Good morning, it's Friday and it is a good day for two reasons. First it is only 60 degrees and it is after 7:00 so today isn't going to be so terribly hot. Second - I have to write a short blog because I need to get packed so we can go to Sequim. Whoopee!!

Bill continues to gain a little strength every day and is trying to work his muscles so that he regains strength. It is a little hard to do in the bedroom and that is where he was all day yesterday except for when we went to radiation. That mighty air conditioner kept the room a nice cool 76 degrees. Gosh - am I getting obsessed by cool air? Yes, I am. The other good news is that Bill's appetite is returning and he is enjoying food again. It is really hard to eat when nothing looks or tastes good. A member of our church made a wonderful cold turkey & wild rice salad with grapes and pineapple and Bill ate two helpings. It was really yummy.

Radiation is going fine. The people at Swedish Radiation are all very friendly and try to make everyone comfortable. Bill has a hard time holding his arms over his head for any length of time due to arthritis so a couple of the "women" help him get into position and then prop him up with pillows so that he can be as comfortable as possible. They told him that if he wear button up shirts he doesn't need to get into a gown so we are going through a wardrobe of shirts and they always want to know where he got some of his crazy shirts.

Bill just told me that he gives thanks to God for the "kindness of the people who have befriended us in the last two weeks." I certainly agree with that. Your acts of kindness, your thoughts, and prayers have lifted us all up and we thank you.

I will end with a reading from the Bible that a friend put on her card for me: Joshua 1:5-6, "As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will never leave you nor forsake you. (6) Be strong and courageous because you will lead these people to inherit the land I swore to their forefathers."

We will post again on Sunday evening - enjoy your weekend and keep those prayers moving to God. Love to you all, Sue

Hello fellow travelers on the Jesus walk. This is my first post on the blog. Amanda set this up, and has been keeping it going while I was working and staying with Bill. I am writing as I listen the the Blue Angels fly overhead. They are practicing for their weekend performances and perform right over Mercer Island so I feel like I am on the runway.

Bill is doing better. Praise the Lord, Praise the Lord. His breathing is definitely better. He is able to take deeper breaths and doesn't feel so much like breathing is a chore. He is still taking Oxicodone for the pain from the chemical pleuradesis, his chest has a dull pain in the lower rib region. However, modern medicine is working okay and he is better. Bill's appetite continues to improve and he was able to comfortably drink orange juice this morning. Bill has had a glass of orange juice everymorning of his adult life so it was a treat to be back to that. His dry, and sore mouth is healing and he is swallowing much better. Phooey on the Cancer and the Sjogrens to combine and cause problems. Bill tries to walk a bit further everyday and says that he has more energy. Praise God.

The heat is all of our biggest problem. I know that all of you in the hot part of the US are laughing at our pathetic whining about the heat, but we are used to having webbed feet and laughing in the rain, not the heat. However, we are so blessed to have friends. Our friends from Lutheran Ministries NW (Bill's chaplain group) showed up yesterday with a room airconditioner for our bedroom. It was 103 in Seattle yesterday. After his radiation we went to our friends the Ryersons who have central air and camped out in their family room. Bill slept in their recliner and Amanda and I went shopping in the airconditioning for shoes. We were all successful. Lynne & Tom fed us a great meal & Bill enjoyed seconds. WOW. Then, when we got home & found the new airconditioner running and cooling our bedroom Bill smiled and laid down to watch TV and had a great night's sleep. We moved a mattress into our bedroom and Bill & I, Amanda & the dog, Kai all slept in comfort. We are so loved.

Bill wants me to tell you that he and Amanda are on chapter 8 of Luke. Luke has always been one of Bill's favorite books of the Bible. He is starting to have people stop by and enjoying seeing them again. He is still not talking on the phone much, but we are hoping that he will feel well enough to talk briefly to all of you who are calling. In the meantime, Amanda and I are feeling refreshed and encouraged with your calls, emails, and cards. We love you all and thank God for all of our family and friends. Love, Sue

Heat is icky

Yuck, what a nasty day today was. We have over 90 degree heat and we did everything we could to stay cool, thank goodness for Cindy our neighbor who had a portable swamp cooler that we could use. We plugged it in this morning and between fans, the cooler, keeping the house closed and dark we are doing okay. Dad is looking okay. He ate a fairly large dinner for it being hot. He even remarked he ate quite a bit. He is saying food tastes bitter so we are aiming for sweet foods and lots of fruit. (I picked up some Real Fruit fruit bars and sorbet and he seemed to like them.) He is starting to break out from taking the Tarceva (did I spell that right?) and that is supposed to be good. So we are smiling.
We also really appreciated that we had friends who could come by and be kind today. We enjoyed seeing people and talking short walks. I am so happy to be here with my dad and mom and thankful for my husband who could support me through this time.
Recently dad has been having me read to him from Luke, anywhere from Luke. I have enjoyed reading about the journey of Jesus and the various acts through Luke. If nothing else I have seen during this visit with my parents I have seen the love of Jesus shine through my father in his interactions with those he has ministered to over the years. Thank you for all the phone calls, dad is not talking on the phone but as soon as I hang up I am relaying the whole conversation to him and he loves to hear from those who care.
We wish you all the best,
Amanda, Bill and Sue

His mighty power

Hello all
Today is a warm 87 degrees and we went to church this morning. Dad is doing okay. It still hurts to take a deep breath but it seems that the procedure he was in the hospital for is helping. I asked how his breathing was and he said it was not terrible.
Dad enjoys Ephesians 1:19-20

¹⁹ and what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power ²⁰ which He worked in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places,

He feels that it is going to take His mighty power to help us through this low time in life. We try to get dad to get up and walk some and after church this morning he was tired of walking. He is doing a nice job of walking around the house and seems steady. Please continue to pray for Gods will be done.

Amanda Bill and Sue

The day of waiting

Welcome home dad! Today we left the hospital around 4:30 PM. The doctors took the tube out of his lung this morning around 9:30, we took off for radiation shortly after the doctor left and returned in time to have lunch. After a lunch of soup and some pizza (hospital pizza is awful!) we waited for the physical therapist who had dad walk with a walker then try some stairs, he passed with flying colors! We then had to wait for an x-ray of dad's lungs to make sure they were working. (They were!) Then we waited for dad's medication to get through the pharmacy before the doctor wrote DISCHARGED on his chart and the nurse went through his discharge paperwork with us and we waited (notice the waiting theme?) for the transportation. Today was the day of waiting, waiting for people to come and do something, waiting for food to come, waiting for transportation to various places, we waited. Mom went to work today and was done when we were ready to come home so it made it real easy to pick her up on the way home. Dad smiled again this evening, I think now that he has showered, is in his own house, and has the tube out things will be looking up. Thanks for your thoughts, cards, calls, and prayers.
Amanda, Bill, and Sue

Quiet day

Today is a quiet day. Dad is rather uncomfortable after his Chemical Pleurodesis. (Using talcum powder to connect the lung lining to the lung so fluid will not continue to build up.) He is going to be in the hospital for about 3 days. Radiation has continued and my mom is with him at the hospital. Grandma and I have spent the day at home doing little things like vacuuming and some friends of dad's have been over cleaning windows and doing other jobs around the house.
We have hope that his time in the hospital will help his breathing, making life comfortable for dad again. We continue to aprecaite the calls, prayers, meals, love, and support.
Amanda, Bill, and Sue

Putting in the tube

Yesterday dad told me today he was going to need Philippians 3:12 today, focusing on the second part of the verse.

¹² Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me.

Last night we had a nice visit with Kamm who brought Chinese (for some reason dad really wanted egg rolls and fried rice in the afternoon) a wonderful photo of mom and dad dancing at my wedding last summer, (has it really been a year?) and other fun gifts.
Dad had much more energy than the last few days on Tuesday as we took more liquid off on Monday, we caught him smiling a few times and I had him outside and walking twice. This was wonderful to see since today he was admitted to the hospital where they are putting in a tube to aid in placing talcum powder between the lung and the lining of the lung where all the fluid has been building up. Thus yesterday gave us all hope that if he had less liquid on his lung then he would be happier and have more drive to push through this nasty phase in his life.
Dad has spent most of the day today sleeping as the tube is uncomfortable and they have given him lots of morophine. The doctor should be in later today to work on part two, inserting the powder. Mom said he ate about 3/4 of the amount he used to eat at lunch so eating was good. We hope that everyone continues to pray for us and especially him. Thank you everyone for you prayers and thoughts. We aprecaite the calls, emails, notes, and prayers.
Thanks
Amanda, Bill, and Sue

Philippians 3:10

Dad has been spending time recently looking at Philippians 3:10. Please take some time to pray this verse:
I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death,
He is not talking on the phone as his breath is short but has been working up his strength to read this verse to anyone who comes by. It has been very powerful to see all his friends come by and spend some time with him. Thank you to those who come by and share life with my father. He is up today and not as tired. We took more liquid off the lungs yesterday and are off to the hospital tomorrow morning for a permanent solution to his constant tired feelings caused by liquid on the lungs.
I laughed today when he told me he had a Sausage and Egg McMuffin, potato patty, and a small amount of coffee on his way home from radiation. We used to stop at McDonalds on the way up to Crystal to go skiing. What a wonderful memory that I had forgotten.
Thank you all for your thoughts and wishes. Please share your memories, thoughts, and prayers by clicking comment below.
Amanda