Update on how Kellee is feeling…

 Wednesday, July 7, 2010 -  Here is part of an update Heidi sent out via email to her email address book with a few updates from me:

Overall Kellee has been feeling ok.  He tires more quickly than normal, has extra sensitivity which feels like a sunburn but isn’t, chills,  back pain and other strange feelings which we were told to expect but it still is hard to see.  This past weekend it almost seemed like he took a few steps back. The other night he told me he felt much like he did when he was first having side effects of the Radiation Treatments. He was experiencing the funny taste in his mouth, so eating was not fun. In fact he even got sick one night and thought he was going to again the next night. Another cause for concern is when Kellee moves from either a laying or sitting position to standing up, he gets a splitting headache which can last from 5 seconds to 15 seconds on, sometimes longer. The pain is similar to ”Ice pick head” or “brain Freeze” when eating homemade ice cream too fast.   I find myself asking him “how are you feeling?” probably much more than Kellee likes. Heidi and I are planning to go to St. Louis this coming weekend, but have started to have second thoughts about it, not wanting to leave with Kellee not feeling great.  However tonight he told us not to worry about him and go ahead and travel. Besides, Kerry will be around as well to keep an eye on him.

Tonight Kellee accompanied Heidi and I to Ottumwa to a food taste testing at “The Vine”, which is a new coffee shop scheduled to open in August and at which Kerry will be a co-manager. (We will share more about this at a later time.)  It was good to see where it will be located and to taste some of the food that might be on the menu. 

Kellee continues leading worship at The Bridge each Sunday, working on his worship loops website, goes kayaking and tubing, and the band has played a few shows too – so he’s doing his normal things pretty well, just can’t do too many of them in one day. 

July 18 Sons & Heirs (the band) is scheduled to lead worship at the 10:30 service at TRC.

Monday July 12 Kellee has another MRI and we meet with the radiation oncologist to see what the MRI says.  Our hope and prayer is that the tumor is completely gone – which the Dr’s think will be the case, but as the day draws closer my anxiety increases!  Kellee remains strong and solid in his faith – what a blessing to see!

Thank you all for continued prayer as we walk this journey.  We will update again after the July 12 MRI.

For a Wedding and Fun for all, plus next MRI is scheduled.

Friday, June 18, 2010 -  Kellee got a phone call from Iowa City, his next MRI is scheduled for July 12. With this MRI we will hopefully find out the final results of all the radiation treatments. What if anything will be seen in the MRI? Will there be any remnants of the tumor (scar tissue?) or will it be completely gone? We are hoping and praying for the later.

Saturday, June 19, 2010 – Heidi & I went to a wedding. The son of a couple of friend of ours got married in Pella @ TRC and then the reception was at a golf and country club in Des Moines. The wedding was very simple and elegant and reception was well planned and efficient. We had assigned seats at tables during the meal seating and we were very near the dance floor, which turned out to be some of the best seats in the banquet hall. We were up close for the couples first dance, which is what actually started the evening festivities.  We had a very good time but had only one picture taken of us. We should have had a few more because it was such a nice setting.

Kent & Heidi at wedding reception

Wednesday Update

Wednesday, May 12, 2010 – After Wednesday’s radiation treatment Kellee & I (Heidi) met with nurse Kelly to answer questions prior to another MRI – the questions are the same questions we’ve answered before each MRI – “Has any metal been inserted into your body lately”  “Did you get a tattoo or body piercings during Tulip Time”  Ok they didn’t really ask the questions like that, but that’s what I was thinking!  So after the questioning, which took all of 5 minutes, we left for home.  The rain/wind/lightening/detours were challenging but we made it home by 10:45.  Kellee had lunch with a friend and I worked from home all afternoon.  Kellee left around 4pm to practice and play for the last “Mix” – TRC’s Middle School  program that meets on Wednesday nights – thus the reason we came home.  We picked up Subway for dinner.  When Kellee returned from The Mix, he, Kory, and Kent watched Sherlock Holmes, while I read Anna Karenina – well not all of it – just a few pages!

It’s Thursday morning and Kellee and I will leave shortly for Iowa City.  We have a big day today.

10:30 – MRI (1 hour long)

11:45 – Radiation Treatment

1:30 – Neuro Surgery 6 week check up

Fun Fun!  I cooked up some pasta this morning, added sauce and we will have baked pasta tonight at Hope Lodge.

Doctor Day with Tulips

Friday, April 30, 2010 – Doctor Day, Heidi & Kellee left for Iowa City early this morning for the last radiation treatment of the week. Below is Heidi’s summary of the day and week:

We’ve finished our 2^nd week of treatment in Iowa City and have good news.  An MRI was taken Wednesday and it shows the tumor is reducing in size! – after only 9 treatments!  Which is what the Dr’s expected but seems amazing to me that results can be seen that quickly.  Kellee has one more week of the whole brain and spine radiation – which is the hardest on him.  Because such a large field is being covered by radiation he’s really tired and depends on those anti-nausea pills.  The hope is the nausea should lessen once the radiation is more focused in the brain.  He’s lost 10 lbs which is a little concerning but understandable.  Just need to get the most calories in the least amount of bites – a whole new thought process for me!  More good news – there is a room for us at Hope Lodge (the Ronald McDonald house for adults) on Monday!

Next week is Kent’s week with Kellee in Iowa City.  We’re managing fine, because of your prayers and support, they give us strength!  Kory comes home from school (Iowa State) next week, which will be nice so it’s not so quiet here at home during the week.  Then the following week Kerry will be home too after graduating from Central – Yea more people to mow the lawn!

And now for those of you who will not be in Pella to enjoy the tulips, here are a couple of photos of tulips taken this week. In case you didn’t know, Pella is a small town in Iowa which celebrates its Dutch heritage each year the first weekend in May with a festival. This year the dates are May 6, 7, & 8. For more information see Pella Tulip Time link -  http://www.pellatuliptime.com/

Red Tulips

Tulips

Coming soon…the poll!

Wednesday’s notes from Iowa City

Wednesday, April 28, 2010 – Here is the latest as of 10:45 am this morning.

They just brought Kellee back for his CT scan 9:40am or so – he had his radiation at 8am when we arrived and then shortly after that was done they came to get him to put the IV in for the contrast – I went with him. We were in an exam room, nurse Kelly told us what was going to happen the rest of this morning.
• He was going to have an IV for CT contrast and the MRI contrast. Neither of the tests would be very long
• He was fitted for the Bite Block that will be used for the boost (the next session) the bite block – he holds in his mouth and then if his head moves during radiation treatment, they can tell from balls on this contraption that reflect beams or something and they shut down the machine. This is a more focused radiation than the last sessions, so the need for precision. We’re not sure what day the new sessions start we’ll find that out Friday during the Dr. visit
• He will also be fitted for the new mask that will be a half mask – instead of covering his chest this one will cover just under his nose, so he can have the bite block in his mouth
• They will also mold a pillow for his head so it will be in the same position each time.

They gave us something to read about the CT contrast – it’s different from the MRI contrast and can have some side effects like nausea, vomiting, thus the reason he couldn’t eat this morning. I saw Kellee’s eye’s get big when he read that. Nurse Kelly put in the IV and shortly after that Kellee became faint and had to lay down – Nurse Kelly put a cool washcloth on his forehead – he was breathing fast and I could tell he didn’t feel good. They turned the lights low and just let him lay there for a while. Nurse Kelly explained the contrast wouldn’t be that bad and it was a small amount. We’ll see when he’s done.

Nancy the bite block nurse said that she thought he might feel better once he’s having more focused radiation, instead of the whole brain and whole spine – makes sense to me.

It’s been a big morning already for Kellee. I bet he’ll be really wiped out this afternoon! Me too!
The connection is working better now – I think I must have gotten disconnected when I shut the computer to go to the exam room with Kellee. So it was operator error – of course!

MORE FROM WEDNESDAY:
Kellee was done with the tests and fittings around 11, we picked up the van from the sweet valet parking and drove to Pita Pit. Kellee thought that sounded good today. We brought it back to the hotel and he ate almost the whole thing – more than I could eat! Then he slept on and off for most of the afternoon. My dad and his wife Sandy stopped by on their way to Pella for a softball game. It was nice having someone to talk to who was right here while Kellee slept. Later in the afternoon Kellee ate the rest of his Culver’s Cookie Dough Concrete Mixer that we got last night at 9pm (after American Idol & Glee). We think we’ll come home Thursday after treatment #8 and then return Friday AM for treatment #9 and the Dr. visit. Friday when we visit with the Dr. we’ll learn what the MRI/CT scan showed today and we’ll see if treatments will continue done the path we were told initially or if they’ll make some adjustments.

They’re here…Images of a Tumor

Monday, April 26, 2010 – Kellee had his bible study last night and one of the guys asked to turn the lights out, he wanted to see if Kellee would glow in the dark from the radiation treatments. Just to put to rest any tumor rumors, Kellee does NOT glow in the dark!

Heidi and Kellee left for Iowa City at 1:00 pm. They did not use the valet parking because they were going to go to the pharmacy and pick up some more zofran (anti-nausea meds) for Kellee after the treatment. Since the treatment today was scheduled for 3:00 pm which is not the normal time, they had to wait for about 30 minutes before he was called in. Heidi was able to go into the treatment room today and see the set-up. Heidi called me to report while I was still at work. They had no trouble finding the Extended Stay and were all checked in and moved in when talked. Kellee was still feeling pretty good and was making Mac & Cheese.

When I got home from work, I took the dogs out and at the front door was a small package (basically a CD case) from the University of Iowa Hospitals & Clinics with the words imaging Information Enclosed on the side. The MRI images had arrived via UPS this afternoon. After a quick loo at the many images, few of them are now posted below. We may add more later as we look at them more.

I spoke with Kellee around 9:20 pm Monday night. He was doing pretty well, tired and occasionally a bit butterfly-ee but otherwise not bad at all. In addition to the Mac & Cheese, he had a sandwich. He told me he wold keep me posted on whether eating all that was a good idea.

MRI Side View 1

MRI Side View 2

MRI Top View 1

MRI Top View 2

Treatment Plan is Developed

Thursday, April 8, 2010 – 10:30am – Good News!  Shouts of praise! The pathology tests verified the tumor is what is called a germinoma (germ cell tumor). This is what the report says; DIAGNOSIS: Brain, pineal region, mass, biopsy: Germinoma.

Heidi & Kellee waiting for the final Pathology results.

Dr. Sh. came in the tiny little exam room first. We had previously met with her along with Dr. H. when Kellee was in the hospital after the biopsy.  She told us the pathology tests did verify the tumor is a germinoma which is treatable with radiation.  A short time later, we met with Dr. H., Dr. S. and D. Sh. Which meant there was 6 of us in the tiny exam room, it was standing room only. Dr. H. did most of the talking. He made a point of telling us he and Dr. S. had consulted and are in agreement with the course of treatment. (Which was a big relief, if you remember from a previous post we were concerned about the possibility of one doctor recommending one treatment and another a different course of action. Yesterday, Kellee had spoken with the scheduling nurse and he expressed our concern about the possibility of different options being presented and we think that may be why Dr. H. stressed their agreement in treatment plan.) Anyway, Dr. H. explained even though he was a chemo doctor and he normally would recommend chemo therapy and Dr S. being a radiation oncologist and he would recommend radiation, they agreed with this type of tumor the course of action will be radiation, (provided the MRI of the spine is clear). He said based on dose of radiation which will be given, the amount of side effects would be minimized, therefore he felt radiation is the way to go.  I asked what is the grade of the tumor, is it malignant or benign? The doctor told us that is not quite finalized as to the “grade” of the tumor. However, being a germinoma, the treatment method would be the same. We will meet with Dr. S. later today after the MRI to go over the plan, etc.

Kellee endured another IV for the MRI which started late and lasted about 45  minutes, this gave Heidi & I enough time to go get something to eat and grab a sandwich for Kellee when the MRI was complete. We had got back to the MRI area and sat down in the waiting room and then Kellee was coming out looking for the key to the locker where he stored his clothes. We then booked it over to the Radiation Therapy area.     (One note to add about at the MRI – When we first got there and they called Kellee’s name, we went back with him to the next waiting room where Kellee could change into a gown and robe, while Kellee went to a changing room, one of the nurses said to Heidi & I, “You have obviously done a good job of raising your son, because he is very polite and respectful.”  That was nice to hear, every parent likes to think they are raising their kids well and to hear someone compliment your child for being well mannered is meaningful. Everyone knows it is probably more because of Heidi than Kent, but it is still a team effort!)

In Radiation Therapy, we met with Dr. S. and he told us the MRI of the spine did not reveal any mass in the spine. He showed us the MRI and he pointed out the spine and to our well-trained medical eyes, yes it did look clear. Dr. S. then went over the treatment plan again with us and it will be as follows: First there will be 21 units of radiation given to the head and spine with 1.5 units given each day. This will be 12-13 days.  Next there will be 9 units of radiation given to the ventricles of the brain (1.5 units/day). Followed by 18 units focused on the pineal  gland area (1.5 units/day).  Each treatment will take between 20-30 minutes.  On 4-19-2010 ia an appointment for something called “verification”  which is basically a simulation of the radiation treatment to make sure everything is set and aligned properly. Treatment with then begin on 4-20-2010.

Now for a bit of Q &A (Sorry, most answers will not be too technical, otherwise Kent would not be able to understand them):

Why radiation to the brain and spine, isn’t the tumor in the brain and didn’t the MRI of the spine show no masses?  Even though nothing detected in the spine, the doctor still recommends radiation of the spine, just in case some cells floated into the spinal fluid. Kind of a – let’s be safe rather than sorry treatment.

Why radiation to the ventricles, and what the heck is a ventricle anyway?  The ventricles are fluid areas between parts of the brain. The ventricles are filled with fluid and act as shock absorbers for the brain. Radiation is done here for the same reason as on the spine. We don’t want any of those nasty little floaters to get away!

How will we know if the radiation is working? About half way through the treatment course, and MRI will be taken and the tumor should be noticeably smaller?

What if the tumor is not smaller then? We will cross that bridge when we get there!

Will Kellee be cured? The doctor stressed there are no guarantees, but there is an expected approximate 90% cure rate.

What will side effects be?

Short term side effects – nausea & ralphing (especially during the time the radiation is focused on the spine, but there is a prescription of meds to counter nausea), fatigue, dry mouth, redness & dryness to the skin, bloating, diarrhea, constipation. Hair loss – after about 2 – 3 weeks of treatment, the hair will be gone. (Kent wishes he could figure something out like that for the hair coming out of his ears and nose!) Hair will grow back and it should take less than the rumor of eight months we had heard. There is a chance o f decrease in blood count, particularly when the radiation is focused on the spine. So about once a week they will draw blood, (You are correct, Kellee made a face when he heard that, in case I haven’t mentioned it before, he does  not really like needles.) If the blood count goes down they may have to stop treatment for a day or two.

What is ralphing? Vomiting, losing cookies.

Aren’t guys named Ralph upset about such name usage? Yes.

Long term side effects - Because the radiation doses will be what is considered fairly low and because Kellee is young the risk of the following are very low:  Brain damage (dane bramage), other cancers (radiation induced in the treatment field), spinal cord damage, hormonal deficiency.  One other side effect – fertility issues. Low sperm count specially usually for up to a year after treatment.  They told Kellee not to be planning on having any kids during the same one year time frame. (There are other things to consideration I won’t go into here.)

Explaining all the side effects was part of the release/authorization  form Kellee had to sign allowing the hospital to do the treatment.

Next the doctor said there is one more thing. (What you got to be kidding me!) He said since these type of tumors typically are found in the testicles, he recommends an ultra-sound of the boys (aka balls, gonads) just to be sure. Could we come back next week Wednesday for an Ultra-sound. Now this was a bit frustrating for a couple of reasons; 1. Why was he just bringing it up now? Shouldn’t this have been brought up earlier so we could have had planned it for today while we were in Iowa City anyway? 2. Kellee was none too excited about the prospects of such a test.  We asked if they could possibly schedule it yet for today or how about on the morning of 4-19? Turns out neither would work, but they did write-up an order for it and said it can be done in Pella, if the Pella clinics have the ability to perform such a test. We will be checking into it tomorrow.

While there we filled out information for staying at Hope Lodge during the weeks of treatment. We are supposed to get a call from them telling us if they have room or not.  Otherwise we do have some other options where people have contacted us who live in Iowa City and offered rooms.

Next Kellee had a CT scan and was fitted for an immobilization mask and body device to make sure he is always in the same position for each treatment to ensure precise delivery of the radiation beam at each treatment session.

Example of what the mask looks like

Thus ended our 4th Thursday in Iowa City since this all began on March 11. Kellee was kind of wiped out from the busy day and slept some on the way home.  We picked up some pizza once we got to Pella as we didn’t feel like fixing anything.

Kellee’s attitude through this continues to amaze us (GOD IS GOOD!),  those of you on Facebook go look at  his take on the day – check out this link, you may need to copy and paste this link into your browser. http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?ref=profile&id=100000111840004#!/kelleevanhemert?v=app_2347471856&ref=nf

GOOD Friday

Friday, April 2, 2010 – We were told the doctors planned to do rounds early in the morning and would be in Kellee’s room at approximately 6:45 this morning. Heidi and I got up early to try to be there before 6:30. As we walked up to his room, we noticed the docs were already there in his room. There were 8 or 9 doctors in the room listening to Dr. Chen go over Kellee’s case. (In case you don’t know, U of I is a teaching hospital.) However they were just finishing up as we got there. Dr, Chen asked us if we had any questions and we really didn’t because we hadn’t heard any of what he had just said. But he did say Kellee was doing good and would probably get to go home today. Dr. Hanson was there too and as he was leaving he said they would be back. After they all left, Kellee said they had not said anything new. We ordered Kellee some french toast, bacon and yogurt for breakfast. Kellee said the nurse and nurse’s assistant during the night were very helpful.

Dr. Hanson stopped by and talked to us for a while and once again it was great to meet with him. He clarified for us some things about the tumor and all tumors in general. He told us all tumors are cancer, it is just some are benign and some are malignant. Turns out we were cancer illiterates we had been under the impression a tumor was only cancerous if it turns out to be malignant. A benign brain tumor can still grow and cause problems but it typically does not spread to other parts of the brain or body. So if you are going to have a tumor, this is the kind you want. A malignant tumor will not only grow but can spread to other parts of the body and that is not a good thing. I know in some previous posts and some emails we sent out we were not calling the tumor cancer. I am sure some read those and thought, those silly people they are in denial. No, we honestly did not know. Apologies to anyone we may have offended, that was not our intent. Dr Hanson then went over the medications Kellee would be taking when we got home. Some would be prescription meds and others OTC.

At about 10:00 we had an appointment with the radiation oncologist, Dr. Smith. An escort pushed Kellee in a wheelchair down to the lower level and through the maze of hallways to where Radiation Therapy is located. Kerry and Kory accompanied us to this appointment. When Dr. Smith came in he pulled up Kellee’s MRI and we got to look at it again. I asked him the actual size of the tumor and he measured it for us and it is 23mm x 14mm x 18mm (a little bigger than a peanut) and is located just above the brain stem, near the pineal gland.  He also told us based on the preliminary exam on the tissue done in the O.R. that this type tumor does respond well to radiation. He then spelled out his tentative treatment plan which would include initially doing a 6-7 week course of radiation and then only followed up with chemo if needed as salvage to clean up any left over tumor after radiation. This was different from what the medical oncologist had said the day before, so we asked about him about it. He had not yet conferred with the medical oncologist but they would talk and discuss the treatment. But in the mean time for this type of tumor his recommended treatment is to begin with whole brain and spine radiation, followed by more localized  radiation to the ventricles of the brain and finally radiation focused on the tumor.  The reason for doing radiation to the whole brain, spine, ventricles and finally the tumor is because there is a 15% – 20% possibility of some of the tumor cells to have floated free from the tumor through the fluid that surrounds the brain and show up elsewhere. But there is a greater than 90% cure rate with this type of treat on such a rare tumor.  Treatments would be 5 days a week M – F  and would take about 20-30 minutes each time.  He told us about Hope Lodge which is a place in Iowa City radiation patients may stay during the week when under going treatments. Especially those who might have to drive a distance each day for treatment.  This might be an option, depending on how Kellee reacts to the treatment and the drive each day. If it is better for him to stay there, that we will do. Otherwise the drive each day is  not so bad and we should be able to handle it. Between  Heidi, Kerry, Kory, others who have volunteered and myself, we already have a rotation of  drivers available to help him make the daily trip. Dr. Smith also told about possible side effects in both the short-term and long-term. Short term side effects would be nausea, fatigue, hair loss and a couple of others. Long Term could be neuro-cognitive development impacting such things as memorization, learning new things, fatigue and difficulty to focus. He said these are more common in people over 60 years old and a younger person does not usually have these issues. Another long-term effect could be 2nd cancers.

Another question we asked was would there be any restrictions on his activity during the treatment time. Kellee can do whatever he wants and feels up to doing. Kellee’s concern was that he wouldn’t be able to lead worship at the Bridge, he did not want to have to miss out on what is an important part of his life. So he was glad about that.   We set up an appointment for Friday, April 9 at noon by then the results of the pathology tests should be known. There will also be a CT scan and MRI of the spine and finally a layout of the treatment plan to begin the following week. Kellee  asked if the start of treatment could begin the next week on the 19th. This way the boy’s band ‘Sons & Heirs’  could still play in the VEISHA Battle of the Bands on the 17th. Still in the back of my mind I wonder, what if the final results are different and all this treatment planning has to change? Why such detail now? It is so easy to fall into the “what if..?” mode and when I do that, it can be scary. I need to keep reminding myself God’s is in control. Even though it is hard, I should not worry, Kellee is in good hands.

So we left the Radiation Therapy area and got back to Kellee’s room around noon. We ordered some food for Kellee and then the rest of us went to the Melrose Dining room to eat. When we got back after we ate, Kellee had also finished eating. The nurse came by and went over the discharge documents and we decided to order the prescription meds from the U of I Clinic Pharmacy. They would call them down. I asked the nurse for something to clean up Kellee’s head and face, it still had not been cleaned since the biopsy and here was some yellow iodine, a bit of blood and the marker residue. She brought some wash clothes. She told us they would call for an escort to the parking ramp to take Kellee out in a wheel chair when we were ready. The pharmacy called the nurse and they needed to talk to someone about the prescriptions. Heidi went to the phone and was told they needed to see Kellee’s insurance card. She went with Kerry and Kory to the Pharmacy and I stayed back to help clean Kellee’s face and get his clothes ready to put on so we could leave. After Kellee was cleaned up and dressed we waited for the  rest of the family to come up from the pharmacy. Kellee’s room phone rang it was the Radiation Therapy department calling to change the appointment from next Friday to next Thursday the 8th. We asked the nurse to call for the escort because we were told it would 10-20 minutes for the escort to come up and we figured that gave time for Heidi and the boys to get back. Turns out there was a long line at the pharmacy and it took a while. The escort came and we loaded up, we met the family at the end of the hall. We made it to the parking ramp and left for home.

We got home at about 3:45 pm. We Kellee up in the recliner and the boys started watching the first three Star Wars movies (in order of their release). Heidi and I went to HyVee to get groceries and one last prescription for Kellee. (There was a bit of a mix-up on this one, but we got it straightened out, I won’t bore you with those details here.)  Kerry and Kory made beany weineys for supper and while we watched Star Wars, I worked on this blog. We are all looking forward to a good night of sleep in our own beds and hopefully to sleep in!

Okay, I know that was probably way more detail than was needed, but believe it or not I left some stuff out and I am sure there is information I have forgotten. If I think of more I will update this day’s blog later, just like I updated Thursday’s post a couple of times. We have seen God’s hand in the steps we have taken as we travel this journey and know it is because of the prayers of His people. Thank you for praying!

For those of you on or access to Facebook to see Kellee’s take on the last couple days go to – http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#!/kelleevanhemert?v=app_2347471856

Picture this!

Tuesday, March 30, 2010 – We have had people ask for a photo of Kellee or a photo of our family for one more guide to help them pray. Here is a photo of the family we took this past Christmas. From left to right – Kellee, Kory, Kent, Heidi, Kerry.

Thanks to everyone who is praying. We have received many encouraging emails, cards, etc and we appreciate everyone’s support. As you continue to pray – pray for and picture the tumor withering just like when Jesus spoke to the fig tree that had no figs to eat.  We continue to pray for Thursday and for the pre-surgery MRI to show the tumor is gone! April Fools!

1 Cor 1:27a – But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise;

Biopsy scheduled, Prayer Request

Friday, March 26, 2010 – Kellee got a call this morning and the biopsy is scheduled for 8:00 am on Thursday, April 1st at the University of Iowa Hospital. Kellee says the April Fool’s joke will be on the doctors when they perform the MRI @ 7:20 am, and they find the tumor is gone! So that is the prayer request, pray the tumor can’t be found on the MRI that morning.

As a parent I struggle being that optimistic, I feel like the father of the boy with the evil spirit in Mark 9:22-24 where he says to Jesus “…But if you can do anything, take pity on us and help us.” ”If you can,”  said Jesus. “Everything is possible for him who believes.”  Immediately the boy’s father exclaimed, “I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!”  That is how I feel, I believe, yet I wonder what will Jesus do it this situation. Will Jesus remove the tumor, will He use doctors and nurses to remove it, or… However, I know whatever the outcome, God is good and He will get the glory. Right now all we can do is trust in Jesus that He will be with us every step of the way and that is enough.

A couple more things, today the mail, Kellee received a prayer quilt from Bakersfield, California. A friend of mine, Gary,  who I used to share an office with out in the plant, contacted his aunt who is a ”prayer warrior” and she is also part of a prayer quilt ministry.  Along with the prayer quilt was a very nice note in which Carol, (her name) said she was blessed to pray for Kellee and it was a privilege to do so! Each knot tied on the quilt represented a specific prayer that was lifted up for Kellee. Thank-you Gary for asking her to pray and thank-you Carol and any others involved, for the prayers and the quilt. Kellee sat under it last night while we watched UNI. (What a run they had!)  Another surprise in the mail came in the form of a note and gift cards from one of Heidi’s cousins. Very thoughtful and appreciated!

I know many others are praying as well and we are humbled by number of people who tell us Kellee is in their prayers. Keep on praying!