Round 3 of Chemo Begins

We spent the Wednesday morning sitting in waiting rooms and having tests done. Then after his bone marrow aspiration and lumbar puncture, we had a 2 hour window to run and get some lunch before getting admitted to a room.

It was a slow and uneventful evening and they didn't start chemo until 9pm. This round of chemotherapy should only last 4 days, but they have increased the dosage and added another chemo that is very strong.

There is a possibility that we could be headed back to Dalhart after the weekend if Josh doesn't run any fevers. But they have told us that we should expect to run more fever this time because the new type of chemo can cause fevers.

The doctor is pleased with Josh's progress. They continue to change the type of chemo they give him so that he will not build up a tolerance to it. Pray specifically that Josh does not sustain heart damage through this round of treatment. The new chemotherapy they will give him this time has the potential side effect of causing heart damage.

Thank you for your continued prayer. We know that God is at work and we are confident that He will be glorified through this process.

How Big Is Our God?

There are times in our lives when circumstances make us do things that are unpleasant or unwanted. We didn't want cancer. We can't figure out what caused it. The doctors can't tells us what caused Leukemia so there doesn't seem to be anything that we could have done to avoid it.

When we learned of Josh's diagnosis on July 20, 2010 (at 5:00pm) our lives have changed. We have had to make life and death decisions, we have changed all of our regular normal patterns, we have had to give up most of our family traditions. Josh has spent less than 15 nights in his own bed in more than 2 months. As a family, we tried to have a regular schedule and one thing we did on a regular basis was to do fun things together as a family.

We have not been able to do much as a family together and certainly not much fun. 

When we heard that we had to return to MD Anderson this week (Josh was in the hospital for 10 days in Dalhart, he only spent 3 nights at home before we had to leave) we were all disappointed and discouraged. As we loaded into the car at 5:30 am on Tuesday to start the 10-12 hour drive we prayed. We usually pray before we take a trip, for safety, for direction and even for fun when we are going on a family trip.

This time, although there was nothing that we were looking forward to, I knew that we all need to experience some fun together as a family. So, as we sat there in the car I prayed, "Father, give us safety as we drive, help us to avoid traffic, and if there is any way you can work it out, as a family, we could really use a fun experience. Show us your faithfulness by letting us do something fun. Amen."

Then we drove 11 hours to Houston. On the way we saw a warning sign of a traffic accident blocking all lanes, in time to get off the freeway and go around, we found cheap gas and a few clean restrooms and arrived in Houston at the Ronald McDonald House earlier than expected.

Then God started showing off.

As we started unloading our luggage, we had to wait to get checked in. We were tired from the long drive and the early start. Although we had some plans to meet up with our friend Leah for dinner, no one was every excited to be in Houston. I was ready for a nap.

As we waited there, Kathy, who works with the RM House, walked by and asked if we wanted tickets to an Astro's game that a generous person had. We didn't really think much about it since the Astro's have had a tough season. Kathy told Ilene that the tickets were good tickets so we started talking about it. Well, after a little encouragement, Josh and  Sarah decided we should give it a try. We would still have time to go to dinner with our friend and still make the game.

With the tickets was a parking pass, and the face price on the tickets was substantial. (We have paid less for a car then what the 4 tickets cost - I will have Josh post a picture of the tickets) but we had no idea what God had in store for us. You see, I had already forgot that simple little prayer 13 hours ago, when I asked God to allow us to have some fun as a family.

When we arrived at Minute Maid Stadium, the prepaid parking was next to the stadium, I mean less than 100 feet from the entrance to the building at home plate.

Then as we walked in, we kept trying to go in the wrong area, and they kept sending us to these back door, hard to find doors, one that went downstairs through a tunnel and then through a dinning room. As we walk in, the attendant told us that all of the food and beverages were free and if we didn't want to miss any of the game, someone would bring food out to us.

And as we sat down, just in time for the first pitch, I remembered that prayer. With tears in our eyes, Ilene and I looked at each other and realized that God had answered our pray. We were sitting 9 rows back from the backstop, in seats that were padded, with an attendant bringing us free food and beverages.

We didn't get to bed till after midnight, and had to get up for a 7am doctors appointment. But I could hardly sleep. Even as I woke up, I thought about what an awesome God we have. He planned a way for us to have fun, to show us that He cares for us and loves us, in the middle of a journey through "the shadows of death". 


It reminded me of the story in the Bible about the Israelites as they left Egypt. They had a long walk through the desert, headed for something they didn't understand. They had to give up the lives they knew and trust God to provide for them. And He did. He gave them free food, fresh water, a fire at night to keep them warm and a cloud covering during the day to keep them cool. Their cloths and shoes didn't wear out and He went with them.


Like us, they still complained about how things used to be better in Egypt, but God still showed them His favor. Eventually, God took them (their children and grandchildren) into a land flowing with free milk and free honey. Gave them houses they didn't have to build and farms they didn't have to plant.


Today I realize that God has a plan for us. On this journey, even as we walk in the shadow of death, we don't have to fear evil, because He is with us. Even when we feel surrounded by enemies (cancer cells),  He prepares a banquet table for us (with free parking). Our cup is running over, we have been blessed and there is no one else that can take credit for it -- except the Lord, who is our shepherd.


Today, we are lying down in green pasture, beside still water and our souls are being restored.


Surely your goodness and unfailing love will pursue me       
all the days of my life,    
and I will live in the house of the Lord forever.


Thanks for your prayers. 


We have a huge God.

Back To Houston Already

We had a good weekend, for the first time in a long time, Ilene and I got to go to church together.

Monday morning, Josh was doing well. We went to the hospital for is blood tests and they even cleaned out one of his PICC lines. We continue to pray that he remains healthy and that his body recovers from all of the chemo. Well, his body is doing so well, that they want us back in Houston on Wednesday.

We had hoped that they would delay the trip by a few days or a week, but our doctor wants us to stay on track with his treatments.

Josh is very disappointed as he just got home from the hospital on Saturday night. He is not looking forward to another stay in the hospital, but the chemotherapy should only last about 6 days this time.

Please pray that this next round will go smoothly and that we can get home shortly after. Pray also for traveling mercies as we will drive 700 miles tomorrow.

We know God is faithful.

Josh Is Home

On Friday, We took Josh off of the IV antibiotics and his fever stayed down, so Saturday evening we were discharged from the hospital. Soon after he got home, he wanted a steak, so I went out to the local steak house and got him one.

It is good to see his appetite back. The nights at home are more restful with out interruptions for vitals and blood tests. It is nice just to be together as a family at home.

We are waiting to hear when we go back to Houston. We were scheduled to go back on September 28th, but we are hoping they will reschedule and give us a few more days at home.

I received word this morning that my dad's sister, my aunt Marge, went home to be with the Lord early thing morning. She had heart surgery a few weeks ago and never fully recovered. Please keep the family in your prayers, they live on the east coast in Pennsylvania and New Jersey.

What is an Ounce of Faith Worth

Some days it feels like our faith is measured by the ounce. Josh had a good day Wednesday. He went all day without a fever (after it spiked at around 6am) and ate well and felt good most of the day. He continues to be bold about his story. A number of the nurses have asked him about his journey and he tells them that it has been difficult, but that God has been faithful and he has seen God bless us even during the difficult times.

His temperature started creeping up again around 11 pm, and then by 4 am (yes we were awake again) it was 101. That was discouraging this morning (it feels like 2 steps forward 1 step back) but the good news was that his white blood counts went up and his platelets held steady since yesterday.

Every time Josh spikes a fever we face  the disappointment knowing we will probably be in the hospital for another 2 days. As discouraging as that is, we are continually reminded that God is faithful. We are confident that He has already put a plan in place and ultimately that plan is to test and purify our faith so that He can receive praise and honor.

In 1 Peter 1:4-7 we are told:


4For God has reserved a priceless inheritance for his children. It is kept in heaven for you, pure and undefiled, beyond the reach of change and decay.5And God, in his mighty power, will protect you until you receive this salvation, because you are trusting him. It will be revealed on the last day for all to see.6So be truly glad! There is wonderful joy ahead, even though it is necessary for you to endure many trials for a while.7These trials are only to test your faith, to show that it is strong and pure. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold -- and your faith is far more precious to God than mere gold. So if your faith remains strong after being tried by fiery trials, it will bring you much praise and glory and honor on the day when Jesus Christ is revealed to the whole world.
If you are like me, I want to grow stronger with out facing difficulty. And I want the grow to be measure by the ton, not the ounce. But that is like trying to lose weight without cutting back on the amount of food I eat. It is like expecting to get into better shape physically without exercising. Its like trying to learn how to swim with out ever getting into the water.
But the truth is, we only grow when we face difficulty. The Bible says that it is necessary for us to endure many trials. Not a few, not one every once in a while, but many. Now your many may be different than my many, but if I understand what Peter is saying, when we face the many trials, our faith will be strengthened. He goes so far as to say that we should be truly glad - because there is wonderful joy ahead.
We know that our faith has been tested, and we continue to see God's faithfulness. The challenges that we continue to face on a daily basis, show us that the things of this world are less important than the things that God values. And Peter tells us that our faith is far more precious that mere gold (which today is worth $1,743 an ounce). So as your faith is tested  -- and as your faith grows, just remember that it has a greater value than gold.