Barb's  Family love, prayers, and concern...

Word of Encouragement For The Month
Barb Schnee -  Toledo Area  Representative

2007  

Word of the Month ~ 2008

Barb Schnee -
(Toledo OH. Area)
Phone 419-882-0732

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(August, September, October, and November,)

These are reports of Barb's progress in the hospital, given by her family

July 28, 2007...

Hello friends and family. As you know Barb had surgery Monday. The surgeon did have to remove her entire stomach. He attached her esophagus to her small intestine. He says mom will still be able to still eat regular foods , but smaller more frequent portions. Mom had a reaction to medication on Monday night causing a big set back and putting her in ICU. She was having low blood pressure issues, urine output issues, and blood oxygen issues. A lot of ups and downs through the week brings us to Saturday.

Mom is doing much better today, she is no longer in ICU and is now in a private room. (room 611 at flower hospital) They have removed the NG-Tube from her throat and have taken her off of oxygen. she is maintaining a good blood oxygen level. Praise the Lord! Mom is weak and quite restless at times, so we are trying to limit the amount of visitors to immediate family. When Barb is feeling more up to visitors we will let you know here on the site. Mom did walk a few steps today and we are quite proud of her. Our goal is to have her make it down the hall to the public computer , where I am updating you now. When she makes it here she will be able to see your words of encouragement for herself. So please keep them coming! We also appreciate all the cards and flowers everyone has been sending and the continued prayers.

July 30

Mom is continuing to improve. She had a shower yesterday, but is was quite tiring for her. She keeps walking a little father each time. She did make it to the computer yesterday afternoon and saw a few of your messages. :) But she had to have a wheelchair ride back. We are still quite proud of her. She does have some fluid in her lungs and she has been working with a breathing machine to increase her lung strength. The surgeon is a little concerned with her white blood cell count, and is keeping an eye on it. She did run a low grade fever last night, but has been normal today. Her urine output, blood oxygen levels and blood pressure have all been good. Thank you Lord! Mom still is having trouble getting comfortable enough to sleep. so we still want to limit visitors so she can rest. I am going to the hospital soon and I'm planning on trying to get her to walk down to the computer room again. Thank you all for love and prayers they are so greatly appreciated by the whole family. Terri

July 30

Hello I just wanted to let everyone know that mom's white blood cells rose again and that she is having some abdominal discomfort so the doctor ordered a cat scan. The scan showed some fluid in her pelvic area as well as some pleural effusion (fluid) in her lungs. We continue to encourage her to do the breathing machine, that will help her take deep breaths which will open up the bronchi in her lungs. The doctor may have to drain some of the fluid out of her pelvis to relieve the pressure that she is feeling. We ask that you would continue to pray for Dr. Bais's wisdom in her care. We also would ask for prayer for my brother Steve as he is planning on driving in from Houston this weekend. We pray that mom will be home by the 5th of Aug. as she had planned on getting a family picture taken since we would all be in town. Dr. Parikh was also in to see mom. He is the radiation oncologist that will be doing the radiation treatments on my mom. Dr. Casnick is the Medical oncologist who will handle her chemotherapy. We need to get mom back to 100% before she can start any kind of treatment. We will be meeting with Dr. Parikh on Aug 8th.Thank you for all that you have done and prayed for my mom. I know that my God is a Great God no matter what happens I hope that you can share in that belief with me. Thanks again. Jodi
 

Aug. 1
 

After arriving from Orlando last Thursday, many of you know I have been covering the late shift with my Mom, generally from 9 p.m.-10 a.m. This has allowed us the opportunity to provide Mom with family care around the clock. I have been escorting her every evening after my arrival down to the computer to view the entries in her guest book. She shared with me how overwhelmed she was to see that so many people had taken the time to respond with their prayers, encouragement and hope. These acts of kindness have provided tremendous motivation for her! I want to thank ALL of you from our entire family, as you have continued to supply all of us with inspiration and strength.

God has continued to shower his blessings! Mom had her BEST night of sleep Tuesday evening, which has shown us the power of rest during recovery, by the results we have seen today.

There has been an increase in the fluid draining from her "J" tube, both last night and thru the day today. This seems to be helping with the pelvic pressure she had been feeling. We are hoping that this means that some of the fluid they found on the scan yesterday is exiting.

Dr. Bais was pleased the the scan showed no sign of absces, only some areas of inflammation. He wanted to make sure there was no areas leaking from the area of the surgery. He was happy to report that everything appears to be flowing nicely. Praise God!

Mom was given the go ahead this morning to begin a clear liquid diet. She was ready to jump up and do the happy dance! She had a bomb pop before they delivered a breakfast tray with broth, Jell-O, juice and tea. She had a little of each, just so she could savor some flavor again. She has been tired of the medicine after-taste that she has had in her mouth.

The nutritionist came in to explain her diet strategy this morning too. Mom will become a "grazer", and learn to sip and eat small portions consistently throughout the day. They will supplement her with high protein feeding thru her "G" tube, until she progresses eating enough to supply all the nutrition she needs. They will be carefully watching her weight to try to find a good balance.

She broke her distance mark today, and walked the longest hall on the 6th floor. Yeah Mom! She is definitely more like herself. She took a shower, then blow dried her hair, and even put on her make-up and lipstick! Now that's my Mom!

Her urine output has decreased a bit, but Dr. Bais believes this is due to the increase in her abdominal drainage. He had supplemented her with additional IV fluid intake. Mom's white blood cell count did go up again today from 16.5 to 28, so the Dr. is going to continue to watch this closely for signs of infection. Great news however, her hemoglobin hit 13.1 today, which is the highest it has been since her journey began. Once again, God shows us his power and grace.

My sisters and I will continue to supply progress reports for you all. We cannot express enough gratitude for all your daily prayers and support.

Love, Laurie

A cheerful heart is good medicine.--Proverbs 17:22 We need to be equipped with the shock absorber of laughter to make the journey easier and the windshield wipers of God's love to wipe away the "what if's and fear" so we can more clearly see what is. ---Barbara Johnson

Aug. 2

CALLING ALL PRAYER WARRIORS!

My family is asking for your immediate "knee mail", and this is the fastest way I could think to get the message out to everyone who has offered prayer. Our faith is being tested, and we can find strength in numbers!

Mom took a turn for the worse last night, and has been placed back in ICU. She is now VERY sick. At around 3:00 a.m. when I was with her, she began complaining of chest pains, and had difficulty breathing. I paged the nursing staff, and they put her on oxygen and started an EKG. The EKG showed small signs if irregularity, but her heart rate rose to an unsafe level. They administered IV medications to try to control it. Her pain rose above anything she had experienced so far. Mom as given both her regular pain medications along with 2 additional doses of morphine, to no avail. Another IV drip was then added to try and control her racing heart, but this was not doing the job either, so they transferred her down to ICU.

Jodi's friend Dina is the nurse in ICU assigned to Mom today, so we know she is in good hands. She is able to provide us with information immediately, as it becomes available.

Dr. Bais let us know that things did not look good. Her kidneys have almost stopped all output, and the doctor is consulting with an infectious disease specialist. They believe she is showing all the signs of being septic. This is an infection that becomes present throughout the entire body.

They are still trying to control her breathing and heart rate. If the breathing doesn't improve, they may have to put her on a ventilator. They next few days will be touch and go according to the staff.

We know that the answers can be found thru prayer! We believe that the network that my Mom has sewn thru the grace of God, can provide the power that is needed to help pull her thru this.

I will continue to share additional information as it becomes available to us. Thanks again for sharing your strength with all of us, in Jesus name. Love, Laurie

Aug. 3

Just a quick update as we have had little sleep. Mom is stable and not on a ventilator. PLT! She is on 6 liters of oxygen and breathing rather shallow. Her appearance is better than yesterday and she is coherent. Her pain has decreased. She was given some medication to kick start her kidneys which seems to have helped...keep praying that her urine out put would increase. They said she definitely has a Urinary tract infection...But that it is not the cause of her distress. Her white blood count rose again from 24 to 45...Not good. the doctors are telling us that we have to wait to get the Blood Culture results to truly identify the source of the infection. The results take three days to get , so Saturday night we should have some answers. In the mean while they are treating her with a broad spectrum antibiotic. Thank you to all who have continued to bring her name before God's throne...We know that God hears us and we are sure that the reason she has become more stable is because he made it so.

We have courage in God's presence, because we are sure that he hears us IF WE ASK him for anything according to his will. He hears us whenever we ask him, and we know this is true. We know also that he gives us what we ask from him. I John 5:14-15

Please continue in the war with us by bring our petitions for my mothers healing before Gods throne. Jodi

11:30am

Mom's chest x-ray results came back, she has more fluid in her left lung . The doctor has ordered a procedure, to go in and drain it off with a needle. This should help relieve some of the pressure in her chest. They will also test the fluid to determine if it is infection or fluid drainage from the surgery. My brother Steve should be arriving this evening and mom is looking forward to seeing him. Thanks again for all your prayers and please keep them coming! Terri

Aug. 3

Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

Aug.3

Dancing With God 
Author Unknown

When I meditated on the word Guidance,
I kept seeing "dance" at the end of the word.
I remember reading that doing God's will is a lot like dancing.
When two people try to lead, nothing feels right.
The movement doesn't flow with the music,
and everything is quite uncomfortable and jerky.
When one person realizes that, and lets the other lead,
both bodies begin to flow with the music.
One gives gentle cues, perhaps with a nudge to the back
or by pressing Lightly in one direction or another.
It's as if two become one body, moving beautifully.
The dance takes surrender, willingness,
and attentiveness from one person
and gentle guidance and skill from the other.
My eyes drew back to the word Guidance.
When I saw "G": I thought of God, followed by "u" and "i".
"God, "u" and "i" dance."
God, you, and I dance.
As I lowered my head, I became willing to trust
that I would get guidance about my life.
Once again, I became willing to let God lead.
My prayer for you today is that God's blessings
and mercies are upon you on this day and everyday.
May you abide in God, as God abides in you.
Dance together with God, trusting God to lead
and to guide you through each season of your life.
 
"You changed my mourning into dancing…"
Ps 30:12

Aug. 4  
 

After having a night of very little sleep, erratic heartbeats, and shallow breathing, Mom had a much better day today. She is on a new pain medication which has made a world of difference. Praise the Lord! She has been sleeping for several hours at a time today. Her heart rate has slowed down, her blood pressure is stable, her oxygen levels have been great, and her urine output is on par! Mom's white blood cell count has also come down to 22 (the best level in over three days). We still have not heard anything on the cultures they did on her, which is actually a blessing in disguise. The nurse and infectious disease doctor both said if there was something horribly suspicious growing in the cultures, we would know by now. Mom was given a bath today and even had her hair washed. They took out every other suture on her incision during that time too. Her spirits seem to be a little higher today, but it is a bummer to have to spend your birthday in the hospital. The doctors did allow mom to eat more today, changing her diet to soft foods and liquids in hopes of getting a bowel movement from her soon. I think that is everything I was supposed to report on. Thank you everyone for your continued prayers, love, and support! ~Katie

Aug. 5
 

Let's see...Mom did not have a very restful night. She didn't sleep at all and she kept having several bowel movements accompanied with intense cramping. I guess the nurses tried to give her several different medications to help her sleep but they did not work. Mom does appear to have more fluid in her lungs from her most recent chest x-ray but we do not have a plan of action for that yet. We do have several praises to report. Mom's white blood cell count is down to 15! Thank you Jesus! Her blood pressure, heart rate, oxygen level, and urine output are all stable too! We do need to continue to pray for her breathing rate to slow down; it is fairly fast-paced and shallow. The family is all here in town and it feels nice to have everyone together again. We will do our best to keep you posted. Maybe mom will be in her own room again soon!~ ~Katie

Aug. 5

After having a short visit with mom, I can update you on a few more things. Mom was able to rest a little this afternoon, but she is absolutely exhausted. She is still in the ICU although she is remaining stable. They did have to bump up mom's oxygen to 6 liters and they are considering putting her on a bi-pap machine to help force air into her lungs. When I was with mom, she was finally allowed to sit up on the edge of the bed again to eat and she even sat in the recliner for a short while. Mom had been unable to do this today because of her decreased oxygen levels. Mom is really trying to find a comfortable way to rest. She wants to get up, walk, sit...anything to take some pressure off her back and hips. Please pray for mom's night that she may get many hours of good, peaceful 'winks.' We do have more little miracles to report. We received word back on mom's stool sample, the fluid from her lungs, and her blood cultures. They all came back negative. So she does not have sepsis or any other infection in her colon/bowel, lungs, or blood. The fluid from the lungs also showed no indication of cancer cells. How great is our God! The doctors have placed mom on a medication that will help remove some of the excess fluid from her body, including the lungs. Mom is more aware of everything going on today, but I am sure sleep would make a world of difference!

Aug. 6

My brother Steve said mom had a pretty good night last night. She was able to sleep some which is a definite praise! We are still working on mom's breathing but she is going to be able to take deep breaths soon. I just know it! Mom has developed some sores in her mouth and throat from all the antibiotics...so her mouth and throat are really bothering her today. Here is a bit of good news--Mom has been moved to a private room on the sixth floor as of this afternoon. Watch out 6th floor--We are here again and this time Mom is going to go home when she leaves!

Aug. 7

When I was with mom for a short while last night, she was completely exhausted. She slept most of the time I was there, waking up every once in a while for a drink. After I left, she was pretty restless for dad. She would only sleep 10-15 minutes. She did have a feeding through her J-tube, despite it being leaky. She needs to continue to work on expanding her lungs with her 'blue blaster' according to the lung doctor but she it sounding a bit better. She has a bedside commode to use right now and she needs help to use it. Her mouth is still incredibly sore and it even hurts to swallow water. She does not really eat any of her meals--it is painful to swallow, nothing sounds or tastes good. Physical therapy was going to work with her today. She did end up sleeping while my Aunt Nan was with her this morning--Yay! I will be going to see her soon and can find out more then. ~Katie

Aug. 8

I haven't heard how mom's night was last night, but I was with her in the evening hours. She was pretty awake and alert, having slept for over an hour before we arrived. The nursing staff was right on top of giving her new meds and changing bags. Mom is still receiving breathing treatments every six hours and remains on 4 liters of oxygen. She practiced with her blue blaster and was able to reach 750 mLs again. Mom has been feed through her J-tube in addition to eating liquids. Mom was very hot again last night so we got her a fan and cold washrags to put on her neck. She enjoyed watching Jocelyn eat cereal for the first time! She wishes she was strong enough to hold her but I told her that will come soon. Mom may have one of her tubes removed today as well as her remaining stitches/staples. She walked with physical therapy a short ways yesterday afternoon and today. Last I heard she was taking a shower and she was feeling pretty good! More later... ~~Katie

Aug. 9

Last evening I was with mom again and she was wide awake. A lot of things were going on and the time flew by. Mom walked twice yesterday with therapy and was awake most of the day. By late evening, she was definitely ready to sleep for awhile. Hopefully she did! She is not receiving her breathing treatments as often, they did remove all her staples from her incision, and they discontinued her bagged nourishment. Mom is supposed to have her G-tube removed soon too. Mom had a cat scan early this afternoon to check on the inflammation she had in her bowel over a week ago. I haven't heard results on that yet. Mom looks like she is starting to feel a little better--she was even joking around with us last night. The one thing still causing her a lot of pain are the sores in her mouth. She has to swish and spit this medicine four times a day, while still struggling to swallow water and pills. Please continue to pray for this issue in mom's recovery. We love you all and feel so blessed to have your prayers and encouragement!

Aug. 10

Okay, here's a quick update...Mom has had a fair day. She is on a new medicine for the sores in her mouth and it seems to be going a little better. She even tried to eat some soft foods for lunch today. Mom had to have some fluid drained from her left side today. The doctors found it in the cat scan, which probably explains the pain she has been having in her left side since last Thursday. Mom was able to tolerate her breathing treatments again today--yesterday her mouth was so sore she vomited from the breathing treatment medicine. Mom needs to have some iron and we are still trying to figure out the best way to get it into her system. She had a reaction to the IV iron and she is unsure about the oral pill. Mom was also getting a unit of blood this afternoon to try to help with her slight anemia. She is able to swallow her magnesium and potassium pills now, and the kidney doctors said she looks great kidney-wise. More to come later! ~~Katie

Aug. 10

Everyone my mom and I took a walk to the computer room and she has read your words of encouragement. She feels very overwhelmed and blessed to have such a great network of friends. She wishes to thank all of you for your continued prayers and support. She feels sure that with out it she would have given up along time ago. Love to all of her friends and family...Barb and Jodi

Aug. 11

I also want to let everyone know that mom was finally able to sleep for almost six hours last night. Praise the Lord!

Aug. 13

Sorry for the delay in communication...I wasn't sure who was going to be sharing the news. Let's see...Over the weekend, mom was pretty sick with projectile vomiting and 'poop explosions'. She even started running a fever. The doctor stopped all her feedings, nourishment, and liquid intake. After doing an x-ray, the doctor thought mom had a small bowel obstruction. This was not good news as another surgery would have had to be done. However, today mom was feeling much better and the doctor said he is not convinced that mom has a small bowel obstruction. He allowed her to have water again--which mom was very excited about--and small portions of her tube feedings. The plan is to reintroduce the feedings and liquids slowly since the doctor suspects that mom's bowel is still waking up from surgery (a 'sleepy' bowel). Dr. Bais wants mom up and walking around as much as she can tolerate because this will help the bowel to regain normal functions. Mom does still have some fluid in her lungs and we really need to be working on her 'blue blaster' to try to get her lungs clear. One of mom's tubes was removed today--the one we affectionately call 'the one with the ball'--and she was glad to see it go though it caused some discomfort. The kidney doctor has signed off on mom, saying her output is great and all her electrolyte levels are evened out. I guess mom also has some type of infection on one of her other drainage tubes, but the infectious disease doctor said all her other cultures look good and there isn't any sign of bacteria in her stool or blood. Yesterday mom said the sores in her mouth were not as painful and felt much better. She still has some sores in her mouth but not to the degree they were. Jodi says mom took a shower today, put her makeup on, and looked 'pretty darn good!' Keep us in your prayers and praise God for these steps in the right direction! ~~Katie

Aug. 14

Mom had a decent night, sleeping for almost five hours. Today the nurses took out her foley catheter and mom is walking to the bathroom herself now. The doctors want mom to do more things on her own, so we are trying to step back and let mom go to it. We did find out that there is infection in the fluid from her absces drain, and mom is running a low-grade temp. She has quite a bit of fluid in her lungs still and the lung doctor said he may have to drain it off again. Mom is receiving her tube feedings again and supposedly she may be getting soft foods to eat later today or tomorrow. Mom is very cautious about everything, like she is just waiting for something else to go wrong. We want to motivate her and get her feeling confident enough to walk herself right home! ~~Katie

Aug.16

Yesterday mom was feeling better although she was quite tired. When I visited last night, she was receiving blood and she had a low-grade fever. Mom was also able to eat her first 'real' meal...cottage cheese, a dinner roll, and meat/noodle goulash. Yummy! Of course mom did not eat it all, but I think she did really well for her first time on actual food. Mom met with the nutritionist to discuss picking out her meals and snacks as well as how to chew her food, things to avoid, etc. Yesterday mom's mouth did not bother anywhere near as much and she could leave her teeth in all day! Mom has been getting up (with a little assistance for all her tubes and IVs) on her own to use the bathroom and getting back into bed too. Today the doctor may be draining excess fluid from her lungs again if the x-ray from yesterday did not show enough improvement. Mom is still on oxygen and receiving medications to help get the extra fluid off her lungs and out of her body, but I think she looks much perkier. She was able to enjoy a little cuddle time with the baby in her hospital bed! Mom was supposed to have a meeting with the oncologist and radiation oncologist yesterday but that had to be rescheduled since she is still recovering. Continue to pray for mom's strength and perseverance!
~Katie

Aug. 16

Today mom was eating more of her own meals. The nutritionist said we can even bring in food from home that mom might enjoy. The doctor said that mom's eating is her ticket out of the hospital...once she is taking in all that she needs, he would feel okay sending her home. Mom did NOT have to have any fluid drained off her lungs today. The heart/lung doctor said the fluid is SLOWLY decreasing but there is not enough to drain. Praise the Lord! We brought in a CD player for mom to listen to praise and worship music. We hope it lifts her spirit and motivates her to get better! She looks better everyday and we thank all of you for your faithful prayers and support.
~Katie

Aug. 18

The fluid in mom's lungs is continuing to dissipate...yea! She will probably be having another cat scan at the beginning of the week to check on her drains (to see if they can be taken out). According to the doctor, they are still working effectively enough to be in and draining the fluid out of her abdomen. Jodi helped mom take 'the best shower since she's been in the hospital' today. Mom blew dry her hair and styled it and even did her own makeup. All of this exhausted her but she felt much better afterwards. I guess mom had a little panic attack last night and wanted to get out of the hospital immediately. I really believe Satan is attacking her while she is weak, putting voices in her head that tell her she will never leave the hospital and she's going to die there. Please pray against the evil one and as Scripture says, 'His POWER is made PERFECT in WEAKNESS...and He gives POWER to the WEAK and STRENGTH to the POWERLESS.' One of mom's biggest obstacles is in her own mind. She does not seem to be able to visualize herself walking out of the hospital. We are asking visitors to sign balloons for mom and we're hanging them around her room (along with all the wonderful cards she's been receiving) to remind her of the love and support behind her. Thankfully our Lord has overcome anything this world can throw at mom and He tells us that NOTHING in front of us is as great as HIS POWER behind us. Mom continues to eat a little bit better each day. Aunt Nan even brought her a fried egg when she was craving one! She still works daily with therapy and has breathing treatments. She is off her oxygen though. We are very hopeful that with the Lord's continued provision and mom's ability to eat and rest, she will be home towards the beginning of the week!

Aug. 20

Hello everyone...just wanted to let you know what has been happening lately with mom. Today mom had another cat scan to see if her drains could come out. The doctors did take out her two drains but they had to put in a larger drain from that absces. They also decided to put another drain in her pelvis. They saw a collection of fluid in her pelvis that has been there but has a high risk of infection. So the doctors placed the drain there to avoid mom having to come back to the hospital in a few weeks with an infection. Even though she has this drain, it should not interfere with her ability to come home soon. Mom was very hungry after her procedure and was eating peanut butter crackers to help satisfy her hunger. I think mom is looking so much better, more like her old self! She has lots of balloons up in her room to remind her of all your support and encouragement. We thank the Lord for friends like you to keep her before His throne!

Aug. 21

Not too much to report today...Mom had another good day with the exception of feeling nauseous a few times. She thinks it is from one of the meds they are giving her. We know she will have to be in the hospital at least a couple more days before one of her doctors will release her. Every other doc has given the okay, but this doc wants to make sure the fluid that is draining from her new pelvis drain is being treated by the correct antibiotic. Even though we were hoping to have mom home by tomorrow, we appreciate the doctor's thoroughness. We would not want mom to end up back in the hospital with a full-blown infection later on as a result of incorrect treatment for the bacterial infection in the fluid. Jodi helped mom get all spruced up again tonight. She's looking and feeling like the 'hot grandmamma' she is! Mom is continuing to eat more things and she loves to walk down to the computer to read all your notes of love!

Aug. 24

We have the best news of all....Mom came home today about 1:00pm.The doctor discharged her without a feeding tube. She has to eat several small meals a day, kind of like grazing all day they say. We will have to keep a close eye on her food intake and monitor her to make sure she is not losing weight. Aunt Nan has said that some of our family and friends have requested to bring food to the family , if you wish to partake in this please contact Aunt Nan at 419-535-7049 as she is coordinating that. We know that everyone in anxious to see and talk to Mom but we feel that she really needs to catch up on her sleep and regain some of her strength, so we are asking that you refrain from visiting and calling for a little while to allow her to do this. The visiting nurse was here to day at 5:oo and said that mom was doing well. We will be going to see Dr. Bais on the 31st for a follow up to see if the drains can be removed. We also have a appointment with the oncologist on Sept 6th.We will continue to keep everyone posted as milestones happen and will only be up dating this then. So you will no longer need to check this daily. My sisters, Brother and I wish to Thank all of you for your continued support and prayers. Thanks again Jodi

Aug. 31

Well here is a quick update of the week. As I said previously, Mom was sent home with out a feeding tube and we need to make sure that she gets a minimum of 1200 calories a day. This has been a real challenge because mom has no appetite, some stomach cramping and bouts of nausea. Monday we realized that one of the two drainage tubes was not draining correctly and we contacted the doctor. They did a CAT Scan on Tuesday and discovered the tube had a kink in it. They had to pull the tube out and reposition it. This was a hard day for mom. Wednesday and Thursday were rough days as mom was experiencing a lot of nausea…therefore we were unable to get half of the calories in her that we needed to. (Thanks to those people who have brought the family food…this keeps dad eating and lightens the load on us.) Today was a better day and mom even went outside to enjoy the sun and breeze…. It’s funny the things we take for granted. She really enjoyed just listening to the sounds of summer. Mom’s physical state seems to dominating her mental state, which is hard for us to watch, as we know our mother to be mentally strong, so we would ask for pray for this. Thanks to all of you who have been praying…prayer does change things…mom has also shared with me that she believes she would not have made it this far if it were not for the fact that her name has been brought before Gods throne over and over again by those who love and care for her. We will be going to see the oncologist this Thursday to see what is the next course of action…so please pray for our family for this event. We will be in touch soon. Jodi

Sept. 9

Sorry It's been so long on the updates. Mom had a ct scan last week and was able to have both of the drain tubes removed! WooHoo! It was very exhausting for her. She had several appointments , resulting in extreme loss of energy. We have not been able to maintain the calorie intake and she has lost 10 lbs in 2 weeks. Dr. Bais said we can give her ensure through her feeding tube to help. We have just started that , but it appears to make her eat even less. The oncologist appointment was Thursday and it went as we expected. Mom is to weak to consider any further treatment. We are going to see him again in 2 weeks , if her strength gets better. Please continue to pray for her appetite and her will to fight. We all appreciate your prayers. Terri & Steve

Sept. 22

Hello everyone. As always thank you for your continued support of love and prayers. Thank you also for all the yummy food being prepared and given to Mom and Dad. We have seen some improvements with Moms calorie intake. I meet with a nutritionist at Flower and she supplied me with some supplements for my Mom. She wants us to give them to her through her J tube 2-4 times a day. She also has to eat every 2 hours in small amounts. The problem is that almost every time my Mom eats she experiences cramping and pain. As you can imagine this does not make eating a fun experience. I feel like I am always telling my mom that it is time to eat and she always gives me the frown face. We did have to make another trip to the hospital to have moms J-tube replaced, as it had came out. That was not a good experience. We have seen some improvements in Moms energy. She has taken several walks down to the end of the street and played the piano a time or two. I try to encourage her to exercise he brain and her body. She is getting some good sleep at night since she has been home. There is no place like home. We are planning a small celebration for Mom and Dad for their 50th wedding anniversary on Oct 12th. I think this is helping to motivate Mom to increase her activity and strive for something. We did not go to the oncologists this week but have set up a appointment for two weeks from now. We will be seeing Dr. Bais on Friday for a check up. I hope that you will continue to praise the Lord for all he has done and continues to do for my Mom and our family. Jodi

Oct. 7

Hi everybody...I guess you all have been wanting an update so this is what I can tell you. Last week, we found out that the balloon inside mom's tube was overinflated and was contributing to her nausea and cramping. Dr. Bais took out some of the air and it has really helped mom a lot! Mom's strength and energy is still increasing slowly. She has had some minor setbacks, with days where she feels some nausea. She had to have her tube changed out again this past Thursday because it became clogged. It was a rather painful experience for mom, but now she is feeling better. Mom still tries to take walks daily down the street. Her spirits for the most part are up, except during the latest J-tube trial. We are working on all the finishing touches for the 50th anniversary celebration, and Mom really covets your prayers for energy on Friday. She is really looking forward to spending time with dear friends. ~~Katie

Oct. 21

Hello to all my friends and family who have been using this web site to keep track of my journey. First of all, I want to thank you for the many prayers lifted to God on my behalf. I have felt your prayers and encouragement and I know the Lord has had His healing hand on me. I am growing stronger and I have been able to eat more easily. I still have a ways to go and need to stabilize my weight, so I will no longer need the feeding tube.

I am excited to tell you I was strong enough to enjoy the wonderful celebration of our 50th wedding anniversary. Our children, Jodi, Terri, Steve, Katie & Laurie, honored us with a beautiful evening of dinner and fellowship at Tameron Country Club with family and close friends. We renewed our wedding vows before the dinner with Pastor Armstrong officiating. We felt very loved and honored by our children, our family and friends. Thank you for your prayers to help me grow stronger and I am so thankful for the way God has blessed me.

I had a PET Scan on the 17th of October and we are going to seek another opinion from a specialist at the Karmanos Hospital in Detroit. At this point, I am continuing to trust God for my healing and have not made any decision to pursue treatment. Your prayers are making a difference so please continue to pray for my family and me.

Thank you and God’s blessings on you all. Barb

Mom is up to having visitors, but please call first .Limit your time with mom, she does tire easily. Thanks Terri

Nov. 19

Hello, my mom has asked me to update everyone. First let me say mom is doing very well!!! PLT. She still has a few rough days but most are the best we have seen in months. She even made some Molasses cookies. I was very blessed. Last Tuesday we went for an appointment at Karmanos Hospital. We meet with a Dr Phillip. He is a gastric/GI caner specialist. Basically he said that he could offer us a clinical trial chemotherapy. There doesn’t seem to be any real successful treatments for gastric cancer. The treatment would be every three weeks for one day and after two treatments things would be re-evaluated. There is no data available as to what this treatment may or may not do. Mom was given the paper work to look over and asked to contact them if she would like to proceed. Mom has asked for prayer regarding this decision and that the Lord would reveal his will in this situation. As always I serve a mighty God and he is able to heal my mom, if that is his plan. I pray that it would be but if it isn’t I will praise him anyway. Please keep us all in your prayers. Love Jodi

                                                      Feb. 10, 2008

Hello everybody! Just a note to let you know that I am still doing well. I'm thanking the Lord everyday for each day that He is giving me. Saw the oncologist last week and my labs looked good. Since I also feel quite well we are not doing a new pet skan now. We are taking a trip to Houston to see my son Steve and his family and then we will go to Orlando to see our daughter Laurie and visit some special friends. Will be back in town on March 4th. Please continue to pray that I will remain healthy during this time. Thank you again for all your prayers and love. God Bless... Barb