14 days. That’s how long it has been since our last post. That is hard to believe since it seems like yesterday. Time seems to be flying by lately! Someone tell it to slow down...
Dad is doing ok. He hasn’t been feeling that great recently and has been unable to eat or drink enough to give him the strength to fight the cancer. Mom has done a phenomenal job talking to dietitians and learning about the plethora of smoothie options (smoothies can be easier for patients to get down) to give him the sustenance he needs. Mom was even able to make dad a 650 calorie smoothie the other day! I think that is pretty impressive. But unfortunately Dad is even having trouble getting the smoothies down.
So, tomorrow (Thursday) afternoon the doctors at Presbyterian Hospital are going to put in a feeding tube! This is a huge answer to prayer since it has been so hard for Dad to get the recommended 2100-2400 calories he needs. Please pray for the procedure. It should be a relatively quick surgery. He will have a pump that will supply him with 2400 calories/day! We are praying this will help energize him and give him the strength and sustenance to help him feel better.
God continues to give us precious “love letters” throughout this adventure! The whole family got to spend the weekend at the lake house near Austin to celebrate my graduation. It was a beautiful weekend. We got to spend sweet time being with each other, laughing, watching beautiful sunsets, counting stars out on the deck, and enjoying amazing meals together. My aunt, uncle, and cousin from my mom’s side of the family came in and prepared the most amazing Graduation Dinner! It was such an amazingly full and precious time. Definitely a little glimpse into heaven.
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| The whole family at graduation. |
Please continue to pray for Dad’s healing. He seems to be more uncomfortable as of late. Pray that God would give relief and that this feeding tube procedure would happen without a hitch. Pray for strength for my family. It is hard to see loved ones uncomfortable. Pray especially for my Mom. She is a warrior and is walking through this adventure with such grace and faith. I am so grateful for her. Lastly, pray for God to continue to use this struggle in powerful ways for his Kingdom! That truly is the only thing that makes this adventure worth it in the end. That God would build eternal things for his Kingdom in us and in all who witness the journey.
Love,
Carol
Carol
“Your Kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in Heaven.” –Matthew 6:10
Hi Carol. So I got an email about this blog post from my mom and thought I'd say something, even though I suppose it's been forever and a day since we've seen or heard from one another.
ReplyDeleteIt sounds like your dad could really benefit from some unconventional anti-nausea medication.
It's clearly not the first thing you'd want to think about but in my line of work -- I'm a journalist -- I've written about numerous medical studies and terminally ill patients who've been in this same situation, where they just couldn't eat to keep up their strength.
So many people, literally hundreds of thousands around the world right now, are in this same situation and finding tremendous relief and even recovery from medical marijuana. And if not recovery, then at the very least an improved quality of life.
Still, seems like you guys are keeping a pretty positive face on this awful situation. So sorry to hear about this, I hope whatever you guys decide for treatment helps things out. Just thought it was worth saying, and maybe giving you a little more information...
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/life/health-and-fitness/appetite-of-terminal-cancer-patients-restored-by-marijuana-study/article622512/
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-2202694/Dallas-star-Larry-Hagman-80-Marijuana-brought-appetite-back.html