Happy New Year

Family Christmas

Well 2010 is gone and a new year awaits.  I must say that I am in hopes that 2011 continues to bring improving health and peace to our family.  It seems like a lot has happened since we last posted to our blog.  Ever since Paula had the stint removed she has been on a continually path of improvement.  Her marker numbers have come down and plateaued around 18, she has gained back almost all the weight she had lost and has her energy back.  In most cases life feels very much like normal.  Paula is getting out, picking up the kids most days and even went to a New Years Eve party.  Of course it took three different parties to find one that everyone was healthy.  That is not to say the one we went to was third string but that it was just the third one we were invited to.  We had a nice time and it was good to be out with others.

Paula’s parents and brother came to Salt Lake City to visit us during Christmas.  It was good to have them here and spend time together.  It was the first time we had seen any of them since Paula’s diagnosis.  I think it was good for her parents to see Paula looking and doing well.  We really enjoyed having her brother Owen here as it was his first visit and the first time we had seen him in over two years.  Unfortunately the weather did not allow us to show off the beauty of Salt Lake City but then I guess that gives us something to do the next time he visits.  Another reason we were glad Owen came to visit is that he will probably deploy to Iraq in June and will be gone for about a year.

On December 30th we went in for one of Paula’s treatments.  We have always seen the doctor before treatment and this time we talked about Paula’s marker numbers and the fact that she was experiencing numbness on the tips of her fingers that was not going away between treatments.  Due to the fact that her marker numbers had plateaued, the numbness and that her CT scan showed that Paula was responding very well to the treatment, it was decided to put Paula on what is called a maintenance regime.  Basically, the only thing that changes is that the one drug that was causing the numbness is removed.  It is a drug that has done a lot of good but also can cause permanent damage if taken to long.  It is also the one that hits the white blood cells the hardest.  So this cuts out about one hour of our time on treatment days and hopefully will allow Paula’s fingers to come back to normal.  This past Thursday we went in for treatment again and her white blood count was good and her iron levels were good.  We have not heard yet about her marker numbers.

Many of you have asked how many more treatments Paula is going to have.  The answer is we do not know.  From the beginning we have been told that the chemo would help her liver but not cure her liver.  Due to that I believe the doctor’s plan is to just continue on this maintenance until we don’t see any more cancer or Paula’s numbers start going back up.  We of course are looking for the first option.  This has been the biggest area where we have had to just trust that God has it all in control.  When you are told that medicine can only do so much and falls short of a cure, then you have no other place to rest then in God.  For us, this is where we have chosen to rest all along because we believe it is the only place to find peace, strength and rest.  I wont kid you, it is a daily decision as many days I am finding myself wanting to try and figure out the future and what it will hold.  This is a futile effort as none of us knows what the future holds but for some reason we seem so determined to try and figure it out and let it rob us of the joy we could find by living in today alone.  As I have shared many times before, the devotional book I am using has had many days of speaking directly to me.  Today was again one of those days.  I would like to share it with you.

My face is shining upon you, beaming out Peace that transcends understanding.  You are surrounded by a sea of problems, but you are face to face with Me, your Peace.  As long as you focus on Me, you are safe.  If you gaze too long at the myriad problems around you, you will sink under the weight of your burdens.  When you start to sink, call out “Help me, Jesus!” and I will lift you up.

The closer you live to Me, the safer you are.  Circumstances around you are undulating, and there are treacherous-looking waves in the distance.  Fix your eyes on Me, the One who never changes.  By the time those waves reach you, they will have shrunk to proportions of My design.  I am always beside you, helping you face today’s waves.  The future is a phantom, seeking to spook you.  Laugh at the future!  Stay close to Me.
Philippians 4:7  And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Hebrews 12:2  Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right had of the throne of God.
I hope you all will find encouragement in this as I have.  Thank you again for all the encouragement and prayers you have given to us.  I pray that God will continue show His majesty and strength through the complete healing of Paula’s mind, heart and body.  May each of you be drawn closer to Him and encouraged in your faith by what God has and continues to do.

Love,

Eric

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