A New Chapter ~ Dad's Courageous Journey

Just recently I asked for much prayer...I made lots of phone calls, text messages, asked my prayer groups, posted on all the social media sites I could think of and posted on my blog. 

See, dad's courageous fight with his second battle of cancer looks like it very well may be coming to an end. 

We knew the time we have with him is very precious and wanted to soak up as many moments we could! A couple weeks ago all his kiddos (5 of us!) flew into California from Colorado, Kansas, Oklahoma, Michigan and Maryland...Yeah, we're pretty spread out! We rented a beautiful secluded home for 4 days, kidnapped dad and enjoyed our time away, spending much needed time together with him. We didn't realize just how much needed that time together truly was. The very day, less than half an hour before I had to leave to check in for my flight, he received a phone call from one of his many doctors, that his cancer has metastasized and is spreading much more aggressively. This, as you can imagine, was quite discouraging for him. He just handed me the phone mid-conversation to continue the call for him. My heart sank. 

Dad has been through so much these past few years. You wouldn't believe it if you didn't know him! If you are just now reading about dad, you can find his first post on his history here, the second post on his transplants here and then the third and most recent posting regarding the return of his cancer here. He is a true hero! Bravely taking head-on all obstacles he must face. Never willing to give up faith. Always with a kind and sweet disposition. Always apologizing and over apologizing if he feels in anyway that he's being a trouble maker...Haha!  Always genuinely thanking every single person he comes in contact with for his care, from the dr's to housekeeping. And it truly shows, because the staff always falls in love with dad and become part of his gimormous cheering section! 

Less than a week of us kids returning home, dad was brought into the ER as he wasn't doing very well at all and was quickly admitted into the hospital once again. To much heartbreak, it was discovered that his poor body is riddled with cancerous tumors. It's become too much. Us kiddos are once again each flying out to be close to him once again. Dad is being discharged from the hospital tomorrow and will be returning home. This new chapter from here is hospice care at home...Surrounded by family. Surrounded by those whom adore him and admire his strength as he ever so bravely fought these many battles.

I am asking those that read this to please pray...Please pray for Dad. Please pray for us, his children. Please pray for our family. Please pray for all who love him, whose lives have been touched by his. It's so hard to know exactly what to pray for. He is in such terrible pain...constant agonizing pain. I want him freed and released from that...But I so desperately and selfishly want more time with our Dad...Grandfather, brother, son, friend to so many and hero! 

I am so beyond thankful to God for giving us more time with dad by blessing him with the precious life-sustaining gift of those transplants. I trust our good and gracious God whose thoughts and ways are not my own...But much much higher! I trust that ALL things work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to His purpose! I know that when Dad breathes his last breath and closes his eyes for the last time here on earth, he will be in the presence of our loving Father...His fight will have been won and he'll be free! I have no doubt that he will feel the arms of my Savior wrapped around him in a most tender warm embrace and hear the words, "Well done!" 

 Dad & Us Kids October 2019

Dad's Courage ~ A Journey of Another Kind

I haven’t written an update on dad and his journey in quite a while. Frankly, it’s been pretty rough emotionally to share. But, I realized that we need help...The prayerful miraculous kind we received around this same time a year ago.

I truly covet your prayers as my family petitions the throne of God with every ounce of hope we’ve got!

Some of you may remember my dad’s heart and liver transplant journey almost a year ago now. Those postings can be found here for the original first post and here for the second post.

I asked for much prayer then...and so many did just that! It was a roller coaster ride with lots of ups and downs...But God ultimately showed up in a mighty and miraculous way!

He was doing awesome and healing quicker than the doctors expected! His kidneys, which were also supposed to be transplanted but because of complications during the transplant surgery, weren’t, but have bounced right back and he still hasn’t needed a lick of dialysis! This itself was also a huge miracle! He was doing wonderfully and so very thankful for this gift of life!

In February though he started having severe abdominal pain. The dr’s discovered that the prostate cancer he had prior to his transplants returned, but more aggressive than before...Stage 4. This is due to the immunosuppressive drugs he must be on to keep his body from rejecting the transplanted organs. He did start hormone and chemo treatments which has lowered his PSA levels back to a normal range and significantly shrunk the tumor. Unfortunately it was also recently discovered that the cancer has metastasized and Monday morning we learned that this new/separate tumor is also cancerous. The name for this cancer is, Poorly Differentiated Squamous Cell Carcinoma and it is very invasive and very aggressive.

As you can imagine, this diagnosis has hit him very hard and he is very discouraged.

I am asking once again for sooo much prayer! Please if you know any prayer warriors, I ask that you ask them to pray for our father. We saw mountains moved while he was waiting for his transplants! I know my God, the creator of the universe, who holds all things in his hands, is mighty to save!