We are so overwhelmed and grateful for all of the prayers, love, support, words of encouragement, phone calls, texts, food, compassion,...... The outpouring has been truly amazing and it has carried us through these very difficult days. These verses have been running through my mind since the elders came to pray with us Monday night - Romans 5:1-5 (NIV)
Peace and Hope
Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 2 through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we boast in the hope of the glory of God.3 Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; 4 perseverance, character; and character, hope. 5 And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.
We are so grateful for the hope,peace and love that God has poured into our hearts through His promises in the Word and you.
I wanted to give you some more specifics on what the doctor explained to us a few hours ago.
Praise the Lord - the biopsy from the procedure on the pancreas came back benign. This is cause for great rejoicing and hope and truly an answer to all our prayers!!! It is the first victorious step in what will possibly still be a long journey of discovery and most importantly a journey where we will see our Great God heal and bring glory to Himself.
Since the pancreas is such a difficult area to test and treat for cancer we will have to wait for the PET scan results to get a more definitive result. The PET scan gives the doctors a 3-D image of Ken's body to help determine any cancer or other organ problems that could be causing the problems. The extreme lower area of the pancreas was unable to be accessed in the biopsy procedure from Wednesday so this PET scan is vital for helping determine the diagnosis. The mass is still there and so the doctors will be doing further testing to determine its cause. Of great concern are the extremely high bilirubin levels found in Ken's blood tests. He is still severely jaundiced and in great discomfort in addition to the abdominal pain from the biopsy procedure.
The doctor said that these levels are usually, but not always indicative of cancer somewhere in the body. We ask you to continue to pray for complete healing in the name of Jesus! Pray for wisdom for the doctors as they determine further testing and read results. The primary doctors we are working with right now are Dr. McDonald and Dr. McCanless. They have both been wonderful. Pray for wisdom and discernment for us as we make decisions about treatment and possible further testing, possibly at MD Anderson, as we get more results.
Ken is already feeling better this afternoon. The pain is more bearable - more answered prayer! He is resting! Praise God!!! When I asked him what he would like to add he said put the words to Blessed Be Your Name and Romans 12:1-2(NIV)
Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. 2 Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is —his good, pleasing and perfect will.
Blessed Be Your Name - lyrics by Matt Redman
Blessed Be Your Name
In the land that is plentiful
Where Your streams of abundance flow
Blessed be Your name
Blessed Be Your name
When I'm found in the desert place
Though I walk through the wilderness
Blessed Be Your name
Every blessing You pour out
I'll turn back to praise
When the darkness closes in, Lord
Still I will say
Blessed be Your name
When the sun's shining down on me
When the world's 'all as it should be'
Blessed be Your name
Blessed be Your name
On the road marked with suffering
Though there's pain in the offering
Blessed be Your name
Every blessing You pour out
I'll turn back to praise
When the darkness closes in, Lord
Still I will say
Blessed be the name of the Lord
Blessed be Your name
Blessed be the name of the Lord
Blessed be Your glorious name
You give and take away
You give and take away
My heart will choose to say
Lord, blessed be Your name
With Hearts of Gratitude and Praise, blessing His Holy, Powerful Name!
Kathy, Ken, Maggie and Mary Elizabeth