Prayer and Patience

Yesterday Daniel started on two chemo drugs, Cisplatin and HNAVFUP (pronounced "5FU"). The first is a short IV drip taking around an hour, while the 5FU is a continuous infusion using a “baby bottle” device that feeds into his PICC line for four days. Prior to starting on the chemo, his blood work came back very satisfactory (as I wanted to make sure they explained the thoroughness of the blood work as my research told me sometimes some things are missed). The chemo nurse, Dave, was very helpful and informative, and I was/am confident that Daniel is in good hands.

 

Some of the effects of the chemo so far have been a lot of drowsiness and general “out of it”-ness because of the strong anti-nausea and pain meds, etc. that he’s on to minimize side effects, plus the drugs themselves. No signs of allergic reaction, so that’s good! One of the hardest parts both yesterday and today is getting the IV done and redone, unfortunately with three pricks each time to find a good vein! And for Daniel, who has an aversion to needles to begin with, this has not only been stressful but also very painful. Please pray that his current IV stays “active” so they don’t have to redo it tomorrow, and that any further pricking would be minimized and efficient/effective the first time!

 

Please continue to pray that sleep would be restful and uninterrupted. Last night was a “weird” sleep being so medicated, plus there were some major interruptions. Daniel’s plan is to listen to his body and sleep when he needs to, as much as he wants to keep getting exercise (which he still did today, outside in the sun no less!).

 

Please also pray that his loss of appetite and subsequent weight loss (7 lbs in the last day and a half!) would ease and that Daniel would be able to eat more. He is very thankful that prior to chemo, he had gained 12.5 lbs since coming to the hospital and that he had reached the 170 lb mark. He’s down to 163 lbs now.

 

Some updates on previous prayer requests:

- I talked to the oncologist, Dr. Uhlman, yesterday regarding the overseeing doctor whom I had a problem with for ordering anti-depressants. She had talked with Daniel yesterday morning (before I got there) after being off for the weekend. She asked him if he took them, and he said no, he didn’t want or need them. She said, “Good!” and that it would have reacted with his chemo! She then complained about having too many cooks in the soup. Wow! Thank God for that “anonymous” staff person who alerted us to this before Daniel was given them!

 

When I asked Dr. Uhlman about this other doctor’s orders (and she gave an exasperated sigh), I asked how big a role he’ll be playing for the rest of Daniel’s stay. She said that now that Daniel is on chemo, she’ll be the attending physician and that this other doctor will have little to no role in his care. Good! I was prepared to write a letter to the hospital administration to get him removed from Daniel’s case! I’m so glad I don’t have to spend my limited energy on that fight.

 

-  Daniel has a new roommate as of this afternoon – no word yet on how that is going. Please keep praying for Amy, however, his former roommate. She and her family need the Lord.

 

I just talked to Daniel on the phone for a more lengthy conversation – I talked while he texted me back. Dr. Uhlman had to decrease his pain meds this morning as he was too “dopey” so his pain is going up again. His ability to talk has decreased even more because of that. Please pray that the meds and supplements he’s on will vastly improve his pain levels and that the chemo would not harm him (as it could be causing some of the extra mouth pain he’s in). Please continue to pray that he will be healed in God’s timing!

 

Speaking of which, God has been teaching me a most profound lesson in patience these past few weeks (on top of the months this journey has already been). Early on after hearing Daniel’s diagnosis and at the beginning of his hospital stay, my emotions were running very high, trying to process what was happening. I remember a few Sundays ago waking up before dawn to cry out to God on my husband’s behalf to heal him even then! Did God say no because He doesn’t care? No! Even though I wanted (and want) Daniel healed immediately to spare him more pain, God has been teaching me the beauty of His timing.

 

If God had healed Daniel that very moment when I was crying out to Him, then there are so many blessings, lessons, and convictions in myself and others that would never have happened. Thank you for letting me know how the Holy Spirit is encouraging and convicting you in this time – how God is changing you personally during this trial. God has used that to teach me more how to truly trust in His timing and His purposes. Daniel’s healing is not the greatest good in this situation – God being given ALL the glory is! Yes, we should be bold and straightforward, bringing our petitions to God – sometimes in anguish. But we should always remember to be humble, acknowledging that God’s ways are SO much higher than our ways. Daniel and I trust God in increasingly deeper ways as we “…wait for and hope for and expect the LORD.” (Ps. 27:14 AMP).

Reflections from Daniel

Looking back on today it seemed that time went too quickly. Evelyn’s parents offered to watch the kids so that Evelyn and I could spend much of the day together. Praise God for the joy and delight to have spent the day together with my wife. Praise God for the PICC line going in today. Please pray that it stops bleeding and heals up and does not get infected (though it is already doing better than this afternoon). My pain meds were increased and so far it's been good. Pray for a healthy balance to be found between effective pain management and overmedication.

 

I have a new person in my hospital room again today, and there seems to be a dark cloud hanging over her – a lot of negativity. They “know” the name of Jesus Christ, but not the fact that He is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world! I pray that Jesus Christ, the Light of the world, will shine brightly. Pray that God would heal my tongue so I can speak clearly the truth of God's love, forgiveness, grace, etc. So often in life I've been too timid to speak with others about these most important things, and now I've been placed next to people who need the hope that Jesus brings and I am held back by the very thing that has brought me here.

I was very happy to hear how well the Family Festival at Timberline Ranch went yesterday! I wish I could have been there but am so thankful for all who made it happen.

It was a blessing to continue to have visitors. The Goerzen family all came, and that meant so much to me because I, like many of you who know them, have been praying for Jesse since his diagnosis of cancer last year. To have them come and show me God’s love and care and pray for me was so, so meaningful!

Pray for good sleep (praise God for ear plugs!).
Pray for a good start to chemo on Monday.

My hope is in the Lord. God be glorified!

A good but challenging day.

From Daniel:

Today has been a great day because I got to spend time with Evelyn and our kids. 

Getting my new PICC line is now happening on Sunday at 2:30pm. Please pray that it is not put off another day. I need it for chemo on Monday. Pray that the PICC line goes in without complications. Pray I get a good night's sleep. 

Lyrics from a popular campfire song:
My God is so big, so strong and so mighty, there's nothing my God cannot do!
The mountains are his, the rivers are his, the stars are his handiwork too.
My God is so big, so strong and so mighty, there's nothing my God cannot do!

Update from Evelyn: 

It was so good to spend time together as a family. My sister-in-law visited from out of town, and took the kids for a walk so Daniel and I could have some time just the two of us. Thank you! 

That was the only quiet time we had, it turns out. Not because of the kids, mind you (though they were a handful at times), but because of seeing hospital staff. 

During lunch, one of the staff "tipped" us off about concerns about a med that the doctor who is in charge of Daniel's case (whom I had never even heard of and Daniel had only ever talked to very briefly) had ordered. The drug is an appetite stimulant but is also used for depression. This staff person didn't agree with the safety of using this drug considering what he was already taking and the presumed purpose of the drug -- to "fatten" Daniel up. 

I in turn wasn't impressed that this doctor was ordering non-pain related drugs without so much as talking to us about it first, especially if there were some contraindications involved. We are very thankful that this staff person alerted us to this. That is why I am not mentioning who it is. 

A little while later, a doctor who was filling in over the weekend for Dr. Uhlman came in to check on Daniel's pain med level. I also mentioned to him about our concerns based on this new drug order. This doctor wasn't very informed about Daniel's specifics as he was just filling in. So I had to insist that the overseeing doctor I had just learned about be told to consult with me before he starts Daniel on anything new. (Daniel isn't able to communicate without a lot of pain, (and even then he isn't clear because his tongue isn't working) and the pain and meds can make him feel out of it.) 

The fill-in doctor wasn't too sure about getting the overseeing doctor to cooperate, but I said if the other doctor wouldn't properly discuss things with me and Daniel then that isn't care, and I don't want him anywhere near my husband! He said he would see what could be done. 

Twenty minutes later, the overseeing doctor came in! Let's just say we had a lively chat. His personality is a steamroller, thinking he knows what's best for the patient, whether he has taken all the information into account or not. I had to actually politely insist that he stop interrupting me. 

I informed him of our major concerns about this new med. We were told it was for appetite stimulation. So I said it was pain, not a lack of appetite, that made eating difficult for Daniel. He said, no no no, it's for depression! He said he wanted Daniel to see the psychiatrist because, of course, Daniel would be heartbroken about what is happening to him! He said that one time he stopped by while Daniel was talking with his mom and seemed "weepy", so he apparently surmised that Daniel must be depressed!

The doctor insisted that he is consulting with several other doctors, dropping the names of doctors I've never heard of. He wants to help Daniel from every possible angle, he said. Personally, the way I hear that is overmedication because they think there is no hope. 

Well, our hope is in the Lord!

I told the doctor that we have a wonderful support network of family and friends, and that I know my husband and he is certainly not depressed! I had to emphatically refuse the drug before he would listen. 

We talked about other things, and he seemed to keep changing his story and seemed so insincere. Needless to say, I'll need to find a way to be keeping closer tabs on this doctor's orders. 

So yes, a very exhausting day having to be an advocate for my husband and prevent him from getting dangerous and completely unnecessary drugs!

Please pray that Daniel would receive the best care while in the hospital for another week or so, and that I could play a bigger part in making *informed* decisions. 

Prayer: more answers and requests

Update from Daniel: 

I have great news to praise God about!!! ...as well as good stuff to pray for. Thank you for your prayers and for sharing this blog with others who would be interested in joining us in prayer. May God’s will be done and may He be glorified! 
 
I’ve had months of very bad headaches – migraines really. The doctor sent me for a CT scan this morning to check for cancer in my brain. My scan results are in and there is no cancer in my brain! The very bad headaches I get are from my tongue pain, just like we had always thought. So as we get better at controlling the tongue pain the headache pain will follow.

The PICC line we thought that was going in today will go in Saturday or Sunday.

Round 1 of chemo will start this Monday where I will be taking on the cancer from two different angles with two tried and tested drugs. Each round will last 4 days and then depending on my health I should be going home for 3 weeks, maybe 4 weeks, depending on blood tests. Then round 2 of chemo. 
 
Learning this today was all new to me and I may have heard it before but this time I understood. So here is a simplified chemo schedule to help people like me:
 
4 days round 1 chemo
3 to 4 week break
4 days round 2 chemo
3 to 4 week break
4 days round 3 chemo
3 to 4 week break
Etc. 
 
During the break I’ll be at home! Chemo could be commuting in each day or being an inpatient and staying the 4 days. 
 
I need to gain as much weight and get as healthy as I can by Monday. Please pray for the ability to eat lots orally, that the G tube would continue to settle in (I have been having trouble sleeping, as I think my body is getting used to eating all night long), and the opportunities and ability to sleep a lot and restfully. Please continue to pray for adequate pain management as it’s a continuing battle.

 

 

Update from Evelyn:

 

God continues to be faithful! Over the past few days, I have noticed a distinct comfort that I can only attribute to God – thank you for praying! Thank you also to all of you who have helped us out in so many ways. Your service is such a help and an encouragement!

 

The kids and I are doing okay, though we miss “Daddy” so much. I’m taking the kids for another visit tomorrow. Josiah is acting out more than usual, and without Daddy at home to back me up, my almost four-year-old is seeing what he can get away with. Sometimes I just have so little energy. Please pray that I’ll become better at being patient, yet firm, and to know what battles to pick. Kezia is missing daddy too. She sometimes spends all of a meal-time screaming, which is very unlike her. Daddy has always helped out when he’s home with feeding her, so I think she misses that.

 

I’m keeping busy taking care of so many details regarding home, EI, various parts of healthcare, research, and the kids. There is a lot on my plate, so please pray for discernment to know what needs to get done and when.

 

Yesterday evening, I got to spend at another of MRBC’s RealWomen events. I so appreciated all the hugs and hearing how so many are praying for us. To hear how our circumstances – and how this blog – are encouraging others in their hard times uplifts me and causes me to give all the glory to God. I shared with my discussion group something God has been teaching me:

 

Suffering has three purposes:

- It’s for the maturing of the individual(s) so that they will become more like Christ, and be more effective for His purposes.

- It’s for the edification and maturing of the Church, acting as the Body of Christ, being given an opportunity to see God at work.

-It’s for the building of God’s Kingdom, as those who don’t know Christ personally see God at work in His people and choose to put their trust in Him as well.

 

In all these ways, God is glorified. That is why we write this blog – to take our responsibility seriously to invite others to see God at work, and to encourage others to allow ourselves to be changed by persistent, consistent prayer as our wills are conformed to God’s. Is God changing you as you journey with us?

An invitation to come pray

I'll be spending all afternoon with Daniel today. If you are available and would like to, please come pray with and for us. Just let us know when to expect you, and we'll message you the room number. 

Let us join together wherever you find yourself today, petitioning our loving Father to heal Daniel. Thank you! 

More reality

As I was just finishing putting the kids down for their naps this afternoon, Daniel texted me mentioning that he just found out the oncologist was coming to see him later on. I asked Daniel if he knew why and if he wanted me to get the kids looked after and come, but I didn’t get an answer. So, I decided that I needed to be there, what with him being so out of it from his G tube procedure this morning. I called Leanne Cody, who was only too happy to help out and made it work (thank you, again!). I then called the nurse and she said the doctor was coming at 3pm – a little over an hour away. I also asked her to check on Daniel and he was “snoring logs.” So, a half hour later I was on my way.

 

The oncologist was late anyways, so I ended up having plenty of time. It was so great to spend that one on one time with Daniel. We both needed that. The last few times I’ve visited it’s been with the kids, which is just a different dynamic (and a lot more work for me!).

 

After a stroll up and down the halls, we got back to Daniel’s room and met the medical oncologist, Dr. Uhlman. It sounds like she’ll be our main doctor at this point.

 

She started off by telling us about the PET scan results. The cancer has metastasized into Daniel’s lungs, where there seems to be 5-10 nodules, in addition to the lymph nodes in his neck which we already knew about. We had been warned that if this was the case (stage four of four stages), that the treatment would be a whole different ballgame. So, radiation is out for now, as Dr. Uhlman wants to treat Daniel just with chemo to try and shrink the cancer in its various locations. As we go along, she’ll reassess and let us know. It all depends on how Daniel reacts to the drugs and how the cancer responds too.

 

Dr. Uhlman gave us lots of information and I had a ready list of questions to help me think. Still, it was a whole lot to take in, as she acknowledged. Dr. Uhlman will meet with us again tomorrow once we’ve had a little more time to process and come up with more questions. She hopes to start as soon as Daniel’s G tube is “settled in” and once she figures out with the head nurse whether Daniel can get the first dose where he is or if he needs to go down to the Cancer Agency itself (staffing levels limitations, etc.). Perhaps Friday or Monday. And depending on how Daniel does, he may be able to come home a day or two after he gets the chemo – lots of variables though.

 

Dr. Uhlman’s initial plan is six rounds of chemo, reassessing every three weeks or so. Doing the math, that’s five to six months of treatment ahead of us. She may bring in another chemo drug and/or radiation depending on how things go. So, we’re still going to do the pre-radiation dental check next week so that Daniel is ready should he need it.

 

Barring any new symptoms or complications, the idea is that Daniel would be home in between chemo doses. It is highly recommended to resume as much of normal daily life and activity as possible. This doesn’t mean working, however. He won’t have the energy for that. Dr. Uhlman recommended I apply for the CPP part of EI – in other words, this will be a long road.

 

At this point I asked her outright – are we looking at possibly curing this or…? She said the best case scenario is to treat the cancer as well as possible for as long as possible. I figured that’s what “a whole new ballgame” meant when we were warned last week by Dr. Lester of the possibility.

 

So, those are the hard facts. I’ve been trying to process this since we learned all of this. Before I had to go back home, Daniel and I spent a good long time holding each other, talking, praying…. He reminded me that, again, none of this is a surprise to God. And I have to once again work to remind myself of all the truths I know from God’s Word:

 

God is in control.

He doesn’t make mistakes.

His strength is made perfect in our weakness.

He is our Refuge and Strong Tower.

We have absolutely no reason to fear.

God is the Redeemer, even of very hard situations.

God has a perfect track record of faithfulness.

He is the Great Comforter.

He is the Great Healer.

 

…and so many more truths.

 

And still my emotions are a tumult right now. I feel battered and bruised because my faith is being tested and stretched so much. I want my kids to have a dad. They need him. I do too. God has given Daniel such a unique, special ministry at Timberline. And so, I have to keep placing my hope in God that He has something planned that will amaze us all. And all of your continued, persistent prayers play a huge part in that. Please remain faithful. Please continue to participate with us to watch and see what the Lord will do (and already is doing). Thank you from the bottom of my heart.

Praises and prayer requests

Please be in prayer about the following. There are things to praise God for and things to ask for. 

Praise God for...
- being together with my family today. For just being able to do the normal family stuff together as a family: eating, reading the Bible, playing games, walking, holding hands, talking, etc.
- my wife (Evelyn) who did so much work to make our family time happen.
- the encouragement I got from all the visitors this weekend.
- the joy and strength God is giving me each day.

Pray for...
- pain management
- strength for my wife as she is having to do so much.
- my kids, that they would not feel abandoned by me since I can't be there.
- my 9am Tuesday appt getting G tube put in. I will not be able to eat anything from midnight tonight to sometime tomorrow.
- we're still waiting on the PET scan results

If you are in or heading through Abbotsford and want to visit? Please text me, email me, or FaceBook  message me to find a time that works. 

Daniel's perspective

I'm staying in the hospital until at least Tuesday, maybe longer. I miss my family so much. I am thankful for cell phones; my family is just a text or call away, and Evelyn and I can continue to pray together every day. 

On Tuesday at 9am I'm getting my G tube put in (feeding tube next to my bellybutton). Pray that I will continue to be able to eat very well through my mouth until then and regain lots of healthy weight. I'm thankful I am still allowed to eat food with my mouth when I have a G tube. This way I will only use the G tube to make sure I'm getting enough to eat (e.g. let's say during treatment I can only eat 1/3 of the cal. I need; then I put the remaining 2/3 of the cal. I need in through the G tube). In between treatment I may not need to use the G tube (yay for home made food). 

Pray that I can achieve the following six big goals I have. I call them my fight plan: pray, read my Bible, sleep, eat, exercise, and call for more pain meds. Then repeat in any order. 

The purpose of these goals is that I would be preparing for the upcoming battle. I will need to be physically, spiritually, and emotionally strong. God is my strength now in the preparation and will be my strength in the battle. My trust, hope and dependence is in the sovereign God who is amazing and trustworthy. He is my refuge and strength. 

No matter how this turns out, it is all about God's glory. 

Many people are already being affected by my having cancer. When Jesse Goerzen was diagnosed with cancer it changed me and I think helped prepare me as I prayed for him. God is good and at work and I am thankful for that. I don't need to know more than that. I trust Him. He's got it all covered. 

I was outside before dinner doing 25 minutes of light exercise on a great patio here. I wanted to film a little video to show how nice it is and I almost got attacked from above by a flying Canada goose. Even though I saw a Canada goose sitting on her nest in the flower bed, I did not see it coming. It was good that my IV poll was in between us. He was protecting Mama Canada goose and eggs. He did a great job. If I were him I'd do the same thing. 

Protecting and caring for one's family is so important to me, and it means so much to me and my wife that God is bringing people to come alongside us to help meet our needs including prayer, prepared meals, gas gift cards, babysitting, money, etc.

We are grateful to an amazing God who is using you in our lives. This so isn't just about us. We have been so encouraged as we hear story after story of how God is using my having cancer to change other's hearts and lives.

To God be all the glory!


Protective daddy:

Enroute

We're on our way in the patient transfer van to the BCCA in Vancouver for the PET scan. Please pray that the test goes well and comes back with all the conclusive info we need. 

Daniel has talked to a lot of doctors and professionals the last day or so, so he's pretty tired. He had to sort out his diet a few times because all the hospital seemed to give him was sugar and very little protein. Plus this morning, the doctor was trying to strong arm him into getting a feeding tube that would go down his already restricted throat through his nose. The benefits would not outweigh all the cons; Daniel is able to eat puréed food for the next several days until they can put the G-tube in his stomach after the long weekend, so he's going to stick with eating. The dietician finally worked with him to figure out a more acceptable, no-sugar diet and lots of it! He wants to gain as much good weight back as he can right now before treatment starts. 

Please pray that the food they give him will be beneficial and plenty (I have also brought a bunch of soup for him -- thank you to those who have helped us with this!!!). 

The weekend will be mostly about resting and eating as much as possible while he's in the hospital. Lots needs to happen still before he can be discharged. 

Oh, and his dental check is scheduled for Apr. 30 in Surrey. Please pray that as he is reassessed next week, they'll bump that up and/or come to him at the hospital. 

I'll be applying today for EI for him online. Please also pray that it is processed efficiently with no hiccups. 

I was praying through Ps. 27:1-6 this morning. It is such an encouraging psalm during this trying time of the unknown and "enemies" all around. We don't know  how all this will turn out, but we do know God has a perfect record for faithfulness and sovereignty. That's what we fix our hope on -- not treatments (traditional or alternative) or doctors. Yes, these resources certainly can help (!) but they are not in what we place our faith. Only God has the qualifications for that job. 

Thank you for reading this long post, and for continuing to pray. 

God continues to be faithful

Last night, I had the best sleep in months. The nurses are still working on pain control so I woke up a few times, but with their great help I was able to get back to sleep quickly. 

I just had a great nap. The dietitian woke me up but we had a good talk. We are going to try an all liquid diet that's lactose and Parmesan cheese free. This will start at lunch so no breakfast for me today. I was insistent on them giving me the max amount of calories. I want to win this fight and I need the energy to do that. 

So I'll keep sleeping in between people who come to help. My goal is to have them always have to wake me up. I have a lot of sleep to catch up on. 

A speech therapist will be coming today as well. Everyone here is so helpful. I praise God for the good care He has given me. May God be glorified in and through all this. What a great God we have. I will praise Him no matter what happens. 

Further update from Evelyn:

Josiah had a 100.1 F fever last night. I gave him some Tylenol and he slept well. He got up at 3:45 am and so I checked on him. He was feeling pretty miserable but no fever. This morning, he has a mild fever and had chills during breakfast, so I'm trying to keep my three year old resting -- a losing battle, I know. Kezia is doing fine. 

Please pray that Josiah recovers quickly and is quick to trust me and obey my instructions to help him feel better sooner. Pray that Kezia and I stay healthy. 

Another further update from Daniel (a lot seems to happen while you're trying to write these updates, haha): the PET scan is tomorrow!!! I will be transferred by ambulance like we hoped and prayed. I will find out the appt time soon. Praise God for orchestrating these things so soon. 

Praise God for small blessings. This is my view from my bed:

Admitted

Alright, so here's the latest of this long day (sorry if I'm inundating your inbox today -- today was full, and full of opportunities to pray!):

Daniel has been admitted to the Oncology Ward -- the ER nurse was saying they expected him to have to sleep in the ER overnight, so this is a huge answer to prayer! The Oncology nurses know how to help him sleep and manage his pain longer term so that is our goal. 

The feeding tube, PET scan, and pre-radiation dental check have all been ordered, though we don't know when they'll be. The latter two need to happen soon so the oncologist will be able to plan Daniel's cancer treatment when we have our appt with her next Thursday, I believe. Please pray that these tests happen quickly and that the dentist could possibly come to Daniel instead of us having to go to Surrey, and that we could have an ambulance transfer down to Vancouver for the PET scan -- both tests would just be so much more taxing on his system if we had to make our own way there. 

So, I'm home now while Daniel is being taken good care of. The tentative plan is for Daniel to concentrate on sleeping and getting his strength back. So no visitors please. Even I'm planning on staying home tomorrow to rest and try and give the kids a more normal day. Unless Daniel needs me, that's the plan. 

While writing this update even, Daniel has been texting me, so we'll be in close contact. He was actually able to eat something! Here is his photo he sent. He had some yogurt and applesauce -- chef that he is, he's been longing all day to eat something. He seems in higher spirits -- thank you for your continued prayers!

An answered prayer.

Daniel is currently on IV fluids and hydromorphone. He is resting right now. After having a consultation with the first ER doctor, a little while later he brought in another ER doctor -- Shadow from Timberline from '96-'97! He recognized Daniel right away and introduced himself. Daniel then remembered him from way back. 

Dr. "Shadow" is a new advocate on our team! He is going to make sure Daniel's pain is going to be taken care of, make sure he'll be admitted (yay!) and make sure we see the specialist. 

Right now, Daniel needs to get his strength back and his pain manageable. 

We are so thankful that God orchestrated a friend to be here who is fully aware of the impact this cancer is having on Daniel's ministry at Timberline, etc. He gets it. I was praying earlier that God would have a good surprise for us today. 

Please keep praying that the other medical professionals who need to be on board will come on board soon!

Getting some much needed rest. 

On our way to Emergency

We're in the car right now going to Abby Emerg with Sandy Smith (thank God for her!). Daniel had a rough night and can't even eat or barely drink anything, so we need to get him an IV and feeding tube. Also, Sandy as a nurse will be our advocate making sure his pain will finally start getting managed in an acceptable way (to no fault of Dr. Zubek as this has always been important to her and we were going to see her this evening to get that going -- Daniel just needs it now). 

Please pray that Daniel gets his immediate needs taken care of quickly, and that there would be a spot today to start getting his treatment plan figured out. Please keep praying for strength and healing, and that there wouldn't be any complications to slow things down. Thank you! 

Ruling out surgery

We saw Dr. Anderson an hour ago. Upon learning of Daniel's history and examining him, he said he was upset that the cancer had gotten this far without being identified. It's on both sides of Daniel's tongue and affecting his nerves. Even through all the doctors we've seen, Dr. Anderson was upset that our specialist didn't catch this a long time ago. Looking at a photo of Daniel's tongue from January, Dr. Anderson said, "You can tell it's cancer by just looking at it!" 

Surgery isn't an acceptable option because with the amount that would need to be removed would leave Daniel with no voice and a hole in his throat. 

So, Dr. Anderson agrees that we need to see Dr. Ahmed at the Abbotsford BCCA and start treatment right away. He will send his notes along to Dr. Ahmed so we hopefully will hear from his office soon. And if not soon enough, I will call. 

Needless to say, this was not an encouraging appointment. But we keep reminding ourselves that none of this comes as a surprise to God. And for some reason(s), He allowed this cancer to advance this far. We can only trust Him, and praise Him. God is not obligated to us, nor can we demand answers or healing. But we will persistently ask for complete healing. 

Will you please commit to join with us?

Opportunities to Help

There are a few opportunities to help, for those of you who have been asking how you can help practically. We need:

- a ride into Vancouver on Monday afternoon for Daniel's appt with the surgeons. He usually does the driving into Vancouver -- it would just stress me out if I had to drive. We would need someone at our place by 1:15. I don't know when we'd be back. Depends. 

- a batch or two of soup! Daniel has been on a liquid diet for three months now. Could someone(s) make some good healthy, hearty soup with lots of meat and veggies? No wheat, tomatoes, or dairy please. Nothing acidic. Don't worry about texture -- Daniel will make it work. 

- baby food: could someone make some baby food for Kezia? She enjoys meat and veggies. What we usually do is boil chicken breast and cook some carrots or peas and blend it together. We then freeze it in ice cube trays and then bag it. 

Please let me know if you can help out in these very practical ways. And thank you so much for continuing to pray!

Finally, Answers

Thank you for visiting our new blog. Its purpose is to have a central place from which to update everyone on the latest on what's happening with Daniel's fight with tongue cancer. We need and so appreciate your continuing prayers. Please use the details we'll share here to pray more specifically.

Here is what we know so far:

Daniel has some type of tongue cancer in the back third of his tongue. The location of such means that surgery will likely not be an option, as the removal of a large portion of his tongue would cause major problems with swallowing, breathing, talking, etc. (even more so than the problems he has now, and he already can't talk without much pain). We are seeing Dr. Anderson on Monday at 3:10pm in Vancouver, who will consult with a colleague to rule out surgery. From there we will be getting an appointment with Dr. Ahmed in Abbotsford and the BC Cancer Association at the hospital, and he'll run all the tests to start treatment -- which will likely be radiation and maybe chemotherapy.

This is where we are. We don't like it, but we have a BIG God Who is so much bigger than any disease. We know we can trust Him, though moment by moment it's hard as worries, both new and old, try to creep back in.

We would appreciate your prayers, encouragement, and offers to help (though we may not always have answers to how you can help besides prayer and encouragement). Still, we look forward to God getting all the glory in all of this!