Zeros Again!

I am trying to post the actual video...

Here is a link for now

https://flipagram.com/f/1DxRlneAL4A

We had our zero birthdays last week. It's official...We are old.

Shawna made a Flipagram for us.

It reminded us about where we have been. Where we are now. How much God has done for us. 

It was also a great reminder about how important family is. Time passes so quickly. Kids grow up so fast. Our lives are so very short. We need to make the most of each day no matter what our circumstance.

This all reminded me of this great scripture...

Psalm 103Living Bible (TLB)

103 I bless the holy name of God with all my heart. 2 Yes, I will bless the Lord and not forget the glorious things he does for me.

3 He forgives all my sins. He heals me. 4 He ransoms me from hell. He surrounds me with loving-kindness and tender mercies. 5 He fills my life with good things! My youth is renewed like the eagle’s! 6 He gives justice to all who are treated unfairly. 7 He revealed his will and nature to Moses and the people of Israel.

8 He is merciful and tender toward those who don’t deserve it; he is slow to get angry and full of kindness and love. 9 He never bears a grudge, nor remains angry forever. 10 He has not punished us as we deserve for all our sins, 11 for his mercy toward those who fear and honor him is as great as the height of the heavens above the earth. 12 He has removed our sins as far away from us as the east is from the west. 13 He is like a father to us, tender and sympathetic to those who reverence him. 14 For he knows we are but dust 15 and that our days are few and brief, like grass, like flowers, 16 blown by the wind and gone forever.

17-18 But the loving-kindness 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!

19 The Lord has made the heavens his throne; from there he rules over everything there is. 20 Bless the Lord, you mighty angels of his who carry out his orders, listening for each of his commands. 21 Yes, bless the Lord, you armies of his angels who serve him constantly.

22 Let everything everywhere bless the Lord. And how I bless him too!

More Good News!

Results from the ultrasound was that the UFO (unidentified fluid object) was a fluid filled cyst. 

Harmless. 

Thank you Jesus!!

Thank you all for your prayer and support

P.S. We ask continued prayer for our friend Maise. She has the same stage four kidney cancer as 

Debbie. She was not able to finish her IL2 due to it effecting her heart and had to recover from the treatment for several weeks. Please help us pray for complete healing in Jesus name for Maise!

Apokaradokia

Hi everyone!



Debbie has been doing great. She feels healthy and strong. We almost forget that she needs to continue to be scanned and monitored.

The latest scan was on May 30th.  The consultation appointment wasn't until two weeks later due to our vacation and a doctors conference. We kept getting questioned by others - "How can you wait to get the results?" We knew that the timing wasn't changing anything. We have surrendered the outcome. God has given us peace that surpasses understanding. I'm not saying that we don't get a little anxious from time to time. (Especially in the waiting room on consultation day) But God really gives us peace and perspective concerning the situation. He takes such good care of us!

The results of the scan were really good. Six of the tumors were unchanged. Three grew a little. One significantly shrank (almost in half!) The IL2 is continuing to work in boosting her immune system.

Thank you Jesus!

There is a new area of concern that the doctor wants to investigate further. There is something in her abdomen that he thought could be fluid. Debbie has an ultrasound on Monday. We will post the results soon.


We have heard sermons on being content with our circumstances. This really resonated with us because we have been learning to trust God with everything and not be worried about what is going on or what is going to happen. No "What if's". God REALLY is "in the waiting".


This message really spoke to me.
"Are You Headed in the Right Direction?"
by Steven Furtick

It is a teaching from Paul in Philipians. Paul was in prison and is preaching from there. Rather than go on about what has happened to him, he tells us his interpretation of what has happened. He isn't focusing on his circumstances, he is expectantly looking toward the future.

Steven tells us that if we know our WHY (We are here to glorify God), then no matter WHAT  happens to us we are OK. We have predetermined our WHY so the WHAT can't take away the WHY!

We can make it through the WHAT if we know the WHY!

Paul tells us not to worry. It may seem like a bad event, but faith is an interpretation of an event that sees progress even in pain.

Phillipians 1:12  I want you to know, brothers, that what has happened to me has really served to advance the gospel.


Paul tells us that no matter what happens, we can still have eager expectation and hope! Paul makes up a word to tell us about this hope. He joins three Greek words together to express this hope...

APOKARADOKIA:

To turn away with concentration ignoring other interests and stretch your head forward toward the future.

The problem with many of us today is that we have our heads stuck so far up our past that we can't see our future!

Get your head out of your past and stretch it toward your mission in faith!

Love you all,

Thank you for your continued prayers.


Here is the video:

and the link:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xt7QudS0SWc

Holding

Lately, Debbie has been feeling really good. 

Some days she has had some nausea and headaches and has been very tired. When she feels like that, it doesn't take much to start letting the enemy penetrate our armor. The "what if's" creep in. The fear of the unknown begins to build. This is exactly the time we are reminded to put on the whole armor of God.

Ephesians 6:10-18The Message (MSG)

A Fight to the Finish

10-12 And that about wraps it up. God is strong, and he wants you strong. So take everything the Master has set out for you, well-made weapons of the best materials. And put them to use so you will be able to stand up to everything the Devil throws your way. This is no afternoon athletic contest that we’ll walk away from and forget about in a couple of hours. This is for keeps, a life-or-death fight to the finish against the Devil and all his angels.

13-18 Be prepared. You’re up against far more than you can handle on your own. Take all the help you can get, every weapon God has issued, so that when it’s all over but the shouting you’ll still be on your feet. Truth, righteousness, peace, faith, and salvation are more than words. Learn how to apply them. You’ll need them throughout your life. God’s Word is an indispensable weapon. In the same way, prayer is essential in this ongoing warfare. Pray hard and long. Pray for your brothers and sisters. Keep your eyes open. Keep each other’s spirits up so that no one falls behind or drops out.

God is so faithful! He has given us comfort and peace throughout this whole roller coaster ride. We don't worry about "what if's" We don't live cancer. Cancer is not who we are. We don't think about it all the time. Sometimes we actually forget that we are going through this monitoring process of CT scans.

Debbie had a CT scan on Monday and we had the scan results appointment yesterday.

The results were really good!

One of the nodules is gone, three shrank in size, three stayed the same size, and one grew 1.1mm

The doctor said she is stable.

Thank you Jesus!!

We are so very thankful!

Roller Coaster

Ok, here we go...

Debbie had a CT scan on Wednesday and we had an appointment on Thursday to find out the results. 

The doctor told us that Debbie isn't stable any longer. Most of the tumors/nodules remained unchanged to slightly smaller. A couple of them were slightly larger. The most concerning however was a new mass in her right lung. It is small 7.8mm, but they are telling us that it wasn't there on the last scan.

We weren't prepared for this and it has taken a few days to process. 

It's sort of a punch in the gut. Everything is different, yet everything is the same. We are still surrendering the outcome to God. We are still turning over the entire situation to God. We still are believing that Debbie will be healed and whole. We will not live in fear. We will continue to live in the truth and we will fight.

The plan right now is to have Debbie get scanned in 2 or 3 months to see if there is growth. We will determine the plan of attack at that point. Meanwhile, we will be researching our alternatives.

Please join us as we continue to pray for healing and for there to be no mass on the next scan. We rebuke cancer in Jesus name! We are also praying for wisdom and discernment regarding treatment.

Thank you!

Rick

Scan to Scan

Debbie has been feeling ok on most days. Good on some days...bad on others. She couldn't really describe how she felt. She just felt wrong...and very tired.

Debbie's blood work  hadn't been ready at the consultation, so they weren't able to go over it. She received a call one day saying that her thyroid levels were very low and that she needed to start taking medication for it immediately. She has hypothyroidism. This was caused by the IL2.

Hypothyroidism has many side effects. Some of the ones Debbie is experiencing are extreme fatigue and hair loss. She estimates that she has lost more than 50% of her hair. 

As we processed the information from the CT scan consultation and the blood work, we began having more and more questions. We called and spoke to the nurse practitioner that was involved with Debbie's treatment. 

Debbie asked if she was in agreement with the doctor's plan to not carry out Weeks 5 & 6. She said she agreed. She explained that Debbie's body had been pushed as far as they were comfortable with. Debbie only received two doses on Week 4. Debbie would likely only get one or two Week 5  and they may not even have her go through Week 6. She said that Debbie's body had responded as well as possible to IL2 and that her cancer was stable. 

What?!?!

The doctor had told her that she had no evidence of disease. I don't know about you, but NED is very different than your cancer being stable.

We had planned on speaking again with the doctor, but he was on vacation for two weeks and we hadn't had the brain scan yet. So...we waited for the MRI.

Debbie finally had her brain scan. She was very strong and went with the regular MRI instead of the open MRI. God helped her through it. For a brain MRI, Debbie is strapped down and has headphones put on. There is a metal cage that is snapped shut over her face. She is supposed to remain still for 45 minutes. If she moves or the image gets messed up, they have to start all over again.

The results showed no cancer in her brain!

Thank you Jesus!!

Debbie made an appointment with an endocrine specialist to help with her thyroid issue. We wanted someone that can focus on this one area. The medication takes awhile to kick in and is tricky to figure out the correct dosage.

We had a consultation on Wednesday with doctor Smith. It was mainly to clear up some of the questions we had, but also to do blood work. He said that depending on her thyroid levels, he would probably have to increase her medication. They have to start out the medication at a lower level so it won't shock the heart. He reiterated about not having her do another round of treatment and told us that another round of IL2 could have killed Debbie. He was positive that the treatment had done it's job and was happy with her results. He told Debbie that her cancer was in remission. He told us that if a persons cancer comes back, it is typically within 2-3 years. She needs to be scanned every few months and won't be dubbed "cancer free" until 5 years of clean scans.

Dr Smith called back later that day and told Debbie that her thyroid levels were near normal and he wasn't going to increase her medication! Thank you Jesus!!

All of this has been challenging for us to know how to convey Debbie's situation to others. We
have to stick with the facts...the truth.

The truth is we are very thankful and blessed. We know Debbie has been healed. We will take the rest of this journey scan by scan. It is challenging to not have it all wrapped up in a neat little package, but we will continue to surrender the outcome to God. He is the Great Physician and Healer!

Mark 5:34 "Daughter, you took a risk of faith and now you're healed and whole. Live well, live blessed! Be healed of your plague.

Miracle Believed, Miracle Experienced!

The family at Cannon Beach

The 

Debbie had her CT scan on Wednesday and the consultation was Thursday. The scan showed that the large tumor is gone and the lymph node is normal size. Dr Smith is not having Debbie go through treatment weeks 5 & 6. He says that the risk outweighs the benefit for Debbie. He says that the treatment has done what it was supposed to and was a success. He was a little concerned that Debbie has still been experiencing some headaches and nausea, so he has recommended a brain scan to ensure the cancer has not spread there. Once the scan comes back clear, Debbie has to get scanned every 3 months for at least a year. 

We are still processing this information. We are incredibly overwhelmed and thankful to our Amazing God! We had surrendered the outcome to God. We have believed that Debbie was going to be healed. We have daily thanked God for her health. We have daily thanked God for her healing. We have prayed for NED (No Evidence of Disease) and that's what we have received!

We will continue to keep you posted.

Thanks again for all of your prayers and support!

THANK YOU JESUS!!!

Stick and Stay

The first week at home was tough for Debbie. 

The headaches came back as well as some nausea. This time she actually threw up a few times too. This is significant because she hasn't thrown up since we've been married. Her skin is peeling and itchy and can be very irritable. She has been very tired and needs a lot of rest.

Debbie pushes through all of this and doesn't do what she feels like doing. She does what she knows will help her. She gets up, walks her 3 miles and takes care of whatever business she needs to take care of. She continues to turn everything over to God and trust Him for everything.

If she did what she felt like doing, she may curl up into a fetal position and sleep all day. We have learned that feelings come and go. Feelings are fickle. We don't live our lives led by our feelings. We walk by faith, not by sight. It is a decision each day to focus on God and not our circumstances, to focus on the positives and not the negatives. To stick with God and stay with God no matter what.

We heard a great testimony at church yesterday. The scripture that was talked about was Phillipians 4:4-9. It was a powerful reminder about what we are supposed to do.

We pray that this message

encourages you and that you let God meet you wherever you are.

Phillipians 4:4-9

Celebrate God all day, every day. I mean, revel in him! Make it as clear as you can to all you meet that you’re on their side, working with them and not against them. Help them see that the Master is about to arrive. He could show up any minute!
Don’t fret or worry. Instead of worrying, pray. Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers, letting God know your concerns. Before you know it, a sense of God’s wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come and settle you down. It’s wonderful what happens when Christ displaces worry at the center of your life.
Summing it all up, friends, I’d say you’ll do best by filling your minds and meditating on things true, noble, reputable, authentic, compelling, gracious—the best, not the worst; the beautiful, not the ugly; things to praise, not things to curse. Put into practice what you learned from me, what you heard and saw and realized. Do that, and God, who makes everything work together, will work you into his most excellent harmonies.

Stick and Stay

The first week at home was tough for Debbie. 

The headaches came back as well as some nausea. This time she actually threw up a few times too. This is significant because she hasn't thrown up since we've been married. Her skin is peeling and itchy and can be very irritable. She has been very tired and needs a lot of rest.

Debbie pushes through all of this and doesn't do what she feels like doing. She does what she knows will help her. She gets up, walks her 3 miles and takes care of whatever business she needs to take care of. She continues to turn everything over to God and trust Him for everything.

If she did what she felt like doing, she may curl up into a fetal position and sleep all day. We have learned that feelings come and go. Feelings are fickle. We don't live our lives led by our feelings. We walk by faith, not by sight. It is a decision to focus on God and not our circumstances, to focus on the positives and not the negatives. 

We heard a great testimony at church yesterday. The scripture that was talked about was Phillipians 4:4-9. It was a powerful reminder about what we are supposed to do. Stick with God, stay with God.

We pray that this message

encourages you and that you let God meet you wherever you are.

Phillipians 4:4-9

Celebrate God all day, every day. I mean, revel in him! Make it as clear as you can to all you meet that you’re on their side, working with them and not against them. Help them see that the Master is about to arrive. He could show up any minute!
Don’t fret or worry. Instead of worrying, pray. Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers, letting God know your concerns. Before you know it, a sense of God’s wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come and settle you down. It’s wonderful what happens when Christ displaces worry at the center of your life.
Summing it all up, friends, I’d say you’ll do best by filling your minds and meditating on things true, noble, reputable, authentic, compelling, gracious—the best, not the worst; the beautiful, not the ugly; things to praise, not things to curse. Put into practice what you learned from me, what you heard and saw and realized. Do that, and God, who makes everything work together, will work you into his most excellent harmonies.

Home on Friday!

Week 4 was a tough week. Everything happened quicker and was intensified. Debbie ended up having only two doses out of 14 possible. Each dose quickly brought side effects. Some of the side effects were new. With each dose, more Neo was needed to regulate her BP and it took longer to come down on the Neo. 

On Thursday, the doctor told us that Wednesday mornings dose was her last dose of the week. He said that they had stimulated her immune system enough and he was happy with only having two doses. At the beginning of the week, he had told us to expect only two or three doses.

We ended up getting home Friday morning - a day early! It always feels so great coming home!

Debbie is now beginning the long process of getting back to normal. She needs to shed the water weight, slough off the peeling skin, heal from the picc line, and let the IL2 run its course through her body. It usually takes five or six weeks for her to get back to normal.

We were blessed with the staff more so than ever this week. This was more answered prayer. We always pray for every person that will come into contact with Debbie during her treatment. We pray that each person makes wise decisions in Debbie's best interest and that they are caring and kind. We also pray for no infection, no errors, and continue to pray for maximum effectiveness and minimum side effects. We continue to be so thankful and feel so blessed the way God takes care of us through this whole ordeal. He has provided in so many ways!

What's next?? 

Debbie will have a CT scan at the end of July with a follow up consultation the following week. We will find out how well the treatment is working. We are continuing to pray for NED (No Evidence of Disease) We will also find out when Week 5 & 6 are.

This means we will have six to eight weeks off of treatment to enjoy the summer!

This also means that we will posting less frequently.

Thank you for your continued prayers and support!

God continues to fight this battle for us!

And we rest with our outcome surrendered!

Surrendered

A pic from our walk last week

Because this is Week 4, Debbie's body responded quickly to the IL2. 

Debbie had her first dose at 3pm yesterday. Her body reacted quickly and her blood pressure dropped to 60 by 7pm. She was itching uncontrolably, nauseous, feeling sick and hallucinating (she saw red spots all over me) The nurses quickly got everything under control. She ended up getting on the Neo quicker than she ever has before. 

Her BP has been a roller coaster and trying to keep it under control has meant higher doses of Neo. Higher doses of Neo mean less doses of IL2. If the Neo dose goes too high, she has to go to ICU where other methods are used to help get her BP under control. 

All of this could be really stressful. But it really isn't. We could be sick with worry about "What if?" We have surrendered the outcome of this whole process to God. No matter what happens, we will be good. 

We surrendered the outcome before we started treatment. 

We are children of God. Nothing can change that. We are totally and completely loved by God. Nothing can change that. We have our foundation. This has given us peace that surpasses understanding. This has given us the strength and courage to endure this process. God has provided for us time and time again! 

We feel so thankful and blessed. 

Ready for Week 4

Tiger & Debbie bonding

We can't believe that two weeks have flown by! 

Week 3 ended up being pretty good. The treatment did hit Debbie pretty hard for a couple of days after we got home. She was VERY nauseas and had another crushing headache that lasted for most of a day. She had to take meds and sleep a lot. All the water weight came off pretty quick. Her skin is still all flaky and itchy...it usually doesn't clear up on this shorter break.

Debbie loves horses. 

She had one growing up and has always dreamed of owning one again. God has known this and has been giving Debbie many blessings. God brought some special people into her life. Debbie has been blessed by Sharon & Susan, two women that live down our road. They have horses and barns and riding arenas! Their willingness to share and spend time with Debbie has meant the world to her.

She has been riding Susan's horse named Tiger. I think she is falling for this big guy. She hopes to lease him and ride him ongoing. She got to ride on Saturday evening and she said it helped her be ready for Monday (when she begins Week 4). It was something to dream about and be grateful to God for providing a desire of her heart. She looks forward to getting out of the hospital and riding him soon.

We head back to the hospital tomorrow morning. The picc (Peripherally Inserted Central Catheter) is scheduled around 8am and her first dose will be at 3pm.

I will keep you updated from the hospital.

Thank you for your continued prayers and support!

Answered Payers

Debbie received the 11pm dose last night. This was her 4th dose. The doctors expected her to only get 4 or 5 doses, so this is a win. We have spent all day today weaning off of the Neo. The nurses think they can have her off of it by morning, so hopefully we can satisfy all of the requirements to get home earlier on Saturday.

*************************************

We started out Week 3 with many of the nurses congratulating us on being here. The staff was truly happy that we were there. They explained that most of the people they see for Weeks 1 and 2 don't come back. The only people that come back for Week 3 are the ones that are responding to the IL2! Sadly, 90% of the people don't make it back for Week 3.

We have heard more stories from the staff about tumors the size of tennis balls disappearing and people being cured. We have learned about other indicators that the IL2 is working such as reduced platelet levels. Debbie started Week 3 with her platelets around 335 and they are currently at 105!

This week has been tough. Being confined to a hospital bed, hooked up to monitors and pumps, having her blood pressure rise and fall like a roller coaster and being made sick by the IL2...all in a normal week of IL2. 

But honestly Week 3 has been somewhat of a breeze. Honestly. You can ask Debbie. 

She hasn't had any headaches, body aches, diarrhea, vomiting, shakes or rigors and hasn't had much nausea. 

This is exactly what we (us and all of you) have been praying for...Maximum effectiveness and minimum side effects and discomfort.

THANK YOU JESUS !!!!

Thank you team!!

My Daily Bread...and coffee

Day 2 started with the verse of the day from ‭‭2 Timothy‬ ‭3:14-17‬ ‭MSG

"There’s nothing like the written Word of God for showing you the way to salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. Every part of Scripture is God-breathed and useful one way or another—showing us truth, exposing our rebellion, correcting our mistakes, training us to live God’s way. Through the Word we are put together and shaped up for the tasks God has for us.”


I drink coffee everyday.  It is an important part of  my day‬‬. 

Today's verse of the day was a reminder for me about how important being in God's word daily is. More important than coffee!

God's word is alive and living! 

Reading His word has shaped us for this task. God has really been faithful to us throughout this whole process. His words comfort us and give us peace. Even before we found out the treatment was working, we knew we were going to be fine no matter what happens. 

We expect healing. We expect a miracle.  

We will trust God with everything we have and in everything we do!

Update on Debbie:

We had a quiet night last night other than the constant waking up for vital checks. 

She has had 2 doses out of a possible 4 (2/4/14) She is back on Neo to help control her blood pressure, so she is all wired up and constantly monitored. This also means she is confined to the bed. No new side effects so far. We are currently waiting to see 

if the Neo will be at a low enough level to receive the 11pm dose. 

Thank you for your continued prayers!

Day 1 Week 3

Debbie posted this today on her Instagram account:

It's me. Back here at the hospital for week 3 of IL2 immune therapy treatment for the kidney cancer that ended up in my lungs. I look ungrateful but I'm not. I look like I don't want to be here but that's  a lie. I look like I'm alone and without hope or comfort. Again a lie. I am so grateful for where God has placed me at this moment for this event. He has prepared and designed me to endure this very thing. I want to be here. I'm choosing this with my free will. I'm choosing to fight rather than give up! I am not alone. Jesus will never leave us or forsake us. The Holy Spirit brings me great comfort that he is running ahead fighting this battle for me. And if that weren't enough God has given me family and children that love and honor their mom and daughter in a precious way and the love of my life to come and be by my side for 7 nights and days! Oh and did I mention a team of people praying for God to work in this situation. To bring total healing to myself and many others. No this is the face of a girl who knows she is exactly where she is supposed to be!! Yes! This is good!!! #theloveofgod #peacelikeariver #thejesuscollective #fightorflight #thegodlifehaspurpose #prayforrevival

Ready for Week 3

Looking down at Beacon Rock

It has been awhile since the last post.

Debbie has been getting better everyday. She  continues to grow stronger and the side effects are fading away.

 She has been doing all her normal activities including her daily three mile route.

On Memorial Day, we went on an 8.5 mile hike on Hamilton Mountain. She did great! She didn't do as well as she thought she should do and had to overcome some frustration.

June 6th is here already. It is time to go back in to the hospital for Week 3.

Just to recap - Debbie is all done with the first round of treatment which consists of 1 week of treatment, 2 weeks back home, and then another week of treatment. She is scanned 4 weeks after to track the IL2 progress.

We are asking for prayer for this week. 

Specifically prayer for:

Proper picc placement, wisdom and  guidance for each caregiver that comes in contact with Debbie, continued strength and peace for Debbie. 

We are asking God for a miracle - that Debbie is completely healed!

Thank you for being part of our team!

We are overwhelmed with all the support God has provided through each one of you.

We are expecting great things and are very excited to see what God is going to do!!

We will be posting often to keep you posted through Week 3.

It's Working!

The IL2 is working! Thank you Jesus!!!

The biggest tumor has shrunk from 17mm to 13mm. The doctor is pleased with her progress and how well she has recovered.

Debbie is scheduled to go back for Week 3 on June 6th.

Thank you for your prayers and support!

Praying for NED

I know it's been a few days since we've posted...

The truth is that not much has changed since the last post. Debbie is still feeling ok. She is still tired. Her body is working very hard fighting this crud. She is fighting and pushing back as hard as she can.

We found out today that her CT scan will be May 6th. The doctor visit to go over the results will be on May 10th.

We are praying for NED

(No Evidence of Disease)

Please join us 

We are praying and believing for complete healing and for there to be NED in Jesus' name!

Just to clarify, The results of the CT scan will determine if Debbie will be scheduled for Weeks 3 and 4 of IL2. There needs to be improvement (shrinkage of tumors) or at least no growth since the CT scan immediately before Week 1.

When scheduled, it will be the same cycle again. Week 3 of treatment, 2 weeks off, Week 4 of treatment, 4 weeks until CT scan. 

There will be up to 3 cycles total.

Affected

Immediately after treatment, Debbie felt OK. She wasn't gripped by nausea and didn't have the crushing headache. We were prepared this time. We had the logical medications for the side effects that happened last time.

This IL2 stuff doesn't have a pattern. It affects each person different. It can affect that same person different each time.

The headaches came back on Tuesday. The nausea came back too. Debbie fights it as much as possible with the medication, but doesn't want to over-medicate.

She wanted to exercise even though it was uncomfortable with the extra water weight and swelling. She has been doing her normal three mile route every day...even when she doesn't feel like it. The extra weight is almost gone.

She says that she doesn't feel right. She says that the IL2 affects every part of her...vision, smell, stomach, head, skin, etc...so even when she feels ok, she doesn't feel right.

You may see her out and about. She is trying to get back to normal everyday activity. She fights through the pain and nausea like a warrior. She is tough! She takes everything to God. She has a great attitude and stays positive (most of the time) She told me the other day that she was specially made by God for this project.

Wow!!

Done with Week 2

Saturday went SOOO slow. It was a day of patience.

Debbie's last dose was on Friday around 9am and she wanted out of there. The doctor on call was surprised to hear that we wanted to leave on Saturday. He said as long as we go through all the requirements, he would release her.

Debbie needed to get weaned off of the Neo and have her blood pressure stabilize. She finally got off of it at 3pm. She had to be stable for two hours before they would walk her around. After passing the walking test, she needed to have the port removed. They do that procedure in her bed. The port is a tube that is 7"- 8" long that delivers the IL2 or other IV fluids and how they draw blood daily for labs.  When they pull it out, Debbie has to stay flat on her back for 30 minutes. Then they go over the discharge paperwork with us. Nothing is quick about the last day.

We got out of the hospital and home around 7pm last night.

This morning Debbie felt pretty good and wanted to go for a walk. We started out and thought we would just go down the driveway. Debbie felt OK and asked if we could do the "short loop". So we kept going. At the turn off back to our house, she said if I was willing to continue going slower, that we could do our normal route (approx 3 miles)...so we kept going. We did the whole route!

Just to clarify...Debbie was on her back, confined to her hospital bed for a week. She gained 10 pounds of fluids from the treatment. Her feet were swollen and tender. Her skin is on fire and itchy. The bandage on her neck is uncomfortable. She doesn't feel right. She doesn't know what is going to happen or how she is going to feel. After Week 1, she had constant headaches and nausea. So when I say Debbie feels pretty good, that is with all that going on! The woman is strong! She does have grit!
It is so exciting to see her finding her identity in Christ and developing her Kingdom authority!

On the walk, I asked her if she would want to go to church since she is feeling ok. She started listing the reasons to not go. We decided to go home and have breakfast and see how the morning goes. Debbie said she would plan on going and that we would abort if she didn't feel well.

We went to church!

It was great to get to church to worship our creator.

We are so blessed!

We have so much to be thankful for!

Thank you Jesus!