Doctor Brings Good News and Bad News

Gary and Hope returned home this afternoon with mixed emotions. It becomes harder and harder to "believe" everything you hear.

Gary's oncologist tells us that the radiation is working "very well" and killing the cancer in the spine and shoulder, according to his most recent X-rays. But he did say the extreme fatigue and increased pain will remain a little while longer. He is estimating substantial relief from pain next week.

It is difficult to believe that the pain will decrease when, after a week of radiation, the pain has actually increased in the past three days. It most certainly can be due to the medication he is on along with the chemo and radiation. We just feel (especially Gary) that what is supposed to "heal" is actually causing all this!

Unfortunately this is the "nature of the beast"; cancer's most potent medications can damage the most as well. But we know that cancer is not in control here; Gary has relied on the guidance and strength of his Savior for over 45 years, and He will continue to do so. We firmly believe God has a reason for this, that is just not a random thing that has happened to Gary and our family. God has used and will continue to use Gary for His Kingdom work, even as Gary fights for his life. God must have more work for him on this side of heaven!

We ask for continued prayers, and we praise God for each and every one of you who has knelt before the throne daily for Gary as well as his family. We, as his family and especially his wife, are becoming more and more tired. Sometimes it is difficult to watch Gary hurt so much, knowing we can do nothing to help ease his pain. Pray we rely on our Father to comfort and heal our spirits as we help Gary fight.

We love you all. Praise God for another gift of TODAY.

More Pain

We are on day 8 of radiation, and not much has changed. As I stated earlier, Gary had a great weekend. Unfortunately this past Monday and Tuesday have not gone so well.

Gary is in more pain now than last week, and this has caused us some concern. Every time he feels pain there is more cancer. We pray this pain is simply from the IV he gets every three weeks to ensure the integrity of the bone, but we can't be sure. The doctors told us bone pain is a possible side effect of the drug.

Gary sees the doctor today. Pray he is released from this pain even today. For we know God can heal immediately! Praise Him for that.

We Are Constantly Praising God!

God keeps answering our prayers to give Gary rest, rejuvenation, and healing. And our biggest request was that he and Hope have a good weekend. And God did just that for them!

Gary had his best Friday-Sunday he has had in some time. He didn't feel really good the whole weekend, but there was no life-threatening catastrophe that occurred! And we know that you, his friends, family, and prayer warriors, are to be thanked for that. We asked you to pray for this, and God heard your pleas. What a wonderful God we serve!

Gary does feel stiff, however, and he did get sick some over the weekend. This is normal for him now with the new chemotherapy he is on along with the radiation. But he has nausea pills that Hope makes sure he takes before eating.

Gary was able to enjoy some football this weekend as well! Usually he is too tired to watch a game, but he loved every minute of the Michigan/Penn State game! Go Big Blue!

The best part of the weekend was that the whole family got together on Sunday. We praise our Lord for bringing Bill, Brooke and the kids so close to us so that we can see them more often. And with Gary's oldest brother there too, it was almost like a family reunion! Gary truly enjoyed just sitting with all of us and talking for a few hours. It wore him out, but we know this helps his spirits.

Pray for our family this week-Alan is returning home to Michigan, and Brooke's family is going on a much needed vacation. Pray for safety for them.

God is good all the time, even in the midst of tragedy. This we know, but we certainly enjoy when he heaps blessings over us to help us overcome the tragedy! We remind ourselves daily that God has had His hand over us every step of this journey. And even when it has been the most painful, we have felt Him watching and loving us. We know this is not how God intended for us to be, but this is the lot we chose when Adam and Eve took the fruit in the Garden. Sickness, pain and death are certain, but what glorious praise that it is not the end! For we serve a risen Savior who conquered all those to give us an eternity with Him!

As the elders sang before the throne in Revelation, so we sing today:

You are worthy, our Lord and God,

to receive glory and honor and power,

for you created all things,

and by your will they were created

and have their being.

On Day Five

It appears as if Gary has successfully completed a full week of radiation. The first three days were pretty bad-it takes some getting used to to get on that hard metal table and lay for 20-25 minutes completely still.

Yesterday, day four, was much better. Gary stated the nurses and technicians know how to get him on the table without causing more pain; he said that helped get through the therapy. Gary also began his chemotherapy again yesterday afternoon. That too went well. We think the reason he did so well yesterday was because he has to take steroids for a few days before and after chemotherapy. But we know your prayers for him these past few days have been the reason for this improvement. We ask that you continue!

Some other new things happened yesterday after Gary's visit with Dr. Davidson. Gary is on some new medication to help his body endure the chemotherapy and radiation therapy. We pray it gives him some relief and helps him heal faster. He has begun some other medications to help with fatigue as well. We pray that "kicks in" immediately!

Gary is currently taking his last radiation for the week. Pray for a good weekend. It seems all the horrible events occur on the weekend, so we ask God now for a safe, healing and restful weekend for the whole family.

God is good, and we praise Him for TODAY, this day, to share with those we love. May you be blessed with a good TODAY with family and friends as well! We love you.

Relying on our Rock and Fortress

Gary successfully completed day three of radiation. Each session causes him more pain and weariness, due to the hard metal table where he must lay and be completely still. The doctor hopes the pain will begin to subside by next Friday, but every day becomes more difficult to look that far ahead. Gary is walking less and eating less but sleeping more and trying to do more for himself.

Gary also went to see his oncologist, Dr. Davidson today. The nurses and the doctor both agree that Gary is actually doing well for a man who suffered a pulmonary embolism a week ago. Since his oxygenation is 97% while he is on oxygen, the doctor suspects a clot still may be present somewhere in his leg or lung. This could also account for his weariness and pain. But one nurse said she was amazed that this man went through all he did last week and was sitting in front of her! But we are not amazed, for our God can cure any ailment.

Dr. Davidson really wants to begin chemotherapy again, because this cancer has spread so quickly and ferociously. So Gary will start his chemo again tomorrow after his round of radiation therapy. Please pray for less pain and discomfort tomorrow as he will spend a much longer day at the Cancer Center.

We can see that God wants Gary to remain on this side of heaven a little longer! While we rejoice that we have more time with him, we grieve that he is in such pain. Please join us as we pray for pain free days. My father so much wants to enjoy life and not just "endure" it.

He praises God for every minute God has granted him to spend with his family and friends. And we are so blessed to have Gary's older brother with us for a time. Dad told me he is "tickled all over" that his big brother is here. Please pray for a joyous visit for both of them. My uncle lives in Michigan, so these visits do not come often enough.

I have shared the passage my father held onto after he found out about his brain tumor. I hope you will allow me to share with you one of the passages I have frequently found myself praying and reciting as we walk this journey. It comes from Psalm 18:

I love you, O Lord, my strength.
The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge.
He is my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.

And later on, David writes:

You, O Lord, keep my lamp burning; my God turns my darkness into light.
With your help I can advance against a troop; with my God I can scale a wall.
As for God, his way is perfect; the word of the Lord is flawless. He is a shield for all who take refuge in him.
For who is God besides the Lord ? And who is the Rock except our God?
It is God who arms me with strength and makes my way perfect.
He makes my feet like the feet of a deer; he enables me to stand on the heights.
He trains my hands for battle; my arms can bend a bow of bronze.
You give me your shield of victory, and your right hand sustains me; you stoop down to make me great.

God can make all things possible; I simply must believe. And when the days seem long and my father's pain worse, I hold fast to these words. I know the Lord is holy, and His ways are perfect, even in this seemingly "imperfect" time. And even when it seems my father can't do anymore than just sit, my Father is arming him with strength and enabling him to stand on the heights. For he has already won and gained the shield of victory! And when I remember that I can praise God for all of His wonders, today. Truly that is how my parents raised me-to look up when things look so horribly down. Yet another wonder from God.

Thank you Lord for such a family as the one I have. You have given us more than we have ever deserved. May you be glorified forever and ever.

Day One...Again

I apologize for the tardiness of this post; my husband had to go away on business for 5 days, and I had to care for our three children (all under 3) alone! I hope you all understand!

After a hard and painful weekend, Gary returned to radiation today. We were blessed that his time in the hospital and week away did not wash away his markings for that radiation. So it was a relatively easy morning at the Cancer Center. Unfortunately, it causes Gary even more pain to stay completely still on a metal table for 30 minutes.

We also spoke with the doctor, and he is hoping this radiation will begin to relieve the pain as early as the end of next week. We are praying it happens even sooner, for Gary is suffering immensely.

Another unfortunate "side effect" of this radiation is nausea and vomiting. It is not a normal side effect, but Gary has it. Pray this will wear off as Gary continues the therapy. It is difficult to go each day knowing you will throw up that entire evening.

My father and I spoke today, and we realized that we are praying for another miracle. It is a miracle that God has healed Gary from cancer three times now, and it would be a miracle for God to take it away again. BUT it is, in our opinion, an even greater miracle to go home and be with the Father. Had our brother, Jesus Christ, not chosen to bear the cross over 2000 years ago and then rise again, there would be no hope of eternity. And what a miracle that all we have to do is accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior to receive it! So we praise God and our Brother for this gift.

So as you pray for Gary today and every day, pray for a "miracle". Gary will continue to fight this cancer, since he feels that is what the Lord wants him to do. But we can already worship the Lord for whatever He chooses!

Day by Day

We have learned a lot as we continue on our journey with Gary. And one of the most important things this trial has taught us is to take it a day at a time. It's useless to look back and there is no way to determine what can happen ahead of us. We understand the latter much more since May 11th (Dad's pneumonectomy). Basically, to recap:

• The doctors discovered cancer in the lung again in April of this year.
• Dr. Cerfolio performed the pneumonectomy on May 11.
• The ER at Baptist East found the brain tumor on June 1.
• Certain death loomed from June 1 to June 3, until God shrunk his tumor.
• Dr. Guthrie removed Gary's brain tumor on June 6.
• Dr. Davidson began preventative chemotherapy on July 9.
• The nurses and doctors at the Montgomery Cancer Center discovered an oxygenation level of 65% less than 2 weeks after Gary begins chemo. All treatment stops.
• Gary begins chemo again August 23. He begins to have shoulder and back pain.
• Doctors order a MRI on the back and shoulder September 5. We see cancer again, this time in 5 spots on the spine and vertabrae and 2 in the shoulder.
• Dr. Franklin begins radiation on September 7.
• Hope rushes Gary to the ER with low oxygenation again September 10. Certain death looms again as Dr. Bode scrambles to determine the cause.
• God heals Gary's body again, from the apparent blot clot in his lung and definitive clots in his leg.

It seems that every time we started to gain some hope in this process, something else happens to send us backward rather than forward. And so we must remind ourselves that all we have is TODAY. And every TODAY that Gary is with us is a blessed day. And we continue to pray for a TODAY with no cancer and no pain.

In the meantime we hold on to what Jesus taught on His sermon on the mount:

But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

We must remember that seeking first His kingdom will "cure" our worry for tomorrow. And because Gary has always sought His kindgom, there is no worry for tomorrow. And that makes every TODAY a gift for all who believe and seek.

Praise God for such wonderful things!

Yet Again....God Is Good!

As if we should be surprised....

Gary is home! He got home around 2:00 this afternoon and was tired, sore, but happy to be in a MUCH more comfortable place. He has improved significantly, and only God is to be praised for that!

That does NOT mean he is altogether well; but he improved enough to try it at home with Hope there. She has taken a leave of absence at school to take care of Gary for a while.

Gary had to be on 15 liters of oxygen on Monday morning when he arrived at the ER. His heart rate on Monday morning was 158, his respirations per minute were as high as 50, and his saturation level was 71%. Today he went home on 3 liters of oxygen, a heart rate of 105, respirations at 22, and a saturation of 97%. So he is significantly better-we assume the clot in his lung broke up. But he is still very slow moving, and the doctor said to not do much more than walk to the bathroom and bedroom for the next week or so. Only God can take a man who was essentially suffocating to this level in less than 48 hours!

Gary is going to try radiation again on Monday. His spine and shoulder are VERY sore, and the only pain killer is radiation. So he really wants to get back to that. So pray he can so this cancer won't grow any more and cause him even more pain. We are not sure of the chemo at this point; we can let you know that later.

We are grateful God has taken away some of Gary's pain. We pray that God takes away this cancer so that Gary can continue with his "10 year plan". We know God can do anything, and we claim that.

May God forever be praised for all He does for His children.

"Though He Slay Me"

We praise God for His glorious grace and mercy!

Gary has improved tremendously over the past 18 hours. He is breathing much more steadily, even though he cannot yet breathe on his own. His heart rate as well as his respirations per minute are almost normal, and the doctors have dropped his oxygen from 12 to 6 liters. He may even go home tomorrow!

We have talked a lot today about Gary's life, his impact and his ministry. We can see in so many places where God has touched us or touched others through Gary. He has truly spent his life bringing honor and glory to the Lord. Today has been a blessing for him and his family.

When I tried this evening to compare his battle this past year with some of the battles Job faced in Scripture, Gary became uneasy. But he did say he hopes he has glorified God in this process and then quoted Job:

Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him.

We then prayed that Gary's journey has indeed revealed this in all that has happened. I assured him that I, as his daughter, have learned more about walking in the path of God from him this year than I have in my life. I thanked our Lord for such a godly father to teach me how to walk in the will of God. I know Gary has done this for others.

We don't know what the future holds. But we do know it's in the Lord's hands. And we know that in Christ alone can we hope in times like this. And in that we find peace and rest. And we know, in the end, our Father will tell our earthly father "welcome my good and faithful servant". There is no greater reassurance than that.

God is truly good, and may He be glorified forever and ever.

Prayers for Pain Relief

For those who don’t know, my father was rushed to the hospital this morning because of his inability to breathe on his own. After a long and painful day, the doctors discovered a clot (at least one, maybe more) in his left leg. Because of his condition they were not able to do a scan to definitively say one was in his lung, but it is safe to assume it is, due to his labored breathing.
He had a procedure done tonight to prevent any more clots from entering his lungs. But we have to pray he can break the clot up in his lung on his own. At this point, because of his previous and present tumors, he cannot go on high doses of blood thinners to help in this process.

Please pray he breaks this clot up quickly. Every day he is fighting this he is not taking his radiation and chemo treatments. And that means his tumors are continuing to grow.

He is in severe pain still, especially with this newest symptom of labored breathing. Please pray for relief of this. We don’t know what God wants, but we do know He can do it all! Pray for His will in my dad’s life. He has fought the good fight. And he diligently worked for the Kingdom all his life. We know the rewards are waiting for him in a much better place. But we also know God can continue to use him here.

May God be glorified every day. And may we, as my Daddy always says, remember that every day is a gift.

Day One Is Done

Gary's first day of radiation is over. I think we were all a little fearful of how he would handle this; it's unknown territory! But it seems to go smoothly, simply, and quickly. Every day will last no more than 45 minutes, except for next Thursday when he takes his chemo as well. He didn't seem to be feeling ill effects of the radiation; he did get a little sick, though, from the pain killers he is currently taking. Please pray he feels better with that.

I wish we could tell you more, but that is really all the new news! Gary is in high spirits, still going to work and praising God every step he takes (almost literally!). He knows God's hand is in this, and we belive in the promise that:

in all things God works for the good of those who love him,
who have been called according to his purpose.

God didn't "cause" this cancer; we believe Satan uses diseases like cancer to attack us. But we do know God can use it for His glory. As one of Gary's co-workers said this morning: "Think of all the people Gary touched at the Cancer Center because of this!" And we as Gary's family agree. God has been glorified, and surely people have come to the Lord because of Gary's faithfulness.

We pray for God's quick hand of healing and complete remission of this disease. But, most importantly for my father, he wants God to be seen in every step of this journey we have taken. God has been faithful and has not left our side. And we praise Him eternally because of that.

Another Battle Begins

We are so sad to tell you that Wednesday night the doctors discovered cancer in Gary's body again. This time the cancer is in the bone in his back, his shoulder and the bone next to his esophagus. This is why he was in so much pain for the past few weeks.

Gary begins a daily regiment of radiation for the next three weeks. He will continue his chemotherapy along with that. Please pray for relief from the pain and complete healing from the cancer. The doctors are confident the cancer was caught early enough so that they can kill it before spreading more. And his radiation oncologist is a believer and has prayed over him and over this course of action. He prayed for a complete remission of cancer and more than 10 years for Gary to continue his Kingdom work.

We will do our best to keep you updated. Thank you again for you constant prayers.

Triumph, Even Through Doubt

We are overjoyed to tell you that there is NO new (or old, for that matter) cancer in Gary's body! We praise Him that he made that spot disappear! His doctors consulted specialists, and they determined that there is nothing unusual about what the MRI revealed. So God is to be praised; He made this happen!

We are relieved that we don't have to fight cancer again; however, Gary is suffering miserably from a very sore back and shoulder. He is now unable to walk very far without being in considerable pain. We believe, like the shoulder, that the muscles in his back have tightened severely due to lack of movement during his recovery time. He is going to a physical therapist on Tuesday to determine what can be done to alleviate his pain so he can move forward. Please pray this can be remedied quickly. Gary wants to be healthy so that he can withstand his next round of chemo on the 13th.

We also ask that you pray the family of one of Gary's dear friends: Keith Kilgore. He was an elder at a local church and a cancer survivor like Gary. They spent considerable time together taking chemotherapy, praying for each other, supporting each other, and loving each other. They made each other stronger the fight. On Saturday evening, Keith passed away from a blod clot that traveled to his brain. He was a young man, determined to not let cancer beat him. We can only take comfort that Keith is with our Creator and Savior, praising Him at the throne. What a glorious beginning to eternity! But we are sad that we cannot see him on this side of heaven again. Pray for peace for his family during this time. We know Keith is where he belongs.

As always we praise Him for you and your willingness to pray for Gary and his family. May you realize the blessings He has promised to you:

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ.