"Do not worry about anything, but in everything, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God, and the peace of God will guard your hearts and minds in Christ.: Philippians 4:6-7
There is a lot that we all have to be thankful for. Food on the table, roofs over our heads, clothes on our back, our families, and our health. After talking with some of my family on the phone, hearing their concern for my back and how scary the surgery was, I am thankful for my health right now. Thank you for your prayers too, for God has truly answered them. Give Him the glory.
On Tuesday, I got my stitches out. It was not as painful as I thought. Every morning when I wake up, my mobility increases. I am walking around, almost normally. I am still a little slow, and I need to be careful with what I lift. My left leg, which is what was hurting prior to surgery due to nerves being pressed by the tumors, still hurts some, but it is probably residual pain because of the nerves being inflamed.
Meredith and my parents have been wonderful taking care of me and helping me with everything. Sometimes they think they haven't helped enough because I have been able to move around so much and the recovery has been so fast. But they really have, it has been such a blessing for my parents to be here. And my wife is amazing. She has cooked such amazing food and has taken great care of me.
This recovery has literally been twice as fast as the surgery in 2003! God has done so much, He continues to prove He is the great physician. He leads me beside quiet waters. Psalm 23.
Be thankful for the grace, the forgiveness, the Salvation, the relationship from Christ.
Thursday, November 23, 2006
Tuesday, November 14, 2006
Home Sweet Home
Well, our hospital stay is over! We were able to come home today, Tuesday, a couple of days earlier than I had expected based on my last surgery. God has totally increased the speed of this recovery. From the moment I was awake in ICU, I kept saying that, " I can't express how much better I feel than last time!" The post surgery pain and soreness has been nothing like my last surgery. Although last surgery was a little more invasive as far as the laminectomy goes, the doctors removed four tumors, one was not expected. All of them were very easily removed, and were "jelly-like" instead of hardened masses. A post surgery MRI showed that nearly 98% of the tumors were gone, the little that remained should easily be fought by the radiation (or the Lord could just take it out). I am able to walk around (very slowly and carefully), and I have seen an increase in my walking ability and a decrease in the pain I feel each day. The majority of the pain I am experiencing now has to do with the incision that was made for surgery. It is about 13 inches and goes well below the belt on the backside. My back muscles are somewhat in shock, which makes my back as stiff as a board, supreme posture.
The coolest thing happened today though. Even though the weather has been somewhat dreary, we still could view many mountains from my hospital room window. We were totally blessed with a seventh floor, window room, we wanted the jacuzzi, but it was taken. Today the clouds were pushed away and the sun was shining so bright through the window. What was even more amazing was Mt. Rainier was huge outside the window! What seemed to be small, cloud covered mountains the previous days, turned out to be the giant Mt. Rainier, snow-covered and awesome! It was God saying, that I was on the mountain top, and to remember that, no matter where I am.
Thursday, November 09, 2006
Night Before Surgery
Everybody,
This comes to you the night before my surgery. All is well. My parents are in from Houston, and we all are staying on base about two minutes from the hospital. Today I went through the pre-op routine: blood drawn, anestesiologist, vital signs. We have had an awesome day, and everyone that we encountered was very nice.
Tomorrow, Thursday, at 0900 we return to the hospital for surgery. The exact length of the surgery is indeterminable and depends on how easy the tumors can be removed. The same surgery I had done three years ago lasted approx 9 hrs., so Meredith and my parents are in for a marathon. They will be in a waiting in a room, and the doctor will come out at parts during the surgery to give updates. Afterward, I will be in ICU for about 1-2 days, and they will be able to see me. Then I will head to the normal ward for about 5 more days.
Meredith and I cannot express how much we appreciate everything that y’all have done for us already. We have received encouraging phone calls and letters from so many people, and there are so many people literally around the world praying for us. God’s family is huge! We will definitely keep you posted either via phone, e-mail, or blog. God bless you all; we love you!
We leave you this: Jesus prayed in Gethsemane for God to take away what was about to happen to him, but he still did not want his will, but God’s will be done. More than once he prayed this. I am not sure if he immediately got his answer, but he was betrayed and ultimately turned over to be crucified immediately after he was done praying. Mark 14: 32-42.
We have all prayed for God to heal me, yet not our will but God’s be done. As we sleep tonight, we still do not know if I will have to endure this surgery and radiation, for with God all things are possible, the tumors may not even be there when they open me up. Not our will be done.
Love,
Jordan and Meredith
Matthew 6: 33
This comes to you the night before my surgery. All is well. My parents are in from Houston, and we all are staying on base about two minutes from the hospital. Today I went through the pre-op routine: blood drawn, anestesiologist, vital signs. We have had an awesome day, and everyone that we encountered was very nice.
Tomorrow, Thursday, at 0900 we return to the hospital for surgery. The exact length of the surgery is indeterminable and depends on how easy the tumors can be removed. The same surgery I had done three years ago lasted approx 9 hrs., so Meredith and my parents are in for a marathon. They will be in a waiting in a room, and the doctor will come out at parts during the surgery to give updates. Afterward, I will be in ICU for about 1-2 days, and they will be able to see me. Then I will head to the normal ward for about 5 more days.
Meredith and I cannot express how much we appreciate everything that y’all have done for us already. We have received encouraging phone calls and letters from so many people, and there are so many people literally around the world praying for us. God’s family is huge! We will definitely keep you posted either via phone, e-mail, or blog. God bless you all; we love you!
We leave you this: Jesus prayed in Gethsemane for God to take away what was about to happen to him, but he still did not want his will, but God’s will be done. More than once he prayed this. I am not sure if he immediately got his answer, but he was betrayed and ultimately turned over to be crucified immediately after he was done praying. Mark 14: 32-42.
We have all prayed for God to heal me, yet not our will but God’s be done. As we sleep tonight, we still do not know if I will have to endure this surgery and radiation, for with God all things are possible, the tumors may not even be there when they open me up. Not our will be done.
Love,
Jordan and Meredith
Matthew 6: 33
Sunday, November 05, 2006
Radiation Preps
I had never really planned to get a tattoo in my life, that's why a week and a half ago I got five!
My wife and I went down to the hospital to get a CAT Scan in order for my oncologist to make preparations for radiation therapy. Little did I know that I would have to get this custom made mask and five tattoos! While there were prepping me for the CAT Scan, I laid on this table and they placed this warm sheet of plastic over my face and then strapped it me to the table by my face! It was a most unpleasant experience, and I had to get them to let me up for a couple of minutes after the mask dried (I was about to freak out; it seemed like they were used to people being uncomfortable with the mask formation procedure). Once it hardened, it was a little more comfortable. I will have to wear this special mask each time I receive the radiation therapy because my spine has to be perfectly aligned our the radiation could hit some of my internals that it is not supposed to. I also had a leg mold made to add in the proper positioning.
While I was having this mask made, the specialists were poking around my chest and lining up these lasers. Little did I know that when they removed the mask, there was a man there to give me some tattoos! No joke, there was a needle with the ink and everything! The tattoos are especially key because they will be used to line up where the radiation is going to enter my body. After much needling (they said my skin was the toughest to tattoo of anyone in 12 years--the ink might have been bad, I like to think my skin is think-who knows), I was left with five little dots on my chest and sides. This whole series of events was rather unexpected, but I did learn that after all these guys had to go through to simply make five little dots, I will never get a real tattoo--ouch!
My wife and I went down to the hospital to get a CAT Scan in order for my oncologist to make preparations for radiation therapy. Little did I know that I would have to get this custom made mask and five tattoos! While there were prepping me for the CAT Scan, I laid on this table and they placed this warm sheet of plastic over my face and then strapped it me to the table by my face! It was a most unpleasant experience, and I had to get them to let me up for a couple of minutes after the mask dried (I was about to freak out; it seemed like they were used to people being uncomfortable with the mask formation procedure). Once it hardened, it was a little more comfortable. I will have to wear this special mask each time I receive the radiation therapy because my spine has to be perfectly aligned our the radiation could hit some of my internals that it is not supposed to. I also had a leg mold made to add in the proper positioning.
While I was having this mask made, the specialists were poking around my chest and lining up these lasers. Little did I know that when they removed the mask, there was a man there to give me some tattoos! No joke, there was a needle with the ink and everything! The tattoos are especially key because they will be used to line up where the radiation is going to enter my body. After much needling (they said my skin was the toughest to tattoo of anyone in 12 years--the ink might have been bad, I like to think my skin is think-who knows), I was left with five little dots on my chest and sides. This whole series of events was rather unexpected, but I did learn that after all these guys had to go through to simply make five little dots, I will never get a real tattoo--ouch!
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