Dan in the lion's den

lazy update

2011-09-20T21:36:00.000-07:00

I call this a lazy update because I do not have any earthshaking news to tell you but I thought I would write anyway. Dan is happily working at his job in West Covina. He is teaching math and Bible to grades 6-8. His hip surgery is off until next summer and as I was pondering the delays he has had for that surgery it came to me that wouldn't it be great if the Lord Jesus would just heal that ball of the femur and Dan would not have to undergo anymore surgery! We can ask. We will ask! I am asking you to ask! Let's ask.
My job is going great. I love ultrasounds and I love the ministry of helping young women some of whom are in a crisis situation. I am still learning to adjust my life to my new schedule. Maybe I can't do quite as many other things as I did before:)
Jessica and Josh are in the midst of wedding plans and Jessica is also applying to graduate programs in urban planning with an emphasis in transportation. I confess I hope the school is west of the continental divide.
Again and again as I share the miracle that is Dan, I am reminded of the mercy and love we have received from the Lord. I am so grateful, so thankful that my heart is bursting with gratitude and love for my Lord Jesus.

Colossians 3:15 Let the peace of Jesus our Messiah rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. 16 Let the word of Jesus our Messiah dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God. 17 And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus our Messiah, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

good good good news

2011-08-28T16:53:00.000-07:00

So it has been awhile since i have posted but I have some wonderful news. Dan has a job teaching math and bible at a Lutheran school in West Covina. It is not maybe his first choice as he would rather be in a high school setting but it is a good start on the road of teaching experience. We are so thankful! Next, our daughter Jessica got engaged to be married on Friday to her love and best friend Joshua McBride! We are anticipating a spring wedding! WOOHOO!!! Next I got a part time job! For those who weren't aware, I went to Florida for 2 weeks to receive training in limited obstetrical ultrasound. I have been hired by our crisis pregnancy clinic to perform ultrasounds, pregnancy tests and counsel women who find themselves in a difficult situation. I have been volunteering there since January and am very excited about the expansion of my hours and duties. This is the fulfillment of desires I have had for many decades. The Lord has brought this about in my life and I am looking forward to all He will do in me and through me to help others.
In all this good news I see God's hand guiding us and directing us. My you sense His Presence leading and guiding you, especially as this world faces more and more troubled times.

Proverbs 16:9 The heart of man plans his way,
but the LORD establishes his steps.

Proverbs 3:
3 Let not steadfast love and faithfulness forsake you;
bind them around your neck;
write them on the tablet of your heart.
4 So you will find favor and good success
in the sight of God and man.
5 Trust in the LORD with all your heart,
and do not lean on your own understanding.
6 In all your ways acknowledge him,
and he will make straight your paths.
7 Be not wise in your own eyes;
fear the LORD, and turn away from evil.
8 It will be healing to your flesh
and refreshment to your bones.

Fighting an infection

2011-07-19T06:56:00.001-07:00

Dear One and All,
Unbelievably, Dan is in the hospital (again) with an liver abscess from his ablation in June. He will be having it drained tomorrow by an interventional radiologist at Presbyterian Intercommunity Hospital in Whittier. He is also on IV antibiotics. What this will mean for his hip replacement surgery scheduled for July 28 we are not sure yet, but it may be postponed due to this complication. So again we ask for the Lord to intervene and heal Dan, and also to give Dan and Ashley the strength to get through this obstacle before them.
Thanks so much for your prayers and support.

Words to bank on:

Psalm 62
5 My soul, wait in silence for God only,
For my hope is from Him.
6 He only is my rock and my salvation,
My stronghold; I shall not be shaken.
7 On God my salvation and my glory rest;
The rock of my strength, my refuge is in God.
8 Trust in Him at all times, O people;
Pour out your heart before Him;
God is a refuge for us. Selah.

from Ashley........

2011-06-29T14:38:00.001-07:00

Fried tumors!
I am happy to report that Dan is right now waking up from (possibly) his last necessary cancer treatment. The last of his visible tumors have been fried today...and hopefully, they'll never come back!

We got to the hospital about half an hour early, but they couldn't start the procedure until 3 hours later because Dan's platelets were a bit low. After finally deciding to give him a unit of platelets, they took him at 1030.

3 hours later, his fantastic doctor (our favorite over the past 4 years) came out to give us great news. The pre-procedure CT showed no new tumors and showed that the old tumors looked smaller than before. Then, they ablated a few areas ("microwave on a stick", as Dan says). The doctor admitted to us that he thinks the tumors were already dead, but he wanted to cook them anyway--for good measure. Biopsies from the site will tell us if there was any living cancer in them later. The doctor was overall very happy with the procedure. Little bleeding, no complications seen yet. Dan is waking up right now, so he's not even in the recovery area. In a couple hours or so, we'll be able to see him in his hospital room where he'll stay overnight for observation.

As long as Dan can eat, drink and have good pain control tonight, we should be able to leave in the morning. We'll be on the watch for signs of bleeding or infection for a little while. Then, we'll take a couple days to recuperate in NorCal, then drive home to La Habra.

As for future cancer treatments--there are NONE scheduled. After Dan's hip gets replaced, he can begin to work toward life without cancer. Check-up scans will happen every 3-6 months and the possibility will always remain that something could return. I will personally always be a little scared and worried. Yet, it feels like a new stage of life can begin. Please pray with us that Dan can officially and forever become a cancer survivor, instead of a cancer patient!

It's hard to believe that 4 years ago this time, Dan hadn't even started chemo. In fact, my mother-in-law and I were probably playing cards waiting for Dan to come out of a scan that would tell us fairly terrible news. Fast forward to now: Dan has his Bachelor's degree, has a wife, almost has his teacher's credential, has a cat and is planning for whatever God has in store for him and for us. God has certainly been faithful to His children.

I can say simply now, that the doctors did not think Dan had a fighting chance shortly after his diagnosis. Yet, after 10 rounds of chemo, SIRSpheres, a couple embolizations, a Whipple surgery, a bowel obstruction surgery, and 2 ablations...Dan is very close to being cancer-free.

We can obviously be thankful for the doctors and nurses. We can give some credit to Dan himself for being so incredibly, crazily courageous and strong. However, we would be completely wrong to not give all praise and glory and thankfulness to the One who orchestrated every good gift in the midst of this trial: our God and Savior, Jesus Christ. Without His provision and protection, I know that Dan would not be alive today. What a wonderful God we worship!

Thank you everyone for your prayers and support. Continue to give glory to God for all He has done.

Updates will continue...though, I hope they won't involve too many more stories from the hospital!
Posted by Dan and Ashley at 2:05 PM

results

2011-06-29T14:11:00.000-07:00

Dan came through the procedure well and the doctor ablated 2 sites, one that had been previously infarcted but not "cooked" by the last procedure and the 4th and last tumor site that he had planned to do. Everything looked good. No new tumors were seen!!!! His platelet count was a bit low so he was given some platelets. This was not a big concern for today but will be an issue for his hip replacement when the bleeding is more of a problem. SO thanksgiving for today and prayers for the next and final, Lord willing, procedure of the hip surgery on July 28. We are so thankful for all your love and support and prayers.
Isaiah 44:6-8
6 Thus says the LORD, the King of Israel
and his Redeemer, the LORD of hosts:
“I am the first and I am the last;
besides me there is no god.
7 Who is like me? Let him proclaim it.
Let him declare and set it before me,
since I appointed an ancient people.
Let them declare what is to come, and what will happen.
8 Fear not, nor be afraid;
have I not told you from of old and declared it?
And you are my witnesses!
Is there a God besides me?
There is no Rock; I know not any.”

4 years ago

2011-06-22T23:38:00.000-07:00

Dear Ones,
I have just spent about an hour reading blogs from 4 years ago. Had to stop because it is getting late! 4 years ago we received a "bad report" that Dan had cancer in his liver and pancreas. I had been studying the book of Isaiah and remembered that King Hezekiah had received a bad report and brought that to the Lord in His Temple and pleaded with Him to act on Judah's behalf, so Dan and I too took that bad report of cancer and pleaded with the Lord for His mercy and healing. (It was 2:30 am and the doctor came in the room and woke us up and gave us the results of his CT scan) Now 4 years later I am in a study with a friend and we are going over Isaiah and lo and behold we are just approaching the same chapter about King Hezekiah. So it is time to say thank you Lord for all you have done in these past 4 years. Next week Dan will have his last (hopefully) treatment on a tumor remnant (microwave on a stick). I can only sing praises and worship the King of Kings. Dan has been through a great deal of pain and suffering these past 4 years but there has been a great many blessings also. The Lord continues to use his ordeal to speak to hearts about the love, goodness and power of the Lord. May He speak to you today and may your heart be open to hear His still small voice calling out to you.

No job, YET!

2011-06-12T14:10:00.001-07:00

Dan heard back from the job we all thought would be perfect - the answer was no:(((((
But we keep praying and he keeps looking and applying, then we'll see what happens!
Thanks for your love and support and prayers on his behalf.

Psalm 5
1 Give ear to my words, O LORD,
consider my sighing.
2 Listen to my cry for help,
my King and my God,
for to you I pray.
3 In the morning, O LORD, you hear my voice;
in the morning I lay my requests before you
and wait in expectation.

update from Ashley

2011-05-25T07:40:00.001-07:00

tuesday, may 24, 2011

Almost done!
One year ago, Dan and I were making some big changes in life. Dan was finally recovered from his surgeries and preparing for another one. I was graduating from nursing school, studying for the NCLEX and looking for a job. We were also looking for a place to live. As I hear about all the students graduating from Biola this weekend, I am glad that we aren't in such a topsy-turvy period of life. Yet, life has not slowed down yet!

Dan is now the one finishing up school, preparing to get his teacher's credential by the end of July. Actually, there will be a lot of changes by the end of July: one less liver tumor, one teacher's credential and one new hip. Good thing he has so much energy! Dan found out recently that he passed the TE (teaching event) and is nearly done with most of his assignments. Next step: finding a job. The search has already begun, so please be in prayer that God guides Dan toward the right job at the right time.

As for me, I am just working working working. Sometimes when I think about doing this until I'm 65, I get overwhelmed. Thank goodness nursing provides me with many options for refreshing my nursing spirit! I do like being a nurse, and I still feel that God has made me to take care of people. This thought is easier to remember at the end of a good shift with thankful patients...a rare combination! I am so very thankful that God is providing for Dan and I through this job and allowing me to learn so much every day.

This weekend will be the first whole weekend I have had off to spend with Dan without having work or family issues to deal with. We are thrilled! Time to sleep, clean, re-stock the fridge, snuggle, and maybe even take a day-trip. Yay!

Dan and I were slightly forced to take a trip home last weekend to attend my grandfather's funeral. It was obviously a very difficult week full of reliving memories and realizing that my papa won't be making new memories with us. As his death was very sudden, it still feels like a punch in the gut every time I think of the Dodgers or John Wayne or airplanes or old music. I can not even imagine how my grandma must feel right now and sincerely wish I could be home with her still. My prayer is that God is holding Papa tight now and that he is happy and right at home in Heaven.

We do apologize for the lapse in updates. As the title states, we feel like we are almost done with this phase of life called "School and beginning our careers". Hopefully, that means more time to focus on connecting with family and keeping in touch with everyone. Thank you for those of you who still keep us in your prayers.

Prayer Requests:
* Help on the job search for Dan--open doors and job offers soon
* Endurance for long hours at work and safety for me
* Successful tumor ablation (June 29th at Stanford) and hip replacement (July 28th in Whittier)
* Continued grace and peace as we seek God's will for our marriage and family

Life and Death

2011-05-17T16:40:00.000-07:00

I just got this from my friend who had asked us to pray for Brennan:

Brennan passed away last week. His uncle and wife who lives here (CA) were able to go to the funeral. The night Brennan died he told his mom that he wanted to give his "Mamaw" a birthday present. You see his "Mamaw"(his grandmother, his mom’s mom) is in heaven and that the next morning was her birthday. Well that little guy gave his Mamaw a gift - he gave himself and on her birthday.
Thank you for your prayers and please continue to pray for his parents, Kristi and Albert, that they will stay together and survive the struggle of losing their son.

Along with this news, my daughter-in-law's grandfather, Bill Kee, passed away this past Sunday morning. Bob and I were able to be with the family at the time of his passing from this earthly life to his heavenly one. Would you join me in praying for Peggy, his wife of 48 years, and the rest of the family who are already missing his presence with them.
It is such a sobering reminder of the finality of death. I pray that each one of you has accounted for this inevitable journey into eternity and you are ready for what lies ahead.

John 3:14-16 As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up; so that whoever believes will in Him have eternal life. For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.

John 11:25-26 Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in Me will live even if he dies, and everyone who lives and believes in Me will never die. Do you believe this?"

May 2

2011-05-02T23:03:00.001-07:00

My Dear Family and Friends, May 2, 2011

A GOOD NEWS UPDATE!!!!!!!!!!!!

Dan passed his Teaching Event! (over 60 pages + video of his student teaching) Ashley and Dan came north for a few days and celebrated Passover with us at our church with about 200 people. Bob led the Seder and Dan was asked and honored to read the Hebrew prayers and he did a great job! Still to come for Dan after graduation in June is one more “microwave procedure” on the last tumor remnant and his hip replacement in July.

We celebrated the Passover, the LORD God’s deliverance of our people from slavery in Egypt so many years ago (about 3500). The Passover is such a significant event and it is referenced many times throughout the Bible. It is fulfilled in the death of Jesus the Messiah, who was called “the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.”

In the Passover observance the element of the “Afikomen” is a picture of his death and resurrection. Its origin is unknown and indeed it is unusual that it is not explained in the Seder as everything else is! The tradition of the Afikomen started sometime after the prophet Malachi and before the time of Jesus. The middle matzoh of the three matzoh in the matzoh tash (bag) is taken out, broken in two, wrapped in a linen cloth, hidden or “buried” to be found by a child after the supper and the child who finds this hidden matzoh is rewarded.
Does this not sound like Jesus, who like the matzoh, was unleavened (without sin), pierced and striped, broken and buried. Those who “find him” are rewarded with eternal life. “Afikomen” is a Greek word, meaning “the coming one”. (What is a Greek word doing in the Hebrew Seder?)

Those of you from a Jewish background may want to ponder these things and ask the God of the Universe, Melech ha Olam, if these things be true!

Those of you not from a Jewish background and not sure about your plans for eternity could ask the God of the Universe too, if these things be so. He is ready to listen to any and every heart that truly seeks him and believes in the Passover Lamb of God slain for the forgiveness of your sins.

Certainly we live in unsettling times. One may wonder what in the world is going on with so many people in multiple countries rising up against their leaders and being killed by their own governments.

Continual pressure against the tiny country of Israel to become even tinier and give up land won in hard fought battles against countries that had vowed to wipe them off the face of the earth. (And are still actually talking about wiping them off the face of the earth. The Holocaust Remembrance Day, May 2, is a day to remember the past horrors of WWII and to never let that happen again.)

Tornadoes, earthquakes, tsunamis, weather changes! Is it global warming or is it a merciful God trying to get our attention and turn our hearts toward him? Are these events that Jesus predicted would happen in the end times?
Tragedies, accidents, miracles happening left and right and some of us march on as if there is no God!

The Good News of God:

3 For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received, that Messiah died for our sins according to the Scriptures, 4 and that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, 1 Corinthians 15

8 But what does it say? "THE WORD IS NEAR YOU, IN YOUR MOUTH AND IN YOUR HEART"—that is, the word of faith which we are preaching, 9 that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; 10 for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation. 11 For the Scripture says, "WHOEVER BELIEVES IN HIM WILL NOT BE DISAPPOINTED." 12 For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, abounding in riches for all who call on Him; 13 for "WHOEVER WILL CALL ON THE NAME OF THE LORD WILL BE SAVED."
Romans 10

I must comment on the talk of the day - justice! Everyone is celebrating the “justice” in Bin Laden’s death. Do we really have justice? Or more appropriately, do we really want justice? Of course we do, especially when we have been wronged. Do we want justice to be applied to our life? Or do we want mercy? I am sure none of us have committed sins as heinous as Bin Laden and we are definitely appreciating that he is not around to plot more wickedness. But truth be told, all of us have sinned and all of us will stand before The Judge of the Universe. We will all be found guilty of sin in varying degrees, whether in thought, word or deed; whether as huge as Hitler, Stalin or Bin Laden or as small as the “good person” who on the outside appears good to all of us, but is still a sinner before a holy God.

More good news: God loves us so much He sent His Only Son to bear the penalty for our sin and Jesus did that with His death. He became that Lamb of God sacrificed on our behalf. If we believe that Jesus died for our sins and resurrected to eternal life, we too can have that eternal life because the justice we deserve for our sins has been paid. Those who believe are given the perfection and righteousness of Jesus, the God-Man, who is Immanuel, (which means God with us) in exchange for our sin.

For him who knew no sin he made to be sin on our behalf; so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. 2 Corinthians 5:21

So the choice before you is this:
The perfect justice of God for all you have even done, said or thought.
(Think of how much we as imperfect beings desire justice, how much more will a Holy God desire justice to be done)
OR
The amazing mercy and forgiveness of God granted to those who believe

4 But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, 5 even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), 6 and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, 7 so that in the ages to come He might show the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. 8 For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; 9 not as a result of works, so that no one may boast. Ephesians 2

Hoping and praying that you will want His mercy, not His justice, and that you will believe in Him. If I can pray for you or pray with you, I would be honored to do so. With love, Jamie

trusting

2011-03-02T09:19:00.000-08:00

Dear friends and Family,
Heading back to Israel next week for the Robotics Competition with 14 others including Jessica! We will need your prayers for our trip: letting our light shine to those who do not yet know the Lord, great attitudes in traveling and competing, fun with our Israeli friends, health and safety for the 15 of us. The enemy has tried his best to get us down but we are persevering. Bob will not be going this time and I will miss him!!!!! On the home front everything is looking great!
May you find in Him your peace and joy and rest.
Here is the latest blog from Dan & Ashley:
tuesday, february 22, 2011

The New Year
Yes, we do know that it is half way through February and we are just now blogging about the new year. That is just how life is right now.

Back up to Christmas: we were blessed to have our families come to Southern California to celebrate a few days after Christmas. Since Lise and I worked all of the holidays, it was so refreshing to make our own holiday celebrations. What a wonderful way to start the new year!

Dan has started back at UCI to finish his teaching credential. He is BUSILY doing his teaching event (TPA) and student teaching. He is training in a middle school in Garden Grove, teaching algebra and geometry. From what he says, he will like being a teacher but does not like the process of getting there. The next few months will be just as crazy as the last couple have been. The "light at the end of the tunnel" is June when he gets his credential, though Dan will have to take one more class in July to be officially done. Then, we hope and pray that God opens doors for Dan to find a job.

Ashley is now working days on the oncology unit. It is a fairly stressful and busy unit, though in a different way than her last unit was. The patients are more complex, which means Ash is learning a lot. God is also providing lots of opportunities for her to give spiritual care and take care of the whole patient and their whole families. The hospital is busy right now, so there have been quite a few long days and extra days...which makes for one tired Ash most of the time.

All that to say, the Howens are ready for a break soon, but are pushing through like always. We are praying that we will be able to make a trip up for Easter....hopefully.

On the cancer front, Dan had a CT this month that showed us good news. The tumors have not grown and his liver is healing from all of the abuse it has been through. At this point, we are waiting to schedule the 2nd ablation until after Dan graduates. The surgeon and oncologist feel it is safe to wait since the tumors are not doing anything scandalous.

That should about sum it up for now. Dan and Ashley are busy and tired, but learning and growing. God is good; He is in control.

Please pray with us that God will continue to protect us and give us the endurance to keep on the path He has set us on.

Food for today:

Psalm 33

1 Sing joyfully to the Lord, you righteous;
it is fitting for the upright to praise him.
2 Praise the Lord with the harp;
make music to him on the ten-stringed lyre.
3 Sing to him a new song;
play skillfully, and shout for joy.
4 For the word of the Lord is right and true;
he is faithful in all he does.
5 The Lord loves righteousness and justice;
the earth is full of his unfailing love.
6 By the word of the Lord were the heavens made,
their starry host by the breath of his mouth.
7 He gathers the waters of the sea into jars ;
he puts the deep into storehouses.
8 Let all the earth fear the Lord;
let all the people of the world revere him.
9 For he spoke, and it came to be;
he commanded, and it stood firm.
10 The Lord foils the plans of the nations;
he thwarts the purposes of the peoples.
11 But the plans of the Lord stand firm forever,
the purposes of his heart through all generations.
12 Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord,
the people he chose for his inheritance.
13 From heaven the Lord looks down
and sees all mankind;
14 from his dwelling place he watches
all who live on earth—
15 he who forms the hearts of all,
who considers everything they do.
16 No king is saved by the size of his army;
no warrior escapes by his great strength.
17 A horse is a vain hope for deliverance;
despite all its great strength it cannot save.
18 But the eyes of the Lord are on those who fear him,
on those whose hope is in his unfailing love,
19 to deliver them from death
and keep them alive in famine.
20 We wait in hope for the Lord;
he is our help and our shield.
21 In him our hearts rejoice,
for we trust in his holy name.
22 May your unfailing love rest upon us, O Lord,
even as we put our hope in you.

Hallelujah!

2011-02-07T21:08:00.000-08:00

GOOD NEWS!!!!!!! GREAT NEWS!!!!!!!!!! WONDERFUL NEWS!!!!!!!!!!! WOOHOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Dan had a liver CT last Monday and it showed a decrease in the scar tissue and HEALTHY NEW LIVER GROWTH!!!!!!!!!!!!
That is an answer to prayer PEOPLE!!!!!!!!!!!
Thank You LORD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I cried and screamed and danced with the dog (no one else was home) and praised the LORD God King of the Universe!
New liver growth after the doctor told us that it would not happen since it had not happened after 4 months of challenging the liver to regenerate and regeneration shows up after 4-6 weeks.
Yeah Liver cells! You go and keep on reproducing!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Dearest Family & Friends,
Seek the Lord Jesus.
He is GOD. We need Him!
He is the Savior and there is NO OTHER!

Isaiah 45
20 “Gather together and come;
assemble, you fugitives from the nations.
Ignorant are those who carry about idols of wood,
who pray to gods that cannot save.
21 Declare what is to be, present it—
let them take counsel together.
Who foretold this long ago,
who declared it from the distant past?
Was it not I, the Lord?
And there is no God apart from me,
a righteous God and a Savior;
there is none but me.
22 “Turn to me and be saved,
all you ends of the earth;
for I am God, and there is no other.
23 By myself I have sworn,
my mouth has uttered in all integrity
a word that will not be revoked:
Before me every knee will bow;
by me every tongue will swear.
24 They will say of me, ‘In the Lord alone
are righteousness and strength.’ ”

Philippians 2 Speaking of Jesus
6 Who, being in very nature God,
did not consider equality with God something to be grasped,
7 but made himself nothing,
taking the very nature of a servant,
being made in human likeness.
8 And being found in appearance as a man,
he humbled himself
and became obedient to death–
even death on a cross!
9 Therefore God exalted him to the highest place
and gave him the name that is above every name,
10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,
in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father.

CHRISTmas 2010

2010-12-22T15:49:00.000-08:00

This year we do not have a family picture to send because the truth is it has been a while since we have all been in the same spot, being scattered across the country: Jessica is in Brooklyn NY, Matthew is in Portland OR, and Dan and Ashley are in La Habra CA, while Bob and Jamie are “stuck in Lodi”. Needless to say we are very happy when we do see one another!
Our year started with Dan undergoing a major surgery to remove his primary tumor in his pancreas. Unfortunately that particular surgery is quite extensive and involved removing not only part of the pancreas, but also part of the stomach and small intestine and the entire gall bladder. There is a high incidence of complications and he got his share of them:( After spending a month in the hospital and not eating for 7 weeks he seemed to be on the road to recovery, therefore Bob and I felt confident about proceeding with our planned trip to Israel with the Jim Elliot Christian High School Robotics team (who were invited to compete in the Israel Regional event of FIRST). While in Israel we learned that Dan had a bowel obstruction which was a complication of his first surgery. So back to the hospital he went for another month and another surgery. Wow! His attitude through this all has been amazing. And we are so thankful for all the prayers lifted up on his behalf. God graciously answered them. What’s more, his wife Ashley, throughout all this added stress, continued to excel in her nursing courses while traveling back and forth from LA, only to graduate SUMMA CUM LAUDE in late May! Unbelievable! What a couple! She is now working at a hospital in Whittier and Dan will resume his credential program at UCI in January to teach high school math next fall.
Matt headed for Portland in January for his first semester at Multnomah University, a small Christian college. His English professor has been very encouraging of his writing skills and Portland seems like a good fit for Matt. During the summer he lifeguarded at Hume Lake Christian Camp and acted in the nightly skit as a “musketeer” named Felipe which Jessica, Bob and I enjoyed while visiting him there. On a November road trip to Portland, Bob and I had the opportunity to spend some time with Matt and toured his campus, while catching up with various friends and cousins.
Jessica has been munching on the “Big Apple” and enjoying it, so for the moment she is staying there! She has lived in 3 different apartments with different roommates and has had various jobs, but the present one finds her working as an assistant to my cousin who designs jewelry. This summer I had a wonderful time schlepping around NYC with her and her boyfriend Josh for a couple days before we traveled upstate for a country visit with cousins and a week at a Bible camp, Camp Shoshanah in Keeseville. We topped off our time with a short jaunts to Vermont and Montreal and overnighted with friends outside of Montreal.
In June our “girls”, Lily and Steffi finished their school year with us and returned to their respective homes in Mexico and Germany. As wonderful as the year was, we were thinking this next year would be quieter, opting not to repeat our foreign exchange experience. As it turned out, Bob’s cousin’s son Andrew moved in with us in July and has been working and attending the local junior college. Not quite as lively as the girls, Andrew is still a great blessing to have with us.
As our year winds down it is our dearest wish to communicate with you the Love that God has shown us all by sending His Son to this earth:
From the prophet Isaiah, chapter 9
For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us; and the government will rest on His shoulders;
And His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace.
There will be no end to the increase of His government or of peace, on the throne of David and over his kingdom,
To establish it and to uphold it with justice and righteousness. From then on and forevermore.
The zeal of the LORD of hosts will accomplish this.

May you have an ever-increasing passion to know Him, His Word, and His heart of love for you.
With love, the Howen gang: Bob, Jamie, Matt, Jessica, Dan and Ashley

Thanksgiving

2010-11-19T18:24:00.000-08:00

Latest update: Dan's hip surgery is not happening until next summer due to the doctor's scheduling difficulties and so he and Ashley decided to go ahead and finish the radio frequency ablation treatment needed. His appointment for this is Nov 29, the Monday after Thanksgiving. This should be the LAST treatment he needs to deal with his cancer. After this he will have follow up CAT scans every 6 months! Yeah!
However, this morning I awoke to an email that Dan has been fighting a fever all week and last night it was up to 101.4. So Dan and Ashley headed to the doctor today, got some antibiotics, Dan gave blood for labs and hopefully he will be okay for next Monday's event!
Having been asked to share today about thankfulness in light of what our family has been through the last several years, I considered it a privilege to recount the faithfulness of the Lord in my sister's survival and recovery, and in Dan's epic journey. We have seen MIRACLES left and right and the faithfulness of the LORD God almost every day through all the trials.
Truly, I can repeat the admonition to:

Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.
(1 Thessalonians 5:16-18)

And how is that possible? Personally I have been able to do that by the sure knowledge that the Lord Jesus, Messiah of Israel, my Savior, intercedes for us, loves us with His incredible love, and graces us with His Presence. He empowers me by giving me His Holy Spirit to indwell my life and to give me the ability to walk with Him moment by moment.
I am in awe of all that He has done for us. I ended my sharing with these words:

I am thankful for the Lord’s love and presence in my life. I have been through some hard things but I know whatever trials I have the Lord will see me through. He is with me always. Do I like the trials - not really, but I know he uses them for my growth and for others' growth and for His glory. I am content to be a pot in His hand. I am thankful to be a pot in His hand. I am thankful to be in His hand.

In closing, Dan starts school again January 3, 2011. Pray with me that his health and strength will be sufficient for the procedure Nov 29 and for school and for whatever the Lord has in his amazing life.
Thank you so much for your prayers. I am humbled by so many of you who share with me that you continue to hold Dan up in your prayers. Bless you, dear ones.

ashley writes and more

2010-10-20T21:57:00.000-07:00

Dan and Ashley are home in LA. After spending one night in the hospital Dan was released. Sunday they brought Toulouse, their new adorable kitten, by and watched the end of the 9er-Raider game ( first 9er win!) on their way south.
The game plan is for Dan to get his hip replacement done before the end of the year in LA and return to school in January to finish his teaching credential for high school math.
The doctor biopsied the tumors before frying them and NO CANCER CELLS were detected in the biposy. Hallelujah! The doctor was not hopeful that Dan's liver will grow back, however, we know the Creator who made Dan's liver in the first place and so we can ask Him to heal that liver so it could regenerate and prepare Dan for what lies ahead. These two brave young people who I love very much have been through so much. Please Lord, make their path smooth.

Isaiah 26:7-9
The way of the righteous is smooth;
O Upright One, make the path of the righteous level.
Indeed, while following the way of Your judgments, O LORD,
We have waited for You eagerly;
Your name, even Your memory, is the desire of our souls.
At night my soul longs for You,
Indeed, my spirit within me seeks You diligently;

This is Ashley's blog from last Friday:
Today, some of Dan's tumors got cooked.

We drove to the hospital early today and were greeted by amazing fog rolling over the Golden Gate. Despite the reasoning for the trip, it's so nice to be back home in Northern California.

Anyway, Dan got checked in, prepped, and was ready to go on time...too bad the anesthesiologist was not ready to go until 2 hours later. (I hope she had an emergency!) Finally, Dan got taken down to the procedure room and I was allowed to follow him until it came time for the anesthesia. He was already on the table when the docs let us know his blood levels were low (platelets 79, H&H 8.9-9.5). They were worried about needing to transfuse, but felt confident about proceeding.

After about 3 hours waiting, Dr. Sze came out to let us know everything went well. The 2 biggest tumors were fried/melted leaving some dead tissue to be resorbed by the liver eventually. His liver still hasn't grown much, so it seems like going with radio-frequency ablation (RFA) was a much better idea than surgery. Also, the last 2 tumors are very small (watermelon seed sized) and not growing. This means that Dan can wait a few months before another RFA cycle. To Dan's delight, he can probably get his hip replaced before he starts school. We'll have to scramble to find a surgeon, but it could happen.

Tonight, Dan will stay in the hospital for observation. His new wound is only a couple centimeters and covered with a big band aid, but there is still a chance for bleeding. The chance is low, but it's safer for him to be here tonight. Also, he can get the "good" pain meds. Though, he says it just feels like he got punched in the ribs. He has already talked the nurse into removing one of his IVs by mentioning that they could leave the bigger gauge in his hand so that the one is AC wouldn't beep at night. Good grief, he's a pro. He ate dinner fine and hopefully, it will stay down because he is already asking for more food!

Please be praying that Dan's liver heals fine and that there is no internal bleeding resulting from the procedure. Also, pray his good eating continues (he's halfway to his pre-Whipple weight!) and that his pain can be easily controlled. Finally, pray we can get some sleep tonight and get out of here safely tomorrow morning. We're hoping to drive to our apartment on Sunday with a healthy Dan :)

Finally, I know several people who are suffering and could use your prayers as well; two women with breast cancer, Kathy and Beth, and a young man, my brother-in-law's nephew, Patrick was in a serious accident and has brain damage and not doing well.

Also my friend Yang Chen passed into glory last Friday surrounded by family and close friends after battling with lung cancer for almost 3 years. His story is eloquently told on his website:

http://family.adoctorsjourneywithcancer.net/Default.aspx

He leaves behind his wife, 3 children, a ministry (http://www.gomets.org/), and many dear friends. He was always faithful to pray for Dan and we spoke several times regarding Dan since his specialty was gastroenterology.

Thanks for your love, support and prayers. They mean so much to us. You mean so much to us.

Oct 15, 2010

2010-10-20T21:52:00.001-07:00

Fri, October 15, 2010 3:31:33 PM
report on Dan
From:
Jaime Howen
View Contact
To: Jim Adams ; marty arismendi ; Don Blythe ; bob ; missi brown ; BARBARA CARILLO ; Carolyn ... more
Cc: Stefanie Appelmann ; Marty Arismendi ; nellie borges ; freddie buhr ; Fred Carvalho ; Pam Chacon ... more
Dear Ones,
Dan is out of his RFA procedure (radio frequency ablation) or otherwise known as "microwave on a stick" and it went very well! Praise the Lord! Two tumors were cooked and the two that remain are very small "football shaped" watermelon-seed sized collapsing tumors that may very well be all dead anyway. We all laughed when the dr said "football shaped". Only Dan would have football shaped ones! So there is no hurry to attack them at this point, maybe in a few months. On the other hand Dan may choose to proceed with his needed hip replacement before dealing with these two spots. He is still in the recovery room at this point and will be spending the night here at Stanford. His platelet count is low, which may be his "normal". Please pray for the Lord to raise the platelet count and grant a speedy recovery from this procedure. Thanks so much!
So praises and prayers!

Psalm 34:1-9
1 I will bless the Lord at all times;
his praise shall continually be in my mouth.

2 My soul makes its boast in the Lord;
let the humble hear and be glad.

3 Oh, magnify the Lord with me,
and let us exalt his name together.

4 I sought the Lord, and he answered me
and delivered me from all my fears.
5 Those who look to him are radiant,
and their faces shall never be ashamed.

6 This poor man cried, and the Lord heard him
and saved him out of all his troubles.

7 The angel of the Lord encamps
around those who fear him, and delivers them.
8 Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good!
Blessed is the man who takes refuge in him!

9 Oh, fear the Lord, you his saints,
for those who fear him have no lack!

Oct 3 update

2010-10-03T18:15:00.002-07:00

I can't believe I have been "blog silent" for over a month! Dan now has a date for the radio frequency ablation procedure: October 15! The road ahead looks like he will probably have one procedure done in October and one in November, which will be followed by his hip replacement, done in time for him to continue his credential program in January. Ashley is doing fine in her job at Whittier Pres and may even be changing from nights to the day shift. I am looking forward to seeing them this next weekend as I head south.
Thanks so much for all your prayers. I am constantly reminded of your faithfulness as I talk with many of you who encourage me with their "we are still praying daily for Dan" and that does a mother's heart good.
Life truly can be challenging and journeying through it with the Lord Jesus in your life is my recommendation.

Words to ponder:
1 Chronicles 16:
8 Oh give thanks to the Lord; call upon his name;
make known his deeds among the peoples!
9 Sing to him; sing praises to him;
tell of all his wondrous works!
10 Glory in his holy name;
let the hearts of those who seek the Lord rejoice!
11 Seek the Lord and his strength;
seek his presence continually!
12 Remember the wondrous works that he has done,
his miracles and the judgments he uttered,
13 O offspring of Israel his servant,
sons of Jacob, his chosen ones!
14 He is the Lord our God;
his judgments are in all the earth.
15 Remember his covenant forever,
the word that he commanded, for a thousand generations,
16 the covenant that he made with Abraham,
his sworn promise to Isaac,
17 which he confirmed as a statute to Jacob,
as an everlasting covenant to Israel,
18 saying, "To you I will give the land of Canaan,
as your portion for an inheritance."
19 When you were few in number,
and of little account, and sojourners in it,
20 wandering from nation to nation,
from one kingdom to another people,
21 he allowed no one to oppress them;
he rebuked kings on their account,
22 saying, "Touch not my anointed ones,
do my prophets no harm!"
23 Sing to the Lord, all the earth!
Tell of his salvation from day to day.
24 Declare his glory among the nations,
his marvelous works among all the peoples!
25 For great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised,
and he is to be held in awe above all gods.
26 For all the gods of the peoples are idols,
but the Lord made the heavens.
27 Splendor and majesty are before him;
strength and joy are in his place.
28 Ascribe to the Lord, O clans of the peoples,
ascribe to the Lord glory and strength!
29 Ascribe to the Lord the glory due his name;
bring an offering and come before him!
Worship the Lord in the splendor of holiness;
30 tremble before him, all the earth;
yes, the world is established; it shall never be moved.
31 Let the heavens be glad, and let the earth rejoice,
and let them say among the nations, "The Lord reigns!"
32 Let the sea roar, and all that fills it;
let the field exult, and everything in it!
33 Then shall the trees of the forest sing for joy
before the Lord, for he comes to judge the earth.
34 Oh give thanks to the Lord, for he is good;
for his steadfast love endures forever!

Dan's words from August

2010-10-03T18:15:00.001-07:00

monday, august 30, 2010

Breakfast
So apparently we've been sleeping for a month and a half and we're just now waking up. Ok, that's not really true. But there hasn't been a lot going on. Well there has. But we just haven't blogged about it. I will try and catch everyone up.

Ashley passed her boards and got a job at Whittier Presbyterian. She is now working 12 hour shifts after going through orientation, which was arduous. The 12 hour shifts are long, but it's nice to work only 3 days a week. She will soon be switching to night shifts, which will be interesting. We'll see how it goes. The extra $8 an hour will be nice.

We celebrated 2 years of marriage by going out to some nice restaurants and Ashley going to work. 2 down, 58 to go.

I had a CT to see how well the embolization worked (and if the liver was big enough to handle surgery). Long story short, the liver did not grow as much as expected. I still have pretty good liver function, but it would not be good at this time to further insult it with a surgery. So the plan as of a few days ago is to do Radio Frequency Ablation, which is colloquially called 'Microwave on a Stick'. The radiologist will insert probes into my liver with the tips in the middle of the tumors. The tips will get really hot and melt/burn the tumors. It's a lot less invasive than surgery and still holds a good success rate. The procedure will happen in two parts a month apart (hospital stay is likely minimal- just overnight for observation). I'll let you all know when it is scheduled. Hopefully I can also get my hip done before UCI starts in January.

We got a kitten from Ashley's friend Katie. He is gray, tiny, precocious, ferocious, and his name is Toulouse. He likes naps, meowing when we're not around, going into the refrigerator, and climbing.

While Ashley is at work, I watch movies on Netflix Instant Watch, do chores and errands, read the Bible, read the Book of Mormon (I am almost finished!), keep an eye on Toulouse, eat, and play PS3.

Football is coming up. I am very excited. Predictions are in: I think the 49ers will win the division, but the Super Bowl will be San Diego over New Orleans. Disclaimer: it is very very difficult to predict the Super Bowl before the season starts.

Our new apartment is awesome. If you google IL Pompeii La Habra, you can take a look around.

This last one is not new: God is good. Also, I am hungry.

It's me again!

2010-08-26T19:32:00.000-07:00

Long time no write! Just heard from Dan tonight that his liver is not getting larger and so surgery is not an option at this point but they want to "cook" those tumor remains with RFA, radio frequency ablation. It is probably an outpatient procedure, but we still do not know when it will happen. Ashley is enjoying her new job and they have a cute gray kitten named Toulouse. So let us continue to pray for Dan's liver to grow and be healthy as well as for this RFA procedure to go well. I will let you know when when I know when!

Great video to watch when you feel like quittin':

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EDgVske63cY

Great words to meditate on:
Psalm 33

18 Behold, the eye of the Lord is on those who fear him,
on those who hope in his steadfast love,
19 that he may deliver their soul from death
and keep them alive in famine.
20 Our soul waits for the Lord;
he is our help and our shield.
21 For our heart is glad in him,
because we trust in his holy name.
22 Let your steadfast love, O Lord, be upon us,
even as we hope in you.

July 13

2010-07-13T11:42:00.000-07:00

The following "long" are the 2 latest blogs from Ashley and Dan respectively. The "short" of it is that Dan's surgery that was to be this coming Friday was postponed until Sept pending more liver growth. Pray for Dan's liver to regenerate so he can have the needed surgery. God's timing is not our own! (Duh!)

from Isaiah 55
“Seek the Lord while he may be found;
call upon him while he is near;
let the wicked forsake his way,
and the unrighteous man his thoughts;
let him return to the Lord, that he may have compassion on him,
and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.
For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord.
For as the heavens are higher than the earth,
so are my ways higher than your ways
and my thoughts than your thoughts.
“For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven
and do not return there but water the earth,
making it bring forth and sprout,
giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater,
so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth;
it shall not return to me empty,
but it shall accomplish that which I purpose,
and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it.
“For you shall go out in joy
and be led forth in peace;
the mountains and the hills before you
shall break forth into singing,
and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands.

from Ashley July 11
Surgery: Part II
Nearly six months later, the second half of Dan's cancer resection has been scheduled and set in stone for this Friday, July 16th. The CT Dan had last week showed that his liver grew back some, but not to the extent the surgeon had hoped/expected. Accordingly, the surgery plan has been modified to leave Dan with more healthy liver tissue. We have a meeting with the surgeon on Wednesday at which time we can explain the details.

This week will obviously be a busy one: we leave on Tuesday for Lodi, meeting with the surgeon and pre-anesthesia appointment on Wednesday, and then surgery on Friday. It will be nice to see our families before spending more time in the hospital.

As I am starting my new job on the 26th, I have to be back to SoCal the Wednesday following the surgery for a couple days of pre-hire appointments. I'll drive back up to Stanford with a friend for the weekend, and then start orientation on Monday. All that to say, I won't be able to stay with Dan throughout the recovery. I'll try to drive or fly when I can on the weekends, but it will be rough.

God-willing, this recovery will be much faster and smoother than Dan's previous surgeries. The liver is prone to bleeding and becoming quite angry when "attacked". Thus, there are quite a few complications that can arise after surgery. Yes, it is true that this surgery could leave Dan cancer-free. Yet, we are focusing on Dan's recovery before we glory in the possibility of remission.

Dan is doing fine: not worried, confident and encouraging. I am fine for now, though I'll get more nervous by the day. To be frank, I'd rather have a healthy/happy husband with a small amount of tumor than a sick/suffering husband without cancer. I do understand that it is possible to have a health AND cancer-free Dan. It's just the surgeries and hospitalizations and complications that keep me from believing it's possible any time soon.

Anyway, time for prayer requests. People often ask what they can do for us in times like this. Eventually, there may be material needs, but for now, our needs are spiritual. Please go before God on our behalf in preparation for Friday.

* Ask God to guide the surgeons' hands and minds, giving them wisdom and assurance.
* A safe and successful surgery
* No complications, especially bleeding and infection
* Pain management (it's going to be tricky with Dan's modified liver)
* Quick recovery
* Cooperative digestive system: no bowel obstructions!
* Peace for me and the rest of the family
* Endurance for me

from Dan July 12
Double Take II
I'm getting more and more into puns these days. So this title is a pun on the last title (Take II) but now it's Double Take, meaning a second look. So my radiologist (who performed SIRSpheres back in 08 and the embolization back in early June) was looking at my recent CT to check the liver volume, just to be sure that this surgery is a good idea. Well, he thinks the liver is actually a little smaller than it was (which makes sense, since the embolized side was supposed to shrink), so the idea of cutting off more of it didn't seem like a good idea right now, especially since my tumors are slow-growing, if growing at all. So tonight, like 45 minutes ago, the Greek called to tell me that

the surgery is postponed until further noticed.

Basically, since this surgery isn't exactly chopped liver (pun!), it would be safer and smarter to wait a while for further hypertrophy (growing) of the liver. So in late August/early September, I'll get another scan and see how it's going. Another option that we'd discussed in the past was to burn the tumors instead of cutting them out (which was the idea for the 4th tumor of the now-postponed surgery). Theoretically, if September's scan looks the same as this one, the burning option could be the #1 option. I mean, you can't really not use your liver. That's why it's a 'live'-r. I can here your groaning from hear. OK, I'll stop.

I think we're both okay with this. Now I can be in our awesome new apartment for more than a week to start with. Now I can be here as Ashley starts her new work. Now I can definitely be here for our anniversary. I can still recover in time for school, which won't start up until January. My hip surgery will be a little further away, but again, that's not the highest priority right now. So... I'm excited.

Please continue to pray for liver growth. And praise God for a wise choice by the doctors to not rush into a serious surgery without a definitely safe amount of healthy liver.

new post from Dan

2010-07-01T23:16:00.000-07:00

Transition. No fade, more like a wipe.
In case you don't understand the title, it's in reference to film transitions. A fade is, as it sounds, a slow mixing of two shots that's nice and smooth. A wipe is what you see in Star Wars a lot where the new shot sort of rolls abruptly across the screen.
There, I used my degree.

So in the last 3 weeks, much has happened. The bowel obstruction scare came and went, though Ashley is still concerned I might wake up one morning with that same intense pain. God willing, I never will again. Ashley took the NCLEX (the national certification process for RNs) on June 21st. It is said that the devil works at the NCLEX. It's true, or at least it feels like it. It is by far the most intense, draining, ulcer-inducing test I have ever heard of, and that's just studying for it. Taking the actual test must be like facing a firing squad. But the absolute worst part is after you take the test. Everyone leaves the testing center feeling like they failed, and California is one of the states that does NOT participate in a 48-hours-later-pay-10-bucks-and-find-out-if-you-passed program (and they need the money, why not?). So you're left waiting and agonizing for 1-4 weeks, praying to have passed but dreading that you failed.
Anyway, we found out on Wednesday that Ashley PASSED! (thanks Monique for waking us up at 5am) It was an answer to fervent prayer and a huge relief. Once the official license comes in the mail, she'll be all set. Also, Ashley got a job at Whittier PIH on an observation floor (where you end up if you go to the ER and the doctor doesn't quite want you to go home yet, but you can't stay in the ER). Hopefully, after some time on that floor she can transfer to the adjacent oncology floor (which is Ashley's desired specialty). So... that's AWESOME.
That also means that we are sure (for the first time) where we will live this coming year(s). We found a nice apartment to move into, and we're moving from Biola housing to.......morrow. Yeah. It's been crazy packing up our lives. I wish I had two good hips instead of one, because it has relegated me to non-heavy lifting only, which doesn't sit well with my exceeding manliness. (Ashley laughs... but she knows it's true) However, we have some awesome friends helping us out. We're both excited for our new place.
So, up next is this: I have a CT on July 6th to see how much my liver has grown after the portal vein embolization. If it has grown a sufficient amount to sustain liver function, then Surgery: The Sequel will be premiering on July 16th to lop off the bad section of liver. Hopefully, there will be a quick recovery, because Ashley has orientation at the hospital starting July 26th. I can resume my schooling at UCI in January (where I left off last year), so until then I will apply to sub and/or seek a short-term job to keep myself occupied and start attacking student loans. Also, there will soon be an addition to the Howen family....

No, not a baby. A kitten! It is yet to be named. But you can bet there will be pictures eventually.
Anyway, this is getting really long, especially for me. Keep praying for us, especially for no more obstructions, good liver growth and a complication-free surgery. And make sure to praise and thank God profusely for the blessings we have received.

June 30

2010-06-30T20:55:00.000-07:00

Last day of June 2010 - can you believe that! It is a good day today - Ashley found out that indeed she has passed her boards and is an official Registered Nurse! Not that I doubted that for a minute. Dan and Ashley are moving this weekend to their new apartment, 2 bedrooms, and Ashley's job (yes you heard it right) at PIH (Presbyterian Intercommunity Hospital in Whittier) will begin July 26! Next Tuesday Dan and Ashley will fly up for a CT at Stanford to check on the progress of the regeneration of the liver. He has a tentative surgery date of July 16 depending on the results of the CT. So pray my friends that all will go as planned and we will get back to you with the results.
We are in His hands- the best place to be!

His Word to us:

Psalm 91:14-16
“Because he holds fast to me in love, I will deliver him;
I will protect him, because he knows my name.
When he calls to me, I will answer him;
I will be with him in trouble;
I will rescue him and honor him.
With long life I will satisfy him
and show him my salvation.”

June 19, 2010

2010-06-19T20:43:00.000-07:00

Today marks the 3rd anniversary of the day Dan, Ashley, Bob and I took that trip to the ER in South Lake Tahoe only to discover Dan did not have appendicitis but neuroendocrine pancreatic cancer. Long hard bumpy road we have been on. We are definitely hoping that the road ahead will be a smoother one even though there are a couple of surgeries looming on the horizon. Dan is doing fine right now, eating without difficulties and supporting his wife as she is getting ready to take her nursing boards. The pain he had a few weeks ago has gone away and for that we are very grateful. He will be having a CT scan July 6 to see if his liver has been regenerating. Please pray that his liver will be able to make NEW liver cells and also that he would gain some of the weight he has lost so he'll be physically ready for the next surgery.
We are so very grateful for your love, support and prayers. As you know they are very important. I recently wrote about a family who had been in a car accident. The kids and mom are healing and the father is doing much better but he (Chris) still needs our prayers. He has a long road of rehab ahead of him. Also my friend who told me about Chris and his family and their needs has another family who are in need of our prayers:
We are asking for prayer for Levi and Jessie Benkert and their young family (3 children +1 in adoption process). They have been in Ethiopia for about 1 year in charge of building and administering the orphanage, Drawn From Water. Levi has an illness of unknown origin, perhaps a form of hepatitis.
Know our Lord Jesus hears our prayers and answers.

Psalm 111
Praise the Lord!
I will give thanks to the Lord with my whole heart,
in the company of the upright, in the congregation.
Great are the works of the Lord,
studied by all who delight in them.
Full of splendor and majesty is his work,
and his righteousness endures forever.
He has caused his wondrous works to be remembered;
the Lord is gracious and merciful.
He provides food for those who fear him;
he remembers his covenant forever.
He has shown his people the power of his works,
in giving them the inheritance of the nations.
The works of his hands are faithful and just;
all his precepts are trustworthy;
they are established forever and ever,
to be performed with faithfulness and uprightness.
He sent redemption to his people;
he has commanded his covenant forever.
Holy and awesome is his name!
The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom;
all those who practice it have a good understanding.
His praise endures forever!

June 2

2010-06-02T23:21:00.000-07:00

Another Procedure
I have to type this very quickly because the hospital has decided that they don't like people blogging on their wireless...thus, I am only allotted 10 minutes on our blog. Weird? Yes.
Anyway, we're back in Palo Alto (SHC) for Dan's embolization procedure. Things are running late, so Dan just got taken back to the preop phase. We have even spoken to the doctor yet. They will blocking off the right portal vein (blood supply to the right lobe of the liver) to allow for quicker regrowth of his liver. We have been told that this should be just an overnight stay, so we're really hoping and praying for no complications and a fast recovery.
I'll keep you posted when I can, but just be in prayer as the procedure should be starting in about an hour.

Prayer Requests:
* Successful procedure
* No complication
* Open and happy bowels without obstructions
* Safe discharge tomorrow as planned
* NO SURPRISES!!!
* Keeping Dan at home with me in SoCal for a lot longer :)
posted by Ashley at 2:14 pm

Rough day? A bit.
So, Dan's procedure went well and ended at about 7pm. He had to stay in recovery for a while to wake up, and the doctor decided to keep him overnight to watch for possible complications. Dan's still really tired, though he woke up long enough to eat some jello and crackers. He's not in a lot of pain, but his stomach is wobbly. He won't go so far as to say it's sick feeling, but he's not feeling great. Stupid anesthesia.
Tonight we watch for his ability to keep fluids and food down and make sure his liver isn't bleeding through the wound it got today. As long as Dan can eat breakfast well and isn't actively bleeding tonight, he'll be discharged in the morning.

Amazingly, Dan was given a private room AND I got a cot! What? The first day? Awesome.
I've been sitting here applying for nursing jobs, while he's asleep. The nursing job market is horrible to say the least. Several polite rejections after making it through the last interview process is getting old. You'd think graduating top of the class, having CNA experience and good communication skills would get you somewhere...not quite.

Dan and I are really beginning to feel the strain of the unknown. We need to know where I'm working before we can move, and we have to be out of our apt on June 19th. Prayers for guidance and a job are coveted. I know that God is guiding me to where He wants me, but this time period kinda sucks.

Prayer Requests:
* No bleeding or complications
* Dan's ability to eat and a hearty appetite
* Safe discharge tomorrow
* Continued health of bowels (no obstructions ever)
* Great re-growth of liver tissue
* A job for me...soon!
* Peace in yet another period of unknown
Posted by Ashley at 9:44 PM

Trust in the Lord with All Your Heart
Proverbs 3:1-8
1 My son, do not forget my teaching,
but let your heart keep my commandments,
2 for length of days and years of life
and peace they will add to you.
3 Let not steadfast love and faithfulness forsake you;
bind them around your neck;
write them on the tablet of your heart.
4 So you will find favor and good success
in the sight of God and man.
5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart,
and do not lean on your own understanding.
6 In all your ways acknowledge him,
and he will make straight your paths.
7 Be not wise in your own eyes;
fear the Lord, and turn away from evil.
8 It will be healing to your flesh
and refreshment to your bones.

Memorial Day

2010-05-31T21:49:00.000-07:00

Hope you have all had a wonderful day celebrating our freedom through the sacrifices our servicemen and women have made over the years. Last year when Bob and I were in Israel, their memorial day was very sobering as the nation comes to a halt for 2 minutes and stands silently and bows as they remember the over 22, 000 Israelis who have been killed since 1948 defending the Nation.
Dan has his embolization procedure on Wednesday at Stanford. It should be an uncomplicated procedure and does not usually involve an overnight stay, but they want to keep him overnight, just in case. The embolization is mainly to shunt the blood flow from the right lobe to the left and stimulate the liver to regenerate. That would be a request to pray for - new liver tissue!
Tomorrow Ashley has an interview with a hospital in Whittier that she has worked at as a CNA and as a student nurse. So they know her and what an awesome nurse she is! I don't think So Cal is their desired location but a job is their desire. Please pray that the Lord will open the doors if that is where she is to be.
Now many of you do not know this but Ashley won the "Perseverance Award" from her Nursing school! DUH! Not only that Ashley graduated SUMMA CUM LAUDE!!!!!!!!!!!! with a 3.93 GPA. WOW! Is that amazing and is that dedication and perseverance. The hospital who hires her will be getting a real gift.
So friends, keep this young couple in your prayers. They still have a hard road ahead with 2 more surgeries and a teaching credential to finish, but I have no doubt they will accomplish any and all they put their minds and hearts to.

Proverbs 16:3 Commit your work to the Lord , and your plans will be established.
Colossians 3: 23-24 Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ

May 24

2010-05-24T09:42:00.000-07:00

Dan and Ashley update us all:

Steady Freddy
Since I've had a few people mention that they haven't read anything new on the blog for a while, I thought we should probably blog again.

Since the last blog, we have gone to Stanford twice for meetings with the surgeon and the oncologist. Dan's wound is healing, but being difficult. He still has a hole the size of a dime, which has to be packed a couple times a day. Luckily, his second surgical wound looks good...and will hopefully stay that way.

Aside from advising us on the wound situation, the docs also met with us to make a decision regarding the next step. Due to the several complications and setbacks, Dan hadn't truly been able to recover from any of his surgeries and was being a bit pressured to "hurry up" with the next one. Dan and I set about intelligently gathering information and advice from his doctors to assure we were making the right decisions. Honestly, his docs agreed that he needed more time to heal, but still advised surgery as the next step. Accordingly, we are looking at the second half of the surgery late in the summer.

Another good part to the doctors wanting to let Dan heal is that the embolization procedure (cutting off the blood supply to the right side of the liver to test regrowth of the left side) is going to be after graduation. Yay! One less thing to stress about for now.

Did I mention I'm graduating next week? Yes, you read that correctly. Next week! My clinical hours are finished, my research hours are finished, my classes are finished, and I have very little left to do. This is a strange season. My friends are beginning to move away, we are competing against each other for jobs, and we're saying goodbye after 5 years of constant together-ness. Weird and sad, but necessary.

This week's schedule:
Monday-Class party
Tuesday-Senior Baccalaureate (reflection?)
Wednesday-Epsilon Kappa Epsilon Honor Society Ceremony
Thursday-Pinning Ceremony (Traditional nursing graduation)...a BIG DEAL
Friday-Fun with family!!!
Saturday-Graduation!!!

We have a busy week ahead of us, but it is so exciting. We're looking forward to beginning a new chapter of our lives soon...new apartment, new jobs, no school, no more cancer...God willing.

Prayer Requests:
* No complications or new problems
* No hospitalizations or illnesses until after graduation
* A job! (I've had 4 interviews)
* Safe travels for family coming down
* A safe and uncomplicated embolization procedure

God encourages us in Philippians 1:2-11
2Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
3I thank my God in all my remembrance of you,4always in every prayer of mine for you all making my prayer with joy,5because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now.6And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.7It is right for me to feel this way about you all, because I hold you in my heart, for you are all partakers with me of grace, both in my imprisonment and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel.8For God is my witness, how I yearn for you all with the affection of Christ Jesus.9And it is my prayer that your love may abound more and more, with knowledge and all discernment,10so that you may approve what is excellent, and so be pure and blameless for the day of Christ,11filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God.

Bob and I will head south for the pinning and graduation and even Matt will join us for the graduation from Hume Lake (if he can get out of the snow- snow at the end of May?)
What a blessing it is to see Ashley accomplish her goals and finish this semester well amidst all the difficulties she and Dan have endured! What inspiration she is to many of us! She will be taking her boards soon and I know she would appreciate your prayers for that as well. I have no doubt she will do very well.

update

2010-05-16T21:48:00.000-07:00

Dan and Ashley spoke with the doctors last week to explore the options to surgery. Unfortunately there are no really good ones so the "part 2" surgery will take place sometime in the next few months. Dan will have the embolization procedure of his right hepatic artery sometime in early June and then wait at least a month to verify that it has been successful in stimulating the left liver lobe to grow so that his right liver lobe can be operated on. The surgery will follow that verification depending on the extent of liver regeneration. Please pray that his liver will grow and that the surgery will be successful in removing all traces of cancer cells, dead or alive! He has regained 5 pounds of his 35 pound weight loss which is a good start. Pray, too, that his weight gain will progress.
On a very happy note, Ashley is graduating in less than 2 weeks!. She will then take her boards and locate one of those rare jobs for newly graduated nurses. We ask for your prayers on her behalf for the right job at a great hospital in a location north of southern Cal.
Thanks for your love, prayers and concern. I continue to marvel at all who are fighting this battle with us. You bless me and may the Lord our God bless you!

His Word:
Psalm 34
I will extol the Lord at all times;
his praise will always be on my lips.
My soul will boast in the Lord;
let the afflicted hear and rejoice.
Glorify the Lord with me;
let us exalt his name together.
I sought the Lord, and he answered me;
he delivered me from all my fears.
Those who look to him are radiant;
their faces are never covered with shame.
This poor man called, and the Lord heard him;
he saved him out of all his troubles.
The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear him,
and he delivers them.
Taste and see that the Lord is good;
blessed is the man who takes refuge in him.
Fear the Lord, you his saints,
for those who fear him lack nothing.
The lions may grow weak and hungry,
but those who seek the Lord lack no good thing.
Come, my children, listen to me;
I will teach you the fear of the Lord.
Whoever of you loves life
and desires to see many good days,
keep your tongue from evil
and your lips from speaking lies.
Turn from evil and do good;
seek peace and pursue it.
The eyes of the Lord are on the righteous
and his ears are attentive to their cry;
the face of the Lord is against those who do evil,
to cut off the memory of them from the earth.
The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears them;
he delivers them from all their troubles.
The Lord is close to the brokenhearted
and saves those who are crushed in spirit.
A righteous man may have many troubles,
but the Lord delivers him from them all;
he protects all his bones,
not one of them will be broken.
Evil will slay the wicked;
the foes of the righteous will be condemned.
The Lord redeems his servants;
no one will be condemned who takes refuge in him.

Update

2010-05-06T21:45:00.000-07:00

Thank you again for your prayers and love for our family. Dan had a good report on Monday at the doctors and he has gained 4 pounds. His wound looks good and is not infected. Yeah! The second surgical wound is oozing a bit but is healing up. He and Ashley are meeting with the oncologist and the surgeon next Wednesday to discuss the future options apart from the obvious surgical one. It was good to catch a glimpse of them on Monday after Ashley had an interview with Lodi Memorial Hospital. Wisdom for Dan and Ashley and the doctors for their Wednesday meeting is our request of the day. Also Ashley will be graduating in 3 weeks, May 29! Great, great kudos to her and we are so proud of all the hard work she has done in the midst of this difficult semester. Now she is entering a job market that is very depressed for new nursing grads. Anyone know of a job opening, please let us know. No new blogs from Dan and Ashley, but here are some good words from our LORD:

Psalm 117
Praise the Lord, all nations!
Extol him, all peoples!
For great is his steadfast love toward us,
and the faithfulness of the Lord endures forever.
Praise the Lord!

James 1:5-8
If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him.
But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind.
For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord;
he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.

New Developments

2010-05-01T22:01:00.000-07:00

Dear Blog receivers: below are 2 blogs posted by Ashley and Dan, Saturday May 1 and Wednesday April 28. I am not too excited about this wound situation described although I have not seen it nor spoken personally with Dan or Ashley yet (Bob has spoken with Dan). Maybe it is just a little thing, but the potential is that he may have a MRSA infection which can be a nasty deal.
So time to get off the couch and back to prayer duty!!!!!!!!!!
Blessings to you all. We love and appreciate you so much.

God's Word:
Psalm 142
A maskil of David. When he was in the cave. A prayer.
I cry aloud to the Lord;
I lift up my voice to the Lord for mercy.
I pour out my complaint before him;
before him I tell my trouble.
When my spirit grows faint within me,
it is you who know my way.
In the path where I walk
men have hidden a snare for me.
Look to my right and see;
no one is concerned for me.
I have no refuge;
no one cares for my life.
I cry to you, O Lord;
I say, “You are my refuge,
my portion in the land of the living.”
Listen to my cry,
for I am in desperate need;
rescue me from those who pursue me,
for they are too strong for me.
Set me free from my prison,
that I may praise your name.
Then the righteous will gather about me
because of your goodness to me.

the blogs:
saturday, may 1, 2010

The Latest
We're headed back to Stanford for Dan's first appointment since being released a few weeks ago. It has been nice to have a break from doctor appointments and tests and such. Hopefully, this will be an easy appointment with no need for tests and no need for any hospital admissions. Basically, we're praying for good news and no surprises.

I've still been doing dressing changes 3 times a day, which is getting tiring for both Dan and I. Yet, I'd rather do it at home than have a nurse do it in the hospital. Dan's new incision is healing nicely (finally), while we were within a week of his old wound healing and it opened up a bit again. A blister formed over the scar tissue, the blister popped a couple nights ago, and gave us a bit of a scare since it bled quite a bit. We thought it was healing back up, but today the new tissue split a little again revealing an open hole under his scar. Ugh. Hopefully, it's just a hole in the scar tissue under the scar, and it will heal up completely.

I'm thankful it happened right before a doctor appointment, so I can get the surgeon's advice. Please pray this is just a little hole from the blister and not anything serious at all. Dan's not worried; his dad isn't worried, but of course, I am worried. I've gotten used to Dan actually being home. I really don't want to have him leave again. :(

Anyway, time is speeding by. I have 12 hours (out of 188) of clinical time left. Graduation is in 28 days. Wow. Please be in prayer that Dan and I can share in this next month living together and celebrating the end of nursing school without any complications or hospitalizations. Having my husband with me for senior banquet, Pinning and graduation would be the greatest graduation present imaginable. So, ask God with me for this good gift :)
Posted by Dan and Ashley at 4:31 PM

wednesday, april 28, 2010

Contact
Well, it's been 9 days since the last blog... Ashley is still busy and I am still not a good blogger. At least you can surmise that I have not had any surgeries or infections, which is totally awesome! It's been good to be up and about, going out to places like the grocery store, friends' houses, and church. We even went on our first real date since January (Chili's and the new Steve Carrell/Tina Fey movie, Date Night). I'm still trying to get some weight on me and get my legs working better. Other than that, not much to report. I am pretty excited about the 49ers' draft; we should make a serious playoff push this year. Boston is sucking less than last post, but my NHL team (Colorado Avalanche) got eliminated by the hometown heroes, the Sharks. I guess I don't have to root against them now.
The days go by and so does my food. :)

tuesday April 20

2010-04-20T19:00:00.001-07:00

We have heard from Dan the Man! Not a long note but a wonderful note of "doing great"! We are praising the LORD for all His mercy and grace. May the LORD continue to heal him and get him in tip top shape for his next adventure (another surgery). Thank you for praying. Please don't stop!

Dan's blog:
monday, april 19, 2010

Still Cruisin
Quick blog: it's great to be doing great.
Excited about playoff hockey, not really excited about playoff basketball, and the draft is nigh.
I drove yesterday, and am driving again today to the store and bank.
Went to church yesterday; I had really missed it.
I'm not a real wordy fellow. And my wife knows this, yet she makes me blog anyway!

God's Word:
Ephesians 1:2-23
Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus the Messiah. Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus the Messiah, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Messiah. For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love he predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus the Messiah, in accordance with his pleasure and will– to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves. In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace that he lavished on us with all wisdom and understanding. And he made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Messiah, to be put into effect when the times will have reached their fulfillment–to bring all things in heaven and on earth together under one head, even Messiah. In him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will, in order that we, who were the first to hope in Messiah, might be for the praise of his glory. And you also were included in Messiah when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God's possession–to the praise of his glory. For this reason, ever since I heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints, I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers. I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus the Messiah, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better. I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is like the working of his mighty strength, which he exerted in Messiah when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every title that can be given, not only in the present age but also in the one to come. And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way.

Dan writes!

2010-04-15T21:15:00.001-07:00

thursday, april 15, 2010

En Casa
For the third time this year, I'm back home. This time I have a good feeling that there won't be a fourth time until after surgery numero dos. It feels so right to be here. I've been eating a lot more than I was in the hospital; I think I could be up to normal rations relatively soon. Ash cut my hair today, and I preceded that with the shaving of my massive hospital beard. I had considered keeping it for the Colorado Avalanche playoff run, but I've never liked a beard that could catch food. My wound from the bowel obstruction surgery is still a little painful, but not as much as it was in the hospital.
So basically things are going great. We'd really love for them to keep going that way. It's been nice being able to have our prayer times not be all about things we need, but about the things that God has done, or even to get to pray for other people. The one lasting prayer request we have (aside from loads of thanks that I'm out of the hospital) is for no more complications. For now, take a minute to sit down, relax, and enjoy your home too.

Psalm 33:1-5

Shout for joy in the Lord, O you righteous!
Praise befits the upright.

Give thanks to the Lord with the lyre;
make melody to him with the harp of ten strings!

Sing to him a new song;
play skillfully on the strings, with loud shouts.

For the word of the Lord is upright,
and all his work is done in faithfulness.

He loves righteousness and justice;
the earth is full of the steadfast love of the Lord.

April 14

2010-04-14T21:26:00.000-07:00

Mission Accomplished! Dan is home in La Mirada with his wonderful wife, eating and drinking! Thank you Lord Jesus!

Dan's facebook update from yesterday: I'm home. Now I can finally post about things other than hospitals. Like... the gorgeous mountains we passed on the drive down.

(They were so beautiful! Covered with colorful wildflowers and green grass.)
Now he needs to eat, drink, be merry and gain lots of weight (wish I could give him some of mine!) Pray that Dan's healing will continue and for Ashley's school work. Her graduation is in about 7 weeks!

Dan's words today

2010-04-12T21:49:00.000-07:00

monday, april 12, 2010

Done (hopefully)
I am not in Palo Alto, but I am not home yet. I'm in Lodi for a brief waiting period to make sure I'm ok before I move 6 hours away. It was thrilling today to leave the hospital, to have my PICC line and staples removed, and to eat some steak at my parents' house with my two foreign exchange sisters. If everything goes fine tonight (sleeping) and tomorrow morning (eating and such), I will complete the journey home to my wife, who is going bonkers right now with homework and trying to get the apartment clean. I love her a lot.
This one will be short because I procrastinated until the end of the day to write this (to be fair, the first part was spent waiting for discharge and the second was spent in an internet-less car ride). But I figured this was blog-worthy, so here you go. The fruition of a boatload of prayer. But we're not out of the harbor yet. After all, I have been known to eat and suddenly become unable to eat. The doctors removed all the obstructions in my bowels, but if they can appear suddenly, they can come back suddenly. Please pray that they stay away so I can stay home. :)
Also pray for:
Safe drive to LA
No other complications (like fever)
Ability to ingest enough food and drink to sustain myself
Quick healing of my incision, which still hurts when I walk
My facebook friend Mary, whose cancer has resurfaced in her liver and the doctors don't have a clear idea where it's coming from
My real life friend Paul, who's recovering from pretty nasty pancreatic cancer
Peace in the Middle East while you're at it

Can't wait to tell you!

2010-04-12T21:02:00.000-07:00

My facebook update:
Jamie Howen is rejoicing that her son Dan is OUT of the hospital, here in Lodi, was able and willing and happy to eat his home cooked steak dinner! In response to the question just posed, " How are you feeling?", he responded, "FINE!" Hallelujah! Prayers are answered! Home to LA soon!

Dan has not yet blogged and I can't wait to tell you all this great news! We are so happy! Thank you Lord!

God's Word:
1 Chronicles 16:34 Oh give thanks to the Lord , for he is good; for his steadfast love endures forever!

April 11 #2

2010-04-11T19:14:00.000-07:00

Can't resist sending another blog today as Dan has written something and I am an eyewitness of his progress. Eating and enjoying his mother's matzoh ball soup! What more could a Jewish mother want! And even though he told me not to bring it, I knew it would be good medicine. The gold standard of medicine! So now we are asking for your prayers for discharge tomorrow (why not ask specifics) and home to LA ASAP (could be tomorrow too!)
If you feel like sharing what our LORD God has been showing you through this time of prayer, I would love to hear from you.

Dan's blog:
Not a bad day at all
Dan here, taking on blogging duties.
Today was pretty good. I found out that discharge is possible by the end of tomorrow at earliest; it's contingent on my ability to eat an amount large enough to keep me hydrated (which could be soon) and my wound's inability to develop an infection. So... awesome!
I also got to watch a great hockey game between Boston and Washington; it's unfortunately rare these days to see the great game televised.
Ash and I filed our taxes, which was done with considerable difficulty with things scattered between Stanford and LA. A refund from our nation's deficit will be nice.
A couple of friends from church surprised me today by stopping in; they had come up from LA to a wedding in Stockton and impulsively decided to see me in the hospital.
My mom came by also and brought some matzoh ball soup for me. I had asked earlier for some, since I missed Passover, but yesterday asked her not to bring it, because Stanford's soups had been both plentiful and banal. However, she brought it anyway, and I thought I'd try a little bit. Turns out, it was really good. Lots of flavoring. I had a whole bowl. I might have another in a little while.
I'm really hoping that I can get out soon. It's been too long that I've been away from home. It feels so right when I'm there. Plus, it means more clinical hours for Ashley when she dresses my wounds.
Thanks for praying for us. Keep praying; I'm not out of the woods yet. I have to get out of the hospital, have an embolization procedure, and then a second surgery--- then I will be cancer free!
Prayer Requests:
Continuous increase of appetite
No fevers/infections
Discharge soon
No coming back to the hospital with complications

God's Word:
Ephesians 6:10-18
Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might.
Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil.
For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.
Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm.
Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness,
and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace.
In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one;
and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God,
praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints

April 11

2010-04-11T06:46:00.000-07:00

Dan has been eating (yeah) without nausea or vomiting, but still trying to catch up on his appetite. As Ashley's blog states there is still some concern about his infected wound. I know many of you have shared with me that you are learning a thing or two about prayer in your intercession for Dan. Maybe that is part of the purpose in all this, to teach us how to pray fervently. Well, I say keep it up and ratchet it up; we need to get this guy not only home to his honey but feeling fine and eating well. Whatever the Lord is trying to teach us, let us be still and learn.
This is something the Lord has been impressing on me:
Exodus 20:2-3
“I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery.
“You shall have no other gods before me.

Ashley's blog:

Tut tut
This blog will be short and to the point because Dan has such an aversion to blogging that he makes his sad and tired wife blog right after driving 6 hours away from him. Tut tut.

Appetite: Better but not good enough to get off of TPN, which is the goal. Dan got a hamburger on his lunch tray, was delighted, ate half and has had no room for much else. Dinner was nibbled at most. So far, food is staying down and going through without causing much of a problem. This needs to continue so Dan can go home.

Infection: Fever returned a bit today, but not high enough to be considered a "spike" (38.5 C). Incision is still oozing, but the docs wants to give it time to drain before opening any more. All of the staples will most likely be removed Tuesday or Wednesday. One of the labs drawn Thursday came back "suspicious" (they take 2 days to grow), so another test was done today. No antibiotics until another fever spike or a sudden change in the wound or labs.

Spirits: Doing well, though getting restless and sad to be in the hospital for so long again. Also, we are no longer in the same place. It's getting harder to keep driving away and leaving Dan in the hospital. I won't be able to return until next Monday at the earliest, so we're hoping and praying Dan will be released this week without any complications, so he can get his butt home.

Prayer Requests:
* More appetite and ability to eat and snack throughout the day
* Cooperative digestive system...no vomiting, no distention, no premature full feeling
* Resolution of infection (where ever it is)...no fever, no discharge from wound
* Pain control...continued improvement of pain
* Increase in mobility and energy
* Wisdom for the docs to know what and when things should happen
* Discharge from the hospital within this upcoming week
* Comfort for hearts sad to be apart :(

April 9

2010-04-09T20:15:00.000-07:00

Dan is eating, a little. But that is progress for which we are very thankful for. Here is Ashley's blog for the day:

No Bon Appetit
As an update to yesterday, the most obvious source of infection is the incision. Dan no longer has a fever, but the incision is still oozing. The surgeons are being cautious and slow with removing staples, as they do not want Dan to have an entirely new open wound. They are still holding off on antibiotics unless Dan has another fever spike.

Today has been somewhat better. We got a little more sleep and Dan woke up early enough for the docs to see him out of bed for once. He said walking is a easier, and he is definitely taking longer strides. He finally got tired of the hospital gown, which is a good sign to me.

The problem of the day is a lack of appetite. We aren't sure if the cause is the extremely nutritious TPN telling his brain he is satisfied or that his stomach his tiny or that things are going through or a combination of all of these. After dealing with an intern who doesn't always think things through well (we just got the chief resident to give him the "what-for"), I think we've convinced the docs to decrease the TPN calories. Hopefully, this will let Dan be a little more hungry. Dan is glad he is eating other things besides clears though...sunchips, bread, crackers, etc.

We're bummed because I have to leave for school tomorrow. There have been too many good-byes said at the front of the hospital. I won't be able to return for at least a week, so we are still praying that Dan will get out of the hospital sometime next week. I hate being away as so many things are going on. Hopefully, I receive only good news over the phone.

Now, I need to get him up to walk. The Simpsons is seriously distracting him from moving around. Doh.

Prayer Requests:
* A big(ger) appetite
* No more vomiting
* Continued decrease in pain
* No more fever
* Wound healing...no need to open the wound
* Safe travels for me tomorrow
* Dan getting discharged next week...and coming home

God's word:
Col 4:2 Continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving.

playing catch up - tues thru thurs 4/6-4/8

2010-04-08T10:09:00.000-07:00

Tuesday April 6

Ashley's blog, as you will read, is a bit down. Warriors of the praying kind we need you! Pray on.........

Not better

We're already having a hard day.

There's no point in trying to make up points of encouragement or happy anecdotes. Dan's not really progressing much. He's still in pain, he's still exhausted, he's not motivated to get up and no matter what anyone says, he never feels like things are getting better. Sure, he could barely walk around the unit on Sunday but now he can--he's still not better. Sure his pain was 8/10 after surgery, and now only gets up to 4/10--that's not any better either.

To be frank, I sometimes don't want to get up in the morning. All that is ahead of me is forcing Dan to do things he doesn't want to do, trying to determine whether or not his pain is better/worse/new so as to tell the doctor, hoping for progress that doesn't ever happen how doctors expect, changing the linens, trying to talk Dan into getting cleaned up, trying to do the homework I have no motivation for and then putting on a happy, encouraging face for everyone else. It's exhausting and rather unchanging.

I apologize for the lack of cheerfulness or good news. This is a blog to update on how Dan is doing, and today, he's not doing great. His heart rate is back up, his energy is lower and he barely talked to McGreeky when he came in this morning. As far as the surgeon can tell, Dan isn't doing any better than yesterday and that doesn't make sense. Labs are good, incision is healing, etc. Dan should be feeling better. Alas, if you have been following this blog, you know Dan seldom feels like he is supposed to. It's frustrating to watch elderly patients cruising the halls, but see Dan just lay there. Yet, there's nothing we can do but "wait and see".

Though, he got out of bed and walked once around the unit, he just got too tired and went back to bed. So, we're back at square one for the day: wake up. Sometimes, that truly is the worst part of the day.

Prayer Requests:
* Sudden and long-lasting energy and endurance for Dan
* Resolution of pain (muscular and intestinal)
* Passing of gas--lots of it, today
* No infection or complications
* Motivation for Dan to move and want to get better
* Motivation for me to keep encouraging him and to keep doing my schoolwork
* Unmistakable improvement today
* Good news and encouragement
* Wisdom for me to know when to go home again
* Ability for Dan to be able to come home with me soon
* Our marriage
* Hope
God's Word:
2 Corinthians 1:8-11
We do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about the hardships we suffered in the province of Asia. We were under great pressure, far beyond our ability to endure, so that we despaired even of life.
Indeed, in our hearts we felt the sentence of death. But this happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God, who raises the dead.
He has delivered us from such a deadly peril, and he will deliver us. On him we have set our hope that he will continue to deliver us,
as you help us by your prayers. Then many will give thanks on our behalf for the gracious favor granted us in answer to the prayers of many.

Wed. April 7 #1 update

Bob and I went to see Dan and Ashley today and I think he is doing better. Still tired. Taking in fluids. Walking. Slowly moving in the right direction. Pray for wisdom for all taking care of him. Ashley plans to head back to LA on Saturday. I wish Dan could be with her. We could pray for that and should and will, but it does look doubtful at this point.
Thank you thank you thank you for praying with us.

Here is her blog from today:
Mixed Messages

Question of the day: is Dan's GI system awake, asleep or obstructed?

Since Dan passed a little bit of gas yesterday, he was allowed to have sip on some clear liquid last night. Things went down fine, but around 3 or 4 in the morning, he got a bloody nose. He proceeded to swallow some blood which made him throw up quite a bit. The nurse got nervous as it was mostly bile (too much bile in vomit means the GI system is not absorbing and passing the bile through quickly enough), called the on-call resident who put Dan back on NPO.

This morning, when Dan's team rounded, he explained about the bloody nose and that he wasn't nauseous at all otherwise. The docs agreed Dan could be back on a clear diet today, especially since his bowels were making lots of noise and letting free lots of gas. About the time the tray of clears came, Dan got another bloody nose (heparin and toradol and a dry nose is making this happen a lot). Dan also received a rather large dose of dilaudid. Between swallowing blood and his head swimming from too much med too fast, he threw up again. Great. His day nurse also felt that his vomit had too much bile in it, so she asked Dan not to eat any more until the team makes a decision. Dan insists that he is not nauseous anymore and wasn't until he received the pain med and really doesn't think the episode had anything to do with eating.

Dan's body is once again sending mixed messages. Good messages: passing lots of gas, active bowel sounds earlier, no nausea when eating. Bad messages: vomiting bile, quiet bowel sounds now, no BMs. Though we know the vomiting could be from multiple things (food, drugs, bloody nose, gag reflex), it is often assumed that food is the problem. Unfortunately, the longer it takes to find out if Dan can handle solid food, the longer he has to be here. As his stay will hit the 4-week mark on Sunday, he'd really appreciate no more hang-ups. Of course, we also want the docs to make the appropriate decisions.

Thanks to the dilaudid, Dan is sleeping like a baby. This is a nice thing as no one let us sleep last night. We have a lot of walking to do today to catch up on our slowness this morning. Hopefully, Dan will also have eating to do....without throwing up.

Prayer Requests:
* No more throwing up and no need for another NG tube
* Dan's ability to eat and tolerate the clears well today
* Wisdom for the doctors making the decisions (hopefully, quickly)
* Control and improvement of pain
* Continued healing of incision and wound
* No complications or infections (he had a fever again last night)
* Ability for Dan to come home with me very soon
* A period of peace, health and rest for both of us...very very soon
* Encouraging news and events today
2 Corinthians 12:9-10
But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me.
That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

Wednesday April 7 #2 update

We just found out Dan's new wound is infected:((((((((
Oh my, what else could happen to this dear son of mine?
keep up those prayers!
love
Jamie
As Ashley writes, Dan needs a miracle.
Wound Infection #2
As if Dan didn't have enough to deal with, his wound has become infected.
It has looked a little red and angry today, but we were just watching it.
Then, he spiked a fever of 101.1 this afternoon. Finally, we got the team to
pay more attention to the incision. The intern thought they would take out a
staple or two tomorrow to let any pus drain out. The nurse and I helped to
convince the resident (his superior) that maybe that should happen today.
So, 3 staples got removed and a good deal of drainage came out of the wound.
It was deja vu as this happened with Dan's last incision--which is now a
wound that we are still dealing with.

The plan is to let the incision drain and to recheck it tomorrow. If it
doesn't look markedly better, Dan will be started on antibiotics. Hopefully,
the wound will be able to heal better this way and not need to be opened all
the way.

Dan really isn't feeling well right now. His immune system is pretty low
(WBCs=2.5) after being in the hospital for so long (TPN is causing some
problems with immunity also), so it is taking a lot out of him to fight this
infection. He's been tired and sleepy all day. He's fighting some nausea
here and there. He's still in pain. I just convinced him to give in and go
to sleep, though I don't know how much that will help him.

I'm really not sure what tomorrow will look like. The doctors were
anticipating advancing his diet, but Dan didn't really eat enough to be sure
he can tolerate the clears. As I blogged earlier, his GI system is sending
mixed messages, so that isn't helping the docs make decisions. Yet, the
resident commented tonight that it might take real food to get Dan's bowel
working again...though he cannot give a regular diet yet. A catch-22 of
sorts.

I wish we had chosen to do Cyberknife. It may not have worked, and Dan
might have needed more treatment later on. Yet, it would have been a week of
out-patient visits. I might still have a job. Dan might have been able to
finish his credential. I would have had Dan around to celebrate my final
semester of nursing school. Yes, I understand that those are all potential
outcomes and that complications could have arisen there, too. Yet, I cannot
bring myself to see this surgery as a success.

I haven't the faintest idea what to pray for now. A wound infection,
nausea, vomiting, non-improving pain...all of these things have been prayed
against, yet they have happened. Yes, God has a plan for Dan. It just hurts
to see Dan continue to suffer more and more set-backs as he tries to be in
God's will. Of course, Dan has more faith than me. Always has. I know we're
not supposed to test the Lord, but sometimes I just yearn for proof that He
actually loves Dan and is caring for him.

So many people declared that 2010 would be a year of victory for Dan. No
more cancer, a new hip, a teaching credential, a new job, etc. Instead, Dan
is stuck in a hospital bed with half as much cancer, losing his strength,
losing his immune system, losing so many things.

We need a turn-around. Dan needs to feel better in the morning. Dan needs
to be able to eat and not be nausea. Dan needs his pain to abate. Dan needs
his infection to resolve. Dan needs his immune system to bounce back.
Dan needs a miracle.
Pro 4:20 My son, pay attention to what I say;

listen closely to my words.

Pro 4:21 Do not let them out of your sight,

keep them within your heart;

Pro 4:22 for they are life to those who find them

and health to a man's whole body.

Pro 4:23 Above all else, guard your heart,

for it is the wellspring of life.

Thursday morning April 8

Hard to know what is happening with Dan. A series of tests are being done today. Pray for wisdom for the doctors, strength and healing for Dan, stamina and concentration for Ashley for her course work in the coming weeks. God's love to be poured out on all.

Ashley's blog this morning:

Hunt for the Infection

Last night was a teeny bit better than the last, though Dan continued to vomit and have bloody noses. We're hoping that the nausea and throwing up is from swallowing blood and not from the food. As Dan threw up again this morning, he is weary of trying to eat for fear of throwing up again. With a 3-4 incision in the belly, throwing up is quite painful.

McGreeky came in this morning with an agenda: find what is causing Dan's fever and illness. About time. Despite the wound being slightly infected, the surgeon is concerned infection could be elsewhere being allowed to run rampant. So, Dan will be getting blood cultures, urine samples, and an abdominal x-ray. The x-ray is also to see what is causing Dan so much pain in his left side, as the docs aren't sure what it could be. Another issue emerged when McGreeky changed the new incision packing: Dan bled, quite a bit. Due to a couple of blood thinning medications, Dan isn't able to clot very quickly...this is contributing to Dan's very frequent bloody noses. The doc is taking away one med and decreasing the dose of another med, which should help things.

Today should reveal some things. Reasons for pain, reasons for fever, reasons for vomiting. God willing, today should also find Dan able to eat more and keep it down. We really don't understand why all of this is happening, but it needs to change soon. Very soon.

Selfishly, I need the docs to get things settled this week because I am leaving for school again on Saturday. I would simply hate to have Dan still this sick while I'm hundreds of miles away.
Unfortunately, I have to go back if I have any hope of graduating (which I do). Due to my clinical schedule, I won't be able to come back to see Dan for almost a couple of weeks. Accordingly, Dan and I are asking for prayer that Dan would be released from the hospital sometime next week. I wouldn't be able to be here for the release, but at least I would know he was doing well enough to get out.

This is truly a miserable situation that is just being prolonged. Pray that God moves now. That's what Dan needs more than labs or meds or doctors: he needs God to save him from this mess.

monday

2010-04-05T23:01:00.000-07:00

Too tired to write much but thankfully Ashley keeps us informed:
Monday April 5
Nursing Student
I must make a confession: though I am a nursing student, I am not always fond of Dan being cared for by nursing students. I know, I know...hypocritical. However, some SNs just aren't on their game and let mistakes happen. Accordingly, I have become a wee bit more watchful tonight, as Dan has a SN again. This one is graduating in May like me, but has fought with this IV pump multiple times tonight and if I chewed gum like her, I think one of my preceptors would have smacked me. Oh well. We all have to learn. Dan is her easy patient, so I'm pulling for no mistakes this time around.

By the way, Dan is doing alright. (He was supposed to blog in exchange for taking the computer away from me, but he thought checking sports stats would take priority.) The NG tube came out this morning, freeing him from one more tube. His heart rate stayed up for most of the day until McGreeky came in. After he left, Dan and I went for a walk. When I hooked him back up to the pulse ox (measures oxygen and heart rate), his pulse was barely high. Now, it's back to the normal range. Yay! He still has a teeny fever, but that's better, too. His new wound looks good--like a football, Dan says. The staples will probably come out sometime next week, so long as everything goes well. His pain is under control, and he is much less sleepy since they changed the medication today. He still has a pain that the doctor cannot explain, but Dan said it is getting better.

Tomorrow, we're hoping for gas! That would mean a clear diet finally, and some progression toward the true test: solid food. Accordingly, we'll keep walking around the unit and staying out of bed as much as possible.

Keep praying. We're both tired of this hospital business. Dan wants to eat and go home. Seems pretty simple, right? Oy.

I'm off to sleep, too. I need to be alert when the nursing student comes in...maybe I should crawl in bed with Dan and freak her out again! Ha. Don't worry, we'll be nice.

Prayer Requests:
* Passing of gas tomorrow!
* No infections or other complications
* Ability for Dan to eat normal food without any pain or recurrence of obstruction
* Resolution of weird pain...and all pain very soon
* Energy and endurance
* Ability for Dan to come home with me soon...this is getting very old :(
* NO MORE COMPLICATIONS EVER EVER EVER AGAIN
* Encouraging news and events tomorrow

Psa 17:6
I call on you, O God, for you will answer me;
give ear to me and hear my prayer.
Psa 17:7
Show the wonder of your great love,
you who save by your right hand
those who take refuge in you from their foes.
Psa 17:8
Keep me as the apple of your eye;
hide me in the shadow of your wings
Psa 17:9
from the wicked who assail me,
from my mortal enemies who surround me.

Resurrection Sunday

2010-04-04T22:21:00.000-07:00

Surgery is over; healing is slow, but happening; prayers are needed because pain is present; bowels need to move again to be fed; patience for the patient and the rest of us; blessings to you all; God is good, all the time; wishing I could ease his pain; Jesus is risen from the dead and one day (maybe soon) all the wrongs will be righted and all the suffering will cease and the King will reign on His throne forever.

Ashley's last 2 blogs, today and last night:

Easter in the Hospital
Unless you are a little kid, holidays in the hospital can be pretty boring. People feel sorry for children missing Santa Claus or the Easter bunny, but adults get to fend for themselves. Accordingly, if we didn't have a calendar in the room, we wouldn't know it's Easter today! Though it is a bummer to not be with our families or finding hidden eggs (yes, we still do that), we hope that this is one of the last holidays spent in here. Well, we hope it's one of the last days spent in here period!

Dan is doing alright today. He's still having considerable pain, but it's better than last night. Oddly, his pain is on the opposite side of where the biggest band was, but the surgeon isn't concerned about it as of yet. The NG tube has to stay until tomorrow since it was still draining quite a bit. Though, the foley got to come out this morning. Dan has some post-anesthesia affects still (low fever, high heart rate), but they will be considered normal as long they resolve by tomorrow.

The goal for the day is to get Dan out of bed, get walking, and wean off the oxygen. So far we have been successful. Dan got out of bed by himself (for the most part), went for a teeny walk and sat in a chair for a couple of hours. He is now as clean as is possible without the possibility of a shower. Apparently, that wore him out, as he is now asleep again.

Long term goals are similar to before surgery: bowel sounds, pass gas and be able to eat. Dan will be NPO (no food or drink) until he can pass gas, which could be anywhere from 2-5 days from surgery. At that point, he'll start with clears and work his way up to solid food. God willing, Dan could squeeze out of this joint by next weekend eating happily again. (McGreeky does NOT think that's going to happen, but you can't blame us for hoping).

Enjoy Resurrection Day, as that is what today should be about...Jesus and the price He paid for us to receive salvation. Dan and I certainly missed going to church to celebrate, so if anyone knows of a good webcast of an Easter sermon, let us know. For now, here is one of my favorite musical reminders of God's grace and mercy for us. (The Power of the Cross by Keith Getty)

Oh, to see the dawn
Of the darkest day:
Christ on the road to Calvary.
Tried by sinful men,
Torn and beaten, then
Nailed to a cross of wood.

This, the pow'r of the cross:
Christ became sin for us;
Took the blame, bore the wrath—
We stand forgiven at the cross.

Oh, to see the pain
Written on Your face,
Bearing the awesome weight of sin.
Ev'ry bitter thought,
Ev'ry evil deed
Crowning Your bloodstained brow.

Now the daylight flees;
Now the ground beneath
Quakes as its Maker bows His head.
Curtain torn in two,
Dead are raised to life;
"Finished!" the vict'ry cry.

Oh, to see my name
Written in the wounds,
For through Your suffering I am free.
Death is crushed to death;
Life is mine to live,
Won through Your selfless love.

This, the pow'r of the cross:
Son of God—slain for us.
What a love! What a cost!
We stand forgiven at the cross.

Prayer Requests:
* Safe, complete, uncomplicated recovery
* No infections, no internal bleeding, no bowel damage, etc.
* "Awakening" of bowels (bowel sounds, gas, etc.)
* Control and continued improvement of pain
* Ability for Dan to get moving, get eating and get out within a week (that's the normal recovery time for this type of surgery)
* Ability for Dan to come home with me soon
* Good health and endurance for me (I don't want to get Dan sick)
Posted by Dan and Ashley at 1:40 PM

saturday, april 3, 2010

Night One
Dan made it back to his room accompanied by lots of tubing, though not as many as after his last surgery. After the nurses got everything situated, I could finally say hello to my hubby after a few hours of waiting. He is still in a good deal of pain, though the PCA (pain button) has helped considerably. I have yet to see the incision, as Dan is tucked in and cozy for now. The NG tube is still in, but draining only a small amount.

Dan wanted to know how the surgery went, so I told him, but I bet I'll have to remind him tomorrow. He wants the surgeon to explain it, too. Hopefully, morning will find him feeling better and more alert. Of course, there is probably a long road of healing up ahead. Our prayer is that the recovery goes as smoothly as the surgery did.

Pray for no complications (no infection, no internal bleeding, etc.) and a cooperative digestive system. Also, pray for easing of the pain so Dan can sleep and regain strength.
Posted by Dan and Ashley at 10:48 PM 0 comments
Recovery Room
Dan got out of surgery after only a couple of hours.

McGreeky said they found 3 thick bands of scar tissue wrapped around his bowel, which were causing Dan the pain when he ate. The surgeons had to make a large incision to check all of Dan's bowels for adhesions. Luckily, he didn't have many adhesions elsewhere in his bowels, but these bands were causing some serious problems. McGreeky said they took care of those bands, checked everything out and closed him up. There was very little blood loss and the open surgery time was very short.

So, the surgery was definitely necessary, though there was no way to see this for sure on the CTs. Tomorrow, they should be able to remove the NG again (which will thrill Dan). They will wait until there are bowel sounds and passing of gas before letting Dan try eating again. Hopefully, eating will go much better, though this is still a concern.

For now, we are waiting for Dan to get out of the recovery room and go back to his room. As McGreeky said, "we aren't victorious until Dan is out of the hospital." Keep praying.

Prayer Requests:
* Quick and uncomplicated recovery
* No infection, no problems
* Successful eating trial...completely successful!
* Ability to get out of the hospital and go home within the week
* NO COMPLICATIONS AND NO MORE OBSTRUCTIONS

Saturday morning

2010-04-03T08:42:00.000-07:00

I just spoke with Dan and the surgery is on for this afternoon. You may ask, "isn't that what you told us yesterday?" True, but in between yesterday's note and this morning, the CT came back last night looking better than the one done previously. The doctor put him back on clear liquids and said "maybe" about the surgery. Then after taking in clear liquids last night the pain came back and the surgery is on "for sure" sometime this afternoon. We do have our seat belts on for this roller coaster ride and the seat belt is the the grace and strength we have from the LORD God, King of the universe, Melech ha olam. There is nothing too difficult for Him.

Ashley's words:

Good Friday?
As a kid, I never really understood why Good Friday is called Good Friday. I mean, Jesus was beaten, betrayed and killed. What is so good about that? Now, with a little more Biblical and theological understanding, I know that what happened on Good Friday was the best thing to happen to humanity since...ever. Still, meditating on the events of the Crucifixion does not leave one in a joyous mood. Our sins put Christ on the Cross. He was innocent, yet paid the price on our behalf. It wasn't fair, but it saved our souls. Wow.

In a much much much less severe way, Dan's Good Friday wasn't all that good either. His diet was moved up to solids, but that didn't work very well. By noon time, he was in pain and vomiting. McGreeky got finished with his surgery early and told Dan he'd have a CT to make sure there was an obstruction and then be scheduled for surgery tomorrow.

By the time I arrived from LA (a nice, easy drive for once), Dan was headed to CT. Results showed...nothing. The CT was normal except for a very small amount of dilation of the same bowel that has been problematic. McGreeky called and said this was definitely not something to operate on. In fact, he said this CT looks even better than the one done last week. The other surgeon who came in agreed, put Dan on a clear liquid diet again and apologized repeatedly for how frustrating this must be for Dan. After banking on surgery tomorrow, we just had to take this change in stride. McGreeky told us that if Dan's symptoms persisted through the weekend, he'd have surgery on Monday. Sound familiar?

About half an hour later, McGreeky called back (he and Dan are on cell phone basis now). He had spent some time thinking about the situation and wasn't comfortable leaving Dan in pain all weekend. So, he was actually leaning more toward surgery tomorrow after all. He wanted Dan to keep drinking tonight to see how he felt and they would discuss things in the morning. He also put Dan on the surgery schedule for tomorrow just in case. The interesting thing is that McGreeky feels Dan is now a better candidate for a laparoscopic surgery, meaning he would not need to make a large incision to open Dan all the way up. Thanks to the improvement shown on the CT, it is possible for this type of surgery to be successful with less risk of missing something. (Of course, there is always the possibility that they will not find what they need to find and Dan will be opened up a little bit into the surgery.)

We tried to take this turn of events in stride, discussing what to say to McGreeky in the morning to get something done. Dan's pain seemed to go away, he was in good spirits, and he ate most of the clear liquid on the tray. It began to look like Dan wouldn't be in enough pain to convince the doc he needed surgery! Of course, another hour told a different story. Even the clears caused Dan pain and cramping. As he is now drugged and sleepy, we're pretty sure Dan will have a date in the OR tomorrow.

As the disciples must have felt scared and disappointed and doubtful in the day between the Crucifixion and the Resurrection, Dan and I (and family) are having a hard time grasping what God is doing here. Yet, the pain and sorrow for the disciples and believers of Jesus was replaced with rejoicing in that glorious morning when Christ conquered death. Wouldn't it be spectacular for Dan to have a glorious morning of healing and renewal on Resurrection Sunday?

Prayer Requests:
* Wisdom for the doctors in making the 'final' decision
* Safe, effective, simple surgery done laparoscopically
* Swift and uncomplicated recovery time (this has to be possible for Dan)
* Peace and comfort for those in the waiting room
* Resolution of this bowel obstruction once and for all
* Rest and comfort for Dan as he sleeps tonight
* A 'glorious morning' for Dan very soon

God's word:
Psalm 46
For the director of music. Of the Sons of Korah. According to Alamoth. A song.
God is our refuge and strength,
an ever-present help in trouble.
Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way
and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea,
though its waters roar and foam
and the mountains quake with their surging.
Selah
There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God,
the holy place where the Most High dwells.
God is within her, she will not fall;
God will help her at break of day.
Nations are in uproar, kingdoms fall;
he lifts his voice, the earth melts.
The Lord Almighty is with us;
the God of Jacob is our fortress.
Selah
Come and see the works of the Lord,
the desolations he has brought on the earth.
He makes wars cease to the ends of the earth;
he breaks the bow and shatters the spear,
he burns the shields with fire.
“Be still, and know that I am God;
I will be exalted among the nations,
I will be exalted in the earth.”
The Lord Almighty is with us;
the God of Jacob is our fortress.

April 2

2010-04-02T15:11:00.000-07:00

Another day. Dan started eating today and had vomiting and abdominal pain:( Bummer. This undoubtedly means surgery. The doctor wants to verify these symptoms with a CT later today and operate tomorrow. So again we ask for prayer for a speedy surgery and a quick recovery and soon eating FOR REAL! Thanks for standing with us during this hard time. We love you!

2 Corinthians 1:2-7
Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort,
who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.
For as we share abundantly in Christ's sufferings, so through Christ we share abundantly in comfort too.
If we are afflicted, it is for your comfort and salvation; and if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which you experience when you patiently endure the same sufferings that we suffer.
Our hope for you is unshaken, for we know that as you share in our sufferings, you will also share in our comfort.

4-1-10

2010-04-01T21:42:00.000-07:00

I am home from Stanford tonight praying and waiting for Dan's solid food trial tomorrow to be a SUCCESS!!!!!!!!!!!! Please pray with me. My prayer is that we will all be EATING dinner together as we celebrate the resurrection of our Lord this Sunday at Bob's sister's home. Maybe Dan will not be able to eat as much as others, but EATING nonetheless.
Here is his blog from today:

Eating
So it's update time; sorry for not blogging yesterday. I tend to forget when Ash isn't around; she's more motivated than I am.
Yesterday and today were very similar. My mom came both days, we did the cryptoquip and crossword, I walked, watched TV and movies, and perused facebook more than the average day. The main difference was that yesterday I ate broth and jello, and today I had more milky products like cream of wheat and what may become a dietary staple in the coming weeks, Ensure (or other protein supplement to gain weight). Once again, they're working me up to solid food and seeing how my bowels respond. So far, everything's moving through. (yayyyyyy)
But here's the rub: this exact thing happened last time, and at the end of the solid food day, I was in some nasty pain and eventually threw up, restarting this process. I really want this food trial to work, but at this point, I can't say what I think will happen.
Ashley has been working her gluteus maximus off back at school these past two days, and for that I am really proud of her. She's going to make an excellent nurse one day. But for now, nursing school still makes her life pretty stressful. Tomorrow, she'll drive up and actually be on a break! Praise the Lord.
Insurance has been really weird. They kept trying to shirk payment of my bills by claiming I had an accident I didn't report. Yes, I had an accident that meant I needed a Whipple surgery. April Fools! If Obamacare makes health insurance worse, I'll really need God's healing! (not that I don't need it now...)
Anyway, please pray for one thing: that this works and we can go home together (and maybe even go to Easter with our extended family!).
Thanks friends. More to come later.
Dan

God's Word:
May grace and peace be multiplied to you.
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,
to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you,
who by God's power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.
In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials,
so that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ.
Though you have not seen him, you love him. Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory,
obtaining the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls.
1 Peter 1:3-9

NO SURGERY!

2010-03-30T14:57:00.000-07:00

So the doctor said he would be operating unless the x-rays looked perfectly normal and behold, THEY LOOKED PERFECTLY GOOD! No Surgery. Hallelujah! The nasty NG tube is out and Dan will start having some liquids tomorrow. We are excited that Dan may be sitting at Aunt Patty's Resurrection Day celebration dinner table EATING! Lord Jesus, let it be so! I was at a wonderful prayer meeting last night and we prayed for this as well as praying for a good outcome in the possible surgery. I am so thankful Dan is not having surgery. Here is his blog form this morning:

Passing
Today's theme is Passing.
Passover is today, when God spared the children of Israel right before His mighty deliverance from Egypt.
This morning, I caught the end of To Kill a Mockingbird on TV, including the immortal moment when everyone stands and the old black man says to Scout, "Miss Jean Louise, stand up. Your father's passing."
I am passing gas.
I am also passing through the contrast from yesterday's test.
Therefore, this morning, the doctor passed on the surgery option.

You read right. No surgery today. Hopefully no surgery at all.

The doctor said that my study looked normal. He even showed us the images. Neither he nor the radiologist nor I could see any dilation. Combined with me passing gas and contrast out of my system, he felt like surgery was not necessary for fear of opening me up, running his hands all over my intestines, and finding zilch. We're kind of relieved, since the surgery is a big deal, but also a little nervous that the food trial will yield the same result as last time. We'll take it slow, though, and pray that everything works fine.

Is this what we've been waiting and begging for? After months of prayer coming back seemingly answered with a 'no' or 'not yet', is God saying yes? The only thing that could have stopped the surgery was a clean study, and that's what I got. Will this last, or will it be only a moment of triumph? I don't know, but I'm going to flood God's inbox with e-mails asking that this be the end of my complications. So to speak. I hope you will do the same.

This, too, shall pass.

Pray for:
Successful food trial (no more need for hospitalizations or surgery)
Safe travels for Ashley (who is going back to school for a few days to pick up some much-needed clinical hours)
My release from the hospital by Easter
and thank God that I won't be in surgery in 4 hours as was thought.

Passover scriptures:

Exodus 12:1-14
The Lord said to Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt,
“This month shall be for you the beginning of months. It shall be the first month of the year for you.
“Tell all the congregation of Israel that on the tenth day of this month every man shall take a lamb according to their fathers' houses, a lamb for a household.
“And if the household is too small for a lamb, then he and his nearest neighbor shall take according to the number of persons; according to what each can eat you shall make your count for the lamb.
“Your lamb shall be without blemish, a male a year old. You may take it from the sheep or from the goats,
“and you shall keep it until the fourteenth day of this month, when the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel shall kill their lambs at twilight.
“Then they shall take some of the blood and put it on the two doorposts and the lintel of the houses in which they eat it.
“They shall eat the flesh that night, roasted on the fire; with unleavened bread and bitter herbs they shall eat it.
“Do not eat any of it raw or boiled in water, but roasted, its head with its legs and its inner parts.
“And you shall let none of it remain until the morning; anything that remains until the morning you shall burn.
“In this manner you shall eat it: with your belt fastened, your sandals on your feet, and your staff in your hand. And you shall eat it in haste. It is the Lord's Passover.
“For I will pass through the land of Egypt that night, and I will strike all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and on all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgments: I am the Lord.
“The blood shall be a sign for you, on the houses where you are. And when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and no plague will befall you to destroy you, when I strike the land of Egypt.
“This day shall be for you a memorial day, and you shall keep it as a feast to the Lord; throughout your generations, as a statute forever, you shall keep it as a feast.

So thankful that the Lord spared my firstborn by the blood of the Perfect Lamb of God, Yeshua the Messiah!!!!!!!!!

Monday night

2010-03-29T21:54:00.000-07:00

Prayer Team,
It looks like Dan will have surgery tomorrow afternoon around 3:00 pm. PLEASE pray for an easy repair of the obstruction, NO complications, a smooth and quick recovery, and finally his discharge before Easter Sunday! He is not the greatest surgical candidate due to his previous surgery and diminished nutritional state but he is an amazing young man with a great attitude, a great heart and with faith in the One true God.
So many are praying for him and Ashley - we just need to perservere.

Word for today:
Ephesians 6:10-18
Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might.

Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil.

For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.

Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm.

Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness,

and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace.

In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one;

and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God,

praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints
Here is Ashley's blog from tonight and yesterday:

Monday March 29
The Surgical Option
After 2 weeks of trying to get rid of the bowel obstruction with NPO and an NG tube, it looks like this obstruction won't move without some surgical help. McGreeky ordered a test to be done today, but the resident who put the order in the system put the wrong order in. So, Dan had a GI test that showed part of his bowels, but not the part that is obstructed! I tried to convince the radiologist that McGreeky wanted something else, but he wouldn't budge. Of course, when McGreeky paid them a visit in radiology he changed his tune.

So, we're now waiting for the real test he wanted to be finished. The surgeon really wanted to make sure Dan needs this surgery before doing it, but he is fairly positive that he'll be operating tomorrow. The surgery is scheduled for 3pm tomorrow...but it could go earlier or later depending on the other cases in the OR. Basically, all we know is that sometime tomorrow Dan is having surgery. Considering his last operation took 15 hours, we're thinking this one should be shorter. :)

Prayer is certainly necessary. It is not a complicated surgery, but there are all sorts of things that they could find or that could happen. Obviously, we have no control over that at this point, but we can pray to the One who does have control.

Look for updates tomorrow.

Prayer Requests:
* A safe and successful short surgery...with no complications
* Rapid recovery...with no complications
* Wisdom and skill for the surgeons
* Ability for Dan to eat normal food from here on out without pain or problems
* Peace for the family and me
* Ability for Dan to come home with me very soon
* A night of rest
* NO COMPLICATIONS
Sunday March 28
Tentative Tuesday
Not much has changed since yesterday. NG is still draining, bowel sounds are still present but quiet, and not much is passing through. On a good note, Dan's belly pain is gone (unless an unruly resident presses too hard).

McGreeky came in and told us he has put Dan on the tentative surgery schedule for Tuesday. He still doesn't want to do surgery, but feels like it's nearly inevitable. The final decision will be made after the results of Dan's GI study (he'll drink some contrast and they'll take x-rays every hour or so to see how far the contrast goes in the small bowel) are seen. The GI study i scheduled to start ASAP today or tomorrow morning, but radiology is pretty slow on Sundays.

We've been told the surgery isn't complicated, but will still involve a new incision in Dan's belly and risk of infection and more adhesions. To date, Dan hasn't had a surgery without complications before, so we're hoping this surgery will be the first quick-healing-no-complication-fix-the-problem-without-making-more-problems surgery.

Obviously, our prayer is that Dan wouldn't need surgery at all, but the requirement for that is for Dan's GI study to be "stone cold normal." Accordingly, that would only be in God's domain of healing. God is powerful and can heal Dan in a second, it's just a matter of whether or not that is in His will to do. We cannot coerce God to do anything, but we can plead and plead until He gets tired of hearing us and grants our request. As there are probably hundreds of people praying everywhere, I'm hoping God is getting close!

Today we wait. My parents are visiting after church to bring me some more food for my "hospital pantry" and just to say hello for a while. Otherwise, we just wait.

Prayer Request:
* Completely normal GI study showing complete resolution of obstruction
* No need for surgery...miraculously
* If surgery: no complications, no infection, no muscle problems, no digestion problems
* A week of healing and successful recovery
* Ability for Dan to go home with me very soon...and not return to the hospital for A LONG TIME
*Lots of encouraging and excellent news to report this week

thursday's news- not so good

2010-03-26T07:22:00.000-07:00

So how do you continue to ask for prayer over and over again without feeling like some greedy prayer monger? You just humbly ask and keep asking on behalf of your dear son. We are praying that the Lord will be merciful and that He would give great wisdom to the doctors and nurses caring for Dan. Let's get this problem solved! Patience for all of us. Hope! Encouragement. Blessings to all of you from our LORD God. As we near Passover and recount the story of our deliverance from Egypt and its ultimate fulfillment in our deliverance from sin through our Passover Lamb of God, Yeshua (Hebrew) Jesus (English), we offer the sacrifice of praise to our God and King.

Dan and Ashley's last 2 blogs, both on Thursday March 25:

Back up
Approximately an hour after Dan blogged last night, we figured out something was going wrong.

His belly pain was coming back, his stomach felt full and he just couldn't comfortable. Over the course of a couple hours, Dan was vomiting and having terrible back and abdominal pain. The on-call doc got paged, she ordered an x-ray and checked him out. The x-ray came back mostly normal, though all his intestines looked a tiny bit distressed (mild ileus). The pain got worse and since the resident had ordered oral pain meds, he threw up any relief he might get. We called the nurse again, she saw how sweaty and miserable he was and came back with a large dose of morphine. Since then, Dan has been mainly sleeping. It was a terrible night.

This morning, McGreeky came in looking pretty disappointed, but not as much as Dan. He said it looked like the solid foods were a little much for his intestines and pushing it anymore could result in another obstruction. He wants to give the bowels a break today...thus, back to NPO and TPN. Dan was relieved that an NG isn't necessary today, though it's always a possibility if this continues. McGreeky and the team are pretty sure this isn't another obstruction but just distress on the bowels. He'll be starting Dan on a couple new meds (Reglan and erythromycin) to help the GI system get moving again, but we have to monitor him carefully. If he does have an obstruction, these meds would make it worse. If no obstruction, they help the situation. We're always walking a fine line here.

Dan will be watched today and if the pain continues, will have a CT tomorrow to make sure nothing is out of place. Additionally, the pain he is having in his back could be related to his pancreas, so he'll be having some extra labs to rule out pancreatitis.

This time yesterday, McGreeky said Dan could have his PICC removed and go home today as long as food stayed settled all day. Now, we're back to having no clue when discharge will be. As frustrating and disappointing as this is, I'm just glad it happened before we left the hospital. McGreeky told us that most obstruction patients go home when they can tolerate liquids, but with Dan, he wanted to be extra cautious and watch him progress through solids. Thank goodness, he decided to keep him a little longer than normal.

So, now we back up and wait a while. This could be only a set back of a day or two, or this could keep Dan here a lot longer. Only God knows what is in store for us.

After one of the best days we've had since January, that was one of the worst nights on record.

Prayer Requests:
* Dan's bowels calm down and do not become obstructed again
* That this is simply a matter of eating too much too soon
* That the meds help
* No more pain
* No need for more invasive procedures (NG, surgery, etc)
* Ability for Dan to be able to progress through a diet again soon
* Home for Easter (only a week or so away!)
* Creative clinical hours for me to make up this week
* Total healing for good!
* NO MORE COMPLICATIONS

NG 2
Two updates in one day? That hasn't happened in a while. Today it is necessary.

Last night was awful. Thanks to exhaustion and 4mg of morphine, Dan slept until almost 1pm this afternoon. He obviously needed the rest. When he finally got up and moving, his pain kept him from walking around much. The belly pain got better as the day went on, but never really went away. The two meds he got put on ended up making him sick...so, we got the doctor to ditch those. We also convinced the doctor to order an x-ray for tonight instead of waiting for the morning. As we explained to McGreeky how Dan's symptoms had progressed throughout the day, he agreed with our thought that this was his obstruction returning. Accordingly, he wanted to get a jump-start on taking care of the problem.

While we waited, Jamie made a surprise visit since she was taking the exchange students to San Francisco. She brought us fruit and gifts from Israel. Very fun!

Unfortunately, the x-ray did warrant some concern. As the on-call resident is quite busy tonight, the only detail we got on the results was that his abdomen looks a little distended and the team wants to decompress the bowels before any obstruction gets worse. So, Dan got his 2nd NG tube inserted about an hour ago. The nurse was awesome and made the experience much less traumatic than the previous NG placement by the resident. We're awaiting x-ray confirmation of proper placement before Dan gets hooked up to suction again. Hopefully, this NG won't need to be in place as long as the last.

Luckily, Dan isn't feeling too bad tonight. Before the NG got placed, his nausea and pain were very minimal and sometimes, not even there. Perhaps, this will mean a quicker resolution of the obstruction, as the doctors caught it early. On the other hand, McGreeky is going to be even more cautious regarding advancing Dan's diet. Surgery is what we want to avoid.

Tomorrow, the plan is for a gastroenterologist to take a look at Dan's case (at McGreeky's request) to make sure nothing is being missed in his care. Also, Dan will have a CT to see the extent of this obstruction. Hopefully, by tomorrow evening we will have a more solid plan for Dan.

Let it be known, I have never seen a patient endure so much, have so many setbacks and still find the resolve to laugh and smile. Dan is honestly the most amazing man I have ever met, and no, I am not biased.

Prayer Requests:
* Complete resolution of obstruction without need for surgery
* Wisdom for the doctors
* Encouraging news from the CT
* Passing of gas very soon
* Short period of NG necessity
* Comfort and rest for Dan (despite NG)
* Wisdom for me to know when to go to school
* Ability for Dan and I to celebrate Easter at HOME

behind on the blog

2010-03-22T17:24:00.000-07:00

Sorry, blog watchers, that I have not added my updates to my blog. I have just been emailing them out to "The List". Someone reminded me that I have not updated this site for awhile. Well I have been busy traveling to Israel with 51 others (including 30 amazing students on Elliot's robotics team that competed in the Tel Aviv competition. More on that later.
Dan was basically doing fine when we left and then ended up in the hospital with a small bowel obstruction. His NG tube got pulled out today (YEAH!) and he is drinking sips of clear liquids. So far so good. I am copying his and Ashley's blog (www.footballandstehoscopes.blogspot.cpm) so you can hear from their hearts. God is merciful and has spared Dan another surgery for the obstruction. Please keep praying that all will continue to resolve smoothly and he will get home soon!

Praise God from whom ALL blessings flow!

Dan and Ashley's blogs Friday, Sunday and today:

friday, march 19, 2010

Stuck
Things that prompted this title:
The NG tube stuck up my nose
The fact that I am stuck to the wall when the NG suction is on
Sometimes my NG tube gets stuck because of all the mucus
The fact that I am stuck in the hospital, with little progress
ESPN is stuck on March Madness right now
My bowels are stuck

I am really not a fan of this time. Not counting follow-up appointments, I have spent 41 days in a hospital this year, or 52.6%. And still, I wait. With a tube up my nose.
Granted, there is so much to be thankful for. I have made a lot of progress on other areas physically, but it's so easily masked by another setback that puts me in the hospital and not even able to eat the little cups of jello and drink the plain chicken broth. At least I get ice.

Before Ashley and I got a private room, I was in a shared room, and had 3 different roommates. The first was a guy with no legs who got transferred to a different floor and was later discharged. The second was a younger post-op who went home like the next day. Both complained about the food (because it is popular to complain about airplane and hospital food--I will never complain about either ever again). At least I have legs, right? My third roommate was an old Indian chap who was able to eat, but slowly. His wife and family were extremely nice and I felt really bad that I had to transfer out while rooming with him, for fear of seeming like we didn't like them. Whenever I walk by my old room, if I see them, I wave, and they wave back like I was part of their family too. They remind me of my Indian neighbors back at Biola. How I wish to see them again and eat their yummy chicken.

But really, I'm not obsessed with food. I think. The point is, 52.6% is too much. 41 days is too much. I'm done. I want to get on with my life and be normal again. I haven't taken a regular shower since January. I want to eat a home-cooked meal by my wife and gain weight and muscle mass back. I want to be at home for more than 2 weeks at a time and be with my friends and church family. And hopefully, I will soon. I'm hopeful that this will pass (and praying for it to not be surgically-induced). I'm praying that this will be the last complication, even for the upcoming second surgery in June. I've been on this ride too long, and it's time to get off. But wouldn't you know it, I'm stuck. Which is why I need God's help getting out. May He have mercy on my body.

sunday, march 21, 2010

Patience
So, we didn't blog yesterday. I was busy writing a paper all day, and Dan didn't really feel like it. However, don't feel like you missed a lot.

Dan had an x-ray yesterday and it looked a little better than the previous one. McGreeky came in and told us that a few loops of the bowel are still distended, but that the distention is decreasing (Thurs: 6cm diameter, Sat: 4 cm, Normal: less than 3cm). The obstruction is still there, but hopefully it is beginning to resolve. When we asked about what the obstruction is, McGreeky said there is really no way to tell just from a CT. However, the main options are still surgical adhesions or an internal hernia. Regardless, the plan of care remains the same: wait patiently for as long as possible. Though the obstruction could be fixed through surgery, Dan is not a good surgical candidate right now. Accordingly, McGreeky (and the other surgeons consulted) do not want to be hasty about making this a surgical issue.

(My blogging was interrupted by a victorious Dan announcing the passing of gas! Normally, we wouldn't post this, but it has been a prayer request. So, that means this is a praise!)

The NG drainage is still a lot, but is thin and light which encourages the doctors.

(My blogging is again interrupted by the doctors coming in.)

Between the NG output being light and the passing of gas, McGreeky has decided to put the NG to gravity with a drainage bag for a day to see how Dan does. If he can stay the day without being nauseous or vomiting, they'll start giving him fluids tomorrow. If not, they'll put the NG back to suction for a couple days. Once the diet keeps advancing, it will be the true test to make sure Dan can tolerate the food and that the food goes all the way through the system. An x-ray tomorrow will determine whether or not the NG gets pulled all the way out. So, it's a big day tomorrow.

I am unfortunately leaving for school today and won't be back until Tuesday night. Hopefully, I will be missing some exciting events so that when I get back, Dan will be eating a bit. It will be nice to get some school work done and to gather more clean clothes from home. It will be even nicer to get back to a happier, healthier Dan!

Luckily, Dan is able to talk better with the NG tube, so he can communicate to the nurses without me around. Also, he knows the signs to alert the nurses to quickly. He's a smart guy, so I trust he will be intelligent about his care. He wants himself to get better even more than I want him to get better! Though, somethings will be more difficult without me here--washing up, motivation to walk around, asking questions of the doctors, and remembering what the doctor says. It really isn't a matter of preference for Dan to want me here, it is actually very helpful for both the doctors and my husband. Sure, we can be apart when necessary, but when my professors are working with me so patiently and ensuring my graduation, why wouldn't I want to be with Dan?

Anyway, this has the potential to be a very exciting day or a very disappointing day depending upon what happens with Dan's GI system. We are hoping and praying this is indeed the turning point for Dan's recovery.

Prayer Requests:
* Complete resolution of the obstruction without the need for surgery
* Continuation of passing gas, bowel sounds, etc.
* No further complications!
* No nausea or vomiting or increased belly pain
* Safe travels for me (and the girls driving me down to school
* Peace and confidence in the doctors for Bob and Jamie
* Wisdom for the doctors to watch the progression
* Successful food trial this week
* Ability for Dan to come home with me very soon!
* Good news and encouragement for the rest of this hospital stay...may it be short!
Posted by Dan and Ashley at 9:24 AM

monday, march 22, 2010

Good news is good, you betcha
I like good news. Get ready for some.
There was zero drainage in my gravity-induced bag and my x-ray looked good, so this morning the doctor pulled out my NG tube! At first, my nose was extremely confused. My throat hurt a little bit, but that only lasted a while. I feel SO much better now. As of now, my new diet is sipping on clear liquids. If that goes well (which it is so far), I can drop the 'sipping' part. And advance as possible after that. It feels good to taste things again, and also to not be confined by my nose. Pray that things continue to go well!

Ashley is back at school. It's sad that she wasn't here for the gloriousness of the NG being removed, but there will be plenty more good times for us to share in the future. Unfortunately, tonight she is headed to the ER to check out some belly pain that has been off and on in the past months. Pray that nothing is wrong with her so she can make her scheduled flight on Tuesday night.

Well, I need to go because the battery's dying and I'm due for a walk around the unit. Keep praying-- I am encouraged by all of your prayers. Hopefully tomorrow I can give some more good news.
:) /\ |\|
Posted by Dan and Ashley at 3:21 PM

2010-02-26T16:19:00.000-08:00

Dan just called and told me his fever has gone up to 101.3 He has a call into his doctor and we are awaiting to hear what he needs to do. PLEASE PRAY RIGHT NOW! thanks

Psalm 5:1-2
Give ear to my words, O Lord ; consider my groaning.
Give attention to the sound of my cry, my King and my God, for to you do I pray.

Friday news from Dan in La Mirada:

friday, february 26, 2010

Expanding my Stomach
Needless to say, I was pleasantly surprised when I received an e-mail from my doctor saying, 'start eating solid foods.' I'm still on TPN, and my stomach is really really small, so I can only nibble as of yet. But it is exciting to think 'I wish I could eat something' and then... eat something. I have to take it slow, but I'm hoping to expand my stomach (and hoping that my drains don't go crazy in the process). Also, I don't want to be overambitious with my eating and not be able to hold things down.
My fever's still hanging around, but at least it's still a low fever. The antibiotics should help. There's still a decent amount of pain in my life, but I'm starting to sleep a little better. I'm very tired of this. I'm ready to be done with it. I'm ready to be normal again. I'm ready to help my wife do things rather than her help me all the time.
I got a visit from the home health nurse today. She was very nice, though she probably won't be the one seeing me regularly. She was supposed to put the wound vac on, but since it's a very complicated wound, it needs a complicated dressing, which only a few nurses know. Anyway, someone is coming by later to put it on. It should help keep my wound from getting infected while it heals.
My friend Daniel is driving over from Riverside tomorrow to hang out and give me some 'man time'. It should be fun. We'll probably play Madden 10 on my PS3, which will be good since Daniel knows more about it and quite frankly, I'm losing faith in all the reviews that say it's the 'best Madden ever'. Graphics-wise, sure, it's very realistic (except for the weird running motion). But it seems like some of the better elements from previous games were taken out and replaced with worse things. Whatever.

Pray for:
Good eating and holding it down
Drain stoppage
Pain control
Good sleep
Less stress for Ashley
No more fever

Challenges are a part of life, some small some large. I am convinced that the Creator of the universe has all wisdom and all power and so the challenges we face every day are part of His plan to be glorified in our lives and through our lives. His ways are not our ways and His purposes are not always our purposes and don't fit into our plans. But you know in the long run, He is God and He is in control.

tuesday and wednesday and LA

2010-02-24T22:13:00.000-08:00

We are here in LA, I at my mom's house and Dan at his house. Loooonnng drive but we made it. Thank you LORD for traveling mercies and coffee which I don't usually drink. Prayer requests still abound as you will read below. We all continue to look to the LORD for His answers in His time and in His way. He is good all the time.

Psalm 145:3-10
Great is the Lord , and greatly to be praised, and his greatness is unsearchable.
One generation shall commend your works to another, and shall declare your mighty acts.
On the glorious splendor of your majesty, and on your wondrous works, I will meditate.
They shall speak of the might of your awesome deeds, and I will declare your greatness.
They shall pour forth the fame of your abundant goodness and shall sing aloud of your righteousness.
The Lord is gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.
The Lord is good to all, and his mercy is over all that he has made.
All your works shall give thanks to you, O Lord , and all your saints shall bless you!

tuesday, february 23, 2010

Sleep!
Last night, I got to sleep extremely fast and only woke up once before 6 (when I had to take my blood sugar, which I am starting to hate. I'm not diabetic. It doesn't really surprise me what it is. Ugh). I woke up again at 8ish and fell back asleep and finally got up just before 11. Que bueno! I really needed that sleep. I might even get a little bit more. Except today, I'm going to try and start packing. Because I'm leaving tomorrow for LA. Booyah and Hallelujah!

I'm sitting here wearing my bags around my thigh. It's ok. They look a little like old-time ghetto leg pads like old football players or samurai would wear. One of them, the problem child, is being a problem child. After two emptyings, the problem child has given 275 ml. The good child in that same span: 37. So. We'll see whether I can eat or not tomorrow. I'm almost positive the doctor wants to see that number drop.
My wound is coming together, but it's a little messy. We can deal with it, but hopefully there won't be any big problems.

But good news: the home health agency we're using has everything all set up for us down in SoCal. It should be easier because they are close enough to my apartment to do the home health themselves (whereas this one was based in Hayward, too far from Lodi, forcing outsourcing) (rhyme time). And the woman I talked to on the phone was so energetic and happy! I will enjoy dealing with them, I think.

Keep praying for:
Drain stoppage
Wound healing
Safe drive to LA
Wise medical decisions
Continued sleep, thank you Lord!

wednesday, february 24, 2010

Home at last ... hoping to stay
Today, I drove down with my mom to LA so that I could finally live at my real home with my wife. It was a long drive, and it was a little uncomfortable at times, but we made it. I was surprised by our friends Sam and Titus blowing up balloons. Titus is 3. He picked out the balloons. There was way too much crap in the car, and it took a while to get everything put away, but we finally did it. Well, Ashley did it. She's hardcore like that. It was really good to see her again. I hope I can stay.

One of the things the doctor cautioned against as a possible deterrent to me going home was a fever. As luck would have it, last night I was putting up a high of 100.7. Ashley thought I wouldn't be able to come at all, but I called the doctor in the morning to make sure. He said it was ok, so long as my fever didn't break 101, where I might have to go to the hospital or back up north. He also put me on some antibiotics to try and combat whatever infection I might have. Hopefully, my fever will go away and I can stay here. As I type this, I'm at 99.5--still a fever but better than 100.
Some good news: the doctor wants to get me eating. I think he'd rather me not have a fever when that happens, so I'm not eating yet, but hopefully soon. I'm not sure how this will affect the drains; they are still putting out a lot. Who knows, maybe eating will stop the drains! Wishful thinking, but we're waiting and seeing. As usual.

It's really nice to just sit on the couch, just me and Ash. I've missed that. I can't wait until this is all over and we can just sit on the couch together.

Pray for:
drain stoppage
NO FEVER
staying home with Ash long-term
wound healing
being able to eat well
Posted by Dan and Ashley at 9:51 PM 0 comments

singing praises to the King of glory!

2010-02-23T09:04:00.000-08:00

Psalm 71:19-23
Your righteousness, O God, reaches the high heavens. You who have done great things, O God, who is like you?
You who have made me see many troubles and calamities will revive me again; from the depths of the earth you will bring me up again.
You will increase my greatness and comfort me again.
I will also praise you with the harp for your faithfulness, O my God; I will sing praises to you with the lyre, O Holy One of Israel.
My lips will shout for joy, when I sing praises to you; my soul also, which you have redeemed.

Looks like Dan and I are heading south tomorrow! I will be down there for a few days to take care of some family business and come back on Sunday with Dan for his Monday appointment with the doctor to hopefully completely remove one drain!
We are seeing progress!!!!!!! Hallelujah! Thank you LORD!

monday, february 22, 2010

Getting close
Today my mom and I went to Stanford (Ash is back in LA for school). It was nice to have the doctor give some good news.
:)
I had a CT scan to check for fluid buildup (you remember from last time that that is a bad thing). It was a long wait, and I felt like cacapupu because my wound was hurting and I had gotten very little sleep. Then I had to drink contrast (which tastes nasty) [sidenote: in the hospital I had drank it mixed in gatorade and it was not great, but they mixed it with water and it wasn't too bad. weird] ANYWAY the CT turned out great! I went back to the doctor right after the scan and he told me so. Then he switched my ugly gross grenades to sleek and sexy drainage bags I can strap to my thigh like a secret agent, and then he pulled on my drains for the second to last time (apparently they are right by the skin- hence 'getting close'). It hurt like crazy. I could barely take a step with my right leg. So I'm taking it easy right now.

So here's the plan: watch the drains to make sure they don't go crazy, and if they don't by Wednesday... EAT! I'm excited. I have an appointment next week, where he'll pull out (like, all the way out) one of my drains if everything goes well. The next week, he'll pull the other one out (if all goes well). Oh, did I mention I am free to go home? To La Mirada? Because I am! I just have to make sure the home health people have their ducks in a row (which they should), then my mom will drive me down, probably on Wednesday, and I'll be home and my mom will take care of some business at my grandma's house. So... yeah.

There are a couple hitches: my wound, which has been stitched up by my dad so it's almost all together, has some problems. a) it hurts more because the sutures are pulling on me, b) it's not coming together in exactly the right way, and c) it is more of an infection risk than the wound vac. So sometime, some or all of the sutures have to come out and the wound vac will be put in again, because the two (sutures and vacs) don't coexist well. Some of the progress made will be retained, so it's not a total loss. But wound vacs are more annoying, and still painful.
Hitch 2 is that we're trying to get an appointment on a non-Monday so Ash can go. It's really hard because Monday is his only official clinic day but it's also Ashley's biggest class day. However, he had said that he could squeeze us in on a different day if we needed to, so we're pushing for Tuesday. Other than those and my pain (which has lessened but still really hurts), things are good. God is good. Mysterious, but good. He is not a vending machine or Santa Claus. I don't know what he's up to, letting me suffer when he could have healed me, but there are so many horrible things in life that turn around for the good. One day, I will know. Until then, I am his, because he is God, and I .... am not.

Pray for:
drains to continue being low so I can eat! (and to stay low if I do start eating)
home health agency to work efficiently to allow me to get back to LA
fast-working and well-working wound vac
pain to die down

weary but hopeful

2010-02-20T22:21:00.000-08:00

Psalm 91.1,2 1 He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High Shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. 2 I will say of the LORD, “He is my refuge and my fortress; My God, in Him I will trust

2 blogs by Dan and Ashley. Needing hope and the Lord lifting all our hearts as only He can do.
He is in control and we can and do trust in His plan and purpose for our lives.
Blessings to you all.
May His great Name be magnified!

saturday, february 20, 2010

The drains stopped? But hold on...
The drains stopped. Basically. But put away the champagne for now. Here's the qualifier.
Yesterday, the drains put out over 500 mL. That's a record for me. I e-mailed my doctor yesterday, showing some concern. His new plan was to change the bulbs from sucking to catching. To give you an idea, the fluid is collected in bulbs (actually referred to as 'grenades' because they look like... grenades). Normally, the bulbs are squeezed when they are emptied to provide some suction. Now, the doctor wants to leave them unsqueezed so they just accept whatever fluid comes.

No drainage could be a good thing or a bad thing.

It could mean the pancreas was ok this whole time and was just being picked on by the overbearing drains, sucking its soul into a grenade.
It could also mean the fluid is going somewhere else. It is likely going into the bowel, because according to radiology, the track left by my drain (after being pulled out a few inches) is walled off, like concrete. However, it could also be forming a fluid collection in my abdominal cavity, which is not a good thing. So if I develop a fever or abdominal pain, that's probably what it is, and that would be a complication I do not want. A CT on my Monday appointment will bring the verdict.
Also on my Monday appointment, the doctor will be switching my grenades for bags, which are more suitable for catching fluid than the grenades (and they will be clean, too- mine have not been changed, and they are pretty grody). I may or may not have my drains pulled on; it will depend on the CT results. He will also change my wound vac, which is complicated right now:
The vertical part has the wound vac in it, because it is still big (though not as big since my dad placed some sutures in it). The horizontal part doesn't have a wound vac on it because of the sutures which are closing it up, and it should heal openly rather than under a seal of the vacuum. But since they're connected, it's hard to get a seal. So... some problems, but none too big.
I'm having a good day today. I like being with Ashley. She makes life more colorful. I will be sad when she drives the Big Drive back to school tomorrow. I really hope I can go home next week.

Please pray:
That the drains are stopped for the right reason
That there are no complications that mean I can't go home
For travel safety for Ash
That my wound heals up nicely
That I won't get a collection in my abdominal cavity
That, if I go on a food trial soon, my pancreas can handle it and I can go off of TPN

Posted by Dan and Ashley at 5:12 PM 0 comments
friday, february 19, 2010

Prayer needed badly
So, I'm back in Nor Cal until Sunday when I drive back to La Mirada. At least that is the plan.

Unfortunately, the only new thing here is that Dan's drain output has increased massively. For those who like numbers: the past few days have been in the 300s (bad) and today will end up close to 500ml (terrible). As Dan is still not eating, it is difficult to know what is causing this increase. Though the doctor thought that pulling on the drains would decrease the output, it seems to have done the opposite. Our concern is that the pulling of the drains has opened the hole in the anastomosis more or has caused damage to the tissues. Honestly, we do not have any idea what is going on.

We emailed the doctor and haven't heard anything yet. It is frightening for us as another surgery may be necessary to fix the anastomosis. While this has always been a small possibility (and still is), it is the possibility that scares us the most. Dan's body isn't as strong as it was for the last surgery, so another one to fix the last would be difficult.

Also, my schooling would be in jeopardy. I've been given a deadline of March 1st to be settled into school without missing days. Up until today we figured that was possible since the surgeon wanted to get Dan home early next week. Now, we really don't know. Obviously, I wouldn't want to go to school while Dan's being operated on. Yet, I do not want to have to choose between graduating from nursing school and being with my husband.

We really do know that God is in control of this entire situation. He knows when Dan's drains will dry up, when he'll come home with me, when he'll eat again, when his next surgery will be, whether or not I graduate and when/if Dan will be cancer-free. It's just becoming difficult to pray and pray and pray (and know others are interceding for Dan) and see very little progress and even worsening. It is so difficult to force our hearts to hope and to force our minds to be still.

Honestly, we are running out of reserves. Dan hasn't eaten for a month (except for 2 days of food trials) and the TPN just isn't keeping his hunger away. He hasn't been home in 2 months now. I haven't been home for more than 3 days at a time and am getting worn down from frequent flying. Trying to wrestle between wife-nurse and student-nurse is getting harder--I even forgot to turn in an assignment (if you know me, this is huge). The constant barage of set-backs has made joy and hope infrequent emotions. We were so excited about Dan coming home next week, and now, that seems nearly impossible.

I've heard that God does not give us more than we can handle. He already knows our breaking points, and apparently, He is pushing us to them. I'm about ready to crack.

Please be in prayer with us now. We're so tired. We need to taste victory. Soon.

Prayer Requests:
* Decrease in the drain output immediately
* Healing of the anastomoses
* Continued healing of the wound
* Wisdom for the surgeons
* Dan's ability to come home to La Mirada
* Endurance and comfort for Dan
* Safe drive for me on Sunday (I haven't driven by myself since sophomore year)
* Progress in the right direction
* My ability to graduate with my class on May 29, 2010
* Hope

drainage drainage go away

2010-02-18T09:21:00.000-08:00

The following blogs are brought to you by Dan and Ashley, two warriors in the midst of a battle. We know who has won the war (the Lord Jesus) but it is sometimes very hard to keep fighting. Thankfully as Moses had Aaron and Hur, we have all of you to strengthen us and encourage us and pray with us.

Psalm 59:16-17
But I will sing of your strength;
I will sing aloud of your steadfast love in the morning.
For you have been to me a fortress
and a refuge in the day of my distress.
O my Strength, I will sing praises to you,
for you, O God, are my fortress,
the God who shows me steadfast love.

wednesday, february 17, 2010

Ugh
I have watched almost all of the old Office seasons in the past few weeks. I am currently watching the season in which Jim and Pam are separated while she is at school. They are miserable and argue and get upset about weird things and have doubts and count down the days until the schooling is over. I can commiserate. Though I truly wish Dan and I had a date to countdown to!

Dan seemed really good this morning on the phone, but as the day went on things failed to get better. Instead, they got worse. Dan's drains are still high and possibly more than before the 2nd pulling. Also, he's been running a fever since early afternoon. It's just so hard to be down here trying to be excited about Dan finally coming home and then WHAM! Another setback to the plan.

The doctor was pretty clear about the one thing that would halt the plan: a fever or Dan getting sick. Ugh. I am just hoping that McGreeky surprises us and sends Dan to LA anyway. Hoping a lot.

In other news, Dan was able to go without the wound vac for a day as his dad gained the permission of Dan's surgeon to add a couple sutures to the wound. They are thinking that it will make the wound heal more quickly. Dan will get a few more sutures every day for the next 4 days. Dan is really hoping it will work out, though if the wound gets infected again the wound vac has to go back on. As badly as I want Dan's wound to heal quickly, I would love anymore for him to heal without new problems. I suppose we'll just wait and see.

Forgive me for sounding like a broken record, but we are so very tired of no progress, of being apart, of flying back and forth, and for feeling downright rotten (well, Dan).
And now, I have reached the episode in which Jim and Pam are reunited in Scranton. The episode in which Dan and Ash reunite at home is hopefully sooner than I think.

Prayer Requests:
* No more fever ever and no hint of infection
* Endurance and encouragement for both of us
* Safe travels for me (flying tomorrow night and driving Sunday)
* Good health (I think I might be getting sick)
* Ability to get work done
* Peace and faith that God is still working
* Ability for Dan to come home to La Mirada next week
* Strength for our relationship...this is a 'for worse' situation

thursday, february 18, 2010

Nothing new
Alright fan club, everyone return to your home pages. Nothing new to see here. Go do something productive. Have a good day. Keep praying for me.
Dan

3 blogs behind including a doctor visit

2010-02-16T18:34:00.000-08:00

Okay, so I have waited a few days. Don't want to burn you all out on bloggimus. Dan and Ashley will tell you all in the following three blogs of Saturday, Monday and today. These two are amazing people! Brave, courageous, steadfast in love and endurance through hard times. It reminds me of the following verses:

Romans 8:31-39
What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?
He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things?
Who shall bring any charge against God's elect? It is God who justifies.
Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised—who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us.
Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword?
As it is written,
“For your sake we are being killed all the day long;
we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.”
No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.
For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers,
nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

As always we ask for your continued prayers. Our hearts are filled with gratitude to those who have helped Ashley with flying to and fro and helped me with meals (especially helpful on those Stanford travel days!) We know we are loved by God and by our friends and family.
Thank you, thank you, thank you.
You bless us and we in turn ask the Lord's greatest blessings upon you and yours.

saturday, february 13, 2010

Mighty
I spent the last hour reading a friend's blog about going to Rwanda and then following her link to the blog of a family who just adopted their second daughter from Taiwan. As I read both blogs, a jumble of emotions welled up within me.

Sadness: millions of children around the world need parents to love them, genocide has left a deep and seemingly impenetrable scar in the heart of Africa (among other countries), tragedy exists everywhere.
Jealousy: I long to open my home and heart to little ones in need of a family, but Dan's medical history disqualifies us from nearly all types of adoption.
Joy: God worked through the Biola girls in Rwanda to love His children; another child has a home.
Frustration: Why isn't God doing more for His children? Why allow genocide? Why allow cancer?
Hope: God is working in the lives of those who are hurting--from orphans to nursing students to Dan.
Excitement: What is God doing in my life to make me better suited to His purposes?
Fear: What is God doing in my life to make me better suited to His purposes?
Peace: No matter what goes on in my life (or around the world), God is in control. I may struggle against so many circumstances and beg for them to change, but there is peace in knowing that God already knows what is happening and what will happen. What's more, He knows why everything happens.

Reading those blogs also reminded me that I have a blog to update, though this won't be much of an update. Today has simply been another day of pressing onward. Dan hasn't vomited in 2 whole days, but is still frustrated with some GI stuff. His drains seem to have decreased a bit today, but they are still 4 times as high as before the surgeon pulled them out a bit. It is so discouraging to see those drains fill up each day, as it pushes Dan's eventual eating further and further away. Additionally, the drains have begun to let out a new odor from being in so long. Pain has been more of an issue the last couple of days, but Dan just pushes through. We even took a trip to Target today--it seemed short to me, but completely wiped Dan out.

My parents and grandpa made a trip to Lodi to deliver some goodies left over from Christmas and just to visit. We loved seeing them and having more friendly faces around. Yet, my heart hurts when we all sit down to dinner and Dan can't eat. He read at the table while we ate, but it must be miserable to watch everyone do something that he has been longing to do for almost a month now.

I find myself getting more and more frustrated lately. It seems like this will never end: the drains will drain forever, the wound will stay open for a long time, Dan will be on TPN indefinitely, Dan will have to stay in Lodi forever, etc. I know these things aren't true, but it sure does feel like it. What's more, the nervous questions are plaguing my mind more and more: the doctor said pulling on the drains would help--why has it made it worse? Is there something wrong with the placement? Did the drains pull open another hole? Why isn't Dan healing? Will Dan need extra surgery to fix the leak? Will Dan miss my graduation? Will we live apart until then? The questions go on and on without answers. Hopefully, most of them are of the paranoid nurse/wife type.

We so very badly need progress right now. We need to know that Dan is moving toward healing. We need to know that things are getting better soon.
We are discouraged, to say the least.

Yet, God is mighty on His throne. He knows all the answers, and He knows why Dan is going through all of this. Somehow, all of this is molding us to be more like Christ, so to shine His light more clearly. God is mighty whether or not things go our way or not. Yet, He also calls on us to cry out to Him in our times of need.

Lord God, hear our prayers for healing tonight. Draw us close to You. Touch Dan's body with Your power and mercy. Give us rest, oh God. We are weary and scared.

Prayer Requests:
* Drain stoppage (sudden and immediate and exciting and miraculous)
* Wound healing
* Endurance
* Incredible progress in the next few days
* Wisdom for scheduling matters
* Good news and encouragement
* The ability for Dan to be in La Mirada very soon (confidence for the surgeon)

monday, february 15, 2010

V-Day? How about VD-Day
So Valentine's Day has come and gone; making plans for 2-14 is a little more difficult when eating is not on the menu and going somewhere takes more effort than usual. But we managed to have a little date night on the couch and wrote each other sappy love notes, and it will be logged in Valentine's history as a decent run. So we're looking forward to next year.

VD-Day is what we're really looking forward to. For those of you who have forgotten about World War II, VE-Day was Victory in Europe, VJ-Day was Victory in Japan, and VD-Day is Victory over Drains. As of right now, they're still pumping out way too much. They are being bad drains. Bad drains! It's really frustrating, because they were down to around 40 total mL per day, and now they're running at over 200 total per day. Maybe that would have happened anytime the drains were moved- which would be bad if I was leaking and didn't have the drains in. Speculation. The point is, we're sick of this war. Sometimes I wish I had been Switzerland and just stayed home. But, I am where I am, and now I have to get better. Tomorrow, we're going to Stanford and maybe figuring out just what that entails. Will I need another scan? Another surgery? Or more waiting?

Well, my wound is healing. Still a long way out, but at this point, slow and steady wins the race. When it gets to the point where the wound vac comes off and there's just gauze covering it, I will consider that a huge victory. My drains had BETTER be done by then. Or else. Grrr.

I know I have many blessings to count, so it's not the worst thing in the world, but it is entirely frustrating. Please pray for VD-Day. To come soon. Like now. Which you have been doing. And I thank you all.

Dan
Posted by Dan and Ashley at 10:53 AM

tuesday, february 16, 2010

Maybe next week?
Another day of doctor's appointments is finished. The visit with McGreeky seemed optimistic, though it was very painful for Dan. As the last "let's pull on the drains a bit and watch them go down" failed, the surgeon decided to try again today. He pulled a couple more inches out on each drains hoping that the suction would be removed from the anastomoses (holes in the connections of the pancreas and intestine). The drains had been pumping out so much over the weekend, that we can only hope the output goes down.

Also, we pressed McGreeky about getting Dan home to La Mirada. Maybe my argument with him last week did something (or maybe everyone's prayers), but he's thinking Dan can go home next week. Basically, he's uncomfortable with Dan being far away on TPN (not sure why, but whatever), so wants the drain to go down more over this week, let Dan eat real food for a few days and watch the drains. Sounds familiar, right? Dan was awesome about asking for clarifications--what will keep him from going home early next week? Dan getting sick.
So, the big prayer for now: keep Dan from getting sick! No fever, no infection, no pus from the drains (sorry, gross).

All of us want Dan to go home to La Mirada, especially him and me. It's really about time, right? Please press in with prayer that things go on schedule and on-target this week.

I'm flying back to LA this afternoon and then back up on Thursday night. Dan and I will spend the weekend getting things together and making plans as to how to make life work out in LA. I'll drive my car down to LA on Sunday afternoon and wait patiently (ha) to hear how the appointment goes on Monday morning. I have a sneaky suspicion that McGreeky will try some stall maneuvers on to keep Dan up here, but hopefully Dan and Jamie can hand back the heat. I hate not being there for the appointment, but school beckons.
Keep praying, friends.

Prayer Requests:
* Decrease in drain output
* NO INFECTION
* Pain control for pulling on the drains
* Ability to tolerate food this weekend
* Dan going home early next week!
* Endurance and energy for all my travelling this week
* Safe travels for everyone
Posted by Dan and Ashley at 1:50 PM

Friday

2010-02-12T12:34:00.000-08:00

From the mom: I think Dan is improving, slowly steadily and with" the medicine" from Ashley's presence, he really improves. Now as before we need to pray for the drainage to CEASE and eating to begin. We are going to see the doctor on Tuesday and encourage him to allow Dan to head south to LA so he can be home "home" in La Mirada. I think he will do fine there and still be able to come north for his appointments as necessary. Then again, we all seem to be learning "patience", a good virtue and a fruit of the Spirit, though a difficult characteristic to willingly embrace.

Col 1:9-12
And so, from the day we heard, we have not ceased to pray for you, asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding,
so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to Him, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God.
May you be strengthened with all power, according to His glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy,
giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in light.

From Dan:
friday, february 12, 2010

Too cool for a title
So-- you may have noticed that I didn't blog on Wednesday OR Thursday. That's because not much happened on Wednesday. And Thursday, I was just not in the mood. Thursday morning, we went to get Ash from the airport, then scooted over to Stanford for an appointment. What they did was injected some contrast through my drains and took X-rays to see if they were draining from my pancreas or a collection of fluid elsewhere in my body (we were rooting for pancreas). Turns out it was indeed coming from my pancreas. Surprisingly, my doctor decided to pull my drains out a couple inches right then and there. This was a surprise because he had told both Ash and I on separate occasions that he would wait until he saw me on Tuesday. Oh well, I thought--better sooner than later.
Turns out it hurt a significant amount. Also turns out I didn't bring my pain meds with me because I didn't think he'd do the drains. Stupid.
I made it home ok, then took some pain meds. I still felt crummy though, so blogging wasn't first on my mind. I did have a nice ending to my day though. Ash and I had our weekly TV date upstairs all by ourselves (Bones, The Office, Grey's Anatomy, and Private Practice). It was so refreshing to have time alone with my wife- that's how we normally live, and I think that's how it's supposed to be done. We even fell asleep together during Private Practice (which I don't mind at all- I only watch Grey's and Private Practice because Ash likes them). Finally, we went to bed and -- miracle of miracles -- we both slept through the night! We've been praying for that for a while and it felt really good. Hallelujah.
One thing that dampened our day was the doctor's estimation of how long I would be in Lodi. He didn't talk to me, so I don't remember the details, but it's longer than we wanted. He is cautious. But he also changes his mind based on circumstances; if the drains really dip down (like they should eventually- though right now they are pumping out extra because of the pulling), maybe the date will be moved up. But we'll have to see what happens and I'll have to push for it.
My wound looks better today. It's noticeably smaller than before. I hope it heals faster than expected. That would be awesome.
Today, Ash is trying to get me to be more active; going on more walks, going upstairs, and my first shower in a loooooong time. Please continue to pray for healing of the wound and stoppage of the drains. You guys are awesome.
Dan

Life & love @ 18 months

2010-02-09T22:29:00.000-08:00

1 Corinthians 13
If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal.
If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing.
If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing.
Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.
It is not rude, it is not self‑seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.
Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.
It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.
Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away.
For we know in part and we prophesy in part,
but when perfection comes, the imperfect disappears.
When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me.
Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.
And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.

tuesday, february 9, 2010

I love my wife
One year, six months--feels like so much longer. In a good way. I love my wife.

On the Dan front, not much news. The drains are pretty low, which is good, so maybe (by the end of the week?) I can eat. That's being really optimistic. But you know what? I am really tired of TPN, drains, and all that comes with it. Once I can eat properly, all I will have left to worry about is my wound vac. That brings my list of healthcare items from 29873 to 1. It feels like that anyway. The next real news will come on Thursday. Or Friday. Eh, it'll come when it comes. I may not blog tomorrow. You guys will understand, right? Good. Anyway... still here. Still waiting. Still praying.

Dan
Posted by Dan and Ashley at 8:16 PM 0 comments
Happy 18-monthiversary!
Yes, I do realize that the above is not a real word. Yet, today is a year and a half since Dan and I got married, and I feel somewhat proud of that. Though, there are many things that have happened in the past 18 months that neither of us would have liked to happen, we have made it through those things together. Even now, when we are apart, we are pressing onward as one. Sometimes, I wish I could take some of the pain or vomiting or something so that Dan could feel better (sometimes, I think he would let me have it!). Yet, all I can do is support him in whatever way I can.

In a way, finishing nursing school is something I can do to support our little family of two. The sooner I am a nurse, the sooner we can move out of LA. Additionally, having a steady income will help Dan finish school in a timely manner, so that we can have two incomes. Though neither of us are under the impression that we will be rich, we cannot wait to be able to settle down wherever God wants us. Someday, we'd like to worry about normal marriage stuff: a house, children, traveling, investments, missions, the drapes, etc. (Maybe not about the drapes).

So, in the next year and a half of marriage, we have a couple goals: get rid of this cancer crap and get Dan whole AND be finished with school to be doing what God has called us to do. Of course, we have learned to remain very flexible in our "plans" because God decides to change them here and there.

Here's to many more monthi/anniversaries! I love you, Dan.

(For those of you concerned with lack of mention of Dan's health, I'm letting him update on another blog later because I'm not there to know all of what is going on. This parenthetical addition will irritate my hubby because he isn't too fond of blogging, but I'll just bat my eyelashes and pretend he can see them over the phone tonight.)

Monday night

2010-02-08T20:44:00.000-08:00

Here are the last 2 blogs from Dan the Man himself! So you will catch up on the goings on around here. Even though he is home, it is a busy time, but we are all so glad he is here and not in the hospital anymore!!! Hallelujah. We praise the Lord for His goodness to us, every day, all the time.

Let those who delight in my righteousness
shout for joy and be glad
and say evermore,
“Great is the Lord,
who delights in the welfare of his servant!”
Then my tongue shall tell of your righteousness
and of your praise all the day long.
Psalm 35;27-28

monday, february 8, 2010

How did I start blogging this frequently?
I'm going to blame the wife. She started this blog, knowing full-well that I didn't want to blog every day. Then she used it as a way for people to follow me through my epic journey through the hospital, and then she bats her eyes at me and says, 'can you blog tonight?' and I say 'fine.'

So today started pretty poorly. I threw up a couple times because my stomach is weaker and my gag reflex goes off more than I'd like. And the horrid part is, the first time I actually hit Ashley with some of it. She's a trooper, though. She cleaned up in spite of her being really tired from nights that don't contain 100% sleep. She's amazing. Anyway, my mom, Ashley, and I went to Stanford for a follow-up with McGreeky (she also made this silly name based on *gag* Grey's Anatomy) (I'm ok, by the way--not throwing up). Not much news there, except he said that he wants me to go to radiology on Friday so they can inject some contrast into my drains, take an X-ray, and see from where the drains are receiving their fluid (the pancreas itself or a separate fluid collection). Then my next appointment (next Tuesday), he wants to pull out the drains about an inch (I believe depending on the results of the radiology thing).
Speaking of the drains, one had been spouting out way too much fluid, while the other was quite tame. This morning when we emptied them, the spouter had dropped down almost to the level of the tame one! As of right now, they are still both pretty quiet. This is a good sign. I like good signs.
It's weird to be cold more than I am used to. We took Ashley to the airport today so she could attend some more classes (another reason I am blogging--probably the most significant one). When I got out, I forgot to have my sweatshirt on (I was not cold in the car and it wasn't that cold when we left), and all of a sudden, I felt like a shivering chihuahua. Ridiculous. I want my drains to dry up so I can eat again so I can put on weight so I won't be a shivering chihuahua. Also to help my skin not be so dry because I am slightly dehydrated.
I press on. We press on. This will not be forever. It sucks right now. But we're walking with God through it, and He won't abandon us.

Pray for
DRAIN STOPPAGE
ability to not throw up
rest for Ash
rest for me
wisdom of the doctors
physical stability so I can return to SoCal

sunday, february 7, 2010

Super Sunday
Not as high-scoring as everyone thought, but I do remember that the Colts' last Super Bowl win was won on defense, not offense. This time, the game was won by New Orleans by not their offense, not their defense, not their special teams, but by the coaching staff. If you're going to beat the Colts, here's what you do: don't give Peyton Manning the ball. In the 2nd quarter, the Colts ran only 6 plays, and 3 of them were conservative runs to avoid a safety or turnover deep in their own end. Then, at the beginning of the half, the Saints surprisingly onside kicked it and got it, once again, not giving Manning the ball. Sure, it really helped that they picked off a pass in the 4th quarter and ran it back for a TD, but that was not a game-ender. Yes, I wanted the Colts, but I'm not too disappointed with the results; the Saints earned it and deserved it. Anyway, it was a good game, in spite of mostly disappointing commercials and a really annoying Saints fan who felt it necessary to bring a tambourine to the game and bang it before every Colts play. Oh, and I hate CBS. Stands for Creativity's Been Sapped. And the Who put on a show that was awesome at some parts and sloppy at others. It may be time to put some youth back on stage for the halftime show.
So- my drains might be going back down? It's hard to tell. They're more than I'd like, to be sure. I'd love so much to be able to eat. This was the first time in a while where I didn't go to a proper Super Bowl party, but I don't think I would have really liked being around all that food without being able to eat it. I'm getting really tired of being hooked up to things all the time. I'm glad to be out of the hospital, but I'm still frustrated being tied down to my wound vac and my TPN. I have an appointment with the doctor tomorrow at Stanford; he had mentioned before that he might pull out the drains, which might be helpful to slow them down (because they may be sucking more than catching). Ashley unfortunately leaves tomorrow evening to return Thursday morning. I will miss her. She's been super helpful and she's a little piece of real home. But nursing school calls. She's going to be an amazing nurse. She already is; just missing her license. I'm a little tired. Sleep comes easier here but it still doesn't come easy.

Pray for:
Drain Stoppage! Now!
Good doctor visit
Safe travels to LA for Ash
Wound healing

Home sweet home! Thank God Almighty!

2010-02-06T16:56:00.000-08:00

Even though this is not Dan and Ashley's official home of La Mirada, it sure beats Stanford Hospital. Bare feet, comfy surroundings, no one waking him up for vital signs. There is something to be said for just leaving the hospital! Thank You Lord!
Here are Ashley's own words from Friday and Saturday:

saturday, february 6, 2010

Life Beyond
The past 24 hours have been exhausting, yet the end result is that Dan is resting and recovering outside of the hospital. Finally.

The doctors did their part yesterday by changing the wound vac early in the morning and writing up all of the discharge orders before noon. The nurses did their part by gathering up extra supplies and teaching us what we need to know. The case manager did her part by setting up home health and ordering Dan's IV meds for home use. I did my part by packing up the room and getting our stuff ready. Jamie did her part by driving to the hospital and getting our stuff in the car. Dan did his part by simply being ready to go.

With everyone doing their part, how did we get home so late? The meds we had to take to Lodi got delivered an hour late and the transporter found other things to occupy his time. Then, when finally in the car and driving, we got caught in terrible traffic. I mean terrible.

So, around 8 o'clock, we finally pulled onto Vienna Drive. It must have felt weird for Dan to be somewhere new for the first time in a month. Good weird.

We then proceeded to unload all of our supplies while waiting for Dan's home health nurse to arrive. Toni arrived at 10pm to begin the TPN and teach us how to use the new pump. The pump then proceeded not to work. Dan finally got TPN started at 11pm.

What next? We went to bed--together for the first time in a month! Expecting to have a lovely night of sleep compared to the hospital, we quickly discovered that medical equipment often refuses to cooperate and things do not go as planned. Dan's wound vac detected a leak in the suction seal, so it alarmed every 5 minutes or so unless we were holding the suction portion down. The "tug-boat" sound also proceeded to get louder.

Our night looked like this: bed at midnight, blood sugar check at 2 (he needed insulin but we didn't have a sliding scale), wound vac alarm at 3 (we tried repositioning first), wound vac alarm at 4 (the next hour was spent on the phone with the home health agency as I tried to fix the seal), wound vac alarm at 5:30, blood sugar check at 7, wound vac alarm at 7:30, medication at 8, dozing until 9:30 when home health agency called, new nurse showed up at 11 to fix wound vac...quiet for the first time in 12 hours. With all this waking up, we should have a baby around!

All that being said, it is nice to be home. We could sleep at least close together, lounge in our pjs, visit with friends and set our own schedule. As of now, I have gotten half of my homework done while Dan is catching up on some sleep. Though, it's med time, so I better wake him up soon.

Being a home health "nurse" will be interesting, as I'm doing things I'm used to just in different ways. TPN at night will be the biggest production, so I hope I do that appropriately tonight (first time without the nurse). Octreotide IVP every eight hours, blood sugar checks every 6 hours (Dan does these), empty JPs 2-3 times a day, etc. Thankfully, Dan's mom will step in to help Dan out when I go back to school. We can obviously handle being nurses, but it sure will be nice to go back to being "mom" and "wife"!

We are so thankful for all the support we have and that God has brought Dan this far. Please continue to pray for good news and confidence at Monday's doctor appointment.

Prayer Requests:
* Drying up of the drains (they've been changing colors a lot lately and not decreasing much, so this is a huge prayer)
* Continued wound healing
* No more problems with the IV pump or wound vac
* Sleep-filled nights
* Ability for Dan to go home to La Mirada very soon
* God's glory to be visible in this trial
* Focus so I can be a "nurse" and a student

Praise:
* Dan's out of the hospital!
* Great home health nurses
* Insurance coverage
* Flexible teachers at Biola
* God's grace is new every morning
Posted by Dan and Ashley at 3:50 PM 0 comments
friday, february 5, 2010

Out
Dan is out of the hospital. Got out about 5:08p and drove through horrific traffic. Made it to Lodi around 8p. Now, we're waiting for the home health nurse to arrive.

It has been a long day, but a good day.

We are surrounded by home health supplies and are pretty wiped out.
Check back tomorrow for the extended version of today.

We have work to do...then sleep to sleep...together!

Prayer Requests:
* Drying up of the drains
* Quick learning for all of us doing home health
* Expedited wound healing
* Only needing home health for a short period of time
* Dan being able to go home to La Mirada with me...soon!

Psalm 105:1-4
Oh give thanks to the Lord; call upon his name;
make known his deeds among the peoples!
Sing to him, sing praises to him;
tell of all his wondrous works!
Glory in his holy name;
let the hearts of those who seek the Lord rejoice!
Seek the Lord and his strength;
seek his presence continually!

Dan and Ashley write; I send; we all pray!

2010-02-04T12:09:00.000-08:00

thursday, february 4, 2010

failblog- but not entirely
The food trial failed. My drains collected a lot more than usual, even when my eating was minimal. Perspective: last night, one drain put out 75mL in 8 hours; before the food trial, I was getting 40-50 combined for the whole day. Darn pancreas.
Now I'm back to NPO except water when I'm thirsty. I will have to go home on TPN; but the hidden gem of that sentence is that I'm going home. Tomorrow. That is sweet.
A few weeks ago, I had joked with Ashley that I had better go home before one extremely pregnant resident had her baby. She had her baby today. Fail.
So here's basically what life will look like at home (not my 'home' home, but my parents' home in Lodi--it's different once you're married):
TPN at night
Blood sugar checks about 4x/day
Wound vac changes 3x/week
PICC line dressing change once a week
NPO (no food)
Thankfully, no more IV meds
Weekly visits with the surgeon at Stanford (at least at first- frequency will probably go down after a while)

While I'm not really happy to be back on TPN, I know my pancreas isn't quite ready for food yet. Hopefully, the drains will dry up quickly like they did before when I was on TPN, and I won't have to be on it for too long. I'm not afraid of TPN really; I just want everything that is wrong to be righted, and I think the best way to do that is with TPN. Though it is far less fun.

This drain failure is a step back, but I am taking steps forward. It has been a long ordeal; it will be a little longer. Many of you have prayed for me; I would appreciate a continuation of that. I look forward to the day when I don't have to worry about my pancreas anymore. Until then...

Prayer requests:
Quick drying of the drains
Good healing of the wound
No return to the hospital (except for planned visits with the surgeon)
Ability to go home to La Mirada with Ashley

wednesday, february 3, 2010

Aggravation
When I was little, my mom and grandma used to play Aggravation with my brother and I. It's that marble game that you must go around and get your marbles home without getting knocked off by other players. Just when you think you're about to win, someone comes up and kicks you back to the beginning. The only word to describe the game: aggravating.

That is how this hospital stay is beginning to feel.

After such great news yesterday, Dan and I felt as though maybe we were really getting to the end of this long haul. Dan has been eating very small amounts since last night and the drains looked great...until 2 o'clock. While the last shift's 8-hr total was 12 cc, one drain put out 30 cc in two and a half hours. Shoot. The nurse is paging the doctor to see what he wants to do. Does this increase mean the end of the food trial? Could this be just a short spike before things get better? Will this delay going home? After finally being able to eat (due to very low drain output), Dan is frustrated to be faced with NPO status again.

We are waiting for the doctor's opinion before getting too gloomy, but we're pretty bummed.
As far as we know, if Dan fails this food trial, he will be sent home on Friday on TPN. Dan has come to terms with that and just wants to get home. I suppose we just don't want the disappointment of not being able to eat to be compounded by the disappointment of not going home on Friday. Going home with TPN is not the end of the world, but it will get old pretty fast. I'm just unsure how long Dan would have to be on TPN before doing another food trial. In fact, we are just unsure of a lot.

On a good note, I'm back with Dan. I fly out of Sacramento of Sunday night, so please pray he is home by then! I'll be back again on Tuesday night. I'll be an airport pro in no time. It's wonderful to be back in the same place, I just that same place could be not the hospital!

Prayer requests:
* Drain stoppage...no more increase!
* Wisdom for the doctors
* Continued wound healing
* Surprise "passing grade" in the food trial
* Home on Friday! (one month is enough)
* Joy through the frustration
* My ability to get my homework done while away from school
* Good news....great news...soon

Praises:
* Dan's eating
* Safe travels
* Wound healing (the wound vac change showed great improvement today!)
* The last six M&Ms in my bag were blue, green, yellow, orange, red, brown...on accident :)

Psalm 146
Praise the Lord.
Praise the Lord, O my soul.
I will praise the Lord all my life;
I will sing praise to my God as long as I live.
Do not put your trust in princes,
in mortal men, who cannot save.
When their spirit departs, they return to the ground;
on that very day their plans come to nothing.
Blessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob,
whose hope is in the Lord his God,
the Maker of heaven and earth,
the sea, and everything in them—
the Lord, who remains faithful forever.
He upholds the cause of the oppressed
and gives food to the hungry.
The Lord sets prisoners free,
the Lord gives sight to the blind,
the Lord lifts up those who are bowed down,
the Lord loves the righteous.
The Lord watches over the alien
and sustains the fatherless and the widow,
but he frustrates the ways of the wicked.
The Lord reigns forever,
your God, O Zion, for all generations.
Praise the Lord.

chowing down!

2010-02-02T19:16:00.000-08:00

Well not "chowing down" but Dan is eating at this very moment. Please pray that his drainage does NOT increase due to this eating activity. Praise that the drainage did not increase when he drank his 700cc+ CT contrast drink and the CT today looked good too. Ashley will be arriving at the airport in about an hour so the two lovebirds will be together and that will be GREAT medicine! We are hoping that if all goes well, Dan will be home FRIDAY! So please pray for a successful food challenge and discharge Friday. Know that you are so appreciated as you travel this journey with us! Keep praying.

Dan's last 2 blogs:

tuesday, february 2, 2010

He sets the prisoners free
I do feel a little bit like I'm in prison. The doctor even used the same metaphor this morning. However, he seemed to indicate that I'll be released soon. Read on for some good news.

I'm having a CT today. I had to drink the nasty contrast stuff again. The first time was torture, the second time was easy, this one was also hard. But I got enough to get me down to the CT, for which I am waiting now by blogging these words.
My drains went down again! This time to 40 (and just think: I used to be in the 200's!). There are a few factors involved, such as the CT results (is there excess fluid in my body where it's not supposed to be?) and the drain output (will it go up now that I have downed so much liquid?), but so far... it's looking like I'm eating tomorrow. Doc had said before that 30-40 was a good place to try food, while the other more experienced doc had said he wanted the drains dry first. So I guess we're going with the earlier plan. Should the drains maintain their low output (which would be SO excellent), I can go home with no TPN (which is SO excellent). Also, the team will pull back on the drains about an inch (did I mention this last time? I feel like I did), which could help even more with the drains. Maybe they'll do that anyway. On the other hand, if the drain output goes up, I'll go back on TPN for a little while.
But I'll be able to go home.
Basically, unless there is a new complication that is severely unstable, there won't be any deviation from the plan, and I can go home! Before the Super Bowl! I am excited.
Ashley comes back tonight. I'll need to take a nap later so I can be more than semi-awake when she arrives. Her teachers are being really nice to her and letting her use my eventual home-health care as part of a hodge-podge clinical. It sounds like things are really looking up.

Pray for:
NO DRAIN INCREASE!
No excess fluid on the CT
Going home on time
No drain increase :)
Safe plane trips for Ash

monday, february 1, 2010

February-- seriously?
February has come upon us already. I only had a week of 2010 outside of the hospital, so it feels like I not only had my liver resected, but also my January.
Still not getting great sleep in the hospital. I was proud of myself for being able to get myself in bed with everything in reach without any assistance. Usually, I climb into bed, and Ashley sets everything up (making sure things are plugged in and that I have necessary items on my tray). Without my wonderful helper, I still managed to do it. But that doesn't mean I don't miss her.
Drains are back down to a low rate (the drain increase from yesterday turned out to be an anomaly). Tomorrow, I'm having a CT to make sure there's no fluid floating freely where it ought not. Some time after that, the doctors want to pull back on my drains (pull them out an inch or two and monitor the drain situation). Sometimes, the drains can suck more than catch leaks when they're in deep, so pulling them out a little might actually help the pancreas to heal a little better.

After being in here so long, I have made getting home my top priority instead of eating. The upcoming food trial the doctor had mentioned excited me before, because eating is just fantastic. But-- I've been here too long. I'd rather go home with TPN and wait until the pancreas is healed nicely than fail a food trial and add a couple days to my stay. After so many extensions of my stay, I am determined to be out by the newest estimation: the end of this week. I do NOT want to watch the Super Bowl from the hospital. Imagine: close game, 4th quarter, and someone walks in to take vitals. No. No. A thousand times, no.

My mom's here today; we walked outside again to the fountains. I have found that using my cane as well as the IV pole (well, I could even do without the pole) works very nicely to keep me from wobbling back and forth when I walk. I miss my wife. I've talked to her a few times today, which is nice, but-- well, you married people know what I'm talking about. It's not the same.

Pray for the usuals:
drain stoppage
rest
wisdom for the doctors
Ash and I as we're separated for a few days
FREEDOM

And here is the psalm that has one of Dan's favorite verses, verse 14. If only I could achieve verse 14 in my life,I would be the happiest person!

Psalm 19

For the director of music. A psalm of David.

1 The heavens declare the glory of God;
the skies proclaim the work of his hands.
2 Day after day they pour forth speech;
night after night they display knowledge.

3 There is no speech or language
where their voice is not heard.

4 Their voice goes out into all the earth,
their words to the ends of the world.
In the heavens he has pitched a tent for the sun,

5 which is like a bridegroom coming forth from his pavilion,
like a champion rejoicing to run his course.

6 It rises at one end of the heavens
and makes its circuit to the other;
nothing is hidden from its heat.

7 The law of the LORD is perfect,
reviving the soul.
The statutes of the LORD are trustworthy,
making wise the simple.

8 The precepts of the LORD are right,
giving joy to the heart.
The commands of the LORD are radiant,
giving light to the eyes.

9 The fear of the LORD is pure,
enduring forever.
The ordinances of the LORD are sure
and altogether righteous.

10 They are more precious than gold,
than much pure gold;
they are sweeter than honey,
than honey from the comb.

11 By them is your servant warned;
in keeping them there is great reward.

12 Who can discern his errors?
Forgive my hidden faults.

13 Keep your servant also from willful sins;
may they not rule over me.
Then will I be blameless,
innocent of great transgression.

14 May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart
be pleasing in your sight,
O LORD, my Rock and my Redeemer.

not so great news today

2010-01-31T19:54:00.000-08:00

So Ashley has left and I will be at the hospital during the next 2 days until she returns Tuesday evening. Drainage has increased a bit and I know the doctor is being very conservative about letting Dan go home. Pray that he will allow him to leave soon. Pray that drainage will stop and the next follow up CT scan will show good progress in the healing. It is discouraging as you can read from Dan's blog below, but there are many things to be thankful for: the only active tumor is gone; dead tumors are out of the left liver lobe; Dan is infection free; Dan is gaining weight back; the wound is closing up; his strength and energy are increasing! So we ask about the difficult things to get better while praising the Lord for the good things!

Psalm 22:22-28
I will tell of your name to my brothers;
in the midst of the congregation I will praise you:
You who fear the Lord, praise him!
All you offspring of Jacob, glorify him,
and stand in awe of him, all you offspring of Israel!
For he has not despised or abhorred
the affliction of the afflicted,
and he has not hidden his face from him,
but has heard, when he cried to him.
From you comes my praise in the great congregation;
my vows I will perform before those who fear him.
The afflicted shall eat and be satisfied;
those who seek him shall praise the Lord!
May your hearts live forever!
All the ends of the earth shall remember
and turn to the Lord,
and all the families of the nations
shall worship before you.
For kingship belongs to the Lord,
and he rules over the nations.

sunday, january 31, 2010

Quiet on the Western Front
Tonight, for the first time since October, Ashley will be sleeping 7 hours away from me. School starts tomorrow for her, and she had to go for a few important days before coming back up here (Biola is allowing her to miss some time). That time in October was the only other time in our marriage of almost 1.5 years where we didn't sleep together. It's going to suck, but things already suck. At least she can come back by Tuesday night. My mom will be around on Monday and Tuesday to help me while Ashley's away, but she won't be spending the night here. That's a right I reserve for my wife. :)
So it's kind of quiet today. One of my drains is acting up- it gave up a good amount of bile-y fluid this morning, but is quieting down. However, I think when the nurse emptied them, they equaled the combined total of yesterday. So if nothing else comes out of the drains today, it'll be the same as yesterday. We'll just have to watch it to see if it's a new trend or an anomaly.
When the doctor finally came in around 12, I told him how much I wanted to go home; if I'm waiting for my drains to dry, may as well wait at home where I can actually get some sleep, you know? He said he wants to see at least two more wound vac changes, so on Wednesday, he can think about it, but of course other factors are involved, and it's all so very tricky, an art really, so we'll just have to wait and see. Unpopular answer, but probably the best. So. Not much new to report.

Pray for the usuals:
drain stoppage
accelerated wound healing
rest
absolutely no new complications rearing their ugly heads

2 updates for you to read! Pray for no drainage please!

2010-01-30T11:22:00.000-08:00

Everyone is trying hard to be patient, especially THE patient. Hoping, praying and waiting is the work of the day and we are grateful that you are on the team with us. We need to focus our prayer efforts in asking the LORD to DRY UP those drains! Of course that will mean that the anastomosis of the pancreas and small intestine is healed and that is the goal. Also prayers for when Dan eats (Monday maybe??) that the drainage DOES NOT increase and he can continue eating and healing and be OUT of the hospital!!!!!!!!!!!

Psa 27:13
I believe that I shall look upon the goodness of the Lord
in the land of the living!
Psa 27:14
Wait for the Lord;
be strong, and let your heart take courage;
wait for the Lord!

saturday, january 30, 2010

We've already discussed this.
Well, it took me 3 weeks but I got a mild scolding from McGreeky. With everyone wanting to know a solid plan, it falls to me to do the questioning. Apparently, he is getting tired of it. He has been very patient, though, so his firm "we have already discussed this several times" didn't sting as much. To my credit, we have heard 2 different plans for the past couple weeks and we just want to know which one he's working with today!

Anyway, Dan's doing well today. The residents are all taking a huge test today, so doctors didn't bother us until 0930. Whoa. McGreeky and the nurse changed the wound vac again, and he was very pleased with the progress. He's making some modifications to the suction and sponges to help Dan's wound begin to contract. This is certainly a large step in the right direction.
The drains have decreased dramatically. The past few days totals: 250, 140, 120, 110, 85-ish. They MUST continue to decrease in this fashion for Dan to be able to eat. Labs have been ordered for every other day now and antibiotics might be discontinued tomorrow or Monday.

As for the "plan" I got in trouble for asking about, McGreeky really wants to do a feeding trial before Dan goes home. Accordingly, he wants to see the drains continue to decrease in output, let Dan eat a couple of days (Monday, maybe), then see what happens. Just like before, if the output stays the same, Dan is free to go home and eat. If the output increases, he has to spend a couple days "in-house" waiting for the TPN to start again. Either way, the surgeon says he should be home by end of next week.

For McGreeky's safety, I hope he lets Dan out before the Superbowl. Dan might get violent :)

Today will be spent with our sisters, Lise and Laura. They drove all the way up from SoCal yesterday to see Dan and I. So fun to spend time with people who don't live or work in the hospital. I'll be driving back with them tomorrow afternoon (I'm happy and sad about this, of course).

Prayer Requests:
* Release from the hospital earlier than the docs think (before Feb 7th)
* Decrease in drain output to nothing!
* Continued healing of the wound
* Feeding trial to begin on Monday and be very successful (no increase in output)
* Safe travels for me tomorrow and Tuesday night
* Comfort when we're apart
* Patience for McGreeky (too bad, buddy, we're asking questions)
* Confidence for Dan to go home to La Mirada soon :)

Praises:
* Wound healing
* Progress and improvement
* Good friends visiting (Lise and Laura!)
* A mighty God
Posted by Dan and Ashley at 10:52 AM 0 comments
friday, january 29, 2010

Another week?
The doctors must be getting tired. They arrive later and later every day. Today, McGreeky didn't arrive until nearly 11am, when Dan very kindly told him that he had hat head. The doc was in-between cases, so it was nice of him to come by and check things out.

Amazingly, he says that Dan is looking at one more week. Honestly, that is the 3rd or 4th time we've heard that, so who knows. Yesterday, it was 5 days. Today, it's a week. Tomorrow? Maybe he'll go backwards and decide on 3 days. Ha.

Anyway, he wants to change the wound vac tomorrow and Monday, while watching the drain output. He wants to "reassess" on Monday and probably try feeding Dan for a couple days. If the drain output stays the same, Dan gets to go home and eat! If the output goes up again, Dan will be have to re-cycle the TPN before going home. So, Dan could be home by Wednesday or Friday...but we have certainly heard that before.

To make matters worse, McGreeky is consulting a surgeon (McChief) who changes his mind a lot and could develop a new plan. (I'm not being impertinent or disrespectful; McGreeky actually told us that the other surgeon "changes his mind every day, so we don't really know, but I'll go with his advice.") We plan on asking McGreeky if "the plan" is changing or not, because it gets pretty old hearing his plans and then hearing them change due to another opinion. Of course, he keeps reminding us that dealing with this problem is stylistic...so, I'm hoping McGreeky sticks to his guns this time.

I think something has clicked in our minds that we can do absolutely nothing about getting Dan out of here. The nurses really don't think he needs to be here (nor some of the doctors), but I'm not sure we'll ever hear, "You can go home today" from McGreeky. Even when goals are met, new goals are made to delay discharge. Dan feels good, but it must be discouraging to not be able to get out of here even after great improvement.

So, I'm driving to LA on Sunday, then flying up north again Tuesday night. It's my last semester of nursing school, so I have to actually go (Dan's doctor seemed glad that I was coming back, so maybe I haven't bugged him too badly yet). I'm hoping, I'll be able to drive Dan out of Stanford before I go back to school again.

Let's just pray that Dan is home for the Superbowl...9 days.

Prayer Requests:
* The surgeon feels confident to trust his decision-making and actually commit to a "plan"
* Dan's release from the hospital...4 weeks is a LOT different than 10 days
* Complete drying up of drains (I mean NOTHING)
* Improvement of wound
* Successful feeding trial--no increase in drain output at all while eating
* Cooperative/flexible professors to allow me to keep spending time up north
* Dan going home to La Mirada SOON (before I begin clinicals on Feb 17)

Praises:
* Dan feels fine
* Families being helpful and coming to visit
* Financial security
* Ability to fly back and forth

a good day Dano says- read on:

2010-01-28T22:35:00.000-08:00

thursday, january 28, 2010

A little sunshine
If you've been keeping up with the blogs (or have been in Northern California for a few weeks), you may remember that it had been raining and storming pretty nastily. Well, I think we're on day 3 of sunny days. Today, I ventured the furthest I have gone since surgery (the reader is now aware of the author). I went out to the hospital front door and out by some nice fountains with a few ducks lounging in the corner. Despite my new low weight (165 down to 145 and now up to 148), I wasn't too cold in the January air. It was nice to see the outside and feel real air.

Earlier this morning, the doctors changed my wound vac. My skin did NOT appreciate the removal of the adhesive covering, and the whole of the procedure hurt pretty badly, even after taking some pain meds beforehand. But the doctors said it looked better than it did before. It is 'granulating', which is a step towards healing, I have been told. I am getting tired of having an open wound, so this wound vac that is speeding things up is my friend right now. I mean, had it not been for an infection, the wound would have never been reopened and my only concern would be the drains. Too bad. Speaking of the drains, I think they're still at their low pace (about 140/day combined), so that's good.

My surgeon thinks I'll be out of the hospital in 5 days. That is not the greatest news, because that also means Ashley will have to go to school while I'm in the hospital. But at least it's better than 'we'll wait and see.' Here's some sunshine breaking through the clouds: after 3 or 4 days, they're going to put me on a food trial and see what happens with my drains (as was the plan before- if the output goes up, I go back on TPN, but if the output stays the same, I can go home and eat!) Either way, I get to eat soon. You may or may not know how elated I am by that thought.

We've been loved on by some special women today. First, my mom came (and is still here) to spend the day with us. Then, we got a care package and some letters in the mail (I get more mail here than at home!) The package was from one of Ashley's nursing instructors, and had stuff for Ashley and me, including a 5-year-old's rendition of a football game between the Jets and the Angels (he has some learning to do). The cards were from a friend of my mom's; she and the people in her office pitched in and gave us some money to pay for Ashley's flights to and from LA. Then my Aunts Patty and Debbie wandered in and talked for a while, then took my mom and wife out to lunch.

Today was a good day (all things considering). We needed a good day. There have been a lot of mediocre to bad days. There might be some more coming, too. But today--- today was a good day. It was a nice gift from God. I'm open for more of it.

pray for
drain stoppage
wound vac efficacy
wise decisions from the doctors
sleep-filled nights in the hospital
more good days
:)

Tuesday - slow and steady progress

2010-01-26T21:51:00.000-08:00

Ashley's blog gives us the update of today's progress ( albeit somewhat slow ). Dan is moving forward which is GREAT!!!!!!!!!

Psalm32:6 -7
Therefore let everyone who is godly
offer prayer to you at a time when you may be found;
surely in the rush of great waters,
they shall not reach him.
You are a hiding place for me;
you preserve me from trouble;
you surround me with shouts of deliverance. Selah

tuesday, january 26, 2010

Sucker
Not a whole lot has changed today, but things are finally starting to make some progress.

The day began with an ambush by the residents at 0620 wanting to change the wound dressing, followed by the charge nurse telling us that we had to pack up our stuff and be moved to another room by 0730. Fun. We had been warned that we were moving to a new room eventually because all of the rooms are getting new TVs and Dan's room was one of the last to be modified. So, I packed up our stuff and my sleepy husband and moved to a new address down the hall. Everyone was busy at shift change, so I had move it all by myself--even the bed! But, I got to keep my sleeper couch, which makes up for the work.

The doctors finally decided to put the wound vac (the sucker for the wound) on Dan's wound today. Everything went fine, though Dan said it hurt quite a bit from the intense suction. He is slowly getting used to it. McGreeky was very confident that the wound vac would greatly speed healing. We certainly hope so.

Also, Dan's hematocrit dropped a teensy bit more today. The doctors believe that his marrow is having a hard time recuperating from the stress of surgery and blood loss. Accordingly, McGreeky has agreed to give Dan a blood transfusion (RBCs and fresh frozen plasma) to give his system a boost. Dan's been pretty tired today, but after some blood and a higher calorie TPN mix, he should feel almost great tonight.

We are getting used to our new room, which has a good view of the helicopter landing pad. A few friends even came to visit to help break it in. Thanks, Grant and Lise!

Now, we just have to keep ourselves occupied until things really turn around and Dan can get out of here. Dan's drains have decreased today, but we need to keep them decreasing permanently! At discharge (which seems like another week away), Dan has to go to his parents' house in Lodi for at least a week. We're both bummed about this because it means I will be living alone in our apartment for a while until Dan can come home. My professors are only making me do a couple days a week for the next two weeks so I can be up north with Dan. Lodi isn't home for him, but it will be better than the hospital!

Prayer Requests:
* Continued decrease of drain output...permanently!
* Efficacy of the wound vac
* Safe tranfusions today
* Confidence for the surgeon so Dan can leave the hospital earlier than expected
* Drastic improvement (we're talking huge enough that the surgeons are surprised)
* Release before I have to go to Biola, so I can help him get settled :)

Praise:
* New TV?
* Wound vac!
* Drain decrease (at least a little)
* Understanding professors
* God's power and love
* Transfusion

Sunday - Dan speaks

2010-01-25T21:07:00.001-08:00

saturday, january 23, 2010

Extended Edition
Today is day 15 that I have been in the hospital (16 if you count surgery day, but I was unconscious for most of that day). According to the doctor today, they want to add another six to make it a full 21. Four days they want to watch me and my drain output while I'm NPO (not eating), then the next two days see what happens when I eat. So the good news of me being able to eat is masked by the fact that it is preceded by four more days of NPO. I've lost about a pound a day since they've been weighing me (came into surgery at about 170, fell to 150, and have since fallen to 145), and I'm eager to start eating again and regain some weight.
Ideally, the output from the two drains should go below 200 combined mL/day; right now, hovering at about 250. The two-day eating test is to see what happens to the output when I eat; if it rises substantially, they'll send me home with TPN (not ideal); if it doesn't rise too much, then I can go home and eat.

This six-day idea kinda tweaks plans. Before, there would be plenty of time to stay in NorCal for a little while so I could be close enough to Stanford in case I needed a little extra doctoring, but the plan ultimately being to go back home to La Mirada while I recoup. Now, we're cutting it close to the beginning of Ashley's school. A lot depends on my exit status (can I eat, what will my wound care look like, what do I do with my drains), so it's hard to make plans.

It's just really frustrating because of how many times it's looked like I could go home but just never happened. We have plenty of things to occupy our time in here, but hospital rooms are no place to live. We need to get back to something real. It's also frustrating because other factors are improving, like my fevers going down. In other words, while there is progress, it is not the progress we need.

Pray that:
my drains stop up. period.
my wound heals more quickly than is medically expected.
we would not be discouraged at the extension of time.
that the timeframe would not be extended any longer.

Monday night

2010-01-25T21:05:00.000-08:00

So it has been a good news-bad news day. In the overall scheme of things, Dan is progressing, albeit slowly. Please read on, but before you do:

Rom 15:13
May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.

From Dan:
monday, january 25, 2010

Just a little PO'd
If you read the last blog, you read that
1) another surgeon was going to consult on my case so that I could be assured a well-rounded decision
and
2) the plan was two days NPO, two days eating, decide from there TPN or not and go home.

Well, this morning the surgeon came in (who reminded me of my US History prof at Biola) and consulted. I kinda wish he hadn't.
He said that I needed to be NPO longer, though he was going to up my TPN so I wouldn't be as hungry. He wants to put a wound vac in tomorrow (which I think is a fine idea- I'm ready for the wound to close). He wasn't too concerned about the underlying hole- there's something they can cover it with and it won't be a problem. However, instead of a set timeline like McG gave me, now, I'll have to be evaluated at the end of the week. I suppose that could still mean a release date of Friday, but it could also mean I'll be stuck here longer. And even when I do get home, I'll be on TPN for sure, to be renegotiated by weekly meetings with the doctor.

So I mean, there's good news mixed with bad; I think the good news is marred by the fact that I'm still here. I even think the drain output went down. Maybe if it keeps going down, today's decision can get overridden and I can go home sooner. Maybe that's just wishful thinking.

Also, Ash just spoke with her nursing professor and needs to be down there a couple days a week to be able to graduate. So, pray for cheap flights and safe drives. This will be a long month.

What we do now is wait and see (surprise, surprise). Keep walking. Keep breathing. Keep doing something to pass the time. Pray for drains to stop. Pray to go home. Pray just because that's what you do in all situations.
Right now my goal is to be out by the Pro Bowl, of which I could write another entire blog, because of the timing and location change this year which the NFL will likely regret and hopefully reverse. But that's not what this blog is about.

Keep praying for us.
Dan & Ash

From Ashley:
sunday, january 24, 2010

A tardy update
As the night got later, I suddenly realized that neither of us had updated the blog. I apologize for the lateness. Our day was full of visitors.

This morning was basically the same as the past few have been. Early rising for a dressing change, rounds by the residents and waiting for McGreeky to come by. The wound is looking better, though there is a small hole in the fascia that will result in a hernia. Fortunately, the surgeons will be able to fix it during the next surgery very easily. The surgeon is going to consult another attending on the unit to ensure that it is safe for Dan to have the little hole for a few months. We're just hoping whatever they decide will not interfere with Dan's discharge. McGreeky mentioned another week, and I became uneasy with the repetitiousness of his time intervals. After he left, Dan and I talked about what was going on and decided that the issue of length of stay needed to be discussed.

I went out and caught the surgeon before he left, and he graciously came back into the room. Dan explained that it feels as though all he has been doing is waiting, and waiting is something he could be doing at home. He told the doc that being NPO for a week and being in the hospital was harming his strength and spirits. Dan told him that he wanted to do what was safe, but was tired of waiting for something that wasn't working. Accordingly, McGreeky decided that Dan will be NPO today and tomorrow. Tuesday and Wednesday, they will let him eat. If the drainage increases substantially, Dan will need to go home on TPN (which will need to be re-cycled through his body a couple days before d/c). If the drainage stays the same, Dan will go home on a diet and just wait out the drainage. The surgeon even conceded that there really isn't much being done for Dan in the hospital right now.

Having the doctor give specific days and plans and admit that Dan really doesn't need the hospital, gives Dan and I some leverage for negotiation. At the end of the day, Dan is the one in control of what's going on--it's his body. The doctor is here for Dan, not the other way around. I was so proud of Dan as he expressed how he was honestly feeling and only hope that he can continue to press the doctor to stick to his word. Being in the hospital is not helping Dan get better. He needs to go home.

After the doctor left, we got cleaned up and prepared for an onslaught of visitors. Lise finally made it to Stanford for the first time after arriving home from Rwanda on Thursday. She is our sister in all the ways that matter. Oh, it was so good to have her around.

Then, Katal arrived. She found someone (well, her husband found time) to watch her little rug rat, so she came to see us. It was so lovely to be able to hear about someone else's adventures and ongoings.

Finally, my parents, brother and grandpa showed up to keep us company, too. Mom brought clean laundry and a refill of food. Dad brought some homework, Nick brought some hunger and Papa C just brought himself as a buddy to watch football with. Amazingly, Dan didn't get too tired out with all the company. I loved having my family and my closest friends around me. Sometimes, a hospital gets a little lonely.

Now, the day is coming to a close, and I am perched on the edge of the hospital bed as Dan sleeps. His arm around my waist keeps me warm and reminds me of something very important: 'home' can mean very many things. As much as we want to be back in our little apartment in La Mirada, we are home as long as we have each other. It seems so strange that we have only been married a year and a half. Feels like a decade at least. We have surely seen some good times and bad times in our relationship. Yet, standing upon the Solid Rock, we are safe.

Prayer Requests:
* Healing of the wound without any new infection or complication (no additional surgery necessary)
* Healing of the pancreas leak
* Approval for Dan to be able to go home on a real food diet THIS WEEK
* Wisdom for the doctors and an understanding of the benefits of home
* Discharge home BEFORE SUNDAY (so I can go to my first day of classes)
* No need for Dan and I to be separated during recovery (he wants to go to LA after d/c)
* Supernatural intervention and healing

Praises:
* Wonderful friends and family
* Patient doctors
* Resolution of infection
* Energy from the TPN

3 Friday blogs from Ashley! Please read some good news!

2010-01-22T22:13:00.000-08:00

friday, january 22, 2010

Pleasant People
You know, I bet it takes a lot to still be willing to answer a bunch of questions right after you've performed a 5-6 hour surgery and spent the day in clinic. McGreeky is just a pleasant guy. Dan had a CT today and rather than making us wait until tomorrow to hear the results, the surgeon came on over and listened to us. Patiently. Listening might do more for calming a person that having all the right answers at that moment.

The CT provided comforting results that the excess fluid floating around has lessened by half and there appear to be no signs of additional infection. Good news.

Dan and I asked about his hematocrit that has dropped rather than increased and about the leaky pancreas. The hematocrit levels are blamed upon Dan's chemo a couple years back and on the toll of hospitalization. The pancreas drainage is still chugging along, though it might be losing some steam. McGreeky was humble enough to admit that things are not going as quickly as he would have expected, but also told us he was being as aggressive as possible (without opening him back up). Yet, he thinks the rate will decrease and the worst of the dangers are behind us. He said to cross our fingers, but we'll stick to praying.

McGreeky also mentioned that he wants Dan to fully heal before going ahead with the next step of the surgery. Instead of 2-3 months, he's thinking more 4 months.
My nervous mind makes me worried...I graduate in 4 months. So, hopefully, we can talk the doc into doing the surgery at least a month before May 29 or waiting until after. I don't think I could walk without Dan there...he's how I got through nursing school! Before anyone starts telling me "Slow down, stop worrying, my goodness, blah blah blah." I know! At least if I vocalize this concern, I can be joined in prayer for it right?

Another group of pleasant people also visited: the Sizeloves! They brought all the kids and sat at the front lobby of the hospital so they could see Dan (kids aren't allowed in the hospital due to H1N1). Mark and Rachel were thrilled to finally see Dan, since they've only seen me these past few weeks. The kids even packed us a present bag: play-do, hot wheels, bubbles, a puzzle and a book. They drew us pictures, which now decorate our wall. I'm not sure we can ever express how thankful we are for Laura and Jon. They have never failed to open their home to us while at Stanford. Such a blessing. I hope someday, Dan and I can be just as hospitable as they.

Anyway, this is the 3rd blog in one day. Phew. Unless something major happens, I'll update more tomorrow.

Prayer Requests:
* Healing of pancreas and wound
* Recuperation of Dan's bone marrow (for hematocrit)
* Wisdom for planning the next surgery
* Rest for the surgeons (they look tired!)
* God to be glorified through us and this situation
* School scheduling, etc.

Praises:
* Good news from CT
* Patient doctors
* Encouraging friends
Posted by Dan and Ashley at 4:57 PM 0 comments
Path Report
We forgot to share the the pathology report came back from Dan's tumors!

The lab is still having a difficult time determining the exact kind of cancer Dan has and has sent some samples to Johns Hopkins for a consult. The pancreatic tumor was fairly active, though encapsulated to make it behave a little better.

2 liver tumor samples showed just scar tissue and DEAD tumor tissue. The other 2 liver tumor samples showed mostly scar tissue with a small amount of necrotic cancer. That means his liver had a nearly complete response to the chemo and radiation.

The surgeons saw some swollen lymph nodes beneath the pancreas and believed that the cancer may have spread to the lymph system (very bad). They removed 22 nodes...and NONE had any trace of cancer. Yay!

The doctor is very pleased with the report and pointed out that the most active cancer is gone along with its margins.

That being said, one more small procedure and one more large surgery could make Dan a cancer-free man. Whoa!
Posted by Dan and Ashley at 1:36 PM 0 comments
Today is yesterday's tomorrow.
I tried to get Dan to write this since he wrote such a great blog yesterday, but...no luck. You're stuck with me.

Today is much like yesterday and the day before yesterday and the day before that.

Dressing changes show a wound that is healing, just very slowly. The skin and adipose tissue looks very healthy but the fascia (tough under-layer) is healing with some holes. Thus, Dan will have a hernia when the wound closes up. Luckily, he's having another surgery in the near future (the other half of the liver resection) in which they will fix the hernia and shrink some of the scar. The docs still want to put a wound vac on him, but are waiting for the slow-like-molasses-in-snow wound to clean up and look nice. No point trapping infection inside under a sponge and suction!

The drains may have slowed a touch last night. One of them went for 8 hours with nothing! And then drained faster to catch up with its twin. Dan is on a medication called octreotide to lessen the secretions, which has been increased in dosage 3 times already. Between that and the NPO status, his pancreas should stop throwing a hissy fit soon.

McGreeky announced that discharge will not be until midweek next week. Dan will most likely go home on TPN at nights and clear liquids in the day time. He's thrilled (note sarcasm), but wants to go home regardless. So, we will have two additions to our little family: Mr. Wound Vac and Mr. TPN.

Right now, I am discussing with case management where home health needs to be. We thought we would be going to Santa Rosa for a week to recuperate before going to La Mirada, but as this hospitalization has grown longer--the beginning of school for me has grown closer. I may need to miss a couple of the first days (if you know me, you know I'm bummed), but we hope to get to our apartment as soon as is safe. Luckily, Biola's nursing program has surrounded Dan and me with prayer and support and is doing everything possible to help me graduate on time.

For those of you concerned that we are going to be in SoCal alone, we will not be alone. We live in a complex filled with wonderful families who have offered to help us in anyway possible. Additionally, I work at a hospital on a surgical floor where I believe I can find answers to questions that arise. Also, I'm in nursing school surrounded with wonderful and skilled nurses. Finally, Stanford is always a phone call away (and a quick airplane ride if necessary). Psychologically, Dan feels he wound heal better in our apartment. He needs some normalcy. If for some reason, something comes up that would necessitate staying in Northern California, however, we have enough wisdom to do what is best for Dan's health.

Today will hopefully provide some good news as to the collection of fluid in Dan's abdomen. He is currently drinking more contrast fluid for another CT. This one will be before 1 am! McGreeky is specifically checking to see of the small abcess has resolved or if there is anything else to "go after" in his abdomen. We are praying for only good results. No more setbacks!

Thank you for all the prayers and support you have given us. From cards to games to food (for me) to flowers (thanks, Mama!), your love is very apparent.

You will note that I am now including praises to the Lord. Many prayers have been answered. To God be the glory.

Prayer Requests:
* Clear, good results on the CT today
* Drying up of the pancreatic drains!!!
* Continued wound healing and start of wound vac
* Flexibility and understanding of the case managers and doctors in d/c planning
* Encouraging news
* Release from the hospital in time for me to begin school on February 1st
(We can be surrendered to God's timing and still hope and ask for expeditiousness)

Praises:
* Safe surgery despite its length
* Very excellent pathology report
* No VRE/MRSA in wound
* No increase in drainage last night
* Encouragement from family/friends
* A private room for me to stay with Dan (and a shower!)
* Compassionate nurses and excellent doctors
* The Great Physician is in control

droopy thursday

2010-01-21T13:06:00.000-08:00

As you can read their hearts are as dreary as the rainy skies. LORD God please bring some encouragement to their hearts today.
Psalm 31:24
Be strong, and let your heart take courage,
all you who wait for the Lord!

thursday, january 21, 2010

Discouraged
Neither of us feel like blogging, so this will be short or not very exciting.

Dan is basically the same as yesterday. His wound looks about the same--not getting worse, but not clean enough for the wound-vac idea the docs had. It would speed healing, but his wound isn't ready yet.

His drains have shown no decrease whatsoever. Even without food for 3-4 days, his pancreatic leak persists. Dan would prefer to have a leak because of food. The TPN keeps him from being too hungry, but knowing his GI system can handle food makes it difficult to still be allowed to eat. As the leak persists, there is no reason for the docs to let him eat again.

His infection seems to be mostly gone. WBC count better (10.7) and no fevers.

McGreeky says he'll be here at least through the weekend. Personally, I've lost my confidence in his estimation skills (a couple hours=7 hours?), so I'm not getting too excited when Monday rolls around.

Basically, room 339 is getting restless, discouraged and sad. We aren't getting any reasons to believe we'll be living any where but here in the near future. I'm beginning to feel the pressure of school being a week away. I need to write essays, order books, pay rent, organize my schedule, etc. Biola is being very flexible with me, but I was hoping to be able to make it to the first day of school (February 1st). That is very unlikely.

Dan's day revolves around 4 dressing changes, antibiotics, getting cleaned up, walking around the unit and sleeping. For someone who doesn't feel that bad, days in the hospital go by slowly.

I apologize if this is not the tone everyone is used to from us. We're tired. We're hoping God will intervene, but having a hard time expecting Him to.

Prayer Requests:
* Continued healing of pancreas and wound
* Increased speed with which Dan's body heals
* Dry pancreatic drains
* Multiply the hours of sleep we are getting
* Some form of encouragement from the doctors
* Something good to happen--more than just a day of waiting
* Release from the hospital by next Monday (can't hurt to ask)
* Dan and I can make it home (La Mirada) in time for the first week of school
* Good spirits

Wednesday

2010-01-20T22:34:00.000-08:00

So now we get to hear from Dan himself! Bob & I just got back from a visit with him and he looks a bit stronger than he did on Monday. Please keep praying. Like Dan says it is a very slow process. I can only imagine how hard it is to be a patient patient in his situation. Appreciate you all so much Prayer Warriors!

Dan's blog:

wednesday, january 20, 2010

drip drip drip
It's really coming down out there. There are likely going to be floods in some places. And I am stuck inside hooked to a pole where my food and antibiotics drip, drip, drip. Such is my recovery: drip, drip, drip. The wound looks a little better. The drains are leaving about the same amount of liquid, but it looks like it's slowing. But still: drip, drip, drip. I'm really tired of being here, and I'd really like to be eating food, but I must keep dripping until I get to go home. At least things are improving. The TPN (food) in my new PICC line keeps my energy up to a fairly normal level, but I still miss eating for real.

I'm really glad that Ashley is here with me. She has been an amazing help and encouragement to me. I promised her I'd do this blog so she could watch a baby show on TLC, so... I don't really have much else to say. Keep praying, keep loving each other, and I'll see you when I get out.
Dan

Psalm 126
A song of ascents.
When the Lord brought back the captives to Zion,
we were like men who dreamed.
Our mouths were filled with laughter,
our tongues with songs of joy.
Then it was said among the nations,
“The Lord has done great things for them.”
The Lord has done great things for us,
and we are filled with joy.
Restore our fortunes, O Lord,
like streams in the Negev.
Those who sow in tears
will reap with songs of joy.
He who goes out weeping,
carrying seed to sow,
will return with songs of joy,
carrying sheaves with him.

Tuesday is better!

2010-01-19T21:06:00.000-08:00

Dan is doing better today as Ashley's blog will tell you. Cards, calls, emails are welcome! as are your continued prayers.

Psalm 46:10-11
“Be still, and know that I am God.
I will be exalted among the nations,
I will be exalted in the earth!”
The Lord of hosts is with us;
the God of Jacob is our fortress.

Tuesday, january 19, 2010

Hurry up and wait
I looked at the clock and just realized that I haven't updated everyone today! Oops. My folks came to visit, I went to the Sizeloves to take a shower, went for lunch, and just hung out with Mom and Dad. Felt so nice to have them around. (Thanks for doing my laundry, Mom!)

Today is another day of waiting, which is something we are going to be doing a lot of in the near future.

We were told to wait patiently for the PICC nurse...and she showed up early! The line insertion went by the textbook, and Dan said it barely hurt this time. Luckily, his PICC nurse has been doing it for 19 years and teaches all the other PICC nurses. She had lots of stories, explained the newer technology they're using now, and gave me tips on getting into oncology nursing as that was her old field. She loves to teach, so she had an eager student for a while.

We were also told to wait for Dan to feel better after starting PPN (partial parenteral nutrition) last night...instead, he woke up feeling somewhat better. He even woke me up this morning with all of his energy. Though he still wants real food, he feels as though he is getting much better nutrition to keep him running on more than fumes. He'll be starting TPN (total parenteral nutrition) tonight through his PICC.

The biggest things we are waiting for are his drains to dry up and his wound to heal. These will keep us waiting for quite a while. The docs are hoping his pancreas (and now biliary anastomosis) will heal quickly while Dan is resting his bowels. One of the drains began putting out a new color of drainage: bile green. So, that means another anastomosis is leaking a bit. It is low output (by the doc's estimate), so they are simply watching it for now. The pancreas is slowing a little, but only a little.

Dan's wound got some special cleaning attention this morning from McGreeky. He spent a little time cleaning out the "nooks and crannies" before packing it. He feels that it is improving, albeit slowly. He is contemplating using a wound-vac to speed the healing, but the wound has to be very clean before that can happen. Perhaps a couple more days. Another doc just stopped by to see Dan's most recent dressing change and was surprised how good it looked this evening..."improving by leaps and bounds," she said.

So, now, we wait. It really does feel like we're rushing to get things done to get out of here, but it really won't be soon. Dan's really hoping for discharge this weekend, but we both know that he is safe here. Better to have most of the surprises occur at the hospital rather than at home!
Dan is getting restless and a little bored, so I'm trying to be creative. Any ideas for "fun" things to do in the hospital?

Prayer Requests:
* Continued healing of the wound by "leaps and bounds"
* Drying up of the pancreatic/biliary leaks (quickly!)
* Lack of hunger for Dan while NPO on TPN
* Safety for PICC line--no placement probs, infections or mix-ups
* Endurance and encouragement
* NO MORE COMPLICATIONS
* God's glory to be shown throughout this situation

Monday

2010-01-18T12:57:00.000-08:00

Ashley's blog says it all:
Monday, January 18, 2010
A blog I do not want to post
As much as I had wanted to blog today about going home, this update will be much different.

Dan finally got his CT around 1245 am! Luckily, the results showed that there are no large abscesses to "go after" surgically. There is some fluid rolling around in his belly, but they think it will begin to go away.

The bad news, though, came after the good. Dan's pancreas is leaking too much for the comfort of the docs. If Dan were not having more surgery in the near future, McGreeky said he would send him home with the drains and let the pancreas heal on it's own. However, with more surgery on the horizon, the surgeons want to be aggressive with forcing his pancreas to heal. Thus, Dan is again NPO. He'll be getting another PICC (peripherally inserted central catheter) line tomorrow to start TPN (total parenteral nutrition). He's lost about 20 pounds the past 10 days, so he's very behind on nutrition.

The plan now is to let Dan's bowels and pancreas rest long enough for it to heal. He will not be allowed to eat more than sips of clears until his drains dry up. The earliest this could happen in Thursday--the very earliest. Dan could go home on TPN if his body tolerates it well. It is becoming more and more convenient that I am in nursing school (and almost done), as I can do the dressing changes for his wound, his PICC and take care of the TPN.

McGreeky wants to be aggressive and cautious, making sure Dan recovers completely. He sees this as a definite setback, but one that can be repaired.

Dan and I are obviously disappointed that we are looking at least 5 more days of hospital life when we were first told we could go home today. Yet, he is in really good hands here and it is comforting to know that the docs are keeping such a close eye on him.

As for me, I am basically living here. I have a comfortable couch to sleep on and a kitchen to make soup and such. I'm going to try to canoodle my way into the shower room on the floor...washing my hair in the sink might get old after a while!

Dan needs some cheering up--that's for sure. He is feeling fine and will feel even better once his nutrition picks back up. That being said, please call or email or visit. As long as you aren't sick and call first, Dan likes a little company to distract him.

What will help most, though, are your prayers. Dan needs a lot of healing.

Prayer Requests:
* Healing of the pancreas--quickly and finally (drying up of the drains)
* Resolution of infection(s)
* Endurance and encouragement for Dan (and maybe me)
* Understanding of the nurses (they've been very accomodating thus far)
* God's kind of healing--the massive kind that shows that only He could have healed Dan
* Good news!
* God's glory through our actions

Bless the LORD, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless His holy name! Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits, who forgives all your iniquity, who heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit, who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy, who satifies you with good so that your youth is renewed like the eagle's. Psalm 103:1-5

Sunday afternoon update

2010-01-17T17:05:00.000-08:00

I am getting behind here. I am copying 3 of Ashley's blogs and adding an urgent prayer request: Dan is awaiting for a CAT scan to see whether or not he has an abcess brewing inside. Stanford is experiencing a deluge of trauma cases so Dan's case is being bumped. His drain output is increasing somewhat and his fever is continuing. So he may or may not be getting out tomorrow. That looks a bit bleaker at the moment. Please pray for the CAT scan to take place SOON and for the results to be good and the infection to be healed by God or by medicine.
I can't tell you how much I appreciate your prayers. You are standing with us as we walk through this storm and we are blessed.

Ashley's blogs:

sunday, january 17, 2010

Where's the Barium?!
So, CT was supposed to be around noon. Ha.
It's now nearly 2pm and radiology hasn't even sent up the contrast.
So, Dan has to eat nothing for a CT that we don't have any timeline for. Lame.
Dan just had the charge call down to see what the hold up is.
We'll see...in a long time!

Please keep praying that the CT does NOT show an abscess or anything scary.
Also, pray his wound cultures do NOT show VRE!

Stay tuned. (Or, just check in before bed and we should know something)

sunday january 17, 2010

Another Day
The night was pretty uneventful. The intern came in looking exhausted, drinking coffee and sat down for a while. After talking about the latest movies he has seen, he finally welcomed our questions. Basically, he said the fevers could be from the wound infection or from another type of infection internally. The labs could be from the same causes. The increased JP drain output could be from jostling around or from increased pancreatic leaking or from the removal of the other drain. He said not to worry about it quite yet, but that they will be monitoring Dan to see what happens.

This morning, McGreeky stopped by and changed the dressing. He said the wound is looking better a bit, but still has some purulent drainage. Also, he was concerned about Dan's WBC count yesterday (20). Though it came down to 16 today, he wants to do a CT to check for a liver abcess or other type of fluid collection internally. If they find something, another drain will need to be placed and we'll likely be here at Stanford for a while longer. The doc says he thinks the CT will be a "low-yield test" in that he doubts that's what is happening. Accordingly, Dan will be staying today until more results are known. If all goes well, he can probably go home tomorrow.

Dan is still running low-grade fevers. It's becoming very frustrating. One vital sign (VS) check will show 37 and the next 38.3 and back and forth all day. His JP only drained 30ml last night, as opposed to 110 the (8 hr) shift yesterday afternoon. Unfortunately, the drainage is picking up again. McGreeky was fairly sure it is pancreatic juice being released, which means the leak is increasing a bit.

The CT is scheduled for early afternoon, but Dan has to drink contrast first, which hasn't shown up yet. Hopefully, it gets done on time and we can learn the results early evening. McGreeky said he will either call or drop by tonight, so we don't have to wait until tomorrow morning.

So, we're here another day. Dan still feels good, just a bit tired and frustrated. We need to go home soon.

Prayer Requests:
* A clean CT--no abcess or infection anywhere
* Resolution and healing of the wound infection
* Slowing of the JP drainage, eventual drying up
* No more fevers
* Sealing of the pancreatic leak on it's own (without surgical intervention)
* Guidance and wisdom for the docs
* Release from the hospital soon (and safely)
* Healing in all of Dan's body
* Encouragement and endurance

saturday, january 16, 2010

Bah!
Dan has been feeling great all day. He's taken two pain pills today at most, is eating more with no nausea and walking like crazy. He's even been less tired after his walks. When McGreeky saw him this morning, he felt confident that Dan would be going home tomorrow with only one drain. Unfortunately, the labs hadn't come in yet...

So, around 1300 I asked the nurse for a print out of the labs as I normally do. I was shocked to see that Dan's WBCs jumped from 11 to 20 today (normal below 11). Along with the words "toxic granulation" and "bands>20%" that means that his infection is not under control. Trying not to get too disappointed or worried, we decided to just ask the intern when he came around (picture a skinny, tall, apathetic Ben Affleck beach guy...his intonation never changes). Unfortunately, the intern is in charge of several units today and hasn't rounded yet.

While we've been waiting to ask some questions, another unfriendly change has occurred. Dan's drains were previously putting out hardly anything. One drain got removed (yay!) and we forgot about the drains for a while. Then, the CNA came to empty the remaining 2 drains and we discovered that one of them was basically full! This was a dramatic increase in output, which is worrisome because his pancreas is already leaky. So, this could mean that increased food has led to increased leaking of pancreatic enzymes, or some fluid just shifted when the other drain got removed or a little pseudocyst is resolving. Oddly, the drainage color has changed also. Unfortunately, we pretty much have no way of telling which one is going on.

We are still waiting for the intern to stop by, as Dan tries to cool down his fever. He's getting very tired of these temps :(

It is so frustrating to be so close to being released from the hospital to start recovery at home and then have things like this happen. Dan has felt so good today, that it's difficult to remember he's sick. Yet, it would be far worse for Dan to be sent home and have something unexpected happen away from the doctor's watchful eyes.

God is in control what ever happens.

Prayer Requests:
* Resolution of fevers and infection(s)
* That Dan's wound infection is NOT VRE (a nasty antibiotic resistant bacteria)
* Guidance for docs as to what the heck is going on with Dan's drain and labs
* Drying up of any pancreatic leak going on--big or small
* Peace and endurance for the both of us
* Getting out of here in God's timing when Dan is ready to go
* Cooperative digestive system
* NO MORE COMPLICATIONS

Rom 8:28-31
And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.
For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers.
And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified.
What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?

Friday the 15th

2010-01-15T12:25:00.000-08:00

I talked to Dan this morning and he and Ashley slept through the night! He has had no more vomiting and was able to eat small amounts of food throughout yesterday. The docs opened the entire outer incision today and are concerned that at the surgical sites inside the pancreatic enzymes are oozing around the junction of the pancreas and small intestine. So as there are good things happening there are also some complications that are fairly common. Keep praying for the GI tract to work normally and the leakage to stop and the wound to heal and any discouragement to flee. Slow and steady wins the race. God is using Dan and Ashley in my life and in many others lives and I am sure for people to come, too.

Romans 8:28 -32
And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.
For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers.
And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified.
What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?
He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things?

Ashely's blog:
thursday, january 14, 2010

Infeccion
Well, Dan has his first (hopefully last) infection. Last night, Dan had an episode of vomiting due to the nasty taste is his mouth. Concurrently, his incision began to ooze. When the surgeon came in this morning--dressed exceptionally nicely in a suit and tie--he decided to open up some of the incision to see what he could get out of it. McGreeky needed some help but it was shift change, so Jamie and I had to assist him. He tried to just open a tiny bit, but ended up opening up the lateral half of the incision. A lot of purulent fluid came out, so it's a very good thing he opened it up. Now, Dan has one more dressing to deal with, but hopefully less pain.

Dan said that he feels better today than he has since the surgery. Yay! He's walking and talking and even eating some regular food. He said it has taken away some of the bad taste in his mouth, which is great. Just taking things very very slow to prevent nausea and vomiting.

For now, the surgeons are thinking of discharge no sooner than 4 days. That's alright; it's nice to have so many eyes watching out for him. AND we have a private room now. Ahhhh.

Prayer Requests:
* Resolution of incision infection
* Cooperative digestive system...no more vomiting!
* Continued energy and endurance for Dan
* Helpful and understanding nurses
* God's timing for discharge and second surgeries

Thurs.

2010-01-14T09:38:00.000-08:00

Thurs A.M.
A few developments and prayer requests:
Dan's incision has developed an infection which is not too unexpected due to the amount of time his belly was open. So Dr. P came and opened it, drained it, flushed it, cultured it, packed & dressed it and then an intern had to come and do it all over again (wrong swab?) I enjoyed assisting while Ashley held the pt's hand.
Gastric emptying and nausea and vomiting still a problem. Dan is eating one bite, taking a walk, another bite, wait, taking it slow.
Sleep is better now they are in a private room, but I am sure they are both very tired.
Lab values are still a bit off
I would ask for encouragement and strength to endure for all.
I am heading to Lodi today. Be back on Saturday.
Leaving Dan in great hands - Jesus, Ashley and Stanford docs, rns, cnas

Words from Dan on facebook: progress is tough. dangit. improving though

Ashley's last blog:
wednesday, january 13, 2010

Tired
We're really tired and hopefully going to sleep soon. So, this will be a quick update.

After throwing up twice last night, Dan has felt better all day. The Toradol really seems to be working for him, to help him move and breathe as he should. He's had to take it easy on the liquids today, so he's hoping things begin to digest as they should tomorrow.

Apparently speaking your mind does help sometimes. Guest services returned and gave us a blanket, tote bag and parking pass as a sign of their appreciation. The best part of the day, though, was moving to his private room. It's bigger so I can sleep on a chair actually made for sleeping. Additionally, it should mean fewer interruptions in the night so Dan (and I) can get some rest.

Dan has had a low-grade fever all day. We thought it went away earlier, but now it's back a little higher. Ugh. Hopefully, it is not indicative of any infectious processes. Labs will help explain it in the morning.

Today was a blessing, though. Dan was lucid and happy and smiling. Amazing what pain control can do. I missed my husband these past few days. So glad he's coming back.

Prayer Requests:
* Fever breaks, remains gone and is NOT due to an infection
* Incision begins to heal more quickly and does NOT become infected
* Strength and endurance for Dan
* Continued improvement with no further complications
* A great night's sleep for Dan
* A cooperative and functioning digestive system
* Good news!

Psalm 16:11 You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.

thursday August 2

2010-01-14T09:37:00.000-08:00

Wednesday is good

2010-01-13T20:00:00.001-08:00

Wednesday Good news!!!!!!!!!!!!

Dan is in a private room with a roomy couch for Ashley to sleep on comfortably. Pain is under control without narcotics so Dan's mental status is now clear and Dan the Man is BACK! Happy day! Continued prayers for the GI tract to normalize would be good but he is well on the way in the recovery process. Ashley has not blogged today yet but here is her blog from yesterday and we see that God has already answered prayers. Thank you LORD God!

Ashley's blog:
tuesday, january 12, 2010

What a day
Today was pretty eventful...not in all good ways.

Dan's surgeons still feel that he is recovering beautifully. Poultsides even commented that Dan is in the 99th percentile of patients. His labs are improving steadily, except for that pesky hematocrit. As far as the things that the doctors are hoping to see, Dan has most of them. Yet, Dan still felt pretty crappy all day. The worst part was this strange fog that seemed to be clouding his brain. He would wake up, be alert for 15 minutes and then be exhausted and back to sleep again. This was not very helpful for doing the things he needed to do like walking and using his incentive spirometer. After discussing his grogginess with the surgeons, it seems like his liver just isn't clearing the narcotics as quickly as it should. As the day wore on, he became more and more lethargic, so he's now off the PCA and narcotics and valium...onto Toradol. The only concern with the new med is bleeding risk, so hopefully his H and H pick up tomorrow.

The next eventful thing was a visit from guest services to let me know that anything I post while on Stanford's wireless will be screened if it says something negative about the institution. A few days ago I wrote about one problem Dan and I have encountered: me staying with him overnight. The man from guest services wanted to know the full complaint and remind me that negative comments will be responded to. At the moment, Dan's surgeon has put in a request that I stay due to his mental status, the housekeeper is looking for a sleeper chair for me, a couple nurses just agree to let me hide out in the corner and now (this is exciting), Dan's next on the list for a private room! Having a private room would take away any problems with me staying over AND get me a cot. That would truly be nice. I'm not sure if/when any rooms will become available, but we're both hoping soon.

If anyone from Stanford is reading this, I want to express my gratitude for trying to make my husband's hospitalization as comfortable as possible. All of his nurses have been very skilled and intelligent and helpful. This is truly a wonderful hospital and in over 9 years of familiarity with Stanford, this is the first "bone to pick" I have encountered.

As for the last eventful moment, Dan's stomach finally decided that it was not happy with the amount of liquids and foods he had consumed. Accordingly, out of his groggy uncomfortable sleep, Dan awoke sweating profusely and emptying his stomach of it's contents. For a bit I panicked because I saw red coming out...then remembered the red Gatorade. The nurse came to the rescue with Zofran and was happy to see no green come up (bile). Incredibly, Dan came back to reality and said he felt a bit better. He could move better and breathe more deeply. We can't tell if the Toradol worked, if the Toradol made him sick or if his stomach was bloated and making his abdomen hurt. I suppose we'll find out in a few hours after his next dose of Toradol.

For now, it's nice to be able to talk to my husband clearly and have him smile a bit.

Prayer Requests:
* Pain management with the Toradol without side effects (bleeding, vomiting)
* Continued recovery without complications
* A working digestive system that allows Dan to eat (and keep it down)
* No soreness or injury from the vomiting episode
* Endurance and joy for Dan in the midst of suffering
* A private room soon
* Good news!

Psalm 63:1-8

O God, you are my God; earnestly I seek you;
my soul thirsts for you;
my flesh faints for you,
as in a dry and weary land where there is no water.
So I have looked upon you in the sanctuary,
beholding your power and glory.
Because your steadfast love is better than life,
my lips will praise you.
So I will bless you as long as I live;
in your name I will lift up my hands.
My soul will be satisfied as with fat and rich food,
and my mouth will praise you with joyful lips,
when I remember you upon my bed,
and meditate on you in the watches of the night;
for you have been my help,
and in the shadow of your wings I will sing for joy.
My soul clings to you;
your right hand upholds me.

Tues

2010-01-12T20:17:00.000-08:00

Seems like a long time since I have blogged. Dan continues to improve in many ways, specifically that his GI tract is waking up! The pain and groggy issues are still problems and the doctors are trying some new things to help him be more alert and still have help with his pain. Ashley is UNBELIEVABLY WONDERFUL! Redefines the word helpmate in my book. Pray for good rest for both of them tonight, alertness and decreased pain for Dan and the ability to do the things he needs to do to get better: walk, breathe deeply, sit in a chair, breathe deeply and have a positive attitude in the midst of this difficult situation. We do praise God for all the progress Dan has made. Tough road!

Here are Ashley's last 2 blogs:
tuesday, january 12, 2010

Mind over matter
I was right. It was a rough night.

Dan continued to feel rather crappy and began having worse dreams. He would wake up disoriented and it would take me quite a while to pull him back to reality. He began to feel as though he was being spiritually attacked. I set out the word for prayer, and we're determining to rely on God's protection and guidance.

This morning, we talked to the surgeons about Dan's alertness (or lack thereof) and they changed his PCA from dilaudid to fentanyl. He's not sure it's working any better, but he a little more alert. When McGreeky came to visit he was happy to see Dan more awake. I suppose we'll have to wait out the day to make sure things are picking up. The surgeon wants to switch Dan to non-narcotic oral pain meds tomorrow...which would mean no IV pole sometimes!

Speaking of McGreeky, he was actually happy about most of what's going on with Dan. He began diuresing the built-up fluids in his body last night without the help of Lasix. Additionally, his drains are putting out far less, which leads the surgeon to believe that the anastomoses are healing and not leaking. This is a huge praise as this was one of his initial concerns right after the surgery. Dan's hematocrit is still low at 24(it's been bouncing between 24 and 27 for the last couple days), but the surgeon is still waiting for the diuresis to balance out his levels. Dan's diet was advanced to soft foods, but Dan has asked to be backed down a level to full liquids to protect his stomach. He's getting a little more bloated and much more uncomfortable. Still no bowel sounds or passing of gas. On a good note, Dan is rid of the oxygen!

A few words from Dan: "I'm hanging in there and will be back to new in no time. I need my digestive system to cooperate."

Dan has been told several times now that this recovery will be mainly mind over matter. Yes, he feels rotten and in pain, but he's got to push through. He's stubborn anyway, so we just need to focus that stubbornness in the direction of getting better.

Prayer Requests:
* Bowel sounds and passing of gas (The longer it doesn't happen, the more miserable he'll feel. It could also prevent him from getting discharged on time)
* Pain control on less medication
* Awake and alert most of the day, no confusion or nightmares at night
* Letting me stay the night to help Dan with frequent ups and downs
* Husband/wife communication

monday, january 11, 2010

Rough nights
Somehow, the days in the hospital seem to fly by. It's the nighttime that tends to bring along problems. Most of the day, Dan felt good. Able to drink fluids easily, walking often, using the PCA less. In the past couple hours or so, he has become lethargic, nauseous and dealing with more pain. We're waiting to see if he has a fever again, but he feels warm.

To be honest, I was getting a bit worried because he just dozes off mid-conversation. Sometimes, he'll say things that don't make sense, yet I'll ask him and he'll say he was dreaming. The nurse is calling the doctor eventually to see if there is a fluid or electrolyte issue. Earlier, his surgeon thought he was out of it and blamed the pain meds. I hope he's just overly tired, but it doesn't seem normal to me.

I get the feeling that this may be a long night.

Prayer Requests:
* Dan's nausea and fever do away for good
* Pain can be kept under control with less medicine
* The surgeon's prediction of "home in 4-5 days" proves true
* Nurses allow me to stay with Dan, especially when he feels so crappy
* No complications (bleeding, infection, etc)

Monday - a new week to heal up

2010-01-11T14:13:00.000-08:00

Dan continues to make progress each day. he is walking more, drinking more, taking less pain medication because he is having less pain! So great news! Ashley gets you up to date on the rest:

monday, january 11, 2010

Stanford and Family Care
Good things are happening today.

Dan's foley came out, his IV fluids were decreased, he's drinking more fluids (without stomach cramping), and he's walked 3 times already today. His labs are improving also, especially his liver function tests. His hematocrit is still low (24), but the surgeon is pretty sure it's due to the amount of fluids he's received the past few days. McGreeky was actually happy with Dan's progress, which was great to hear. He lowered his PCA dose to try to wean him down slowly. Now, we're just waiting for bowel sounds to return.

I just got back from the Sizelove's house where I took a shower and a nap. Thought I should reassure our friends and family that yes, I am taking care of myself, too. Dan is sleeping right now. He seems to have tired himself out from all the walking. When I left, he was going to sleep. When I got back, he was going to sleep again. All part of the healing process.

Stanford is a great hospital, but Dan and I have discovered a bone to pick with them...they do not like family staying overnight.
This is odd to me because the hospital where I work has couches built into the wall that fold into cots. Throughout nursing school, we have been told that caring for the patient means caring for the family also. Well, Stanford is struggling with this a bit.
Last night, I made up my "bed" and went to sleep. At 11:15p, the new nurse told me I had to leave. Dan got upset and told her why I needed to stay. She checked with the charge nurse who agreed to let me stay. I'm not sure if she agreed because it was late or if Dan had made a good point. So, it looks like it's going to be a fight every night. I think (think) I could handle leaving late and coming back early before the docs arrive, but Dan really doesn't want me to leave. Keep that in your prayers please, for Dan's sake.

Prayer Requests:
* Continuing improvement of labs, pain and movement
* Appearance of bowel sounds
* Understanding charge nurse who will let me stay with Dan throughout his hospitalization
* Quick recovery...much more quick than the doctors expect

Col 1:9-12 And so, from the day we heard, we have not ceased to pray for you, asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God. May you be strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy, giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in light.

sunday afternoon update

2010-01-10T16:04:00.001-08:00

Dan did just make a complete circle around the unit and walked faster and took longer steps. He is sleeping now. Our friend Chris who is in his surgery residency emailed a note to Dan: walk walk walk and use your incentive spirometer (device that helps you breathe more deeply) while in bed.
Here are Ashley's updates this afternoon:
sunday, january 10, 2010

Slow and steady wins the race
So, the surgeon allowed Dan to have clear liquids today. What? That wasn't supposed to happen until day 4 or 5. Dan was thrilled to be able to drink some water, but quickly discovered that ice water has the tendency to make your stomach cramp up. Bummer. He's taking things very slowly where food is concerned.
I spoke to the nurse a short time ago and Dan's labs seem to be holding steady. No great improvement, but no discouraging trends either. We'll need to see how tonight and tomorrow morning's labs look to make sure everything is alright.
It seems as though Dan's fever is back, but no one seems very worried about it. Apparently, younger patients with this surgery get fevers frequently. Just makes Dan miserable.
Oh, and the nurse and housekeeper are trying to find me a sleeper chair. It would be lovely!

Prayer Requests:
* Fever and cramping go away
* Labs continue to improve or stabilize
* No more complications (bleeding, infections, etc)
* Endurance for Dan to keep moving

Bleeding?
A day with Dan in the hospital wouldn't be the same without some kind of worrisome problem.

Though Dan says he feels much better than yesterday, the surgeon does not seem to believe him. Additionally, some of Dan's labs are troubling. His liver function is not as good as the surgeon would have expected with this type of surgery. McGreeky was especially concerned about his hematocrit (a blood measurement), as it dropped from 35.3 to 27.5 since yesterday. This drop can be a sign of bleeding and has the docs and nurses on alert. There are no signs of external bleeding, so the concern would be internal bleeding in the surgical site. Accordingly, poor Dan is being bothered by all kinds of check-up questions to monitor for symptoms.

I'm anxiously awaiting the "noon" labs ordered by the surgeon, though he forgot to put the orders in so they might be "afternoon" labs. Please pray that Dan's levels stabilize and that there is NO internal bleeding. This would be a bad complication that set him back significantly.
Other than those concerns, Dan is doing well. Went for a walk, got cleaned up and is using his PCA far less than he was. Those things are very encouraging.

Prayer Requests:
* Blood levels stabilize AND no internal bleeding
* Pain remains under control with less medication
* Surgeon gains confidence in Dan's recovery
* Liver function begins to improve
* Dan remains confident and his endurance remains good

pray without ceasing

Day 2 post op

2010-01-10T10:11:00.000-08:00

Dan is up and walking again, ever further! Plans to walk during half time too. (NFL Playoffs on today) The fever is down and the pain is still present, but he definitely looks better today. Every day, a bit better. Thanks for praying- keep up the good work! Here is Ashley's blog this morning:

sunday, january 10, 2010

New Address
For some reason I didn't want to say for sure that Dan was being transferred until he really moved (I'm just a little stitious). Today, I can officially say, Dan is out of ICU! He is now in the transplant/surgery unit in a semi-private room with a very talkative neighbor. He and Dan talk over the curtain pretty often. They both had fevers last night, so they decided to turn down the thermostat...I froze but they were happy!

I was able to stay the night last night and will continue to do so as long as I get the "right" nurses. Apparently there is a charge nurse who might kick me out, but we'll see what happens. Perhaps, I can be persuasive. I had to be creative to make my "bed" out of two chairs, a pillow and some sheets. Yet, it felt nice to be able to help Dan at night time.

More excitingly, Dan went on his first walk last night. He did phenomenally! He said it hurt, but felt great to get up and moving. He went twice as far as most patients do on their first trek and impressed the nurses. His abdominal muscles have been spasming on and off due to trauma and lack of use, so he wants to walk as much as possible today.

Dan had a fever all day yesterday and it spiked last night up to 104. Around 2am, his fever broke! He's still a little warm, but walking around definitely helped. His pain is more under control, but the PCA had to be increased again. We'll ask the rounding team about getting an extra pain med ordered just in case.

Plan for the day: walk around a lot, clean up, and maybe find a sleeper chair for me.

Prayer Requests:
* Pain management
* No complications or infection
* Rest for Dan and myself
* Good reports from the doctor
* Continued improvement

Rom 5:1 -5
Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.
Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God.
More than that, we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance,
and endurance produces character, and character produces hope,
and hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.

post doc & mom & wife visit

2010-01-09T11:56:00.000-08:00

Dan looks like DAN-THE -MAN! What incredible endurance he has to come through his difficult day yesterday. His main issue today is pain and a fever. He actually got up and walked down the hall and back! He is using his medication button and getting antibiotics. His labs are fairly normal, with a few that are a little out of normal range. The tubes are steadily being removed (a good sign), but a few do remain. It does appear that he will be moving out of ICU to the floor today which is great news, especially for Dan. He can get much better rest and have Ashley with him to care for him and love him.
Thanks for all your prayers for Dan.

Ashley's latest blog:

saturday, january 9, 2010

Better
Dan is doing a bit better. His pain is under control now, though he still needs to use the PCA religiously. He has lost a lot of the tubes and lines he had after surgery. No more NG, no more art-line, no more central line (happening now). Strangely, his hand is numb from the art-line possibly hitting a nerve, but the doctors aren't too concerned. Also, he has a fever that has persisted since early this morning. Again, the doctors are just watching it.

As of now, we are waiting to hear from his nurse about when he is getting transferred to the med/surg unit. Yay! Dan is very excited to be out of the ICU. He'll get some sleep and we'll be able to see him for more than half an hour at a time.

Prayer Requests:
* Dan is moved safely and is received by a good/understanding nurse
* Pain management!
* His fever goes away and is NOT indicative of infection
* Dan can start moving around and walking tomorrow (big request, but possible)
* I can start staying the night in Dan's room (he really wants this to happen)
* No complications arise
* Recovery is speedy
I would add too that we all remain patient as the patient's body heals. It can be a long process and will probably be slower than we think it should be! BUT then again, Dan is an amazing young man and may surprise us all and Jehovah Rapha, the LORD our Healer, may surprise us too. We praise the LORD for His great mercy shown to Dan and us.

Lam 3:22-24
The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases;
his mercies never come to an end;
they are new every morning;
great is your faithfulness.
“The Lord is my portion,” says my soul,
“therefore I will hope in him.”

deep sigh after a longgggggggggg day

2010-01-09T09:33:00.000-08:00

As always Ashley says it best in her blog which I have copied below. Only the young can think clearly after an exhausting day and a few hours sleep! We have not yet seen Dan today but the 5:30 am report was that he was doing okay. The dr has not been in yet. I hope he was able to sleep in today. He is young (the dr) but 14+ hours of surgery is still a long time, don't you think? Dan is young and "robust" as the anesthesiologist told us. We all know that prayer has proven to scientifically make a difference in patient outcomes and yesterday and the days to come will prove that to be true. We have really felt all your prayers carrying us along on God's sea of grace. For specific requests please read Ashley's blog. Our verses today:

Isa 40:27 -31
Why do you say, O Jacob,
and speak, O Israel,
“My way is hidden from the Lord,
and my right is disregarded by my God”?
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.

saturday, january 9, 2010

A very long day
After nearly 15 hours, Dan came out of surgery last night around 2230.

Dr. Poultsides looked exhausted when he came to talk to us. Apparently, the Whipple part of the surgery was done quickly, but the liver resection became very tricky. The tumors were surrounding major blood vessels in the liver, so the surgeons had to very gently and slowly remove the tumor tissue. Also, the surgeon used radioablation on the margins where he resected to try to kill off remaining unseen tumor cells. He said Dan's liver was very sticky from previous radiation treatment. Thus, the liver resection took 9 hours! Due to the length of time Dan was under general, the surgeon has left the last part of this surgery (ligating the portal vein) to be done a little bit later. Dan doesn't know it yet, but he has another procedure to undergo before he can go home.

The surgeon wants the second surgery to be in 2-3 months, which gives Dan a lot more time to recover. That was a sweet bit of news to hear. Though, he said the next surgery will also take an enormous amount of time. Yet, McGreeky (as I have named him), said Dan got the Cadillac surgery. Lots of time, care and attention. He deserves it!

The entire surgical team was very impressed with how well Dan handled the surgery. His "robustness" required a lot of extra narcotics to keep him sleeping. The anesthesiologist told us that he has never been able to extubate a patient after 15 hours of surgery...but with Dan, he could.

By 2300, Dan was breathing completely on his own. The pharmacy failed to fill the order for the PCA, so Dan was quite upset by the fact that he couldn't push a pain button. However, his first complaint was the oxygen mask...then the NG tube...then his dry mouth...then his 8/10 pain. Only Dan could prioritize his needs like that. Gotta love him.

The nurses allowed us to come back and see him in the ICU. After a day of helplessness, it felt good to be able to DO something. Dan was glad to see me, but far more happy that I could swab his poor mouth with some water. That made him smile a bit. It was terrible to leave him alone in the ICU, but rules are rules. Hopefully, he got some sleep with all of the ICU noise. He has 3 neighbors! Yikes.

McGreeky wants Dan to be walking and using incentive spirometry before he transfer to a med/surg floor. Everyone else thinks that's kinda crazy to expect. Dan's nurse last night said usually whipple patients leave the ICU the day after surgery. I hope so.

Jamie, Mom and I all stayed with the Steins in San Jose. As much as I hate to admit it, I really needed the sleep and the shower. Everyone has been telling me to take care of myself so as to better care for Dan...so, I'm working on it.

Now, the 3 of us are sitting outside of the ICU keeping guard ready to jump the surgeon for information. We can't be in rounds, so McGreeky said he would call my phone (ha maybe). Rather than wait all day for a phone call that might be forgotten, we're gonna try to catch him as he's leaving.

I'll keep updating through out the day.

Prayer Requests:
* Pain management, comfort, alertness for Dan
* Transfer to a normal med/surg unit TODAY so he can begin recovery (ICUs are not good for recovering, walking, etc) (no one except McGreeky thinks he should be in the ICU. Grr)
* Peace and endurance for Jamie and I (and Mom while she's here)
* A quick recovery...far more fast than everyone expects
* No complications: no leaky surgical sites, no infections, no fevers, no pneumonia, nothing that will keep Dan from getting out of the hospital "on time"
* Wisdom and guidance and compassion for the doctors

Finally out of surgery

2010-01-08T22:31:00.000-08:00

After 14+ hours of surgery Dan is out and in the ICU! The tumors were very difficult to resect, (cut out) and the doctors had to take it very slowly and carefully. They removed about 10% of the liver in the left lobe plus doing the Whipple procedure. The doctor said the next surgery will also be long, probably in 2- 3 months to let him fully recover. He lost very little blood. The anesthesiologist who left around 4:30 said Dan was taking the procedure very well and is very robust. Please pray that there will be NO post op complications like pancreatic enzyme leaking. Remember to keep Ashley in your prayers too. It is hard for her not to be with Dan tonight. Pray he will get out of ICU and she can be with him.

In Surgery Still!

2010-01-08T15:14:00.000-08:00

Dan is doing fine, still in surgery!
They graciously give us updates periodically.
Dan and Ashley arrived 5:15 a.m.
We (Ashley, Bob & I) left the pre-op area at 7:15 a.m.
Terry, Russ, Nick, Peggy (Ashley's family) met us in the waiting area
Surgery started 8:15 a.m.
We got an update at 10: everything is fine and the surgery is continuing (good news since if the cancer had spread they would have opened and shut);
2nd update at 12:30p.m.: everything fine;
3rd update: 3:00 p.m.: everything fine, we are in the middle but many more hours to go;
So continue to pray my friends. This is a long haul for Dan.
We are doing fine (tired, of course, but well fed & encouraged by the blessing of visiting friends)

Blessings to you all!

Isa 26:3
“You keep him in perfect peace
whose mind is stayed on you,
because he trusts in you.
Isa 26:4
“Trust in the Lord forever,
for the Lord God is an everlasting rock.

For Ashley's blog see www.footballsandstehscopes.blogspot.com

Jan 6 -Prayer Army Alert

2010-01-06T08:19:00.000-08:00

God is so gracious! The Prayer Army is on the alert and forces are proceeding to the battle! I am buoyed by the grace of God through all of your prayers, confident that the coming challenges will be met head on. I know I am weak but in Jesus I have strength. I am doing my best to rest, trust and keep my eyes focused on the LORD God of the Universe!

Ashley has written on her blog too:
tuesday, january 5, 2010

Fisticuffs at Dawn
Dan had his pre-op appointment yesterday with the anesthesiologist and everything is "go" for his surgery on Friday. Vital signs, lung sounds, labs...all great. The surgeon doesn't even seem too concerned about the cough, which is what we were worried about. So, now we wait.

As the blog title mentions, the fisticuffs (surgery) will begin at dawn-ish to remove the hoodlums (tumors). Hopefully, for good!

Everyone has been asking us: "Are you nervous?"
Dan's response: "Not so much nervous as I just want to get it done. Hopeful. Liking the prospects of being rid of the cancer."
Ashley's response: "Of course. This is huge surgery with lots of risks. I can't be excited about the possibility of a cancer-free Dan until Dan wakes up from surgery and recovers."

Both of us are glad the surgery is happening at Stanford with world-class doctors. Though we acknowledge that surgeons are just people, it is nice to know that Dan's doc has spent years as a fellow at Sloan Kettering and Johns Hopkins.

We are also very thankful for the support of our family and friends and know that it will become even more important during the recovery phase of the surgery. I will certainly be glad to be surrounded by people in the waiting room Friday morning.

For those who are wondering, I will be residing at Stanford with Dan while he's in the hospital. We both feel better being together, even if my bed is a chair for a while. The Sizeloves have graciously opened their home to us so that I can shower and nap here and there. Dan's mom will probably be staying there for a while so that she can be in the area.

Visits will be welcome after the first couple of days as long as you're not sick. Recovery will be pretty rough for a bit, so Dan will need all the rest he can get. Until visits become possible, prayers would be greatly appreciated.

Prayer Requests:
* The complete surgery goes off without a hitch--no complications, no surprise lesions/masses
* Dan only has to stay in the ICU for a day or two
* His digestive system kicks into gear quickly--Dan really likes to eat:)
* Pain is held at bay successfully.
* Recovery occurs much more quickly than the doctors predict
* Cancer is removed completely!
* The wife stays calm and gets some rest and doesn't snap :)

Numbers 6:22-27
The Lord spoke to Moses, saying,

“Speak to Aaron and his sons, saying, Thus you shall bless the people of Israel: you shall say to them,

“The Lord bless you and keep you;

“the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you;

“the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace.

“So shall they put my name upon the people of Israel, and I will bless them.”

prayer request

2010-01-01T15:38:00.000-08:00

Ashley's blog and urgent prayer request:

thursday, december 31, 2009

Sick and Tired
The title should sum up our last week and a half, but I'll elaborate.

Dan and I are both sick. Nick was sick when we got to Santa Rosa. By the time we left SR, Dan was sick. By the time Christmas in Lodi was finished, I was sick. Fabulous.

Generally, I don't get too bent out of shape being sick. It's winter--everyone is sick! But this season, a little more is riding on our health. You see, Dan cannot have surgery if he is sick. Sick with a cold, sick with bronchitis, sick with whatever...sick means no surgery. Thus, we are mildly scrambling to get Dan better by next week. Luckily, the surgeon has prescribed heavy duty antibiotics for him and says that he should be able to still have the surgery done on the 8th. We were told to check in with the surgeon on Monday to let him know how Dan's feeling. The main problem lingering is a pesky cough. As far as problematic pre-surgery symptoms are concerned, coughs are the worst.

Accordingly, a prayer request (an urgent one) is that Dan would get over this cold/infection/virus quickly and that the surgeon would feel confident in doing Dan's surgery on schedule. So, as much as I am not looking forward to the surgery, please pray that Dan can safely have his surgery on January 8th.

Rom 12:12 Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer.

Dec 29 - surgery in 10 days

2009-12-29T19:55:00.002-08:00

Today was the date first given to us for Dan's surgery, but the reality is that the surgery was changed to January 8th. It is a big and long (8 hours) undertaking which involves removing a portion of several organs and challenging the liver to regenerate in order to remove an additional portion of it in 6 weeks after the first surgery. Wow! That is a great deal to recover from. Dan needs all your prayers for a smooth and speedy recovery. The hope is that he will emerge from all this with a complete cure which will make all this definitely worthwhile. We appreciate your faithfulness to present these requests before the throne of God in our time of need.
Here is a link to Dan and Ashley's blog:
http://footballandstethoscopes.blogspot.com/

Philippians 4:6-8
Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.
And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.

Dec 21

2009-12-29T19:55:00.001-08:00

monday, december 21, 2009

Dan and Ashley's blog says it all; please pray, pray, pray:

Surgery
So, about 2 weeks ago, Dan's oncologist called and said that she presented his case to the Stanford Tumor Board (surgeons, radiologists, oncologists, etc). Rather than wanting to do Cyberknife, the Board felt that now is a "window of opportunity" to remove all of the cancer.
That is good news in that there is a possibility of a cure! However, "removing" means surgery.

Dan and I just met with the surgical oncologist and the plans have been made for Dan to have a Whipple procedure on January 8th. Basically, that involves removing the head of the pancreas, the gallbladder, some of the stomach and some of the stomach then reattaching passageways for enzymes, bile and food. Along with the Whipple, the surgeon also wants to resect the cancer on his tumor. Some of the tumors will be removed in this surgery and the rest will be removed 6 weeks later in a separate surgery.

This surgery carries with it many risks and is accompanied by complications in 50% of patients. Fortunately, Dan is young, healthy and resilient--a combination that usually makes recovery a bit easier. Dan will be in the hospital for around 10 days and then will need to lay low for a while.

At this point, we are trying to enjoy our time with family and friends. It's a blessing to be able to spend the holidays with everyone.

Please be in prayer that this surgery is the right thing to do and that it will be successful.
There are several scenarios in which the surgery would be cancelled: tumors "hiding" from the CT scans, more severe disease in the liver, etc. Pray against these complications.
Pray that the recovery period is free of complications and fairly quick.
Pray that Dan would be able to finish his teaching credential by next year and that I would be able to graduate on time.
Finally, pray that God brings us peace in this situation.
Pray for wisdom as we decide when to return to Southern California.

I will be updating this blog often during and after the surgery.
Stay tuned.
Posted by Dan and Ashley

Another great report!

2009-07-15T21:27:00.000-07:00

Just got back from Stanford and Dan's appointment with his doctor. His CT scan yesterday revealed no new growth in his liver "spots"or pancreas. He does have dense areas in his liver that may be remnants of the dead tumors or scar tissue but they are virtually unchanged from December's or April's scans. That is wonderful news! The next scan will be in 4 months. Dan starts his teaching credential program in September at UC Irvine while Ashley finishes her last year of nursing school at Biola. No further changes on his hip necrosis were seen on the CT also. Thank You Lord for a great report! Thank you for your prayers.

Psalm 111
Praise the Lord!
I will give thanks to the Lord with my whole heart,
in the company of the upright, in the congregation.
Great are the works of the Lord,
studied by all who delight in them.
Full of splendor and majesty is his work,
and his righteousness endures forever.
He has caused his wondrous works to be remembered;
the Lord is gracious and merciful.
He provides food for those who fear him;
he remembers his covenant forever.
He has shown his people the power of his works,
in giving them the inheritance of the nations.
The works of his hands are faithful and just;
all his precepts are trustworthy;
they are established forever and ever,
to be performed with faithfulness and uprightness.
He sent redemption to his people;
he has commanded his covenant forever.
Holy and awesome is his name.
The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom;
all those who practice it have a good understanding.
His praise endures forever!

Shouting Loudly

2009-05-27T21:24:00.000-07:00

Just can’t keep this inside anymore – have to shout it out:

Dan’s radiologist emailed him and said that in his estimation
THE LIVER TUMORS APPEAR DEAD and there are “dimples”
where the tumors used to be!
HALLELUJAH!
Thank You our LORD God!
You are so GOOD to us; Your mercies are new every day!
We praise You and rejoice in Your lovingkindness and great power!

More praises for Dan’s Magna Cum Laude graduation on Saturday!
A day of celebration and joy!

And my mother is doing much better, some days better than others,
but generally she is on the has made real progress.

Rom 12:9-15
Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good.
Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourselves.
Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord.
Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.
Share with God's people who are in need. Practice hospitality.
Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse.
Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn.

5/21/09 Dan graduates this Saturday!

2009-05-21T17:11:00.000-07:00

Forgive me for not writing sooner. Bob and I are settled in home (Lodi) from our wonderful trip to Israel. More on that later. (Several picture albums can be seen on his facebook “Robert Howen”) As my mother was miraculously doing much better when I returned, I visited her after my jet lag improved, and she got better and better with each passing day. She has continued to improve with slight bumps in the road. That’s a long way from “almost dying”! Thank you so much for your prayers for her. We affectionately call her “the Phoenix” because she rises from the ashes to fly again and it seems like that is what has happened here. We are so happy the Lord has had mercy upon her and us.
On another very bright note, our son Daniel Christopher Howen, graduates this Saturday from Biola University, Magna Cum Laude, and will be pursuing a teaching credential to teach high school math! He will attend UC Irvine while his beautiful wife Ashley finishes the last year of her nursing degree at Biola. They hope to move out of the LA area into the northern part of the state and Ashley would love to work at Lucille Packard Children’s Hospital at Stanford.
GOOD NEWS!

More good news from John 8 and 10 as Jesus the Messiah declares Himself to be the “I AM” and the One who brings us freedom from sin and its penalty and gives us the gift of eternal life.

John 8:28-32
So Jesus said, "When you lift up the Son of Man, then you will know that I AM and I do nothing on My own initiative, but I speak these things as the Father taught Me.
"And He who sent Me is with Me; He has not left Me alone, for I always do the things that are pleasing to Him."
As He spoke these things, many came to believe in Him.
So Jesus was saying to those Jews who had believed Him, "If you continue in My word, {then} you are truly disciples of Mine;
and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free."

John8:56-58
"Your father Abraham rejoiced to see My day, and he saw {it} and was glad."
So the Pharisees said to Him, "You are not yet fifty years old, and have You seen Abraham?"
Jesus said to them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was born, I AM."

John 10:27-30
My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me;
and I give eternal life to them, and they will never perish; and no one will snatch them out of My hand.
"My Father, who has given {them} to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch {them} out of the Father's hand.
"I and the Father are one."

Hag Samech! (Happy Holy Day!)

2009-04-07T21:27:00.000-07:00

April 7, 2009

Tomorrow we celebrate Passover. Jesus is the Passover Lamb, the Lamb of God, that takes away the sin of the world! Hallelujah! He was the perfect sacrifice for our sins and conquered death through His resurrection. O death where is your sting? It is gone!

Matt and I just arrived home from visiting the southern part of the state (LA) and I thought I would give you an update on the goings on from a couple weeks ago:
I went to LA to spend some time with my mom before our (Bob and I) trip to Israel next Monday. Her congestive heart failure is increasing and she is getting IV Lasix at home as well as depending on oxygen for part of the day and night. Her reserve is dwindling and she dozes on and off throughout the day. I don’t really envision her situation improving. Nevertheless, it was great to be with her for several days and last night all 5 of her offspring entertained her for a bit which she loved.
Matt went with me, visiting his grandmother as well as friends at Biola where he probably will be going to school next fall. This summer he heads to Hume Lake Christian Camp to cook for several hundred jr high kids! He still does not know why the Lord called him to Lodi from Jerusalem, a place he loved, but he is learning the ways of obedience to God.
My brother in law Ray is feeling much better, but is still undergoing tests for a final diagnosis and treatment.
Dan and Ashley came up to my mom’s for lunch one day and it was great to see them and hear about their lives. Dan heads to Stanford next week for his check up and scan. He is also hoping to have his hip replacement surgery this summer if all works out well with his other issues and we sure pray it does!
Ashley’s heart is doing better and she has been able to return to her part time CNA work. She is looking forward to her next rotation of pediatrics.
We are thankful that Bob will not need back surgery, but is still undergoing tests for a final diagnosis and treatment (sound familiar?)
Please keep praying for Diane and her situation.

Sometimes the physical problems that surround us can weigh us down, but when compared to the eternal, they seem to lose their impact. As I look at the global picture unfolding before us, it too could seem overwhelming, but when I compare it to the prophetic word spoken thousands of years ago, I take heart that God is on the throne of the universe and the affairs of man are in His mighty hand. Stand strong in His strength.

2 Corinthians 4:16-18
So we do not lose heart. Though our outer nature is wasting away, our inner nature is being renewed day by day.
For this slight momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.

March 20

2009-03-20T22:11:00.000-07:00

Ephesians 1 is a great chapter to camp in and meditate on "every spiritual blessing" we have received in Jesus our Messiah. I will attach it at the end of this note for you.
So much news for y'all, it is hard to know where to begin:
Dan- doing well. He is getting some PT for his hip and though he walks with a cane, he says it is hurting less. He will get a CT next month to see how the other "stuff" is shrinking into oblivion.
Ashley (Dan's wife) - has POTS -postural orthostatic hypotension syndrome -her heart is fine but her autonomic nervous system periodically causes her heart to race. She is on some medication which is helping and is even able to resume running which she loves to do.
My mom - has been in and out of the hospital and is having pain in her back and/or gall bladder.
My brother in law Ray - has had some elevated liver enzymes and is in the midst of finding out what is going on, but he is feeling better than he was last week.
My husband Bob - having lower back pain due to the narrowing of the openings from which the spinal nerves exit the spine in 3 areas. We are also scheduled to go to Israel on April 13 for 2 weeks. (Originally it was to visit our son who is studying there but he is returning early in obedience to the Lord, for a reason still unknown at this time.
Diane - a friend from church has newly diagnosed colon cancer.

As I read through all these situations, I cannot help but say, " Okay Lord, you have my attention now. Speak and I will listen and obey." It seems that not only are bodies falling apart but the world seems to be falling apart also. Is God shouting at us and are we listening or turning a deaf ear? May it be true for me and for you that we are paying attention to Him in these difficult days.
Needless to say, all these dear ones need prayer and I invite you to pray with me that God would be glorified and healing would happen, both physical and spiritual. Thank you. Many blessings and His peace to you and yours.

Ephesians 1:
Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, to the saints who are in Ephesus, and are faithful in Christ Jesus: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love he predestined us for adoption through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved.
In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace, which he lavished upon us, in all wisdom and insight, making known to us the mystery of his will, according to his purpose, which he set forth in Christ as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth. In him we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will, so that we who were the first to hope in Christ might be to the praise of his glory. In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory.
For this reason, because I have heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love toward all the saints, I do not cease to give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers, that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you a spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of him, having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to the working of his great might that he worked in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come. And he put all things under his feet and gave him as head over all things to the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all.

Today Feb 1, 2009

2009-02-01T20:47:00.002-08:00

We Will Remember by Tommy Walker

We will remember, we will remember
We will remember the works of Your hands
We will stop and give you praise
For great is Thy faithfulness

You’re our creator, our life sustainer
Deliverer, our comfort, our joy
Throughout the ages You’ve been our shelter
Our peace in the midst of the storm

With signs and wonders You’ve shown Your power
With precious blood You showed us Your grace
You’ve been our helper, our liberator
The giver of life with no end

When we walk through life’s darkest valleys
We will look back at all You have done
And we will shout, our God is good
And He is the faithful One

Hallelujah, hallelujah
To the one from whom all blessings flow
Hallelujah, hallelujah
To the one whose glory has been shown

I still remember the day You saved me
The day I heard You call out my name
You said You loved me and would never leave me
And I’ve never been the same

This morning we sang this song and the tears rolled down my cheeks as I remembered the faithfulness and presence of the LORD God, King of the Universe, to me, to my family: from Dan’s Dec 22 PET scan showing NO CANCER ACTIVITY, Dan’s CT scan showing shrinking tumors; my sister’ recovery from being run over by a bus 2 years ago to walking MILES in Brazil with her family; my mom surviving a heart attack and bypass operation 22 years ago in which she almost died on the table; my sister in law saying 3 days ago, “I’m fine”, after having a major stroke 9 weeks ago and not being able to speak coherently in those 9 weeks.
I stand amazed and humbled and I am praising Him for His Love and Presence with us through all these trials of life. May you know His Presence and comfort in dark times. May you not need dark times to seek His Grace and Mercy.
For those of you who pray to the LORD God would you please pray for Dan’s wife Ashley who is experiencing some unusual heart issues. She is getting some tests done this next week. Thanks for your prayers for her – she is an amazing young woman who we love very much.

Psalm 145: 1-13
I will extol you, my God and King, and bless your name forever and ever.
Every day I will bless you and praise your name forever and ever.
Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised, and his greatness is unsearchable.
One generation shall commend your works to another, and shall declare your mighty acts.
On the glorious splendor of your majesty, and on your wondrous works, I will meditate.
They shall speak of the might of your awesome deeds, and I will declare your greatness.
They shall pour forth the fame of your abundant goodness and shall sing aloud of your righteousness.
The Lord is gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.
The Lord is good to all, and his mercy is over all that he has made.
All your works shall give thanks to you, O Lord, and all your saints shall bless you!
They shall speak of the glory of your kingdom and tell of your power,
to make known to the children of man your mighty deeds, and the glorious splendor of your kingdom.
Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and your dominion endures throughout all generations. The Lord is faithful in all his words and kind in all his works.

sent out Dec 23

2009-02-01T20:47:00.001-08:00

I will let Dan's short but very sweet note be the announcement for you:

Last scanShare
Today at 4:59pm
Short, sweet, and to the point:

CT-
Tumors shrunk: only 2 small ones in the liver along with several indistinguishable specks;
pancreas: they're not even sure it's active cancer, and it's too small to biopsy-

PET-
Nothing lights up except the avascular necrosis in my hip- this differs from the raging fireball that was my body more than a year ago.

The Lord is faithful. He is the guy who started this whole Christmas thing; this is a good Christmas.

HALLELUJAH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
GOD IS GIVING US A WONDERFUL CHRISTMAS GIFT!
Thank You Jesus for your love and mercy.
Rejoice with us and thank you for praying.
love
Jamie

Merry Christmas and more

2008-12-21T22:20:00.000-08:00

The Greatest Gift:
For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
Of the increase of his government and of peace there will be no end, on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with justice and with righteousness from this time forth and forevermore. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this. Isaiah 9:6-7 May you receive this amazing gift from the LORD- salvation and eternal life in the Person of Jesus the Messiah.
I just read my blog from a year ago. It is good to look back and remember where we have been and the faithfulness of the LORD our God. Especially as Dan and Ashley, the 4 1/2 month newlyweds, are heading for Stanford tomorrow for a PET/CT scan, followed up by 2 doctor appointments on Tuesday. (Update will follow.)
From the bottom of my heart I thank you for your prayers. God is good forever, trustworthy, merciful, gracious, our Redeemer, our Savior, Almighty, and gives us peace in the midst of all our storms.

A note written by Ashley on her new blog:
"Please be in prayer that the news is encouraging. Since the last 3 months have been "wait and see" months, we are hoping to see no dramatic changes...at least bad dramatic changes. The liver was hammered with radiation back in June, so we're hoping to see some very dead tumors--or non-existent tumors. As for the pancreas, we're hoping for a very tiny and non-growing tumor. Pray for the doctors to see what they need to see and to have wisdom to recommend the next steps. Again, it would be wonderful to avoid more chemo (hair for graduation would be great, don't you think?), but that is only possible if the tumor growth has been minimal or none.
Pray for peace and encouragement and hope. Let this season be one of rejoicing in God's further healing in Dan's body. May the news on Tuesday leave us just plain old exuberant."

Nov 15

2008-11-15T10:07:00.000-08:00

Dear Faithful Ones
An update on Tuesday’s doctor appointment at Stanford: We met with an orthopedic surgeon who reviewed the bone scan and MRI with us and recommended a couple of treatments that may reduce the pain Dan is having in his hip. (This is the first time I saw him limp as he walked and does that hurt a mother’s heart!) These 2 treatments will hopefully stimulate his body to produce more bone cells, not deal with the dead bone cells on his femur, but could have the outcome of reducing his pain.
Nothing, apart from God miraculously healing those dead cells, will change the avascular necrosis that has occured. At some point in the future Dan may need a hip replacement, but my dear Bible study ladies reminded me of Jeremiah’s prayer:

'Ah Lord GOD! Behold, You have made the heavens and the earth by Your great power and by Your outstretched arm! Nothing is too difficult for You,
Jeremiah 32:17

and the LORD God’s response:

Then the word of the LORD came to Jeremiah, saying,
"Behold, I am the LORD, the God of all flesh; is anything too difficult for Me?"
Jer 32:26-27

As the LORD has given new spiritual life to us who were spiritually dead, so He can give new life to Dan’s dead bone cells. So let us ask our LORD God for that miracle!

We are truly thankful that this new development is not one of the cancer spreading. May this season of giving thanks remind us to be thankful for God’s gracious gift of life to each one of us and the forgiveness of our sins through Messiah Jesus.

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus the Messiah! According to His great mercy, He has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Messiah Jesus from the dead, to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, who by God's power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.
In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, so that the tested genuineness of your faith--more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire--may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Messiah Jesus.
Though you have not seen Him, you love Him. Though you do not now see Him, you believe in Him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory, obtaining the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls.
I Peter 1:3-9

news at last!

2008-11-08T17:49:00.000-08:00

Well I know you are being patient in waiting for news- that is a lesson I am learning too! The bone scan Dan had two weeks go was read by several doctors but was inconclusive, so he needed an MRI which he had yesterday. Unbelievably they gave him a "report" on it and let him see the results. In Dan's creative eyes it looked like the ball of his femur "had a black yarmulke on it". In more medical terms the steroids that his tumor produced massive amounts of, caused the blood supply to be cut off to the head of the femur and caused necrosis or tissue death. The technician asked Dan if he was a body builder. (I would of said yes of course, can't you tell?) (So beware you body builders, steroids are very dangerous.) So while that is not a great report, it really has a silver lining in that it shows the cancer has not spread to his bones even though he has not had any chemo since April. We are so thankful for that. His endoscopy also came up negative for an ulcer- another good report. Dan and Ashley will head up to Stanford for an appointment with the doctor to review and evaluate all these new updates. I will be going also so if there is anything more to report, you will be hearing from me in a few days! May our hearts be filled with gratitude not just on "Thanksgiving Day" but every day. God gives every one alive the very precious breath of life.

Philippians 4:4-8
Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!
Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near.
Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.
And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in our Messiah Jesus.
Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable-if anything is excellent or praiseworthy-think about such things.

greetings

2008-10-24T07:19:00.000-07:00

Just a quick note to ask for your prayers for Dan. Today he is having a bone scan since he has had hip pain for awhile now. In 2 weeks he will be having an upper GI to check for an ulcer related to the radioactive bead implant of June. Married life for him and Ashley is going well. They are busy students so they are anticipating a wonderful vacation time just being together more at Christmas break. He loves his NFL Network internship- it's football after all. We are out of town for a week so I may not get back to you with any results until after our return. Bob and I are looking forward to some R & R! Love to you all and many thanks for your prayers.

Thanks for all your prayers

2008-10-05T19:45:00.000-07:00

Just a note of thanks to all of you who have been so faithful to pray for Dan over these past 15 months.

As I was organizing my "art room" this afternoon, I came across a notebook I made of several cards we received last June when Dan was initially diagnosed. What a blessing it was to read them and remember the love and faithfulness of the prayer army assembled for Dan. And the faithfulness of our Lord Jesus to answer those pleas on his behalf!

Last night Bob and I went to the movies and saw a pastor from a church in town who reminded me that his church is still praying for Dan and was delighted with all the good news of Dan and Ashley's marriage and the good report from Stanford in September.

Dan starts an internship tomorrow with the NFL Network in LA - another answered prayer for him. (Did I mention he loves football?:)

Our LORD God has great plans for each one of us. We may walk down paths not of our choosing. We may make wrong choices as we walk this journey called life. And yes, there will be suffering, just because we live in a fallen world. But through it all He promises to be with us and to use everything we go through to conform us to the image of Jesus if we surrender our will, our life, ourselves to Him . And nothing can separate us from His love.
meditate on Romans 8:28-39
bless you