My new blog will be at http://carolannesark.blogspot.com/, and hopefully I'll do a better job keeping up with it. If you want an email still I can email you when it updates, just let me know. So here's the latest on my dad from Saturday:
Bringing you up to date...
Recovery is slow from the procedure and hospitalization. Ed has been very weak and doesn't have much energy or appetite. He ate better in the hospital, so I told him I was going to take him back.
Yesterday we went for a CT scan and to see the pulmonogist because of concerns with his lack of air and coughing. The scan did not show any blood clots and everything looked like it was progressing as it should. The doctor also checked fluid to be sure there was no infection. That was okay. Today he is a little bit stronger and seems to be breathing better. Hopefully we'll see more improvement in the next few days.
The children and grandchildren have been here this weekend and that has been a blessing. We're thankful for all of them and for the time together.
I was able to spend a couple of hours with Ed even though he still doesn’t have a room in the step down unit. The ICU nurse didn’t kick me out today! J
We met with the doctor who did the procedure. He said the lung looks better today. He doesn’t have the tissue biopsy report and probably won’t until Monday, but the fluid biopsy shows no cancer cells. The epidural is doing what it’s supposed to for pain management and the pain in his shoulder (from whatever) is much better today. His blood pressure is good.
Hopefully he’ll get a room soon so he can get some rest. He said he is surprised at how noisy it is in ICU.
Blesssings,
Marsha
Saturday, January 9, 2010 9:11 AM, EST
Recovery is going well. We don't have results from the tissue biopsy, but the fluid showed no cancer cells! We expect to have the tissue results Monday. They will decide the course of treatment following those results.
Ed just called me to say the tube is coming out today! That's wonderul news.
Maybe we'll warm up to the 40s by the time he goes home! Brrr!
We have been so aware of and blessed by your prayers.
God is good all the time. All the time God is good!
Monday, January 11, 2010 9:11 PM, EST
We're home and how wonderful it is! We got the results of all biopsies Saturday and everything was negative; no cancer cells present in fluid or tissue. This was great news! I think the doctors might be scratching their heads a bit. God has blessed.
The chest tube was removed Saturday and the epidural Sunday. Ed is weak and a bit wobbly, but making good progress. He will see the oncologist and pulmonologist in a few weeks. At that time it will be determined what scans will be done and what treatment, if any, will follow.
For now we'll rest and gain strength in order to be about what God has called us to do.
Pluerodesis was done this morning and went "real well" according to the nurse! He has an epidural catheter for pain management and has had no pain. We thought it would be a couple of days before they put the talc in, but that's done, too! He looks good and I think once he gets some real food, he'll feel much better.
The surgery was done at St. Joseph, but he is now on the Mission campus for the remainder of his hospital stay.
How wonderful to have you on our team of pray-ers!
My dad has surgery scheduled tomorrow at 7:30 a.m. at St Joseph's Hospital in Asheville NC. If all goes well, this should be a brief procedure. He will remain at Mission until completion of the pleurodesis and a few days of observation. Please pray pray pray for my Dad and the rest of the family, especially my Mom.
Since the last time I posted anything things have not been as rosy as the last time I posted. I think maybe I didn't post anything because I have been bummed out because of the really good news when they did the scan and found that the mass has grown smaller. I truly believe in miracles, but I do again have the peace that passes understanding even in the midst of hardships. If you don't get his caring bridge updates here are the entries you've missed.
Sunday, December 6, 2009 10:20 PM, EST
Blessings to you as you read this post and thank you in advance for your continued prayers and support.
We want to give a very brief update. Ed is feeling well and looks good, but don't tell him I said he looks good! :-)
We hope to hear something this week from the lab results of the fluid drawn before Thanksgiving. His oncologist was on vacation last week. He went last Friday to have the small amount of remaining fluid removed. The person who does it would not try because of the location and risk of lung puncture. It's like a small pocket that is pressing against his diaphragm. They are going to watch it, checking again in a couple of weeks. There is the possibility of drawing the fluid while doing a scan so they can watch where the needle goes. This isn't risk free either. Please pray that the fluid will leave that pocket or that a safe way will be decided to remove it.
We will post what we learn this week.
Love to all!
Monday, December 14, 2009 6:20 AM, EST
As we are in the midst of Advent, awaiting the celebration of the first coming of Jesus, the Savior, OUR Savior, we pray that you are experiencing through personal and corporate worship the joy and excitement of this season.
We've also been doing some waiting on test results and finally got them last week. We were hoping for better, but the fluid that was drawn did have cancer cells. We knew Ed would have at least two more rounds of chemo and they will begin today. We don't know what will follow, but are still hopeful for good results.
Last Wednesday he began having pain on both sides which when described sounds like shingles. It has now moved around to the abdomen. He went to the doctor Friday and they didn't think it was shingles because it was on both sides. However, "Dr. Ed" has done some research and we have talked with people who know somebody, who knows somebody :-) who has experienced the same thing. When he goes today for chemo, he is going to request that they treat him for shingles.
Your prayers and words of encouragement continue to bless us!
Now, as we await the celebration of the birth of Jesus, it is with greater anticipation that we await His second coming! Blessings to you and your family.
We love you, Ed and Marsha
Tuesday, December 22, 2009 8:18 AM, EST
The mountains of Western North Carolina were blanketed with a foot or more of snow over the weekend. Although it has created many hardships, the beauty has been breathtaking. God sure is creative! It has also given us some "slow down" time and reminds us that things out of our control are in His control.
This past week has been a difficult one for Ed. Monday, December 14, he started chemo again, Tuesday he saw the dermatologist for shingles, Wednesday he had 1.5 liters of fluid drawn and Thursday he saw the cardiologist and did get a good report from that "ologist!"
All of that left him quite weak and feeling pretty lousy, so the snow was a blessing in that we couldn't get out this past weekend.
Yesterday he knew fluid had gathered again and was able to get an appointment at Mission to have 1.1 liters drawn. Our prayer is that the chemo is doing it's job and that he is going to begin feeling much better.
We will be leaving tomorrow afternoon for Christmas in Roxboro.
We can't tell you enough how much your prayers continue to bless and your words and deeds encourage us!
May you experience Jesus in a wonderful and new way this Christmas! He is coming, indeed!
Love, Ed and Marsha
Tuesday, January 5, 2010 1:04 PM, EST
This is a mass email and you may already have this information, but I'm trying to be sure not to leave anyone out.
The decision was made yesterday after talking with Ed's oncologist to proceed with the pleurodesis http://www.pulmonologychannel.com/pleuraleffusion/treatment.shtml . Admission was scheduled for this morning at Mission St. Joseph. He is admitted and they will do lab work. (Room# W1022) The only other word we have is that Asheville Pulmonary will be by sometime today. I suppose there is the possibility that the procedure will take place today, but we think it will be most likely be tomorrow.
8:58 PM
Here's a very past due update. I know that most of you have been able to keep up with the progress, but since Ed was on vacation and Christmas holidays for a couple of weeks, we haven't had as much contact with everyone.
It's been three weeks since his last chemo. It's been a pretty hard time for him as he was very weak, fatigued and having more difficulty breathing. He had fluid drained either two or three times. His hemoglobin was low, but his white count was good. So, we at least felt like he was in pretty good shape to be around people and fight off germs.
After talking with the pulmonology folk and consulting with his oncologist, the decision was made to proceed with pleurodesis. He was admitted to St Joseph hospital this morning, but due to poor communication, the procedure will not be done until Thursday morning. He feels good about those who are taking care of him and about what we hope the results to be after recovery. The oncologist assured him that this does not mean the cancer is worse, but is evidently common.
Thank you for the blessing of your continued concern and prayers.
Love, Ed and Marsha
9:09 PM
The view from Hotel St. Joseph is beautiful. We're relaxing and waiting for room service. Wish you were here!
Seriously, we are at St. Joseph and we are waiting. The pulmonologist came by this afternoon, shortly after they had given Ed lunch, and said he wanted them to do an ultrasound while he was here to observe. He also said that if they hadn't given him lunch the procedure would have been done tonight. Sigh... communication is everything. The next available time for Dr. Domby to schedule the procedure is Thursday morning between 7 and 10, depending on operating room availability.
Ed is resting and doing well. Please pray that the procedure will be successful. He feels good about the doctor and is being well cared for here.
“The only thing worth stealing is a kiss from a sleeping child.”
I have suspected for some time that I am lied to on some level on most days I come to work. Usually it's a gut feeling or just the knowledge that white lies are common among teens. Yesterday I confronted a student who continues to lie despite the fact that I had earlier seen him do something with my own eyes, ultimately sending my into an quasi-yell of "You're lying!" Also when discussing during a warm-up activity when it is okay to lie, the number of students who think it's okay to lie sometimes seems to increase every year. This semester I even had several who said it was okay to lie anytime you wanted, as long as it benefited you. The fact they relate this to me, a person who they should want to trust their word on things like assignments, made me stop and wonder exactly how bad things were getting. (You don't even want to know all the ways they try to cheat on things - picture me ripping up papers in front of the whole class as a punishment)
So the Josephson Institutes latest numbers on teen dishonesty (stealing, lying, and cheating) did not surprise me. Over 1/3 of boys and 1/4 of girls had stolen from a store in the last year, and students from private and religious schools didn't behave too much better than their public school counterparts. More than 8 in 10 students admitted lying to a parent about something significant, and 64% admitted to cheating on a test during the past year. Geographically speaking, students in the southeast had the highest level of cheating. They said that 1 in 3 have plagirized from the internet, but I would wager that it's higher and some of the others didn't realize they were plagiarizing. The somewhat humorous part? 26% admitted to lying on at least 1 or 2 questions on the survey. (According to the siteexperts agree that dishonesty on surveys usually is an attempt to conceal misconduct.)
The study also found that "despite these high levels of dishonesty, the respondents have a high self-image when it comes to ethics. A whopping 93 percent said they were satisfied with their personal ethics and character and 77 percent said that when it comes to doing what is right, I am better than most people I know."
What does this say about our society, and what further onus does it place on me as a teacher and a mother? I don't think we can just assume that this is because of lack of brain development in teens as I see the same patterns emerging among adults. The question is, can the tide be turned?
Case 1 - While watching the news this morning:
Caitlyn: That weatherman has a gween tree!
Me: Oh, do you think they're saying Merry Christmas?
Caitlyn: No, there's no baby Jeez-us
Case 2 - Speaking with a coworker yesterday I mentioned that during the
Harrisburg Christmas tree lighting on Friday one of the wise men took Caitlyn
to the manger to see the baby Jesus and knelt down beside her, talking to her
about the baby Jesus (adorable). She responded that she didn't know you could
have manger scenes in public places. A discussion about religious freedom
ensued, with her on the side of "never the twain shall meet" and me
on the side of within reason and without maliciousness individual groups and
people should be able to display religious things. She opined that if she went
to a Christmas tree lighting and saw a manger scene it would ruin the feeling
and the whole reason she was there. Interesting.
Which made me pause upon reading the following forward from my mom:
Letter from Jesus about Christmas --
It has come to my attention that many of you are upset that folks are taking My name out of the season.
How I personally feel about this celebration can probably be most easily understood by those of you who have been blessed with children of your own. I don't care what you call the day. If you want to celebrate My birth, just GET ALONG AND LOVE ONE ANOTHER.
Now, having said that let Me go on. If it bothers you that the town in which you live doesn't allow a scene depicting My birth, then just get rid of a couple of Santas and snowmen and put in a small Nativity scene on your own front lawn If all My followers did that there wouldn't be any need for such a scene on the town square because there would be many of them all around town.
Stop worrying about the fact that people are calling the tree a holiday tree, instead of a Christmas tree. It was I who made all trees. You can remember Me anytime you see any tree. Decorate a grape vine if you wish: I actually spoke of that one in a teaching, explaining who I am in relation to you and what each of our tasks were. If you have forgotten that one, look up John 15: 1 - 8.
If you want to give Me a present in remembrance of My birth here is my wish list. Choose something from it:
1. Instead of writing protest letters objecting to the way My birthday is being celebrated, write letters of love and hope to soldiers away from home. They are terribly afraid and lonely this time of year. I know, they tell Me all the time.
2. Visit someone in a nursing home. You don't have to know them personally. They just need to know that someone cares about them.
3. Instead of writing the President complaining about the wording on the cards his staff sent out this year, why don't you write and tell him that you'll be praying for him and his family this year. Then followup... It will be nice hearing from you again.
4. Instead of giving your children a lot of gifts you can't afford and they don't need, spend time with them. Tell them the story of My birth, and why I came to live with you down here. Hold them in your arms and remind them that I love them.
5. Pick someone that has hurt you in the past and forgive him or her.
6. Did you know that someone in your town will attempt to take their own life this season because they feel so alone and hopeless? Since you don't know who that person is, try giving everyone you meet a warm smile; it could make the difference.
7. Instead of nit picking about what the retailer in your town calls the holiday, be patient with the people who work there. Give them a warm smile and a kind word. Even if they aren't allowed to wish you a "Merry Christmas" that doesn't keep you from wishing them one. Then stop shopping there on Sunday. If the store didn't make so much money on that day they'd close and let their employees spend the day at home with their families
8. If you really want to make a difference, support a missionary-- especially one who takes My love and Good News to those who have never heard My name.
9. Here's a good one. There are individuals and whole families in your town who not only will have no "Christmas" tree, but neither will
they have any presents to give or receive. If you don't know them, buy some food and a few gifts and give them to the Salvation Army or some other charity which believes in Me and they will make the delivery for you.
10. Finally, if you want to make a statement about your belief in and loyalty to Me, then behave like a Christian. Don't do things in secret that you wouldn't do in My presence. Let people know by your actions that you are one of mine.
Have a most blessed Christmas with all those whom you love and remember :
JESUS
So now I'm looking for a manger scene for our yard and can't seem to find one,
although Santas, reindeer, snowmen, and trees seem readily available. That
indicates something about secular vs. religious holiday decorating and also
makes me wonder where one can purchase non cheesy manger scenes. Any ideas?
Friends, today I heard from the PET scan I had last Thursday. I am happy to say that the results are good! Of chief concern was the tumor in the lower lobe of the right lung and the lymph nodes in the center of my chest. The scan showed that there was NO cancer activity in the lymph nodes. There will always be scar tissue left where the tumor was but if there is cancer activity there, it is too little to definitively register. As a precaution I will have two more rounds of chemo, after which we will reevaluate. My original diagnosis was made due to there being fluid in my chest which, when drawn, was shown to contain cancer cells. There is some fluid there now and I will have it drained Thursday. We have reason to hope that the fluid will not contain cancer cells and that it is simply the result of the treatment itself. That is certainly our prayer.
Other than the additional chemo treatments our plans will be to wait and watch. Lung cancer cells, once having escaped the lung itself tend to float around the body forever so the possibility that a cell could "set up shop" somewhere will always be a possibility. If so, we pray that we will find it quickly and that my body will once again respond in the extremely positive way in which it did this time. I appreciate every prayer and every bit of encouragement. Though the war is not over it is wonderful to have seemingly won the first battle! To God Be the Glory!
Caitlyn sometimes gets her little pink Bible and teaches or sings to her baby dolls about the Lo-ard or Jeesus - it's hilarious. Today I had my Christmas cantata music on when I picked her up from school.
Caitlyn: Is this song about the Lo-ard? Me: Yep. Caitlyn: Do we learn about the Lo-ard at chuch? Me: Yes; do you learn about the Lord at school? Caitlyn: Yeah! Me: Do you learn about the Lord at home? Caitlyn: Uh-uh.
(We're such good Christian parents.) No wonder I'm insisting on Christian private school.
The weekend before Halloween I was determined to take Caitlyn to a pumpkin patch. We'd been talking about it for weeks, so even though it was dreary we met her friend there for some pumpkin pickin'. Of course that late in the season the pumpkins had probably been shipped from Arizona or something, but let's just make believe - okay? We bought a pumpkin for Caitlyn, one for my niece and nephew, and one each for the two girls we brought with us. We fully intended to carve them that night, but a long trip to a full size tabernacle put a kink in those plans. I ended up sending the other kids home with their pumpkins.
Then of course we never carved ours, so yesterday I took the kids outside so the pumpkin wouldn't go to waste. Caitlyn took one touch of the pumpkin guts and promptly went back inside to watch Nick Jr. Undaunted I pressed onward, removing the seeds for Jamie to roast and turning the pumpkin into a jack-o-lantern we could keep on the porch post-Halloween - until the end of November or when it rots totally.
I meant to post this before Halloween because it would be such a great literal trick or treat. But maybe now you can get some and set them out at the Thanksgiving table or grab some for a stocking stuffer. Jelly Belly has come out with a great line of jelly beans that you can even order in a customizable tin. The catch? The yummy flavors are identical to the disgusting ones. You don't know if it will be pleasant or disgusting until you bite in (except the licorice/skunk spray ones - that's a lose-lose situation). It reminds me of Bertie Botts every flavor bean or maybe russian roulette - jelly bean style. Caitlyn calls them jelly balls; do you think I should put some in her candy jar? Check it out!
