We never know the twists and turns that life is going to bring us, whether we are battling cancer or simply enjoying a problem-free season. We never know. Whether we are young or old, rich or poor, good or bad, fat or skinny. We never know! That’s why it’s vital to be continually plugged in to a growing relationship with God… because the twists and turns will come. They may be big things that alter the trajectory of our life or little things that are a nuisance and a frustration. Either way, unless you have a firm foundation in the Maker of the universe, the One who holds it all together and knows everything there is to know about you, there is no solid perspective. Without that, there’s only guessing, wishing, fatalism, and eventually cynicism. That’s why trusting and knowing that God’s Got This is so important. For all of life, not just in the tough times.
Yesterday they rushed Dave to ICU because he had been struggling with low blood pressure and difficulty breathing. Very scary. Within an hour of being in ICU, they puled almost 2 liters of fluid from the space around his left lung. It was a lot! His breathing and blood pressure improved after that and he got a decent night sleep. This morning his breathing was again getting more and more difficult. They are giving him regular breathing treatments and adding a few more antibiotics to try to treat the fever and lung problems, but they still aren’t sure what the cause is. He is also getting a blood transfusion, which should help with his energy and strength to be able to continue the fight. Tonight they will do another CT scan and tomorrow they are planning a bronchoscopy in hopes of finding a diagnosis.
This is a fight. Dave’s body and his spirit are in great distress, but we are not giving up! We will continue to do everything we can and we will continue to pray for God’s wisdom, His healing touch, and His divine intervention in every way possible. We are hopeful that the doctors will be able to successfully treat the fever and lung issues so that we can get back to dealing with the spinal cord problems, and then go home.
The good news is that the doctors continue to tell us that the blood, brain fluid, and now also a bone marrow biopsy are all showing that this is not a return of the leukemia. All of those tests are continuing to show that he is leukemia-free. That is such great news, and it certainly helps to carry us through this scary time.
Thank you so much to those of you who are sustaining us through your continual prayers… the nagging heaven day and night kind of prayers! They are very much needed and appreciated.
The Stoeckleins