Surgery today

I just spoke with Mom, and she said that an ICU room had become available, and they would be coming soon to take Dad and prepare him for surgery. She said she feels God's sweet peace, for which we are grateful!!

Dad was disobeying orders today. They gave him wet sponges to moisten his mouth but told him not to swallow . . . well he wanted to swallow, and he did. :-) Who would have thought my dad, who never broke the speed limit, would be so rebellious! Mom said the nurse pretended she didn't see anything. :-)

Thank you so much for your thoughts and prayers.

Surgery tomorrow (again)

Turns out Dad's surgery won't be today after all, because the hospital doesn't have any open ICU beds. Now they are planning to do it tomorrow (Sunday). We don't know the time yet.

Mom is doing well. On the phone she sounds calm and strong, which we know is God's strength as a result of your prayers. THANK YOU !! We would appreciate prayer for wisdom to identify things Mom might need help with, that she might not think of or feel comfortable asking for. And also wisdom to know when I/we should make plans to go to Maine.

"The eternal God is your refuge,
And underneath are the everlasting arms..." (Deuteronomy 33:27)

So it is cancer

We found out this morning that Dad does have a large cancerous tumor in his stomach. The surgeon is planning to remove part of the stomach and intestine, and reconnect everything as best as he can.

They are not sure where the cancer originated or how far it has spread. We will know more after the surgery.

Thanks for praying for all of us.

Surgery tomorrow

Dad's upper GI scope this morning showed that the passage from the stomach to the small intestine is completely blocked. The doctors are not sure if it is a tumor, or scar tissue from ulcers. They did a biopsy and expect the results tomorrow morning.

After the biopsy results are in, they are also planning surgery tomorrow to remove the blockage. (The surgeon told Mom that Dad's doctor used "special charm" to convince them to do the surgery on Saturday. :-) We are happy that Dad consented to surgery.

He still has a productive cough, so his lungs need clearing up also. Thanks for caring and praying!

Now It's Dad's Turn

After a year of relatively stable health, my Dad (John) has taken a turn for the worse. He began having difficulty eating early in August, and finally it got so bad that he had a CT scan on August 30. The scan showed a blood clot in his lung and swelling in his stomach, and he was immediately hospitalized at Stephens Memorial in Norway ME.

Dad is on a blood thinner now, and an upper GI scope this morning showed that food has not been getting past his stomach for awhile. The reason for the blockage was not visible. They are going to do another scope tomorrow. Since the stomach has now been cleared, we hope the scope will be able to locate the source of the problem.

Another issue is his breathing. He has a bad cough and is on oxygen. Thankfully he is receiving IV nutrition, which should help to build his strength back up. He grew very frail during the last month of not being able to eat much.

It is so hard to be 1,400 miles away while this is going on. Our family and friends in Maine have been great about helping my mom during this time, with rides and making telephone calls. Thank you Aunt Jane, Aunt Betty, Uncle Ted, Debbie, Stephen, Pastor and Mrs. Tiner, and anyone I have missed.

As always, we appreciate your thoughts & prayers!

Hanging in there

We are thankful for the Lord's continued care of Mom & Dad. They have adjusted to life at Ledgeview Living Center but still miss their home in Gorham. Thankfully their health is fairly stable, although they both have a long list of ailments. We are grateful for the help of friends and family in providing transportation for frequent doctor visits.

Our family (Jack, Alice & children) are planning a trip north this summer and are looking forward to seeing them--it will have been almost a year.

We pray that their house in Gorham will sell this summer, as the taxes and insurance are a financial burden for them.

Thanks for caring and praying.

First Christmas Apart

Well, after 38 Christmases together, this was the first Christmas for me (Alice) apart from my parents. What a blessing that we were able to be together all those years!!

Modern technology is great. Our family in Florida has acquired a Webcam, and Mom was able to see us AND talk to us on Christmas Day. Lois has a Webcam in Ecuador too! We have decided that Skype is wonderful.

Mom and Dad's health is doing Ok. The pain in Dad's legs makes it difficult for him to get around much, but he and Mom were able to get to Aunt Betty's for Christmas dinner! She was also a big help for them in Christmas shopping. Thanks, Aunt Betty.