Email Updates

We don't want to lose any part of this adventure, so this post is just a transcript of our email updates that we sent out this week. So if you are on our email update list, I apologize for the repetition...

May 8th a.m. - Mini Update

"Your way, O God, is holy. What god is great like our God? You are the God who works wonders; you have made known your might among the peoples. With your arm redeemed your people..." (Psalm 77:13-15)

Thank you all for your prayers yesterday! God has answered them in a kind way. Dad sounds great and we are excited about the new directions. I am passing along his brief update, see below:

"The visit with Dr. Strauss (oncologist) yesterday brought a new direction to my treatment.  I hope to begin radiation treatment by next week.  Jan, Julie and I met with the Radiation Oncologist, Dr. Barker, yesterday afternoon.  I really like him.  Looks like we added another Doctor to the Team Robertson Adventure.

Since the CT Scan showed that there was no change to the tumors under the current protocol, Dr. Strauss wants to try radiation therapy with a different round of chemotherapy.  The issue is that I have to be cleared by Dr. Jain, the Gastroenterologist, after my Upper GI Study today at 10:45 am before Dr. Barker can start the process.  Your prayers are appreciated as we go down the road on the next Adventure.  God is so good and His timing is perfect.  I could not be in a better place at this moment.  Thank you, Price"

Grateful for each of you! Thank you for being a part of Team Robertson! :)

-c

May 8th Evening- Mini Update #2

Hello dear ones,

I am so sorry to bomb your inboxes today! But we have great such good news that must be shared!

We got a great report from the Gastroenterologist, Dr. Jain! There was no evidence of constriction in dad's duodenum!! This is a miracle since it was definitely there a couple weeks ago when Dad was in the hospital!! Woah. This good report means that he has been officially released for Radiation Therapy!!

He is still experiencing discomfort in his abdomen and has lost a lot of weight since being in the hospital. So we are praying that he would be able to fight through the "squiggly guts" as he calls them and put some of the weight he has lost back on. He is shooting for 10 lbs. We would love prayer in this area! He needs all the strength he can get.

Dr. Barker, the radiation oncologist, has dad set up for the simulation session (where they map the tumor, set up the control points, and prepare the dosage plan) at 9:00 am tomorrow morning. It looks like radiation therapy could start next week. Another good thing to pray for. :)

I must say, God has sent us so many amazingly precious and perfectly timed "love letters" through all of your wonderful notes, texts, verses and prayers. I have said it before and say it again, it is such a tangible reminder of God's care and kindness toward us. Each one of them is special to us. Thank you for loving and encouraging us so well with such rich Truth. I am grateful for each of you.

-c

The Adventure Continues

          Since I got home from the hospital Wednesday April 24^th it has been very active here at Team Robertson Headquarters.  I was so glad to be away from the medieval torture device called the “hospital bed”.  While in the hospital I tried to spend as little time as possible in the rack.  One time the hospital doctor came into my room when there were several visitors.  I was in my chair so the bed was empty.  She commented that the only way she could tell that I was the patient was by the hospital gown I was wearing.  That bed ruined my back for several days after I left the hospital.  Everything else at the hospital was great.  The staff was fantastic as were the nurses and doctors.  The care I received was stellar. I would definitely recommend Baylor Grapevine if you have to go to the hospital.  Bring your own mattress though.  Kind of a humorous moment while at the hospital occurred when I was visiting with Dr. Davis, the hospital Oncologist.  He asked me what drugs I had taken during the first chemotherapy protocol.  I got most of them correct but I stated I had taken Gabatron (I now know that this is not a real drug and very much sounds like something from a Star Trek episode).  I could tell that he was searching his brain for what drug that might have been. After a few minutes he asked would that have been Gemzar?  Of course that was it!  Carol was in the room during that conversation and she thought it was hilarious.  Later, I told Carol that I thought maybe I should try Gabatron since that must be the drug that cures cancer.  I explained that God was the only one who knew about that drug so I would have to go to Him directly.  That is ultimately who we need to turn to for the cure for cancer. 

            After I got home from the hospital, I had four nights of insomnia.  I can really empathize with everyone that suffers from insomnia.  It is miserable to lie in bed wide awake with no hope of falling asleep.  During the first night I told Jan that I thought I needed to take a “melanoma” pill.  She burst out laughing.  I realized my mistake but thought I would expand on why I wanted to take a pill that would cause another type of cancer in my body.  I told her that maybe the two cancers would cancel each other out.  You probably had to be there to experience the laughter.  Of course Jan knew that I had intended to say a melatonin pill, which is supposed to help you fall asleep.  I ended up taking one but it did not work.  I did realize that we have to laugh as much as possible because it is great medicine.  Thankfully the insomnia only lasted four nights.

            Friday April 26^th Marty and Gary stopped by on their way to Austin.  It was great getting the chance to see them again.  Carol also flew in to spend the weekend with us.  It is such a blessing to have my girls here.  Cathy (Jan’s lifetime friend) and Steve, her husband, left Saturday April 27^th.  She really made a difference while she was here.  Not just as a helper but also as a spiritual warrior.  The spiritual battle can be more difficult to wage than the physical battle.  Everyone who lifts me and/or my family up with prayer contributes to the spiritual battle in a mighty way.  Lindsey dropped by Saturday as well and we had a great visit.  Sunday April 28^th brought a visit from Jan’s brother Brad and his wife Anne.  It was a great afternoon of catching up and hearing about their trip to Scotland plus their support was invaluable.

            Monday April 29^th brought a visit to my Gastroenterologist, Dr. Jain to talk about all the issues I have been having with eating, digesting, and generally not getting enough calories.  Since I was already scheduled to have a CT Scan Wednesday May 1^st it was decided to review the results Friday and decide on a course of action.  Tuesday was my appointment with Dr. Strauss, my Oncologist, and hopefully my fifth round of the second protocol of Chemotherapy.  I did get the Chemotherapy and set up a time on Tuesday (tomorrow!) May 7^th to go over the results of the CT Scan with Dr. Strauss. I had the CT Scan Wednesday May 1^st without any issues.  Thursday May 2^nd the hazmat Chemo pump came off without any issues and Carol came back in town for the weekend.  Catherine arrived in town Friday May 3^rd so Team Robertson was at full strength and ready for action.  It was an awesome weekend in spite of the fact that I was nowhere near a hundred percent.  The gastric issues, the back pain, the inability to eat and the punk way I felt kept me from fully engaging until Sunday.  Everything got better that morning so I was able to be a fighting member of Team Robertson.  That was a real answer to prayer.

            Tomorrow I visit with Dr. Strauss on what the next steps are in my treatment.  Wednesday I have an upper gastro intestinal scan and Thursday I see Dr. Sanders, my Internist.  Whew.

            That should catch everyone up on the past few weeks and the next few days.  A few nights ago as I lay awake due to the insomnia a Chris Tomlin song kept running through my head.  I copied the verses below:

Chris Tomlin “Our God (Is Greater)”

“Our God is greater, our God is stronger, God you are higher than any other.  Our God is healer, awesome in power, Our God! Our God!  Our God is greater, our God is stronger, God you are higher than any other.  Our God is healer, awesome in power, Our God! Our God!  And if our God is for us, then who could ever stop us.  And if our God is with us, then what could stand against.  And if our God is for us, then who could ever stop us.  And if our God is with us, then what could stand against. Then what could stand against.”

            That was very comforting to me during this season of turmoil.  God is on my side and there is none higher.  The fact that I can have a personal relationship with God because of the sacrifice Jesus made is beyond belief.  He is an awesome God!

The Bible verse God has given me to study the last few days is 1 Peter 5:6-11.

1 Peter 5:6-11

“Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you at the proper time, casting all your anxiety upon Him, because He cares for you.  Be of sober spirit, be on the alert.  Your adversary, the devil, prowls about like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.  But resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same experiences of suffering are being accomplished by your brethren who are in the world.  And after you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace, who called you to His eternal glory in Christ, will Himself perfect, confirm, strengthen and establish you.  To Him be dominion forever and ever.  Amen.“

            There is so much to ponder in those verses that I can only hit the highpoints in this Update. The immenseness of God is unfathomable to me. How blessed are we that He cares for each of us in such a magnificent way.  I want to know how I can humble myself before God even more than I have so far.  I want to fall into His arms even more so than I already have.  I also take immense comfort that you, my fellow believers, are being used by God to share the burden by listening, praying, and supporting Team Robertson in such a mighty way.  God’s provision for me has been a real rock for me to stand on.  The accuser has no way to reach me because of the support everyone has shown me and my family.  The day that God touches me to perfect, confirm, strengthen, and establish me is beyond compare to my life so far.  Praise our God!

            Please continue to pray for me and my family as God ordains.  God is continuously using you to support, encourage, lift me up and pray for Team Robertson.  That is such a comfort to me and my family.

Thank you,

Price

No Place Like Home

So much to be thankful for! Dad got to come home from the hospital today!!

God really heard yall's prayers because all of the doctors and nurses were amazed at how fast his lipase levels fell the last few days. For those of you like me who are not medical professionals, lipase is an enzyme that tells doctors just how inflamed the pancreas is. That is definitely a testimony to the power of prayer. AND I already shared with you about his nurse Mercy, well he also had a tech named Faith coming by his room to check on him while he was there. I love the little love letters God continues to send.

THANK YOU FOR PRAYING!! Here are some specific ways you can continue to join us in prayer:

1. Dad is having trouble eating. Please pray that God would heal his digestive tract so that he would be able to process the sustenance he needs to continue to fight the cancer and that food would be palatable for him.

2. Pray also for all of the doctor appointments next week. He is going to see his oncologist (pray for chemo!!) and gastroenterologist. He is also getting a scan on Wednesday to see how this new chemo protocol is impacting the cancer. Lots of big appointments next week.

3. Last but not least, continue to pray for complete healing!

Words simply don't express how thankful we are for each of you. God is using you in a mighty way for His Kingdom and in our family. Thank you.

Love,

Carol

"But as for me, it is good to be near God; I have made the Lord God my refuge, that I may tell of all your works." -Psalm 73:28

More firsts!!

A lot of firsts have occurred since Saturday.  Everything had gone very well after the ERCP.  At 1:00 am Sunday I had the first pain during this Adventure.  It was a 6 or 7 on the 10 scale.  By 3:30 am I was asking the nurse what pain medication they had prescribed for me.  He said it was morphine.  That was a first for me as well.  Until that moment I had not had any narcotics.  It brought the pain down to a 2 or 3.  Sunday morning the doctors figured out that I had pancreatitis from the ERCP procedure.  My lipase level came in at 9,000.  Normal is 100 or less.  Pancreatitis is inflammation of the pancreas. Mine may have been initiated by irritation of the pancreatic duct.  At this point I obviously do not get along with the various duct systems in my body.  I guess the next to go will be my tear ducts (just a guess). 

There is no treatment for pancreatitis.  I basically have to not eat or drink until it settles down.  Monday morning the lipase level had fallen to 3,000.  My pain was under control with the morphine.  So things were looking good.  This morning my lipase level was 900.  I am still at Baylor Grapevine and of course did not get my Chemo therapy.  That may occur next Tuesday, but we are taking one thing at a time.  I may be discharged tomorrow.  I am trying to eat some food and drink some liquids today to see how my pancreas reacts.  Prayers for me to respond well over the next few days would be appreciated.

Cathy, Jan’s lifelong friend, drove in from Midland Sunday night to help out.  She is such a blessing.  It is always hilarious when the two of them get together.  There have been many visitors since I have been in the hospital.  Melanie and Cindy came by and we had a great time sharing and then a great prayer time.  Jeff came by and we talked for a long time after which he prayed for me and my family.  Yesterday Lindy and Lindsey came by and again it was a special time of sharing and prayer.  As I write this Melanie and Cathy are here and I am eating Jello and broth. 

Well everyone has gone home except Jan and Julie.  The few clear liquids that I have tried have not gone well.  Though the pancreatic pain is not made worse by eating, the squiggly guts reaction increases to a very uncomfortable level when I eat.  The GI doctor was here and has prescribed a medication to try to help this response so I can eat my diet.  Pray this works so that I can be discharged soon.

We were uplifted to hear the news that my brother and sister-in-law are coming in this weekend.  This will be a blessing to us and Jan’s mother.  Carol is arriving Friday and has Monday off so she will be able to stay a little longer.

The tough times are the times that try our soul.  Two verses that Melanie that gave to me today fit this situation I currently find myself in on this Adventure.  Ephesians 3:17b-19 And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge – that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. and Psalm 62:1-2 Truly my soul finds rest in God; my salvation comes from Him.  Truly He is my rock and my salvation; He is my fortress, I will never be shaken.

Please continue to pray for me and my family in the next few days.  God continues to send me love letters at the perfect time so I know He will see us through this Adventure like He has all the rest.                     

Thank you,

Price

There's a first time for everything...

I think I have learned a lesson.  Things move too fast to do an update weeks apart.  So I will attempt to write my updates more frequently.  The big news this time is that I had my second ambulance ride in my life and I was admitted to a hospital for the first time in my life.  This all started Friday morning as I got out of bed.  I was very weak and light headed.  I had been feeling punk most of Thursday and for the first time I could not bring myself to eat dinner Thursday night.  I had a good night, but like I said earlier, I was weak and lightheaded getting out of bed.  That rapidly turned into profuse sweating and difficulty doing small tasks with a fever of 102.  I looked so bad Carol called 911 to get a Coppell ambulance dispatched to our house.  While Carol was getting the EMTs, Jan was doing an excellent job taking care of me in spite of my belligerence, caused by my weakened state.  The EMTs arrived very quickly since they are four blocks from our house and assessed the situation.  It was decided by all that the emergency room was the next stop.  I arrived very quickly to the emergency room and the course of treatment was to start high-powered antibiotics since the likelihood that I had an infection was very high.  After many tests and consultations I was admitted to the hospital (did I say this is the first time I have ever been admitted to a hospital, although with Julie I have spent many nights and days in hospitals) to continue the antibiotics and consult with four doctors (a Gastroenterologist, the hospital doctor, an infectious disease specialist, and an Oncologist).  The consensus was that I needed another ERCP (Endoscopic Retrograde Cholangiopancreatography) to clear my bile duct stent and possibly place an additional stent in.  The ERCP procedure took place at 9:00 am this morning without incident.  All last night the song One Thing Remains by Kristian Stanfill was running through my head.  God is so great to provide love letters at the perfect time to give us comfort and hope.  The Gastroenterologist cleaned me out and put a longer stent inside the first one to handle some incursions further up the bile duct.  That was probably the source of the infection and my feeling so lousy Thursday.  I am not sure when I will be discharged but everything is back to normal.

A real blessing for us was the fact that Carol came in Thursday for a visit.  She was able to take care of Julie so Jan could stay with me at the hospital.  She wrote the most wonderful e-mail this morning that I wanted to share with everyone.  I copied the text below:

Good morning dear ones.

What a difficult week it has been for so many across this country. As I sit here and think about all the pain and brokenness the only words that come to mind are "Come swiftly Lord, Jesus"! Come to bring ultimate healing and restoration to these people and this land. A good friend of mine sent a powerful Bible verse to our family yesterday. I want to share it with you and pray that it brings you hope and peace as it does to me. Jesus is talking to his disciples right before he is taken to be crucified. He knew their world was about to be turned upside down and that they would need to exercise great faith in the coming days and years. He says, "I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart, I have overcome the world." (John 16:33) The enemy was defeated on the cross and has no power over those who have transferred the leadership of their lives to Jesus. Even though this world is still broken, we can have peace because He has overcome.

God has given us great faith and peace in this crazy last 24 hours! Dad is still at the hospital and is about to go in to have an ERCP procedure to take a look at, clean out, and possibly reinforce the stent he had put in back in October. This stent is what is keeping his bile duct operational and they suspect it may be what is causing the potential infection. Last night when I was with dad, I asked him what he thought about the procedure (it is not the most fun process). He said that whatever the Lord willed would be fine with him. :) He is exercising the faith God has given Him and has such peace in it all. He looks really good and definitely still has his sense of humor!

Mom stayed up there with him last night, which left Julie and I to have a sister slumber party at the house! She did great! She slept most of the night and didn't have any big seizures!! Such a HUGE praise as seizures are no fun to deal with by yourself.

One cool "love letter" from God I want to share with you. Last night when the nurses were changing shifts for the night shift, the new nurse came in and introduced herself to us. Her name was Mercy. It felt really good to leave last night knowing that Mercy was watching over that hospital room. Such a precious reminder...

I am grateful for each of you. I cannot say it enough, thank you thank you thank you for walking this adventure with us. You are a blessing to us and we love you!! I hope to send an update later today to let you guys know how the procedure goes and hopefully we will know more about how long they want him to stay at the hospital.

-C

Now it is time to catch everyone up on the events of the past few weeks. My high school friend Ralph came down for a visit a couple weekends ago. It was awesome. It was like no time had passed since we were last together. It was a fun time catching up and talking about past adventures.  It was hard for Ralph to leave Dallas, not because I am such a good friend but because American Airlines could not get his plane off the ground.  He finally started back to Iowa after a terminal change and I think a plane exchange due to mechanical problems.  He took off from DFW at the time he was supposed to have arrived in Iowa.

My youngest daughter, Catherine, came in for a weekend visit after Ralph’s visit.  It was a fun weekend without any crisis adventures.  The weather was gorgeous and we took full advantage of it.  Catherine and I had some special time together going to The Village Church for Sunday service.  It was a great service and wonderful message.  We then went to the church service at Silverado (the place where Jan’s mom lives).  It was great having the whole family (we missed Carol) visiting Meme and worshiping the Lord.

I was supposed to have my fourth round of the second protocol Monday the 15^th of April.  We showed up at the Oncologist but once again my labs prevented me from proceeding with the course.  The infusion was rescheduled for this coming Monday.  That may be delayed as well if I am still in the hospital. Prayers for discharge Sunday and good labs Monday morning are in order.  I have experienced God’s love for me throughout this Adventure and will continue to desire His perfect timing for the next steps going forward.

If you were to review the blog from the beginning it is awesome to see how God has orchestrated the Adventure so far.  It is neat to have this record to remind one’s self of how gloriously God has walked with me and my family during this Adventure.  Your prayers have had much to do with that provision.

Thank you,

Price

Waiting Rooms

Written Wednesday 3-20-2013

As I finally start my third round of the second protocol of Chemo, which means I am tied to the needles, tubes, bags and pumps for five or more hours today, there is time to contemplate the message that God has placed on my mind and to complete another update.  I am truly thankful that the lab work came back with all the values in range to allow for Chemo today.  The verse that I am contemplating is Jeremiah 29:10-13 For thus says the Lord, “When seventy years have been completed for Babylon, I will visit you and fulfill My good word to you, to bring you back to this place.”  “For I know the plans that I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope.”  “Then you will call upon Me and come and pray to Me, and I will listen to you.”  “And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart.”   The crux of the message is that the Israelites will be in captivity in Babylon for seventy years because they rejected God.  After the seventy year waiting period God will restore the Israelite Nation and restore their spiritual foundation.

 

Since I am again in the Waiting Room related to my cancer I can draw some parallels with the Jeremiah verses.  I have identified two kinds of Waiting Rooms that apply to my situation.  The first is the temporal Waiting Room.  This is the one driven by the physical world.  I am in that room based on the doctors and course of treatment they chose for me.  The end of this Waiting Room experience will be the next CT scan.  That is the measure of the success of the treatments on my cancer.  The second is the spiritual Waiting Room.  I will always be in the spiritual Waiting Room with God if I approach Him in reverence, unlike the Israelite Nation which spiritually separated themselves from God during the Babylon captivity.  But, even in that spiritual separation God had plans for welfare and a future and a hope for the Israelites.  So, God always had a plan for restoration of the Israelites.  In my situation I know that God is with me in both the temporal Waiting Room and the spiritual Waiting Room.  I know the plans He has for me, in a large part because I seek Him daily and pray to Him as often as I can.  I know He is with me since He has answered my prayers and continues to do so.  While I will be in the temporal Waiting Room periodically throughout my treatment I will always strive to remain in God’s spiritual Waiting Room.  In either case He is with me.  Since He is there with me in both waiting places, I can take comfort that He has plans for welfare and a future and a hope for me and that I can call on Him and He will listen.  That understanding along with the Unshakable Faith and Unstoppable Joy He has provided allows me to face this Adventure with full confidence.

 
 

Sunday 3-31-2013

For some reason, which I cannot elucidate, I am just now getting back to the Update I started eleven days ago.  God continues to amaze me with His provision.  During this Easter season His greatest provision for everyone is, of course, being proclaimed every where.  The sacrifice that Jesus made so that all our transgressions and human failings, that separate us from God, could be forever atoned for was God’s greatest act of reaching out to us to bring us back to Him.  What an awesome God!

 

I am officially retired from Oncor after thirty eight years with them.  It feels good and sad all at the same time.  There was a wonderful retirement celebration on March 18th at the Fairmont Hotel in downtown Dallas.  It was great seeing everyone and reminiscing about my career but what was especially nice was that Jan, Julie, Carol, and Catherine could be there and meet and talk with everyone I had worked with at Oncor.  Carl Brown made a very special wall hanging that had my favorite verse (Job 19:25) and a wooden cross on it with places for my employees to write very special messages on.  I was also given many notes and cards and a very generous gift of money.  Thanks to everyone who participated and for the wonderful mementoes and gifts. 

 

I know I am retired because my BlackBerry is dead (literally) and my work computer has been relinquished to Oncor.  Those were the final ties to work.  So far I have not missed them and I seriously think that I never will.  That chapter of my life is closed.  On to other endeavors.  I am staying busy and as I stated earlier, God continues to amaze me with His provision for my life.  We get notes and letters that are so very dear and confirm that God is at work in our lives on a daily basis.  Carol has been with us in Dallas since Thursday and will be leaving tomorrow.  Ralph Webb, a great friend from high school, will arrive in Dallas Thursday.  It has been thirty years since last we met.  That will be a special visit.  Catherine will be in town the next weekend.  We went to Easter Service Saturday afternoon at Matt Chandler’s church (The Village Church Flower Mound) and reconnected with some dear friends.  It was as if God orchestrated the whole affair. It was so awesome to attend the service as a family and so much fun to visit and catch up with Deb and Mike and their family.

 

I start my fourth round of the second protocol Tuesday, if the lab values work out.  I am ready for the next round because God is with me and His provision is perfect.  The Adventure continues.  As events unfold I will be continuing the Updates.  Thank you for your continued prayers and support.  Pray as God leads for me and my family.

Thank you

Price  

Report

I attempted to start my third round of the second protocol of Chemo today.  For the first time in all the infusions I have had, my lab levels prevented me from having Chemo today.  Specifically, my White Blood Cell Count and another value called the  Absolute Neutrophil Count were too low to allow for Chemotherapy.  I am now rescheduled for infusion on March 20th.  That will give my body time to recover and build my defenses up to satisfactory levels.  As I have stated in the past, God’s timing is perfect so I am not disappointed, just curious to see what God has in mind.  Watching Him work through all the red tape that is involved in Chemotherapy is part of the joy I receive knowing He is right beside me at every step I take on this Adventure.  I was going to use the time while hooked up to the Chemo stuff today to complete this update.  Instead, I am at home contemplating the message that God has placed on my mind and to complete the update.

Before I get into the meat of the message, I need to give some context to the verse that God gave me for this update.  The situation described in the Bible is that Jesus encounters a man filled with unclean spirits who are named Legion.  The man was completely uncontrollable and very tormented.  (I am leaving out some of the really neat parts where the Legion recognize Jesus as one who could torment them.)  Anyway, Jesus gives them permission to leave the man and enter a herd of swine.  All 2,000 of the swine immediately run down a steep bank and are drowned in the sea.  The herdsmen reported what had happened to everyone they could find and a crowd came to Jesus.  As they approached, they saw the tormented man sitting down, clothed and in his right mind and they became frightened.  (The world often misses the point of Jesus.)  The crowd entreated Jesus to leave and as Jesus was getting into the boat the man who had been demon-possessed asked to go with Jesus.  Jesus did not let him.  The verse picks up at that point.  Mark 5:19 And He did not let him, but He said to him, “Go home to your people and report to them what great things the Lord has done for you, and how He had mercy on you.”  Verse 20 states that he did as Jesus asked and everyone marveled.  It is ironic that when in the presence of Jesus some people of the world become frightened but when they hear from someone who was touched by Jesus they marvel.

I believe the reason God wanted me to share this verse in relation to my journey is to let everyone know that I am to follow the example of the tormented man when he was told by Jesus to tell the people what had happened.  I feel like I am supposed to share my Adventure with Jesus and God as it happens.  Doing so helps the people who are praying for my healing to maintain their diligence, it lets others know that Jesus is working in my life in a very powerful way, and it provides insight into Jesus in a way that is non-threatening to those who have not experienced the saving grace that Jesus provides.

It is important for me to report what great things the Lord has done for me and how he had mercy on me.  The journey is not over and I pray that I am up to the task of reporting when my healing occurs.  The accuser will not appreciate the powerful message that will be reported at that time and the total defeat of him it represents.  The other hindrance I foresee to my reporting is the proclivity of us to forget the great things God does for us in a surprisingly short time.  I am committed to not fall into that trap and maintain my reporting throughout the Adventure and after I am healed.

As far as how I am doing on the new protocol, I would have to say the second round was easier than the first.  The side effects were about the same but they lasted for a shorter period of time or I got used to them faster.  I am not sure which of those two statements are what actually happened.  When I get the third round it may give me the answer to that quandary.  For sure, God has been continually with me in the current protocol just like He was in the first protocol.  I am doing well and have not suffered some of the more devastating effects of Chemotherapy.  Carol is in town and she went with me this morning to Chemo.   Catherine will be in town along with Carol for my retirement next weekend.  I am blessed to have such a wonderful, supportive wife and three amazing daughters.  Thank you for all the support, encouragement, thoughtful notes, cards, gifts, and kindnesses that have been poured out on my family and me during this journey.  Please continue to pray, as you are lead by God, for my family and me all the way to the end of this Adventure.

Thank you,

Price

PS From Jan

I am prompted to report about two special pastors that have been used of God to minister to us during this time. First, we were so blessed, a few weeks after Christmas, to go up to Aubrey Texas to attend church at Oak Grove United Methodist Church. This is a special church because Sunday morning worship takes place in a beautifully renovated building that dates back to the 1800’s. But it was special to us because of the church’s pastor, “Reverend Liz”. We first met Liz approximately 20 years ago when she was Julie’s teacher. She is a gifted teacher and our time with her was very special. This includes the time she came with our family to Colorado on one Spring Break. It was a very exciting day when, during that trip, Liz and I took Carol and Catherine up chair lift #2 at Loveland Ski Basin. A whiteout blizzard came upon us as we got off the lift. We found out later they closed the lift right after we got on. Liz and I got our little snow train of 2 brave little girls down the mountain in one piece with only a touch of frost bite on the tip of Carol’s ear, where it had wiggled out from under her hat. After 20 years in education Liz became a student again and then became a pastor, now with her own church. We were blessed to hear her sermon and see her sweet congregation. We were also blessed to see Price’s name in the church bulletin asking for prayers, when she did not even know we were coming.

We became aware of another special Dallas pastor from picking up a book in the doctor’s office. The book is My Stronghold: A Pastor’s Battle with Cancer and Doubts by Joe Fornear. I share this resource because it is a great book to give to someone fighting cancer. He and his wife have another book available called In His Grip, Meditations with the Great Physician. These books can be obtained from Stronghold Ministry, PO BOX 38478, Dallas, Texas 75238 or at www.mystronghold.org.

I close with a picture of Julie and Price taken at Silverado Senior Living Center where we go to church with my mother. Our little service is conducted by Tim and Marilyn from Valley View Baptist Church. We are blessed by them as well!