Today was our last full day here in Rochester, MN. Although I can honestly say we enjoyed our stay here, I'll be glad to be on our way home to see our family and friends. The experience here has been superb. The nurses, doctors, secretaries and generally everyone treat you like you are something special (of course, Anne IS someone special). I've learned a lot here and hope to take some of it home with me. Anne had a good day today. She was a lot more awake than yesterday (the rest was needed and did her good). She's still had some nausea, but the compazine helps with that. We had our last appointment today, with medical genetics. It turns out (which we sort of knew) that the chance of this tumor being related to genetics is extremely small, but we plan on going through the testing to be 100% sure (or as close to that as you can get).
We continue to receive prayers and emails from many of our friends. One in particular, from my dear friend Lee Ann Anderson, with whom I have been to both Honduras and Nigeria on mission trips, I felt I had to share with everyone. A special part, which I could never have written so well myself goes:
"We must remember that God is the ultimate physician, the ultimate Healer, and His plans for us are far greater and larger than that little piece of paper. Whatever happens to us, He is in control, He is glorified, and we are being "broken and spilled out", like the jar of sweet perfume that was poured upon his feet for his anointing. We are the perfume of life that he uses to reach others, and I believe that this is the ultimate sacrifice that any of us can give. It is a very special "mission" to walk that road, and apparently He has called both of you to walk down that road. The journey may be long and hard, but He has sent you some wonderful new friends out there, blessed you with support and friends at home here, and most of all, is using both of you to be a blessing and inspiration to many."
How could anyone say that better? Certainly not me. What a gift!
Since we'll be on the road tomorrow, I may not be able to write in this blog--unless the hotel we're staying in has an internet connection, so please check back to make sure. I should be able to blog again by Saturday night for sure (unless I poop out too early). Thank you all for putting up with this blog anyway--I guess it has been pretty theraputic for me--although to be honest, I haven't been thinking about me much lately.
God Bless,
Tony
Thursday, April 30, 2009
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
April 29, 2009
Today was a very sleepy day for Anne. She spent most of the day napping. I think it's a side effect of the chemo, and should get better over the next few days. She was disconnected from the chemo pump today and really did well with the stuff overall. I called Dr. Balcueva's office and set up her first appointment with him and also made arrangements for the 2nd dose of chemo. I have no idea how long she'll need it in all, but we're willing to do whatever it takes.
We found a new restaurant tonight for dinner that was quite nice. One of the things that Rochester has (beside the Mayo Clinic) is restaurants. So far every one we've been to has been very nice. Of course, Saginaw is not the go-to location that Rochester is, but I'm hoping that can change in the future. It is awefully nice to be able to eat out some very good-tasing food, and not at a chain!
Otherwise, things were pretty slow today. It's a bit hard to find things to do for me when Anne's napping. I spend a lot of time reading and responding to emails, reading, checking out cancer-related websites, reading, looking at other blogs, reading, and working on my Centurion stuff. Did I mention that I'm doing a lot of reading?
Thankfully, the prayers keep coming. It really fills us up with joy, and gives us hope.
Hal Shilling, my friend from Saginaw, sent me the words to one of Josh Groban's songs (Groban is one of my family's favorites--we went to see him live in Cincinnati a few years ago as a Christmas present):
On Eagles Wings
You who dwell in the shelter of the Lord,
Who abide in His shadow for life,
Say to the Lord,
"My Refuge,My Rock in Whom I trust."
And He will raise you up on eagle's wings,
Bear you on the breath of dawn,
Make you to shine like the sun,
And hold you in the palm of His Hand.
The snare of the fowler will never capture you,
And famine will bring you no fear;
Under His Wings your refuge,
His faithfulness your shield.
And He will raise you up on eagle's wings,
Bear you on the breath of dawn,
Make you to shine like the sun,
And hold you in the palm of His Hand.
You need not fear the terror of the night,
Nor the arrow that flies by day,
Though thousands fall about you,
Near you it shall not come.
And He will raise you up on eagle's wings,
Bear you on the breath of dawn,
Make you to shine like the sun,
And hold you in the palm of His Hand.
For to His angels He's given a command,
To guard you in all of your ways,
Upon their hands they will bear you up,
Lest you dash your foot against a stone.
And He will raise you up on eagle's wings,
Bear you on the breath of dawn,
Make you to shine like the sun,
And hold you in the palm of His Hand.
And hold you in the palm of His Hand.
Wow! God Bless, everyone.
Tony
We found a new restaurant tonight for dinner that was quite nice. One of the things that Rochester has (beside the Mayo Clinic) is restaurants. So far every one we've been to has been very nice. Of course, Saginaw is not the go-to location that Rochester is, but I'm hoping that can change in the future. It is awefully nice to be able to eat out some very good-tasing food, and not at a chain!
Otherwise, things were pretty slow today. It's a bit hard to find things to do for me when Anne's napping. I spend a lot of time reading and responding to emails, reading, checking out cancer-related websites, reading, looking at other blogs, reading, and working on my Centurion stuff. Did I mention that I'm doing a lot of reading?
Thankfully, the prayers keep coming. It really fills us up with joy, and gives us hope.
Hal Shilling, my friend from Saginaw, sent me the words to one of Josh Groban's songs (Groban is one of my family's favorites--we went to see him live in Cincinnati a few years ago as a Christmas present):
On Eagles Wings
You who dwell in the shelter of the Lord,
Who abide in His shadow for life,
Say to the Lord,
"My Refuge,My Rock in Whom I trust."
And He will raise you up on eagle's wings,
Bear you on the breath of dawn,
Make you to shine like the sun,
And hold you in the palm of His Hand.
The snare of the fowler will never capture you,
And famine will bring you no fear;
Under His Wings your refuge,
His faithfulness your shield.
And He will raise you up on eagle's wings,
Bear you on the breath of dawn,
Make you to shine like the sun,
And hold you in the palm of His Hand.
You need not fear the terror of the night,
Nor the arrow that flies by day,
Though thousands fall about you,
Near you it shall not come.
And He will raise you up on eagle's wings,
Bear you on the breath of dawn,
Make you to shine like the sun,
And hold you in the palm of His Hand.
For to His angels He's given a command,
To guard you in all of your ways,
Upon their hands they will bear you up,
Lest you dash your foot against a stone.
And He will raise you up on eagle's wings,
Bear you on the breath of dawn,
Make you to shine like the sun,
And hold you in the palm of His Hand.
And hold you in the palm of His Hand.
Wow! God Bless, everyone.
Tony
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
April 28, 2009
Another day closer to coming home!
We had an OK day today. The chemo drugs kicked in a bit today making Anne somewhat nauseous and she had diarrhea most of the day. We decided not to visit Hope Lodge where we were invited to a pot luck dinner and tour as she wasn't doing so well. After dinner at a nearby restaurant, Anne threw it up. Too bad, she thought it was really delicious too. Sorry about the gory details--and I hope you've already eaten.
She will finish the chemo tomorrow. We have an appointment in the oncology department to have things disconnected. Anne's been sporting a very attractive fanny pack containing the chemo pump that delivers 2 1/2cc of the chemo (5-FU for those who care). We then have one more appointment before we can come home. After that appointment we plan on starting our journey back home. I don't think Anne is going to tolerate the drive straight through to the girls at Albion (about 9 hours) so I may break it up into two shorter stretches.
Anne has had her ups and downs mentally. She took a glance at the oncologist's report which mentioned the metastases and that didn't sit well with her. She's been a bit weepy because of that. I, on the other hand, have been incredibly comforted by the outpouring of your love and have totally given this whole thing over to God. It's entirely in His hands--the ability of the doctors to do their thing (He's given them great skills), the ability of the chemo to do it's thing (He's given investigators the skills to figure out what drugs work the best--and she's getting them), and the ability of God to do His thing--to cure even the worst diseases through complete faith in Him. I can do that a lot easier because I'm not the one with the cancer, but Anne is doing a great job of it under the circumstances.
We received some emails from a few of our friends who also have been going through some bad times. I feel especially blessed to hear from them because despite their own sorrows, they are able to reach out to comfort us. Wow. What a testiment to Christian love. We have added all of them to our own prayers as well. It is also heartwarming to have heard from friends who are not Christian as well--Muslims and Jews who also have love within them to share in our time of need.
God Bless you all.
Tony
We had an OK day today. The chemo drugs kicked in a bit today making Anne somewhat nauseous and she had diarrhea most of the day. We decided not to visit Hope Lodge where we were invited to a pot luck dinner and tour as she wasn't doing so well. After dinner at a nearby restaurant, Anne threw it up. Too bad, she thought it was really delicious too. Sorry about the gory details--and I hope you've already eaten.
She will finish the chemo tomorrow. We have an appointment in the oncology department to have things disconnected. Anne's been sporting a very attractive fanny pack containing the chemo pump that delivers 2 1/2cc of the chemo (5-FU for those who care). We then have one more appointment before we can come home. After that appointment we plan on starting our journey back home. I don't think Anne is going to tolerate the drive straight through to the girls at Albion (about 9 hours) so I may break it up into two shorter stretches.
Anne has had her ups and downs mentally. She took a glance at the oncologist's report which mentioned the metastases and that didn't sit well with her. She's been a bit weepy because of that. I, on the other hand, have been incredibly comforted by the outpouring of your love and have totally given this whole thing over to God. It's entirely in His hands--the ability of the doctors to do their thing (He's given them great skills), the ability of the chemo to do it's thing (He's given investigators the skills to figure out what drugs work the best--and she's getting them), and the ability of God to do His thing--to cure even the worst diseases through complete faith in Him. I can do that a lot easier because I'm not the one with the cancer, but Anne is doing a great job of it under the circumstances.
We received some emails from a few of our friends who also have been going through some bad times. I feel especially blessed to hear from them because despite their own sorrows, they are able to reach out to comfort us. Wow. What a testiment to Christian love. We have added all of them to our own prayers as well. It is also heartwarming to have heard from friends who are not Christian as well--Muslims and Jews who also have love within them to share in our time of need.
God Bless you all.
Tony
Monday, April 27, 2009
April 27, 2009
Back again. Today was the first day of chemotherapy. Actually, it was only 2 weeks ago that the diagnosis of metastatic colon cancer was made, so I think things have been moving along pretty well. Up until now, we've been setting up for today--kind of like a chef getting all of the ingredients ready before cooking. (I like to cook and put all my stuff in "ramekins"--little dishes--before anything goes on the stove)
We went to a class about nutrition today. Boy have I been way off! Not really, but did you know you're only supposed to eat 5 1/2 ounces of meat or meat substitutes per day? And of that only 3 ounces is supposed to be red meat. So much for a 16 ounce ribeye! For those of us that don't have cancer yet (thankfully that's most of us), it wouldn't hurt to look closely at our diets. Apparently what we eat or don't eat can contribute to cancer risk. Other factors count too, obviously, but why take chances? The newest food pyramid wants us to eat 2 cups of fruit per day and 2 1/2 cups of vegetables per day. I wondered if a slice of blueberry pie for breakfast (one of my favorites) would count--but apparently not.
I've mentioned it before, but this place is so fantastic when it comes to patient education. They have several libraries for patient education, and pamphlets galore. There are classes on nutrition and chemotherapy that we've gone to. The handouts they give you are numerous and very informative. They also make sure you understand everything that's going on and make sure you have phone numbers to call if there are any questions or problems. I'm finding out what it's like to be "on the other side". I just hope I can copy this in my own practice so I can make my patients as well informed as you become here.
I've also mentioned before how caring people are. The nurses have been fantastic. They spend lots of time with you and make sure that you are very comfortable. Volunteers came around every 30 minutes or so today to ask if we wanted anything to eat or drink, a blanket or pillow or whatever. Wow. I am so impressed with this institution, that I'd love to bring Anne back here for all of her treatment, but unfortunately, that would be logistically impossible. She will need chemo every 2 weeks for about 12 sessions (I think). I'm hoping to get the protocol that they have been using to give to Dr. Balcueva when we come home. He was the one who recommended we come here and I really appreciate that.
Tomorrow we don't have much going on. Anne has a pump that is delivering a dose of chemo that takes 46 hours to give, so that won't come out until Wednesday. We meet tomorrow with the gastroenterologist again. Other than that, I'll be doing lots of reading and checking emails.
It was my sister Anna's birthday today. I won't mention her age for fear of reprisal, but today also marked for her 2 years free of breast cancer. She went through a heck of a lot with tremendous courage and has done well, thank God.
Thanks again for your prayers--incredibly, more people have been contacting us daily. God is so awesome!!!
We went to a class about nutrition today. Boy have I been way off! Not really, but did you know you're only supposed to eat 5 1/2 ounces of meat or meat substitutes per day? And of that only 3 ounces is supposed to be red meat. So much for a 16 ounce ribeye! For those of us that don't have cancer yet (thankfully that's most of us), it wouldn't hurt to look closely at our diets. Apparently what we eat or don't eat can contribute to cancer risk. Other factors count too, obviously, but why take chances? The newest food pyramid wants us to eat 2 cups of fruit per day and 2 1/2 cups of vegetables per day. I wondered if a slice of blueberry pie for breakfast (one of my favorites) would count--but apparently not.
I've mentioned it before, but this place is so fantastic when it comes to patient education. They have several libraries for patient education, and pamphlets galore. There are classes on nutrition and chemotherapy that we've gone to. The handouts they give you are numerous and very informative. They also make sure you understand everything that's going on and make sure you have phone numbers to call if there are any questions or problems. I'm finding out what it's like to be "on the other side". I just hope I can copy this in my own practice so I can make my patients as well informed as you become here.
I've also mentioned before how caring people are. The nurses have been fantastic. They spend lots of time with you and make sure that you are very comfortable. Volunteers came around every 30 minutes or so today to ask if we wanted anything to eat or drink, a blanket or pillow or whatever. Wow. I am so impressed with this institution, that I'd love to bring Anne back here for all of her treatment, but unfortunately, that would be logistically impossible. She will need chemo every 2 weeks for about 12 sessions (I think). I'm hoping to get the protocol that they have been using to give to Dr. Balcueva when we come home. He was the one who recommended we come here and I really appreciate that.
Tomorrow we don't have much going on. Anne has a pump that is delivering a dose of chemo that takes 46 hours to give, so that won't come out until Wednesday. We meet tomorrow with the gastroenterologist again. Other than that, I'll be doing lots of reading and checking emails.
It was my sister Anna's birthday today. I won't mention her age for fear of reprisal, but today also marked for her 2 years free of breast cancer. She went through a heck of a lot with tremendous courage and has done well, thank God.
Thanks again for your prayers--incredibly, more people have been contacting us daily. God is so awesome!!!
Sunday, April 26, 2009
April 26, 2009
Today was a very rainy day here in Rochester, but Anne felt well enough for us to get out a bit. We started off at Autumn Ridge Church. We decided to drive instead of taking a free ride there so we couls do something afterward. The church is huge--and very beautiful. The lobby is large with many people milling around. My favorite part of it was the Christos Bookstore right off the lobby. Of course I had to buy a book--Chuck Colson's God and Government. Not that I need any more books--I could run a bookstore out of my house easily. I've been buying books since I got my first paycheck as a 16 year old. Problem is, I'm too busy to read the darn things. But I love them--if I was only allowed to spend money on one thing it would be books.
Getting back to Autumn Ridge. They have 3 services. They hold an Emmaus service on Saturday night with dinner to follow, an Adoration service Sunday morning, and a Celebration service that we attended at 10:30am Sunday. The service was very similar to Hopevale's--singing, praying and a sermon--can it get any better than that? Very different than a Catholic or Episcopal service--the ones I was most used to--without all of the pomp and circumstance--but just as powerful. To me the main thing is that you feel the presence of God as you sing His praises whether it be older hymns, older hymns set to a newer style, or contemporary Christian music, which I listen to all the time now (with an occasional country song slipped in). The service was titled "The Top Ten Things Christians Can Do for America-Part 2". I feel bad I missed part 1 because part 2 was excellent. Actually Part 1 can be heard or read on their website (www.autumnridgechurch.org). After church we met with Dr. Stephan Merry and his wife and "5/7" of his children, as he put it. He is a family physician at Mayo Clinc who I was introduced tt through the internet by Mark Reed from Hopevale. we had a nice visit with him and his family and met the pastor who gave the sermon--Pastor C. John Steer. We all prayed together before leaving. It was very powerful.
Tomorrow starts Anne's first day of chemotherapy. We're anxious to get started. She'll be on 4 different drugs--3 go in over a few hours and one takes about 46 hours. I pray she won't have any side effects (nausea and diarhea are the most common), but we will be prepared if she does.
One of the emails I got today was from Carol Van Kirk from back home. I've known her husband Bob for about 18 years I figure--he's a nurse anesthetist that I've worked with at Covenant and Mackinaw. Carol wrote a poem to us (for us?) that I would love to share with you:
Precious, precious children,
God knew this time would come
But do not be disheartened
Your life won’t come undone.
No matter where He takes you
Thru valleys dark or deep
Just rest upon His bosom
And sleep His peaceful sleep.
Keep ears attuned to hear Him
And eyes upon His face,
For His look is that of love
And His words are those of grace.
He is our caring Shepherd
He is our mighty King
So do not be afraid
Of what the days may bring.
Just shout your hallelujahs
And praise His precious name
As He holds you in His arms
All will see His holy fame.
I don't know what to say other than "awesome". Thank God for you, Carol--you have an amazing gift. It is definitely comforting as you had hoped. I hope it brings comfort to others who are struggling as well.
God Bless,
Tony
Getting back to Autumn Ridge. They have 3 services. They hold an Emmaus service on Saturday night with dinner to follow, an Adoration service Sunday morning, and a Celebration service that we attended at 10:30am Sunday. The service was very similar to Hopevale's--singing, praying and a sermon--can it get any better than that? Very different than a Catholic or Episcopal service--the ones I was most used to--without all of the pomp and circumstance--but just as powerful. To me the main thing is that you feel the presence of God as you sing His praises whether it be older hymns, older hymns set to a newer style, or contemporary Christian music, which I listen to all the time now (with an occasional country song slipped in). The service was titled "The Top Ten Things Christians Can Do for America-Part 2". I feel bad I missed part 1 because part 2 was excellent. Actually Part 1 can be heard or read on their website (www.autumnridgechurch.org). After church we met with Dr. Stephan Merry and his wife and "5/7" of his children, as he put it. He is a family physician at Mayo Clinc who I was introduced tt through the internet by Mark Reed from Hopevale. we had a nice visit with him and his family and met the pastor who gave the sermon--Pastor C. John Steer. We all prayed together before leaving. It was very powerful.
Tomorrow starts Anne's first day of chemotherapy. We're anxious to get started. She'll be on 4 different drugs--3 go in over a few hours and one takes about 46 hours. I pray she won't have any side effects (nausea and diarhea are the most common), but we will be prepared if she does.
One of the emails I got today was from Carol Van Kirk from back home. I've known her husband Bob for about 18 years I figure--he's a nurse anesthetist that I've worked with at Covenant and Mackinaw. Carol wrote a poem to us (for us?) that I would love to share with you:
Precious, precious children,
God knew this time would come
But do not be disheartened
Your life won’t come undone.
No matter where He takes you
Thru valleys dark or deep
Just rest upon His bosom
And sleep His peaceful sleep.
Keep ears attuned to hear Him
And eyes upon His face,
For His look is that of love
And His words are those of grace.
He is our caring Shepherd
He is our mighty King
So do not be afraid
Of what the days may bring.
Just shout your hallelujahs
And praise His precious name
As He holds you in His arms
All will see His holy fame.
I don't know what to say other than "awesome". Thank God for you, Carol--you have an amazing gift. It is definitely comforting as you had hoped. I hope it brings comfort to others who are struggling as well.
God Bless,
Tony
Saturday, April 25, 2009
April 25, 2009
Not too much too report on today--we actually didn't do much. Anne didn't feel all that well and spent a lot of time in the bathroom. We had hoped to see a little of Rochester, but spent a lot of time in the hotel room. We did get out for a short time but the weather turned colder so we didn't stay out too long. We actually got a little shopping in. We did get phone calls from several family members today. It was very welcome---a break from Anne having to have to just talk to me I guess.
I was able to find the devotional "Streams in the Desert" at the local Barnes and Noble so I've started it today. We'll see if I can keep up with it. One of the things that Anne and I have started this week was praying before meals. I can't say that was something we did routinely, but it will be from now on. Some of you who know me know that I'm not much of an "out loud prayer"--but I'm learning. Practice does make it easier and I'm thinking since God already knows what I'm going to say it doesn't matter how bad I sound--kind of like my singing. Another thing that I still need to work on is quiet time to spend with God. I've tried praying all day long, which I think is still good, but I really think spending quiet time with Him and only Him is the best thing I could do. It would be cool to have a whole chapel to myself like I did yesterday--it was awefully majestic and God deserves that. I guess for now He'll have to put up with my den back home.
Tomorrow we plan on attending Autumn Ridge Church here in Rochester. They have a contemporary service at 10:30 that sounds a lot like what we have at Hopevale. I've already been contacted by some people there who are very welcoming, so I think we'll really enjoy it. I went to their website today (www.autumnridgechurch.org) and it seems very nice. They support a ministry in Ghana that also sounds very interesting.
Pastor Dan had mentioned the movie Taken in one of his sermons, so we watched it on the TV tonight. It's about a former CIA agent who's daughter gets kidnapped in Paris. He's right--it was a guy's movie with all of the fighting and chase scenes you need, but the real message is what a father would do for his daughter. God is like that too--he will never leave us and will pursue us no matter what the cost--even giving up His Son for us. In my case, it's what a husband would do for a wife--anything, no questions asked. I would much rather it be me with the cancer so Anne wouldn't have to put up with the suffering associated with getting better. But please know that she is doing a lot better and her spirits are good.
Please also know that we appreciate all of the prayers, thoughts and whatever else you are doing for us. There is tremendous comfort in all of that. I thank God for all of you. We are definitely looking forward to seeing most of you soon. It is a bit lonely being here so far from home, but being able to correspond on the internet and even cell phone makes it a lot easier.
God's love to all.
I was able to find the devotional "Streams in the Desert" at the local Barnes and Noble so I've started it today. We'll see if I can keep up with it. One of the things that Anne and I have started this week was praying before meals. I can't say that was something we did routinely, but it will be from now on. Some of you who know me know that I'm not much of an "out loud prayer"--but I'm learning. Practice does make it easier and I'm thinking since God already knows what I'm going to say it doesn't matter how bad I sound--kind of like my singing. Another thing that I still need to work on is quiet time to spend with God. I've tried praying all day long, which I think is still good, but I really think spending quiet time with Him and only Him is the best thing I could do. It would be cool to have a whole chapel to myself like I did yesterday--it was awefully majestic and God deserves that. I guess for now He'll have to put up with my den back home.
Tomorrow we plan on attending Autumn Ridge Church here in Rochester. They have a contemporary service at 10:30 that sounds a lot like what we have at Hopevale. I've already been contacted by some people there who are very welcoming, so I think we'll really enjoy it. I went to their website today (www.autumnridgechurch.org) and it seems very nice. They support a ministry in Ghana that also sounds very interesting.
Pastor Dan had mentioned the movie Taken in one of his sermons, so we watched it on the TV tonight. It's about a former CIA agent who's daughter gets kidnapped in Paris. He's right--it was a guy's movie with all of the fighting and chase scenes you need, but the real message is what a father would do for his daughter. God is like that too--he will never leave us and will pursue us no matter what the cost--even giving up His Son for us. In my case, it's what a husband would do for a wife--anything, no questions asked. I would much rather it be me with the cancer so Anne wouldn't have to put up with the suffering associated with getting better. But please know that she is doing a lot better and her spirits are good.
Please also know that we appreciate all of the prayers, thoughts and whatever else you are doing for us. There is tremendous comfort in all of that. I thank God for all of you. We are definitely looking forward to seeing most of you soon. It is a bit lonely being here so far from home, but being able to correspond on the internet and even cell phone makes it a lot easier.
God's love to all.
Friday, April 24, 2009
April 24, 2009
We had a good day today, and productive. Anne had a mediport thing put in today so she can get the chemotherapy--which starts Monday. She also had a colonoscopy again to put in a stent. When she had the colonoscopy yesterday they couldn't pass the scope past the tumor as it had nearly completely occluded the lumen of the sigmoid colon. It surprised everyone because her bowels hadn't changed, which is real weird, and probably why she presented with the liver metastases rather than bowel symptoms. The stent will hopefull allow her to avoid surgery, as they think the chemo will (hopefully) eradicate the tumor in the colon and liver. She got about 3 1/2 hours of sleep this afternoon which gave me time to do some of my Centurions stuff. I also got in a bunch of Centurions reading done while waiting for her today.
Another thing I got to do was visit the chapel at St. Mary's Hospital. I don't know why they call it a chapel, because it was larger than most of the churches I've been in. It's a Catholic Church, so it has a lot of statues--stuff I grew up with as a little Catholic boy. It was incredibly comforting. I was able to spend time with God alone. It was very rewarding. Although I was the only human there, I knew I wasn't alone, and the one-on-one time with God was something I almost never get. I definitely need to do that more. They had some pamphlets at the chapel and even in the waiting area for the procedures that were very helpful as well. One had a lot of Bible passages in it (some of which you guys had already sent me!) and some other reading that helps in time of need. Chuck Colson wrote to me today (he's the driving force behind the Centurions program) and that was unexpected and also comforting. he recommended I get a devotional called: Streams in the Desert which I have already ordered from Amazon.
Anne finally got to eat some solid food! There's an Italian restaurant right around the corner that was recommended to us by friends back home. We've been there twice now. The food is great, but too much (even for me). The good thing is you get a second meal out of it. The bad thing is that I won't be able to get back here for a while and I will miss it!
The weather was apparently nice here today and even back home, but we really didn't get out. I guess it's supposed to get colder again for the weekend. Anne amazingly slept right through a late afternoon thunderstorm. I'd like to think we might get out a little over the weekend, but it depends on how she feels--this has taken a lot of her energy away.
Again, I'd like to thank God for all of your thoughts and prayers and support. We couldn't do it without all of you .
Another thing I got to do was visit the chapel at St. Mary's Hospital. I don't know why they call it a chapel, because it was larger than most of the churches I've been in. It's a Catholic Church, so it has a lot of statues--stuff I grew up with as a little Catholic boy. It was incredibly comforting. I was able to spend time with God alone. It was very rewarding. Although I was the only human there, I knew I wasn't alone, and the one-on-one time with God was something I almost never get. I definitely need to do that more. They had some pamphlets at the chapel and even in the waiting area for the procedures that were very helpful as well. One had a lot of Bible passages in it (some of which you guys had already sent me!) and some other reading that helps in time of need. Chuck Colson wrote to me today (he's the driving force behind the Centurions program) and that was unexpected and also comforting. he recommended I get a devotional called: Streams in the Desert which I have already ordered from Amazon.
Anne finally got to eat some solid food! There's an Italian restaurant right around the corner that was recommended to us by friends back home. We've been there twice now. The food is great, but too much (even for me). The good thing is you get a second meal out of it. The bad thing is that I won't be able to get back here for a while and I will miss it!
The weather was apparently nice here today and even back home, but we really didn't get out. I guess it's supposed to get colder again for the weekend. Anne amazingly slept right through a late afternoon thunderstorm. I'd like to think we might get out a little over the weekend, but it depends on how she feels--this has taken a lot of her energy away.
Again, I'd like to thank God for all of your thoughts and prayers and support. We couldn't do it without all of you .
Thursday, April 23, 2009
April 23, 2009
Back again. Anne had her colonoscopy this morning. She survived the prep--what a trooper. She only had to get up 3 times during the night. She remembers talking to the colonoscopist who was from London, England--they had a nice discussion about the United Kingdom. He had spent some time in Edinburgh where Anne grew up. The whole process took about 3 hours. I was able to get in some breakfast and then did some reading. After she was done, we had tea and Anne a bagel and a banana--the first solid food she'd had in 3 days. After we made it back to the room, she slept a bit. I ran out for a haircut in the hotel "subway" which is the tunnel connecting all these different buildings together.
At 1:00 we went to a class about chemotherapy. One of the neat things about this institution is all of the stuff they have in addition to just the doctors and nurses. They have tons of educational material for the patients--in all of the buildings. They have information from many organizations, including the American Cancer Society. I haven't really supported them in the past, but I can see now that I must. They need the support to be able to provide patients with information they need about their disease, treatment, complications, and whatever else. Another cool thing is the piano they have in the Atrium area. They have various people playing the piano and either singing or playing the flute or violin or whatever. Very cool and relaxing.
We met with Dr. Ahlquist again at 2:30. The news wasn't the best. It turns out that they were able to confirm that the primary tumor is definitely in the sigmoid colon, but is nearly completely closing off the canal--nearly a complete obstruction. We're happy we decided to go ahead with the colonoscopy, as we did have a choice not too, but we really wanted to get tissue for testing purposes. Anne was also asked to participate in a study they are doing here to help with early diagnosis (actually 2 separate studies--mainly because of her young age) and they needed specimens for that. The news of the near-occlusion meant we had 2 choices--leave it alone and see if the tumor would shrink enough with the chemo to not pose a blockage issue, or do something about it--place a stent, or tube there to keep the passage open. Not doing it could potentially be a problem, because if she developed the blockage when we were home, we'd either need to get ourselves back here right away or undergo surgery in Saginaw. I'm not sure if they're sophisticated enough in Saginaw to do the stents, and maybe they are (I know we have very good GI-guys) but for one thing I didn't want to take a chance about that, and for another, we figured that we maight as well go ahead with it since we're already here. Unfortunately, that means--you guessed it--another bowel prep tonight. Poor thing was so looking forward to eating something solid--and not having to have to drink the prep again. The good thing is that they're going to do it tomorrow after she gets her Mediport so she'll only have to be NPO one more time while we're here. The other good thing is that she will still have the chemo on Monday, so we're expecting to be home by next Saturday.
We have continued to get emails and calls with prayers and support. My neice Johanna sent me an article written in the New York Times. Here's the link: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/21/health/21well.html?_r=2
It's an article about the power of friends in helping with healing. It's not about prayer and healing, but I know there are lots of articles about that too. There's no question in my mind that having lots of friends supporting you (and praying for you) goes a long way in healing.
Praise God (again, always, forever--you name it!).
At 1:00 we went to a class about chemotherapy. One of the neat things about this institution is all of the stuff they have in addition to just the doctors and nurses. They have tons of educational material for the patients--in all of the buildings. They have information from many organizations, including the American Cancer Society. I haven't really supported them in the past, but I can see now that I must. They need the support to be able to provide patients with information they need about their disease, treatment, complications, and whatever else. Another cool thing is the piano they have in the Atrium area. They have various people playing the piano and either singing or playing the flute or violin or whatever. Very cool and relaxing.
We met with Dr. Ahlquist again at 2:30. The news wasn't the best. It turns out that they were able to confirm that the primary tumor is definitely in the sigmoid colon, but is nearly completely closing off the canal--nearly a complete obstruction. We're happy we decided to go ahead with the colonoscopy, as we did have a choice not too, but we really wanted to get tissue for testing purposes. Anne was also asked to participate in a study they are doing here to help with early diagnosis (actually 2 separate studies--mainly because of her young age) and they needed specimens for that. The news of the near-occlusion meant we had 2 choices--leave it alone and see if the tumor would shrink enough with the chemo to not pose a blockage issue, or do something about it--place a stent, or tube there to keep the passage open. Not doing it could potentially be a problem, because if she developed the blockage when we were home, we'd either need to get ourselves back here right away or undergo surgery in Saginaw. I'm not sure if they're sophisticated enough in Saginaw to do the stents, and maybe they are (I know we have very good GI-guys) but for one thing I didn't want to take a chance about that, and for another, we figured that we maight as well go ahead with it since we're already here. Unfortunately, that means--you guessed it--another bowel prep tonight. Poor thing was so looking forward to eating something solid--and not having to have to drink the prep again. The good thing is that they're going to do it tomorrow after she gets her Mediport so she'll only have to be NPO one more time while we're here. The other good thing is that she will still have the chemo on Monday, so we're expecting to be home by next Saturday.
We have continued to get emails and calls with prayers and support. My neice Johanna sent me an article written in the New York Times. Here's the link: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/21/health/21well.html?_r=2
It's an article about the power of friends in helping with healing. It's not about prayer and healing, but I know there are lots of articles about that too. There's no question in my mind that having lots of friends supporting you (and praying for you) goes a long way in healing.
Praise God (again, always, forever--you name it!).
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
April 22, 2009
We had good news today. We met with the oncologist, Dr. Michaela Banck at 1:30pm and found out that for sure the metastases were from the colon, but we got the good impression that Anne's cancer was very treatable. We didn't want to hear any prognosis numbers because we're confident the numbers don't mean anything when you have God on your side. We also met with a colorectal surgeon who gave us great news--Anne really won't need surgery because she hasn't had any symptoms of obstruction or bleeding. Praise God for that! We decided to stay here to get her first dose of chemotherapy on Monday, April 27th. She'll be getting her colonoscopy as planned tomorrow (she's loving the prep) and then a Mediport will be placed on Friday.
We'll be going to Autumn Ridge Church on Sunday. Our friend Mark Reed back home at Hopevale made some contacts for us and I've been contacted by Pastor Gary Seaquist who we will hopefully meet tomorrow as well. We've also been invited to a meeting tomorrow night by Helen Laasch, a fellow Centurion who I am looking forward to meeting. We also received an email from Barbara Barnes, another member of Autumn Ridge, who works at The Hope Lodge, a facility where people receiving cancer treatment here can stay for free no matter how long then need to stay. Thankfully, God has provided for us so well that we won't need to stay there, but I'd like to visit to see how it works. Something we can work on for Saginaw.
The outpouring of love and prayers from friends and even strangers (whom I will define as friends we haven't met yet) is so awesome you can't imagine. We have gotten emails from loads of people, and text messages and phone calls. Facebook friends have also been keeping in touch and praying for us. I have to think that the age of communication that we are in is now a good thing--I wasn't so sure before. But the comfort we have received from this outpouring of friends is something I can't begin to describe. It is certainly making it easier for Anne to go through all of this. Of course, she is the nicest person I know, and she used to say "It's nice to be nice to the nice". I don't know of anyone who doesn't like her once they meet her. I'm still amazed she even likes me.
I'm not sure if many people know that it was by Anne's insistence that I go to church to hear Michelle and Heather sing in the choir at St. John's Episcopal Church in Saginaw. At the time I was a card-carrying Atheist, but by her bringing me to church, the Holy Spirit was able to do His thing and here I am. I can't be happier. Our spiritual journey has led us to a place where we are at peace with whatever God has in store for us. We have confidence in His will and know there will be healing. He has given our physicians the skills needed to do their best for us and has given us the prayer warriors we need to help us get through this. God Bless you all.
We'll be going to Autumn Ridge Church on Sunday. Our friend Mark Reed back home at Hopevale made some contacts for us and I've been contacted by Pastor Gary Seaquist who we will hopefully meet tomorrow as well. We've also been invited to a meeting tomorrow night by Helen Laasch, a fellow Centurion who I am looking forward to meeting. We also received an email from Barbara Barnes, another member of Autumn Ridge, who works at The Hope Lodge, a facility where people receiving cancer treatment here can stay for free no matter how long then need to stay. Thankfully, God has provided for us so well that we won't need to stay there, but I'd like to visit to see how it works. Something we can work on for Saginaw.
The outpouring of love and prayers from friends and even strangers (whom I will define as friends we haven't met yet) is so awesome you can't imagine. We have gotten emails from loads of people, and text messages and phone calls. Facebook friends have also been keeping in touch and praying for us. I have to think that the age of communication that we are in is now a good thing--I wasn't so sure before. But the comfort we have received from this outpouring of friends is something I can't begin to describe. It is certainly making it easier for Anne to go through all of this. Of course, she is the nicest person I know, and she used to say "It's nice to be nice to the nice". I don't know of anyone who doesn't like her once they meet her. I'm still amazed she even likes me.
I'm not sure if many people know that it was by Anne's insistence that I go to church to hear Michelle and Heather sing in the choir at St. John's Episcopal Church in Saginaw. At the time I was a card-carrying Atheist, but by her bringing me to church, the Holy Spirit was able to do His thing and here I am. I can't be happier. Our spiritual journey has led us to a place where we are at peace with whatever God has in store for us. We have confidence in His will and know there will be healing. He has given our physicians the skills needed to do their best for us and has given us the prayer warriors we need to help us get through this. God Bless you all.
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
April 21, 2009
Hi again. Today was a slow day. Anne had a liver biopsy at St. Mary's Hospital this morning, and we spent the rest of the day (got back around 1:30 pm after a lovely lunch at Chester's a block away from the hotel) resting in our hotel room. We were picked up right in front of the Gonda Building, which is part of Mayo Clinic. It just happens to be across the street fom the hotel. The street in front of the hotel is like a wind tunnel, but it was nice to be out in the fresh air. A shuttle bus took us to the main entrance of St. Mary's, and after getting lost in one of the hallways, and receiving directions from a very nice man who worked there delivering supplies, we made it to the radiology department. After Anne's biopsy, we had to wait for 2 hours while she recovered. Thankfully, she was in no pain. We took the shuttle back to the Gonda Building and then went to lunch. The staff at these institutions are not only well-trained, but are genuinely the nicest people you could meet.
This afternoon, I've gone through a whole bunch of emails. We have gotten them from as far away as East Asia (Diane and Dr. Stephan Morris--missionaries over there) and Singapore (Debbie and Dr. Kelvin Chen--missionaries who we fell in love with in Egbe, Nigeria and are now back home). We've gotten so many blessings and prayers from all of our friends, and even people we haven't met yet that it has made us both so emotional with your love. God is great and he has blessed us with wonderful friends who have all become our prayer warriors. We have also gotten a number of Bible verses to support us--I personally love them all, so keep them coming!
Tomorrow we will meet with Dr. Michaela Banck for a medical oncology evaluation and then with Dr. Ahlquist, our gastroenterologist who we met Monday, and also Dr. Devine, a surgeon. I'm hoping they have the results of the liver biopsy then and we can discuss treatment options. Anne isn't scheduled for her colonoscopy until Thurdsay, and I think she is already dreading the bowel prep. She has really been a trooper through all of this, when I think most people would be a basket case, but I believe she is receiving her strenght from all of the prayers you all have been sending, and the comfort of knowing God is watching over her. I want to thank you also for the prayers sent for me and the girls as well--we could all use some major Christian love right now.
This afternoon, I've gone through a whole bunch of emails. We have gotten them from as far away as East Asia (Diane and Dr. Stephan Morris--missionaries over there) and Singapore (Debbie and Dr. Kelvin Chen--missionaries who we fell in love with in Egbe, Nigeria and are now back home). We've gotten so many blessings and prayers from all of our friends, and even people we haven't met yet that it has made us both so emotional with your love. God is great and he has blessed us with wonderful friends who have all become our prayer warriors. We have also gotten a number of Bible verses to support us--I personally love them all, so keep them coming!
Tomorrow we will meet with Dr. Michaela Banck for a medical oncology evaluation and then with Dr. Ahlquist, our gastroenterologist who we met Monday, and also Dr. Devine, a surgeon. I'm hoping they have the results of the liver biopsy then and we can discuss treatment options. Anne isn't scheduled for her colonoscopy until Thurdsay, and I think she is already dreading the bowel prep. She has really been a trooper through all of this, when I think most people would be a basket case, but I believe she is receiving her strenght from all of the prayers you all have been sending, and the comfort of knowing God is watching over her. I want to thank you also for the prayers sent for me and the girls as well--we could all use some major Christian love right now.
Monday, April 20, 2009
April 20, 2009
We had a pretty good day today. We met with the nurse practitioner first who took Anne's history and then did a physical. We met with the gastroenterologist, Dr. Ahlquist. So far everyone here has been super nice. It is very comforting. They are very knowledgeable, and for me that is good. I obviously don't know anything about GI stuff, but I have enough knowledge to be dangerous. Anne will have a liver biopsy tomorrow and then an appointment with the oncologist Wednesday and also the colorectal surgeon. She will have a colonoscopy on Thursday. After that, only God knows.
I have been impressed with a few things here. First, everyone is very pleasant and friendly. Maybe that's just Midwest hospitality, but I really feel they care for what they do. The motto of the Mayo Clinic is: "The needs of the patient come first" and that is definitely the culture here. Second, they seem to have good efficiency. We did have to wait a bit in the exam rooms (which were very comfortable--a couch instead of chairs to sit on) but only because they were working hard on getting appointments in a timely fashion so we might not be here forever. For instance, we originally had the appointment with the oncologist a week from this coming Wednesday, but they were able to get it in this week. I think it meant putting the colonoscopy off until after that visit, but that will be OK. They're going where the money is at this point in time--the liver. Apparently treatment depends on what type of cancer there is, and it is either an adenocarcinoma from the colon or a lymphoma (which is easier to treat). Of course, the shear size of this place is also impressive. There are a ton of buildings and a whole bunch of people working here. They have shuttle busses to get you to one campus or another and underground tunnels so you don't have to go out into the crappy weather (cold and windy with a little rain tonight). They have tons of patient information, and their instructions are easy to read. If we could only all adopt these measures in our practices. The motto to me is the most important--the patient is our primary concern, and he or she needs to be treated with the utmost respect and compassion. The golden rule would say that we should treat others the way we would want to be treated, but if I really interpret what Jesus was saying, we should treat others better than how we would want to be treated. I will always remember that, and will make sure my office staff does too.
I have gotten a zillion emails and facebook hits and I thank you all for your prayers. Anne has had her ups and downs through this past two weeks, and they really help. I'm trying to answer a lot of the emails, but if I don't get to you, please don't think I'm ignoring you as I really appreciate your contact, but I'm spending as much time with Anne while I can and haven't been able to get to the computer as much as I'd like. I may get a bit more time over the next two days possibly, but who knows?
God's Love,
Tony
I have been impressed with a few things here. First, everyone is very pleasant and friendly. Maybe that's just Midwest hospitality, but I really feel they care for what they do. The motto of the Mayo Clinic is: "The needs of the patient come first" and that is definitely the culture here. Second, they seem to have good efficiency. We did have to wait a bit in the exam rooms (which were very comfortable--a couch instead of chairs to sit on) but only because they were working hard on getting appointments in a timely fashion so we might not be here forever. For instance, we originally had the appointment with the oncologist a week from this coming Wednesday, but they were able to get it in this week. I think it meant putting the colonoscopy off until after that visit, but that will be OK. They're going where the money is at this point in time--the liver. Apparently treatment depends on what type of cancer there is, and it is either an adenocarcinoma from the colon or a lymphoma (which is easier to treat). Of course, the shear size of this place is also impressive. There are a ton of buildings and a whole bunch of people working here. They have shuttle busses to get you to one campus or another and underground tunnels so you don't have to go out into the crappy weather (cold and windy with a little rain tonight). They have tons of patient information, and their instructions are easy to read. If we could only all adopt these measures in our practices. The motto to me is the most important--the patient is our primary concern, and he or she needs to be treated with the utmost respect and compassion. The golden rule would say that we should treat others the way we would want to be treated, but if I really interpret what Jesus was saying, we should treat others better than how we would want to be treated. I will always remember that, and will make sure my office staff does too.
I have gotten a zillion emails and facebook hits and I thank you all for your prayers. Anne has had her ups and downs through this past two weeks, and they really help. I'm trying to answer a lot of the emails, but if I don't get to you, please don't think I'm ignoring you as I really appreciate your contact, but I'm spending as much time with Anne while I can and haven't been able to get to the computer as much as I'd like. I may get a bit more time over the next two days possibly, but who knows?
God's Love,
Tony
Sunday, April 19, 2009
April 19, 2009
Hey everyone:
We pulled into the Kahler Grand Hotel across the street from the Mayo clinic tonight. It took us about 9 hours from Marshall, Mi where we had stayed after having dinner with Heather, Michelle and Greg (Michelle's boyfriend).
For those of you who may not know why we're here, it's because last week we found out that Anne has metastatic cancer of the colon. It came as a complete surprise to us because she is basically asymptomatic--no pain, no rectal bleeding, constipation, NOTHING! It was a surprise to her family doc as well, Thad Rathcamp. But, thanks to him and Dr. Ernie Balcueva, the oncologist, after pulling some strings, we got out here to Mayo Clinic right away.
Tomorrow we are scheduled (sorry, I should say Anne is scheduled) to have a complete physical, go through some lab tests and then only God knows. They have a colonoscopy scheduled for Tuesday, and an appointment with the surgeon on Thursday, but other than that we are in the dark.
We have been blessed in so many ways--great faith, greater friends and family, and plenty of prayer warriors, all the way to Nigeria. I am so thankful to everyone who has contacted us and are praying for us. This certainly can't hurt. The more prayer arrows sent up to God the better. What I am truly thankful for is the fact that we do indeed have a strong faith--something we didn't have when Anne went through the 4 miscarriages she had when I was an atheist and she followed along with me. But thanks to her persistence, we started going back to church about 13 years ago, and the Holy Spirit took over. We both know that no matter what we have to endure (her mostly, of course), that our faith will remain strong and we will to continue to praise God "in the storm".
God Bless,
Tony
We pulled into the Kahler Grand Hotel across the street from the Mayo clinic tonight. It took us about 9 hours from Marshall, Mi where we had stayed after having dinner with Heather, Michelle and Greg (Michelle's boyfriend).
For those of you who may not know why we're here, it's because last week we found out that Anne has metastatic cancer of the colon. It came as a complete surprise to us because she is basically asymptomatic--no pain, no rectal bleeding, constipation, NOTHING! It was a surprise to her family doc as well, Thad Rathcamp. But, thanks to him and Dr. Ernie Balcueva, the oncologist, after pulling some strings, we got out here to Mayo Clinic right away.
Tomorrow we are scheduled (sorry, I should say Anne is scheduled) to have a complete physical, go through some lab tests and then only God knows. They have a colonoscopy scheduled for Tuesday, and an appointment with the surgeon on Thursday, but other than that we are in the dark.
We have been blessed in so many ways--great faith, greater friends and family, and plenty of prayer warriors, all the way to Nigeria. I am so thankful to everyone who has contacted us and are praying for us. This certainly can't hurt. The more prayer arrows sent up to God the better. What I am truly thankful for is the fact that we do indeed have a strong faith--something we didn't have when Anne went through the 4 miscarriages she had when I was an atheist and she followed along with me. But thanks to her persistence, we started going back to church about 13 years ago, and the Holy Spirit took over. We both know that no matter what we have to endure (her mostly, of course), that our faith will remain strong and we will to continue to praise God "in the storm".
God Bless,
Tony
Saturday, April 18, 2009
Updates about Anne...
This is a new blog I created so that you can all follow the news about Anne and where God is taking us on this journey.
Please be praying for our family!
love
Tony and family
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