CT Scan Today

Dad had his CT scan today. We know that dad will be Healed by His hand, but we ask for your prayers.

Also, wish a very happy anniversary to mom and dad (37 years) and a very happy birthday to dad (59 years).

Proverbs 16:3    Commit your actions to the Lord, and your plans will succeed.

Results from Yesterday's Visit with the Oncologist

Mom and dad saw the Oncologist yesterday, 20 May. He went over the pathology report again, which confirmed the cancer is in the blood. This is how it got to the piece of the lung the surgeons removed. 

The next step is to attack the cancer in the blood to stop any spread. At some point, dad will undergo more chemo. There are trials at Johns Hopkins which may be available. The good news is there has been no major spread of the cancer. Dad has a CAT scan on 30 May, and how soon chemo starts, depends on the scan results. We believe it will be clear.

Please pray for complete elimination of the cancer from dad's body and rapid healing from the surgery.

Dad is also working hard to stop his weight loss and stabilize his weight. Please pray that he is able to gain some weight. All those recipes that mom shares on Facebook will be put to good use as dad tries to gain some weight as the guinea pig for new recipes!

Thanks to all for your prayers, love, and support. Keep them coming. Please pray for mom as well. She has been a marvelous caretaker for dad and continues to be his wife, friend, confidante, nurse, nutritionist, office assistant, etc, etc, etc.

Praise God for all He has done!

Isaiah 40: 28-31     Have you not known? Have you not heard? The LORD is the everlasting God,   the Creator of the ends of the earth. He does not faint or grow weary; his understanding is unsearchable. He gives power to the faint,   and to him who has no might he increases strength. Even youths shall faint and be weary,and young men shall fall exhausted; but they who wait for the LORD shall renew their strength;   they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary;   they shall walk and not faint.

Cleared for a Liquid Diet

All,

I was cleared for a liquid diet this morning. We are aiming to go home on Saturday. My last tube and stitches will come out tomorrow.

Love to all

Sid/Dad

An Update from Dad

All,

I continue to recover from the surgery. I now only have three tubes in my body. One more comes out tomorrow.

We also got the pathology report. We are not where we wanted to be but we remain positive. They found more cancer than expected in lymph nodes in the stomach and some in the lung they didn't expect. They removed what they saw with margins, but we still need your prayers. I have a firm belief God will fight this fight and we will win. I have asked him to do so and again placed my life in His Hands. Remember 2:Peter 24 "By His stripes we are healed. . ." This is a fact and not a promise. We believe! We ask for your continued prayers -- be positive. God will make this go away!

Love to all of you!

Sid and Becky

Surgery to Remove Tumor......Check!

As promised, an update....

As you all know, dad had surgery to remove the tumor on his esophagus on Thursday, May 1. Mom and dad were up by about 4 AM and to the hospital at 5:30 AM. The surgeon began his part at around 9 AM. He had slated 12 hours for the surgery. Dad was transitioned (i.e., flipped over) and was halfway through the surgery at around 12 PM, and dad was out of surgery at 2:58 PM. The surgery ended up taking half the estimated time! They took out the tumor on his esophagus and will be checking the margins to make sure they got it all. They did not take out the lymph nodes in his chest as they had shrunk and trying to take them out would be like searching for a needle in a haystack and there was no guarantee that they could even find them. Dad was a little groggy coming out of surgery, but everything went so well that instead of going to ICU, he went straight to the oncology ward.

Gretchen was at the hospital with mom and dad the whole time. She was able to show dad his video of all the dancing prior to his surgery. There were tears of joy and laughter as he watched the video. Gretchen did a great job with it and all who contributed were absolutely amazing.

Tears of joy as mom and dad watched the video and the outpouring of love

The support at the hospital was absolutely wonderful. Dad got flowers from the Girl Scouts and pictures from the Hogsten children. Aunt Barbara, Uncle Gene, and Aunt Claudia were also able to come to the hospital and hang out with mom and Gretchen while they waited to hear that dad was out of surgery and ready for visitors.

We were politely told about the kid's play area in the waiting room....we might be a little rowdy ;)

Kids are a great distraction!

Dad did much better after the anesthesia this go around. He was still a little confused and didn't want the oxygen mask when he was first waking up, but in all, a better wake up. Dad had the oxygen mask on during the day and was finally switched to a nasal cannula (in the nose) for the night, which was much quieter. Dad had his ribs spread and a lung collapsed to be able to access the tumor, so the oxygen was to help him get back to normal. Mom stay the night with him the first two nights but was then able to come home and get some rest.

While we were there, dad had a lot of tubes coming out of him (for drainage, oxygen, pulse ox, BP, and catheter). Hopefully the tubes are removed soon. He is on strict orders not to have anything by mouth, so his throat and mouth are a little dry.

Dad is doing as well as can be expected. He was put on morphine to help with his pain. The first couple of days in the hospital, dad moved from his bed to the chair with not much other movement. Mom told me that he was up and walking today, which is absolutely wonderful. He had been getting in 2 mile walks prior to his surgery so he is strong and ready!

The biopsy results came in and dad will need another round or two of chemotherapy. The margins were clean, but they are doing the chemo as a precaution because of the lymph nodes. They are just gonna kill those buggers and then we will be good to go! Dad is still all smiles, as he always is.

Dad with Dave Haught and Randy Anderson

Thank you for all the prayers and well-wishes. We believe that dad is healed. We have been so blessed as a family to have all the love and support and we know that you will continue on this journey with us, and we love you all for it. You have made these past couple of months, much easier on us all. Please keep those prayers coming as dad gets ready for chemo again and as he continues to heal from his surgeries. I have the 5-year point marked on my calendar so we can celebrate in grand style!

Deuteronomy 31:6      Be strong and courageous. Do not fear or be in dread of them, for it is the LORD your God who goes with you. He will not leave you or forsake you.