I wanted to thank everyone for your prayers. Mike is safely home and in bed. Little Rock exchanged both biliary drains, and enlarged the tube size on one of them. Mike became nauseated during the procedure because of the discomfort, and was partially sedated, which dropped his blood pressure down to 80. That required our staying for observation for 2 hours, so we just got home. Mike is very uncomfortable and a tad cranky. ;) My hope is that he'll sleep off the rest of this sedation and will begin to feel better later tonight, if not tomorrow.

Again, thank you for your prayers. I felt all of your thoughts with us.

"When I am at my weakest point, you are just beginning. When I know myself to be at the end of my strength, I know my Lord to be at the front of the battle. When I'm convinced I cannot go another step, You sweep me into your mighty arms and carry me the rest of the way. Lord, I abide in your marvelous grace. I lean daily on your never-failing love." BJ Hoff

Prayer Request

Update as of Monday evening: We need to check into LR by 10 a.m, Tuesday morning. The procedure will be done at noon. Mike isn't in any pain at the moment, but has quite a bit of discomfort and pressure, especially with indigestion. He also began running a slight temperature this evening.

Please pray for peace and protection over Mike. And I would appreciate your prayers for me as well, as I wait for him to come through all of this. He will not be able to have any general anesthesia. This procedure, done in the past in LR, has been very painful for him when ansthesia wasn't used. There is that lingering fear of all that went wrong last July too.

Thank you for your prayers.

Mike has had a good week, and has even told me, he has felt his best in a long time. A few days this week he seemed to have greater amounts of energy and strength, and enjoyed tinkering around in his shop on those days. When he would get tired, he just grabbed some Gatorade, and sat down for a little while.

The only difficulty Mike's experienced this week is falling asleep at night and his constant foot and leg pain. On Friday, he began taking Lyrica, which usually is given to patients with Fibromyalgia, but has also been proven to help patients with Neuropathy. It will take a few days to adjust up to a normal treatment level, but we're hoping for some relief from his neuropathy pain in about a month.

There are no plans to repeat any lab studies before our scheduled trip to MD Anderson, April 21st. If Mike should begin to have trouble with his tubes before then, we would just plan on getting whatever is needed, done in Little Rock, and then let the remainder be taken care of in Houston.

Thank you for keeping us protected by your prayers.

"We have to pray with our eyes on God, not on the difficulties." O. Chambers

As you can probably see by these photos, Mike has been staying busy the last couple of weeks creating a stool and wagon for his grandsons. I'm so grateful he has been able to do something that gives him so much joy and helps take his mind off of his health. He is doing well. Thank you for your continued prayers and encouragement.

"You will keep in perfect peace him whose mind is steadfast, because he trusts in you." Isaiah 26:3

Mike is at physical therapy this morning and feeling well. The change in his health this week has been remarkable! I do not say this flippantly. If you could have seen Mike this past weekend you would understand the amazing change that has been made in him.

Please look at the music video below. "God's mercies are new every morning!" Lamentation 3:21-23

Thank you for your continued love, prayers and support.

"The Lord delights in the way of the man whose steps he has made firm; though he stumble, he will not fall, for the Lord upholds him with His hand." Psalm 37:23

Mike woke up this morning feeling very good, so he has made the decision to try and wait things out again, until the exchange in Houston. My impression is we'll just take things day by day.

It is a blessing seeing him feel better. Thank you so much for your prayers.

"My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." 2 Corinthians 12:9

I'm so grateful for your prayers! Mike did better today. He still slept quite a bit, but he did get up in between, and tried to sit outside for a little while in the sun. He told me he felt better today. I was just grateful to see him more like himself. When he isn't feeling well, he hardly speaks, which makes me a little more nervous. His blood pressure was pretty low this morning, so I tried pushing fluids into him, in case he was dehydrated, and this afternoon it was back up to a normal range for him.

We will call the doctor's office in the morning to see what they want to do. I will keep you updated.

"You shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart." Jeremiah 29:13

Update

Mike continues to feel pretty bad. I have been pushing fluids in him since he woke up around 4:30 this afternoon. He feels like he has a bad case of the Flu, even though we know the real problem is the continuing issue with his biliary tubes. He aches all over and is very weak. So far today, he isn't running any fever. Our plan is to get the biliary exchange done in LR the first part of the week.

Thank you for keeping us in your prayers.

Mike's temperature subsided overnight, but he has yet to make it out of bed today. This morning his temp was 97.2 and his blood pressure was 94/48. He has been asleep most of the day. I did manage to get some breakfast in him and have him take his medications. When I ask him how he's feeling, he isn't giving me much of an answer, except to nod his head when I ask if he's okay.

Obviously, the internal tubes aren't functioning correctly. I have accessed the external drain to hopefully keep things from getting fully out of hand. We do have an antibiotic on hand if the fever returns, and raises. Because he is sleeping so much, I worry about dehydration, being that I've accessed the external drain. This is always a problem when the tubes stop functioning. I'm hoping to push a little Gatorade in him, when I can get him awake enough. Besides dehydration and fever, my other concern is, for him to begin experiencing shortness of breath.

We had plans to be with the children later today, but I'm not sure we're going to be able to keep those plans. Mike is the type to push through anything to see his grandbabies though, so maybe he is just resting all he can now, so he can have the strength for later.

I will keep you updated. Thank you for your prayers.

"It is the will of our heavenly Father that we should come to Him freely and confidently and make known our desires to Him, just as we would have our children come freely and of their own accord and speak to us about the things they would like to have." O. Hallesby

Mike's symptoms have worsened today. He wants to see if he improves over the weekend, but he feels he won't be able to make it until April 22, for the biliary exchange in Houston. He is anticipating needing to get this exchange done next week in Little Rock. His new symptoms are mild nausea, chills, headache and body aches, despite his maximum dosage of pain relievers. Thankfully, there is no fever so far. .....Okay, scratch that! Mike developed a fever around 8 p.m.

We would appreciate your prayers.

I always struggle knowing what to say on my blog. I'm such a private person; it isn't easy for me to step out and share my deepest feelings, or subject myself to criticism...verbal or unspoken. I'm not a gifted writer, so you will certainly find mistakes in my grammar. I share my heart because; if one person is encouraged, or one life is changed because of what they see me or my family living through, then it should be worth it. The love I do receive from most of you, keeps me standing.

I know many visit this site out of curiosity, or only to have an update on how Mike is doing, and I try to keep everyone up on his progress. I pray you can read through whatever I write, and get what you're looking for, and overlook the rest, if it's offensive to you.

I am a person of deep faith though, so God is a huge part of who I am, and is paramount on getting me through each day with Mike's illness. I have family, friends and even acquaintances, who don't believe the same as I do, and it troubles me when they are offended by what they read here. The last thing I would ever want to do is hurt anyone. I am not trying to judge anyone, or force my views in your face. I need all the support and encouragement I can get, just to walk through each day of this scary journey; so I pray you can overlook the beliefs you don't share with me or my family, and continue to be a shoulder we can lean on.

And last, I'd just like to encourage you to hold your loved ones a little tighter, forgive the little things they do that let you down or upset you, and cherish each moment you're given. Life is too short and precious!

Only by His grace,
Beverly

We have just heard from the doctor's office. Mike's bilirubin count has slightly increased from 1.1 to 1.2. Some other lab results had improved also, but a few others elevated slightly. The consensus was to take a watch and see approach. If any symptoms become worse, we'll definitely have the exchange early.

Mike is feeling pretty good, considering things. I'm confident God's hand and your prayers are keeping things under control for us. Thank you for remembering us in your prayers. We'll keep you updated.

"He is a shield to those who take refuge in Him." Proverbs 30:5

Mornings are always slow for Mike. It takes a little while for him to get up, moving, and get ready for each day. I have been trying to make it a little easier on Mike by bringing his breakfast to him. Yesterday we almost had a near disaster. As I was carrying the tray back down our stairs, my foot slipped off one of the steps, and I missed the last 3-4 stairs. The tray went into the air and crashed, and I came down with my left foot twisted under me. Besides being stunned and feeling a little clumsy; I only ended up with a sore foot. I'm thankful I didn't get more seriously hurt.

Symptoms with Mike are staying under control. He is not running any fever and doesn't seem to be getting any worse. Tomorrow we go for more labwork to see if Mike's bilirubin count is any higher.

Yesterday, we picked up Drew and Mike spent a few hours playing with him. Our little grandsons can put a smile on Mike's face so quickly. Mike built Drew and Ethan a little step stool to stand on to help them reach a foosball table we have. Mike was beaming from ear to ear watching Drew play with that. I'm so grateful Mike is staying well enough to enjoy moments like these with his grandchildren.

God is SO good! Thank you for your prayers.

"But the lovingkindness of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting; to those who reverence Him; His salvation is to children's children of those who are faithful to His covenant and remember to obey Him!"

Mike has been hanging in there, although today wasn't that good of a day for him. He has been feeling fatigue the last couple of days and has now developed a sore throat. We are not sure if it is a virus, or allergies, but it has slowed him down a bit.

The right biliary drain isn't functioning 100% either, but I have been amazed how well we're doing considering the past episodes we've had. We are taking extra measures, trying to keep him from getting any worse.

Thank you for continuing to pray for Mike and I. We appreciate the hedge of prayers you surround us with, and the love and encouragement you give us. It looks like these biliary tubes and drains are something we're just going to need to adjust to....as a way of life. That part is a little hard for Mike to swallow. I see these tubes as giving Mike life...but he views them as extra work for me, or something additional to worry about.

God understands our disappointments and He is so merciful to us. I praise Him for staying by our side day by day.

"This I call to mind and therefore I have hope: Because of the Lord's great love, we are not consumed, for His compassions never fail. They are new every morning." Lamentations 3:21-23

My last posting may have left everyone confused on Mike's situation, so I'm going to try and clarify things.

Mike had a routine oncology appointment yesterday with his doctor here in AR. Mike's right side has been a little more tender the last couple of days so Mike was suspecting his right biliary drain might be acting up. He had routine blood work yesterday and it showed that Mike's bilirubin count was slightly elevated at 1.1.

Mike's biliary drains are suppose to last 2-3 months before needing to be exchanged. Last July we had a bad experience with this being done in LR. Mike developed relapse pulmonary edema and was in the Critical Care Unit for several days. Since then, Mike has been having this exchange done in Houston, at the MD Anderson Cancer Center. The experience there has been less painful for him, he hasn't needed anesthesia, and he recovers more quickly. But, with his tubes lasting only two months in between exchanges, it now not only becomes inconvenient to travel down there, but costly too.

The plan for now is to watch things for a week. Next Thursday Mike will have more blood work done. If the count elevates or his symptoms become worse, we will have the exchange done in LR. The pattern with Mike in the past, is that his symptoms usually become worse rapidly; with fever developing, shortness of breath, and nausea. If the count stays the same, and no other symptoms present themselves, we'll likely wait to see if we can make the scheduled exchange down at MD Anderson, April 22.

Thank you for keeping Mike in your prayers.

"For He himself is our peace...." Ephesians 2:14

UPDATE: Mike's bilirubin count is slightly elevated at 1.1, which means we'll probably need to have the exchange earlier than our scheduled April appointment. If so, Mike plans to give Little Rock another try with doing the procedure. Ideally, we would rather have it done in Houston, but with Mike needing to have these exchanges earlier than every three months, it makes traveling to Houston a larger inconvenience. Please pray for Mike's protection, that he won't become so ill before the exchange takes place.

Mike's doctor appointment went well. His lab report was good but they didn't have the bilirubin results yet. They are suppose to call us if the level is elevated. We discussed Mike's upcoming scans, tests and biliary exchange next month. We're on schedule to see him back in two months.

Mike asked about his energy level and shared how he was a little frustrated that he's always running out of steam. The oncologist said it will be awhile for Mike to return to his normal energy level. He prescribed Lyrica for Mike's neuropathy. This drug, which is also a good drug for patients with Fibromyalgia, is suppose to also be helpful with patients who suffer from neuropathy. He is hopeful this will lessen the pain Mike has in his feet and legs and it might possibly also help lessen his need to take pain medication.

Mike was his usual happy, loud self today at his appointment. Everyone in the chemotherapy lab and doctors office said how much Mike's personality and sense of humor brings so much joy to them and makes their day. He seems to always leave them laughing, and me shaking my head.

The oncologist's ending remarks were mixed for Mike and I. He told Mike he was a "medical marvel". That he never expected Mike to be doing this well. He said that he was convinced that Mike's attitude, his family's support, the aggressive stance we took in the beginning with treatment, and the power of prayer, has made a huge impact on how well Mike is doing today. He said that he hopes in five years when Mike has a visit with him, we're continuing to amaze him.

Mike and I feel indebted to all of you for lifting our hearts daily and staying on your knees on our behalf. Thank you so much. We would appreciate your continued prayers. Mike's right side continues to be a little sore, so we're hoping his bilirubin count isn't elevated, and we can avoid leaving for Houston early.

"Peace is not a smooth, untroubled river beneath a sunlit sky, serene and warm...The peaceful heart is like a trusting songbird who clings to hope and sings throughout the storm." BJ Hoff

Tomorrow morning we have an appointment with Mike's oncologist here. Labs will be done before the visit, and I'm anxious to have his bilirubin count. Mike is feeling fine, but has been feeling a little uncomfortable the last couple of days in the area where his right biliary tube is. He has told me he doesn't hurt deep inside, just a little on the surface. There has been no fever, so I'm wondering if he hasn't just aggravated it by trying to do some painting.

It has been almost two months since we were last in Houston for the biliary exchange. We're hoping we can coast for another month without returning, since we have all the other tests and biliary exchange scheduled for April 21-24. A good bilirubin count would hopefully indicate no infection or blockage. We would appreciate your prayers.

"Peace is not a smooth, untroubled river beneath a sunlit sky, serene and warm....The peaceful heart is like a trusting songbird who clings to hope and sings throughout the storm." BJ Hoff

The past few days have been pretty routine for Mike. He starts off his days feeling fairly well and usually ends up needing to lay down following any activity. He has tried to help me repaint the guest house this past week, but tuckers out pretty quickly. It teases my mind, thinking briefly that our life has returned to normal. Then Mike will need to lay down, and reality comes rushing back. That would have been so uncharacteristic of him before he became sick. But I thank God that Mike is feeling well enough to attempt some things he would have done when he was well. Even if it's only for a brief period. I'm so grateful that we can share laughter and even attempt to tackle small goals together. Each day is such a gift and Gods hand is so merciful.

"You, O Lord, are a God full of compassion, and gracious, longsuffering and abundant in mercy and truth." Psalm 86:15

This Thursday, Mike has a lab and doctor appointment with his oncologist here in town.

A Little "Drew Therapy"

"Mike had a GOOD day," as Drew would say. He had a little "Drew Therapy". Thank you for remembering us in your prayers.

Taking Things Day by Day

Mike and I were discussing our present situation, and how the events from the past 2 years blindsighted us, so to say. I guess cancer had been such a far off threat for us over the last 27 years, we had let our guard down. We allowed ourselves to have long term plans....short range goals....and a limitless amount of dreams. Today, the farthest we can look to the future for, is taking things day by day. In the past, "taking things day by day" only meant we were dealing with a situation where the answers might be a few days down the road.

Life recently has been a huge exercise of finding and maintaining the right perspective. Staring fear in the face with the strength, only God, faith and prayers can give us. The unknowns in our life try to consume and overpower us daily. The emotional challenges can almost be as exhausting as the physical battles. But God's strength and love is greater than all of our fears. He brings the power and comfort we need each day to keep going. And there is one thing we can rest our weary hearts on...and that is spending eternity with our Heavenly Father.

Mike continues to do well. He is such a fighter!

And God's grace and mercy is sweeter everyday.