Monday, July 13, 2009

the irony and the hope

after dad's hospital stay in the same room with the same nurse on the same days as last year [how weird is that?], he was able to come home with relatively no more intense side effects from the chemo on 6/15, minus the intense deep itch he has on his torso, lower legs and ankles. please pray for this as it does not go away except for short periods when an anti-itch cream is applied.

the next two treatments on 6/25 and 7/1 were of a lower dosage with virtually no side effects. the large lumps on his neck have gone down significantly in size and the one on his left temple is gone completely. he has been getting neupogen shots to increase his white blood cell count so as to not have another episode of breathing difficulty, shakes, etc. as last year.

dad's doctor, dr. p, is on maternity leave for the next two to three months so his doc will be dr. wong. please pray for this transition and wisdom and insight for both parties. dad continues with chemo treatments this week [7/16 - ian's 2nd birthday!] and next. we are praying that he will be able to join the celebration of ian's 2nd year as an incredible blessing to our entire family without feeling too tired or worn down, as well as increased stamina and healing. dad has always wanted to travel to alaska, so we are praying that there will be a period of time where he will feel well enough and have the doctor's blessing to go and enjoy such a trip - really a lifelong dream.

thank you so much for your prayers. we will continue to keep you posted!

Psalm 33:21-22 (NIV)

In him our hearts rejoice,
for we trust in his holy name.

May your unfailing love rest upon us, O LORD,
even as we put our hope in you.