And, on we go....

Today has been a pretty good day. After a long day of testing yesterday, we met with Mom's doctor to find out test results. The news was fairly positive. Tests showed some minimal growth in the lung lesions and the pancreatic tumor. Her tumor marker was elevated from a previous 216 up to 594. While both things sounded worrisome, the doctor assured us that this was to be expected after being off chemo for two months. The doctor is not concerned with these changes, and expressed that we have lost NO ground. Actually, she said it was good for Mom to be off chemo for a while to give her body (and spirit) time to rest and rejuvenate. All other test results were good, and the doctor was very pleased with how well Mom is doing. She will resume chemotherapy on an every-other-week basis, and her progress will be reassessed after a month. In the meantime, Mom and Dad will be living with Dana and Sheila and enjoying all the comforts of Sugar Land.

To God be the glory...great things He has done. He continues to bless Trudie, and we will continue to lean on Him as we follow the doctor's advice and suggestions. Thank you to everyone for all the love, prayers and support.

Back in the Land of Sweetness

Mom and Dad are back safely in Sugar Land, and enjoying all the comforts of Dana and Sheila's home. Today was a long day of testing at M.D. Anderson for Mom, and now she is snoozing on the couch. She meets with her doctor tomorrow at 10:30 for results. Keep praying please, and updates will be posted tomorrow. Love to everyone!

One More Week...

One more week...that's how much time Mom and Dad have left at home before they return to Houston. It has been a great summer at home, and they are grateful for all the time spent with family and friends. Mom is scheduled back at MD Anderson for a full day of testing on Wednesday, September 8th. She will meet with her doctor on September 9th for results. We boldly ask and covet all prayers for positive results. God has had His loving, healing hands on her for 8 months since her initial diagnosis, and we pray that He continues to bless her with strength and healing.

Here we are the first week of August and the weather is hot, hot, hot!!! Trudie's chicken pox are all gone and she is doing great. She is still running circles around all of us. Jim is still suffering from shingles, but every day seems to get a little better. Please continue to keep both of them in your prayers. Trudie goes back to MD Anderson on September 8th for repeat scans and testing. Her hope and prayer is that everything is still stable and she can continue her "chemo-free" vacation at home! We will keep you posted.

It's Not a Country Western Song ....

So, my phone rings in Connecticut on Monday night and I hear my beautiful mother's voice say ... "Your father has shingles, your mother has chicken pox, and this is not the title of a country western song." Yup, on Monday dad was diagnosed with shingles. No sooner did the words "I have never had chicken pox" come out of my mom's mouth that she found spots on her abdomen. The doctor took a look and confirmed she had chicken pox!!!! Luckily, it has been a very mild case, but she's 80 years old, for goodness sakes, and is just now getting chicken pox!!!

Mom and Dad have loved, loved, loved being back home for the summer. They have loved seeing all their friends, and being active again in church work, but now some of that comes to a halt while they recuperate. So, give them a call, honk your horn as you drive by ... but give them a few days to get better before stopping by to see them.

Please also continue to keep them in prayer, cause it's always something .....

Great News!!!

Mom had her scans and tests repeated this past Monday and met with the doctor on Tuesday. The first words out of the doctor's mouth were, "It's all good news!" Her tumor marker was down slightly again, the lung tumors showed measurable shrinkage, and the pancreatic tumor is stable. Mom had chemo on Wednesday, and will now take a two month break! That means......she and dad are home for the summer!!!!! Praise God from whom all blessings flow....Mom is doing so well and has gotten a lot of her energy back.

A continued thank you to everyone for their cards, thoughts, calls, and prayers. God has His healing hand on Mom's shoulder and is blessing her daily. She continues to amaze us, and repays God's blessings daily by serving Him in whatever capacity she can.

Trudie and Jim are doing well. Mom is starting to suffer some of the chemo side-effects that we all hoped she could avoid....mainly fatigue and weakness. It makes her very unhappy that she doesn't have the "get-up-and-go" that she's is so famous for. Her mornings especially are slow-going, but her energy level picks up by mid-afternoon...then she and Sheila are out-and-about getting into all kinds of trouble.

Mom goes for chemo this Thursday (June 17th), then will have all her tests and scans repeated on June 28th. Please continue to pray fervently for healing and a good report.

Mom still continues to cherish all the cards and calls she receives, so thank you for taking the time to stay in touch with her and letting her know she is loved.