God is Faithful

First, last night Debbie spoke to 300 ladies at our Ladies Fall Renewal and God used her powerfully. Thank you for your prayers on her behalf. She is so relieved now. The women's minsitry did request audio and videotaping of it.

Secondly, we had a great vacation last week with my parents in Branson, MO. It was relaxing, fun, and good to get away from our routines and as Deb said, to forget about her health conditions for a few days.

On our way home Friday, we got less than encouraging news - both biposies showed cancer still active in her vertebras and the hematologist/oncologist wanted to see her immediately on Monday instead of waiting for the Dec. 28 appt. (We were hoping for no sign of cancer and a cmplete remission report). We expected the enemy to try to discourage her before her speaking engagement on Tuesday, and he took a good shot at her, along with a very spiritual lady and friend who serves on the Women's Ministry Team. He put her in the hosptial with emergency gall bladder surgery over the weekend, but she was able to be at the Ladies Renewal and even got up to close the evening with powerful prayer!

BUT GOD showed us his faithfulness over and over again. There was a very encouraging phone call Friday evening. Two handwritten cards were waiting in the mailbox to encourage us. Two Spirit led ladies and friends "happened", (no, they obeyed the Spirit's prompting) to call Deb Friday and Saturday to encourage her. God spoke to our needs in our Quiet Times, a new RHCC Praise Team music CD (Unshakeable) really blessed us, especially the songs, God Is in Control and I Am Not Afraid. Another card came in the mail. And on Tuesday one of our friends sent her a bouquet of flowers.

Monday's Dr. visit was interesting. He said that the MRI from mid October in preparation for her kyphoplasty surgery showed many new spots of myeloma since her last MRI the end of June. But as we think through all this, it is possible that those "new spots" were from July while she was still digressing, because all the blood work shows the disease being arrested. The timing of all this is interesting. We think the Enemy wanted to discourage her the day before her speech. Anyway, instead of making a knee jerk reaction, we will have more blood work done Friday and see if there is any improvement or digression from last month before making a change in her treatment regimen. In the meantime we will just walk in faithfulness with what God has shown us thus far trusting in His good pleasure.

We see the neurosurgeon later today to get her assessment of the success of the surgery.

God bless,
Duane for us

Waiting Game

We found out from the neurosurgeon's office that it will be another week to ten days before the bone marrow biopsy reports come back (since it was not a rush order like it was when we were trying to get a diagnosis). So we will be patient.

Deb continues to feel better from the kyphoplasty, mainly just hurting where the four tiny incisions were made. Those have closed and continue to heal. She does have to be careful to not bend, etc., for the next 6 weeks so as not to cause another vertebra to get a compression fracture.

Keep her in your prayers about a speaking appointment. She will be speaking at our Ladies Fall Renewal on Tuesday night, Nov. 15 on the subject, "Cracked, Broken, or Just Plain Empty Pots." They want her to tell how God has worked in her life in all this and draw spiritual applications. Public speaking is something that she is very hesitant to do, but has done it a little for womens groups over the years and God always uses her, even though she is reluctant.

She was asked to do this back in July the week after she got out of the hospital and turned it down thinking there is no way she could improve that much that fast to do this. The lady who asked her really sensed the Lord telling her to ask Debbie (and when she thinks she hears from Him, she is seldom wrong). So by faith they held out for Deb and did not get another speaker. About three or four weeks ago, Deb realized that God had healed her enough to do this and was sorry that she had not had enough faith in July to go for it, but she did not need that stress on her as she recuperated. Then a week later Deb finds out that they still want her to do it. Wow! God knows what he is doing. We should have seen that invitation in July, when things were so bleak, as a promise that healing was on its way.

By the way, Rick Atchley had an outstanding lesson on lust today in his series, Extreme Makeover, Heart Edition. You can access it at www.rhchurch.org, then click on Sermons Online (it is the fifth line down in left hand collumn of blue items). I recommend this message for both genders. (By the way, I don't think I have ever heard a sermon of his that was not outstanding)

God bless
Duane

Successful Kyphoplasty Surgery

This is a major week for us as we prayerfully wait for more good news. First, Deb’s kyphoplasty surgery went well yesterday morning (10-31), and she got home at 7:30 last night, but she is back on pain medication due to the incisions and manipulation of the spine. Second, we will get blood work info back on the cancer markers (special tests) late this week.

Praise the Lord! She can now stand totally erect. Her spine (which had been protruding) is now recessed as it should be. The Dr. did a bone marrow biopsy of each of the two vertebras to determine if there is still any myeloma activity. These biopsies were painless since she was under anesthesia and will take the place of a special bone marrow biopsy surgery that the Hematologist wanted her to have done in the near future which would have hurt pretty good! So that is a special serendipity blessing in the timing of all this.

Her lower back feels much better, and apparently that sore knot area above her right kidney since March was a muscle spasm all these months because of the compression fracture down low (Lumbar #3). The knot is now quickly getting smaller and less painful. The surgeon said that this L-3 vertebra was very soft and would have continued to compress and get worse, so it is repaired and solid now with the 9cc of cement filling it now.

The T-12 (thoracic #12 located low between the shoulder blades) had ossified (i.e.the bone was healing itself and mending) and was very hard to get the needle into and then took lots of pressure to “balloon” it to full size. In other words the natural mending of the fractures in it had to be broken apart as the vertebra had its inch in height added back with the procedure, as planned. However, that vertebra is going to be sore and hurting for a while due to the corrective surgical trauma. But the 6 cc of cement has it solidly in place and her spine as a whole is in much better alignment. The surgeon said that judging from the amount of healing in it, this T-12’s compressing is probably the pain that put Deb in the hospital and on morphine in late June as it was compressing and crunching down and was what made her feel like her back was not connected.

Now for the minimal downside. She has to take it very easy for two months as the spine readjusts so as not to cause weaker vertebras to develop compression fractures. No bending, lifting, etc., and no driving for a week. But that is a small price to pay to get much more of a normal life going again.

Blssings,
Duane