve this problem called pain. David is not thriving as he did the past few months because of the pain. We covet your prayers again for him.
We have some new challenges and we are trusting in God to hear our prayer again. I was asked, “How many miracles can you expect?” I looked at them and said, “All of them”! Each day unfamiliar aspects of this cancer rear its ugly face as we diligently fight back with all we know and depend on our Lord to continue healing David’s body. Living one day at a time striving to fight the ‘good’ fight with all we have and all we are—- remembering to give thanks for our many ‘blessings’ amidst the conflict this is how we live today.
Many times these past few months hopelessness raises its flag of victory trying to overcome our successes. However, surrender is not an option for us. When David is weak, we must be strong, when we are weak, God must be our refuge. I do not know the future except we are overcomers through Our Lord Jesus Christ. Nothing happening in the present can detour our resolve to do all we can do to live and do our duty, as David says, while God is our strength in these trials of life. David and I have discussed these very issues before. Now that we live with them —–our love together a sure foundation even when suffering comes into our lives because we never waiver in our love for the Lord God, our reason for living. In the natural we cannot endure this suffering; it takes our spirit to pursue peace in the pain. This is not easy for either one of us. Sometimes the only thing we can do is call the name of Jesus. We cannot lean on what we understand about what is happening and why it is occurring but we must again breathe His wonderful name as the fears melt away, and through the suffering grasp hope once more while waiting for another miracle.
Our children are a great help during this time of difficulty. Not sure what new thing will appear tomorrow, they continue to hold us in their hearts as they petition the throne of God again for their dad. David woke up a few days ago and the first thing he said was, “We are blessed. Look at our children and our grandchildren– God is Good.” Without their help I could not feel secure in caring for David during this, our most challenging time together. They make me smile. With confidence we all depend on God to walk with us through today and tomorrow. Our wonderful news this month is the coming arrival of our nineteenth grandchild–a girl. In the midst of our trials, God sends another piece of hope and love to our family. We thank Him.
Friends – a remarkable word, precious to have ’you’ in our lives. Since learning of David’s sickness many months ago, numerous friends have continually offered their help. We thank each one for loving us and giving of yourselves to uphold David in your prayers and thoughts. Phone call after phone call ends with “I am praying for you”, a gracious gift to us from you. Each of you is remembered in David’s heart; you are a part of his living. God be with you and bless you and your family is our prayer.
Right now I sit in a chair not far from David as he tries to sleep. He still has some pain, but he is able to rest –we are thankful. Overnight, David’s health changes. Every few days a new challenge. Now as never before in this life our lives are in the hands of God. In Him we have peace. David said he places his trust in his Lord and Savior. He says he knows not how long he will live but will continue to do his duty to fight and love his Lord through it all (meaning the pain and suffering). Since a child he has placed all his days in God’s care. The prayer of David and I today is Psalms 23:
“The Lord is my Shepherd; I shall not want.
He maketh me to lie down in green pastures; he leadeth me beside the still
waters.
He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his
name’s Sake.
Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no Evil; for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.
Thou prepares a table before me in the presence of mine enemies; thou
Anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life;
And I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.”
I now understand this scripture more than any other time in my life. All is well.
I live today again struggling to see this part of my life through the eye of God. Whatever comes tomorrow, my Savior knows our names and walks each step with us.
David and I give Him Praise for He is Worthy to be praised.
Our love to all,
David and Phyllis
