Dan

We were surprised, but very happy when Paul, Dr. Lin's Assistant phoned today! We were even happier when Paul said, "The MRI did not find any other cancers. The problem is contained in your right thigh. The recommended treatment is radiation."

That agrees completely with what our doctors here at Texas Oncology in Bedford said in the very beginning. The only new information MDA provided was 1. a different name for the mass - in plain English the name means a sarcoma outside the bone but with tiny bone fragments in the muscle mass. 2. there is a reactive lymph node that is not a problem but bears watching.

So, what are we looking at? The next step is to make an appointment with Dr. Dubey, Dan's radiologist, to begin treatment. Dr. Dubey spoke of 7 weeks of radiation, 5 days a week. After that, Dan has an appointmenton April 25 for blood work and chest x-ray with the Oncologist, Dr. Anderson.

Dr. Dubey has advised us that a major side effect of radiation treatment is that each treatment will make Dan very tired. As I think about Dan being extremely fatigued for 7 weeks, my mind froze for a second. Even at 74, he is so vital and strong. I don't even know what to ask you to pray for. But this I do know, "Those who wait on 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." Isaiah 40:31. My God is real, and He keeps his promises.
-- Anne and Dan

Posted by Anne at 06:54 PM | Permalink

It feels quite strange to be leaving Houston with no conclusions. We want to begin treatment for Dan. We worked so hard to get an appointment for Dan at MD Anderson because we want a 2nd opinion from some of the best cancer specialists perhaps in the world. And, now it seems that phase is over.

Dan's doctor at MDA told Dan Monday that they will look at all the test results, discuss his case and make a recommendation for treatment...later. There was no procedure for check out. After Dan had been in the MRI machine for an hour (working very hard to be completely still), the MRI technician told Dan, "You may go." We'd been there 3 1/2 hours.

We ate a hamburger in the Mays Building cafeteria, drove to Hilda's, Dan took a nap while I packed, and we got on the road at 5 p.m. heading out of Houston. We are spending the night with some of our long time supporters who live in Cypress, TX. We truly had a blessed evening. In the morning (Friday) we'll drive on towards Ft. Worth. But first, we will phone Dawn, our MDA contact, to ask, "When can we expect to hear from Dr. Lin?"

We are tired, but we are okay. I feel like I want to complain, say something like, "but I thought they'd treat us more like real people. Instead, it was more like we were cans of green beans that they had to move from the shelf into a box. They were finished. They put us in the "outbox," and we're supposed to move on. They have other cans of green beans to test and put in a box. I'm reminded of what Paul said in Philippians 2:14-15, Do everything without complaining or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which you shine like stars in the universe." Maybe we'll hear from MDA soon. Fortunately for us, God is patient with us. He is still "growing us." -- Anne and Dan

Posted by Anne at 09:00 PM | Permalink

The sign says "Outpatient MRI Center," but it's so quiet in this spacious reception area. No people are rushing around. Patients get called in a timely manner. Aha, this is the Mays Center...not the Main Building. Maybe this building is managed by a completely different set of guidelines?

Dan has been with the MRI technician for about 35 minutes. I'll let you know later how things went. We hope this is the last thing he has to do so we can head back towards NRH. God is smiling on us with sunshine and a warm breeze. -- Anne

Posted by Anne at 10:35 AM | Permalink

We awoke to a beautiful, sunny sky this morning. On this 2nd day without medical appointments, God gave us a day of rest surrounded by loving people. Even as I write this, it feels strange to say we came all this way expecting to have 5 days filled with tests and meetings with doctors...and instead, we have had 1 seven hour medical day, and two blessed days of peace and joy.

Before we came, I knew there's a reason we are staying with Hilda. I thought, "maybe this will bless Hilda, or her son in law, Bernie, and family." They are close friends with our Bob and Donna. It was Bernie and Shari after all who arranged that we stay with her.

This afternoon, Dan's cousin, Cindy took us to a delightful late lunch at a quiet Italian restaurant where we sat and talked for several hours. We wanted her to meet Hilda, so Cindy came "home" with us. After a couple of hours of fun and interesting conversation, Cindy went home happy to have a new friend - Hilda.

At 9 pm, Hilda's sister, a cancer survivor, and her significant other came to meet us. Again, we had such a great visit - talking about important life matters sprinkled with funny stories about our life experiences. While we sat around the table eating chocolate cake, laughing, relaxing, it came to me..."Surprise! The people who are being blessed by us staying with Hilda are Dan and Anne!" God is good. God is always good! -- Anne and Dan

Posted by Anne at 08:54 PM | Permalink

Dan had the day off today, no tests, no interviews. Being very tired from Monday's ordeal, we rested all morning. Dan listened to a book on CD. I visited with our kind hostess, Hilda, answered e-mails, wrote friends on Facebook. At 2 p.m., we found a quiet Mexican restaurant with outstanding food about 5 minutes drive from the condo.

After a leisurely lunch, we strolled through a beautiful park with tall, tall trees, camellia bushes covered with blooms, and azalea bushes just beginning to bloom. Walking in quiet nature, we can feel what it must have been like to walk with God in the Garden of Eden. We feel His closeness, see His hand in everything. This always restores our spirits.

Tonight it is supposed to get down near freezing, but Wednesday is forecast to be cool and sunny...our kind of weather. We are grateful for a quiet interlude before Dan has the MRI on Thursday. We have much to be grateful about tonight - a good place to stay, clothes to wear, food to eat, and kind people to love us. God has put it in our hearts to help the abused children in Romania. We are grateful that Jesus helps us bring healing to them. Jesus said in Mark 9:37, "Whoever welcomes one of these little children in my name welcomes me; and whoever welcomes me welcomes the One who sent me." We are grateful that so many of you are helping us welcome the little ones. -- Anne and Dan

Posted by Anne at 08:29 PM | Permalink

It has been a most challenging day. First, just getting through the heavy traffic, wondering, "Will the road construction make us late for Dan's appointment,"...that was a challenge. But when we went into the huge lobby, I felt overwhelmed. It was like being in a huge train station with people rushing somewhere, solemn faces all around us. It was painful looking in the face of the unknown -- but here reality stares us in the face. Young men, mothers, teenage girls, young fathers with their family, elderly, all ages, here - they have cancer.

After fighting the traffic and the clock to get here, we were only 5 minutes late checking in. But it was 3 hours later before we began the process to prepare us to meet with Dr. Lin. During the next hour, we met privately with 3 people before Dr. Lin came into the examining room. Our 1:30 appointment with him actually took place at 4 p.m. Dr. Lin said that the first MDA committee that studied the biopsy slides concluded that the sarcoma was an Extra Osseos (?sp) - on the outside of the bone/not in the bone, but the mass had bone fragments in it. We did not think to ask what the bone fragments in the mass indicate.

Dan saw Dr. Lin/radiologist in Sarcoma Unit, then at 5 p.m. had very painful blood work done by clumsy technicians, and finished with chest and femur x-rays at 7 p.m. The last thing to be done at MDA will be an MRI Thursday. Then we can return to NRH. Two, possibly three committees will study everything. After that Dr. Lin will phone Dan and tell him their conclusions and recommendations.

Chemo is not an option. Dr. Lin said that the MRI will show if more surgery is needed. Radiation over 5+ weeks is what they are talking about now. The committees may have other suggestions. We still intend to have treatment done at Texas Oncology Center in Bedford.

Paul Bourland, Physician's Assistant who worships at RHCC said this about the MDA opinion- "Extra Osseos (?sp)" means outside the bone. I'm not an expert in this, but, that sounds like very good news! Encapsulated in tissue is good. You don't want it in the bone because that's where you make red blood cells and any malignancy there will spread. A neoplasm in tissue can be removed and may be years before it grows again, or may never come back. "

It was a real blessing to visit with Adolf, and Attila K. on Skype as soon as I connected my laptop to MDA's wireless system. From Romania, they "talked" me through my worse moments of anxiety right after we sat down in MDA. Dottie "talked" me through when the anxiety was trying to take over again in late afternoon. Now, tonight, we are both tired, but calm. God is our pilot, our tour guide. He is carrying us because He knows how difficult it is for us to walk on our own right now. The Psalmist said, "Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for Him...." Psalm 37:7 We can do that because of your prayers. Thank you.
-- Anne and Dan

Posted by Anne at 08:20 PM | Permalink

Just a brief message before we go to bed...can I be brief? : > )

Our trip was free of any difficulties except for being a bit lost...just a little bit lost in Waco. Well, we had Don's home phone, right? So, I phoned the number I had. A man answered, but it did not sound like Don. So I asked, "Is this Don?" He replied, "No, this is Jim." Wrong number! I had Don's 800 number on my computer. My computer worked long enough to give me the number. It was rather like an Abbott and Costello comedy. But we found Don's house, had a good visit, a good night's sleep, everything was good all the way to Houston.

Hilda is a gracious, interesting hostess with a lovely apartment on the 11th floor. She had our bed ready when we arrived, prepared a fine dinner, is taking care of our every need.

Monday, 12:30 Dan signs in at MD Anderson. (Here in Houston, people call it MD.) We'll let you know how things go. In Hebrews 13, God says, "I will never leave you nor forsake you." In God we trust. -- Anne and Dan

Posted by Anne at 09:17 PM | Permalink

It's been 6 1/2 weeks since Dan had 1/3 of the muscles in his right thigh removed in an effort to free his body of cancer. But there are still microscopic cancer cells in his leg. This has been one of the most challenging periods in our lives with unexpected problems arising almost every day. The good news is that Dan's leg is a little bit less swollen than yesterday, and we both slept well last night for a change. : > ) Today...today has been a calm day full of gifts from God!

We acted like "regular" people taking the morning off. We went to Starbucks for breakfast, and picked up some audio books at the library for our trip to Houston. We were blessed to have a fine discussion with a friend in Romania. Later, I did some counselor training for an outstanding therapist in St. George.

We now have copies of the PET Scan and the C-T Scan to take with us to MD Anderson. Saturday morning we will pack our suitcase for Houston. If we have enough energy, we will go to a sweet friend's wedding in Dallas. Then, we will drive about 2+ hours to Waco, spend the night and go to church with a friend God has sent to help support us in our work.

Before I say "goodnight," I want to thank you again for all the prayers you are offering up to God for us, and for the many encouraging messages coming to us from our beloved friends around the world. God has given us a wonderful big "family." I want to share with you what Dan's wise sister in law sent - “Life is not the way it’s supposed to be. It’s the way it is. The way you cope with it...is what makes the difference.” “The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: but the word of our God shall stand for ever.” Isaiah 40:8 And we stand on the Word of God. -- Anne and Dan

Posted by Anne at 08:02 PM | Permalink

As I sat here wondering if there was anything to report, for a minute I thought, "We had a day with no problems!" Well, almost...not quite without problems. Dan's leg is doing better. The swelling is going down.

I'm so happy about Dan's leg beginning to improve that I almost forgot...about 4:30 p.m. today, MDA phoned to ask if copies of the PET Scan and the C-T Scan had been sent to them. They will not let Dan have an appointment if they don't have those. We'd been told that copies were going to be sent. (We're a bit green at this business of getting medical records from Dr. A to Dr. Z.)

Dan hurriedly made several phone calls to his doctors' assistants only to learn that, "well, I'm so sorry, but, no, upon checking, I see that we never did send copies of the scans to MDA." So, in heavy rush hour traffic, Dan drove out to HEB, Bedford, to pick up a copy of one scan. The other scan is stored at the Weatherford, TX, office a 50 minute drive West of here. That office promised to make a copy, and send it by courier to their office that is about a 10 minute drive from our house. We'll discover Friday morning if they actually do it.

But God filled our lap with many blessings today - a good visit with our daughter before she left for a week's vacation in London, a fun visit with Dr. Dottie Schulz (missionary care specialist), a pleasant phone conversation with Hilda (the lady who will be our hostess in Houston), a very fine telephone visit with my sister in South Central Texas, AND an e-mail from a dear friend, Kathy, saying she has been declared cancer free! She had had Stage IV tongue cancer with cancer cells in 42 lymph nodes. Praise God, she is well now! Pray that God will also heal Dan and Huba's father, Istvan, in Romania. The prophet Isaiah tells us in Isaiah 26:3-4, "You will keep in perfect peace him whose mind is steadfast because he trust in you. Trust in the Lord forever for the Lord is the Rock eternal." -- Anne and Dan

Posted by Anne at 08:41 PM | Permalink

MD Anderson called today. Monday, 25 Feb., Dan begins consultation with Dr. Patrick Lin of MDA about his treatment! Dan will be there 5 - 7 business days. He must repeat all the tests that he had here.

With a gentle tug on the drain tube, the surgeon easily removed the drain from Dan's thigh this afternoon. Because the new pocket inside the cavity in Dan's leg keeps filling with lymph fluid, the surgeon, Dr. Elieson, prescribed daytime wrapping of Dan's entire right leg with an elastic bandage. At night he only has to wrap his right thigh, and sleep with his feet higher than his heart. The body is working to find new pathways for the natural lymph drainage that used to travel through the abductor muscles before they were removed during surgery.

We have accepted an invitation to stay with the mother of some friends of our North Carolina "kids" (Bob and Donna Boyd). After looking at a Houston map, we see that MDA is about a 15 minute drive from her condo near the Galleria.

Please, pray that God will heal the pocket, the cavity, and all cancer cells in Dan's body without doing further damage to Dan's body. We also need prayers for peace, and energy to do what we have to do. We thank all of you who help us by your prayers, messages, and acts of kindness. God takes notice. In fact, Jesus says in Luke 6:38, "Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running together will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you." -- Anne and Dan

Posted by Anne at 07:26 PM | Permalink

As far as Dan's health goes, MD Anderson has not called to tell us what the next step is. The unwanted pocket which has formed inside the cavity in Dan's thigh is not draining. Much of the fluid that is supposed to drain into the pump is filling the pocket instead...Dan's upper thigh is swelling. Late today, Dan left a message on the surgeon's answering machine, but no one is returning our calls today! Dan thinks he can manage through the night.

Monday after the surgeon drained the pocket, he told Dan to keep his thigh wrapped with an elastic bandage. Though that does not solve the problem, it does slow down the collection of fluid in the pocket. The first week after surgery Dan had to go to Emergency because the drain was clogged. The doctor told him at that time not to be alarmed by the large swelling - that the skin can stretch quite a bit without doing any harm.

This evening at 7:30 p.m., a long time friend from Coppell phoned. The first thing he said was, "How is Dan? And how are you?" I was very tired, and heart weary at that moment. He let me talk, asked a few questions and made short, appropriate comments completely free of criticism at just the right moments.

At the end, he reviewed our plan of action - 1. When I begin to feel the least bit discouraged, give it immediately to God. 2. Figure out what I need - brainstorm with a friend who knows me well. 3. Ask the good people here to help before I get too tired. So, you see, God always sends help when you ask. Even when we think we are alone, God is always there..."Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me...." Psalm 23:4a -- Anne and Dan

Posted by Anne at 08:56 PM | Permalink

It wasn't enough that Dan had that hard spot in the cavity (which turned out to be a pocket of fluid). Late this afternoon, a leak came in the tube leading from Dan's leg to the JP drain. Naturally the drain quit working. What do you do when you don't know who to call for that problem? Dan has 4 different doctors on this case! It was after hours for all the people who could tell us what to do.

The answer was obvioius, but sometimes we overlook the obvious. Dan finally decided to call the surgeon's answering service...simple! Within minutes, a Dr. phoned, instructed Dan to cut the tube off past the leak and stick the good tube back into the pump. That felt scary...what if the tube won't fit back into the tube. But, within a few minutes, everything was fixed! What a day!!! And, if nothing else unexpected happens, maybe we can get some sleep tonight.

Jesus says in Matthew 11:28, "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest." With David, we agree that, "The Lord is my light and my salvation--whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life--of whom shall I be afraid?" Psalm 27:1
--Anne and Dan

Posted by Anne at 07:38 PM | Permalink

Two men thousands of miles apart are connected through their battle with cancer. Please, continue praying for them. Istvan Kernaszt, Huba's father, had a 2.5" cancer removed from his neck last week in Bucharest, Romania. This was a Stage IV cancer. The doctors had to remove the right lymph gland and part of his tongue. With therapy, Istvan can learn to talk again. Huba's mother is there in Bucharest with his father.

This morning here in North Richland Hills, TX, Dan's surgeon used a long need to remove more than 100 cc from a pocket that had formed inside the cavity in Dan's thigh. Dan's right calf and foot continue to be painfully swollen because of excess fluid. We have a two week window in which to begin radiation before the cancer cells still in his thigh begin to become sizable. MD Anderson in Houston, TX, called today. Everything is now entered in the computer. They will phone Tuesday or Wednesday to give Dan an appointment to get a 2nd opinion.

Please, pray for complete healing for these two men and that God be glorified throughout all of their struggle. Our God is an awesome God. He hears your prayers. He is good all the time. -- Anne and Dan

Posted by Anne at 01:59 PM | Permalink

We were blessed to have the energy to attend Bible class, and church service this morning. It was as though the messages were especially for us. Even though the swelling in Dan's leg is still a problem, and we are both very tired, our spirits are more peaceful. Let me share with you "in a nutshell" the words that were so helpful in the midst of our struggle...

Our class studied Psalm 139. In verses 23-24, King David wrote, "Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting."

That was followed by the sermon in church which pointed us to Romans 8:1, "There is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus." How encouraging to be reminded that God does know our hearts, our anxious thoughts, but loves us so much that He will lead us in the way everlasting!

All we have to do is follow Him. Dan and I have chosen to follow Him, to be in Christ Jesus. Even though we have allowed ourselves to be anxious about Dan's health, His grace covers us! Peace and joy are ours tonight. -- Anne and Dan

Posted by Anne at 07:20 PM | Permalink

Even though Dan has done everything the doctor said to do, (walk 10 minutes 2 times a day, prop his foot higher than his heart often, eat vegetables, take 5 mg Enduron) his right calf and foot are still swollen and painful. It's past 11:30 p.m., time to be asleep, but he is putting an ice pack on his foot in an effort to lower the pain. Thngs like this often happen when it's time to go to bed. Since his surgery, a good night's rest is a seldom thing.

The drain in his thigh seems to be working well. Today the amount of fluid measured 400 cc as compared to 300 cc on Friday. But in the past week, it has gradually drained less and less. Once it is below 100 cc, the drain can be removed from Dan's thigh.

Tonight as I was reading my Bible, I came to this passage in Acts 7:55-56, "Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit, looked up to heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. 'Look,' he said, I see heaven open and the son of Man standing at the right hand of God....Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.' " It is our prayer that one day our Lord Jesus will receive our spirit, and take us home just as He did Stephen. That's what we are living for. -- Anne and Dan

Posted by Anne at 08:53 PM | Permalink

We are thankful that the ultrasound showed no clots in Dan's right leg. There is no explanation for the swelling other than perhaps taking the wrong dosage of blood pressure medication sent for months by the mail order pharmacy.

We are back home. Too tired to eat. Maybe a hot cup of tea and a rest will help.

In order to decrease the swelling, the doctor instructed Dan to increase his Enduron intake, to walk a lot, and otherwise keep his right leg elevated higher than his heart. Thank you for your prayers. -- Anne and Dan

Posted by Anne at 11:00 AM | Permalink

We are at the moment waiting to go to HEB Meth. Hospital, Bedford. Dan's right calf and knee are still swelling too much. Dr. Hendrickson just made an 11 a.m. appointment for Dan to have some tests to make sure there is not a clot in his leg causing the swelling. This is not how I had envisioned our "retirement years."

This feels like a far cry from the "mission field." However, we continue to study with, and counsel our dear friends in Romania...and some here. i am discovering that there are struggling souls here who need us right now...even though we are in the midst of one of the greatest challenges of our life. God is good. God is always good. -- Anne & Dan

Posted by Anne at 08:08 AM | Permalink

As I awoke this morning, I felt like I had been dreaming...these things are not happening to my Dan. It was all a bad dream. But then I remembered...no, Dan is not well. Dan has cancer in his thigh.

As soon as Dan got out of bed, with relief, I saw that the swelling in his right calf has gone down to about half of what it was when we went to bed last night. He slept all night with it propped up higher than his heart.

We will call his personal physician as soon as her office opens at 9 a.m. CST. We will also call Dawn at MD Anderson. We've discovered that we have to keep on top of things. Doctors have so much to do. Sometimes things slip through the cracks.

But, for now, we thank God that things are better than they were 6 hours ago. We're going to do something nice for ourselves - go to Starbucks for breakfast! -- Anne and Dan

Posted by Anne at 04:59 AM | Permalink

We thought there was really nothing new to report today. MD Anderson called to explain they were hoping to receive all the requested information and slides today. Dawn said she'd call us back in 45 minutes if everything was ready to be presented to the committee. She did not call back. Dan will phone her first thing in the morning. Well, I guess it is morning now but too early to call. : > )

We were ready to get in bed. Dan asked, "Will you help me put the blanket on my legs. My right foot is hurting "like the dickens." Taking one look at his right calf and foot, I said, "Well, it ought to hurt. It is swollen to twice its normal size!"

Dan had phoned his regular doctor this morning to ask if he can take something to help decrease the intense swelling in his right calf. The nurse said she'd call him back Friday morning. So, here we are, past midnight, exhausted, and Dan hurts too much to be able to sleep. The Dr. had recently decreased the Enduron to 1/2 a tablet. Dan decided to increase the Enduron doseage back to one tablet for the night in hopes that it will draw off the excess fluid in his right knee, calf and foot. We'll see what his doctor advises later today.

And, now...off to bed. Please, continue praying for Dan's healing, for deep peace within, and that we both will get good rest every night. We are so tired. Thank you for your encouraging notes, phone calls, and visits. Alone we can't manage, but we can do all things through Christ who strengthens us. -- Anne and Dan

Posted by Anne at 10:19 PM | Permalink

This afternoon Dr. Elieson said that Dan's incision looks good, but he wants Dan to talk with Dan's internist about the continuing swelling in the right calf. Perhaps the internist will want to prescribe medication to decrease the swelling.

Dr. Elieson suggested that Dan gently wrap an elastic bandage around his thigh. As long as it does not slow down circulation, it can help the excess fluid drain out of the leg better. It may also encourage the edges of the cavity to grow together sooner. The surgeon pointed out that this is 5 weeks, 1 day since the surgery. It takes 6 - 8 weeks for such a cavity to heal.

We hope to hear Thursday from MD Anderson about when Dan is to go there for tests.

A prayer request has come from Adolf Papp in St. George. The father of our friend, Huba, is having emergency surgery in Bucharest, Romania, in a few hours. He has a Stage IV, 2.5 inch cancererous tumor in his neck. The surgery will last 5 hours, and is dangerous because it is so near the major veins in his neck. Please, pray God's hands to guide the surgeon, for safety and healing for Huba's father...and peace for him as well as all his family and friends who are so worried about him. Thank you for joining us in prayer for these fine people.

"The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective." James 15:16b -- Anne and Dan

Posted by Anne at 07:17 PM | Permalink

Dawn, our contact at MDA, called again today. One more slide needed to be sent...and the medical records that were mailed last week had not arrived yet. That necessitated more phone calls. Soon, Dawn reported to Dan that she'd arranged for the radiologist's assistant to FED EX the slide of the biopsy, and fax to her today all 15 pages of the medical report.

This has been a calm day. I had a very blessed counseling session this morning. Dan still needs to sleep some each morning and afternoon. And, me, I have to take a long rest each afternoon. I'm wondering if maybe my problem is that I'm just getting old! : > ) We're grateful for the opportunity we had to rest today.

Dan was asked to begin a Bible study with a seeker in the Carribean Islands. They will have their first study tomorrow evening via Skype. Please, pray that both will be blessed by this. Thank you for your faithfulness in praying for us. God has plans for all of us...we pray that those plans include using us as tools in His hands to glorify Him. " I pray ... also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know ... His incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is like the working of His mighty strength, which He exerted in Christ when He raised Him from the dead..." Ephesians 1:17-20 -- Anne and Dan

Posted by Anne at 08:05 PM | Permalink

Imagine our surprise when Dawn, our contact at MD Anderson, called today to ask, "Have the medical records been sent?" I replied, "You should have them by now." We stayed on the phone while she checked. The slides had arrived by Fed Ex last week, but were still in MDA's mail room. When Dan checked with his radiologist's assistant, she told him, "the other medical records were sent by U.S. Post. They should arrive in Houston today."

Once all the slides and records have been studied, MDA will decide what Unit to assign Dan to. If we understood correctly, they will then have Dan go down to MDA for more tests. They will prepare a 2nd opinion for Dan's local doctors.

The drain hole again surprised Dan with a burst of fluid at noon. Fortunately, he was wearing washable trousers. I am thankful for his patience with all the trials, large and small that are present in his life. He is finishing up his exercises right now, walking around and around inside our little house.

Our life had a very pleasant interlude in it tonight when Dyann, Jere, and Kristen came over to eat dinner with us. Colonel Sanders provided Kentucky Fried Chicken, and I added potato salad, carrot, pineapple and raisin salad, Texas style vegetable soup, with baked custard, and pumpkin pie that I made - all without corn starch or high fructose corn syrup.

Kristen had 2 bouts of strep throat after Dan had surgery, so no one from their house could come over here. Kristen took her last antibiotic today. We hope we get to see them more often now.

The other day, a close friend asked, "How you manage to keep going?" Colossians 2:6-7 pretty well explains it. Let me paraphrase it/put it in my own words - "Just as we received Christ Jesus as Lord, we continue to live in Him, rooted and built up in Him, strengthened in the faith as we were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness." -- Anne and Dan

Posted by Anne at 07:40 PM | Permalink

We thank God for giving us another day with sunshine, and strength to worship God with our church family.

Dan had an "interesting" experience this afternoon. He knelt down to get something that had rolled under the bed...and fluid ran freely from the opening where the drain tube enters his leg. We were a bit surprised! His right trouser leg got all wet, but no harm was done. He changed into dry pants, and went on with his day. I had not planned to do any washing...but learning to be patient & flexible is high on our list. : > )

We're grateful that there is no new bruising on Dan. Now that he is taking the right amount of Tiazac, he does not seem to be exhibiting any more problems from taking too strong a dosage to lower his blood pressure. (You may remember that the mail order pharmacy sent 420 mg pills for one year. 240 mg was what the Dr. prescribed. Lesson learned? Make sure the pharmacy gives you what the Dr. prescribed.)

We've been thinking about how God has brought so much joy into our lives by allowing us to serve others in His name. Ephesians 2:10 keeps coming to my mind, " For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do." Do you ever wonder what good works He is preparing for you to do? We wonder what He has already prepared for us to do next. -- Anne and Dan

Posted by Anne at 08:14 PM | Permalink

Today was so "almost normal" that we could almost forget that Dan has physical problems. Dan has longer periods of energy before he has to rest. The drain pump keeps working. There may be a little bit less drainage. It has to be less than 100 cc a day before the drain can be removed.

However, when Dan met with his regular doctor this week, she noticed that the mail order pharmacy had been sending him 420 mg instead of 240 mg Tiazac to lower his blood pressure. The visible side effects of that were that his hands were always cold, and his blood pressure kept getting lower and lower. Today his hands were warm all day.

We don't know if there is any connection, but last night a large bruise appeared behind his left knee. This morning another bruised area appeared on the front of his left thigh near his knee. (The sarcoma was in his right thigh.) The doctor on call today told him to stop taking the blood thinner medication. We thank God that no more bruising has appeared.

Except for that, it was a good day. The sun shone all day so we got out of the house for awhile. For lunch, we went to What A Burger for a hamburger, bought a few groceries, and put gas in the car. That made it a Big Day! Then, we came home and took a long nap. (It does not take a whole lot to entertain us lately.)

Two of our heroes are Dr. Samuel Obeng and his wife, Comfort, in Kumasi, Ghana. Let us share with you what they wrote recently: "Sometimes when I sit down and count God's blessings and name them one by one, my conclusion has been that His love for me and my family is great. In Africa, the wars, famine and other negative things that happen in the continent, God's love provides Peace to His people who call upon His name. My brethren, let us rejoice in the Lord and commit ourselves to Him as our provider and redeemer. Amen and Amen." And to that we say, "Amen and Amen." -- Anne and Dan

Posted by Anne at 07:35 PM | Permalink

This has been an especially blessed day. Dan's energy level continues to increase. The sun was bright today outside and in our hearts. We choose to remember that Jesus is Lord, our Redeemer, and we are safe in His hands.

The mail brought some DVDs that we plan to take with us to Romania. Our teammate, Rosemarie Hitesman, and I went to Half Price Books this afternoon to buy some books to ship by sea post. We bought several copies of The Case for Christ, The Purpose Driven Life, and a few copies of books to read in our scheduled "time off." This way, the books will be there when we arrive...we won't have to lug them in our suitcases.

Yes, this time we are going to schedule regular time off. We've never done that before. We love the people and the work we do in St. George. It is refreshing to be with them. But, one of our mentors (I won't mention any names, but her initials are SlW of LST) keeps telling us that we need to schedule time off for ourselves. : > )

With peace and joy in our hearts, we thank you for continuing to pray for healing for Dan, and ask that we simply serve as tools in the hands of God according to whatever He wills. -- DnA (that's what one of our friends delights in calling us!)

Posted by Anne at 07:28 PM | Permalink

We celebrate that last night Dan had no pain in his leg! That's a first since his surgery. He was able to sleep through the entire night. His energy level is improving daily. (Morning and afternoon naps are still essential.) I'm happy to report that he has taken up the job of doing our accounting...and preparing our IRS report!

This morning the radiologist's assistant told Dan that all of his records have been sent overnight by Fed Ex to MD Anderson in Houston. We hope to hear back from them soon.

On the Home front, the mystery package from Walmart arrived. This time, it had...the dishes we ordered! Now we have 4 lovely place settings of Corelle dishes. (That makes a total of 7 plates for the house in case we have company.) The name of the floral pattern on the dishes is Camellia. These dishes will always be special because Camellia Raica is our sister in Christ in St. George, Romania. She and her fine husband, Stefan, help us with many, many things. Camellia arranges the advertising for Let's Start Talking each year. Stefan is Dan's translator.

I could fill an entire page telling you of how they help us. In fact, God has blessed us with many special people in St. George who help us every day when we are there. No matter what problem arises, large or small, there is someone who knows what to do, where to find what we need, or how to fix what is broken. Jesus said, "...no one who has left home or brothers or sister or mother or father or children or fields for me and the gospel will fail to receive a hundred times as much in this present age (homes, brothers, sisters, mothers, children and fields -- and with them, persecutions) and in the age to come, eternal life." Mark 10:29 - 30.

In this challenging period of our life, the Family that God has given us here and all over the world blesses us every day. God is good. God is always good. -- Anne and Dan

Posted by Anne at 07:30 PM | Permalink

The medical team at HEB Methodist, Bedford, who are Dan's doctors, are cooperating to get the required information to MD Anderson (MDA). They hope to send it Thursday by FedEx.

Once the specialists at MDA have studied all of the x-rays, biopsy slides, medical records, they will tell us what the next step is. At this point in time, we do not know if Dan will have to go to Houston to meet with them or not.

Dan's strength is increasing. We are thankful that we are able to focus more time and attention to our work in St. George, Romania. Skype is a wonderful thing. "Only one life. Will soon be past. Only what's done for Christ will last." -- Anne and Dan

Posted by Anne at 08:07 PM | Permalink

This morning about 11:30, an email message arrived from an unknown person. As I sat studying the address, I wondered, "Is this spam? Should I delete it?" I read the sender's address again - mdander...and began to wonder, " Does that stand for MD Anderson?" Well, yes! Am I glad I opened - the "New Patient Check List."

We delivered the the checklist to our Radiologist, Dr. Dubey, this afternoon. Tomorrow Dan is to call Dr. Dubey to get further instructions about the next step. We have 10 days to ship quite a lot of information, and slides to MDA.

At noon, a former NFL pro came to talk to us about the opportunities to help children in Romania. (He was referred to us by faithful Christian family who help with mission works on several continents.) We took him to the Let's Start Talking office so he could get an idea of how he might help us in Romania. We spent the entire afternoon together. Please, pray that if it is God's will, that Brandon go to St. George to help the good people there.

There are many wants, needs, opportunities all over the world... beginning for you, perhaps, right next door...or half the way around the world. We hope you will join us in prayer that we all live so as to be in God's will, to be tools in His hands. We have peace tonight as we remember what Paul wrote in his letter to the Christians in Philippi, "...it is God who works in you to will and to act according to His good purpose." Philippians 2:13 -- Anne and Dan

Posted by Anne at 07:47 PM | Permalink

We are encouraged that the process has begun to get a 2nd opinion from MD Anderson Sarcoma Treatment Center in Houston. The lady who called asked a few questions. First, she must verify that we have insurance and are not in an HMO. She said when she has that info from our insurance company, she will e-mail us a form instructing us about what they want us to send them. So, it is once again...wait.

Dan's foot was swollen last night - kept him from sleeping well. The swelling is not too bad today. But he still needs to prop his foot up often. We are going for a 10 minute walk tonight just before bedtime in an effort to help us sleep better.

Life changes so slowly at times that you don't notice the little changes. But in this case, it is as though life exploded, and we find ourselves in a completely different world...a multitude of tests, doctors visits, surgery, a biopsy revealing that cancer cells probably remain in Dan's thigh, visits to Emergency, readmittance to the hospital, visits from Home Health people, more doctors appointments, and waiting, waiting.

The surgeon decided to give Dan a prescription to get a permit so we can use Parking for the Handicapped. It will make life easier until Dan is well and strong again. Speaking of making life easier, we gave away most of our dishes in our "breaking up housekeeping" effort. We don't always have a schedule that gives us time to wash our 3 plates and 4 cereal bowls before the next meal. To keep up that routine until we can leave for Romania is too much for us. So, thinking that I was so clever...I went on line and ordered an inexpensive 4 place setting of Corelle Camellia dishes from Wal-Mart.

Five days later, a big box arrived with my paper work saying Wal-Mart had put dishes in the box. BUT, there was a Baby Monitor set in the box...no dishes! Today, UPS picked up the baby monitor. Wal-Mart says they will replace the baby monitor with the dishes I ordered. Other people have had similar experiences with Wal-Mart. Dan is laughing...he is wondering what Wal-Mart will send next time!

Today was blessed with a Skype visit with my other translator in St. George, and a visit from Angela's mother (recently moved here from China), and her dad. They are living near us now. They brought a real Chinese meal for our dinner. The love being poured out on us while we walk this rocky path makes our life sweet even though we have no idea what is around the next bend. But, then, who does know what tomorrow may bring? Well, God knows. And that's enough for us. -- Anne and Dan

Posted by Anne at 08:13 PM | Permalink

Today was a beautiful Spring day with sunshine, temperatures in the high 70's F. Dan had the energy to attend worship service this morning where he led the prayers for Communion. We were blessed to be back in the fellowship to sing, pray, listen to an uplifting lesson, and share hugs with so many dear friends.

In the afternoon we had good phone visits with our son, Bob, and Dutch friends, as well as a Skype visit with some of our "grandchildren" in St. George, Romania.

Concerning Dan's health, his leg continues to swell. But after he got one very large clot to go through the opening in the drain, 190 cc immediately filled the drain pump...and the swelling began to go down. We pray that MD Anderson will phone tomorrow so we can begin the process to get a 2nd opinion from them. We continue praying that the cavity in his thigh will heal soon so that radiation treatment can begin...we pray that God will heal Dan completely through whatever means He chooses.

We always pray that we will simply be tools in His hands, doing His will. Another way to put it is this scripture that has been one of the guiding principles for our lives, "Whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God," 1 Cor. 10:31 May that always be true of all of us. -- Anne and Dan

Posted by Anne at 08:36 PM | Permalink

We thank God for this day. The sun was shining, it was warm - but not hot. It has been 3 and 1/2 weeks since Dan's surgery. We think he is doing very well for such a short time. Dan's leg stopped hurting where the tube enters his thigh, so he was pain free today. But he was very tired. He took a long rest this morning, and also a long rest this afternoon.

Our good friend, Dottie, the Missionary Care Giver for Mission Resources Network came over at noon, and gave us some loving care. One of our favorite elders, Cliff, and his sweet wife brought our dinner, and prayed over us. (We have known Dottie for 45 years, and Cliff and Mary Kay for almost 30 years!) Their visits were very good for our spirit.

"Family" from Riverside in Coppell, with whom we worshipped for 15 years before moving here, came over this morning and cut our grass, raked leaves out from under all the shrubs, dead headed one of the big rose bushes. (I have not worked in my beloved flower beds since we returned from Romania.) This place looks sooooo much better, and that lifts our spirit greatly!

Late in the afternoon, Dan suggested we take a walk. He was able to walk almost to the end of the block and back to the house. After he took a break, he drove while we took care of two quick errands near our house. We both enjoyed doing something normal for a change. The only time we have gotten out of the house since his surgery is to go to the hospital or to the doctors, and 2 trips to the grocery store. Praise God for sunshine, gentle warm breezes and hope for the future. Jesus gives us hope. He will provide what we need. Right now, He is providing exactly what we need through all these Christian friends. We are blessed. -- Anne and Dan

Posted by Anne at 08:41 PM | Permalink

We had a good meeting today with Dr. Ajay Dubey, M.D., M.P.H., Radiation Oncologist at Edwards Cancer Center in Bedford. He has to wait for Dan's thigh tissue to heal more before radiation treatment can begin. When the drainage is down to less than 100 cc a day, the leg will be ready to begin radiation.

Dr. Dubey is very agreeable to have Dan get a 2nd opinion from M.D. Anderson (MDA) Sarcoma Treatment Center. Dr. Dubey became friends with the head of the MDA Sarcoma Center, Dr. Guadagnolo, when they were together in Harvard Medical School.

Dr. Dubey has begun the steps to get all the medical records MDA has requested. We are now waiting for MDA to return our phone call. We thank God that we are doing well today. Please, pray that Dan will get the 2nd opinion quickly, and for Dan's speedy and complete healing. -- Anne and Dan

Posted by Anne at 09:48 AM | Permalink