'Tis the Season for Miracles

Yesterday my dad finally got his very first Tysabri infusion!  After three months of trying to get things worked out and approved, God finally made it possible for an appointment to be set up.  Daddy was soooo happy!  It's been about a year and a half since his sickness began and it's steadily progressed since then.  Each time he has more lesions grow, more symptoms come on, and more hospital stays, he says, "I don't want to do it again."  It's heartbreaking, but we find peace in knowing the Lord is watching over him and that He's in complete control.  Needless to say, it's been a loooong year and a half.  So we really are thrilled to finally have some treatment going!

While we're excited, we're also aware of the risks involved.  Basically, this drug will either kill you or 'heal' you.  There's actually no known cure for multiple sclerosis, but this drug has put many people into remission or at least lessened the severity of their exacerbations.  Honestly, either one would be great.  And guess what?  We're already seeing a bit of improvement!  Dad's walking is a little better and he's thinking more clearly too!  Praise Jesus!

Please pray with us that this drug will not cause any harm or damage to his body, and that it will keep him from having any more lesions grow!  We know Dad's healing will ultimately come from the Lord, but we also know God can use this treatment to cure him.  ...And it will be nothing short of a miracle when it does! ;)

"Then Jesus said to them,

'With man this is impossible, but with God

all things are possible.'"

Matthew 26:19
..

----------------------------------------------------

Well, I hope you all are enjoying the first days of December!
It's hard to believe this year is almost over. Christmas will be
here before we know it!!  Until then... let's enjoy what God has
in store for us each day as we celebrate the season of the birth
of Jesus Christ. :)

----------------------------------------------------

...This MIRACLE season! :)

"I will bring health and healing...

I will heal my people and will let them

enjoy abundant peace and security."

Jeremiah 33:6

Home, Sweet Home

As for me and my house,

we will serve the LORD.

Joshua 24:15

Our parents are back from the hospital!  Yay!

Dad is doing well now.  He was able to get his final plasma exchange yesterday morning, and they removed his port sometime soon after.  He was discharged only a few hours later, and got home sometime last night.  As far as his symptoms go, they appear to be mostly resolved--praise the Lord!  

Thank you all so much for praying. I'd like to ask that you please keep Emily in your prayers too.  She's recently been moved to ICU because of liver failure, and I know her family would covet your prayers as well. 

May the Lord bless you and keep you!

Read All About It!

In this post you will find a conglomeration of random topics including:

• My feelings on the first of November.
• A hospital update.
• Mustard.
• Femininity.
• Laughter. 
• And Scripture.

...All rolled into one...

...tee hee!

#1

It's officially November.

Yay!

#2

Update on Dad.
When I talked to my mom this evening she said my dad was feeling pretty good, which is a praise!  He is scheduled to have his last plasma exchange on Thursday, so we're hoping he'll get to come home sometime this weekend. :)

Also, everything is finally approved for Dad to begin his MS treatments. Once he's out of the hospital he will be able to start monthly infusions for a drug called Tysabri. We're praying that it helps to relieve him of all his exacerbations, but most of all that the Lord be glorified through it!


#3
Did You Know?
Mustard works nicely as a quick pain reliever for most burns.

Emphasis on the word "most" in that last sentence.  In a bit more severe case (such as the one pictured below) I've learned it really is quite pointless. lol!
.

(The above incident happened a few months ago. 

As I lifted a lid off a pan of boiling soup, the steam shot right out and burned my wrist!)

#4

Feelin' Feminine?

Eden is hosting this month's Feelin' Feminine Challenge, starting November 4th!



{Just click the button to find out more!}



I've loved getting to see past participant's outfits each day during the challenge, but I've never participated myself.  SoOo, I've decided I'm going to join in this Thursday!  Since I already wear skirts and dresses most of the time, this should be an easy challenge... But it will be a fun excuse to show a glimpse inside my wardrobe! ;-)

#5

Laughing Out Loud.

"Our mouths were filled with laughter..."  Psalm 126:2

Since Mom and Dad have been in the hospital, my sisters and I have slept in their bedroom together for the last few nights.  Well, before we went to sleep yesterday we all took turns praying, and then turned out the lights and lay down.  After a few minutes of complete darkness and silence... Shelly busted out laughing!  I looked over at her and said, "What are you laughing about?!"  She responded by mimicking a funny noise I had made earlier that day.  You see, Eliza and Samantha were watching a movie while Shelly and I tried to take a nap that afternoon.  As the two of us were lying in the bed, I had noticed something on my blanket that looked like a spider.  I sat up quickly and realized it was only some black string.  The room was completely quiet as I dropped back down on my pillow with an accidentally strange, high-pitched sigh of relief. 

Needless to say, that's what got her rolling with laughter at 10:00 last night.  And once she started laughing, I started laughing.  We ended up sharing the story with Eliza and Samantha.  Then all four of us were laughing and mimicking the same "funny noise" over and over. 

Okay, I guess you had to be there. ;-)

 
#6
Random Bible Verse to Close

When the LORD restored the fortunes of Zion,
we were like those who dreamed.
Our mouths were filled with laughter,
our tongues with songs of joy.
Then it was said among the nations,
“The LORD has done great things for them.”
The LORD has done great things for us,
and we are filled with joy.

Restore our fortunes, LORD,
like streams in the Negev.
Those who sow with tears
will reap with songs of joy.
Those who go out weeping,
carrying seed to sow,
will return with songs of joy,
carrying sheaves with them.
Psalm 126


...........................................
Praise the Lord all the earth!
...........................................

Confidence in the Name of the Lord

"Have no fear of sudden disaster or of the ruin that overtakes the wicked, for the LORD will be your confidence and will keep your foot from being snared." Pr 3:25-26

Well, my dad is in the hospital again.  But this time it's under much better circumstances when compared to his last stay in June/July.  ...Let's consider the blessings, shall we? :)

#1

Mom got to drive him there herself,

instead of having to call 9-1-1.

#2

He's fully responsive,

instead of being totally unresponsive.

#3

Well... I can't think of anything that fits here. 

It just seems like there's always a "number three!" ;-D

Last week (and the week before) Dad started to slowly go downhill again.  We noticed his balance and coordination were off and that he was having more trouble cognitively.  Each day his symptoms seemed to gradually worsen.  Mom ended up calling his MS doctor last Thursday and the doctor said he wanted to do an MRI.  On Monday they got that done, and then yesterday they called and said he needed to be admitted in the hospital!  (Even with all the surprises we've had thrown our way, we honestly weren't expecting to hear this one!) We found out he has a new, large 'enhancing' lesion on his corpus collosum.  He also has a smaller lesion on his medulla, which controls the swallowing.  Thankfully that lesion isn't considered to be enhancing.  They were able to get Dad started on IV steroids last night, which they'll administer every 24 hours through next Sunday.  They are also going to get him started on plasmapheresis treatments, hopefully sometime tomorrow.  That being said, he will probably be in the hospital for a minimum of 10 days. 

I can honestly say I'm feeling quite confident right now.  And while the doctors, nurses, and entire medical staff are awesome at this particular hospital, our confidence does not lie in any one man's ability alone--but solely in God's healing power and provision!  "For it is we who are the circumcision, we who worship by the Spirit of God, who glory in Christ Jesus, and who put no confidence in the flesh..." Philippians 2:3b 

Like always, God is in complete control of everything and we trust that He will work all things out according to his perfect will.  In the mean time, we will continue to pray, trust, hope, and believe. :)

The fruit of righteousness will be peace;

the effect of righteousness will be quietness

and confidence forever.

Isaiah 32:17

This is the confidence we have

in approaching God: that if we ask anything

according to his will, he hears us.

1 John 5:14

::Update on Dad::

A week ago Dad started having some symptoms that told us another lesion was growing.  We first noticed he was having trouble staying upright when walking.  For some reason he would naturally lean to the right and fall over if we didn't steady him.  It gradually grew worse and by last Thursday (a week ago) he was flat on his back in bed, unable to walk on his own.  Of course, Mom called his MS doctor that morning.  The doctor never ordered an MRI but he did order 5-day steroid infusions to be administered by a home health company as soon as possible.  That night Dad started vomiting each time he sat up or walked to the bathroom.  We also discovered that his double-vision had come back too. When Mom talked to an on-call physician they said it sounded like the lesion was growing at the bottom of the brain stem because a lesion in that location would cause all three of his current symptoms.  Needless to say, it wasn't until last Saturday that Dad got his first dose of steroids, making today his fifth and final day of treatment.   And thankfully, he is doing way better; he's able to walk on his own with only slight trouble, and the nausea and double vision are gone!  Thank you, Lord!! 

Each time that Dad has had a new lesion grow it's only progressed in severity.  This is the first time a lesion did not cause worse or more severe symptoms than the one before it!  In all actuality, this go-around wasn't anywhere near as hard as it has been in the past.  We're most definitely praising God for that victory. 

As far as overall treatment goes, Dad is supposed to start an MS drug sometime in the near future.  Right now we're in the process of getting things approved, etc.  We've prayed and prayed about it, and we continue to trust all things to the Lord.  He's the one responsible for opening doors that need to be opened and shutting those that need to be shut... So we're confident that if it's His will for Dad to take this drug then He'll make sure it happens!  If not, we know He'll prevent it.  Either way, God knows what's best and it's all in His hands.

Anyway, I thought I would type this update so everyone would know what's been going on.  Thank you to all of you who are praying.  As always, your prayers are greatly appreciated by our family. Have a wonderful Wednesday!

PRAISE THE LORD ALL THE EARTH. :)

Time For Some Catching Up!

Oh, wow...

Has it really been OVER a week since my last post?!? I guess it has! Sorry about that. :) I thought I would spend this post catching up on everything that's been going on.

.............................................

Last week... a friend of mine {her name is Emma} came to visit. She lives over an hour away (where we used to live) so she stayed with us the entire week. Every summer we make plans to see each other, and since she already has her license (*chuckle* --still working on mine!) this year it was her turn to come see me! ;) There are at least 4 things we typically do every summer.

#1 - Play cards. California Speed & Nertz are our all-time favorites. ;)

#2 - Go swimming. (In some form or fashion.) In the past we've gone to water parks and even jumped off docks into the lake, but this year we had to settle for something a little less extravagant: the pool in my backyard. :D

#3 - Go to the movie theater. In 2007 we saw Fantastic Four 2. I don't remember what we saw in 2008, but last year we saw Race to Witch Mountain and this year we saw the new movie Inception. (It was pretty good. Except for some unnecessary profanity. Argh!)

And last but not least...

#4 - Make cupcakes!! :D

Emma loved wearing my *fabulous* cupcake apron...

which fit in just perfectly for the occasion! ;)

These are our colorful creations... :)

Anyway, we had a really nice time together. Maybe next summer *I* can drive up to her house for a visit. ;D

..................................................

Now onto this week...

Monday I went with my parents to several different appointments for my Dad. In between appts. we made a stop at a nearby Bass Pro Shops store. Mom agreed to take Dad there as long as he would comply to using his wheelchair once inside. Of course, he did. ;) I ended up buying him a new Bass Pro cap, and I even got one for myself. :D

Tuesday there were no appts. scheduled, so Mom decided to use that opportunity to take Sisters #2 and #3 to see a movie with Dad.

They saw Despicable Me.

And of course, my sisters loved it! :)

Wednesday I had to go with my parents to Dad's speech and physical therapy at the rehab center, because I had an appointment with my orthodontist afterwards... Ah, the dreaded dentist.

(Not my picture)

I haven't mentioned this on my blog before, but I finally got braces put on last May. I missed my June and July appointments, but Mom was finally able to call and reschedule. ...I forgot how much I appreciate being able to eat and chew food without any pain! lol Now my mouth is very sore, but it should be feeling better in a couple of days. :)

................................................

Today I stayed home with my little sisters while Sis #1 went with Mom and Dad for more speech and physical therapy at the rehab. Dad is still doing well. His trouble with being able to find the right words when speaking is still a bit of an issue, but he doesn't seem to have a problem with being confused anymore. Praise God! Please keep praying for us as we are about to make a decision on what method of treatment we need to use. We only want to be obedient to the Lord's will and whatever He has planned for Dad--whether that be a certain diet, MS drug, etc. Either way, we know that ultimately his healing will be from the Lord. :)
Alrighty! I think that about sums up these past two weeks for me. I thought I would end this post with a Bible verse of praise to the Lord...

"The nations will fear the name of the LORD, all the kings of the earth will revere your glory... Let this be written for a future generation, that a people not yet created may praise the LORD."
Psalm 102:15, 18

Praise the Lord! :)

I hope you all have been enjoying a lovely week. God bless!

How Great is Our God!!!

Praise the Lord! Mom and Dad are home! Daddy ended up spending one week at the rehabilitation center after he was released from the hospital. Mom said she saw more and more improvement each day he was there. He's still not communicating at 100% yet, but we are so thankful he's doing so much better. When he left in an ambulance almost 3 weeks ago, he was completely rigid and stiff. His body would not bend and he was completely non-responsive. But now, he's walking with very little assistance and his understanding has improved tremendously! Thank you, God!

Of course, we're really glad to have them home once more. Hopefully this will never happen again! Please pray that his symptoms will not progress, but that they will be completely resolved--and soon!! But most importantly, pray for the Lord's will to be done in our lives, because His will is best.

Now onto another note...

Would you like to see a picture of Dad's "battle scars" from the brain biopsy?!? Well first I have to tell you something.

After Dad was first diagnosed with "an inoperable brain tumor" in May of 2009, someone shared an amazing YouTube video with us. It was about laminin. Laminin is a protein molecule responsible for literally holding our bodies together. (There are a lot of other fancy, technical terms I could use, but let's just stick with that short explanation for now. ;) To understand how amazing this really is you have to see a picture of it for yourself! Here is a scientific diagram of laminin:




Isn't that amazing?! God designed the stuff that holds our bodies together in the perfect shape of a cross. (Also notice the three separate chains that intertwine, representing the three ways God manifests Himself to us as Father, Son, & Holy Spirit.) Wow! What makes this even more amazing is that God Himself confirms this to be true in Colossians chapter 1, where it says: "In Him all things hold together." ... He means it literally! Dad went on to preach a sermon highlighting this subject at three different churches last year. He was invited to speak at others but never had the opportunity to do so.
So now, would you like to see the picture his scar?
First...
You have to see an actual microscopic image of laminin:

And now...

Here is a picture of the scar that's left on Daddy's head:

Laminin!
Do you see the resemblance? (You can click to enlarge the picture if you want.) Maybe it's not so noticeable to everyone, but when we first saw it we felt like this was God's way of giving our family a permanent, outward, physical sign and reminder of His omnipresence in every situation! Thank you, Lord!

.....

Anyway... I know this made for a pretty lengthy post, but I just had to share! If you'd like to see the amazing 9-minute video I mentioned, click HERE. You won't regret taking the time to watch it! ;) ~Have a blessed week, everyone!

.....

"For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy. For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross."

Colossians 1:16-20

PRAISE THE LORD ALL THE EARTH. :)

Top 2 Photos: courtesy of Google Images

A Very Happy Fourth of July...

...

Last night my grandparents took my sisters and I to

see the fireworks show in town. It was really neat!

...

...

I decided ahead of time to take my camera along and give its

"fireworks" setting a try. ;) I was so surprised at how well the

pictures turned out! I took a whole bunch of photos, but the

two above are my most favorites. :)

...

Anyway, the best news is that I got to visit my Mom & Dad at the hospital today, and I had such a nice time! (It definitely made for a very happy fourth of July. ;) I was really glad to see Dad happy and talking better, and I noticed a big difference in his ability to understand things and speak with words that made sense. We're hoping he can come home soon, but he may need to have a plasmapheresis treatment (which will help take the swelling in his brain back down) before he can leave the hospital. If so, it will be at least another 10 days before they can leave. Either way, we know He's in the Lord's care and God is in control of just how long he's stays. :)

Well, I hope you all have been enjoying a very blessed Fourth of July.... I know I have! =)

Remember to be thankful for the freedom we share in our country, and to pray for those who continue fighting for that freedom. But more importantly, let's praise God for the freedom we share in Jesus Christ!

"For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the glorious freedom of the children of God."

Romans 8:20, 21

Praise the Lord all the earth!

Dear Lord,

Dad had the biopsy early this morning and all went very well! Mom said he's awake now and when she walked in the room for the first time, he said, "There's my Mama!" (He always calls her Mama or Mommy, because we do.) She also said he's happy and talking a lot too.

Praise the Lord for watching over Dad, and for guiding the hands of the neurosurgeon! It is one of the BIGGEST reliefs to have that biopsy out of the way now! Oh, I AM SO HAPPY!! :D

... Just had to get that out of my system. ;)

Now, there are still going to be lots of big decisions to make soon. And we have to continue to pray that the biopsy did not cause any permanent damage or side-affects. We know God has all those things under control and we continue to trust everything to Him. For now, we'll just wait patiently on the Lord and keep praising Him no matter the situation. To God be the glory forever!

...

"Praise be to you, O LORD,

God of our father Israel,

from everlasting to everlasting.

Yours, O LORD, is the greatness

and the power

and the glory and the

majesty and the splendor,

for everything in heaven and

earth is yours.

Yours, O LORD, is the kingdom;

you are exalted as head over all.

Wealth and honor come from you;

You are the ruler of all things.

In your hands are strength and power

to exalt and give strength to all.

Now, our God, we give you thanks,

and praise your glorious name!"

1 Chronicles 29:11

...

I hope you are all enjoying your Friday!

God bless!

Photo: Courtesy of Google Images;

Edited by Sis #1 and Me. :)

Great is the Name of the Lord

"For the LORD is the great God,

the great King above all gods."

PSALM 95:3

Well, Dad is back in the hospital again. He had to be taken by ambulance Monday afternoon because he was non-responsive and couldn't move when Mom tried to wake him up. His left eye wouldn't open either. He's already had a CT scan which showed that there is a whole lot more swelling and shifting of the brain than there was when he was there two weeks ago. The doctors are wanting to do a biopsy soon, so we can hopefully figure out what this is we're dealing with. Mom just told me that they're hoping to get it done either tomorrow or the next day. We're really praying for the biopsy to go extremely well and for the Lord's will to be accomplished through it. We're also praying for the swelling and ALL of his symptoms to go away very soon.

Anyway, I thought I would give you all a quick update on what's been going on. Thank you so much for all of your prayers and encouragement. It really means a lot to our family! :) We know we serve a great God, and He holds us in the palm of His hand. His timing is perfect and we trust in Him completely for all things. ...We know His purpose will stand!

"No one is like you, O LORD;

you are great,

and your name is mighty in power."

Jeremiah 10:6

PRAISE THE LORD ALL THE EARTH! :)

Picture above: Dad sitting on the couch arm "ponderin'"! ;)

Blessed Be the Name of the Lord

Hi everyone!

Yes, today marks the end of our one-month fast from electronics... and I have a lot to share. :)

Unfortunately, my dad ended up in the hospital again. For quite a few weeks he had been having some trouble with high blood pressure and extreme fatigue. Other than that, he seemed to be doing pretty well health-wise. Then, last Saturday (June 5) I woke up at 7:00am to my alarm going off. I quickly silenced it and rolled back over to catch some more sleep. Surprisingly, Sister #1 woke up soon after that and left to help Mom with breakfast and making orange juice for everyone. (She's usually the one who sleeps in late!) Next thing I know, it's 8:00am and she comes running in the room saying, "Tay wake up! We need to pray for Daddy; I think something's wrong." I shot right up and asked what was going on. She said, "I don't know. But Mom went in her bedroom to get Daddy up and she never came back. So I went in their room and saw her sitting next to Dad who was lying on the bed. His eyes were just wandering around the room. I sat down next to them and she told me that I needed to leave. I left and shut the door, but stayed close by listening. She was repeating his name over and over but he never would respond. Then she called "___" (who is a nurse) and asked if she needed to call 9-1-1." So, we both prayed and then ran to the kitchen. I won't go into all the details of what took place after that. But Mom did call 9-1-1 and the ambulance eventually arrived. The paramedics came inside, placed Dad on the stretcher, and then my sisters and I watched as they wheeled him out the door and down the ramp with our Mom following closely behind. As she went out the door we were all in tears and as her own tears began rolling down her face she said, "Just pray, okay? Just pray. I love you."

Long story short, after six long days passed... I am happy to report that Mom and Dad are now back home! They got here this afternoon and we are so happy to have them with us again. Our Nana took my sisters and I to see them in the hospital the day after they left, but it wasn't an easy visit. Daddy was lying in the hospital bed confused and unable to communicate with words that made sense. He didn't really acknowledge us or know who we were, and he was suffering from a bad headache. After a couple of hours we left. Needless to say, he still has not completely recovered but he is much, much better! Yesterday Mom called to tell us that Dad was asking about "the girls" and that he wanted to come home. He isn't as confused anymore and he usually makes sense when he talks. :)

As far as the results found on the MRI's go, he now has one very large lesion covering a lot of the left hemisphere of his brain and some other smaller lesions scattered in different places. The doctors are all pushing to do a biopsy on that larger lesion so they can hopefully finally determine a firm diagnosis for him, because they've never been able to give us one. Some of them say they're 100% sure he has MS, but others still aren't willing to rule out lymphoma. We're praying and seeking God's will on what to do about that. We know we still want to follow the diet therapy that we're on, but we're specifically praying for the Lord to show us what to do as far as a decision about the biopsy goes. We know it's all in His hands and we're trusting Him to lead, guide, and direct us--as we know He has been and will continue to do.

~

Now, I'd also like to tell you all how glad I am to be back in Bloggerland. :) I have to admit that I enjoyed the break quite a bit. It was nice to be able to take my focus away from so many electronics for so long. But I also enjoy hearing from each of you and getting to keep up with your posts as well. =) I do want to keep my time on the computer limited, though. (Just to warn you! :D) A lot of times I find myself feeling "obligated" to post something, but I'd really like to make blogging more of a special thing I get to do every now and then--instead of having it be a regular part of my life! I hope you all understand. Right now especially, though, I feel like it is important for me to concentrate my time on my family. (Don't worry I'm not saying that I'm leaving. Just that I'll be blogging in moderation. ;)

SoOoOo...

Anyway, I hope and pray that all of you are doing well (and that I didn't overwhelm you with too many details about my dad! I'm a very detail-oriented kind of person and it's hard for me to leave stuff out. Lol!).

Thank you for all your prayers. God is faithful and we know He continues to watch over our family. ...Have a very blessed weekend, everyone!

------------------------------------------------------------------

"Blessed be your glorious name, and may it be exalted above all blessing and praise. You alone are the LORD. You made the heavens, even the highest heavens, and all their starry host, the earth and all that is on it, the seas and all that is in them. You give life to everything, and the multitudes of heaven worship you."

Nehemiah 9:5b-6

------------------------------------------------------------------

PRAISE THE LORD ALL THE EARTH!

A "Pictorial" Explanation...

For not posting in almost a week! :)

Hi, everybody! I can honestly say that the past couple of weeks have been two of the craziest weeks I've experienced in all my 17+ years. :) We finally started the full therapy/diet and our days are now busier than ever. It includes making juices at least every hour (in the morning it's more often) and also preparing meals that take a lot more time and effort than they used to... among many other things. I must say it's been a challenge for us all. It's difficult finding enough time to get much else done throughout the day, therefore we are having to learn to work in shifts. We made a schedule for ourselves to keep up with what has to be done and when (including our chores, schoolwork, etc.) but it needs a little adjusting. The first week I tried waking up at 6am and finishing my schoolwork by 8am which is when we have the first juice and our breakfast... Well, by the time the afternoon rolled around I was just exhausted! So I really need to figure out a new way to get my school accomplished. Hmm...

Anyway, after our first juice of the day (which is our yummy orange juice) comes the awful and dreaded...

Green juice! It includes:

Romaine lettuce, bell pepper, apple, chard, endive,

escarole, & red cabbage.

The next juices are the tolerable...

Carrot and carrot/apple juices!

Which obviously include carrots and apples!

All three of these juices are then used throughout the day.

After each juice we end up with lots of pulp which has

to be thrown in a bucket outside because we recently found that

just throwing it all in the trash can inside makes it WAY too

heavy to carry out. :)

Now, here are a few vegetables we use to cook for our meals quite often...

Broccoli

(It's a family favorite now!)

Fresh Garlic

Leeks


Onions

Celery Root

(I had no idea that was edible. lol!)

Potatoes

Tomatoes

And occasionally we even get...

Yes!

Organic chocolate bars for each of us girls. :)

What a YUMMY treat!

Thank you SO much, Mommy & Daddy!

The last juice we make is at 7pm and that's also when we have dinner.

By the time we get get everything cleaned up, we're ready for some relaxation! :D For me that often includes watching a movie, reading a book, getting on the computer, reading my Bible, and going to sleep. :)

We're starting to get used to this whole thing now, and it's actually been going pretty well. At first I worried because I didn't understand how we'd ever make it through a day, but the Lord has been sustaining us with the energy to get it accomplished. I know that it's definitely worth all the time and effort. We're already seeing some good results with my Dad's health, which is a praise! Please pray that things will only continue to improve and not worsen. It's easy to start worrying, but we are always reminded to trust in the Lord with all our hearts. He is still in control! :)

Thank you so much for your prayers, everyone! I hope you've been having a wonderful week!

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart

and lean not on your own understanding;

in all your ways acknowledge him

and he will make your paths straight."

Proverbs 3:5-6

Picture credit: Google Images

A Quick Update on Life... :D

"Then God said, "Let the land produce vegetation: seed-bearing plants and trees on the land that bear fruit with seed in it, according to their various kinds." And it was so. The land produced vegetation: plants bearing seed according to their kinds and trees bearing fruit with seed in it according to their kinds. And God saw that it was

good." Genesis 1:11-13

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I'm sorry I haven't been able to post much this week! We have been really busy as usual. :) Our family is about to start a new therapy that involves a radical change in diet. It includes juicing (and then of course, drinking) fresh fruits and vegetables each day. It also includes eating only organic fruits and veges -- no meat, sugar, dairy, etc.! It's going to be really hard... but we've already cleaned out the fridges and stocked them full with all organic vegetables and fruits. (The meals we've made so far have definitely been interesting!) Oh, and you cannot use any seasonings at all, which means goodbye to salt and pepper. :( They say that after being on the full therapy for a week your tastebuds will start to taste the natural flavors in the vegetables again. Right now everything tastes pretty blah, but we're still not even doing the full therapy yet.

So anyway... we believe that doing this will really help our whole family's health to improve, but most importantly, my dad's. We're trusting that God will heal him through this. Most of the people who have followed this therapy have been healed of their cancer and even MS just by simply changing the way they eat. But they say that with MS it gets worse before it gets better. We just have to be diligent and stick with it. So, if you feel led then please pray for us as we do this! It's going to take a whole lot of work.

Thank you so much for praying! :) May the Lord bless you and keep you!

Picture credit: Google Images

~ Home At Last ~

I'm SO happy to report that my parents came home from the hospital yesterday afternoon!! My Dad is doing much better now and he didn't need the in-patient rehab after all! The doctors said he could come home if he promised to use his walker. So far, he's being very obedient. :) They are also scheduling him in for some out-patient rehab to work on a few things, though. Anyway, it's a huge relief to have them home now... after being without them for almost three weeks! They are very exhausted, though, and plan to spend the next few days resting and catching up on some much-needed sleep! Here is one pup I know missed his Mommy and Daddy a lot while they were gone...

...Our 3-year old black lab... Ty.

He did a wonderful job taking care of his four sisters, I must say. ;) But he's really glad to be sleeping on the bed with his Mommy again! :D

Thank you so much for all of your prayers!! We are so thankful that Dad is doing well again and we will continue to pray for God's healing hand to intervene in his life. (As we know it already has been!) He is sovereign and he is in control.

PRAISE THE LORD ALL THE EARTH! :)

Quick Praise Report!!

Thank you so much for all of your prayers, everyone! My Dad is doing much, much better now. The doctors thought that it would take this plasmapheresis treatment and the rehab combined to get him well again... but it looks like God might have other plans! He woke up Friday morning without any pain, laughing, smiling, and talking much better. The doctors had started Dad on antibiotics for the staph infection they found in his blood, and we think that really helped him a lot.

Anyway, my sisters and I got to spend all day yesterday with our Mom. She came home to spend some time with us while my grandparents stayed with Dad. We had a really great day together! Later Mom drove us all up to the hospital to visit Daddy for a little bit and then our grandparents brought us back home. We got to see him walk to the bathroom in his hospital room... with little to no assistance!! We were SO excited!! Daddy was really glad to see us, too. He was giggling and smiling really big at us all! Yay!! :)

Anyway... at this rate he won't even need to go to rehab! One of his doctors said he would definitely need the rehab because his symptoms had gotten so severe... but isn't it amazing when God shows us differently?!? His ways are so much higher than our ways!

Praise God! Praise God!

PRAISE THE LORD ALL THE EARTH!! :D

Also . . .

I just thought I'd let you know that my dad is still in the hospital and has "officially" (kinda sorta) been diagnosed with MS now. The treatment I mentioned the doctors would be giving him for his symptoms in one of my previous posts is called plasmapheresis. His doctor thinks that with 10 days of this treatment and a few days in rehab afterward, he will get better. They're aiming to have him home by the superbowl (which I just learned is next Saturday, February 7th.) :) He started the plasmapheresis on last Tuesday and right now he's not doing very well. He's in a lot of pain all over his body and feels extremely weak, along with his other symptoms as well. Some friends of ours took Sister #1 and I to visit my parents at the hospital tonight. That was really nice, but it is really hard seeing Daddy lying so miserably in that hospital bed. Please pray for there to be improvement soon and also about a staph infection the doctors found in his blood yesterday. We think that might possibly be the cause to all of the pain in his body.

We continue to trust in God for all things! To Him be all glory, honor, and praise!

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart,
and lean not on your own understanding;
in all your ways acknowledge him,
and he will make your paths sraight."
- Proverbs 3:5-6

The Name of the Lord Be Feared

It's Monday... Another new week begins!

My dad is still in the hospital and unfortunately he hasn't gotten any better. The doctors started him on steroids last Wednesday night and they haven't seemed to help him with his symptoms at all. Therefore, they are planning to put a port in his chest today and use it to do something with his blood... you'll have to forgive me because I cannot remember what it's called or even what it's going to do exactly... I just know the process will be something similar to dialysis. If this doesn't help take away his symptoms then I think he's supposed to go to a rehabilitation center. Some of his symptoms include not being able to walk by himself, difficulty with his speech (we can't understand him when he talks unless he yells! :), occasional trouble cognitively, etc. Of course, we're praying that God will take away all of his symptoms soon!! My parents have been at the hospital for a week now and we're looking forward to them coming home. Meanwhile, we're hanging in and trusting in the Lord for what he's doing. Please, please pray for my dad's symptoms to go away and most importantly for God's will to be done.

Now... I have a few pictures I thought I would share. :) My sisters and I got to visit my parents in the hospital for a few hours Thursday evening and most of the afternoon on Saturday. We were really glad to see them!

Sister #1 sitting on the window ledge with Mom's Bible.

...Me loving on Daddy.... Tee Hee! :)

Some friends of ours brought dad this cute little monster... lol.
It looks like he stole Daddy's eyepatch! :D


"The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not be in want.
He makes me lie down in green pastures,
he leads me beside quiet waters,
he restores my soul.
He guides me in paths of righteousness
for his name's sake.
Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil, for you are with me;
your rod and your staff, they comfort me.
You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies.
You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.
Surely goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life,
and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever."

Psalm 23

"For I am a great king," says the LORD Almighty, "and my name is to be feared among the nations." Malachi 1:14b

Picture at top of post: my Daddy and his mother holding hands.

The Name of the Lord Be Glorified

Hi everyone,
I'm sorry for the lack of posts lately! My dad ended up being admitted into the hospital yesterday because his symptoms are so severe and haven't gotten any better. We found out from his MRI last Friday that he had a new lesion growing at the top of his spine. The doctors then ordered him a c-spine and found two more lesions from that. They did yet another MRI of the section below that today (called a thurasic MRI) and found even more lesions. (They didn't say how many.) They have done all sorts of tests in the hospital and even another lumbar puncture. I think they are planning to give him some steroids sometime soon because he hasn't been getting any better. My mom said that once he is able to walk by himself again he should hopefully be able to come home from the hosptial.

I am so proud of my parents. They are such wonderful, godly examples to my sisters and I, and I know they have been dealing with so much. Many times I fail to be the daughter and sister that I need to be... and I pray that the Lord will help me to rise up to be the daughter and sister He has called me to be. I have so far to go and it is only with his grace and his mercy that I will be able to accomplish that. Please pray for me! One of the most important things I need to work on right now is spending more time with my sisters and treating them the way they deserve to be treated. Please pray that I won't be discouraged and that the Lord will give me the strength and the patience I desperately need. As always, your prayers are greatly appreciated!!

Whatever this is going on with my dad may still be a mystery to us, but it's certainly not a mystery to God. He knows exactly what is going on and I pray that He will receive all the glory from it. ...May the Lord bless you and keep you always-- All glory, honor, and praise to His name!

When he heard this, Jesus said, "This sickness will not end in death. No, it is for God's glory so that God's Son may be glorified through it."

John 11:4

~

Oh, and please remember to keep Hope in your prayers as well. :)

The Name of the Lord Be Exalted

"Let them praise the name of the LORD, for his name alone is exalted..."

~ Psalm 148:13 ~

Hmmm... I just realized that I never wrote an update on my dad after the last one in December. So I thought I would do that. :) You can skim over this next paragraph for a quick recap on the last thing I mentioned in that post:

"We'll see what the results for the MRI are, and if he has a new lesion they want to do another lumbar puncture to see if they can find anything indicating what this is... because he still hasn't been given a diagnosis! We've been dealing with this since May of this year and all the doctors are stumped.... They also want to try not to give him any steroids if possible, because he's had them every time and they want to see what the lesion does without them. (That is, if they really do find a lesion.) The steroids have been the only thing to take away his symptoms, though. So if he gets as bad as he did last time he will most definitely have to have them."

Well, he ended up getting the steroids. :) Another lesion was growing, but this time it was not located on the brain stem. Instead, they found it on the right side of his corpus callosum. That was something new. He went for a lumbar puncture on a Monday (the week before Christmas) and afterward suffered from what they call a "spinal headache". At first we weren't completely sure if that was the cause of the headache because he had already had a bad one for a couple of weeks, before the lumbar. For a few weeks all he would do was lie in bed every day. So by the next Monday (Christmas week) his doctor said it sounded to her like a headache resulting from the lumbar puncture because it was worse for him when he would sit or stand up. She said he could either come back to the hospital to have a "reverse lumbar" done, or he could try drinking a lot of caffienated liquids. He decided to try drinking lots of liquids! ;) The doctor said if it didn't work she would be on-call Christmas Day and the day after, and she would meet Mom and Dad in the emergency room to perform the reverse lumbar herself! ...Thankfully, it worked!! Christmas Eve was the first day he came out of his bedroom for weeks. We were all so happy! Therefore, we were all able to enjoy a very nice Christmas together. :)

Dad was slowly starting to feel better again. For about two weeks he felt so good! He was laughing, smiling, taking care of the barn animals, burning trash, putting new rock on the road, etc.... all things we take too easily for granted. But unfortunately, (hey! this sounds the same as my last update--unfortunately) last Saturday what seems to be his "I've-got-a-new-lesion-growing" headache started again. Sunday morning we didn't make it to church because it was bothering him too much. We also noticed when he opened his eyes that they weren't working together properly. Now today he's unsteady on his feet as well. The doctor made an appointment for him to have an MRI tomorrow. So now we're waiting to see what shows up there I guess.

~ All of this being said, I can't help but ask that you continue to keep Hope in your prayers as well. It seems she now has an infection in her liver, which is very serious. Her mother is asking that we pray that the Lord would provide her with new strength! Please pray for God to heal Hope of this cancer as well, but most importantly that His name would be exalted in their lives.

...And it certainly wouldn't hurt to pray something similar for our family while you're at it! ;) We really appreciate all the prayers. Have a blessed week everyone!

"Stand up and praise the LORD your God, who is from everlasting to everlasting. Blessed be your glorious name, and may it be exalted above all blessing and praise." Nehemiah 9:5

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"In that day you will say: 'Give thanks to the LORD, call on his name; make known among the nations what he has done, and proclaim that his name is exalted.'" Isaiah 12:4

The Name of the Lord Be Magnified

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"Oh, magnify the LORD with me,

And let us exalt His name together."

Psalm 34:3

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I know I haven't done any updates on my Dad since October, so I thought I would write one. :)

The entire month of November was very good for us. (Aside from my Dad feeling somewhat tired at times and a few other minor things.) We had a very good month! But, unfortunately, a couple of weeks ago we noticed he was starting to feel badly again. About 10 days ago he started having a major headache that would not go away, which has always been the first sign of a new lesion growing. Also, now this week the right side of his face is numb and the left side of his body isn't working properly. He has a few other symptoms, too. He went to see one of his doctors on Tuesday and the soonest they could schedule an MRI was for Friday (today). Anyway, we feel pretty sure that he has another lesion growing on the right side of his brain stem because his symptoms are affecting him on the left side of his body and the right side of his face. (He's had three lesions: the first on the left of the brain stem, the second on the right, and the third directly in the center.) We'll see what the results for the MRI are, and if he has a new lesion they want to do another lumbar puncture (this will be his 5th, and he dreads them!) to see if they can find anything indicating what this is... because he still hasn't been given a diagnosis! We've been dealing with this since May of this year and all the doctors are stumped. They also want to try not to give him any steroids if possible, because he's had them every time and they want to see what the lesion does without them. (That is, if they really do find a lesion.) The steriods have been the only thing to take away his symptoms, though. So if he gets as bad as he did last time he will most definitely have to have them.

Anyway, as I've said before, we know God is in control and we trust all things to Him! Here is an excerpt from an email my Mom sent out in October, during my Dad's last lesion. Since it still applies, I thought I would share it...

"Please pray that the new lesion will not continue to grow and cause his symptoms to worsen more than they are now, and that he will be able to go without steroids until after all the testing that needs to be done. You can also pray for answers and go right ahead and pray for complete healing too. Just don't forget to pray that the Lord's will be done because He has all the answers, not us."

Thank you, Lord, for your protection and provision! We know you hold us in the palm of your hand. You know all things, and we trust in you completely. Let your name be magnified in all the earth!

"Thus I will magnify Myself and sanctify Myself, and I will be known in the eyes of many nations. Then they shall know that I am the LORD.” Ezekial 38:23

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We really appreciate all of the prayers for our family. May the Lord bless you and keep you always. :)

"I will praise you forever for what you have done;

in your name I will hope, for your name is good.

I will praise you in the presence of your saints."

Psalm 52:9