This Just In

Mom was admitted to the hospital (St. Luke's) this morning. The doctor ordered x-rays of her abdomen and found that she has an ileus (kink in her bowel). She is intubated and the decompression in her stomach may help work the kink out. She is so weak that surgery is not an option. If the ng tube doesn't work, she will be going to be with Jesus very soon.

Please pray with us that her suffering will be minimal. We know Jesus can take better care of her in Heaven than we can here and we are asking for His will to be done.

"My grace is sufficient for thee:" 2 Cor 12:9

Slip Sliding Away

Mom was determined to make it through Christmas, but we have seen a rapid decline in her health this past week. She is not eating or drinking much, mostly because the fluid build-up in her abdomen makes her feel full already. Dad did take her to the hospital this morning where they confirmed she was dehydrated and her electrolytes are messed up, namely her sodium and potassium levels. She is also anemic and her iron count is off.

She was placed on an IV drip to get some fluids back in her and she will follow-up with Dr. Warren tomorrow. For now, they have sent her back home.

Please pray with us that the Lord's will be done.

The Best Christmas Present Ever

In the days before Christmas, Mom was feeling sad that she couldn't give us gifts this year. One night when she couldn't sleep, she thought of something she could give us, something she already had.

On Christmas, when all the other gifts had been exchanged, she brought gift bags to us with the Bibles she has used over the years. They are tattered, well read, marked up and falling apart. There wasn't a dry eye in the room as we realized the treasure we had each just been given. We listened to the song, "I Have A Goodly Heritage" and just cried for a while thanking God for all we do have.

I may not have riches as some others may
But I have a mother who knows how to pray
And maybe there's some things I've missed in my youth
But I have a father who stands for the truth

And if in the future, my parents pass on,
To dwell in that city we've come to call Home
They may not leave me the goods of this world
But I have accepted their God and His Word

I have a goodly heritage
I'm blessed with things you can't see
I have a goodly heritage
And that is worth far more to me

"...I have a goodly heritage." Psalm 16:6b

Merry Christmas

From our family to yours, have a very Merry Christmas!

Well, No Wonder...

...Mom hasn't been feeling well. She got her CA125 test results today and she jumped from 215 to 1360 in her month without chemo.

Yikes! Going the wrong way in a big hurry!

It's a good thing she started chemo again today. She tolerated it well and she is really hoping to feel better in time to enjoy the holidays with us.

We're hoping, too.

More Chemo

Mom saw Dr. Warren in Cedar Rapids today. She is going to start chemo again and will have her first treatment this Thursday at 1:00 PM. Dr. Warren said if the Doxil is going to work, she will begin to see relief right away...in time to enjoy the upcoming holidays.

We will continue to keep you posted on her progress.

Blessings!

More About Mom

Thank you for joining us in prayer about Mom getting an appointment with Mayo Oncology. God answered this prayer and Mom was seen this afternoon around 1:15.

Unfortunately, she is not a candidate for any of the clinical trials at Mayo right now; however, the doctor did prescribe strong pain killers and discussed the benefits of continuing chemo in Cedar Rapids. The continued chemo will not provide healing, but should help ease the pain and fluid build-up. Mom will likely pursue the additional chemo, but she is still deciding on this quality of life matter.

Mom is taking the news pretty well, but if you would like to send her a note or a card, we know she would appreciate hearing from you. Her address is:

760 Grand Ave
Marion, IA 52302

If you would rather call her, send an email to kim@reemconsulting.com and Kim will give you her number.

Blessings!