Okay, So Maybe...

Okay, so maybe I'm a little bit nervous! It's 8:00am - just five more hours! Being a nurse is not the greatest thing when you're the patient; they say a little bit of knowledge is a dangerous thing...TRUE! However, I have complete confidence in my doctor, he's got an EXCELLENT track record, and I've prayed for angels in the operating room! So...let the games begin!!!

Fifteen Hours and Counting!

The count down begins - just fifteen hours until surgery! Everybody keeps asking me if I'm nervous...I'm really not. I've done a lot of praying, and I feel very peaceful. What a blessing to have the Gift of the Holy Ghost in my life! We had the missionaries over for supper tonight - they always bring a really special spirit into our home, and then Milton and my brother-in-law, Gordon gave me a blessing.
I look forward to my nice new shiny hip! It will be amazing to be able to walk, to have no pain, and to be active again. I am humbled to be so blessed; how do you begin to thank Heavenly Father for His tender mercies, and blessings that are " so numerous they cannot be numbered"?
(I noticed the blog post says it's a little after 8:00pm, but it's really a little after 10:00pm)

The Study Prayer

Now I lay me down to study,
I pray the Lord I won't go nutty.
If I should fail to learn this junk,
I pray the Lord I will not flunk.
But if I do don't pity me at all,
Just lay my bones down in the study hall.
Tell my teacher I did my best,
Then pile my books upon my chest.
And when I lay me down to rest,
I pray I'll pass tomorrow's test.
If I should die before I wake,
That's one less test I'll have to take!

Ashlei's Transplant

I talked to Ashlei today for a long time. She is, in fact, having a bone marrow transplant Thursday (not stem cell). They had found two perfect matches - ten for ten - one was in his forties and one was in his thirties; they chose the younger guy. I learned that the donor gets to choose if he/she will donate marrow or stem cells. I didn't know that - interesting. She told me she's on the floor or wing with younger patients. She met a little guy the other day who was not quite three years old. He has some form of Leukemia, but he was doing karate and just being a kid - a real inspiration! The Chemo she's doing right now is pretty strong so she's feeling pretty sick. Heber, Jace, and her mom will be in Houston with her - they'll get there tomorrow night. I wish I could be there too, but with my surgery the next day I won't be able to go. After the transplant she won't be able to see Jace for several weeks cuz anybody under eighteen years old is not allowed. It's a rough and bumpy road, but all will be well.

And The Battle Rages On

Heber called me last night...Ashlei was admitted to the hospital last Thursday to begin Chemo. The Chemo will knock her immune system out so that when they do the bone marrow transplant this Thursday (the 21st) her body will have a chance to develop antibodies to it as opposed to rejecteting it right off. She'll spend at least a month in the hospital, and then she be closely monitored for months afterward.
Last week Heber told me the PET scan had shown some "residual" or "shadow"; they weren't sure what it was, but he told me last night it was definitely still the cancer. It's a stubborn little bugar - still localized, not in the blood or lymph system - but this one little tumor just won't go away. The bad new is that even with the transplant this lowers the statistics for cure.
As discouraging as that new is, however, I personally cannot forget the feelings I've gotten from the Spirit, or the blessings Ashlei has received. Alma taught that faith is not a perfect knowledge of things; that it is something hoped for that we cannot see. So, I continue to pray and be so bold as to ask Heavenly Father for a cure, and I strive to to have the faith to accept His will when all is said and done.

Happy Birthday Claire!

I didn't go on Sarah's blog before I did this, so she may already have some of these same pictures up. Little Claire turned two years old on the fourteenth, but we celebrated on the tenth with lots of family. It was a great get-together, and a very special occasion to celebrate these last two years that Claire has been such a joy and such a blessing to her parents, and to us.

Happy Birthday my sweet little grandbaby Claire Bear!

Claire and her Happy Birthday Dora cake her mommy made for her!

Blowing out the candles

Daddy and cousins helping open birthday presents

Claire and her "D" (Kevin's mom) discussing one of her birthday presents

Beautiful birthday girl!

Silly Uncle Jay!

Welcome To My World

Welcome to my world! This blog is brand new - I messed up my original blog so badly that I just deleted it and started over! Thank you to my daughter Sarah, who has taught me how to make it so much cooler, and who has inspired me to really keep up with it.

So...my recent news in a nutshell:
Jarom was in Oklahoma for all of June to spend some time with Heber and to help out with Jace.
Megan missed High Adventure (Girl's Camp Stuff) in June cuz she was sick, but she made it to camp later in the month.
Megan turned eighteen in July (brat!) and both kids had a good time at Youth Conference.
Ashlei is in Houston at MD Anderson. She completed Chemo and Radiation, and is scheduled for a bone marrow (stem cell) transplant on the 21st of this month. They have their house on the market in Oklahoma and we're looking forward to them getting moved there permanently - well, for a couple of years anyways.

I was supposed to have my hip replacement in July, but one week before the surgery I got sick. The morning of the surgery - even with a week of antibiotics - the doctor decided not to do it. He had told me in April that infection in the joint was worse than death! Must be pretty bad. I went crazy that week worrying about whether or not I should have the surgery, would have the surgery, or if I would be well enough. I had lots of fears and lots of doubts. This time around all is well, and though I have fears - I have no doubts. So...the big day is next Friday the 22nd!