today

mom is going in for surgery this morning at 10am. the shoulder is comprised of four parts and she broke 2 parts and displaced all four. they'll be attempting to put it back together with four screws and a plate but if her osteoporosis prohibits them from doing this, they'll have to put in a partial artificial shoulder. so this morning she's on her way to being a "bionic woman" -- complete with sound effects!

as for dad, his first treatment yesterday went well and he will continue for the next 17 business days.

thanks for all of your prayers... may they continue! and thank you for the offers of help.... they are greatly needed!

we need "a little help from our friends"

on tuesday, avery celebrated her 6th birthday. we fished and just played together. she really enjoyed her special day. today, we took her bowling to continue the celebration and it was great until mom fell and landed on her shoulder. we took her to the ER and found out she broke it in 2 places. mom and dad will be returning home on saturday, 11/1.

for those of you who may not know, dad starts radiation treatment on monday to target that spot of MCC on his left cheek. the drs in seattle have been consulted and the oncologist and radiologist have set the course for treatment. 17 consecutive business days starting monday, 11/3.

so, with dad starting treatment and mom with a broken shoulder, we are all going to need "a little help from our friends". whether it's a meal for the folks or taking one of them to an appointment, if you can lend a hand, please let us know. and as you already know, prayer is always welcome!

**can you hear that Beatles song?

vacation

as i write this i am listening to a blustery wind outside my window at our friend's home in Weed, CA. that's right... Weed, CA. brian and i planned a vacation to first drive to San Jose to take the kids to a children's museum there and then head on up here to Weed a stay for awhile at our friend's place where we spent some extended time last year. we asked dad and mom if they'd like to join us and the answer was an emphatic "yes!".

so here we are. San Jose was great. mom and dad got a chance to visit our friend Charles who was the caregiver and "adopted son" to mom's great aunt maryann, as well as visit the site where maryann and her husband carl are buried. up here in Weed, we are in the shadow of Mt. Shasta [which has very little snow on it... surprising for this time of year!]. we've had the chance to see many of the local sites in the "state of Jefferson" and visit Mt. Shasta City and the headwaters of the Sacramento River, McCloud and the reservoir 10 miles outside of town [great fishing... dad and brian caught 9 rainbow trout! mckenna was the official "netter"], and our friends' Dale Creek property. we even took a drive up to Medford, OR, to tour the Harry & David plant and then to Ashland, OR, to visit Lithia Park and walk the town. the fall leaves are so beautiful up here... we all can't seem to get enough of that "eye candy"! it truly shows the handywork of our Creator.

we are having a great time up here. thanks to all who are praying for us.... keep up the great work!

dad's birthday

my last post mentioned a surprise in store and many of you know what that surprise was... it was a birthday party. SURPRISE! and was he surprised. about 35 of his friends and family came out for the fun. he didn't know what was happening. he thought he was just coming over to our house for a quiet birthday dinner. i will post pictures soon.

so many thanks to all of you who sent cards, letters, flowers, goodies and donated blood. dad said it was his best birthday ever and in all his 80 years, he had never had a surprise party thrown for him!

so happy birthday, dad. you've arrived at 80 with style and class. and we are so glad!

'i feel good (na na na na na na na) like i knew that i would now...'

dad is feeling great! had another blood transfusion yesterday and it went very well. he even went up on the roof twice today without telling mom (b/c she would have told him 'no way!'). so, as the song says.... he's feelin' good like he knew that he would!

can't wait til tomorrow's surprise! hee hee hee

yyyowwww!

another oil change

today dad had yet another blood transfusion. that makes 34 pints of blood to date! whew! i have not spoken to mom or dad this evening, but the kids and i are planning a visit over to their place tomorrow.

and i am thankful that he is having this transfusion so that he can be healthy and feel well enough for the little surprise i've been working up for him.... more on that later.

just keep praying, friends! thanks so much!

an update... finally!

dear friends and family.... my apologies to all of you for not having kept up with the blogging happening here regarding dad's condition. my life has been crazy busy with international students in and out of the house, hubby working, father-in-law living with us and 3 little ones to look after... whew! let's just go with the old adage: "no news is good news."

but i will let you know what has been happening and what the future days will bring. first off, dad has had a couple of extreme bouts of dealing with gout, one of which caused doctors to be concerned, but after much deduction, came to the conclusion that, yes, indeed it was gout, just on the opposite foot than normal. thank goodness for the lightweight wheelchair that mom was able to acquire from Vitas, an in-home care service that has provided dad with many things to make life at home more comfortable when he needs the comfort, like oxygen so that he can get it when he needs it instead of going to the hospital every time he feels short of breath [he has thankfully not had to use it yet -- it's a "just-in-case" measure].

other than that, dad seems to be doing really well. he looks good and says he feels good and i do believe it is true! he has gone to church 3 weeks in a row now after several months of missing that time. and the same is true for going out for dinner with friends. again, for 3 weeks in a row, he has dined at a few of his favorite restaurants and enjoyed that famous cup of joe at the local coffee house. he has his appetite back -- praise God! my girls cannot wait for grampy to take them recycling -- one of their favorite things to do with him!

as for the coming days/weeks, dad will be starting up with the chemo again -- the continuation of the merkel cell treatment -- this thursday, provided the doctor gives the go-ahead. he was supposed to have begun treatment last week but the doctor said that his blood test came back showing low white blood cell count which meant that if he had proceeded with treatment, his body would have been extremely prone to infection. [white cells fight off infection and without them it's dangerous territory].

so, here we are. praying for the future and praising God for the past -- the small ways that he has healed and provided. and dad sends a big THANK YOU for all of your notes, cards, prayers, calls and emails encouraging and sharing love and God's grace. "keep 'em coming!"

as a side note, brian's dad Mike will be heading back to GA in september to meet with drs to see if chemo needs to be continued. please be praying for those test results and that God would be evident to him. also, my brothers' mom Carol passed away 2 weekends ago. please be praying for my brothers and their families through this difficult time.

i promise to make time in my schedule to post more often than monthly! thanks again for everything!