On the Eve of Battle

Mirroring our CaringBridge post: http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/danieljmiller/journal

As I write this, Daniel has just gotten to sleep after fighting it all night, not wanting to face the morning.  Yesterday evening was an even bigger battle as the weekend came to a close and he began to get caught up in anxiety about Tuesday's clinic appointment.  Our week-long hiatus is now over after his bout with the flu last weekend.  And tomorrow (Tues) morning will be our next try at starting the last major phase of treatment.  However, it is "count dependent" (his blood cell counts will have to be above a certain level in order to start the treatment).  

Personally, I'll be really surprised if they are high enough. He's still had a bad cough throughout the past week and Andrea has REALLY been down hard with it (exposing all of us to the same bug continually).  If Daniel's counts are high enough after this past week, it'll be a minor miracle in itself.  We're all of very mixed emotions about it.  We'd like to see him have a chance to rest more, but we also want to get moving and get this over with!

However, the blood counts are always a 50/50 shot and completely unpredictable - so who knows.  But once we hit that magic number, we'll be jumping off into what we HOPE is the last really major battle of this war.  There will be no more "count dependent" holds along the way and after this phase, we're into "maintenance" which is at least a LITTLE bit easier.  Of course, there is always the danger lurking of ongoing side effects, infections, or even a relapse. So we take nothing for granted.

When this last portion does start, it's going to be a tough 4 weeks for Daniel.  It will involve 3 spinal taps, 2 rounds of 4-day home chemo treatments, and another face-off with the 18 injections in his legs (6 days of 3-shots each spread over 1-1/2 weeks), plus several other IV infusions and oral chemo drugs along the way.  It's no wonder he's dreading it.  The huge numbers of needles he's seen over the past 8 months have done nothing to lessen his dread of them, and his battles with nausea have been increasing lately, and none of us are really sure which drugs or combinations of drugs cause that to happen yet.

In addition to staring this enemy in the face, he's now lost nearly all of his hair.  Andrea talked him into getting it cut short (a military cut), and while that is almost certainly a better way to go, it's also had the effect of making the little bit he has left appear almost unnoticeable.  It was already sparse and is so thin and light in color that it appears almost gone.  Closer examination does indeed show large bald spots, and only very thin patches left everywhere else.  It's bothering him a lot and had him in tears last night as he really wrestled with the fear of what lay ahead as he was going to bed.

If you've been following along, you'll note that we've been going through a new interest in WW-II things.  This began with a new video game for his Wii that I bought for him, but I've been capitalizing on it with other things as well.  Last night we finished watching the mini-series "Band of Brothers", and tonight we went through a bunch of the Special Features stuff in the DVD package.  I tried to capitalize on this as we talked last night and tonight.  I told him that anybody who knows ANYTHING about cancer or chemo therapy understands why your hair is falling out.  It's not something of shame, it's a testament to your courage and to all the difficulty you've been through to those who see you.  It is your "Medal of Honor" that you earned in battle and you should be proud of it, not ashamed of it or embarrassed by it.  I saw a tear roll down his cheek as I said these things and talked about using God's Word, Armor, and Weaponry that He's given us to "set up defensive perimeters around our hearts and minds" (Eph 6:10-18; Phil 4:6-7), and taking enemy thoughts that try to attack us as "prisoners" and sending them back to HQ (2 Cor 10:5).  I don't know what the tear meant and I didn't dig.  I talked to him about the "Peace that passes understanding" and "resisting" our enemy so that he would flee from us (Jas 4:7), and keeping our eyes peeled for the escape route that God provides for us (1 Cor 10:13) until his eyes grew heavy and he drifted off to sleep.  

Some time, I'll talk to him more about what's going on underneath it all and whether my words helped at all. But for right now, I'm calling in for long-range artillery support ... that would be YOU dear readers.  

I've described the precise coordinates of our various enemies on the battle map and need you to take aim at them and let them have it.  We're pinned down at the moment and looking forward to being relieved after this next big battle.  The name of the town before us is "Delayed Intensification Phase - Part B" and we may very well be assaulting it in the morning ... or the attack may be postponed until we get enough replacements to get back up to our full compliment (of blood cells) before going in.  Either way, our objective is clear and there's no going back.  The only way to victory is FORWARD!  And our Commanding Officer has never lost a battle, so we'll leave the decision making to Him. We'll follow Him anywhere!!

Please forgive the military tenor here, but one day he'll read this and (I hope) appreciate it. :-)  Until then, whether this is reaching Daniel or not, it's at least been helpful for me to see things in this way as it helps keep perspective.  There are a number of enemies facing us at this point.  Call them cancer, chemotherapy, hair loss, fear, finances, stress and emotional distress, and even Satan himself.  But we have weapons, training, support, artillery (prayer partners), and close air support (the angels of heaven) at our Captain's command (Matt 26:53), and if we can keep focused on just following orders, then this battle too WILL be won.

Thanks for your indulgence, and thanks especially for the artill .. er ... prayer support!!  Now let's get some suppressing fire on those enemy positions and soften 'em up good so we can take this hill in the morning!!

Strength, Courage, and Honor,

- Tim -

P.S.  Please also remember to keep Joey and the Kellers in your prayers as well.  Their battle has been FAR more intense than ours and they are in desperate need of a good Cavalry charge right about now. http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/joeykeller  

No Piggy Flu Here!

Passing on Andrea's latest CaringBridge post on Daniel & us.
Mirrored from http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/danieljmiller/journal

No piggy flu here!

Written by Andrea Miller

Quick update on Daniel.  He was put into quarantine at Riley pending the outcome of the cultures taken for bacterial and viral infections.  This meant we also had to be in a gown, mask and gloves the whole time we were with him in the room.  REALLY was not comfortable.  Don't know how Tim did it sleeping in that.  

He was released late Sunday afternoon as the bacterial cultures had not grown anything during the 24 hr time period needed.  He is still coughing and tired.  His hair, which had pretty much grown back, is now falling out by the fistful. His counts are still very low, but beginning to make a gradual come back.  His clinic apt. for this week was canceled since it was count dependent and was very unlikely his would be anywhere near the min.needed to begin the 2nd half of this phase of treatment.

Today Tim got a message from his Dr. that they did get a positive culture on the viral test.  He has Parainfluenza - mild case of the flu (go here for description:  

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/PMH0002346    )
The description of his symptoms is right on target.  We are so thankful that he did not have the new strain of Swine Flu that they have been seeing at Riley.  There is no treatment for this, other than just watching to be sure cough doesn't worsen, temp doesn't go up again, or any other symptoms develop.  I too seem to have caught the same thing as I've been coughing a lot and had a runny nose and achy.  

He'll be very limited on activities as we minimize his exposure during recovery from this, as well as not expose any others to it.   Thanks again to everyone who has been praying for him and us.

Adding my own thoughts (Tim):

It was indeed a rough weekend at the hospital having to constantly be dressed in full gown, mask, & gloves - even sleeping that way.  Thankfully, Daniel's symptoms didn't worsen over the weekend. Unfortunately, they haven't really gotten much better either. And now it appears Andrea has it and it's trying to get me.  I felt lousy all day but trying to kick its butt with lotsa vitamins, good food & rest.  Usually I can stave off such things, but we'll see, the stress of recent events at home & work doesn't help.  

It's been rough watching Daniel turn back around and start losing all his hair again ... really fast!  It's everywhere and gets him really frustrated too find hand-fulls on his pillows and clothes. The doctor said it takes about a month after a particular chemo treatment before it actually starts making hair fall out, so we're seeing the effects of something he had a month ago - probably a drug called Doxorubicen, but even the doc wasn't 100% sure.  He had three treatments with the last one having been as recent as 8/1. So if the effects don't show up for a month, then all we're seeing now was just from the very first one.  So we're not holding out a lot of hope of keeping any of his hair this time.  He actually had 4 treatments at the start of all this back in January and he only lost about 1/2 or 2/3 of his hair.  But he's been through a lot more leading up to this time and some of the nurses have said it's common to lose it all on the 2nd round.  We'll see.  That will be hard on him.

During the stay in the hospital, Daniel discovered a WW-II video game they had for the Play Station 3 in his room that he really liked.  I bought him a used copy for his Wii at home as his "prize" for having had to be admitted (we always try to reward his bravery with a gift of some kind when he has to be admitted - it has helped a LOT to have something positive to look forward too.)  So he's REALLY been enjoying this game since we got home, and after 10 years of pestering from Dad, he's finally interested in something having to do with WW-II (a huge hobby / interest of mine).  So of course I've been capitalizing on this big time and it's been a lot of fun for us in the evenings alternating between watching old WW-II movies and playing his new game on the Wii.  :-)  Any moments of "fun" (not to mention togetherness) we can pull out of all the bad things going on in his life right now, I latch onto with both hands!

As Andrea described, we've delayed the start of the 2nd half of this final intensive phase for at least a week.  One last big push - about a month's worth - and we'll be into the Maintenance phase.  Even that's nothing particularly easy, but it's a lot better than what we've been through and, hopefully, will become routine fairly quickly.

As always, we so VERY much appreciate your thoughts and prayers. And we ESPECIALLY appreciated the entire Horizon Youth group dropping by on Sunday just as Daniel & I were coming home from the hospital.  They helped with cleaning the house and lots of yard work.  Please keep all of us in your prayers to get past the flu invasion at our place quickly, and for Daniel to get through this last month of intensive chemo as quickly and courageously as possible.  And of course, our standing prayer requests are always for complete healing, no complications, and for God to be glorified in all of this.

Please also remember to be praying for Joey, Elizabeth, and Nick Keller and to keep up with their CaringBridge site as well: http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/joeykeller

Grace and Peace to all,

- Tim -

Prayer Request

A quick update after last night's longer post.  Over night, Daniel has developed a very "croupy" cough and is coughing up phlegm this morning. So we definitely have an infection of some kind.  With his counts being as low as they are now, this is a serious concern.  His fever is creeping up just a bit this morning (now 100.8) and his heart rate remains high bouncing as high as 160 when he's active.  We had a round of diarrhea this morning which was no fun at all on the ridiculous little bucket chair thing they have instead of a real toilet in this room.

Please pray with us that we can get on top of this as quickly as possible and it does not worsen and is not something difficult to fight.

- Tim -

Not So "Fair" After All

The past two years, Daniel had to miss the Indiana State Fair because of his back problems (caused by compression fractures in his lower back from what turned out to be osteoporosis).  This year, despite the leukemia and being deep in the midst of chemotherapy, he was feeling pretty good when the fair came around, and his uncle Tom (no the other one) was generous enough to offer to pay his way.  The staff at Riley warned us to stay away from the animal barns due to the possibility of infection, but gave us the all-clear to go.  This bothered me a lot and I really didn't want him to go.  Personally, I have no use for the fair and couldn't care less about it, but both Andrea and Daniel absolutely love it and REALLY didn't want to miss it a third year in a row.  So in the end, I caved in and let them go (I worked most of the day and then tried to get some things done at home while they were both gone with the rest of my family.

It turned out to be a rotten day for me, but Andrea and Daniel had an absolute blast on all the rides.  Monday he was worn out & pretty tired, but otherwise seemed OK.  I kept my fingers crossed, but apparently not tight enough.  But Tuesday, he was complaining about lower back pain - far down a the very base of his spine and into his hips.  He was moving pretty slowly and not feeling that well by the time he got to his regular clinic appt. on Tuesday.  The only thing they did at clinic was to draw blood and look at his cell counts.  They had all dropped drastically from the week before. Not good news, but not unexpected with this phase of chemotherapy (at least it wasn't to the hospital staff. No one had bothered to tell us that this was expected. Grrr.

By that night though, his back was completely locked up and he was in terrible pain.  His prescription pain meds helped enough for him to get a little sleep and I slept beside him on an air mattress helping him through the night with going to bathroom, getting meds, drinks, etc.  It was a long night.  But he seemed to be doing better during the day on Wed. so we didn't call the doctor, but again on Wed night, it hit him hard - much harder even than Tuesday night and even the prescription meds weren't touching the pain.  He was struggling hard with depression and hating life. We talked for a long time, I gave him the maximum dose of his meds around 12:30, hit it with both ice and heat, and eventually around 2a he drifted off to sleep in our bed where he thought the mattress was more comfortable.

Thursday we called back to Riley and explained the situation and they brought us in for an exam and X-rays.  They were clear and the doc felt that it was really just a side effect of over-doing it at the fair on Sunday (now 4 days prior).  But he was also beginning to complain of slight hearing problems, joint pains, and some mild tremors.  The doctor and we chalked it up to the fair, the pain meds, and massive psychological overload. 

By Thursday night, he was feeling better (and some stronger pain meds were working well), but he was also running a low-grade fever.  REALLY not what I wanted to see!  Thursday night we both slept downstairs again and it was a relatively uneventful night except he continues to have trouble sleeping and is still constantly hungry as he comes down off the steroids.  But the fever was not going away. It was holding fairly steady between 100-101.  101 is the threshold at which we have to take him to the hospital regardless and ANY sign of infection in an immune-compromised cancer patient is considered a medical emergency.

If you've followed our story for long, you know we're no strangers to midnight trips to the ER with fevers.  But Daniel was certainly in no mood to head back to Riley again now with a fever.  But it topped 101 earlier today (Fri) and so off we went with Daniel EXTREMELY upset over these events.

When this happens, they do blood counts again, and also take "cultures" of his blood to see whether anything grows that would indicate a bacterial or viral infection.  And if his blood counts are below a certain number (and they were), he is automatically admitted to the hospital so they can observe him, pump him with antibiotics, and wait to see what the cultures do over the next 48hrs.  You can imagine his excitement at being told he was being admitted.

There was no room available in the usual 5th floor hematology/ Oncology (called "HemOnc") ward, so they found us a room in the Stem Cell ward next door.  Because there is a risk that he has an infection, we're in a private room.  That part is nice.  I came up after a long day at work to relieve Andrea and spend the night with Daniel. This is our usual routine for admissions as Andrea has a terrible time on the chair/beds provided for parents here in the rooms.  About the time I arrived, the doctor came in to do a nasal swab (insult to injury you know for poor Daniel) and we were told that they have already seen a few cases of a new strain of Swine Flu from kids who have attended local fairs - even those who didn't visit the animal barns.  Great.  Combined with the news from the Fair that they'd sent home all the piggies that day because they too were running fevers and the Fairgrounds didn't want to risk spreading infection among the pigs (yeah, what about us humans?) I was NOT a happy camper about having caved in and let him go in the first place.  This trip to the Fair is getting more expensive by the day for our poor Daniel.

The most recent "insult" was around 10:00 or so when the nurse came in and informed me that I will now have to wear full gown, mask, and gloves any time I'm in the room with Daniel.  I honestly thought he was kidding me, but that didn't last long.  New hospital policy, you know.  It's for the sake of the other kids on the ward and that part I very much DO get.  So as I sit here sweltering and trying to type with gown, mask, and gloves at 2am, I'm wondering whether I'll be getting any sleep at all.

But of far, FAR more concern to me is the possibility of Daniel actually having contracted something serious with his immune system so weakened.  In all honesty, it's been a real test of faith for me to stay strong about this and keep my eyes focused on the Prince of Peace.  Blood tests and nose swabs won't have results back for at least 24 and probably 48 hours.  His temp is down a little (99.8) but still not back  to normal.  His heart rate has remained elevated and even as he sleeps next to me is still reading 140. I don't like that either (below 100 is closer to normal).

So the next couple of days are going to be critical in seeing whether this is just a minor bug, or something more major.  Fighting a nasty flu bug is bad enough with a healthy immune system!  Obviously, we covet all the prayer we can get. 
   - For God to be glorified in all this and for His will to be done in our lives
   - For complete healing
   - For quick, clear test results
   - For us NOT to catch anything new here at the hospital
   - For no mistakes and good care here from doctors and nurses
   - For Daniel's mental state and perseverance
   - For Andrea and I to stay strong, healthy, and remain a positive example and provide wise counsel to Daniel
   - For us not to miss any opportunities we may have to witness or serve others while we're in the midst of this.

A HUGE thank you to all our friends and relatives who have been walking this path with us - whether in person or "virtually".  We covet, FEEL, and thank you for every prayer.

Ultimately, we rest in the knowledge that God keeps His promises.  "And we KNOW that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose." (Rom 8:28).  So we thank our loving Father in ALL circumstances ... including this one ... knowing that ultimately He will work this into a plan for His glory, for our good, and that will somehow benefit others.  We may not see that good yet in this life - you never know.  But when we consider what all this might look like to us in 100 or 1000 or even a million years from now - we can be absolutely certain that the "inconveniences" of this lifetime will be remembered only for the extent to which we allowed God to use them in our lives to shape our character (which of course we will take with us into eternity) or to bring Glory to Him.  We pray only that we will trust Him enough to lead us through these valleys in such a way as to maximize the benefit - whatever that may be - of these trials.

To God be the glory both now and forever.  He is always worthy.  We believe and trust in You Lord. Help us to believe and trust You more.

Grace and peace to all,

- Tim -

Mirrored on our CaringBridge site here: http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/danieljmiller/journal

A Mixed Bag

Mirrored on our CaringBridge site here: http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/danieljmiller/journal


After a week's delay to the start of our last intensive phase (next comes "maintenance"), today Daniel's blood counts were high enough to start the "Delayed Intensification" phase.  We've been looking forward to this one with mixed emotions.  It has all the promise of indeed being intense, but we're also looking forward to getting to the other end of it.  There will be nothing easy about the next 3 years, but it will definitely be better than what we're facing for the next 2 months.

Today started with the "good" news of decent blood counts and being able to start phase IV, but has pretty much gone downhill from there.  Forgive me if this sounds like "venting", but that's what it is. It's been a tough day and I feel like sharing.  Sorry to make you the beneficiaries, but think of it as a rolling prayer request. ha ha.

As I write this, Daniel has thrown up all his dinner and is now fighting the dry heaves.  I think it's the extra heavy does of anesthetic he got, but not really sure.  Could also be any of the three chemo drugs he got along with it.

During the spinal tap procedure they had trouble getting him completely "out".  This has happened before and they just keep pumping the anesthesia into him until he goes out.  But once he was finally out (the procedure itself went fairly smoothly) his heart rate & blood pressure dropped dangerously low.  There was some concern for awhile, but he came back on his own and other than a little nausea, was doing fine and filling me in on all the components he needed to get in "Monster Hunter" (his favorite Wii game) to get to the next level.

I had gone into work this morning and was waiting for confirmation that his blood counts were a "go" before leaving for the hospital.  Unfortunately, they were WAY late in getting the blood drawn and by the time I got word that we were g2g - I had to FLY down to the hospital to get there in time.  By the time I got there, he was already in the O.R., prepped, and ready to go.  He was upset and nervous as usual and his pulse was already passing 100.  I took over from mom with a back & neck massage and started a conversation about Monster Hunter and we got it back down to the low 80s before the doctor arrived.  I prayed through most of the procedure (since, if you recall from previous posts, the only time I can't watch a medical procedure is when it's this doctor and my son.)  But other than a little trouble getting him "out", it went well this time (the doc's getting better! :)

Afterward, in the recovery room, we had the tense moments about the low B.P. and then Daniel was complaining of being cold.  We were informed that the knob had broken off the thermostat and the vent was directly over the bed. (Great engineering guys - NOT.)  

As Daniel continued to wake up, I had a fairly long conversation with the doctor expressing my growing frustration at not getting any traction on his continued lack of growth.  I think she finally "understood" me when I used the word "unacceptable".  But we'll see.  In fairness, this doctor is somewhat caught in the middle between me and the other doctors who are the ones that need to be looking at these other issues.  As the oncologist, what I'm after is not her specialty, yet she is the one through whom everything has to go.  Anyway, we'll see how this plays out.  I realize nothing is going to happen physically until we're through this intensive phase, but what I'm not happy with is that there is no discussion, no plan, no ownership, and no "next step" in place.  Is that the engineer, the project manager, or the DAD in me coming out?  Doesn't really matter - they're stuck with me.

As we prepared to leave, we go the low-down on what the rest of this phase will look like.  Unfortunately, one of the primary drugs they'd wanted to give him ("Pegallated Aspariginase") turns out to give him a fairly severe allergic reaction.  They tried twice and then gave up a couple months ago.  So the "plan B" is a different drug that has to be given 6 times (on 6 different days) for each single dose the Peg-Asp. would have been given.  This means we're heading back to Riley every other day for a week and a half each time.  

Hmmm. Didn't know that.  

We also found out, it can't be administered through his port.  It has to be given my intramuscular injection - in the thigh.  

Hmmm. Didn't know that.  

Depending on the dosage he'll receive (which they didn't have yet today), they may have to give half of it in two different locations ... one in each leg ... every other day ... for a week and a half ... and they HURT.

Hmmm. Didn't know that.

Daniel REALLY doesn't do well with needles (yes, even after all he's been through).  As they were describing to us where to apply the Lidocane (a topical anesthetic cream) before he comes in, he caught on.  We played it way down talking about how much smaller injection needles are than the blood-draw and access needles he's used to.  I think we made some progress there. But the fact that these injections will make the muscle hurt didn't come up.  That's going to be a big problem ... especially as they keep injecting into the same area every other day.  This will be rough ... very rough.

My mood was going downhill fast this afternoon.  As we left, we stopped by the pharmacy downstairs where the doctor had called in a prescription about 45 min earlier, only to be informed it would be another 30-45 minutes.  Great.

As we sat there waiting, Andrea and I were talking about some financial issues predicated by our Family Doctor that I won't go into except to say that it didn't do my deteriorating mood any good at all.  I left Andrea & Daniel in the pharmacy waiting area and headed back to work since we'd driven separately.  The rest of the day at work didn't go much better, but at least I got 7 hours in.  How productive they were was another matter as my head was in a million other places.

As I left work, I found myself at the tail end of the thunderstorm that blew through minutes earlier.  REALLY need the rain - but did it have to be right when I wanted to drive home ... and in the same direction.  I know - gift horses and all that.  As I pulled in the drive way, I was accosted by the pesky little neighbor girl who was adamant that she needed to come in the house with me - if not to play with Daniel (whom I told her was not feeling well), then to be allowed to cook the can of soup she was carrying around in our microwave.  What?!  So I got this convoluted story about how they don't have a microwave, and couldn't find the cord to the hot plate, and the stove costs too much money, and ... Um no; not playing this game.  You'll have to have your parents get you something to eat.  I'll have to find out what all that was about another time, but not tonight.

Since I got home, Daniel has been getting more and more nauseated until he finally lost all his dinner and now is fighting the dry heaves.  I can't even get an anti-nausea pill into him for fear it'll just come right back up.  He feels miserable.  The good news is that this has been a very rare thing for him to get this sick.  The bad news is that he's this sick.  He's supposed to start another oral chemo drug tonight, but I'm obviously not giving it to him in this condition.  He's had enough for one day, and it can wait an extra day.

Andrea has been through the ringer these past few days (actually, I could just as easily insert "weeks", "months" or "years" there too) as well.  We think she's had a stomach bug and the family doctor she visited yesterday thought the same thing.  She'd done a sleep study a couple weeks ago and this visit was supposed to be reviewing the results, but they didn't seem to notice that they hadn't yet received them from the hospital yet. So despite frantic, last-minute calls, that didn't happen.  So now there will be another office visit once the results are in.  They'll no-doubt prescribe another several pills for her to start taking that won't be covered by insurance and will add to the hand-full she takes every day as it is.  I think I'll be attending that next meeting as well if at all possible.  Hope I don't need to start looking for another family doctor again, but I won't hesitate if I think things are not going in the right direction.

OK, I'm going to stop there.  My apologies if you've made it this far.  I feel better. LOL. :)  The truth is, we have an ENORMOUS amount to be thankful for that we DO know about, and way more than we could dream of that we don't know about, but Scripture promises.  I have a wonderful family and we're together this day and the future looks bright - next month, next year, and 1000 years from now.  We have much goodness to look forward too.  We knew this phase was going to be a mountain that needed climbing.  It's height and ruggedness came a little more into view today, but it will just be that much sweeter to be on the other side of it WHEN we get there ... and we will.

Lord please let us learn ALL that you have planned for us in these coming days - don't let any single second of difficulty or pain or struggle be lost for the good that You desire to bring from it.  We cling desperately to your promise that A.L.L.(*) things work together into a pattern for good ... (Rom 8:28)  Thank you.  Thank you for everything about today. Thank you for loving us and being here beside us every step of the way and for keeping our eyes on the far horizon.  Teach us to trust, teach us to love, teach us to enjoy "life in every breath."

Amen!  Thanks to everyone who is also running this race alongside us or cheering or handing us a water bottle on the way by.  We love you and appreciate every one of you.  Please keep your prayers coming - they are by FAR what we value and covet the most.  

Please also remember to pray for Joey, Nick, and Elizabeth Keller as often as possible.

I'm off to set up the air mattress beside Daniel's bed for the night.  

Grace and Peace,

- Tim -

Daniel & Joey

Mirrored from http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/danieljmiller/journal

Daniel & Joey


It's been a good couple of weeks for the Millers.  We completed Daniel's last "planned" hospital admission and thereby, the last portion of the "Interim Maintenance" phase of chemotherapy near the end of June.  We had about a week and a half of "vacation" before the start of the next phase (called "Delayed Intensification") and so we quickly put together Daniel's 10-1/2 year birthday party.  A few years ago, we moved his party to the summer time so he could do more with his friends, take advantage of warm weather, and not be lost in the midst of the December holidays. 

This year, it was a bit harder to get planned and executed, but other than the short notice to friends and family, it went off very well.  We even had great weather and temps below 90 at the very end of the heat wave.  God is good.  Daniel came home with more LEGOs and having had lots of fun with his friends and cousins as Southeastway Park.  Many thanks to all who attended - in person or in spirit.


Tuesday, we were to start the Delayed Intensification phase - the last intensive phase before going into "Maintenance" which will last about 3 years.  Unfortunately, his white blood cell count was too low and we were sent home to wait another week.  In truth, none of us were too upset.  The good news is that, although it will push out the end of this phase, it won't push out the final completion date.  But at this point, that's so far down the road, it's hardly even worth thinking about.  We'll be glad to get through this last intensive phase that none of us have been looking forward to.

In general, Daniel's energy and appetite have been slowly recovering and having the extra week off is probably a good thing.  I've been pushing him to get more sunshine (which ironically has been more difficult with the searing heat wave we just came through), fresh air and exercise.  We're getting there gradually, but the months of inactivity have led to some bad habits of video games, TV, and lounging around indoors that are proving hard to break.  Andrea has gotten him out for some play-days and a swim day recently though that's been good for him ... mostly.

The mysterious white cell count continues to bounce around all over the place though, and is often frustratingly low.  It's an indicator of his immune system (but not his actual health).  The Riley staff tell us that it could be almost anything that causes it to remain low, but is likely due to minor bacterial or viral infections.  I believe this must be due to exposure to various bugs "going around" either through Andrea & I having been exposed and bringing them home, or directly from interactions with his friends.  Andrea and I can't do much about our own exposures, so it's really difficult to try to find a balance between wanting to let him play with his friends and my instinct to want to keep him in a "bubble".  I believe very strongly that the psychological side of our health is every bit as important as the physical side.  If he stays lonely and depressed, I feel he's likely to remain more "sickly" than being able to laugh and run and play even if it means exposure to more infectious agents.  It's difficult to find the balance and the disagreements between Andrea and I have at times been rather unpleasant.  We're working through it and trying to find the best ways to communicate and find agreement in the day-to-day decisions and activities.

Unfortunately, Andrea's health has been quite a roller-coaster ride recently as well.  She's been knocked completely out of commission several times lately and has a lot of trouble just finding the energy (much less enthusiasm) to even get out of bed in the morning.  Her courage, character, (and Facebook) keep her going though. :-)  It does make it more challenging for me to try to keep up with work as well as the household chores.  Cleaning in particular is something I need to do a lot better at keeping up with for both Daniel's and Andrea's sakes.  Seeing his persistently low blood count numbers and her constant battles with various bugs really drive this home.


When Daniel and I showed up at Clinic on Tuesday, we were happily surprised to have Joey and Elizabeth Keller join us in the waiting room.  Daniel & Joey got to spend a few brief minutes linking their Nintendo DSes together to play Super Mario Cart (or something like that) while Eliz and I talked about our respective challenges.  Unfortunately, theirs currently dwarf anything I can even imagine much less relate to.


We were able to attend Joey's 9th birthday party this past Saturday and here is a link to some pics from the party on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.3604906886693.2126038.1394270143&type=3


We feel very close to the Kellers and, though only in a very small way, can relate to some of what they're going through.  They're amazing people and we love them to pieces.  So I was in tears this morning reading Nick's latest post about what Joey is going through.
http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/joeykeller/
Please, please pray for Joey, Nick, and Elizabeth as they stare this dragon in the face and march forward in faith with sword in hand.  Scripture assures us that God's desire is ALWAYS for us to be whole, healthy, and free from sickness and death.  I am absolutely confident in this. This is NOT what we were designed for, and God grieves alongside us through all our trials and tribulations.  We don't always understand what sometimes prevents God from healing us, but we do know that PRAYER changes things.  We also know that ALL things work together for good for the Called.


Please join with us - frequently - as often as you can - in persistently PESTERING God about healing Joey and delivering him from this awful cancer (Luke 11:8; 18:5).  Yes, this is actually what He wants us to do!  (Read the two passages if you haven't made this amazing discovery.)  Pray for Joey to be completely healed. Pray every time you think of it, and think of it often.  Pray specifically that every cancer cell and every form of cancer cell in his body would be destroyed, and that all damage would be healed restoring him to complete health.  Also pray for the protection, peace, endurance, patience, and faith of all three of them.  This is a long and difficult race for them, strewn with pitfalls and robbers along the way.  They are amazing people, and Joey is an absolutely amazing, faith-filled, brilliant and insightful little boy.  I have been learning from all three of them regularly as we watch them fight this battle.  We seek to help them "hold their arms up", in any way we can and hope you can join "TEAM JOEY" alongside us as well.

Grace and peace,

- Tim -

Building Minds & Bodies

It's been a good week thus far.  We got out of the Hospital on Monday afternoon - the second fastest time we've run that marathon!  Since coming home, Daniel has continued to have periodic bouts with acheyness(?) in his back, but is otherwise doing well.  We're due for his next treatment with Pamidronate: the drug for his osteoporosis that usually makes him feel much better again in his back.  We've got the rest of this week and all of next "off" - a vacation from hospitals and cancer and the rest.  Unfortunately, his blood counts are low and so we have to be cautious, but we're finding more ways for him to be active and have visitors.  I'm pushing hard for more time in the sun and fresh air and more EXERCISE.  I'm working hard on this both mentally and physically.  Tonight was a good example.

I've been looking for ways to inspire him. Stories of my own battle with asthma that I conquered against the doctor's "certain" prognosis when I discovered weight lifting.  I also discovered, quite against my doctor's advice, that with a lot of work, patience, and supply of inhalers, I actually COULD teach my body to run and NOT have an asthma attack.  But this story's not about me - I was just trying to use any examples I could to inspire him to WANT to get in shape, to get healthy, and to realize that he CAN conquer much if not all of his lack of energy and stamina.  Low and behold, the more exercise he gets, the more energy he has.  Helping him to recognize that this is happening has been a huge motivator for him.  I've been surprised and blessed at how fast his energy is coming back.  

Yesterday, I took off work a bit early and we drove to Nashville, IN.  Unfortunately, we only had about an hour before they rolled up the sidewalks, but it was a great walk through town.  Afterward, we went to our favorite Mexican place down there and he had a fairly big dinner (loving to see his appetite returning).  Afterward we went to the State Park and did a small hike and gazed longingly at the giant indoor water park they have now at the lodge.  Promises were made about returning soon and possibly spending a night or two there in December like we traditionally have to celebrate our combined celebrations (3 birthdays, anniversary, Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year all within about a month.  December is big for the Millers!

A few days ago, I introduced Daniel to Rocky Balboa.  I was surprised he liked the first movie as much as he did. There are some really slow parts to it. But he really loved the second one and I capitalized on the work-out scenes.  Tonight has been "guy night" as Andrea is at the hospital finally having a sleep study done.  She's been putting it off for about 10 years and I think Daniel and I have both finally goaded her into it.  She's never slept well and the combination of weeks of poor or no sleep combined with everything else are really taking their toll on her.  I only hope they can come up with something more helpful than a CPAP torture device (er "machine" I mean).  Prayers appreciated for her!

But I digress.  Tonight is guy night and so I pulled up Rocky III (the one with Mr. T in it) and he was riveted through it.  Afterward he began jumping up and down on my stomach (yes, he's done this since he was about 1 years old. It's the ONLY time I'm glad he's not gained any more weight in the last 2 years!) and said he felt like going for a run.  Now I had just finished half a pizza and it was about 8:30.  Read this as "dad wants to be done for the night"!  But I absolutely did NOT want to let this opportunity go.  I asked him if we wanted to drive over to the track at the elementary school up the road and he got a big smile on his face.  So off we went.  It was just about sunset and things were just starting to cool off. But it was light, and no bugs yet.  Perfect!

While I was still unloading my pockets in the truck, he took off running and I actually had trouble catching up (dad needs this at LEAST as much as Daniel at this point!)  We went around the 1/4 mile track 3 times letting him set the pace.  Most of it was walking but I'll bet he did a total of 1/4 mile running.  I was able to teach him a bit about breathing, pacing, relaxing, and most of all - ENJOYING a good run.  He loved it and I was in heaven (almost literally!)  By the time we got back to the truck he said he wanted to run some more.  But I put the brakes on not wanting to ruin a good thing.  

It was dark by the time we got back home, but he couldn't resist doing a bit more running in the back yard with the dogs.  I can't express how thankful I am for this night - on so many levels. You just really have no idea.  When he came back inside, I started Rocky IV (yes I know, it's way past bed time, but hey, it's guys night, right?!)  Shortly into it, he was ready to pass out & said he wanted to go to bed.  I told him he was perfectly welcome to do so, but the "work out scene" was about to start (which of course is the best part of all the Rocky movies! :)  He decided he'd stay up long enough to watch just that part.  Well the movie ended at about 11:30 and there he was jumping on me again and stating that I needed to hold this pillow against my chest because I was about to become his punching bag.  

By midnight I we had pulled out all my old martial arts pads and he was telling me how much I needed to buy us each a set of boxing gloves.  (Watching Rocky does that to you ya know).  My goal in all this is at least as much psychological as it is physical.  I'm looking for anything that will inspire in him a desire to fight, to win, to push forward, to "go the distance".  Guy stuff at some level, and that part's fun too - but HUGELY needed for a 10 year old going through cancer treatment!!! Finding and being inspired by heroes that are tough (in the right way), and determined, and willing to do what it takes to win the prize is something every boy needs - and those who's lives depend on that kind of toughness, all the more so.  Last night was Chuck Norris "Lone Wolf McQuade" inspired by some fun stuff David Silva posted on my Facebook wall (thanks Dave, it was perfect!) and a little hiking.  Tonight Rocky and some running; hmmm better start thinking about tomorrow night! :)

It'll be interesting to see how he (and I) feels tomorrow, but I couldn't be happier that he's getting his energy and enthusiasm back.  I know this roller coaster goes both ways though, and none of us is looking forward to the next two months.  But in our time off, I want to do all I can to help him enjoy life, to get his strength back, and to spend as much quality "guy time" together as we can.  Between hospital visits and work schedules lately, there has been precious little of that so it's a very valuable commodity these days.  The heat predictions are unfortunate - supposed to get over 100 tomorrow, but with the Lord's help and some imagination, I'm sure we'll come up with something fun and moderately strenuous to do while we can.

Thanks to all of you for your continued prayers and support.  I wanted to get a HAPPY report out for a change while things are going well. 

Thank you Lord for the bad times as well as the good.  Help us to be thankful in all things at all times and to trust that Your hand is always at work working all things into a pattern for good and for Your glory.  Please bless Andrea and Daniel this night with a rejuvenating rest and dreams as You continue to build their health and strength in body, mind, and spirit.

Grace and peace to all.

Final Hospital Admission?

(Mirroring our Caring Bridge Journal http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/danieljmiller/journal )

As I write this, Andrea and Daniel are heading out the driveway on the way back to the hospital.  If his blood counts are good enough, he'll be admitted for his fourth & last PLANNED hospital admission and the end of this phase of chemotherapy ("Interim Maintenance").  I'll join them a bit later today after getting some things done around the house, and will be spending most of the weekend and the next couple nights in the room with Daniel.

As with the previous admissions, he'll get a rather large dose of a drug called Methotrexate through an IV over the next 24hrs.  We then take blood samples every 6 to 12 hrs to see how it's clearing.  Once it's below a certain point, he's allowed to go home.  But due to the nasty nature of the drug and the potential of his body not clearing it (kidneys shutting down, etc.) they have to watch him constantly while its in his system.  If all goes well, we should be back home Monday or Tues.

Daniel was pretty upset about today's admission last night and was even in tears at one point.  Despite the fact that there's no spinal tap procedure this time around, he HATES anything to do with the hospital or doctors anymore. Who can blame him?  I read Daniel 3 to him and prayed with him and he fell fast asleep.  This morning he seemed in good spirits, but that can change in an instant if he lets himself start thinking too much about it.

When I questioned him about it last night, he said he was worried about the NEXT phase.  Frankly, that one worries me too.  We get a week off in between, but the name of it is "Delayed Intensification" if that tells you anything.  The nurses have said (in front of him) that even though his hair has been coming back in well, this is the phase that often will knock it completely out. That's a big deal for him and we're praying that it doesn't happen.  It'll be another 2 months of weekly outpatient clinic visits with LOTS of drugs being pumped into him.  Then, finally, we'll get to the "Maintenance" phase that will continue for another 3 years with monthly visits, lots more spinals (28 of them I count), more steroids, and just more stuff than any of us wants to think about. 

If all goes according to schedule, today is day T-1039 (counting down). It was pretty depressing this past week when I put together a day-by-day schedule for the rest of his treatment plan.  Seeing how many more times he'll be given each type of drug (28 spinal injections, 180 more days of steroids, 1000 days of Mercaptopurine, etc.) - wow. 

As much as we'd like to think it's all smooth sailing after we get through this next intense phase, well, it's not.  It's gonna be 3 more years of cancer, chemo hell for Daniel. "Normal" will change a bit from what it is now, but not that much.  What will however remain the same is our Rock, our Comforter, our Ever Present Help in Trouble, our Fourth Man in the fiery furnace. 

Other than the obvious, my SECOND most important on-going prayer is that this opportunity will not be wasted.  It's SO EASY to want to forget about everything, to just kind of go into denial on the good days and forget about it all.  And there's nothing wrong with that. In many ways, it's necessary and healthy.  Unfortunately, it's also all too easy to lump God in with that process.  In so many ways, God and prayer, and leaning on Him has become almost synonymous with cancer and hosptials and chemotherapy through these past 7 months.  We've spent so much time in prayer and petition to God as part of the cancer trial, that on the good days, it's far too easy to want to forget about HIM for awhile too.  It's awful, it's wrong, it's stupid, but we're fighting against our own mind-games and defense mechanisms here.

What I really, REALLY want is for all of us, but especially Daniel, to draw close to our Father - to learn to see Him as a Best Friend; Someone to draw close to in both the hard and the joyful times - to see the MANY sides of His personality and love and character through the truly amazing variety of experiences that have already and continue to come our way during these 3 years.  But it's largely up to me to model that, to help Daniel process all that happens, to help him make this a learning and growing experience. Despite the horrible nature of these events, I'm also convinced it can be, and is INTENDED to be, an amazing and powerful classroom of opportunity for all 3 of us.  Heavenly Father, PLEASE don't let me waste this opportunity!

Thank you, everyone, for your continued prayers, support, and kind messages.  Please know for certain that we read and appreciate every single one and they have a powerful effect on us all.

Grace and peace.

A 3rd Try for Treatment Tomorrow

We're preparing tonight for the 3rd attempt at getting Daniel into the hospital for his next round of chemotherapy tomorrow morning.  This phase is dependent on his white blood cell counts being above a certain level before they'll give him the treatment. The past 2 times, they haven't been high enough (in fact last time was the lowest they'd been in awhile).  He's been very active lately and being around a lot more people that I'm comfortable with (any exposure to germs can drop his counts further as he's much more susceptible to infections now) - but that's also really been good for his morale and getting some badly-needed exercise and sunshine.  So it's a mixed bag and I've been a lot more "lenient" on letting him do things because I know the psychological side (as well as the exercise itself) may well outweigh the risk of keeping him protected.  But as you might imagine, with what's at stake here, I tend to be a little over-protective of our "only begotten son"!

Tomorrow, we'll find out whether I've been too lenient.  It's rather ironic that "good news" in this case will result in admission to the hospital, a spinal tap, and a 24-hr dose of extremely toxic drugs into him that warrant 24hr surveillance until they're completely eliminated from his body.  But at this point, we just want to get through this - and even more so - the next phase.  The next one is actually the one that worries me the most.  It's referred to as "delayed intensification" and as the name implies, it's another very intensive 2-months of chemo.  His hair has been starting to come back in, his energy is up, he's slowly rebuilding some strength and stamina, but that phase is very likely to knock him back down several rungs again.  He's been unusually lucky (ahem) thus far to have not lost all his hair.  I believe it's a direct answer to prayer ... one of those "little things" that God has been pleased to grant him through this trial.  That was a big deal for him, and he's been really happy to have not had to shave it completely.  But we're warned that the next phase may break our "streak" and result in him losing what he has left.  We'll see ... and continue to pray for that little blessing to continue.

Through it all, God has been wonderful to us.  We've had every need met, been surrounded by the best doctors, friends, and family, and been learning a lot about trusting God with the big things as well as the small things.  Yet despite how well things appear to be going right now, it's never far from out minds how quickly it could all turn south.  Through this experience, we've been surrounded by so many, MANY others who are traveling similar roads.  Many we've met cause us to realize just how blessed and how "easy" our road has been thus far.  I've learned a LOT about strength, sacrifice, endurance, the need and power of prayer, and the value of Christian community.  Most of what I've learned is how far short I fall in these areas compared to the amazing people that God has brought into our lives.  It is my fervent prayer that all of us will forever be changed by these lessons and that they will ever be as fresh as they are now.

Those who have come alongside us during this time - helping with projects at the house, preparing meals, helping Andrea with cleaning, shopping, helping us financially with house renovations and medical bills, watching Daniel, even staying with him over night at the hospital so that Andrea and I could get some much needed rest - the generosity and self-sacrifice of so many around has been staggering ... unimaginable.  We will NEVER be able to fully express our appreciation to those who have helped in these and so many other ways.  And as I've said so many times before, with total honesty, the help that I covet the most from people is not with finances, or swinging hammers, or watching Daniel (though again, we're incredibly grateful for all these), but rather with prayer.  I can tell you with absolute certainty that, during those sudden trips to the emergency room at 2am, or bad news from the doctors hitting us like a freight train, there's no amount of money that can hold a candle to 20 or 30 people commenting on a Facebook post that they are praying and have their family or churches praying for us too.  We can feel those prayers like a warm blanket around us as the Holy Spirit draws us close and reminds us that He is in control and that those prayers go up before Him like a "sweet aroma" petitioning for the life and health of our son and our family.

Thank you.  Deep, heart-felt, eternal, and profound thanks to each one of you who have been a part of our journey through some sacrifice of your own - even just a minute or two in prayer.  Thank you, and may our Lord multiply your generosity back to you many-fold and many times.

For those who ask for our prayer requests they are few and simple right now:
1) That IF it be the Lord's will and timing tomorrow, that Daniel's blood counts will allow us to move forward with his treatment in the morning,
2) That it will go well - no mistakes, no adverse reactions or side effects, etc.,
3) That the drug will do it's job and be eliminated from his body quickly so we can all go back home, ultimately, moving always toward complete healing and health,
4) That we will be a witness for our loving Father and continue to grow and learn through all this - especially Daniel, and as always,
5) That God would be glorified in all this.

Grace and peace to you all,

- Tim -

Delayed Again. :(

Just a quick update to say that Daniel's blood counts were again too low to admit him for the scheduled chemotherapy this weekend.  So they're heading home.  Very frustrating.  He's quite happy, but obviously we're not avoiding anything. We'll still have to go through it all, just dragging it out farther into the Fall & Winter with each delay.

2nd Try for Round 3

Reposting from http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/danieljmiller/journal

2nd Try for Round 3 

Wow - I guess it's been awhile since I wrote here.  Things have been going pretty well.  Daniel is becoming more active, but it's been hard on him.  He has so little energy and stamina that his returning desire to run, jump, and play just wreaks havoc on his very out-of-shape little body.  While we continue to be stymied over his lack of growth in either height or weight for the past 3 years, we hope, trust, and PRAY that the lack of energy and stamina has more to do with 3 years of sedentary life-style ... because that means it's simple to fix.  It may not be EASY mind you - as enough exercise and diet to make a difference in your health are rarely considered "easy" - but the solution is simple.  As his desire and enthusiasm (and warm weather) return, it is my hope and plan to find more and more FUN ways to get some exercise - preferably for ALL of us, but especially Daniel.  We'll know soon enough whether his strength & endurance will return.

We remain worried - increasingly so - about his lack of height and weight gain, and I'm planning to begin pursuing this again as soon as I can find enough time to breathe again after my work schedule settles down.  We're in a crunch right now before a big delivery date and I barely get home in time to tuck Daniel into bed, get a bite to eat, and hit the sack myself these days - but I'm SOOO incredibly blessed to be enjoying my job again.  It's been a really long time since I can remember not hating getting up in the morning.  Thank you Lord for THAT blessing in the midst of this season of trials right now!

Tomorrow morning however, will be a different story.  It's hard to fathom that I am HOPEFUL tonight that we'll be admitted to the hospital tomorrow for more chemotherapy, but after last week's failure due to Daniel's low blood counts, we really want to get this stuff over-with.  Last week was the second time we were delayed due to blood counts being too low and nobody seems to be able to explain why this happens.  "Could be a virus" (though he has no other symptoms & feels fine), "could be allergies" (though he has none), "could be his body is responding to the chemotherapy" (though it's not supposed to).  Or (in my own thoughts) it could be God just setting His own timing for reasons known only to Him.  We try to "roll with the changes", but really, we'd all like this to be over as soon as possible.

So tomorrow, we'll head back to Riley, packed up for a few days' stay, and pray for the best.  We'd appreciate your prayers as well.  If things go as planned, we'll arrive around 10, get a blood test & a spinal tap procedure about 11 (usually more like 12), and then check into the 5th floor and start his 24hr infusion of Methotrexate around 6 or so.  He'll be confined to the Hem/Onc ward for the 24hrs while the infusion is going on, but after that, if he's feeling well, we can wander about the hospital.  Last time, Daniel and I had a laser-tag war in the main lobby and a few desolate hallways of Riley on Sunday afternoon.  Other than a few stares by doctors, nurses, and a cop passing by, we had a lot of fun. :) 

They'll check his blood again every 6hrs or so to see how the MTX level is falling as it is eliminated from his body.  Once it's below a specific level, we're free to check out.  The first time, it was Tuesday afternoon.  The second time, it was Monday morning.  We never know.

For our Prayer Warrior friends, here are our requests:
1. That everything in the hospital (procedures, etc.) would go well and without mistakes or "events".  Events are bad.
2. That the drug would do its job against any cancer cells that might still be lurking about and then be eliminated quickly with a minimum of damage to his body - especially long-term.
3. That we would all have a comfortable and "enjoyable" time ... especially regarding roommates and their parents / visitors.
4. That Daniel would continue quickly on the road to recovering his health, energy, strength, and stamina (and appetite)
5. That his growth would resume to normal as quickly as possible
6. That Andrea and I will find time to rediscover one another and our marriage in the near future,
7. For Andrea's health (this would fill another post or 10 by itself, but she has a long list of prayer needs herself as well!!)
8. That our Awesome, wonderful, gracious, loving God would be glorified and honored through all of this and through our lives.

A huge thanks to all our friends and family who have been following us through this ordeal - especially those who have helped us along the way in so many ways we've lost count - prayers, gifts, help at the house, moral support, or just thinking of us.  Thank you all.  We love you and may our gracious Lord return your blessings many-fold.

- Tim -

A Potential Setback

We've had a bit of a setback tonight after having done so well today; Daniel is running a fever now with a headache.  Over the past hour, it's risen from about 99 to 100.8.  Not sure what this is about, but if there's a possibility of infection, we won't be going home tomorrow (which everything was the way things were looking until this evening.)  He's resting now having stopped "Cowboys and Aliens" half-way through (so you know he's not feeling well!)  Very frustrating.

If it rises above 101.3, they will automatically culture his blood and start antibiotics - which means we'll be here for a minimum of another 48hrs even if the fever goes away (to be sure nothing shows up on the blood cultures).

We may have gotten over-confident since his blood counts were so high on Friday (well into the "normal range" and they said this particular chemo drug shouldn't negatively affect them).  So we've been more liberal with visitors this visit.  But of course there's no way to know what, or even IF he's gotten anything at this point.  There are few better places to pick up an infection than a hospital anyway, 

Please pray with us that any infection (or possible drug reaction) would quickly die without the need for more antibiotics or any longer than needed stay in the hospital.  Please pray for Andrea and I as well if we need to make further arrangements for being here at the hospital longer than anticipated through this week.  The next few weeks are going to be particularly stressful for me at work as it is without additional  complications with unplanned hospital stays.

On a positive note, our friends the Kellers were discharged today as Joey was much improved from the horrible past few days he spent here in quarantine with a CDiff infection.  We saw very little of them, but are really happy they got through this. It was a very close call with something completely out of the blue - a complication of all the recent antibiotics.  They still are in need of a touch from God for the cancer though so please keep them in your prayers as well.

As always, we look to the Lord for guidance, strength, endurance, wisdom, and peace through all things and trust that He is in complete control and will most certainly turn all things toward good and for His glory.

- Tim -