Hard News

There’s no easy way to share this, or if there is, we haven’t found it.  We’ve been calling our family for the past day to tell them, and saying the words doesn’t get any easier no matter how many times you tell them.  If you are finding out here and think we should have called you instead, please accept our apology.

Katie’s cancer has returned, and it has spread.  There is a large (4-5cm) tumor in her lower right abdomen, and they see a few spots in both the liver and lungs.  I may go into how it was discovered in a later post, but for now it’s not important.  

We found out Friday morning and are scheduled to meet with a number of doctors this week to better understand what we’re dealing with and develop a game plan.  The big appointments are the surgeon on Monday and the oncologist on Thursday.  I expect to have additional information to share after each of those.  When he called to give us the news Friday,  the oncologist mentioned chemotherapy as a certainty and that there may be other non-surgical therapies to explore as well.  

Our family is rallying around us, and I’m sure many of you will be asking how you can help.  Thank you in advance.  I’m sure there will be a time when we ask for your help in more concrete ways, but for now the biggest thing you can do is pray.  

Please pray that God heals her by whatever means He chooses.  Pray for her strength to battle this disease and to approach each day with hope.  Pray for the wisdom and compassion of her doctors and all medical staff who treat her.  Pray for our children.  Pray for our parents, siblings, and extended family.  And please pray for me - I’ll need all the prayers I can get.  

Earlier this year, we were overwhelmed by your generosity in time, in prayers, and in sharing your treasure with us.  Some of you specifically mentioned that you hoped we could use some of the money for a family trip after chemo, and we were able to do just that.  In mid October, we spent a week in Yosemite National Park, California.  We chose Yosemite in part because it is close to my sister and her family, who live outside of San Francisco.  We had initially planned to spend a couple days with them and then go to Yosemite, but decided instead for them to come join us in Yosemite for a couple nights.  It was amazing.  If you haven't been, you should put it on your list.  It is the most beautiful place I've ever visited, and I imagine it's got to be top 5 in the world.  I've included a small handful of photos from that trip at the bottom.  Thank you so much for giving our family that gift.  

We’d also like to share with you some words that Katie wrote recently.  This was mostly written before we received word that her cancer had returned and spread, but we think it still applies, perhaps now more than before.  

- David

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This was actually going to be our Christmas letter, but as it turns out, I don’t think I’ll have time to mail it out, given our recent circumstances.  

To say that we are incredibly blessed and filled with gratitude is the understatement of the century.

Here’s some recent history.  In September of 2015, part of our roof failed, and our house flooded.  In November, after we had just gotten back in the house, David’s car was totaled by an uninsured motorist.  In February 2016, Katie was diagnosed with stage III appendiceal cancer.  It’s so rare, that spell check assumes the word is misspelled.  

We didn’t mention the house flooding to many in the past, or the totaled car.  But I mention it now. I bring it up to let you know how rough life can be.  We’ve been through the ringer. The other day David said “If we knew 10 years ago what we know now (changes in jobs, cars, 4 kids in 5 years, and everything else), we never would have A. believed that would be possible, and B. that we would have survived it.  But lo and behold, we are here.

Advent and Christmas are my favorite time of year.  It is the beginning of the most important time in our history.  It allowed us to hope.  It opened the way of our salvation.  Stay alert!  Be ready!  Our God is coming to save us!  Such strong words - It’s no wonder people expected Christ to come as a warrior ready to act.  And yet, and yet, he came to us so humbly and quietly. 

Life is such a gift - I know we hear that all the time, but our lives are held in existence because God is continually holding us in existence - his love is what keeps us here, it’s what gives us eternity, and it’s his love that gave us his only Son.  

Advent offers us joy in the midst of a penitential season.  Have you ever thought of that?  We have Gaudete Sunday in the middle of a time in the Church when she is asking you to offer some things up.  For we cannot experience joy without the struggle.

Stay alert!  Be ready!  It’s no surprise that a cancer diagnosis was a major blow.  And here we are again - begging for God’s grace and healing.  We have to continue to believe that God gives us what we need and more.  His generosity will not, can not be outdone.  He showered us with generosity through you - through your prayers, your donations, your meals, your words of wisdom, your embrace.  We are asking you once again, to cover our family in prayer.  As we celebrate the birth of Christ, let us be filled with hope - hope that I am healed, but more importantly hope that God’s will is fulfilled.  Come Holy Spirit, Thy will be done.  That is my prayer.