Free At Last

Well, I'm sorry to lay this on you if you haven't heard yet, because it will seem rather abrupt, but well, I have to plunge right in and hope you all will take it ok:

Janie at last went to be with the Lord today. Her suffering has ended and even better than that, she is now face to face with her Jesus who she loves so much.

She started to not feel well at 9:30 this morning and her breathing degraded quickly through the morning. She never was in any pain and God was very merciful in taking her very quickly; by 1:00 this afternoon she was in His very presence. She was surrounded by her family and she was able to stay right here at home - no more hospitals! It was very sweet and bittersweet and right and if I may say it, a very pure time. Sacred. I hope to tell more of that story for you someday later.

Even while we cry, we also celebrate for her because we know in our hearts that she is now filled with inexpressible joy as she is with God in heaven at last. I also want to send out a big thanks to all of our friends and family who have been praying for us for these last six years - you mean so much to us.

We had a special gift from God this afternoon: He gave us a huge double rainbow! A wonderful reminder that our God is a God who makes and keeps promises (Genesis 9:12-16). And one of His promises that I am hanging onto through this is that he will never leave us or forsake us (Joshua 1:5). We are all being held in his arms, just like he held her all this time. I had to take a picture of it so I could share it here with you.

I'll put up some details soon regarding when and where a memorial service will be. I'll give a 'teaser' for you tonight though: she wanted the main verse at her service to be Philippians 1:21 "For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain."

Janie Update 4-7-10

Ok, this is rather awesome: Janie has slept through the night for two nights in a row now!

Her legs aren't as full of fluid, she thinks. She had an easier time getting around today.

AND, ready for this? She went to the grocery store by herself! And she bought stuff.

We're pleased as punch, though she still is coughing. But oh, what a difference to know that the coughing doesn't seem to be collapsing her lungs!

Janie Update April 5, 2010: "Shock and Awe"

Ok, are you sitting down? Are you ready for some news, some really nice news?

Janie's lungs are not collapsed. Period. That's all! End of story! Good day sir!

We are just thrilled and ecstatic about this news. I'm in shock, really. Janie's cough has been so persistent and she has been so out of breath that we (and I think especially I) have been pretty convinced that her lungs must be at least 70% collapsed. Or 80%. Or 90%. It's been a pretty rough month.

So when Janie went in this morning for her weekly dose of chemo, the nurse who took her vitals and whatnot expressed more than the usual concern over Janie's cough and the fluid buildup in her (Janie's, not the nurse's, heh) legs. So before they did any chemo, it was

Janie Update 3-22-10

Hi! It's been a little while since we've updated you on Janie's situation, so...here goes........

Weekly chemo continues, and we really are so thankful for the technology! There are new chemotherapies being developed all the time and we of course pray for a cure. We never let up praying that Janie will be 100% healed!

The blood test called ca27-29 rose by quite a bit (up to 145 from the mid-90's) so it is time for Janie to move on to another chemotherapy drug. The new one is actually a return to

Janie Update 2-8-10

I just realized its been 3 weeks since the last update on Janie...so time for a quick update.

We are still very glad to have the chest tubes out...not a pleasant experience. She still has a persistent cough, however...we don't know if this is doing damage and almost don't want to know!

I myself also had the flu last weekend and it moved north and developed into a sinus infection complete with, of all things, a cough. So poor Janie had to play nursemaid to me...a cruel role reversal...and as a result (I'm guessing)

Janie Update 1-22-09

"I'm free!" That's what Janie said as she came home smiling from

Janie Update 1-14-2010

So its about 3:15 on Thursday, and Janie is resting comfortably in our living room recliner by the pellet stove with a drink and her ipod. She'd had a restless night and felt kind of funny this morning. "Is my breathing weird? Am I dizzy? Is this what shortness of breath feels like?"

She decided to call the cancer center to see if

Out Of The Doldrums...Janie Update 1-5-10

Well, here is yet another of Janie's emails to our praying friends:

Hello. . . . .again!

So no chest tubes!  My chest xray today showed no change from yesterday so we are in wait and watch mode again.  I am really trying to not talk (hahahahahahaha),

Janie Update 1-4-10

Janie sent this email to our praying friends today:

Hello Everyone!

I was hoping this new year would start out a little happier than it has.  Last week I had a chest tube put in on the right side and it was taken out two days later.  The surgeon was confident it had done its job.  I had a follow-up xray today and much to my dismay

Janie Update 1-2-2010

Happy New Year! Here's Janie's latest. The chest tube is out (yay) but she still has the cough (boo). Please pray that the cough would just disappear so her lungs (both of them) can stay in place and not become detached again. Of course, if the Lord wants the cough to disappear through the use of medicines, please pray that just the right one would be thought of, prescribed and put to work with much success...and very soon too please!

Janie was (hooray!) able to make it to the New Year's worship night that we had planned...and she barely coughed at all! I am so grateful that she could go...it was her idea in the

Janie Update 12-29-09

Thought you'd all like to know that Janie is doing ok. We went in at 10:30 this morning and were driving away by 11:20! She had a brief wait and then they took her in to a little outpatient surgery room. They numbed her up and made the little cut and slid that little tube into the area where the air 'bubble' was. They knew they were in the right spot because they put the other end of the tube into a dish of water and it made air bubbles...meaning that the unwanted air was escaping.

They then attached a little gizmo called a Heimlich (of 'The Heimlich Maneuver' fame) valve which allows air and fluids to only flow in one direction: out. I guess most of the air was supposed to be gone by the time she got to x-ray; they wanted pictures so they could track the progress of the re-inflation of the lung. The real goal is

Janie Update 12-28-09

Here is the text of an email that Janie sent out tonight...we'd of course crave your prayers and thank you all so much in advance!

The Day Has Come And It Is Tomorrow!

Happy Almost New Year Everyone!

I am still trying to get through this one! So, I innocently went to my regularly scheduled appointment this morning for a nice breakfast of chemo, radiation, and chest x-ray. It's the first time I had chemo AND radiation at the same time! I just wheeled my IV pole right into the radiation room and away we went! Got my chest x-ray last. Just a follow-up to make sure everything was A-ok! Hahahahahahahah!

My surgeon (we're not actually on a first name basis but I did get a personal phone call from him. . .) called at about 2:15 this afternoon to say that my right lung has collapsed about 30% and he'd like me to meet him in a treatment room tomorrow morning at 10:30. Eek! So I will have the chest tube after all. I really feel like

Janie Update 12-16-09

Hey Everyone!

Thank you for all your prayers for my poor right lung.  They are working!  I had a follow-up x-ray on Monday and it is getting better.  The air pocket is smaller and for that we are very grateful.  That's the good news.

I have been having some pain in my right hip and after all the x-rays of last week they have finally determined that it is indeed another spot of cancer.  I was given two choices on how to handle it.  I could go on a pain patch to control the pain but it would have no effect on the cancer.  Or I could have radiation, which would hopefully kill the cancer in that spot and eliminate the pain.  That is risky because I have already been radiated twice in the pelvic area, both right and left hips.  If I chose radiation I could not have radiation in this area again. I knew right away that I didn't want to start on a pain patch.  That just seemed to doom and gloomy to me. So......

My right hip is once again tattooed, sharpie markered, and ready to go.  I start treatment tomorrow (Thursday) and will have a total of 10 [in a row...every weekday until December 31]. Both my oncologist and my radiologist think

Janie Update from 12-9-09

Here's a note from Janie that she sent to our email/prayer list - updating friends about her latest developments:

Thanks for tuning in again!  My follow-up chest x-ray showed no change so we are going to watch and wait.  This involves taking a strong cough medicine (my new best friend) and having periodic x-rays maybe once a week to make sure things are staying the same.  Of course there's always the "if you get short of breath or are in pain go straight to the emergency room" advice.  Which I was given.  I am trying not to be aware of every breath that I take!

In other news, I also had a full work-up of x-rays of pretty much all the bones in my body.  There is a questionable spot on my pelvis so they thought it might be wise to check the other bones, too.  We aren't bothering to plug the Christmas tree in - I shall be the

Janie Update from 12-7-09

This was sent in an email to friends who pray for Janie...I realized I needed to post it here for those who get news of her through the blog...

Merry Christmas-time!
Today Janie said, “I have learned that when I go to the cancer center on Mondays there is no such thing as an uneventful day.”  Today was definitely no exception to that little rule. We went in for a treatment today with a few questions, mostly regarding Janie’s cough. “Is it from mere(?) post-nasal drip or is it from a grapefruit-sized tumor that was maybe growing on her lungs?”

Well, Dr. Eisemann put in orders for a torso CT scan to get a good picture of her lungs. While they didn’t find any new tumors (for which we are relieved and praising God!) they did find that Janie’s right lung has separated a bit from its usual position (it has ‘sagged’ if you will) and as a result,

Update Straight From The Horse's Mouth

 Here is the text of a note Janie just sent out to our praying friends:

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!

We have so much to be thankful for. Mostly for your faithful prayers. We see God work in our lives everyday. I am almost back to myself. My energy has returned and the brain fog has kind of lifted so I am back to running everyone’s lives again. This is not really appreciated as it involves clean rooms, homework, and instrument practicing. But I remind myself that a prophet is withou

More No News Is Good News

Yes, that does sound funny. But we're happy to report that there is nothing new to report! Janie is feeling fine, though the cough persists. She (ironically) feels much better on chemo day and the few days after...probably due to the steroids. Her voice still gets hoarse, more so on chemo day...also probably due the steroids?? She drags a bit by Saturday and Sunday. So she may be the one person on the planet who looks forward to Monday and chemotherapy!

In other news, I myself had a visit to the doctor. I have been having pain in my hip for a few months and finally broke down and let the doctor take a look. So off to the orthopedic doc who did my shoulder seven years ago. Funny, I get myself dressed up nicer than my usual day-off wear, so as to be on a level playing field...you know, fellow professionals and all that. The nurse shows me into the exam room and promptly says, "you'll need to wear this." I don't even need to describe this to you...you know what this is...I swear, I'm going to invent a keep-your-dignity-johnny and make a million bucks. The doctor never saw my professional looking getup.

So Dr. B and I discuss the situation and he says,

No News Is Good News

Janie is actually feeling pretty well, which is why I haven't posted anything recently! Her energy is better, her appetite has returned (which for her means that she can eat now - but all food still tastes funny to her) and she doesn't feel sick very often. The fevers are gone, the UTI is gone and the nausea is gone. So we're starting to drop back into the routines of life: kids to and from school, Carly's soccer, Daniel's band concerts and the like. Becca and Dan were home for a quick 3-day visit. It was so great to see them again after a month and a half of college.

We'd like to say a big thanks to all of you who prayed for us! September was rough, but our great God carried us through!

Real Food

I am happy to report that Janie has moved beyond bagels and broth and is having meals...like the rest of us! Not exactly five-course banquets or anything, but cereal and toast and ziti lasagna (thank you Gladys) and squash soup (thank you Carol) and even pasta with Mediterranean chicken (thank you Laura) have been on the menu! As you can see, the good folks at Ira Baptist have been taking good care of us. I guess that is a part of what Community is about. Thank you all so much for the meals and especially for praying.

So she's on a good track. The fever is down...AND: she is finally not feeling sick anymore! Huzzah! She did have her chemo this week and is getting her energy back. She even went on a short walk in the neighborhood tonight, so we are very happy and praising God.

Bagels Are A Start

Janie continues to improve...a tiny bit each day. Yesterday (Sunday) she went in for two more bags of fluids more as a 'just in case' kind of thing. They didn't want her to get dehydrated. She ate 1/2 a bagel and some crackers. Woohoo!

Today (Monday) she is definitely up and around, though still moving slowly and just ate a real lunch! Yippee! She is still going to take it slow. The UTI is still there, so she is going back on her antibiotic for that.

Chemo tomorrow........thanks for praying!