Change in plans and prayer request

Hi Everyone,
On Sunday afternoon, I started having severe abdominal pain, diarrhea and general discomfort - I thought it might be a stomach flu and waited to call the doctor. When things didn't really change on Monday, I called and they decided to evaluate me on Tuesday when I arrived for chemo - they decided not to do the chemo but to run some tests (upper GI series) on Wednesday to see what is causing the pain - they think it is some kind of issue with the stents. I will have the test 8:30 am on Wed and then I will meet with Dr. Berlin at 1:00. She has decided to discontinue the Taxol chemo drug since my CA-125 is dropping at a very sluggish rate. She is starting me on carboplatin and gemcitabine (gemzar) on Thursday if the GI test doesn't indicate some kind of procedure necessary. Please pray about this test, about the accurate diagnosing of the problem and also about the new chemo drug. It has some nasty side effects but nothing too different from the taxol I had been taking.

Tonight, because it was so clear, we were able to go outside and watch the Discovery space shuttle (docked with the International Space Station) zoom through the night sky. We looked at the stars, planets and then saw this bright speck of light sail through. It was quite a wonderful experience. I considered Psalm 8:

Psalm 8

1 O Jehovah our Lord, How excellent is Your name In all the earth, You who have set Your glory over the heavens!

2 Out of the mouths of babes and sucklings You have established strength Because of Your adversaries, To stop the enemy and the avenger.

3 When I see Your heavens, the works of Your fingers, The moon and the stars, which You have ordained,

4 What is mortal man, that You remember him, And the son of man, that You visit him?

5 You have made him a little lower than angels And have crowned him with glory and honor.

6 For You have caused him to rule over the works of Your hands; You have put all things under his feet:

7 All sheep and oxen, As well as the beasts of the field,

8 The birds of heaven and the fish of the sea, Whatever passes through the paths of the seas.

9 O Jehovah our Lord, How excellent is Your name In all the earth!



It is incredible that the One who has set His glory above the heavens considers mortal man - inclines His ear to our pray, became a man Himself to die for us so that we might have access to eternal life. How marvelous - How excellent.

Here's a wonderfully uplifting hymn that is full of riches:

1 O how glorious! O how holy!
God is the eternal life!
Full, unlimited, and pow’rful,
Pure, and merciful, and bright!
In this life are all His riches,
All His nature, love and light.

2 O how loving! O how gracious!
God Himself is life to man!
He in man hath made a spirit
That He might fulfill His plan.
’Tis His heart’s delight and longing
E’er to be received by man.

3 O what love and grace unbounded!
God as life to man doth flow!
He no more is hid in secret
But Himself to man doth show,
First in flesh and then as Spirit
That His life all men may know.

4 How approachable! How near us!
God in Christ our life to be!
Christ is God in flesh incarnate,
Manifest for man to see.
Died and risen, now He enters
Into man, his life to be.

5 O what wonder! As the Spirit
God as life to man is shown!
’Tis His other transformation,
He as Spirit thus is known;
Men convicting and inspiring,
He within them makes His home.

6 O how glorious! O how precious!
Thus the triune God to know!
First the Father in the Son came,
Now the Son as Spirit flows.
When in man the Spirit enters
God as life He doth bestow.

7 How mysterious, yet how real!
God Himself now flows in me!
In my heart, with me in oneness,
He has come my life to be.
Hallelujah! Hallelujah!
I will praise unceasingly!



Thank you dear ones for your prayers and support. Let us spend our days praising Him unceasingly!

Love,
Joanne