In remembrance of Ladeva

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Memorial date,time & location

Today we were able to secure a date and time for Mom’s memorial celebration.

March 17, 2012
11:00 am
Centralia Community Church of God
3320 Borst Avenue
Centralia, WA 98531
(360) 736-7606

After we are able to get her obituary printed in the local paper, we will post a copy of it on the blog for those friends and relatives that are far away.
Your continued prayers for Dad and the rest of our family is coveted as we wait upon the Lord even in the knowledge that we may not know His plan for taking Mom home while on this side of heaven. Over the next couple of weeks leading up to the memorial, please carefully consider sharing a favorite memory, trait, or thought about Mom’s life as it intersected your own. We will be providing stationary at the memorial for you to write these down, and plan to keep them for Ladeva’s grandchildren as a reminder of who their Grandmother really is.
Please continue to check in for updated information.
For all that loved Ladeva, we love you, and acknowledge your loss as well. God bless you and provide you peace and comfort in this difficult time as well.
Blessings-
Troy and family

Angels rejoice!

It is impossible to sum up the human experience in a few paragraphs. Perhaps a great philosopher could construct an eloquent summary, but when it comes to my Mother, they would fall short.
Today, around 2:10pm, the Saints and Angels rejoiced louder than ever when Jesus entered the heavenly realm hand in hand with Ladeva Ann Dahlin.
After four years of fighting cancer with dignity, style and grace, Mom once and for all won the battle and was rewarded by her Heavenly Father with a new body, free of ailments and began leaping and singing His praises. There are no regrets for all the pain that the last four years have brought, as out of this pain was born an even greater sense of thankfulness and dependence on a Sovereign God, that has poured out His mercies and lavished us with love and unity.
Last night, we sat around Mom’s bed as a family and shared in the most beautiful time of telling touching stories, quoting scriptures, signing hymns, and loving on each other and Mom. Though she was non-responsive, she was able to hear everything that was said. The evening was filled with loving and kind words, laughter, some tears, but mostly Praise. Her grandson Kale, played his guitar and sang a song to his grandmother that was a special treasure, not just to her but blessed us all.
At the moment of her passing, Dad was holding her hand, and he did not let go until the Bride-Groom Christ came and took her hand. Though we will always have a part of her in and with us, she is now His to have and hold from this day forward, for better, in richer, in health, for eternity. We rejoice in the sound assurance that we will one day be together with her again. Though we have sadness, it is not defeat, though tears we have joy, though loneliness a Comforter is with us. We will fight against the enemy, to overcome with the Spirit of God making a way for us in the long days ahead.
Please continue to pray, especially for my Dad, as he puts one foot in front of the other in faith. We will continue to communicate through this blog with information about memorial services, and other thoughts, trials, prayers, and joys. We will read the responses daily to Dad to bolster his faith, and bring him peace.
God Bless you for your kindness, prayer, and support.
“…we are of good courage, I say, and prefer rather to be absent from the body and to be at home with the Lord.”-2 Corinthians 5:8
Blessings-
Troy and family

"Love"

Love is a strange and wonderful gift that the Lord has given to us. It makes suffering more intense, but also allows joy to overcome the pain. Love can cause people to do things that are hard to fathom for others, except to those that share in it.
Love causes a woman to enter a crowded room and within minutes, identify the person that needs a friend, kind word, something to eat, or is lonely and is compelled to go to that person and share with them out of what they have. Over the course of my life, I have witnessed my Mother do this time and time again. She feeds the hungry, gives clothes to those that are exposed, visit’s the sick, and speaks to those that most of us would rather walk past. Like light through a crystal refracting around the room, the light of Christ has shined through her in directions that perhaps even she is unaware of.
Love causes a woman to fight cancer for years, endure surgeries, take chemo and radiation, with grace, dignity, and style. All the while, she comforts those that come to visit her, and shares from what she has. She fights and persists with the power that can only come from the Lord, and gives thanks through all she has to deal with.
Love causes a woman who struggles for breath, to make sure that her grandson Cameron has had enough to eat today. To ask her husband if he would be more comfortable in a chair rather than kneeling over her bedside. To raise her hands to praise Jesus Christ (and require assistance from her daughter to hold her hands up) and give thanks for His goodness and mercy.
Love causes you to read this blog, to pray for Ladeva and Warren, to cry, and to celebrate her life and its impact on yours. To reply to this posting with a special memory that you have of Mom, a scripture to uplift her, or just a word of encouragement.
Love causes a child to protect his Mother, by asking that no more visitors come to the house and allow Dad to spent these sacred moments together. As we move through the hours ahead, our hearts are selfishly saddened, and also overjoyed because of the legacy that this beautiful woman has passed on to us all, including you.
“And now these three remain: faith, hope, and love. But the greatest of these is love.”

-1 Corinthians 13:13
God bless you today. We love you.

Unchartered Waters

Since our last post, God has been hard at work demonstrating His love and mercy upon Mom and Dad. Facing the diagnosis that time was short, plans quickly started to fall into place to make some dreams come true. On March 1st of this year, Mom and Dad will celebrate their 49th Anniversary. A big dream of theirs for the past several years was that on their 50th, that all of their children and grandchildren would celebrate with them in Hawaii. Given the circumstances, this just had to happen one way or the other.

On February 3rd, all 15 of us arrived in Kona on the big island. We spent 5 nights and 6 days in paradise as a family creating precious memories. Though there were many wonderful experiences, the top few far surpassed any "tourist" attraction, as they had eternal value.

On Sunday morning, we attended Living Stones Church for service. We were seated in the outdoor section next to the ocean, and worshipped our Living God with His beautiful creation surrounding us. We were blessed to take communion together as a family and meet some islanders that prayed with us after the service, as though we were a part of their own church family. It was a tremendous blessing.

Monday morning, we attended a worship service at YWAM (Youth With A Mission), University of the Nations in Kona. Nearly a thousand young people worshipping together and raising their voices in praise. Again, we had a wonderful time of prayer together as a family. We were able to see the campus and hear about much of the work that goes on there. What a blessing this place is in a dark world.

That evening we returned to YWAM for a Prayer/Worship service. The room that we met in was packed with nearly 200 young people who sang, prayed, sang, prayed, sang (you get the idea). Two and a half hours passed in no time, as we could feel the presence of the Holy Spirit in the place just as real as anything else in the room. A number of the young people and their leaders came over and began to pray for Mom and Dad. Soon, there was a large number of people gathered around in prayer that was palpable. The Lord's hand was in that room and on Mom and Dad, along with the rest of the family. A special "thank you" to our friends Craig Kline and Greg & JoLynn Murphy for taking time to make special preparations for us to visit YWAM, and be among God's people away from home.

All too soon, we had to return home to balmy western Washington. Mom and Dad following a few days later. They had to return 3 days early as Mom was struggling to breath and her machine to provide oxygen was not working correctly. Since returning, we have continued to meet one obstacle after another. Doctor's visits have been full of news we did not want to hear, a visit to the ER followed by the decision to initiate hospice care to best care for mom.

We have entered a new place of uncharted waters for our family, but still trust and wait upon the Lord.

We have been so blessed over the past four years of strife to have each of you supporting our family in prayer and sharing your love with Mom and Dad. We ask you to continue to pray fervently on their behalf, and we will try to do a better job of communicating to you through this blog.

With the outpouring of love that Mom and Dad are experiencing, we have had a great number of visitors over the past few days. Mom loves to see each of you when she can, the sheer volume of people coming to visit is vast. She has asked that anyone who wants to see her has access. We respectfully ask that if you come to visit, that you keep your visits short, as talking is very taxing for Mom and she doesn't want to miss anything so she winds up exhausted and fighting for air. I hope that you will understand that you are welcome and that your visits are appreciated greatly, but someone has to be the bad guy on her behalf to protect her, and I drew the short straw. We love you, we appreciate you, we ask for your continued covering through prayer, and hope to keep you better informed as we move forward in the days ahead.

In our weakness, His strength is perfected.

Troy

An unexpected report.....

John 14:27 "Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid."

Mom and Dad had felt confident about receiveing a good report yesterday from the cancer doctor. Mom is feeling good, and had no reason to think that there was anything amiss.

The Doctor's report showed that both lungs had tumors on them, 20 in all. There were two treatment options. 1) Medications could be administered that had the potential of extending her life, but the side-effects would be significant sickness. 2) No medication. This would allow Mom to feel good for a while without the side-effects of the medication. The Doctor stated that in their medical opinion, Mom was told that she could expect about a year to live.

After the initial shock of this news, Mom and Dad have made some decisions about how they will move forward from this moment.

1) God is still on the throne. Only God knows how many days each of us has left. He is in control and His will is perfect.

2) No matter how many days remain, live each one as the precious gift that it is! Love intensely, laugh often, Live for the Glory of God.

3) Give thanks for the blessings of family and friends. Spend quality time with them and make memories.

4) Enjoy all that life has to offer without dwelling on the struggles that come their way.

5) Speak boldly of the Eternal Life offered through Jesus Christ to those whom do not know Him as Savior.

To each of you who have been reading the blog over the past few years, we thank you for your outpouring of love and support. The Bible says that "You therefore must endure hardship as a good soldier of Jesus Christ". Mom and Dad will endure and will continue to fight the fight, not with a spirit of fear, but of strength and power, and sound mind. Your continued support will be cherished and a source of strength.

This story is not over. All of these things have happened so that the Glory of God may be revealed.

All our love,

Troy & Family

A post from Mom 11/22/11

I've been wanting to write something and let you know that all is going
well with me. I have been feeling good and enjoying doing normal things again.
I have been on several mini trips in the last couple months. I got to go to
Donna's with Edna and her daughter,my neice, Dayla. It was good to see Donna up and doing things, and see her hair coming in again!

Warren and I have made it to
Ocean Shores, and just recently went to Depoe Bay for a couple days. Our class
is planning a 50th reunion this summer. Karen Johnson and Nancy Suyat, Shirley
Beaber, Liz Powell, and Sandy Macomber came and we had our first planning
meeting here. It was fun to get together with them.In 2013, Warren and
I will celebrate our 50th anniversary! We are looking ahead, and planning a
trip to go to Hawaii to celebrate. Fifty years has sure gone by fast! It makes
you realize how short our lives really are, and how important it is to live it
well. It makes me think of one of my favorite Bible verses which says: " The
only thing that matters is expressing your faith through love." Gal.
5:6

I go back to Seattle on Monday, the 28th, for more testing, and we
will stay in Seattle as I have to see the Oncologist first thing on Tuesday.
I'm hoping and praying for a good report. I feel like it will be a positive
check up. I am so glad that I have a personal relationship with my God. I
don't know how anyone faces what I have been through without him. That is the
difference between religion, which is something you do over and over like taking
a shower, brushing your teeth religiously. Christianity is a personal relationship with Jesus through His spirit living inside of you, comforting, strengthening, and teaching you. I am not looking forward to this check up, but I'm not afraid to go.We will have some of our kids for Thanksgiving. Our children and grands come every other year for Thanksgiving to keep it even with the other side of their family. Brian's mom and Dad will be gone this year, so we get to have Kim and Brian, Brittain and Paris. Also Warren's mom, brother, Gary sister, Sherry, and her special guy Tom will be here. We always look forward to our family days. I
want to wish you all a most wonderful Thanksgiving. We are thankful that you
are a part of our lives. Love Ladeva

"Finding Victory ...."

Friday October 14, 2011

Today is day 4 of mom being off all her anti nausea/ pain meds!! She is finding victory and we are so happy to update the blog with some great news thanks to your faithful prayers for Mom's healing.

A week ago today Mom, Maria and I headed south to the Rose Garden in Portland to attend "Women of Faith" It was attended by 7,000 women and was a tremendous weekend.

"Women of Faith" is a weekend of motivational Christian speakers, music, and fun.

We borrowed a wheelchair so that mom would not have to expend any more energy than to just soak in the message for that weekend.

Mom had a great evening on Friday and slept well. We were blessed to be in a place where we could give her meds with the hot food she had come to rely on. We got to the Rose Garden and our concerns about hot food disappeared with the realization that the Garden was "Open for business" :) Every food vendor was in full swing and we did not have to leave to get warm drinks and food for her meds.

Late morning when one of the sessions started a worship team came on stage to lead some singing. There is a cd I got mom about a year ago by musician Kari Jobe. I bought the cd for a song called "Healer". It talks about how God knows our every moment and sees every hurt, pain and trial. It talks about how God walks with you through every struggle and that He is the one who heals. As Mom was sitting in her chair listening to the words she was feeling moved by the words and was taking them in as if they were her prayer to Him. The words say that "Nothing is impossible for You, You hold my world in your hands". She really felt God's presence and we decided that we were just going to claim those words as her own.

She continued to feel good all weekend and never once got sick, nauseated or exhausted.

The next few days she stayed on her routine with meds but by Tuesday she realized she had been feeling so great since Saturday that she questioned if she really even needed the medication at all.

She took her meds for the last time Tuesday night before bed and for the first time in months slept through the night without waking up and taking medication!

She woke Wednesday so thankful and grateful. She has not taken another pill since that night. God has certainly healed her from nausea and pain. She has had a great week. She has painted a bit, taken her sister in law to Yelm to see her brother and sister in law and is feeling great. She continues to get stronger daily. Today we went to lunch with Judy Panco and have had such a sweet day. I came to help out with some little projects but spent most of the time fussing at her to sit down and rest.

She looks so good. Her eyes are sparkling again and she is smiling. Thank you for your persistent prayers. Prayer does change circumstances, God still heals and we are thankful to you all for your faithfulness in praying for her all these months.

Will try to update you perhaps after her oncology visit in another 3-6 weeks. Feel free to call her.

We appreciate you all so very much. The prayer, calls, cards and encouragement have been a sweet gift.

With a joyful and thankful heart,

Kimberly and family

e

A good report. Friday Sept 23, 2011

Yesterday mom saw her renal surgeon at UWMC.

He was really pleased with her progress and is happy with how her wound is healing.

He has released her completely from his care and says that the numbers show her other kidney is functioning very well.

She will see her oncologist in 4-6 weeks so no other Dr.'s appointments in the near future.

She is feeling a little better and afternoons are still her best time of day.

She is so thankful she is not battling constant nausea and is grateful for all your prayers and love. She has received so many cards, letters and calls and she and dad appreciate each and every one of you.

We will try to update you every few days to keep you posted on mom's progress.

Much love from Kimberly and family.

A Lovely Day!

I finally have some good news to report. :)

The last two days have been some of the best mom has had and I am really happy to get to share with you her progress.

Monday morning I got a call from Assured Home Health Care. They were sending out a nurse to evaluate mom and try to assist with the constant nausea.

Mom's friend Cindy Cummings was here when Rhonda the nurse arrived. We are so grateful that mom had Cindy there also as she is an RN as well and the two ladies were able to talk about mom's case and really discuss things in depth.

Rhonda suggested that mom change up her meds again. As you may remember, she has been pretty reliant on Zofran,( an anti nausea med) as she has so many allergies to any other anti nausea med. She had tried Fenergan ( sp?) but felt it was too strong even at half a dose and that some of the side effects were making things worse for her. She also was noticing a pattern that whenever she took the zofran she was feeling worse. We weren't sure what was going on with the meds but she would swallow the pills and minutes later was either sick or heaving.

Rhonda recommended mom not take half the dose, but a full dose, even though she was having some disconcerting side effects and try it with some warm food and not swallowing liquid. Mom was exhausted on Monday as she had been up all night long and we could not get her comfortable or able to sleep for more than a few minutes at a time. Mom took the new med as she advised with hot pudding and Monday night she slept longer than she has in weeks and weeks.

The best news though is that she did NOT wake up with nausea!!! That is an amazing thing as she has been nauseous for so long it didn't seem possible.

She didn't sleep as well on Tuesday night, but not too badly and woke again this morning with NO nausea!!!

Her sister Edna came and stayed with her for a while and then Dad asked her if she wanted to go for a drive. She hasn't left the house except to go to UWMC hospital. They drove to Skipper's, got some fish and clam chowder, drove to a park and had some lunch. They took a short stroll and then went home for mom to take a good nap. She was tired, but had done something "normal" that we all take for granted and it was so good for mom and dad both. While she didn't eat much and brought her chowder home for dinner, she did go on a date with her boyfriend. ( yes, I mean my dad!!!) They had a lovely day.

Tonight I have been praying for another good night's sleep. I am praying that she wakes up refreshed, nausea free and that she has turned the bend and is heading for healing. :)

Thank you to all of you who are so faithful to lift her and dad up in prayer.

Look at what God has done.

From a weekend of great discouragement to some days of tender mercies.

I have been thanking Him over and over for the change in the last 48 hours.

Thank you too for all your prayers.

It is true prayer can certainly change things.

Thank you for being faithful in all your prayers for mom.

She goes back to Seattle tomorrow for another post op appt. Please pray for her stamina and anxiety tomorrow. She really gets anxious having to make that long, uncomfortable trip.

We will continue to pray that the nausea has been eliminated for good and thank you for your part in that with your faithful prayer.

With a happy heart,

Kimberly and family

Sunday Sept 18,2011

There are times in all of our lives when we grow weary.

We get discouraged, feel defeated, and just plain feel sad and tired.

This has been a long road for mom and dad. The journey has been painful and seemingly at times unrelenting. It wears on the soul and causes discouragement that at times can seem overwhelming.

Saturday and Sunday morning have been like that. On Saturday mom woke looking forward to an afternoon at the Toledo park with family. She felt so sick she didn't know if she could even get in the car. By noon she was starting to feel some better and forced herself to go. She was able to stay for 3 hours and enjoyed being with family. She came home exhausted and spent. She didn't sleep well and today started the same way, sick, discouraged and so very sick of being sick. Dad has his own struggle. He wants to make her comfortable yet there is nothing he can do to alleviate her pain, nausea and exhaustion. He works tirelessly at keeping the meds straight, on schedule and food and fluids coming. They are both working so hard at every possible combination of food, meds, rest, fluids etc trying to find the winning combination. So far, they haven't found it. Mornings are always hard, and IF it's a good day, she won't start to feel better until afternoon.

It's a struggle every day. Some days they are fighting and winning. Some days they are fighting and feel like they are loosing ground. People ask me every single day " What can I do?" I ask this questions myself knowing full well that there is truly only one answer that could change their circumstance.

Prayer.

We ask that you continue to intercede on Mom's behalf in prayer.

Prayer can change circumstances.

I have to admit that we get discouraged, but then I remember who is in control of our lives. It is not us, the Dr.'s, or random happenstance. He will not leave us to walk through life's troubles alone. I am so grateful He is our strength and comfort.

"So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand." Isaiah 41:10

With much love and a grateful heart for all of you,

Kimberly and family

Saturday Sept 17, 2011

We don't have much to add but I know that many of you are faithful to check the blog daily and get updates.

Thursday mom went to her primary care provider for a follow up appt.

Her regular Dr. is out on maternity leave so she saw a new Dr. It's always a little daunting when the Dr. does not know your medical history, but mom and dad felt like he spent a lot of time with them and really cared about her condition and meds. They were hoping to see if he could suggest any additional anti nausea meds or write a script for Requip. ( a Restless Leg Syndrome med she tried once in the hospital)

The verdict was that there is no other meds for nausea that she can take so he suggested ativan and zofran together again. He also felt like given the huge surgeries she has had and the meds she is on that Requip could potentially cause more harm than good so it's a no go.

She continues to battle constant nausea and dry heaves. It's exhausting and discouraging. the mornings are always the worst. If it's a good day she starts to feel better in the afternoon. This isn't everyday so please continue to pray for God's healing in this area especially.

Mom and dad are going to Toledo park today for mom's family get together. She won't be able to stay long but I pray she can see some family and hug some necks for a bit. It will be exhausting so I am sure she will be napping this afternoon.

She got to see her sister Donna yesterday who is also battling cancer. Donna has been through so much treatment including chemotherapy, and is going in soon for a mastectomy. She will continue chemo after for the bone cancer so we continue to lift her up in prayer as well and would ask you to do the same.

We are thankful to each and everyone of you.

Blessings on your day.

Kimberly and family

Monday 9/12/11 Weekend Update

It was a rough weekend with meds, nausea and dry heaves.

It's not clear to us if the new med is working or not.

Mom had a really rough Saturday full of discouragement and sickness.

It was an excruciatingly long day.

Sunday started out rough but did get a little better as the day wore on. It was a monumental struggle getting in the 1000 calories. Brian and the kids came down to see her and got caught up with Papa and grandma. We all went down to the swing and sat outside for about an hour taking in the fresh air and their gorgeous view.

Later Ken and Linda Riveness came by as did Steve and Carmen.

Steve and Carmen brought some rocky road ice crream and mom was able to get a bit down adding to her calorie count.

Ken left his recipe for Sweedish pancakes as they are high in calories and this morning mom ate 2 small ones. Woot woot!!!

She had dry heaves again and is very sore and exhausted afetrwards. We are praying for a better day. She gets tired easily and needs to nap throughout the day. I know this is what will help those 1000 calories be redirected into healing her body. It's not great for her to go long periods without "taking 5" as she calls it. I am trying not to be a "food pusher" and a "nap pusher" but it's hard to not get overly protective while she is recuperating.

We love and appreciate you all so much for your constant vigil over mom and dad. Your prayers and words of encouragement give them strength for each day.

Please pray for dad as well. His love of mom is unending and tireless. He loves on her so well.

Troy, Maria and kids came Saturday night and Troy took him to Home Depot and coffee while Maria and the kids sat and cared for mom.

Thank you Troy for getting him out for a bit. It helps to recharge his batteries and get a change of scenery, talk and share. You are awesome and I love you so.

Please keep the prayer coming. We know it is what is sustaining her and fights off the discouragement. You are all such an important part of her healing and recovery and we love you for it.

With much love and appreciation,

Kimberly and family.

Friday, Sept.9th

This week, the struggle to eat and hold food down has continued to be Mama’s biggest battle. She works daily at her goal of getting 1,000 calories down. Daddy has been trying all different combinations of soft high calorie foods and shakes to help her reach her goal. The dry heaves continue each day which keeps Mama’s abdomen really sore.

On a positive note, Mama is getting stronger. She no longer is using a walker. Her fluid retention in her legs has gone down now that she no longer is on IV fluids. Therefore her legs are no longer so tender and miserable. The majority of her food is staying down. She is enjoying being in the comfort of her own home and is getting some good rest and sleep at night.

We went to her follow appointment with Dr. Pillarisetty today at Seattle Cancer Care. He was encouraged by her progress. Of course, the problem of nausea was the main topic discussed to find some kind of solution. He gave some additional suggestions for her to try. He also agreed that the anti-nausea medication Mama has been taking for the last couple of months is no longer proving to be effective. Mama has decided to go back and try another anti-nausea medication that caused some unpleasant side effects during her chemo treatments. Maybe this time around it may not have the same effects or at the very least, the side effects may be worth not being so sick and getting to eat and drink easier.

Thank you for continuing to keep Mama in your prayers. Please continue to lift Daddy up in prayer also. Taking care of Mama and watching her be sick day in and day out and being so helpless at times is so difficult. He has been a rock for her to lean on. Pray that he will have strength and peace for each new day so that he will remain that strong rock and will not grow weary.

Thank you also for your encouragement in so many ways. We appreciate you so much.

With love,

Carmen & family

Saturday, Sept. 3rd

Thursday was a rougher day for Mama holding food down and feeling sick. She was really concerned that Friday's appointment back with Dr. Gore could possibly put her back into the hospital. Fortunately, that was not the case. At her appointment, they removed her PIC line and staples. Her infection is looking better. There is still a little redness, but it is improving. The trip to Seattle was tasking on her physically and emotionally. Her next appointment is next Friday the 9th.

She continues to struggle with an upset stomach and nausea, but she is determined to keep slowly chipping away at eating at least 1000 calories a day and drinking fluids. A 1000 calories just doesn't sound like a major task, but in her case, it is all she can do to get it down and hold it there.

Mama and Daddy are enjoying being back in the comfort of their home and they are both getting much more rest now. The weather has been so beautiful and the soft warm breeze coming through the windows is a nice blessing.

We are praying that the eating and drinking gets easier and easier and the nausea goes away soon. If you think about it on Thursday and Friday, please keep Mama in prayer regarding her follow up visit with Dr. Pillarisetty. We just don't want her to have any anxiety preparing to go to Seattle again as well as the day of the appointment. Sometimes just walking into those buildings brings a rush of memories that can be overwhelming for her at times.

We appreciate your continued prayers and encouragement more than you know.

With love,

Carmen & family

Wed., August 31st - Finally Home

Yesterday's discharge got delayed to the evening. Mama didn't get her discharge until just before 8pm. The final decision to come home without the TPN was made by Mama and Daddy. It wasn't an easy decision to make. While the IV nutrition was helping to give her the needed nutrition, it also was creating other difficulties. The TPN kept her getting up throughout the night because of all the added fluids, which robbed her of sleep and she was exhausted. It also suppressed her diet because she was feeling full so she didn't feel she had much room to eat. The hospital foods were less than desirable so that also became a challenge. Mama felt if she could get home without the TPN, she would be able to get rest and eat better. At home she would be able to sleep all night without the interruptions of getting up all night long as well as hospital staff waking her up to do vitals. As far as eating goes, she was looking forward to eating things she enjoys and more of a variety.

We got her home by about 9:30pm last night. By the time we got her clothes changed and settled into bed, she was "all in but her shoestrings". :) She was so relieved to get into her own bed where she is finally comfortable.

This morning and afternoon, she is doing pretty well eating and drinking. The 1,000 calorie goal is still an effort, but she is really working at getting it in by the end of the day. She is on track and should make it. So far, she is doing well at keeping everything down and not throwing up. This whole food and fluids things is a real big hurdle to get over so she doesn't have to be readmitting into the hospital, so we would appreciate your prayers regarding this especially.

Our friend Cindi (who is a nurse) came over and helped Dad sort through the medications and get them on a schedule. That was a task and somewhat overwhelming. Thank you so much Cindi. You are a blessing.

Mama has had several visitors today. She enjoyed getting to visit and was feeling so blessed. She had been up since this morning and it doesn't take much to wipe her out these days, so she is back in bed to get some more sleep and recharge her batteries. Daddy is taking this quiet time to also sneak in a nap himself.

It is so good to be home again. Thank you for your encouragement and prayers. The Bible says we are to bear one another's burdens and then in Ecclesiastes 4:9-10 says, "Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their labor. For if they fall, one will lift up his companion. But woe to him who is alone when he falls, for he has no one to help him up." Thank you for coming up beside Mama and our family. For bearing our burdens and lifting us up when we most need it. Your words of encouragement and your answered prayers have picked us up over and over. Thank you.

With love,

Carmen & family

Tuesday, August 30th - Going home

Things change so quickly here. Sometime today Mama is supposed to be discharged. There has been much controversy with how Mama is to go home. (With TPN or without) There are so many factors involved that I am not even going to try to list them. Ultimately, Mama has to make the final decision. It is not an easy decision. There are many pros and cons. We have been praying for wisdom and would appreciate your prayers as well to make the right decision. We will try to do another post later this evening. Thank you in advance.

With love,

Carmen & family

Monday, August 29th

I apologize for a brief update, but I have a bad headache and am finding it hard to even look at the computer. Last night and this morning was difficult. Mama was feeling sick and throwing up. This afternoon was much better. She still doesn't feel much like eating and her stomach has had waves of nausea off and on. This morning, Mama's newest incision site was starting to show redness and they were concerned about infection so she began taking antibiotics. There was quite a bit of discouragement when I got here this morning, but God has showered us with His love throughout the day and spirits are lifted. Here are several of the blessings He gave: One of the nurses assistants came and looked in the room earlier this morning and asked Mama how she was doing. Long story short, she was literally an answer to prayer. She is a really sweet Christian lady and she came in and helped Mama and put her arms around her and prayed over her and for Daddy. This afternoon, Mama & Daddy's pastor and his family stopped by to bring her flowers, encouragement and prayed with us. This evening, Uncle Dean and Aunt Elaine came to visit, encourage and pray. Then add in several phone calls of love, encouragement and prayers. God sent just what was needed. Thank you Lord.

With love,

Carmen and family

August 28th, 2011

As with many things in life, the anticipation of an event is often greater than the event itself. For Mom, knowing that today the epidural would be capped off and then removed was providing some significant anxiety. Having conditioned her response to this anxiety to be prayer, Mom quietly prayed for the Holy Spirit to manifest Himself to her in a way to make the fear subside. The answer to this request was delivered subtlety, but was heard loud and clear. Mom’s nurse for the day came in to introduce herself, check Mom’s vitals and other routine duties. Mom felt better seeing the name CHRISTine on the white board. Next came in Mom’s PCT for the day, which is a very large but gentle man named EMMANUEL (meaning “God with us”). God is forever faithful to His people to quite their fears when they call upon His name.
Mom was out of bed for 2 ½ hours this morning, went for a little walk, sat in a chair, and ate some breakfast. It seems odd to mention such things as these as accomplishments, but when you have not been able to do any of these things for 26 days, it is cause for celebration. Dad received further treatment on administering the TPN if it is needed when they finally get home. Dad was patient, steady, thorough, and ready for action if required. We hope that with the food intake that Mom is currently on, that the TPN will not be required at home. Either way, home is the immediate goal, with TPN being a much smaller variable.
The days seem a bit of a roller coaster at times, as one minute or hour Mom feels a little better, and the next worse, but for the moment (3:00 pm) she is semi-comfortable and trying to eat some more.
At present, we are sitting here listing out our favorite scriptures and promises found in God’s Word. Mom and Dad have shared numerous scriptures that renew their strength and hope daily. It has been fun, especially once you get past the commonly used scriptures for circumstances like this. If I could request one thing more from all of you who are reading this blog, please post your favorite scripture or promise from the Bible for Mom and Dad to look up together and meditate upon. With Mom feeling a bit better, the hours tend to drag even more so and this would provide them with an activity as well as it will bless them with your favorite scriptures.
Thank you for your continued prayer, postings, cards, and labors of love,
Troy & Family

A turn for the better....

I just had to write earlier in the day so that you can all get an encouraging blog post for a change.

Thank you SO much for your constant prayer. God is continuing to answer our prayers, for He is and always has been so faithful.

This morning mom ate half a muffin and some cream cheese, apple juice and some hot tea. For lunch she ate half a turkey, swiss cheese, tomato and lettuce sandwich and tomato juice. She walked 300 feet with the aid of a physical therapist and walker. She is doing so well today. He pain is manageable and she is looking so much better. They are talking about removing the epidural tomorrow and beginning to discuss sending her home the first part of next week! Whew! What a day already. We are so very encouraged.

A nurse came in and trained dad on how to set and run iv nutrition for mom at home. He had about an hour training and did awesome. He is so diligent about doing everything right and being careful in each step.

We are so grateful for your love and support. The comments on the blog mean more than you know as well as all the cards and calls. We read the blog comments to her daily ( sometimes multiple times and she smiles in affirmation of all the words of encouragement.)

You are each and everyone a treasure to us all.

We are blessed beyond measure to have so many interceding on her behalf.

We thank you for all your love shown to us throughout these last 25 days days in the hospital.

With a grateful heart,

Kimberly and family.