Betsy and Grandpa watching a squirrel 

Joel hard at work on the turkey 

Our delicious Thanksgiving dinner 

Joel and Wendy carving the turkey 

Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving to all my friends and family. Mom is home from the hospital. She actually called me yesterday on my birthday! I was so surprised because she hasn't used the phone in a long time. It really warmed my heart. I think she's feeling better and has more hope for the future after the wonderful care she got at St. John's hospital in Anderson. John fixed up a cute little bag of gifts for my birthday, including a tin of mixed nuts, candy, a candle and a few other things. The best part was a love letter that he wrote. I'll always cherish that...he is so sweet...I'm very blessed. He and I are having a quiet little Thanksgiving dinner here at home today. We may go out to see Mom later this evening. Our celebration with the kids will be at Joel and Wendy's on Saturday since I have to work tomorrow. May God bless and keep all of you. Remember to give thanks to Him for all His amazing blessings!

A son for Joe and Steph!

My friends, Joe and Stephanie, are in Ukraine to bring home a child they're adopting. This trip is a leg in the long journey they have travelled to have a child. If you'd like to read about their experiences and how God has given them a child, you can find them here.

Update on my mother...

Mom was seen by the gastoenterologist today. He did a CT scan and found nothing amiss in her abdomen. They admitted her to the hospital in Anderson and they're doing a colonoscopy tomorrow at 7 am. I sure hope they can get her some relief. I've had a stiff neck all day so I'm not feeling too great either. Thanks to all for your prayers. I'll keep you updated.

Some answered prayer...

Gary was able to find a gastroenterologist to see Mom tomorrow! Also, Dad and Mom and Ruth met with a nurse at home. She is a good friend and she agreed to help them get a referral for home health care. I'm so relieved for Dad. I just pray that they will be able to get Mom's digestive system working right so she can eat and regain her strength. Thank you to all my praying friends...keep it up!

Trials and testing...

I haven't written on my blog for a long time...so much of what we've been going through with Mom's cancer has been so personal and so painful...I couldn't put it into words. If you're squeamish, quit reading now. I'm going to document the past couple of days just so I'll have a record of it...my mind's so tired I don't think I will be able to recall all this later. For the past several weeks we have been trying to help take care of Mom at home. John and I haven't helped as much as Ruth, Sherry and Steve...mostly because of our work schedules. Dad has really come to rely on them because they know the routine and are able to help Mom so efficiently. But we're learning. Mom finished 30 radiation treatments a week ago Friday. Each day of the treatments she grew weaker and sicker. She is now to the point that she can barely move in bed. We were taking her to the bathroom but she has gotten so weak that she uses a bedside commode when she has the strength to be moved to it. Otherwise she just goes in a Depends. Because of terrible hemorrhoids, her bowel movements have been excruciating. I don't know when it started to get really bad...we've lost track of the time. The Dr. told us to give her Gas X and Imodium to help with the loose BMs. But nothing was helping. Finally my two sisters told the cancer doctor they couldn't take her home and keep going like they have been...she's so sore and weak she just wants to die. The doctor got mad and agreed to do a rectal exam. He discovered she had a blockage and said it was caused by the Imodium...which they'd been telling us to give her! Thus began a new course of enemas and laxatives. Dad has spent over $700 on Depends, bed covers, ointments and medicines in the past few weeks. We can't get Mom to eat and about the only thing she'll take is Pedialyte and water. She's been given IV fluids twice because she became dehydrated and her blood pressure fell so low. None of this is a result of the brain tumor...it's a result of the medication and the radiation treatments. Her hair is mostly gone and her scalp and ear were so badly burned that they bled. We have to clean and dress her scalp and ear twice a day. She's taking so many medications that Dad has to keep a chart and write them down several times a day. As far as we can tell the tumor is in check and the Dilantin has stopped any seizures. Saturday, I worked 9 to 5 and then John and I headed out to spend the night helping Dad care for Mom. We've had someone with him at all times for the past few weeks...Mom is just too heavy for one person to move. The washer and dryer are going day and night to keep up with the towels, wash cloths, scalp scarfs, sheets, blankets and gowns that are soiled each day. We took out Chinese food for supper because Dad loves it and hasn't been eating much. Everyone left and we sat down to supper...then Mom needed toilet help again. We had to put the food in the frig and never did get to eat. Dad was trying to stop a nosebleed that he'd had all evening. He is so thin and tired...I don't know how he keeps going. We finally got Mom settled back down after many Depends changes one after another...around 11:30. We decided to try to sleep. Dad was in the recliner by her bed so he could hear her if she needed anything. I slept in the recliner in the living room and John headed upstairs to sleep. Just as Dad sat in the chair, the bowel problems started again. We were up all night...one clean-up after another. We slept about an hour and a half all night. Dad finally made a pot of coffee around 4 am and gave up on sleep. By that time we were getting slap happy and making stupid jokes just to stay awake. I don't know how Dad keeps going...he's 80 years old and down to skin and bones. He showered and headed to town to get more Depends, meds, etc. and John and I were joined by Ruth and Chip. Eventually Sherry showed up too so we actually had enough people there so I could fix lunch for us and Dad could finally eat a meal without interruption...except for 2 phone calls. Someone always calls to check on Mom when we're eating. After lunch we continued to help Mom with the bowel movements and cleanups...got her settled. John and Chip sat on the bed loving her and comforting her...they were all crying...it was such a tender moment. John was crying and hugging Mom and she reached up with her poor tired palm and patted his cheek to comfort him! She told me I was so lucky to have found him...and I agreed. Finally Fred and Linda arrived to stay for awhile and Dad headed to Muncie for more supplies. John and I headed home...crying as we thought of Mom's suffering. This has really tested our faith. It hasn't caused me to doubt God's love for us...I just don't understand why she has to suffer like this. If you've read this far...please keep praying for us. We are all so tired and discouraged. Tomorrow, Gary is going to try to get Mom a consultation with a gastro-intestinal specialist to see what is causing her constant bowel movements. I think we've finally talked Dad into getting a home health care evaluation to see if there's more we can do to make Mom's care easier on her and all of us. Throughout all of this she has remained loving, considerate and so grateful to each of us. Dad said he and Mom were really lucky to have seven kids who were so loving and caring. We told him it has nothing to do with luck....any good that we do for them comes from the loving, Christ-like example they set for all of us.

Mom...

Mom had her 19th radiation treatment today. I haven't seen her in a week though I've talked to Dad on the phone. I've had a scratchy throat all week and didn't want to take a chance on giving her any infection. My sister said she's getting weaker and has lost much of her hair. Dad said she's lost almost 30 pounds. She has no strength and no appetite. Over the weekend she had several small seizures which really scared them and made Mom very anxious. I just hate to see her suffer this way. Whenever I talk to Dad he is always on the verge of tears. I know that God is with them and knows their needs...it's just so hard to see His hand in this sometimes. There are hundreds of people praying for Mom and Dad...I just pray that they will feel these prayers and that the Lord will be very near and real to them as they go through this. I feel so helpless...I don't know what to do to help. Dad says they have plenty of food, Ruth is keeping their laundry done. They really don't want company because Mom is too exhausted to talk. I just pray that she'll be able to regain her strength when these treatments are complete.

Our weekend...

The Homecoming weekend at my parents' church was really wonderful. My uncle preached the sermon and it was the first time I had heard his testimony and how he was called to the ministry. Joel played his guitar and sang the song he wrote from Psalm 3. He did a wonderful job...I was so proud of him. My niece sang a beautiful song too. The church was really packed with people from all over...Dad counted 30 from our family alone...not counting aunts, uncles and cousins. It was a very hard day for all of us emotionally. Mom was on everyone's mind and Dad spent most of the mealtime answering questions about Mom. She wasn't well enough to come and really couldn't have too many visitors so Joel and Wendy just stopped in for a little while. When she gets overtired or overstimulated she has small seizures. It's so painful to see her so weak and tired. Tomorrow will be the midway point in her radiation treatments. My sister, Sherry, said Mom is starting to lose her hair now. She also has a thrush infection in her mouth and no appetite. I just hope she can get through this treatment and start to regain her strength. She didn't get to see Molly & Myron and Betsy because they all had colds. I took out an apple pie Molly had baked for them and a nice care package from Molly. Mom really wanted to see them but knew her immunity was too low to be exposed to their colds. I really enjoyed seeing old friends and remembering the church that I grew up in. Our visit with Joel and Wendy was too short...they keep so busy. I always love having them there. Molly and her family left on Tuesday. Betsy is really starting to know us now and can even say Papaw to John. She's learning a lot of new words and is so much fun. It was hard to say good bye to all of them but I know we'll probably get to see them at the end of the month...then it'll be Thanksgiving and Christmas time!

Enjoying the toys at Grandma's library 

Betsy loved the "pish" 

Betsy likes Grandma's Library! 

After the Homecoming 

Two cute girls 

One more picture, Grandma... 

Oooooh... 

She likes Grandma Karen's lap 

Betsy...always on the move! 

Molly & Betsy 

Mom...

I haven't blogged a lot about my mom lately. It's so hard to share how deeply I hurt when I think of what Mom's going through. It's difficult to even put into words. I asked Dad yesterday how he's sleeping. He said he awakes every time Mom makes a sound...she's always on our minds. I made a pot of vegetable soup and some blueberry muffins for their supper last evening. Ruthie was making a beautiful big lasagna when we got to the folks so we put the soup in the frig for today and had the lasagna last evening. Ruthie has done so much for Mom and Dad...she goes with them most days for her radiation treatments. I know Dad has really grown to depend on her...especially for moral support. Mom saw her family doctor for the first time since her fall in the hospital. He was really upset to see how bruised she is...there's a large hematoma on her cheekbone that isn't getting any better. We kept warm compresses on it last evening but it's still very tender. Mom is so drained of energy from the radiation treatments...it's an effort for her to walk to the bathroom and to even talk. Dad said that she has come to terms with the possibility of her death...he wants her to be hopeful but knows that the doctors haven't really given her a reason to hope. She has a peace about it and knows she'll be with the Lord...but it's so hard to imagine being separated from her until we reach heaven. I just can't put it into words that make sense. I strongly believe that we'll meet again in eternity...but it's so hard to say goodbye. We have always been an affectionate family but I've noticed that all of us take time to say "I love you" more to each other as we anticipate this separation. Mom has been such a loving, giving person all her life. She took care of us seven kids when Dad was working away from home and only came home on the weekends. She taught us all so much about life, God, family and sacrifice.
This weekend their church is having a Homecoming. This is the church we grew up in and I was married in. It was a big part of our lives as we were growing up. It's a little country church with only about 20 members remaining. The church is next door to the house we grew up in. They've had a tremendous response to their invitation to the Homecoming...they're expecting 150 people! Both my kids are planning to come home for it. Mom's brother, a retired pastor, is going to be preaching at the service. Joel is going to sing a song he wrote too. I think my brother is going to videotape it so we can show it to Mom...she feels it would be too emotional for her to attend. I think it will be really emotional for all of us knowing that we'll all be thinking of Mom.

The whole crew! 

Library float...Driven to Read 

Finishing touches 

Our intrepid leader 

Back at the library after the parade 

Mardi Gras Parade

Every year the library staff builts a float to ride in the Mardi Gras parade downtown Winchester. This year our theme was "Driven to Read". We made a cardboard stock car and dressed up like a pit crew. Leesa and I rode in the car since we're both "gimpy" with bad knees. It was a lot of fun...we threw pounds of candy to the gathered kids and won a plaque too! Here are a few pics of our entry.

That smile always brightens my day! 

Deep in thought... 

The past couple of weeks have been really stressful. Dealing with the emotions of my Mom's cancer has been really tough. I know that God can heal her and I pray that He will. It's so hard to be strong and have faith when the doctors are not offering any encouragement to her at all. Molly and Betsy came to visit a week ago Sunday. We had a really sweet visit with Dad and Mom on Monday evening. Then on Tuesday Mom started radiation and chemotherapy. Wednesday was Molly's birthday and we planned to take her out to celebrate her birthday. Early that morning Mom had another bad seizure. They took her to Muncie to the hospital and she was in the emergency room until 4 p.m. Finally at 7:30 they got nausea medicine to help her...she just kept saying "I feel so sick." It was so painful to see her suffer so much. Then Wednesday night my 2 sisters and one of my brothers stayed with her so Dad could go home to sleep. They said she was asleep and snoring so they stepped out of the room to talk so they wouldn't disturb Mom. They heard a crash and she had gotten out on the window side of the bed and fallen. She landed flat on the right side of her face. They rushed her to a CAT scan and thankfully nothing was broken. But her poor face...it was swollen to twice the size and purple from her eyebrow to her neck and her eye was swollen shut. I felt so sorry for her and for my siblings too...they all blamed themselves. The doctors believe the Dilantin level was too low and allowed her to have the seizure. So she got to go home Saturday and started back on radiation treatments today. We stayed with her yesterday. She was weak but able to walk with an arm to lean on. After she took her chemo drugs she began to feel sick. I just pray that the treatment isn't worse than the illness itself. Molly wrote on her blog a wonderful description of how we all feel about Mom and her suffering. John and I started a Bible study with our small group tonight. We were studying about finding joy through suffering. It was really what we needed to hear and reinforced what we already knew...that God is in control and He allows these trials for a higher purpose. We may not know why until we get to heaven, but we have faith that He is walking through this with us.

A girl and her cell phone... 

What a smile! 

Betsy at Grandma Karen's house 

My sweet Betsy