I talked with Kirklin this week and David will be having an MRI on the 30th...We hope to know something. David continues to be upbeat and he really works on his walking and movement.
I am thankful this season for Family, (Deborah, Dennis, Dad and my brothers thanks for the extra help) Church Family(I don't know how people survive without one of these) and friends ( I don't have enough lines to name you)who have rallied around us. I am overwhelmed at what is being done for us...thank you thank you thank you....
Acknowledge that the Lord is God. He made us, and we belong to him; we are his people, we are his flock. Psalm 100:3
Remember the reason for the season.
J:)y
Friday, November 20, 2009
Thursday, November 12, 2009
The man you are praying for.
Make it your ambition to lead a quiet life, to mind your own business and to work with your hands,...so that your daily life may win the respect of outsiders and so that you will not be dependent on anybody. 1 Thessalonians 4:11-12
This sums David up. A while back David received a card from a special young lady thanking him for what he did with her and how he helped her horse too. Monday another card came in and a Grandmother had shared with me how David had helped her grandson in the same way. Calls have been coming in and the word dependable is ALWAYS mentioned when they talk about David. A client of his called this morning and she said that she just knew something had to be wrong because she hadn't heard from him...
David is one of the most intelligent people that I've ever known. The thing I love about him the most is that he didn't care who knew this or if you did know this. He doesn't use big words and didn't feel the need to impress people. He sure wouldn't have made the cover of magazines with his fashion statement either! David loved horseshoeing and wished that he had been doing it all his life and he even told me one time that if he could he would have done it for free...I'm finding out that he has done it for free and many times. Especially, when it comes to kids. David had kids calling him a lot even when the parents didn't know that they were calling because their special four legged friend needed help...speaks volumes for this fine man. He is also a history nut and can tell you anything you need to know about it and he is also a certified welder. He is one of the best when it comes to working and training a horse. David is 48 years old and has had horses most of his life. This is something that has been passed on to Emma and he often says that she is better! He has always been there for us and in everything that we do and supported what we wanted to do.
We are getting prayers from all over the United States and we appreciate that and I just thought for those of you who didn't know his story, maybe this will help. He continues to be upbeat and pushes himself everyday to get that right leg working.
We have an appointment on November 30 at Kirklin and I think it will be more of a check than anything.
With love and hugs
Joy
This sums David up. A while back David received a card from a special young lady thanking him for what he did with her and how he helped her horse too. Monday another card came in and a Grandmother had shared with me how David had helped her grandson in the same way. Calls have been coming in and the word dependable is ALWAYS mentioned when they talk about David. A client of his called this morning and she said that she just knew something had to be wrong because she hadn't heard from him...
David is one of the most intelligent people that I've ever known. The thing I love about him the most is that he didn't care who knew this or if you did know this. He doesn't use big words and didn't feel the need to impress people. He sure wouldn't have made the cover of magazines with his fashion statement either! David loved horseshoeing and wished that he had been doing it all his life and he even told me one time that if he could he would have done it for free...I'm finding out that he has done it for free and many times. Especially, when it comes to kids. David had kids calling him a lot even when the parents didn't know that they were calling because their special four legged friend needed help...speaks volumes for this fine man. He is also a history nut and can tell you anything you need to know about it and he is also a certified welder. He is one of the best when it comes to working and training a horse. David is 48 years old and has had horses most of his life. This is something that has been passed on to Emma and he often says that she is better! He has always been there for us and in everything that we do and supported what we wanted to do.
We are getting prayers from all over the United States and we appreciate that and I just thought for those of you who didn't know his story, maybe this will help. He continues to be upbeat and pushes himself everyday to get that right leg working.
We have an appointment on November 30 at Kirklin and I think it will be more of a check than anything.
With love and hugs
Joy
Sunday, November 8, 2009
Nothing much new
Wanda, Debra and Pat....y'all hang in there we are praying for all of you.
Thank you for the emails and posts...they mean a lot to us.
No word yet when we go back to Kirklin.
Pray without ceasing...
David, Joy and Emma.
Thank you for the emails and posts...they mean a lot to us.
No word yet when we go back to Kirklin.
Pray without ceasing...
David, Joy and Emma.
Wednesday, November 4, 2009
Prayer Request for a friend
A very special person is having a procedure on Thursday morning and please pray for her...Her name is Pat Avery and add her to your list for me!
Thanks for all the emails and posts. I'm trying to answer them all!
We are still waiting on the date to return to Kirklin.
Have a Happy Thursday,
Joy
Thanks for all the emails and posts. I'm trying to answer them all!
We are still waiting on the date to return to Kirklin.
Have a Happy Thursday,
Joy
Thursday, October 29, 2009
Update from Kirklin Clinic / UAB
David and Joy have had a rough couple of weeks, so Joy has asked me to update everyone for her. David finished his radiation and chemo on his birthday, October 5th. He had been tolerating the treatments without many side effects until the last 2 weeks when he became very fatigued. Even though he completed the treatments on the 5th, the radiation kept "working" for another three weeks. During this time, his fatigue markedly increased and he had some difficulty speaking clearly and using his right arm and leg. In the last week to ten days, he has suffered an even more significant downturn. He is often unable to use his right arm or leg at all, his speech is much worse and he often can not communicate verbally. He is having more seizures. He is quite nauseous and not eating much, therefore has lost a good bit of weight. His hearing is even more hyper sensitive which causes him a lot of discomfort. He is also having a lot of hip pain but we are not sure how that fits into his current diagnosis. He is getting around the house by using a wheelchair on bad days, and a walker on good days.
Today, they returned to Birmingham for a follow up MRI to recheck the status of his tumor. The MRI showed that the mass has grown from 2.5 cm to 3.7 cm, however it is unclear how much of that increase is the tumor and how much is swelling around the tumor. This does NOT mean that the radiation and chemo were unsuccessful. Had he not had those treatments, it might be even bigger by now. He was again offered the option of surgery to remove part of the tumor, but he again declined due to the very high risk of complications including paralysis and total loss of speech. The doctors are starting him on pain medications and steroids to see if any of his symptoms are caused by swelling. If the steroids improve his symptoms, that means that at least some are caused by swelling. They have been unable to increase his seizure medications because his blood work today shows already high levels of the anti-seizure medications so they are hoping the steroids will help. He is going to begin another round of the chemo pill, but it will only be once a week for 5 weeks and it will be delivered to the house. He will return to Kirklin Clinic to have another MRI in one month. Day to day living has become filled with new challenges.
The good news is that Joy, David and Emma are still quite sure that God is in control and He has been meeting their needs in many ways! The doctors are arranging whatever home health services will make his life easier. Special friends are taking care of building ramps and making home modifications as they become an issue. Emma was voted Homecoming Queen and has been accepted to Auburn University, University of Alabama and Troy University! Decisions, decisions......Emma's friends and teachers have all rallied around her to keep her busy and encouraged. Their equestrian friends have helped them with horse and trailer issues. Neighbors have flooded them with gifts of hay for the horses. They have been uplifted by many cards and letters from all over the country! They have been encouraged by the DVD's from the Cowboy Church...keep 'em comin' boys! Their church family at Santuck Baptist Church and the entire Elmore County Community has covered them in prayer and supported them in many, many ways...too many to mention. All sorts of folks have cooked and cleaned and fixed and fussed and fretted to meet their every need! And of course, their family members have especially rallied around them. Many thanks to everyone!
As David's struggle increases, they have some more requests to make to all of these wonderful people. Everyone wants to know what they can do to help so here are some requests from Joy:
DO continue the cards and letters, they enjoy those very much.
DO continue meals, but keep in mind that she has special angels that deliver a meal every Monday and Tuesday. SBC has been delivering meals on Wednesday nights, but that will end in about 2 weeks. The Men's class has been purchasing and Angel Food box monthly and that is much appreciated. Joy asks that you coordinate dates to bring food with her as she does not have much freezer space. Emma especially likes sweets! Email communication is the best way to coordinate with Joy: hillsidefarm@netzero.net
DO NOT COME TO VISIT. David would be happy to see everyone, BUT he does not want everyone to see him in his current condition. Also, he can not talk which is embarrassing and frustrating to him. You will soon see some "no visitors" signs in their driveway and they ask that everyone honor them until he is feeling better. If David is in the living area and you are dropping off food, Joy will meet you in the driveway in order to protect his privacy. PLEASE SHOW HIM HOW MUCH YOU LOVE HIM BY RESPECTING THIS REQUEST THAT COMES DIRECTLY FROM DAVID.
DO SEND JOY AN EMAIL OR COMMENT ON THE BLOG! She likes to keep up with everyone else and talk about things other than cancer. She would even appreciate a sprinkling of gossip here and there! Also, this helps her to not have to repeat the current medical issues that are so tough for them to to deal with and talk about. hillsidefarm@netzero.net
TRY NOT TO CALL as the Kirklin staff will be calling them daily with treatment recommendations and for close follow up. They need to keep the phone lines open for that.
Again, Joy David and Emma want everyone to know how much they appreciate everything that everyone is doing for them! I hope that I did not leave anyone out, but rather, know that God is showing His love through all of you!
Cathy Brown
Today, they returned to Birmingham for a follow up MRI to recheck the status of his tumor. The MRI showed that the mass has grown from 2.5 cm to 3.7 cm, however it is unclear how much of that increase is the tumor and how much is swelling around the tumor. This does NOT mean that the radiation and chemo were unsuccessful. Had he not had those treatments, it might be even bigger by now. He was again offered the option of surgery to remove part of the tumor, but he again declined due to the very high risk of complications including paralysis and total loss of speech. The doctors are starting him on pain medications and steroids to see if any of his symptoms are caused by swelling. If the steroids improve his symptoms, that means that at least some are caused by swelling. They have been unable to increase his seizure medications because his blood work today shows already high levels of the anti-seizure medications so they are hoping the steroids will help. He is going to begin another round of the chemo pill, but it will only be once a week for 5 weeks and it will be delivered to the house. He will return to Kirklin Clinic to have another MRI in one month. Day to day living has become filled with new challenges.
The good news is that Joy, David and Emma are still quite sure that God is in control and He has been meeting their needs in many ways! The doctors are arranging whatever home health services will make his life easier. Special friends are taking care of building ramps and making home modifications as they become an issue. Emma was voted Homecoming Queen and has been accepted to Auburn University, University of Alabama and Troy University! Decisions, decisions......Emma's friends and teachers have all rallied around her to keep her busy and encouraged. Their equestrian friends have helped them with horse and trailer issues. Neighbors have flooded them with gifts of hay for the horses. They have been uplifted by many cards and letters from all over the country! They have been encouraged by the DVD's from the Cowboy Church...keep 'em comin' boys! Their church family at Santuck Baptist Church and the entire Elmore County Community has covered them in prayer and supported them in many, many ways...too many to mention. All sorts of folks have cooked and cleaned and fixed and fussed and fretted to meet their every need! And of course, their family members have especially rallied around them. Many thanks to everyone!
As David's struggle increases, they have some more requests to make to all of these wonderful people. Everyone wants to know what they can do to help so here are some requests from Joy:
DO continue the cards and letters, they enjoy those very much.
DO continue meals, but keep in mind that she has special angels that deliver a meal every Monday and Tuesday. SBC has been delivering meals on Wednesday nights, but that will end in about 2 weeks. The Men's class has been purchasing and Angel Food box monthly and that is much appreciated. Joy asks that you coordinate dates to bring food with her as she does not have much freezer space. Emma especially likes sweets! Email communication is the best way to coordinate with Joy: hillsidefarm@netzero.net
DO NOT COME TO VISIT. David would be happy to see everyone, BUT he does not want everyone to see him in his current condition. Also, he can not talk which is embarrassing and frustrating to him. You will soon see some "no visitors" signs in their driveway and they ask that everyone honor them until he is feeling better. If David is in the living area and you are dropping off food, Joy will meet you in the driveway in order to protect his privacy. PLEASE SHOW HIM HOW MUCH YOU LOVE HIM BY RESPECTING THIS REQUEST THAT COMES DIRECTLY FROM DAVID.
DO SEND JOY AN EMAIL OR COMMENT ON THE BLOG! She likes to keep up with everyone else and talk about things other than cancer. She would even appreciate a sprinkling of gossip here and there! Also, this helps her to not have to repeat the current medical issues that are so tough for them to to deal with and talk about. hillsidefarm@netzero.net
TRY NOT TO CALL as the Kirklin staff will be calling them daily with treatment recommendations and for close follow up. They need to keep the phone lines open for that.
Again, Joy David and Emma want everyone to know how much they appreciate everything that everyone is doing for them! I hope that I did not leave anyone out, but rather, know that God is showing His love through all of you!
Cathy Brown
Thursday, October 22, 2009
Thursday Devotion
I just read this to David and he wanted me to post it. Please pray as we have a week to go before the MRI...
FACING REALITY
1 Peter 1:6
Verse 6 can be identified as a transition verse, as Peter is now moving from our
glorious salvation, to reality here on this earth. His words, "wherein ye greatly
rejoice"--are in reference to the time when we ultimately receive our inheritance in
heaven. As Wuest comments, "The saints are to rejoice in the last time, that is,
when they receive their glorified bodies at the Rapture." Now the word
"rejoice" is one that "speaks to extreme joy that expresses itself
externally in an exuberant triumph of joy." As we contemplate the final fulfillment
of our salvation, and we join the heavenly band, we ought to burst forth in rejoicing.
As the NLT reads, "There is wonderful joy ahead." And as Hillyer puts it,
"the prospect of the coming glorious consummation of salvation is one in which
believers have every right to greatly rejoice."
However, we live here in this world and the KJV reads, "Though now for a
season." The word "season" means--"little, small, few," and
refers here to a little while. Pause for a moment and read Romans 8: 18 and 2
Corinthians 4:17. From the view of eternity, our time here on this earth is not only
temporary, but very brief.
Then comes the stark reality of life--"If need be, ye are in heaviness through
manifold temptations" (KJV). Or we read, "even though it is necessary for you
to endure many trials for a while" (NLT). Hillyer has this to say, "The
expression all kinds refers to trials facing believers, and here translates the word
which literally means "many colored." Peter uses the word again in 4:10 to
describe God's grace. The only two occurrences of the word in this letter nicely balance.
Christians may have to face all kinds of troubles. But in whatever "color"
troubles appear, God's grace will always "match" them and prove perfectly
sufficient. Nevertheless, Peter's wording implies that the trials hat Christians have to
meet will sort out those who are full of faith from others whose profession is less than
wholehearted."
Now let me add some comments from Kenneth Wuest--"The words 'if need be' are
hypothetical, not affirmative. That is, they do not state that there is always a need
for the dark days, for testing times and difficulties. In some lives there seems to be
more need of trials than in others. To those servants of God whom He purposes to use in
a larger, greater way, many trials are allowed to come for 'we must be ground between the
millstones of suffering before we can be bread for the multitude.' And then, in the case
of a saint who is not living close to his Lord, it is necessary to send disciplinary
trials to purge his life of sin and draw him into a closer walk with God."
Some good thoughts on which to begin our day------Parson Brown
FACING REALITY
1 Peter 1:6
Verse 6 can be identified as a transition verse, as Peter is now moving from our
glorious salvation, to reality here on this earth. His words, "wherein ye greatly
rejoice"--are in reference to the time when we ultimately receive our inheritance in
heaven. As Wuest comments, "The saints are to rejoice in the last time, that is,
when they receive their glorified bodies at the Rapture." Now the word
"rejoice" is one that "speaks to extreme joy that expresses itself
externally in an exuberant triumph of joy." As we contemplate the final fulfillment
of our salvation, and we join the heavenly band, we ought to burst forth in rejoicing.
As the NLT reads, "There is wonderful joy ahead." And as Hillyer puts it,
"the prospect of the coming glorious consummation of salvation is one in which
believers have every right to greatly rejoice."
However, we live here in this world and the KJV reads, "Though now for a
season." The word "season" means--"little, small, few," and
refers here to a little while. Pause for a moment and read Romans 8: 18 and 2
Corinthians 4:17. From the view of eternity, our time here on this earth is not only
temporary, but very brief.
Then comes the stark reality of life--"If need be, ye are in heaviness through
manifold temptations" (KJV). Or we read, "even though it is necessary for you
to endure many trials for a while" (NLT). Hillyer has this to say, "The
expression all kinds refers to trials facing believers, and here translates the word
which literally means "many colored." Peter uses the word again in 4:10 to
describe God's grace. The only two occurrences of the word in this letter nicely balance.
Christians may have to face all kinds of troubles. But in whatever "color"
troubles appear, God's grace will always "match" them and prove perfectly
sufficient. Nevertheless, Peter's wording implies that the trials hat Christians have to
meet will sort out those who are full of faith from others whose profession is less than
wholehearted."
Now let me add some comments from Kenneth Wuest--"The words 'if need be' are
hypothetical, not affirmative. That is, they do not state that there is always a need
for the dark days, for testing times and difficulties. In some lives there seems to be
more need of trials than in others. To those servants of God whom He purposes to use in
a larger, greater way, many trials are allowed to come for 'we must be ground between the
millstones of suffering before we can be bread for the multitude.' And then, in the case
of a saint who is not living close to his Lord, it is necessary to send disciplinary
trials to purge his life of sin and draw him into a closer walk with God."
Some good thoughts on which to begin our day------Parson Brown
Thursday, October 15, 2009
Thursday
Good afternoon hope you have a boat to ride home in...
Emma received more good news this week..She was accepted to the University of Alabama....she has also been accepted to Troy. She has some decisions and praying to do to see where God will lead her.
I want to thank the Ladies II class at Santuck Baptist Church for what you did for David..it was wonderful...Hugs and Love to you all.
Not much change yet but praying hard...
Love,
David, Joy and Emma
Emma received more good news this week..She was accepted to the University of Alabama....she has also been accepted to Troy. She has some decisions and praying to do to see where God will lead her.
I want to thank the Ladies II class at Santuck Baptist Church for what you did for David..it was wonderful...Hugs and Love to you all.
Not much change yet but praying hard...
Love,
David, Joy and Emma
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