Like Father Like Son

Howdy folks-

We couldn't think of a better way to spend Memorial Day weekend than to take a little trip to Dad's favorite place.....The Lake!! Dad has been wanting to go fishing for so long. Jason decided it was time to make that happen! He took Dad to spend his life savings, oh.... I mean purchase an inflatable life jacket-(Mom and I still can't figure out why he could not wear one of the 45 regular life jackets we have, but what do we know.....we are just women) Jason then proceded to build a "contraption" (again, woman speaking here, so I am not going to try to explain what he made) that would allow Dad to fish. Dad LOVED it! I think it did him a lot of good to get out in the boat. On Saturday, we had a big fish fry with the fam....It is always a good time to gather as a family and enjoy each other.

On Sunday, we drove over to see one of Dad's best buddies Coon-Man, does he have a beautiful place! Dad really enjoyed that, He got the Grand Tour riding on the Mule. Fishing, fish fry with the family,and riding around in the woods...according to Dad, it doesn't get much better than that!


Here are a few pics from the weekend-Stayed tuned for pictures of Dad in the boat!
(I have to get those from Jason and Kristan)

It was a great weekend-One we can cherish always. Jason-Thank you for making these things happen for Dad. From riding the Harley to going fishing, I know these things meant the world to Dad. Thank you for being brave enough, and clever enough, to make it happen! I have watched you over this past year put yourself-and at times your family-on the back burner to be there for Mom and Dad. That is a lot to juggle, and you have proven to be a man of great worth. Like father Like Son-You have some big shoes to fill out there at Mobil since dad retired-I know there is no one else who could carry on Dad's name better than you! I love you Brother and I admire you!

Dad and Jason on the Harley

Chemo Treatment

The Chemo went well yesterday. Other than having to wait THREE HOURS to get started it went rather smoothly! Dad waiting in the waiting room for three hours is not a pleasant experience, and I can't say that I blame him! We did take a break and get him a biscuit.....thank the Lord for biscuits in a situation like that!!!! Mom and I were pulling all the tricks out of the bag to keep him calm! It usually won't take that long, but something got messed up with scheduling. It is frustrating, in our fast paced world it is easy to get impatient. But the waiting is a little more tolerable when you look around and see the amount of people who are there on a daily basis fighting for their lives. It definitely put things into perspective.
Once they called Dad back, the chemo treatment took about 5 hours-Dad lays in a hospital bed so at least he can sleep! It is done through an IV. Mom and Dad drove home yesterday after the treatment. So far Dad is feeling ok, and has not had any side effects. They said it could take a few days for them to surface. Please pray that they never do! The only thing he is dealing with so far is the hiccups again-They had to give him a dose of the steroid yesterday before the Chemo so they came back. Hopefully they won't stick around to long.

Please continue to pray for Healing....for the Chemo to work....for no side effects....and for my sweet mom who is caring for Dad around the clock. She is an amazing woman!

Boys and Their Toys

Last Friday Jason took Dad to Conroe to watch Tyler ride his dirt bike.......You would have thought he took him to see Elvis Presley.....He LOVED it!! It is really good to see him out enjoying life.

Monday we go for the first Chemo treatment. Please pray that Dad tolerates it well and that the sickness is minimal.

We appreciate you all so much :) We Believe

Don't Lose Heart

We are afflicted in every way but not crushed; perplexed but not driven to despair;

persecuted but not forsaken; struck down but not destroyed.

2 Corinthians 4:8

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We are definitely feeling struck down after the last report, but I am reminded in this scripture that with the Lord by our side.....we will not be destroyed. That is encouraging! Mom and Dad are still here in Houston with me. We will be heading back to Lumberton on Friday. Dad had a good day, He has not had the hiccups since this morning-They started him back on the steroid due to the swelling around the tumor, and that is what causes the hiccups. On Monday, the doctors at MDA changed the steroid in hopes these dreadful things will disappear for good! The fact that they have been gone all day is a huge answer to prayer! None of us have gotten much sleep the past few nights since the hiccups keep him awake all night. We are hoping for a restful night! So far so good....

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Dad will start a new type of Chemo on Monday the 12th. This is the kind they will do through IV that will most likely make him sick. Our hope and prayer is that it will be minimal, and will be able to be controlled with medication. There are some risks that they will be watching for as he begins this treatment, a big prayer request now is that his body will be able to tolerate the Chemo, and will stop the tumor from growing. He will receive treatments once every two weeks at MDA. It is done on an out patient basis.

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Dad, Mom, Jason and I are handling everything the best we can. We have all agreed to take this one day at a time and keep fighting. As the title of the blog says....We are fighting with our Hero...We will not give up, and we Believe in the Lord's plan.

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Again, We are overwhelmed and encouraged by the support and love that you are all showing us. We know that your hearts are breaking with ours, and that makes each day a little easier to face.......

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Do not lose heart, even though our outer nature is wasting away, out inner nature is being renewed day by day. For we know that this momentary affliction is preparing us for an eternal weight of glory beyond all measure, because we look not at what can be seen, but what can not be seen; for what is seen is temporary- What is not seen is eternal.

2 Corinthians 4:17-18

Report from MDA

Hey Guys,
This is Liz updating for Gina. It's 5:00 and they are still at MDA having bloodwork done. Gina asked me to let you guys know that they will not be doing surgery. The doctors said that is not an option. They will be doing chemo once every two weeks starting next Monday. That is the plan for now. Gina will update more as soon as she can.

Report

Well folks, the report today was not a good one. The tumor has grown. The two tumors have grown into one big mass, and there is swelling around it. They are going to start Dad back on the steroid to help with the swelling. We talked with Dr. Birdwell about our options, but we are going back to MDA on Monday to meet with the doctors and get their opinion/guidance. Surgery may be an option. It would not remove all of the tumor, only a portion of it. A second option would be to try another type of Chemo that would make him sick. This would have to be done at MDA.

We will have some decisions to make in the next few days, and while we want to try everything possible, we also have to consider quality of life. The road ahead is not going to be easy, BUT we have a God who will never leave us or forsake us and we fully trust Him to carry us through.

As always-Thank you for your support and prayers-We appreciate it more than you know. Please pray for the doctors to guide us in the right direction, and for us to have wisdom to make the right decision.

We Believe