Past due for another update...

Sorry, folks, for making you all wait so long for any news.

Misty has now gone through her second chemotherapy treatment and is back out of the hospital. A few days prior to entering the hospital, Misty started eating and swallowing again. She's been able to go about her day without carrying around a spit-cup in which to dispose of her unswallowable saliva. She can drink water and eat solid food! These are things that she hadn't been able to do for nearly six weeks--and was the reason for checking into a hospital in the first place. She still can't eat much, and her diet is supplemented with stuff that goes into her feeding tube, but this is a very good sign. It means that the tumor has shrunk and is no longer causing as much blockage as it used to.

While Misty was in the hospital, my brother Doug came and stayed with us. Between Misty's mother and my brother the kids were taken care of, and it allowed me to spend the evenings after work with Misty, trying to keep her from going stir-crazy. While he was here, he also put his talents to work making some improvements (some functional, some cosmetic) to our house. As a result of his efforts our house looks and feels a lot more comfortable. I owe more thanks than I can express for his time and efforts here.

Misty also seems to be handling the after-effects of chemo better this time. We think it's because of the vitamins and herbs she pumped into herself before she entered the hospital and since she's been out. She's had some nausea, but not nearly as bad as it was last time. She's much more able to be up and around--and even helpful. She hasn't taken a nap in several days, and rarely needs to lie down to rest (she still gets very tired and needs to sit down for awhile, but not lie down). In fact for several hours today, we were out at the soccer field for team pictures for Paris (which seemed to take forever) and then for a soccer game. But by the end of it, she was pretty wiped out.

Thanks again, to all of you for your prayers. Thanks also for the meals and groceries!! They've been extremely helpful. Again, this takes some of the pressure and stress out of this situation. We also apreciate those of you who have been giving rides to the kids to their various activites. We have infinite thanks for Terri, Misty's mom. She spends countless hours here cleaning, organizing, and taking care of Misty and the kids (and me, too, sometimes). Thanks to you all for your love and support.



Wes' Condition:

Many of you have asked me, "So how are you holding up?" There's never quite the right situation for me to dump about how this is affecting me during a friendly conversation. So, here's the answer to that question:

I can feel all this taking it's toll on me. I know, I'm not the one with a potentially lethal illness, but it's definitely wearing me down. I try to keep myself busy all the time--which is fairly easy during the day while I'm at work. But once I come home, it's hard to let myself relax. And when I don't stay occupied, all the worries and difficulties come flooding back to my mind in a great overwhelming wave. I've been listening to audiobooks to keep my mind distracted when the tasks which busy my hands might otherwise leave my mind to worry. (I just finished Robin Hobb's Farseer Trilogy which was very good, and I'm now listening to Stephanie Meyer's Twilight.) I can feel the difference when I remember to take my burden to my Father in Heaven--and then suddenly it all becomes bearable again. I know you're all praying for Misty, and I'd like to ask for your prayers for me, too (as some of you already are).

Again, thanks for everything.