This is NOT a choose-your-adventure story....

Ever since returning from Houston in mid-December, Sandy has not been feeling "herself."  She had little appetite, was losing weight, and had little energy or stamina.  Plus, whole-body itching had resumed.  Her January, 2018 hospitalization revealed the necessity of a double stent exchange (she has one stent in each of the two bile ducts).  One stent was infected.

Since being released from the hospital, the itching has continued and even intensified.  Due to out-of-range labs, she was scheduled for a CT January 22.  The imaging revealed two new lesions on her liver.  As one doctor put it, "Your kind of cancer likes to go to sleep for a while and then wake up in new locations."  It appears that's exactly what has happened.  

Sandy was on chemo for 30 months, beginning November 2014.  She then had a 10-month chemo vacation.  Hallelujah!  

But...the vacation is over for now as she resumed chemo Monday, January 29. 

Now hold on.

This isn't what we wanted or would have chosen, given the opportunity. BUT let's just take a stroll down memory lane.

Do you remember when this all began? When the diagnosis came in, then the unsuccessful surgery followed by more "bad" news? Then the prognosis of 6-12 months to live? Do you remember all of the ER visits, sepsis, massive infections, blockages, disappointing test results? 

That was not 6-12 months ago. Several years have gone by. Several grandkids have been born. Trips have been taken, relationships started, enriched, and renewed. Countless people have been touched by her story, encouraged by God's obvious faithfulness through it all. Doctors have been wrong about many things...in a great way. They've also been right about many things, some we've liked and others not so much. 

So here we are in a new chapter. Though it looks much like a previous chapter, we don't know the plot twists that are coming our way. We can choose to despair over what we know and what we fear or we can choose to take those very real feelings to God and ask for His perspective, moment by moment. 

Believe there is good to be found.

Look for the good.

Find the good.

Celebrate the good.

Share the good.

As for Sandy...she is already looking forward to the next chemo vacation. 

Please pray for her stamina and energy, for itching to stop, for all cancer to be eradicated, and for her to continue to take thoughts captive and trust God through it all. Pray for opportunities to share God's love and provision even in hard times. Pray for a smooth spring semester of teaching and advising. And pray that she can continue doing all the things that bring her joy and that give God glory.

I'd like a double, please.

Remember how the last set of stents was supposed to last awhile? Remember how life rarely goes how we think it is "supposed" to go? Yes. That is our story. Actually, it's God's story, so everything has been as it was supposed to be....

Since the last Houston trip, Sandy has experienced off and on pain, pressure, fevers, and overall discomfort. She has played the go/don't go to the ER game several times. Finally, this week Thursday she had a routine appointment at the Cancer Center. However, her temperature was up and continued to climb while she was there, as it has done many afternoons lately. After seeing how she was doing, the doctor arranged for her to go straight over to St. Francis for admittance. The staff at the Cancer Center took great care of her, staying with her and making sure she was warm, helping her get a prescription without getting out in the cold, and keeping her at the Center until her room at the hospital was ready for her.

Friday morning her labwork confirmed that there was a problem with a blocked stent, so around 9:30 she went in for a double stent exchange - double because when one is disturbed, the other one moves as well, requiring both to be exchanged. The procedure went well, and she has been back in "her" room recovering and waiting to be discharged. The latest news is that she can go home Sunday afternoon.

Thanks for your continued prayers. We know many of you are also dealing with difficult situations, and we're praying for you as well, that you will feel God's presence and peace, that you will be filled with joy and see the many blessings that surround us rather than the hard things that seem to scream for attention. Find the blessing, give thanks for the blessing, tell others about the blessing. See you soon!