The Gathering Place Where Family Matters

“Nurses Will Laugh. The Rest of Us Will Tremble!

Tomorrow I Have To Do This to My Karen!

You have to remember that I am not a medical person.

The Dr. before my first name is a Doctor of Ministry degree, not a Doctor of Medicine degree.

You also have to remember that I am, well let’s say, an emotional man. Little things become mountainous adventures to me when it involves someone that I love and care about. Like Karen for instance.

Tomorrow at 3:30 I have to give Karen a shot. So you are probably thinking, “Big deal.” Well maybe that is true to you, but to me, well let me put it this way, thank you for praying, I mean big time, THANK YOU FOR PRAYING. As I am reading the instructions and see that there are eighteen steps to be followed in giving this shot to the one who is the love of my life, I would appreciate your prayers. I am to give the shot in such a way as to avoid muscle and veins. It will go in the back of her arm. I have warned her that she had better be nice to me tonight!

I know that you are busy on the weekend and have a ton of things to do. But if you happen to look at your watch and it is nearing 3:30, by all means PLEASE PRAY FOR KAREN!

I have given myself shots before and I know that I can give this to Karen, but please pray for no side effects and ask the Lord to help the Neulasta to be effective in making the bone marrow to go into overdrive to make the white blood cells to grow. This will fight against infection. This shot can give flu like symptoms and discomfort comparable to growing pains. Okay everyone. Set your watches to off at 3:25 to begin praying! Thanks so much dear friends.

“An Amazing Thing Happened Today!”

Thank You For Praying! Update Friday April 10th.

What an incredible day. We went to the Seidman Cancer Center in a windy thunderstorm this morning. Before we left the house I prayed with my dear wife and claimed the wonderful truth that our Savior taught us in John 10. He is the Good Shepherd that goes before His sheep. His sheep follow Him for they know His voice. Not only in the big events of life, but even in the mundane daily routines, the Lord Jesus leads the way for the sheep to follow Him.

After meeting another Oncologist in the practice and being examined by him Karen was to begin her round of chemo. We thought we had been in the waiting area a little longer than usual. The clinical research nurse Barb came out with papers in her hands. Karen’s kidney function numbers were so great that the doctors decided to up the chemo to the absolute maximum level. Today she got the biggest of the big guns in the arsenal. As the first of three rounds of chemo dripped into her arm I thanked the Lord for revealing such wisdom to the clinical researchers. Then I also prayed, “Lord please let that chemo attack the mass with every bit of fight that it can.” I caught myself several times thinking, “Go chemo! Go!”

With the greater amounts of big guns she will most likely experience greater side effects. Our medical team has told her that they strongly want us to stay away from crowds, even church, for the next two weeks. It will be so very easy for Karen to become seriously ill because her immune system will be so very low.

Thanks for praying for us today. The three rounds of chemo infusion went very well. The nurse/technician was able to find a deep vein in Karen’s arm and it held up beautifully. I know that some of you were specifically praying about that. The beautiful quilt from the ladies at First Baptist Church of Marilla was the topic of great interest in the infusion bay suite. Beautifully sewn into the comfortable quilt at the top corner is the name “Karen.” She loves to keep this very close to her heart as this is very symbolic of those who are in Karen’s heart.

When we returned home our dear daughter-in-law has vacuumed the house, made our supper and even our table set. Throughout the day our precious children have been texting me and I know that you have been praying. We have truly sensed your prayers and do thank you for them. After supper I will post another update on what I have to do tomorrow. I am entitling it “Nurses Will Laugh. The Rest of Us Will Tremble and Tomorrow I Have To Do This to My Karen!”

“Well…The Numbers Are In!”

The Update for Karen

April 9th, 2015

Yesterday I shared with you how very important it is for Karen’s lab work numbers to be up so that her chemo therapy could take place tomorrow. Thank you so much to the hundreds of friends who prayed. The numbers are in and every single number is good. We are so thankful for the wonderful answer to prayer this is. Thank you so very much for your prayers.

This is a Jeremiah 33:3 moment. If you haven’t read that verse lately, this would be a great time. Thanks again for praying friends. We have to be at the Seidman Cancer Center at 8:00 tomorrow morning. Please pray that Karen’s veins hold up well. They have warned us that if the veins do not cooperate this time, a port will become probable. Yes, please pray that the chemo would attack the mass and pound it to smithereens. As you can see my doctorate is in ministry, not medicine.

Wednesday April 8th

Karen’s Update “A Significant Prayer Request”

Please pray for the numbers!

Now let me explain what I am talking about. It is about 10:30 in the morning and I just got off the phone with the Clinical Trial Nurse at the University Hospital Seidman Cancer Center. Tomorrow morning at 10:30 Karen goes in for lab work. We are praying that her blood count will be up sufficiently so that her next round of chemo therapy can take place on this Friday.

The nurse told me that her blood count of 2.7 (4 to 5 is where they want it) which was taken last week would prevent them for doing the chemo infusion had it been scheduled last week. So it is really important that her blood count gets up in the next few days. Her low blood count is not unexpected. However, we do want it to get up sufficiently so that the next round can be given on schedule.

Friday is a very long day for her, but it is also very necessary. So we want to thank you dear friends for joining us on the journey. Right now on the journey we are praying for those numbers. If you have something that you want us to be praying about with you, please email me at PastorMJP@aol.com. You are special to the Lord and to us as well.

Tuesday April 7th Update

“Normal is Good.”

I am grateful that Karen and I have enjoyed a close and growing marriage over the years. It did not take cancer to make me realize how special she is and how much I love her. I knew that long before we were on this sudden curve of cancer in our journey. It is a joy to be married to my best friend and to know this love that continues to grow over the years. I am in the finishing touches of the rough draft for my next book in which the story line is staying best friends long after the Honeymoon is over.

Karen is such a trooper. The Lord is giving her a “peace that passes understanding” (Philippians 4:7). She and I both know that the Lord has a wonderful plan for her and for us. I am asking Him for years yet together to serve Him. But ultimately I want whatever the Lord has planned for her. What a wonderful blessing to know that we are surrounded by people who care for us and have made the decision to walk along on the journey with us.

Today is a better day. One of the professional nurses came today to check on Karen. Since she is here I am more than happy to have her do the draining of the pleurX catheter. Karen’s fluid level was down from 100ml to 50 ml today. We are happy for every little bit of good news. Last night she was experiencing some pain in her side which the Specialists have described as “cancer studs.” Sometimes these have been painful. However today she is not feeling this pain today and for that I give great thanks to the Lord.

Tomorrow, Lord willing, she is appointment free! Our oncologist and pulmonologist have both encouraged me to keep things as normal as possible for her. Tomorrow may be looking like a “normal” day. Normal is good. I have learned to thank the Lord for “normal.” I do sincerely thank you for checking on us. The big prayer request comes on Thursday when she is scheduled for her next labs. We want to see what her blood count is doing before Friday’s scheduled chemo therapy. Thanks so much for your prayers.