Vision

Jesus went throughout Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom, and healing every disease and sickness among the people. News about him spread all over Syria, and people brought to him all who were ill with various diseases, those suffering severe pain, the demon-possessed, those having seizures, and the paralyzed, and he healed them.

Matthew 4:23-24

We keep on praising God for his hand of protection, his love, and his mercy. I am so thankful that many of the side effects from treatment are slowly being healed. However, there are still many things left to pray for, including prayers of healing for the damage the tumor has already done. In the next few weeks we want to focus in on each request. Tonight we want to specifically pray for my vision.

Over the past year I developed double vision when looking to the right. Please pray with us that this would be healed. Also, the past couple of days my vision in both eyes has been somewhat blurry. Pray that this will not grow into something more serious and that in fact, my eyes would clear up. There is no doubt that part of Jesus' earthly ministry was healing the sick and we still believe He heals today. That's why we ask that you join us in prayer for complete healing of my vision.

Praise God!

I will exalt you, my God the King;

I will praise your name for ever and ever.

Every day I will praise you

and extol your name for ever and ever.

Great is the LORD and most worthy of praise;

his greatness no one can fathom.

Psalm 145:1-3

I'm back...it's been a long week of trying to get back into the swing of things at home...catching up on the mail and other things that didn't take care of themselves while we were gone! A few visits from family. And lots of rests in between everything.

Today I wanted to take a moment and just praise God for his many blessings and hope that you will join me. When we started this journey several weeks ago, I had lots of info thrown at me from the doctors. There was a lot to process. There was a chance that the radiation could cause more serious problems (like blindness, deafness, and even death). But God protected my body and got me through these weeks and Zac and I have so much to be thankful for!!

First, praise God that radiation is over! : ) It went pretty quickly for the first few weeks, but it grew harder and harder to go the last week or so. A lot of this was because of always feeling sick...which, praise God, has for the most part subsided! And we definitely praise God for no sudden or serious changes, such as brain swelling, bleeding, high blood pressure, blindness, deafness, or death!! Praise God for his mercies!

I praise God also for only two headaches and no squeezing headpains since June 10! Two headaches is probably considered normal. The big part is that the headpains that were happening several times a week, have stopped!! Praise God!!! I'm still trying to stay away from things that caused these (like heavy lifting), but I've done some things that normally would have caused one...and nothing! Praise God!! Also, we are so thankful that my medication has decreased. I'm already down to only one prescription twice a day! I praise God that my scalp has not experienced the sunburnt feeling they said it would. I experience slight sensitivity, but nothing at all like they expected. Praise the Lord!

We are also so thankful for the Hope Lodge. This provided a free place to stay while we were in Iowa City. Instead of driving back and forth everyday (which would have made me more tired) or staying in a hotel (which would have added to the many expenses), we had a beautiful place to stay with great staff. We praise God for the Hope Lodge and the American Cancer Society. We also praise God for the great staff I had at the University of Iowa. How often do you get a hug, or two, from your nurse or tech? The radiation clinic was helpful, got me answers right away, and didn't keep me waiting. Praise God!

There are still so many things that we are praising God for, too many to list. But we especially praise Him for who He is. He is the great I Am. He is the Almighty God. He is a loving God. He is a God of never-ending mercies. He is a compassionate God....we could keep going, but you get the picture!

Praise the LORD!!

Treatment Stats

Teach us to number our days aright,

that we may gain a heart of wisdom.

Psalm 90:12

Zac and I were reflecting on all the things that have taken place since June 10th, the day we decided to start treatment, and thought it'd be fun to put a little list together. Some are funny, some are serious, but we hope you enjoy!

• 25 - number of radiation treatments
• 17 - doctor's appointments
• 3 - MRIs
• 2 - headaches
• 1 - trip to the ER
• 36 - magazines read
• 2 - puzzles finished
• 1808 - miles driven to IC and back
• 0 - speeding tickets to and from Iowa City
• 1 - number of Iowa Hawkeye coaches spotted in IC (former-coach Tom Davis)
• 21 - average number of pills taken a day (but it's dropping!!)
• 156,231 - number of hairs lost (ok, we have no idea exactly, but it's been a lot!)
• 143 - cards received
• 26 - cards from my Texas Koch's
• 14 - lbs lost together (Stacie's due to treatment, Zac's due to no home-cooking by Stacie)
• 19 - wins by the Cubs
• 6 - books of the bible read (Hebrews, Galations, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, 1Thessalonians)
• 1045 - number of new cancer cases in Iowa in last 36 days
• 123,279 - number of new cancer cases in US in last 36 days

Last day!!!!

For nothing is impossible with God.

Luke 1:37

Last day of radiation is tomorrow!!!! Zac and I will be heading over in the morning and returning the same day. We've already packed up and moved out of Hope Lodge.
(http://www.cancer.org/docroot/subsite/hopelodge/IA_IowaCity/rag_index.asp), which was such a blessing the past several weeks. Although we were clearly the youngest people staying there, we still made a few friends along the way. There was an older man, with tounge cancer, who liked to tease me whenever he was feeling good. And I spent several hours putting together puzzles with a dear woman from Florida, whose husband recently started treatment.

We had a relaxing weekend again. Last night the two of us went to an Iowa Cubs game (thank you Thompson family!) A funny story from the game...I think I might have scared the high school girl sitting behind me. My "bald spots" aren't normally noticably, except I've found when the wind blows or I tip my head down. There was a bit of a breeze last night so I'm not sure what all she saw!! I'm hoping it grows back by November or it could be a cold winter!!

Thank you all so much for the prayers and support over the past several weeks (and 2+ years). Although we're done with the radiation tomorrow, I'll try my best to update the blog a couple times a week, as I'm still dealing with several side effects yet from treatment and medications. And we still need prayer that this tumor will be gone one day! According to every doctor we've met, this tumor is considered incurable and treatment was to stop it from growing for awhile and possibly shrink it some. But we have and believe in a big God, who is bigger than this tumor. All things are possible with the God who could create the universe, who created you and me.

Your love, O LORD, reaches to the heavens,

your faithfulness to the skies.

Your righteousness is like the mighty mountains,

your justice like the great deep.

O LORD, you preserve both man and beast.

How priceless is your unfailing love!

Both high and low among men find refuge in the shadow of your wings.

Psalm 36: 5-7

I'm having kind of a rough day today. Feeling really tired again, an upset stomach that lasts several hours and my neck is kind of sore again. You would think the last few days would be the easiest for me, as I can see the end in sight, but instead it's only getting harder to go to my appointment everyday. I don't seem to feel well the hour before and a couple hours after treatment. Although I'm hungry, no food sounds good or tastes good anymore in the afternoon/evening.

I'm not going to lie, it's hard being sick and yet staying positive through it. But God is bigger than this illness. Praying to him at every moment, opening his Word everyday, trusting him even when things don't go well - that's what keeps me going. That is where I find the strength. I don't have the strength on my own. I find my strength in God alone. I find refuge in the shadow of His wings.