a vacation and 'the real deal' in the new year

well, dad got a week off from his chemo treatments as his radiation ended the day before Christmas. what a gift to not have to see doctors or the inside of a cement room between Christmas and New Year's~! but with sores in his mouth subsiding, the "burn" and blistering side effects came on like a freight train with enough pain and itching intensity to drive a man crazy! the dark color of the burn has begun to take on a nice rosy hue and the tumor alongside dad's left jawbone has drastically reduced in size; in fact it's not even noticeable... yay!

on the other side of that coin -- or rather his face -- a few other tumors have popped up, one the size of a small macadamia nut under his right eye. it doesn't seems to let up, not even for a minute...

so, today, dad has a dr's appointment to see about the next step -- good blood levels for a new, more intense [dad calls it 'the real deal'], chemotherapy infusion tomorrow. we'll see and i'll keep you posted.

mom is doing okay, though it is hard for her to see her love in pain. she has been so strong through all this. they both have; i see where the example of my own strength has stemmed from -- all rooted in Jesus and a good attitude about life.

please be praying.... ask God to lead you in your prayers. as we have experienced in times past, God does hear the prayers of His people.

42 years together and the after-effects of radiation

today is my mom and dad's 42nd anniversary -- wow! congratulations you two love birds...

on another note, dad finished his radiation treatments Christmas Eve. We were able to spend Christmas together, enjoying traditional Swedish feast on Christmas Eve, opening gifts from Santa Christmas morning, then visiting Brian's family and mom's sister's family on Christmas Day. it was action packed but so good for all of us as we were able to remember 2 precious lives who were lost to us this year -- my husband Brian and mom's sister Nancy -- with those who loved them. we ventured to the OC to commune with Brian's mom, brother, and sisters. Nancy's husband, Joe, drove up from the desert to spend the evening with mom's other sister Priscilla and her family and friends in Pomona. it was a really good day despite the loss of two dearly loved ones.

now, for dad, the aftermath of the radiation is setting in. burning and pain -- worse than the worse sunburn you've ever experienced -- and because it was on a portion of his face, he has extremely painful sores in his mouth that basically limit his eating ability -- he barely eats enough for a bird. he is in a lot of pain and doesn't quite know what to do. please pray for him. he is intense need of it.

we hope you all had a merry Christmas and that the new year will bring health, happiness and God's blessings to you in abundance.

radiation is finished! and please pray...

dad had his last dose of radiation yesterday... that's something to give thanks about! he is tired now, and will continue to be for awhile, but he has finished his 17 treatments.

also, several friends have discovered they have cancer over the last weeks/months and i am going to mention only first names and where the cancer was found so that you might pray with us. let's face it -- cancer sucks! but our God is bigger and more powerful than that nasty stuff. so please pray for the following folks along with us, as dad's heart is with them also:

*Mike -- kidney/bladder
*Sam -- stomach
*Judy -- lung
*Karen -- colon/liver

may God continue to bless you in this season of Thanksgiving... and we thank God for life in abundance!

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?