Friends and Family,
Please join us in giving thanks to our Lord for yet another good report for Mark!
We are praising the Lord today as we just got the tests results from the MRI and everything turned out to be negative! Dr. Klass said I could put Mark back to work around the house - she was so happy to give us the good news of his good health report!
Mark does not have to go back for any testing until March 2010.
We are overwhelmed by God's goodness to us - this will indeed be a very special Christmas for the Tidwells!
Thank you again for your continued prayers!!!
Much Love and Appreciation,
Mark and Lee
Luke 1:37 - For with God nothing shall be impossible.
I Peter 5:7 - Casting all your care upon Him, for He careth for you.
Proverbs 12:25 - Heaviness in the heart of man maketh it stoop: but a good word maketh it glad.
Philippians 4:6-7 - But in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God...shall keep your hearts and mind through Christ Jesus
Psalm 113:3 - From the rising of the sun unto the going down of the same the Lord's name is to be praised.
Psalm 23:2-3 He leadeth me beside the still waters. He restoreth my soul: He leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for His name's sake.
Psalm 100:2-3,4 - Serve the Lord with gladness: come before His presence with singing. Know ye that the Lord He is God... Be thankful unto Him, and bless His name.
Tuesday, December 8, 2009
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
Petscan Negative!
Friends and Family,
We are very excited and thankful to tell you that Mark's petscan came back negative!!! We give all the honor and glory to God for this result!
We have been praying in faith that God will heal Mark - I will post below some of the scriptures He has given us.
To make a long story short 3 weeks ago Mark had a CT scan which did not look good - there were 3 areas of concern. We agreed to pray that God will heal and we waited to see what the petscan would should.
We went to the oncologist this morning and here is what she told us.
The first area was actually in his lungs and was a bit of pneumonia as a result of the infected port - we also found out that this condition had been life threatening and we praise God again for bringing us through that even when we didn't fully understand the danger Mark was in.
The other two areas are on the liver and they both tested negative on the petscan. One on the right side they are sure in scar tissue from the surgery. One of the left side is a bit small but big enough to test negative. However, to be completely safe they have ordered an MRI be done in two weeks to make completely for certain that this is not a cancerous lesion.
We told our doctor that we know that God has healed him and we were just completed thankful!!
We hope that all of you have a wonderful, wonderful Thanksgiving as I know we will!
We are heading up north to be with my family for the holidays and are very excited about that.
Thank you again for all your prayers - please continue to pray that Mark's body will continue to heal and that no cancer will come back.
With MUCH Thankfulness,
Mark and Lee
Besides reading and studying all the miracles of healing in the gospels where faith was involved the following verses have meant a lot to us.
Isaiah 53:4-5:
4Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.
5But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.
Hebrews 13:8:
8Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever.
Proverbs 4:20-23:
20My son, attend to my words; incline thine ear unto my sayings.
21Let them not depart from thine eyes; keep them in the midst of thine heart.
22For they are life unto those that find them, and health to all their flesh.
23Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life
Psalm 103
1Bless the LORD, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless his holy name.
2Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits:
3Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases
Matthew 8:17:
17That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Esaias the prophet, saying, Himself took our infirmities, and bare our sicknesses.
Exodus 15:26:
26And said, If thou wilt diligently hearken to the voice of the LORD thy God, and wilt do that which is right in his sight, and wilt give ear to his commandments, and keep all his statutes, I will put none of these diseases upon thee, which I have brought upon the Egyptians: for I am the LORD that healeth thee.
Hebrews 11:1:
1Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.
1 John 4:4:
4Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.
1 Peter 2:24:
24Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed.
3 John 1:2:
2Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth.
Romans 10:17:
17So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.
We are very excited and thankful to tell you that Mark's petscan came back negative!!! We give all the honor and glory to God for this result!
We have been praying in faith that God will heal Mark - I will post below some of the scriptures He has given us.
To make a long story short 3 weeks ago Mark had a CT scan which did not look good - there were 3 areas of concern. We agreed to pray that God will heal and we waited to see what the petscan would should.
We went to the oncologist this morning and here is what she told us.
The first area was actually in his lungs and was a bit of pneumonia as a result of the infected port - we also found out that this condition had been life threatening and we praise God again for bringing us through that even when we didn't fully understand the danger Mark was in.
The other two areas are on the liver and they both tested negative on the petscan. One on the right side they are sure in scar tissue from the surgery. One of the left side is a bit small but big enough to test negative. However, to be completely safe they have ordered an MRI be done in two weeks to make completely for certain that this is not a cancerous lesion.
We told our doctor that we know that God has healed him and we were just completed thankful!!
We hope that all of you have a wonderful, wonderful Thanksgiving as I know we will!
We are heading up north to be with my family for the holidays and are very excited about that.
Thank you again for all your prayers - please continue to pray that Mark's body will continue to heal and that no cancer will come back.
With MUCH Thankfulness,
Mark and Lee
Besides reading and studying all the miracles of healing in the gospels where faith was involved the following verses have meant a lot to us.
Isaiah 53:4-5:
4Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.
5But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.
Hebrews 13:8:
8Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever.
Proverbs 4:20-23:
20My son, attend to my words; incline thine ear unto my sayings.
21Let them not depart from thine eyes; keep them in the midst of thine heart.
22For they are life unto those that find them, and health to all their flesh.
23Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life
Psalm 103
1Bless the LORD, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless his holy name.
2Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits:
3Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases
Matthew 8:17:
17That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Esaias the prophet, saying, Himself took our infirmities, and bare our sicknesses.
Exodus 15:26:
26And said, If thou wilt diligently hearken to the voice of the LORD thy God, and wilt do that which is right in his sight, and wilt give ear to his commandments, and keep all his statutes, I will put none of these diseases upon thee, which I have brought upon the Egyptians: for I am the LORD that healeth thee.
Hebrews 11:1:
1Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.
1 John 4:4:
4Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.
1 Peter 2:24:
24Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed.
3 John 1:2:
2Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth.
Romans 10:17:
17So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.
Friday, November 20, 2009
Treatment Complete!
It is Friday night, November 20 and Mark completed the treatment out here in Arizona. It was with mixed emotions that we left the clinic today and told everyone there good-bye! The staff was wonderful! They were very caring and attentive and we could not have asked for a better experience.
It was very evident that this was exactly the place where God wanted us to be!
We will spend tomorrow during a little more sightseeing and then head home Saturday night.
Above are some pictures of the clinic and Mark with some of the staff.
From the bottom of our heart we thank all our friends and family who made is possible for us to be here!
Thank you all for your prayers - we ask continued prayer as we travel down this unknown path.
Love to all,
Mark and Lee
Monday, November 16, 2009
Great Week-end and starting 2nd week of treatment
Mark completed his first week of treatment and all went very well - he is feeling very good!
We had a fantastic time with the kids over the week-end going to Olde Town Scottsdale, Sedona and going to the Grand Canyon. It was absolutely spectacular. Mark and the kids had never been out here and I haven't been since I was a teenager. The weather got colder and colder the further north of Phoenix we got.
We started out Sunday morning at the Grand Canyon with the weather being 18 degrees and by the time we got back to Phoenix it was 70!
The boys flew back to Atlanta and Jessica is staying a few more days.
Mark started his second week of treatment - they are doing all they can this week since this is all they will have him for.
We got a huge blessing today - the doctors at the clinic were really trying to get us to try a couple of extra treatments but we turned them down due to the cost. Today they came to Mark and told him that they really felt like he would benefit from one of the treatments and they had talked about it and decided to give it to him complimentary! Praise the Lord! He continues to amaze and take care of us!
Next Monday Mark will have a Pet scan and we will get the results on Tuesday. Please pray for us to have total faith in our Lord no matter what results we may get.
Thank you for your love and care over us!
Mark and Lee
Romans 5:1-5
Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:
By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.
And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience;
And patience, experience; and experience, hope:
And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.Thursday, November 12, 2009
Arizona Treatment - Days 3 & 4
Friends and Family,
We have had two great days of treatment at the clinic and the weather has been wonderful.
Mark continues to feel better after getting the port removed.
Last night we ventured into Olde Town Scottsdale and looked around for a bit - it was a lot of fun.
Today after he finished treatment we stopped at one of the mountain parks out in the desert and did a little hiking - it was beautiful sites and great weather - we both really enjoyed it.
Tonight we will pick up all 3 of our kids from the airport - they will be with us through the week-end - we are very excited to see them - especially Jessica since she just got back from Brazil yesterday!
Thanks again for all your prayers - we know God is up to something big!
Love,
Mark and Lee
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
Arizona Treatment - Day 2
We are at the end of our second day here in sunny Arizona and things went really well!!
We started at 7 a.m. at the local hospital to have Mark's port removed. The procedure went well and they discharged him around noon.
We then drove out to New Hope Medical where they were waiting to give him some treatments all afternoon.
He looks so much better tonight than last - his color is better and he feels really good!
The port is out and they are watching his blood counts as some things were slightly elevated.
We start out in the morning by getting some bloodwork done and then on to another day of treatment.
Please pray for our daughter Jessica as she is traveling back to the states tonight from being in Brazil. She will be traveling all night and arrive in Miami in the morning.
We hope to get some pictures up here tomorrow -
We are praising the Lord for His provision and for a much better day!
As always, thank you for your prayers!!!!!!!!
Much love,
Mark and Lee
Galatians 2:20
I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God who loved me and gave Himself for me.
We started at 7 a.m. at the local hospital to have Mark's port removed. The procedure went well and they discharged him around noon.
We then drove out to New Hope Medical where they were waiting to give him some treatments all afternoon.
He looks so much better tonight than last - his color is better and he feels really good!
The port is out and they are watching his blood counts as some things were slightly elevated.
We start out in the morning by getting some bloodwork done and then on to another day of treatment.
Please pray for our daughter Jessica as she is traveling back to the states tonight from being in Brazil. She will be traveling all night and arrive in Miami in the morning.
We hope to get some pictures up here tomorrow -
We are praising the Lord for His provision and for a much better day!
As always, thank you for your prayers!!!!!!!!
Much love,
Mark and Lee
Galatians 2:20
I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God who loved me and gave Himself for me.
Monday, November 9, 2009
Day 1 Treatment in Arizona
Dear Family and Friends,
I haven't updated our blog in a while and I apologize. Here is what has been going on:
About October 21 Mark started showing some flu-like symptoms and we ended up at the hospital because we could not get his fever down. Our doctor thought that his port might possibly infected but the blood work came back negative and everything looked fine.
The next week he also had fever, headache and shaking again and after those symptoms persisted and he started having difficulty breathing we again ended up in the ER. All the tests they ran seemed to show that everything was fine and so again we went home.
His liver doctor ordered CT scans and tests to make sure everything is OK. We still don't have all the results of all those tests so you can be praying about that.
We had a good trip on Saturday out here to Phoenix, we were totally spoiled sitting in first class! Wow! What a great experience that was!
We made it to our condo just in time to watch Bama play!!! The condominium we are staying at is amazing the view is awesome from the balcony- we are so thankful for this great place to live for two weeks.
We are overflowing with gratitude to all of you who have made this possible for Mark to be here! We have had so much confirmation from the Lord that this is where we are supposed to be and we know He used so many of you to make that possible for us.
Day 1 of treatment didn't go exactly as we had thought. We got to the treatment center and were both very pleased with everything and everyone we met!
However, after they accessed his port he had another reaction with chills, shaking, fever and headache. The doctors at the medical center felt after they heard our history of the past 3 weeks that his port must be infected in some way even though the blood work didn't show it yet.
They had to send us to a local hospital where they did testing and came to the same conclusion that his port must be infected.
We will go at 7a.m. to the hospital for a procedure to have his port removed. It is an outpatient procedure and we should be finished at the hospital at noon and able to drive to the medical center and resume treatment.
Please be in pray for Mark as it took a lot out of him today and he needs his strength. We are praying that the port is indeed the cause for all of the recent problems.
The weather here is absolutely beautiful and Mark and I both have enjoyed sitting out in the warm sun and soaking up the rays!
We feel the prayer support and cannot convey how much that means to us!
I will update tomorrow evening and let you know how everything went.
With much love and gratitude,
Mark and Lee
Philippians 4:4-7
Rejoice in the Lord always, Again I will say, rejoice!
Let your gentleness be known to all men, the Lord is at hand.
Be anxious for nothing but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, let your requests be made know to god:
and the peace of God,which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
I haven't updated our blog in a while and I apologize. Here is what has been going on:
About October 21 Mark started showing some flu-like symptoms and we ended up at the hospital because we could not get his fever down. Our doctor thought that his port might possibly infected but the blood work came back negative and everything looked fine.
The next week he also had fever, headache and shaking again and after those symptoms persisted and he started having difficulty breathing we again ended up in the ER. All the tests they ran seemed to show that everything was fine and so again we went home.
His liver doctor ordered CT scans and tests to make sure everything is OK. We still don't have all the results of all those tests so you can be praying about that.
We had a good trip on Saturday out here to Phoenix, we were totally spoiled sitting in first class! Wow! What a great experience that was!
We made it to our condo just in time to watch Bama play!!! The condominium we are staying at is amazing the view is awesome from the balcony- we are so thankful for this great place to live for two weeks.
We are overflowing with gratitude to all of you who have made this possible for Mark to be here! We have had so much confirmation from the Lord that this is where we are supposed to be and we know He used so many of you to make that possible for us.
Day 1 of treatment didn't go exactly as we had thought. We got to the treatment center and were both very pleased with everything and everyone we met!
However, after they accessed his port he had another reaction with chills, shaking, fever and headache. The doctors at the medical center felt after they heard our history of the past 3 weeks that his port must be infected in some way even though the blood work didn't show it yet.
They had to send us to a local hospital where they did testing and came to the same conclusion that his port must be infected.
We will go at 7a.m. to the hospital for a procedure to have his port removed. It is an outpatient procedure and we should be finished at the hospital at noon and able to drive to the medical center and resume treatment.
Please be in pray for Mark as it took a lot out of him today and he needs his strength. We are praying that the port is indeed the cause for all of the recent problems.
The weather here is absolutely beautiful and Mark and I both have enjoyed sitting out in the warm sun and soaking up the rays!
We feel the prayer support and cannot convey how much that means to us!
I will update tomorrow evening and let you know how everything went.
With much love and gratitude,
Mark and Lee
Philippians 4:4-7
Rejoice in the Lord always, Again I will say, rejoice!
Let your gentleness be known to all men, the Lord is at hand.
Be anxious for nothing but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, let your requests be made know to god:
and the peace of God,which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
Monday, October 19, 2009
Arizona Bound!
Friends and Family,
Well, we have been on our new diet for about 6 weeks for so now and everything is going very well.
Mark looks and feels great! He has a lot of energy and is back to work full swing and even has worked out a little.
He is not fully recovered from the surgery but his surgeon told him that some people take up to a year to feel 100% back to normal.
All of the vitamin C IV's and mistletoe injections are going well. Mark is taking about 15 different supplements a day!
We have done so much research into cancer and fighting this disease and everything that we read points to the fact that the first year is crucial. The stats show that 80% of metastatic colon cancer patients that have reoccurance of the cancer happen in the first year.
After much prayer and research we have decided that in Mark's best interest to go out to Scottsdale, Arizona for a 2 week intensive therapy at New Hope Medical Center.
New Hope provides a natural, holistic approach to fighting to cancer that will complement what we are already doing.
We will be leaving on November 7 and returning on the 21st. The next week after that Mark will have his first scan since the surgery to see if they detect any cancer cells in his body.
God is so awesome and had already made it abundantly clear that this is what we are supposed to be doing. Through His people He has already provided time off from work for me to be able to accompany Mark, airfare, and accomodations (this answer to prayer came just this morning!).
We are ever grateful for all the prayers and all the encouragement that people have been to us.
We pray daily for God to use this time in our lives for whatever purpose He has and for us to step aside and allow Him to work through us for His glory.
This morning when I got to work and flipped over my calendar the verse for today blessed me so much:
John 16:33
These things I have spoken unto you, that in Me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.
Praise God for His perfect peace!!
With much love and gratitude,
Lee
Well, we have been on our new diet for about 6 weeks for so now and everything is going very well.
Mark looks and feels great! He has a lot of energy and is back to work full swing and even has worked out a little.
He is not fully recovered from the surgery but his surgeon told him that some people take up to a year to feel 100% back to normal.
All of the vitamin C IV's and mistletoe injections are going well. Mark is taking about 15 different supplements a day!
We have done so much research into cancer and fighting this disease and everything that we read points to the fact that the first year is crucial. The stats show that 80% of metastatic colon cancer patients that have reoccurance of the cancer happen in the first year.
After much prayer and research we have decided that in Mark's best interest to go out to Scottsdale, Arizona for a 2 week intensive therapy at New Hope Medical Center.
New Hope provides a natural, holistic approach to fighting to cancer that will complement what we are already doing.
We will be leaving on November 7 and returning on the 21st. The next week after that Mark will have his first scan since the surgery to see if they detect any cancer cells in his body.
God is so awesome and had already made it abundantly clear that this is what we are supposed to be doing. Through His people He has already provided time off from work for me to be able to accompany Mark, airfare, and accomodations (this answer to prayer came just this morning!).
We are ever grateful for all the prayers and all the encouragement that people have been to us.
We pray daily for God to use this time in our lives for whatever purpose He has and for us to step aside and allow Him to work through us for His glory.
This morning when I got to work and flipped over my calendar the verse for today blessed me so much:
John 16:33
These things I have spoken unto you, that in Me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.
Praise God for His perfect peace!!
With much love and gratitude,
Lee
Monday, September 28, 2009
Wisdom and Peace
We haven't posted in a while so I thought I'd better get on here and catch everyone up on what has been going on in our lives.
Mark is doing very well - he is still recovering from the surgery but has a lot of energy and looks great!
We had decided to go the all natural route and had started down that path when our oncologist really started pushing chemotherapy. We decided that we would be open to what she had to say and would commit it to prayer.
Just some of the facts that we were dealing with:
*The side effects of chemo could make Mark really sick for the next six months
*Chemo only improves his overall prognosis by 8-12%
*Chemo is covered 100% by our insurance company
*Our homeopathic doctor and all treatments are not covered by insurance
*Our natural path is very time consuming
*We both feel great on this new diet and God is definitely changing our taste buds
*For all we (or the doctors) know God has already cured Mark completely
After spending two weeks doing more research and trying to get all our stats in order and spending much time in prayer asking God for wisdom and peace about our final decision we both came to the same 100% conclusion that we are not going the chemo route but are staying on the natural path.
Phil. 4:6,7
Be anxious for nothing, but in EVERYTHING by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving,let your requests be made known to God:
and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
We praise God for passages like this and for prayer that has led us to where we are.
The greatest peace is this - we know that God in in control completely of our lives and He knows our future - we could make all the "right" decisions or all the "wrong" decisions and still have the same outcome.
All of our kids are very supportive and they have been a huge help and encouragement to both of us.
The support and prayers from friends and family has been awesome!
We have also been referred and recommended to go to the Rudolph Steiner Health Institute in Ann Arbor, Mi. which we are looking into. He would go to two weeks for treatments of all kinds - he would stay there where they feed you an all organic diet and have classes, etc. The next date that he would be able to go would be November 9-21.
Prayer Requests:
*weekly IV treatments that I am administering to Mark here at house
*discipline to remember all the supplements and treatments Mark takes daily
*decision about whether or not to go to Rudolph Steiner
*as we continue our organic diet and juicing (btw - we highly recommend the Vita-Mix!)
*protection for our daughter Jessica as she is moving to Brazil from October 3-December 21
That's about all for now - we love you all and look forward to hearing from you!
Mark and Lee
Mark is doing very well - he is still recovering from the surgery but has a lot of energy and looks great!
We had decided to go the all natural route and had started down that path when our oncologist really started pushing chemotherapy. We decided that we would be open to what she had to say and would commit it to prayer.
Just some of the facts that we were dealing with:
*The side effects of chemo could make Mark really sick for the next six months
*Chemo only improves his overall prognosis by 8-12%
*Chemo is covered 100% by our insurance company
*Our homeopathic doctor and all treatments are not covered by insurance
*Our natural path is very time consuming
*We both feel great on this new diet and God is definitely changing our taste buds
*For all we (or the doctors) know God has already cured Mark completely
After spending two weeks doing more research and trying to get all our stats in order and spending much time in prayer asking God for wisdom and peace about our final decision we both came to the same 100% conclusion that we are not going the chemo route but are staying on the natural path.
Phil. 4:6,7
Be anxious for nothing, but in EVERYTHING by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving,let your requests be made known to God:
and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
We praise God for passages like this and for prayer that has led us to where we are.
The greatest peace is this - we know that God in in control completely of our lives and He knows our future - we could make all the "right" decisions or all the "wrong" decisions and still have the same outcome.
All of our kids are very supportive and they have been a huge help and encouragement to both of us.
The support and prayers from friends and family has been awesome!
We have also been referred and recommended to go to the Rudolph Steiner Health Institute in Ann Arbor, Mi. which we are looking into. He would go to two weeks for treatments of all kinds - he would stay there where they feed you an all organic diet and have classes, etc. The next date that he would be able to go would be November 9-21.
Prayer Requests:
*weekly IV treatments that I am administering to Mark here at house
*discipline to remember all the supplements and treatments Mark takes daily
*decision about whether or not to go to Rudolph Steiner
*as we continue our organic diet and juicing (btw - we highly recommend the Vita-Mix!)
*protection for our daughter Jessica as she is moving to Brazil from October 3-December 21
That's about all for now - we love you all and look forward to hearing from you!
Mark and Lee
Wednesday, September 9, 2009
Update, Wednesday, September 9
Mark is recovering very well! He was able to go to church this week-end and this week is easing back into his full work load.
He started driving for the first time officially Monday. He did sneak one time and have someone take him to pick up his car from the shop and drive it home - when I came home he tried to play it off real sweet and all!!! I thought about hiding the keys but after that he behaved himself!
We are full fledged into the diet. We have had a couple of setbacks - when I say setbacks I really mean weakness - we've had some great food brought over to the house and sometimes we just can't resist...such as the warm backberry pie that arrived last week....we looked at it and it didn't take long to realize that we were gonna eat that pie! Forget about the kids!!!
Seriously, we are thrilled that we are enjoying the diet so much so far. I really feel that God is answering our prayer in giving us joy in this diet and changing out pallet so that we desire this course.
One example of a breakfast we made this week-end. We took about 3-4 different organic peppers and onions and sauteed them in coconut oil and then added organic eggs. Meanwhile we mixed up a fresh organic fruit smoothie and put some Ezekiel bread in the toaster and spread organic coconut oil on it. It was a great breakfast!
My favorite new food so far has been organic white sweet potatoes topped with coconut oil and stevia - delicious! (dietician said we can only have sweet potatoes once a week so that is something to look forward to!)
Mark's favorite so far are all the fruit and vegetable smoothies. I've included a recipe at the end that is great if you would like to try it.
He is still sore and not sleeping as well as we would like for him to - we are still just taking it one day at a time!
Tomorrow we go to the doctor for me to get trained to give him an IV at home once a week. We will also both get trained at giving him shots so we can do that at home also.
Thank you for your continued prayers and support -
Much Love,
Lee
Lamentations 3:22-24
Through the LORD’s mercies we are not consumed,
Because His compassions fail not.
They are new every morning;
Great is Your faithfulness.
He started driving for the first time officially Monday. He did sneak one time and have someone take him to pick up his car from the shop and drive it home - when I came home he tried to play it off real sweet and all!!! I thought about hiding the keys but after that he behaved himself!
We are full fledged into the diet. We have had a couple of setbacks - when I say setbacks I really mean weakness - we've had some great food brought over to the house and sometimes we just can't resist...such as the warm backberry pie that arrived last week....we looked at it and it didn't take long to realize that we were gonna eat that pie! Forget about the kids!!!
Seriously, we are thrilled that we are enjoying the diet so much so far. I really feel that God is answering our prayer in giving us joy in this diet and changing out pallet so that we desire this course.
One example of a breakfast we made this week-end. We took about 3-4 different organic peppers and onions and sauteed them in coconut oil and then added organic eggs. Meanwhile we mixed up a fresh organic fruit smoothie and put some Ezekiel bread in the toaster and spread organic coconut oil on it. It was a great breakfast!
My favorite new food so far has been organic white sweet potatoes topped with coconut oil and stevia - delicious! (dietician said we can only have sweet potatoes once a week so that is something to look forward to!)
Mark's favorite so far are all the fruit and vegetable smoothies. I've included a recipe at the end that is great if you would like to try it.
He is still sore and not sleeping as well as we would like for him to - we are still just taking it one day at a time!
Tomorrow we go to the doctor for me to get trained to give him an IV at home once a week. We will also both get trained at giving him shots so we can do that at home also.
Thank you for your continued prayers and support -
Much Love,
Lee
Lamentations 3:22-24
Through the LORD’s mercies we are not consumed, Because His compassions fail not.
They are new every morning;
Great is Your faithfulness.
Kale and Pear Green Smoothie
| |
Variable to High
1 1/2 minutes
| 1 cup green grapes |
| 1 (130 g) orange, peeled |
| 1/2 Bartlett pear |
| 1 (120 g) banana, fresh or frozen |
| 1 cup kale |
| 1/2 cup water |
| 2 cups ice cubes |
| Place all ingredients into container and secure the lid. Select VARIABLE speed |
Wednesday, September 2, 2009
Doctor Visits and Recovery - September 2
Mark is recovering well - he gets stronger every day and he looks great!
We spent yesterday at the doctor's office learning more about what he can and cannot eat and about what supplements to take. He also got some IV treatments of vitamin C mixed with some other metabolic and immune boosters.
We went to Whole Foods for our first big shopping experience and it was pretty overwhelming! Mark is supposed to eat an organic diet with some restrictions completely from sugar, red meats, some nuts, no pork of any kind, etc. When you come to the organic eggs that cost 4.99 a dozen you are trying to not let your jaw drop too much and be too conspicuous! It was fun and we came home ready to get going on our new diet!
When we got home and settled in for the night Mark made a Pear and Kale smoothies for us - it had a lot of fresh fruit along with the kale but it was delicious! We have to juice twice a day and so I ordered a recipe book with all kinds of good ideas that we can use.
Today Mark is getting his staples out for which he is very thankful - they pinch some when he bends over. His Uncle Montie is down for the day to help out from Chattanooga.
Overall things are going well and we praise the Lord for where He has brought us and where He will take us. We are very thankful for good friends and supportive family members whom we know we can count on.
Psalm 62:1
Truly my soul silently wait for God: From Him comes my salvation. He only is my rock and my salvation. He is my defense: I shall not be greatly moved.
We praise Him for being our rock and our salvation!
Lee
We spent yesterday at the doctor's office learning more about what he can and cannot eat and about what supplements to take. He also got some IV treatments of vitamin C mixed with some other metabolic and immune boosters.
We went to Whole Foods for our first big shopping experience and it was pretty overwhelming! Mark is supposed to eat an organic diet with some restrictions completely from sugar, red meats, some nuts, no pork of any kind, etc. When you come to the organic eggs that cost 4.99 a dozen you are trying to not let your jaw drop too much and be too conspicuous! It was fun and we came home ready to get going on our new diet!
When we got home and settled in for the night Mark made a Pear and Kale smoothies for us - it had a lot of fresh fruit along with the kale but it was delicious! We have to juice twice a day and so I ordered a recipe book with all kinds of good ideas that we can use.
Today Mark is getting his staples out for which he is very thankful - they pinch some when he bends over. His Uncle Montie is down for the day to help out from Chattanooga.
Overall things are going well and we praise the Lord for where He has brought us and where He will take us. We are very thankful for good friends and supportive family members whom we know we can count on.
Psalm 62:1
Truly my soul silently wait for God: From Him comes my salvation. He only is my rock and my salvation. He is my defense: I shall not be greatly moved.
We praise Him for being our rock and our salvation!
Lee
Saturday, August 29, 2009
Home and Resting - Saturday, August 29th
Mark has been mostly resting since coming home from the hospital. I think he is a little stronger every day!
He has been trying to do some FCA work from home so the ministry doesn't fall too far behind.
Today we sat out on the back patio and read some to get out in the sun - it is a beautiful day!
We go on Tuesday to meet with the nutritionist and to learn some more things about his protocol that we are going to have to get started.
Thanks again for all your prayers - God is good!
Much love,
Lee
He has been trying to do some FCA work from home so the ministry doesn't fall too far behind.
Today we sat out on the back patio and read some to get out in the sun - it is a beautiful day!
We go on Tuesday to meet with the nutritionist and to learn some more things about his protocol that we are going to have to get started.
Thanks again for all your prayers - God is good!
Much love,
Lee
Wednesday, August 26, 2009
Going Home!!!
The doctor came and they are going to release Mark today! Now as soon as we can get the IV out and paperwork done we can be on our way!
Mark will be home on semi bed rest for about two weeks - he loves visitors still so feel free to drop by and keep him company.
Continually thankful for His care over us,
Lee
Mark will be home on semi bed rest for about two weeks - he loves visitors still so feel free to drop by and keep him company.
Continually thankful for His care over us,
Lee
Neck Pain Better
Last night they finally came to get Mark to take him down to get the epidural/cortisone in his neck. When we got down to pre-op the doctor said that he felt like Mark didn't need this shot but rather needed another procedure. He felt like when they put the epidural in for the surgery last Thursday the needle may have gone a little too far and nicked his spine and now there was spinal leakage that was causing the pain. The procedure to fix that is to do a blood patch by taking blood from his arm and injecting it into where they nicked his spine to patch up the leak.
He also said that Mark does have 3 bulging discs in his neck but that plenty of people do and that was most likely not causing the pain.
We are sitting here waiting on Dr. Elwood to see if he will release Mark to go home today - we are hopeful - he is so much better today.
I will post a blog whenever we find out when we are heading home.
God is so good and we are so thankful for all of His blessings that He has given us!
Lee
He also said that Mark does have 3 bulging discs in his neck but that plenty of people do and that was most likely not causing the pain.
We are sitting here waiting on Dr. Elwood to see if he will release Mark to go home today - we are hopeful - he is so much better today.
I will post a blog whenever we find out when we are heading home.
God is so good and we are so thankful for all of His blessings that He has given us!
Lee
Tuesday, August 25, 2009
Tuesday Update
Mark's neck is about the same - they are going to do a cervical epidural in neck as soon as they can schedule it. The procedure has to be done in the OR because of the equipment they use.
Best case scenario is that the shot works well and they let us go home tomorrow.
Thanks for your continued prayers,
Lee
Best case scenario is that the shot works well and they let us go home tomorrow.
Thanks for your continued prayers,
Lee
Monday, August 24, 2009
Monday Night, August 24th
The results of the MRI came back and Mark has two discs that are out of place and it looks like one more about to be (this of course all in layman's terms, or Lee's language). Maybe tomorrow I will get more technical.
In the morning they are going to give him an epidural/cortisone shot in the neck and see if that gives him any relief.
Right now he is sleeping soundly.
Prayer request - that tomorrow will go smoothly and the shot will eliminate the pain.
Good Night!
Lee
In the morning they are going to give him an epidural/cortisone shot in the neck and see if that gives him any relief.
Right now he is sleeping soundly.
Prayer request - that tomorrow will go smoothly and the shot will eliminate the pain.
Good Night!
Lee
Pain in the Neck
No, Mark is not a pain in the neck but he has a serious pain in the neck (and it's not me either!) -
Seriously, please pray as Mark is in excruciating pain and cannot sit up - the pain started Thursday evening after surgery and has progressively gotten worse - they have taken x-rays and will do an MRI today to try to pinpoint the cause of the pain.
Everything else is great and thankfully he still has his epidural working so we are just praying for relief from the pain in his neck and shoulders.
With continual thanks for your love and prayers,
Lee
Seriously, please pray as Mark is in excruciating pain and cannot sit up - the pain started Thursday evening after surgery and has progressively gotten worse - they have taken x-rays and will do an MRI today to try to pinpoint the cause of the pain.
Everything else is great and thankfully he still has his epidural working so we are just praying for relief from the pain in his neck and shoulders.
With continual thanks for your love and prayers,
Lee
Sunday, August 23, 2009
New room and phone number
This morning they moved us two doors down to a little bigger private room since we have had so much company. Ironically, it is our room we were in back in March!
It is now room number 514 - still in Green Tower, floor 5 South, new phone number to room -
770-793-6514
Psalm 28:7
The Lord is my strength and my field. My heart trusts in Him and I am helped; therefore my heart rejoices and with my song I will praise Him.
It is now room number 514 - still in Green Tower, floor 5 South, new phone number to room -
770-793-6514
Psalm 28:7
The Lord is my strength and my field. My heart trusts in Him and I am helped; therefore my heart rejoices and with my song I will praise Him.
Saturday, August 22, 2009
Laughter and Friends
Saturday, August 22
We praise the Lord for a great day. Lots of good visits with friends!
In Proverbs it says "A merry heart doeth good like medicine" and so I'm sure Mark got his full share of good "medicine" today as we laughed so much with friends exchanging stories and experiences.
Neck is somewhat better today and he has been up walking the halls and started on a clear liquid diet.
Your love and support has been awesome!
Love,
Lee
We praise the Lord for a great day. Lots of good visits with friends!
In Proverbs it says "A merry heart doeth good like medicine" and so I'm sure Mark got his full share of good "medicine" today as we laughed so much with friends exchanging stories and experiences.
Neck is somewhat better today and he has been up walking the halls and started on a clear liquid diet.
Your love and support has been awesome!
Love,
Lee
Friday, August 21, 2009
Friday, August 21
Mark had a good day today - he is feeling very good. Only problem is his neck - he is having a lot of pain in his neck and down his shoulders like a pinched nerve. We think it must be from the way he was positioned during surgery.
We have had a lot of great visits from friends which has made day the go by quickly.
A chiropractor friend of Mark's (David Orlando) came by and gave him an adjustment which was great!
We got to speak with surgeon and oncologist today.
Very good day - not much to report (a good thing!)
Lee
We have had a lot of great visits from friends which has made day the go by quickly.
A chiropractor friend of Mark's (David Orlando) came by and gave him an adjustment which was great!
We got to speak with surgeon and oncologist today.
Very good day - not much to report (a good thing!)
Lee
Thursday, August 20, 2009
Future Treatment
We are praising the Lord for the great report from surgery! However, that was step 1 - now we ask your prayer for the future as we start down the path of treatment for the next 6 months -
Mark will go back in 3 months for testing to make sure there isn't many new cancer.
In the meantime we will rejoice in the outcome of the surgery and focus on recovery.
In Hospital Room
We finally made it to the room - the epidural block that they put on did not take and so after he made it to the recovery room they had to take him back to the "block room" and redo the epidural - he is feeling much better now.
We are in the Green Tower at Kennestone room number G516 - our phone number here in the room is 770-793-6516
Another answer to prayer - we got a private room!
Thanks again to all the prayer warriors out there for lifting us up - we feel the prayers!
Love,
Lee
Mark is out of Surgery
Praise the Lord! I just met with the doctor and he had very good news - he was able to get all the cancer out and didn't see any more in there - the surgery went very well and he said Mark charmed everyone in the O.R.
I was able to see him right before they took him back and he had everyone laughing and was joking with me
I am overwhelmed by the love and prayers and am oozing with gratefulness to our Lord for how well everything went!
He will be in recovery for about an hour and then we will get him to a regular room.
I will update more either later tonight or tomorrow.
Thank you for all your prayers!
To God be all the Glory!
Lee
Wednesday, August 19, 2009
Surgery Time Change
Mark's surgery will be tomorrow August 20th AT 7:30 a.m. -
Please pray for the surgeon, Dr. Elwood, to be able to get 100% of the cancer out.
Please pray for a private room - we have requested one but there are no guarantees.
Thank you for all your love and prayers - I will update the blog after we get Mark settled in his room tomorrow afternoon.
Lee
Please pray for the surgeon, Dr. Elwood, to be able to get 100% of the cancer out.
Please pray for a private room - we have requested one but there are no guarantees.
Thank you for all your love and prayers - I will update the blog after we get Mark settled in his room tomorrow afternoon.
Lee
Fun Before Surgery!
This past week-end we were able to get away to Lake Burton with the kids and it was a blast! Mark was able to ski and have lots of fun with the family!The middle picture is very special because before surgery Mark was able to play in a softball tournament representing team FCA and also for the first time every to have his two sons as teammates.
Mark has been very busy preparing for surgery and getting things done before he's laid up for a while.
Monday, August 17, 2009
August 17th Update
It did not work out to go to MD Anderson due to timing, etc. We were encouraged to get a few other opinions locally, though (e.g. Dr. Scott Davidson, surgical oncologist - Piedmont) who have confirmed the diagnosis/prognosis of our surgeon. Surgery is definite and will take place this Thursday, the 20th., at 8:30am, Kennestone Hospital in Marietta.
Great news: one of the 2 spotted lesions has now been classified as a benign cyst and will not have to be removed...this lessens the complication of the surgery and will dictate that only 1 part/side of the liver be extracted.
Long story short, but we have opted for the time being out of chemo. We are using the services of Dr. Rhett Bergeron, who came recommended from a number of sources. Basically, we have peace about the decision to attack the cancer w/a totally natural approach (too complicated to explain here). Bottom line: God will either heal me or has chosen not to. To allow so many toxins in the body w/chemo or radiation is not the path we feel we need to go, but rather allow a more natural healing to occur...again, IF God choosed to heal. We know some may totally question this route and we understand, but it is where we feel the most confidence and peace...after all, when they only gave me 30% with chemo, the human odds are still not very high.
With so much gratitude for all of you...may He be exalted, Mark
Great news: one of the 2 spotted lesions has now been classified as a benign cyst and will not have to be removed...this lessens the complication of the surgery and will dictate that only 1 part/side of the liver be extracted.
Long story short, but we have opted for the time being out of chemo. We are using the services of Dr. Rhett Bergeron, who came recommended from a number of sources. Basically, we have peace about the decision to attack the cancer w/a totally natural approach (too complicated to explain here). Bottom line: God will either heal me or has chosen not to. To allow so many toxins in the body w/chemo or radiation is not the path we feel we need to go, but rather allow a more natural healing to occur...again, IF God choosed to heal. We know some may totally question this route and we understand, but it is where we feel the most confidence and peace...after all, when they only gave me 30% with chemo, the human odds are still not very high.
With so much gratitude for all of you...may He be exalted, Mark
Thursday, August 6, 2009
Update On Kids
Many people have asked about our kids so here is a quick update -Starting at the left is Nathan our oldest who just turned 23! Just this week he closed on his first house and is very busy fixing it up and we get to help! The house is only about 6 miles from us so we are loving that! Nathan works full-time for s sports turf management company building and maintaining athletic fields all over the southeast.
Jessica is 21 and in July graduated from Kennesaw State University with a degree in Communications including a minor in Marketing. We are very proud of her accomplishments and look forward to seeing what she is going to do in the future. She loves to travel and would love nothing more than to backpack across South America.
Cameron turned 19 this summer after graduating from high school - he will attend Kennesaw State University this fall and will live at home. For those of you who prayed for his knee he is doing very well! As far as basketball is concerned he is going to play intramural at Kennesaw this winter and keep working hard and rehabilitating his knee and then see if he may be able to walk on somewhere next year.
We are very thankful for our children and we thank you for your prayers for them.
Prayer Request - Our oncologist is referring us to one of the top cancer centers in the world - M.D. Anderson in Houston, Texas - we don't know what will come of this but our prayer is that all the pieces of the puzzle as far as travel, meeting with the doctor, testing, etc.
We will do a post whenever we find out the details of our trip.
Love you all,
Mark and Lee
Why We are Blogging
In March, Mark was diagnosed w/colon cancer and had successful surgery to
remove it. Life has been back to normal the past couple months until Friday, July 31.
Liver cancer has now been detected (via petscan) and
classified as stage 4 - one main lesion was found. I am scheduled for liver
resection surgery on Aug. 20 at Kennestone Hospital. They have recommended
chemo begin 3-4 wks afterward...we are exploring alternative means of
treatment, but our oncologist feels the chemo is the best means for
survival. Pray for wisdom in this decision. The recovery from liver surgery
can be much longer than the colon procedure.
In March and now we are so very blessed to be lifted up before our Lord by many prayers of friends and family across the nation. We tried to keep everyone informed via e-mail which worked well but this time we have been asked by many to create a blog so that our friends and family can follow Mark's progress at we move toward the healing of this horrid disease if that is God's will for us.
Our prayer request: that God be honored and glorified no matter the
outcome of my situation; I truly am at peace with whatever He wants and has
in store for me; after all, He knew before I was created what was going to
happen to my life. We also claimed "God is good" after my first
bout...guess what...He still is! and He loves just the same. For some
reason, I can feel it even more though now.
Mark's plan is to hit the road running full tilt the next 2 1/2 wks so that our
ministry for FCA does not slack off any more than it has to. There are many
around me who will carry on and do great.
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