“In Case You Haven’t Heard –or- Would Like an Update on My Karen”
Update for Saturday October 22nd, 2016

I am assuming that most of our Facebook friends by now have heard the news about my Karen. However, just in case anyone has missed it, let me bring you up to date very quickly. This past Wednesday Karen headed into surgery. We believed that her gallbladder needed to be removed. While the HIDA scan did not reveal that her gallbladder was in horrible condition, the number was low and all the symptoms pointed to gallbladder. Unless…. And this was the huge “unless” of which all of us were vividly aware. The surgeon agreed to operate and remove the gallbladder unless he found that the cancer had spread.

If he found cancer anywhere, he would stop the surgery and come and tell me. Jeremy sat with me in the waiting area. You understand that all of our children and grandchildren wanted to be with their mom and grandmother. However, there simply wasn’t room for the entire clan. So Jeremy was with me when we were called back into the consultation room about thirty-five minutes after she headed into surgery. I told him, “Oh Jeremy, this is awfully early for us to be called back. Brace yourself. This isn’t going to be good news.”

In several moments, the surgeon came in and spoke in somber tones. He truly was sorry to be the one to tell us the news that he found cancer in Karen’s stomach lining. The surgery stopped. The gallbladder is still there. The news is serious. I had the wonderful opportunity of sharing with the surgeon that Karen as a child asked the Lord Jesus to come into her life and to become her Savior. I explained to him that even though my heart was breaking I knew that we belonged to the Lord and she would trust Him. I shared with him that all our adult lives had been lived in the ministry. As a result of that I have broken hard news to more people than I could count. I didn’t want anyone telling Karen the news. I would tell her when they brought her up to her room.

The doctor left after again expressing his sincere regrets. He told us that he would stop up at her room after he completed his surgeries of the day. With that he left. Jeremy held me and together we cried and prayed. Jeremy would start calling his siblings. I would sit and pray for my sweetheart. About forty-five minutes later I stood beside her bedside and took her hand and said, “Honey. This is going to be hard. But the Lord has changed our plans. The cancer has spread Sweetheart. It is in the lining of your stomach. You still have your gallbladder. Dr. Warren stopped your surgery.”

It was the most difficult notification I have ever made. But it was not for Karen. It was for me. She sweetly looked at me and said, “Oh Michael. I am so sorry for you. I am so sorry Honey. Well, let’s see what the Lord has for us next. Whatever He has planned, I don’t want to miss. Oh Honey, isn’t the peace of the Lord wonderful. I just feel it sweeping over me.”

At this point the water works burst and I wept through several handfuls of paper towels.

Karen was not in any way denying what was taking place. But she sweetly welcomed Christina and Rachel who dropped everything to head to the hospital. She ministered to the nurse and the aide and explained the “win-win” situation she is in. When the surgeon would later come to her room she explained again to him the “win-win” and what it means. If the Lord gives her time with her family then she wins. If the Lord calls her home, then she really wins. The next morning at home, she was busy texting and emailing everyone and comforting them. What a remarkable lady to whom I am married.

So what is next? What are we doing? While still at the hospital, one of the partners from Karen’s oncology practice came to her room to briefly describe the situation and lay out an immediate game plan. Karen will need a week to heal from the surgery. Then on this Friday October 28th, she will have a PET scan. This will help to determine if the cancer is anywhere else in her body. On November 2nd, we have an appointment with the radiation oncologist and the next day, November 3rd, we meet with our regular oncologist. I have emailed our regular oncologist and asked him to be honest with us when we meet. We want to know everything and what he is thinking.

That’s where we are. For today, there are several things that I would ask of you.

1. Pray that the Lord keeps the awful nausea away from Karen. Her doctor has prescribed an excellent anti-nausea medication that she is taking four times per day. We have been pleased that the nausea seems a little more under control.

2. Pray that she will be able to eat a little better without being in so much pain.

3. Pray that our oncologists will have wisdom as to what they need to know and what they should do.

4. Pray for our children and grandchildren. You can imagine the disappointment and concern that they are experiencing. I want to help them through this time. I especially want to be the kind of husband for my dear Karen that would be helpful without smothering her! Bless her heart. This is going to be quite a journey living with someone like me who is ready to dive for anything at a moment’s suggestion!

I read an amazing phrase in my quiet time this morning. I know that I have read it dozens of times. But I didn’t remember it. It is from Isaiah. “ I will mention the lovingkindnesses of the LORD, and the praises of the LORD, according to all that the LORD hath bestowed on us. For He said, surely they are my people…so He was their Savior. In all their affliction He was afflicted, and the Angel of His presence saved them: in His love and in his pity He redeemed them; and He bore them, and carried them all the days of old” (Isaiah 63:7-9).

Michael and Karen, in the midst of our disappointment and in the midst of our uncertainly can surely say with certainty that the Lord has demonstrated His lovingkindness to us. He is our Savior and in our affliction He is afflicted. He shares our experience with us in an intensely personal way. We surely need your prayers. We truly appreciate your friendship. We desperately need the Lord’s help. I will keep you posted as the next days continue.