9-22-20 A New Journey

I thought last month’s entry would be my last. However, a few things have changed and I wanted to continue my blog to inform my friends of some new developments. Last week we found out that my mom has cancer. She is 83 years old and while she is a tough woman, the days ahead will certainly be a rough road.

The irony of this cancer is that it is in the same area as my cancer and that is in the left side of her throat. Her cancer is mostly in the tonsil area while mine was in the larynx area. Today we heard the treatment plan from the radiologist and the oncologist which sound almost identical to my plan. Because of her age they are going to try and use a different chemo treatment than what I went through and the 35 sessions of radiation. They will also spread out the chemo over the next six months. (I think)

So, the journey begins with my mom. She has been complaining of a sore throat for some time now and she thought it would go away, but it didn’t. With all of the pandemic scare and the new procedures for doctors offices, it made it difficult to get in to see a doctor. She did receive a couple rounds of antibiotic and of course it didn’t take away the cancer that was growing. The pain in her throat was making it hard to swallow and eat.

Please pray for my mom and for my sister Marla, and her husband Ralph, and my wife Janette and me as we do our best to help care for her needs during this time of treatment. The radiologist told her the same thing that mine had told me, “this is a rough treatment”. She will have a feeding tube and port inserted in the days ahead.

So once again I claim Isaiah 41:10. I will not be discouraged, I will not fear, for God is with me and my mom and He will hold us up with His righteous right hand. In the most difficult times of our life we must rest in God’s righteous right hand for He is the one who gives us strength. His right hand is a symbol of power and authority. He is good and He cares about what we go through. It will be difficult for me to watch my mother endure this pain and suffering. It is already hard to watch. I pray for wisdom to be used by Him to provide comfort and care for my mom and my family.

This new journey feels so familiar but is profoundly different. This time it is my moms journey. Last time it was mine. I invite you to follow along with me on this blog and I will try to keep all of you updated frequently.

I love you all and I want to thank you ahead of time for your prayers.