Well, this new reality has settled with us all a bit. Then it unsettles and we all cry a lot...and then we find faith and look ahead with hope knowing that God has been mericful in letting this be found now, before it got worse.
This morning mom and dad went to the hospital and met with a doctor. I'm pretty sure dad left the meeting with the surgeon a little nauseated and nervous and understandably so. About 1 1/2 feet was removed from his colon as well as the surrounding lymph nodes and the tumor which was about the size of a tangerine. He didn't see any areas of concern in the liver or surrounding areas and said the lymph nodes didn't give him any indication for concern although they will be sent to pathology for testing along with everything else. At this point the initial diagnosis is Stage II colon cancer. When I left the hospital he had a fever and was struggling with the reaction to the pain medication. The pathology results will confirm all of the doctor's preliminary thoughts in a few days which will give us the info necessary to form a plan (chemo, etc.). The surgeon was pleased and said there were no surprises...we are so grateful for that.
When we got to the hospital dad had just gone into surgery so we spent several hours sitting with mom...it was nice to just sit and talk and discuss together. After the surgeon came out to talk to us I think we both regained an appetite and grabbed a little dinner before meeting dad upstairs; nobody was allowed in recovery. I could tell he was uncomfortable; he is allergic to his pain meds and the benadryl and nubain weren't helping the itching so they are working on that. He was obviously uncomfortable but of course, concerned for us and not wanting anyone to worry about him. He was touched about all of the kind comments everyone has had about him and all of the prayers...it means so much more than anyone knows.
It's amazing how, when you find yourself in the thick of things, people show up to offer support and love...that's what life is about. No amount of money, level of comfort or sense of accomplishment can rival the value of relationships...family and friends carry with them the weight of eternity, memories and largely define where we fit in the world.
I appreciate you...my family appreciates you...every prayer, every kind comment is a blessing in a way you cannot understand. Thank you for covering dad with prayer and encouraging him with love and laughter.
We do not yet know what road will be ahead but we do know that we will walk it together.
I'll update as much as possible here.
Thea
Tuesday, April 6, 2010
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2 comments:
Oh Thea, I do not know what to say. I was reading your posts with tears rolling down my face. My heart feels some of what you are going through, I am huge daddy's girl as well. You have my commitment to pray for your Dad and his healing! It is true, all things are possible with God but I know that is hard to grasp that in the midst of the storm. I ask for His peace to rest on your whole family and especially on your sweet Dad!! Let me know if you need any help. I am home during the day with the kids at school:)
Colleen - thank you so much. Having friends praying is such a huge, huge blessing...it's a relief to me to know we're covered.
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