The Beginning.....

So where do I begin? I'm starting this blog as a way to keep family and friends in the loop of everything that is going on...Mom is exhausted (and a little challenged in the technology area, hee), and I feel like this is one of the ways I can contribute. My hope is that I can ask Dad and Lauren to write a few posts, but for now, you'll mostly be getting my perspective of things. I can't promise an update everyday, but I will definitely try to keep up with the medical stuff.

A little background of everything....and where we are right now!

Steve and I are in the middle of a huge life change right now, as we raise our 8 month son Collin, and prepare for the arrival of his brother, Cameron, this May. I work part time at an after school care program, during which Mom and Dad watch Collin. I've been having some severe pain lately (compressed disk, sciatic stuff), but will be trying to help out with Mom as much as possible!

Lauren will be getting married this Saturday, February 5th, to the love of her life, Justin Pauls. We are so glad to welcome him to our family, however, they will be headed back to Hawaii (where they are missionaries for Youth with a Mission) and we will deeply miss them and the help they have given us!

Dad is still hoping that this will be his last year in teaching, and we're praying that things (such as the loss of Mom's income the rest of this year) won't prohibit his retirement. He's the rock of the family...but let's move on to the soul.

Mom began losing weight this past summer and into the fall. She was quite pleased with the fact that she wasn't even doing anything, and the weight seemed to be melting off (should have been our first clue.) Early December she began to feel different-exhausted, constantly thirsty, and right before Christmas she received the diagnosis-Type 2 Diabetes. Right away, we knew there would be a life change, but many, many people live with the disease, and we were all determined to learn about it and help Mom get on the right path.

As the weeks went on, Mom wasn't feeling any better. She was looking more and more jaundice, the weight continued to fall off, and the itching became out of control. Thoughts were that it could be a lodged gallstone, or the gall bladder, so she underwent a series of tests to determine what was causing her health to decline.

On January 17, 2011, the day of my grandfather's funeral (Mom's Dad), we received the news that there was a mass on her pancreas. Anyone who knows anything about health stuff, knows that a mass is bad, and a mass on the pancreas is very bad. This past Wednesday, Mom and Dad spent the day at Johns Hopkins and received the news that no one wants. It was pancreatic cancer.

Pancreatic cancer is one of the top deadliest cancers a person can get. It's silent and can just grow and spread without anyone knowing, and it's difficult to diagnose. When someone tells you it's pancreatic cancer, it's either a death sentence, or there's a slim chance of beating it.

Miracle number 1 occurred that day. The tumor, which rests on the head of the pancreas, is operable! In other words, we have a chance of beating this, and keeping Mom around for awhile longer. We are waiting to hear from the Hopkin's team, but it looks like several rounds of chemo and radiation first (to shrink the tumor away from a blood vessel), and then the Whipple surgery (google it). There will be months of recovery, but we are determined that Mom will see her grandbabies grow up!

Mom will see any comment or note you leave her-whether here, or facebook...if you'd like an address, feel free to email me, facebook me, etc. If calls could be limited, that would help a lot, but I promise, when we have a better idea of what is going on, we'll be reaching out for help-meals, rides, childcare, etc.

For now...we just want your prayers. Mom and Dad have received lots of words on trusting in God right now, and I'm also going to include the word my sister received.

We have hope-which sometimes, that's all you can do.

Word from Lauren....

My sister was recently having a bad morning dwelling on everything going on (we each are going through times like this at the moment), and she was in John and came across the story of Lazarus. There is a specific verse in the story, that we are claiming right now. We are rejoicing in the love of our Father, and already are amazed at how many people's lives are being touched right now, through our testimonies. "You make all things work together for my good" (Your Love Never Fails, Jesus Culture)

John 11:4

NIV

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."

Message

When Jesus got the message, he said, "This sickness is not fatal. It will become an occasion to show God's glory by glorifying God's Son."

Amen!