Thankful and Blessed

In our 21 years of marriage, we have experienced ups and downs and often wondered why the Lord didn't answer our prayers in the way we wanted.  We always knew He had plans for us even when they didn't align with our desires.  This was never more evident than when he lead Tim to HISD Transportation.  This move was never on our radar, but we now know that He was leading us to a group of people for just this moment.  There is not a more giving or caring group than the staff and bus drivers at transportation.  Over the past five years, we have seen them give time, food, and money every time one of their own was in need.  Now was our time. Despite our wishes, they organized and carried out a fish fry benefit to help cover Tim's medical expenses. These people worked tirelessly while still ensuring that the students were picked up before school and delivered home after school.  We were overwhelmed by their selflessness and by the outpouring of support by those in our community and there are no words to express our gratitude.

Now for the update...chemo treatments have continued as scheduled and we are at the end of the original eight-week timeline. Chemo has not been easy, but Tim has handled it much better than we could have ever expected so far.  The worst side effects have been severe abdominal cramping, cold sensitivity, and fatigue.  While he's on the pump on the weekends, he's also learned that "chemo brain" is no joke.  He's learned to manage the side effects as best he can and continues to do as much as he can at work, at home, and with the kids.  At his last doctor's appointment, his tumor marker was down again and liver function appears to be normal. This is all good news.  He will have another CT scan on Monday and we expect to get the results and the next treatment plan on Wednesday. We are prepared for another chemo regimen, as they have already scheduled time at the infusion center for Friday, but we will wait and see.

For reasons we wish we weren’t having to experience, we are truly celebrating this Thanksgiving. You see, 69 days ago, Tim received the phone call telling him they had found a mass. It feels like much longer than two short months ago and really puts life into perspective.  We know that all of our time on earth is but a blink in God's eternity and we must not take our moments for granted.