Hi Everyone,
I returned home on Thursday May 27th at around 3:00 pm. We found an agency that will help with home care called Seasons - which reminds me of Ecclesiasties 3:1-8:
For everything there is a season, and a time for every purpose under heaven: A time to be born, and a time to die; A time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted; A time to kill, and a time to heal; A time to tear down, and a time to build up; A time to weep, and a time to laugh; A time to mourn, and a time to dance; A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; A time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing; A time to seek, and a time to lose; A time to keep, and a time to throw away; A time to tear, and a time to sew; A time to be silent, and a time to speak; A time to love, and a time to hate; A time for war, and a time for peace.
We reached this decision after reviewing the results of a CT scan, which showed that the chemotherapy had not been effective in stopping the cancer since April. The cancer had increased. So we decided to stop treatment that was not helping anyway. I am so glad to be home with my family. Who knows what the Lord will do? We are looking forward to enjoying Him and sharing in His marvelous plan. I am resting these days and hoping to get my g-tube working well so that I will stop vomiting. God is so faithful. I have been enjoying a song which you might also enjoy. I heard it on a cd from the Church in New York Young People. Here is a link to the music: http://www.hymnal.net/hymn.php?t=ns&n=287&f=mp3
Here are the words to the hymn:
There are times in my life
When my heart is embittered.
There are questions unanswered,
Yet, You're drawing me
To enter
Into Your blessed sanctuary
And turning my eyes heavenward,
The questions of constant inquiry
Are changed to these words,
"Whom do I have in heaven
But You, dear Jehovah.
My flesh and my heart
Constantly fail,
But God's still
The strength of my heart and my portion;
To Him forever I'll draw near.
I've made Jehovah my sweet refuge.
So now throughout the years
Turn my view to see You,
How I need to see Jesus!!
Though I don't understand
The ways that You take;
Lord, make me
A babe and suckling always praising.
Enjoying Your worth day by day.
Let each experience constitute me
So Your life I'll display
In every way.
O Lord, Turn our view to see You!
Much love,
Joanne
Saturday, May 30, 2009
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
Exercising Faith
The GI doctors determined that the G-tube is functioning adequately to remove fluids that build up from continuous secretions within the bowels but may need occasional flushing and the help of various positions and walking to work effectively with gravity.
A Cat Scan with contrast on Saturday, May 23 revealed an additional partial obstruction in the middle of the small intestines in addition to the full obstruction at the end of the small intestines and partial blockage at the location of the duodenal stents at the beginning of the small intestines.
After more than six months of non-stop chemotherapy and the debilitating side-effects, the oncologist feels to suspend further chemo treatment at this time due to resistance to the chemo drugs and shift focus to quality of life, allowing Joanne to spend more time at home with the family.
We continue to be drawn to exercise increased faith in the One who proclaimed “I am the Resurrection and the Life”, Who has authority over all things, while presenting to Him our hands open for His perfect will. This is a time for His glory to be manifested. After man has reached the limit of what he can do, God will reveal what He can and chooses to do. Our “earnest expectation and hope is that … even now Christ will be magnified in Joanne’s body, whether though life or through death.” Phil 2:20 We are expecting to see His glory whether through miraculous healing or in living a life one spirit with Him, moving in harmony with His will and expressing the abundant riches of His grace for His purpose.
A Cat Scan with contrast on Saturday, May 23 revealed an additional partial obstruction in the middle of the small intestines in addition to the full obstruction at the end of the small intestines and partial blockage at the location of the duodenal stents at the beginning of the small intestines.
After more than six months of non-stop chemotherapy and the debilitating side-effects, the oncologist feels to suspend further chemo treatment at this time due to resistance to the chemo drugs and shift focus to quality of life, allowing Joanne to spend more time at home with the family.
We continue to be drawn to exercise increased faith in the One who proclaimed “I am the Resurrection and the Life”, Who has authority over all things, while presenting to Him our hands open for His perfect will. This is a time for His glory to be manifested. After man has reached the limit of what he can do, God will reveal what He can and chooses to do. Our “earnest expectation and hope is that … even now Christ will be magnified in Joanne’s body, whether though life or through death.” Phil 2:20 We are expecting to see His glory whether through miraculous healing or in living a life one spirit with Him, moving in harmony with His will and expressing the abundant riches of His grace for His purpose.
Friday, May 22, 2009
Current Status
Hi Everyone,
We wanted to bring everyone up to speed on my mom's situation. On May 15th, she went in to have a follow-up chemo appointment, but her red blood cell count was considered below the threshold and they did not proceed with the infusion. The following day, Saturday, she received a blood transfusion and a shot of Octeotride to reduce secretion of digestive juices. Then, beginning Sunday she began to experience severe back pain and nausea. On Wednesday, May 20th, of this week, she was admitted to Brigham & Women's Hospital and the GI doctors are assessing the functionality of the G-tube. They are continuing to look for causes of the back pain and the build up of fluids. Mom is beginning to be more conversational as pain medication enables her to get sufficient sleep.
Please pray for a clear diagnosis and the formulation of an effective treatment plan to provide adequate drainage of excess fluids in her system.
We wanted to bring everyone up to speed on my mom's situation. On May 15th, she went in to have a follow-up chemo appointment, but her red blood cell count was considered below the threshold and they did not proceed with the infusion. The following day, Saturday, she received a blood transfusion and a shot of Octeotride to reduce secretion of digestive juices. Then, beginning Sunday she began to experience severe back pain and nausea. On Wednesday, May 20th, of this week, she was admitted to Brigham & Women's Hospital and the GI doctors are assessing the functionality of the G-tube. They are continuing to look for causes of the back pain and the build up of fluids. Mom is beginning to be more conversational as pain medication enables her to get sufficient sleep.
Please pray for a clear diagnosis and the formulation of an effective treatment plan to provide adequate drainage of excess fluids in her system.
Thursday, May 7, 2009
Update
Hello everyone,
Thought I'd update you today since I am feeling a bit better. I am just recovering from a horrendous rash that developed the day I came home from the hospital. Turns out I am allergic to the lipids part of the TPN - so the TPN was modified to exclude essential fats and the race has just about cleared up. I am having some blood sugar issues with the TPN too that are being worked on - it is amazing how our bodies were designed to work so precisely - when we try to replicate some function artificially, it is not easy to get everything to work well together. I had chemo last Friday and took about 4 days to recover from it - the side effects were mainly fatigue and also aches, pains and fever. I will see Dr. Berlin on Friday and will have blood tests to see how low my blood counts are - if too low, then no chemo. I'll keep you posted as I feel better. I am missing food a lot - getting nutrition through the TPN is efficient but not enjoyable. I really miss chewing - and miss sandwiches and other yummy things. I need to keep eating that food that Jesus talked about to His disciples - food that they didn't know about... This kind of eating will help me with the diet change. Like the children of Israel. They needed to eat the manna to help them change their diet. The manna experience is very similar to mine. Those children of Israel had been enjoying a rich diet in Egypt and then they were asked to eat this wafer. It must have been quite difficult for them to enjoy it very much. Yet it was their nutrition while in the wilderness. It helped wean them from the leeks and garlic of Egypt. That manna is just a type of Christ - He is the living bread that came down out of heaven from God. John 6 has many wonderful verses about the Lord as the living bread, the bread of life. We just need to eat Him! He told us that if we eat Him, we will live by Him. John 6:57 says: As the living Father has sent Me and I live because of the Father, so he who eats Me, he also shall live because of Me. Eating God is a really foreign concept - mostly we think about honoring God, worshipping God - but what about eating God? I realize that if I eat Him, I will be strengthened during the day to live by Him - and live in another realm, on another plain - by another life.
Here's a hymn to the tune of Amazing Grace:
1 The tree of life, how sweet the fruit,
With God as life complete.
I once was dead, but now I live,
Was starved, but now I eat.
2 'Twas God that brought me to the tree,
With Christ Himself as meat;
How precious did that tree become
When I began to eat.
3 The Lord Himself is food to me,
He is my life supply;
He will my pure enjoyment be,
None else can satisfy.
4 I freely eat this living tree,
For eating is the way
To put God's life inside of me,
To live by Him today.
My mom is visiting with my brother Vincent in Texas and having a wonderful time, according to him.
I went for a walk today - there was a lull in the rain - everything was so beautiful.
Please continue to pray as the Lord leads - I appreciate this so much.
Much love,
Joanne
Thought I'd update you today since I am feeling a bit better. I am just recovering from a horrendous rash that developed the day I came home from the hospital. Turns out I am allergic to the lipids part of the TPN - so the TPN was modified to exclude essential fats and the race has just about cleared up. I am having some blood sugar issues with the TPN too that are being worked on - it is amazing how our bodies were designed to work so precisely - when we try to replicate some function artificially, it is not easy to get everything to work well together. I had chemo last Friday and took about 4 days to recover from it - the side effects were mainly fatigue and also aches, pains and fever. I will see Dr. Berlin on Friday and will have blood tests to see how low my blood counts are - if too low, then no chemo. I'll keep you posted as I feel better. I am missing food a lot - getting nutrition through the TPN is efficient but not enjoyable. I really miss chewing - and miss sandwiches and other yummy things. I need to keep eating that food that Jesus talked about to His disciples - food that they didn't know about... This kind of eating will help me with the diet change. Like the children of Israel. They needed to eat the manna to help them change their diet. The manna experience is very similar to mine. Those children of Israel had been enjoying a rich diet in Egypt and then they were asked to eat this wafer. It must have been quite difficult for them to enjoy it very much. Yet it was their nutrition while in the wilderness. It helped wean them from the leeks and garlic of Egypt. That manna is just a type of Christ - He is the living bread that came down out of heaven from God. John 6 has many wonderful verses about the Lord as the living bread, the bread of life. We just need to eat Him! He told us that if we eat Him, we will live by Him. John 6:57 says: As the living Father has sent Me and I live because of the Father, so he who eats Me, he also shall live because of Me. Eating God is a really foreign concept - mostly we think about honoring God, worshipping God - but what about eating God? I realize that if I eat Him, I will be strengthened during the day to live by Him - and live in another realm, on another plain - by another life.
Here's a hymn to the tune of Amazing Grace:
1 The tree of life, how sweet the fruit,
With God as life complete.
I once was dead, but now I live,
Was starved, but now I eat.
2 'Twas God that brought me to the tree,
With Christ Himself as meat;
How precious did that tree become
When I began to eat.
3 The Lord Himself is food to me,
He is my life supply;
He will my pure enjoyment be,
None else can satisfy.
4 I freely eat this living tree,
For eating is the way
To put God's life inside of me,
To live by Him today.
My mom is visiting with my brother Vincent in Texas and having a wonderful time, according to him.
I went for a walk today - there was a lull in the rain - everything was so beautiful.
Please continue to pray as the Lord leads - I appreciate this so much.
Much love,
Joanne
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