November 26, 2007 UPDATW

UPDATE
November 26, 2007

Psalm 19:1-4
“The heavens declare the glory of God,
the skies proclaim the work of his hands.
Day after day they pour forth speech;
night after night they display knowledge.
There is no speech or language
where their voice is not heard.
Their voice goes out into all the earth,
their words to the ends of the world.”

Psalm 19 is a beautiful Psalm of David and expresses our experiences and opportunities during our difficult trial with Jack. One of Jack’s hopes has been that he would have the opportunity to express to others the glory of the Lord. He is getting more of this time than he had imagined.
He recently was visited by a psychiatrist who wanted to talk with him about how he was feeling about his situation. He had an amazing experience telling her how he is trusting the Lord in all aspects of this challenge. He explained to her that he is confident that the Lord has it all under his complete control and he rests with that. She inquired by asking “Isn’t unusual for scientists to believe like that?” He said not in his experience and he began to give her examples of well known scientists. Jack has always said that he has had a unique view of the majesty of God because of his work. He has observed intricate order and design in the smallest of ways (nano technology). We praise our mighty Lord for these discussions with others.
Jack remains at NE Rehabilitation Hospital where he is receiving 3 hours/day of therapies – speech, occupational, and physical. He enjoys the challenges of the sessions. He doesn’t think there is enough therapy. Sundays are days off where he rests. He told me last evening that when he was in the bathroom, he pulled himself up and down 60 times in order to workout. The staff would have had a heart attack if they had known he was doing this activity. He is so concerned about maintaining as much strength as possible. The staff is concerned about safety. You can obviously tell that safety is second on Jack’s list.
On the medical front, I have spoken with both his radiologist and neurosurgeon. His radiologist, Dr. Shih, told me that he could not have had a worse response to the treatment. The treatment did not arrest the tumor growth, it continues to grow, as I mentioned previously. Also, there is much necrotic (dead) tissue. Dr. Cosgrove has decided that surgery is the best option. He would debulk or resection the tumor (both of these terms are used interchangeably) and remove as much of the dead tissue as possible. The hope would be potentially to restore the use of Jack’s left leg. The original inoperable diagnosis was given due to the paralysis issue. We now have the paralysis, so we don’t have anything to lose in Jack’s function. Of course, there is always risk with surgery. Dr. Cosgrove explained that the biggest concern is the possibility of infection from the necrotic tissue. Jack and Dr. Cosgrove meet today to discuss surgery. If Jack opts for the surgery, it will likely occur this week. Jack has indicated to me that he will choose surgery.
Jack is much better overall than he was a week ago. The high doses of steroids have reduced the swelling so much that he is much more alert and engaged. He does continue to exhibit erratic blood sugar levels. If his blood sugar is elevated, they administer insulin. Medical issues become like a domino effect; one problem is helped only to create another one.
The children and I had a lovely Thanksgiving with Jack. The hospital had a catered meal for patients and families. It felt very festive. It was also comforting to be among so many others suffering in similar situations. The staff is wonderful at this hospital creating a place of hope and courage. We are thankful.
Courtenay, Jonathan, Megan, and I have spent time together over the weekend discussing our hopes, fears, concerns, and strategies. I told them that we have two primary jobs with Jack – comfort him and love him in all the ways we can.
If Jack has successful surgery, he would begin taking the Brazilian plant extracts that I previously have mentioned. He is willing to take them. The doctors have said whatever you want to try as long as it will not harm him. We believe we have nothing to lose with this option.
By God’s grace, we move through these events with hope, joy, and solitude. The Lord continues to provide for us in all ways for that we are most thankful.
I will update further when we have more information.
I will close with the quote from Psalm 19:14
“May the words of my mouth and the
meditation of my heart
be pleasing in your sight,
O Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer.”
Blessings to all of you who continue to send cards, emails, and prayers to us and for us,
Carolyn