Back to California

So much to do, and so little time! For those of you that didn't hear the news, Mom went back down to Stanford University in California for some more appointments. She and Dad left Thursday morning. She first had planned to go down for a talk with the hepatologist (the liver doctor, if you will) this coming Monday to see if her liver was in good enough condition to handle the radiation. However, since her bloodwork was so good, the Radiology Nurse Manager decided to switch thing around slightly. Sooooo, today Mom had those fun little gold beads put in her liver. Then she'll speak with the hepatologist still on Monday. Now there's a chance they'll stay down there for another appointment on Thursday. They would arrive home either Thurday night or Friday morning. If they can't get a plane home, they'll have to reschedule. (Personally, this is cutting it awfully close to Christmas!)

Enough with the schedule (or whatever you want to call the ever-changing, we-never-know-what's-going-to-hit-us-next series of events this past year!) Mom's doing well. Tired, but well. I spoke with Dad before and after the gold-bead procedure. They started around 10 A.M. and finished about 1 P.M. Mom will stay in the hospital until 3 P.M. to ensure she does all right, then go back to the hotel to continue resting. Dad says he thinks part of Mom's exaustion is the drugs used during the procedure. Please pray that the beads don't migrate. If they do, the doctors will need to "redo" the placing of the beads. I also hope, for Mom and Dad's sake and one less trip down, they can get a plane home Thursday night or Friday. The appointment on Thurday will involve C.T. scans to prepare for radiation. It would be great to get this done while they're down there.

Thank you for all your continuing prayer and support. It means a lot to all of us and helps carry us through this time. Please pray that we would all press into God and allow Him to lift us up and use our pain for His glory. Pray that He would give Mom the daily strength she needs to take her supplements and continue doing everything that helps her body heal and resist any sickness going around. Pray the Devil would not be allowed to bring anything in between Mom and Dad. That God's peace would surround them and overflow to the doctors and nurses helping Mom. Pray for God's timing with all Mom's appointments. Pray for clarity of mind for Dad (and Mom) while He makes many decisions - financial and medical - trying to do what's best for us all. Thank you!

Dec. 6th "Cyber update"

As of the last posting, we've been to Stanford, been initially accepted as part of the trial program for the CyberKnife treatment for the liver, and have rec'd. confirmation that insurance will indeed cover it. This is huge as it's an experimental procedure. Today we set up an appointment with a hepatologist (liver specialist) who will look at my blood work and meet with us to see if the liver is in good enough shape to tolerate the treatment. Then either in that trip, which is next Monday the 19th, or a 3rd one, I'll have little gold pieces placed around each lesion. (This is what the beam of radiation locks onto to track the lesions.) The doctors all get together to form a plan, I'll need to get a PET scan and CT scans done to make sure the gold nuggets haven't migrated. It takes the doctors about a week to develop their plan, plug everything into their computers and get ready. Then they radiate the tumors, I stay in the hospital overnight and go home the next day. (I may stay in town an extra day or 2 just to be sure things are ok.) Plans can change at any time for any reason it seems with all this, so we're trying to be as flexible as we can but still have boundaries (like being home for Christmas :D ) The radiation oncologist in charge of the procedure can't do it until probably the first week of January, but it would be lovely if she could do it before then. I have to figure out the chemo schedule and don't want to be traveling and trying to work that schedule around 3 different departments in Stanford!! (radiation oncology, interventional radiology, hepatology) There will be another couple of visits down there after they treat me so they can check on the success of this.

Jonathan, the herbalist, is keeping in close contact to try to help minimize excessive damage from the radiation and other things that are going on right now. His staff is fantastic. He turned around a friend's thyroid problem quickly and successfully, so it's fun to see good things happen!

Other family news...because Dan did so well in Special Olympic State Games swim meet, he was invited to go to Nationals in Iowa this July! I'm hoping we're all healthy enough to make that trip! Sarah and Valerie seriously toned down their Christmas music commitments this year and seem to be enjoying watching other folks do theirs-they've had enough to do revolving around Mom and Dad's schedules! They had fun at their violin recital last Sunday though, and they with Nicole, had a couple of Bell Choir performances last week. Sarah and a friend are planning to play a piano duet for the church family night this Sunday. Valerie is also performing in a violin duet at the same event. Robert's been keeping us stocked with lots of firewood and kindling. He ripped me playing Rummy this afternoon-this may turn into an ongoing event!

Thanks for the help-food while we were away, friendship, prayers, frequent flier miles!!!(Steve and Shelley-you guys are amazing and we LOVE you)!!

Blessings to everyone,
Jeanne H.