Last Post

I believe this to be my last post. I'm debating about how to close this blog out, considering the purpose was to relay prayer requests out from my family to all of our friends and family about my dad's battle with cancer. His battle is over... he no longer has to think about what he can and can't eat... he is enjoying the biggest feast of all that the Lord Jesus has prepared for him.

And dad is helping the Lord prepare a place for us, when we get to meet him up there. His father (my grandfather), as well as 3 miscarried grandchildren are with him. He has a great family already up there, and a great family down here who misses him so.

However, I may come back in a week or two and post about his last week here on earth, because it is such a testimony to our Lord Jesus Christ. Though the huge miracle that we were asking for (God healing his cancer) was not granted, so many other small miracles were performed along the way to make it clear to us, his family, how we were supposed to make hard decisions. God had his hand on the whole situation, from the day he was diagnosed, to yesterday when we said our final goodbyes. And I am confident that his hand will continue to guide us through the next days and weeks, as we get back into our regular routines and reflect on the memories dad left with us. I may want to share some of the little miracles, so you, as well, can see how the Lord's hand was right there.

We, his family, want to say thank you to all of you, for your prayers and support throughout this whole situation. The encouragement that we have had for the last almost 7 months has been unbelievable. Many were able to come to the visitations and memorial services that we had not seen for years, and dad would have been thrilled with the opportunity to "catch up" with all of them. And for those of you whose physical presence we missed, we know you were and still are praying for us. We all have peace about the situation... we really do. But that doesn't make us miss him any less.

I finally got this to work, and I wanted to share it with all of you. It is the video tribute that I created for my dad's visitations and memorial services. For those of you that were at the Wheaton service, this is the video that didn't work properly... please take the time to see it in it's entirety. I promise it's worth it! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jYpP-v4wO_s

You are welcome to continue to follow a piece of the Campbell family through a blog that I keep about my immediate family and our doings at mkoehl.blogspot.com. I'm sure, there will be many opportunites for reflections about dad as the days and weeks go by.

Again, thank you so much for being friends to my parents, and to us, their children. This whole journey would have been so much harder if it wasn't for your support. God bless, and know that "You are loved" by Jesus Christ, and the members of the Campbell family.

Information about my dad

For those of you that haven't heard, my dad, Ken Campbell, passed away yesterday morning, 6/25/2010. He was diagnosed with stomach cancer on December 16th, and fought a very strong fight.

We are going to have a visitation and memorial service in the Denver area, where my mom and dad are currently residing, as well as Wheaton, IL, where my parents lived for 35+ years and raised their kids.

In the Denver area:

Visitation will be Tues, June 29th from 4 pm - 8 pm at
Ponderosa Valley Funeral Services
10470 S Progress Way, Ste. 106
Parker, Co 80134
Family and friends may sign a guest book at ponderosavalleyfunerals.com

Memorial service will be Wed, June 30th at 1:30 pm at
Southeast Christian Church
9650 Jordan Road
Parker, CO 80134

In Wheaton, IL

Visitation will be on Tues, July 6th from 4 pm - 8 pm at
Hultgren Funeral Home
304 N. Main St.
Wheaton, Illinois 60187
Family and friends may sign a guest book at hultgrenfh.com

Memorial service will be on Wed, July 7th at 10:30 am at
St. Paul's Lutheran Church
515 S. Wheaton Avenue
Wheaton, IL 60187
Please check back to make sure this time has not changed.

Interment will be private.

Memorial gifts may be directed to
American Cancer Society
1801 S. Meyers Rd., Ste. #100,
Oakbrook Terrace, IL 60181

***A block of rooms is set aside for the Wheaton area visitation/memorial service at the Ramada in Glendale Heights. Rates are going for $65 a night July 6 & 7 under the Ken Campbell Funeral (call them directly for the rate 630-942-9500)

6/16/2010 - Update

This is what I have to report today...

1. Dad was able to hold down a little bit of liquid substance today!

2. We are waiting for the results of the PT scan tomorrow

3. Depending on the results, the plan is to go in and empty his stomach of all the fluid that the cancer is creating again and scrape a few of the cancer cells out so they can better analyze them.

4. Not sure if he will be able to receive a feeding tube. I guess it is really complicated because the lower muscles of his stomach are infected with the cancer, which is where to tube should go in. So, if anything, pray that the dr's will be able to find a way to get that feeding tube in!

6/15/2010 - Heartbreaking News

Just got another call from mom

My dad is still in the hospital. The GI dr scoped him today and saw that the cancer has spread. Thankfully it is still contained to the stomach, but it is definitely bigger that it was 6 weeks ago or so, when the last scope was done. This cancer is creating all the fluid that is in my dad's stomach that has needed to be emptied. So, basically he is not getting any nurishment, because nothing can get to the stomach because the cancer cells aren't letting it. In the hospital, he has been getting IV's, and hopefully starting tomorrow, he'll get a feeding tube to help him get stronger.

My brother and sister-in-law are heading out to Denver tomorrow (thanks to my SIL's mom) to hopefully be a fresh ear to hear what the doctors are saying, as well as provide my mom with some support.

Getting a feeding tube isn't the worse thing, but it doesn't show improvement. At this point, chemo needs to be done to try and shrink the cancer. The point is, he needs to get stronger...and that is hopefully where the feeding tube will help.

I'll know more tomorrow... but for now, please lift our family up in prayer. Specifically, pray that...

1. The Lord would allow my dad to get stronger again.

2. That the Lord would provide my mom with peace.

3. That the Lord would provide us, their kids, with unbelievable strength to support them and get out their when needed.

Thank you for all the kind words that many of you have offered to all of us, as well as the prayers you are lifting up. I do believe that God's glory will be displayed in all of this, but this storm seems to get harder and harder with every season.

6/14/2010 - Please pray

I got a phone call from my mom earlier this afternoon. Apparently they went in for their doctor's appointment today, and the dr almost immediately admitted dad to the hospital. He didn't like the way things were going. So they were heading to the hospital (which is in an adjacent building).

So... I'll keep you all posted when I hear things... but right now things don't look good. My mom's 60th birthday is tomorrow too... I really pray she doesn't spend the whole time in the hospital.

6/13/2010 Praises

Well, after talking to some friends last night at church, I realized that many of you are not familiar with what happened to my dad over the last couple weeks... so I'm going to give a quick replay.

Fri, Jun 4 my dad and my brother left Denver to begin the Hot Rod Power Tour which started in Newton Iowa on Sat, Jun 5th in his 442 convertable that has no air conditioning. Dad was feeling good, and very excited, and my brother was very aware of his role throughout this journey...to help my dad enjoy himself as much as possible, as well as make sure my dad stayed as healthy as possible.

The Power Tour travels through many different states with car show stops along the way. On Tues, Jun 8, they got to Bowling Green, KY, and my brother convinced my dad to go to the hospital with a slight fear my dad had heat exhaustion. At the hospital, they gave my dad a couple of IV's of fluid and reminded him to keep drinking.

The night of Wed, Jun 9 my mom, dad, and brother decided it was best for my dad to head home to Denver via plane. He wasn't doing much better than before the hospital visit, and wasn't able to hold much food down, therefore not getting any nutrition. So he flew back to Denver on Thurs, Jun 10, and my brother continued with the car on the Power Tour. The ending point of the tour was New Orleans, and they were pretty close, so he figured he'd just finish it up.

When my dad returned home, he set up a dr's apt for that Friday. My mom said they took out fluid from my dad's stomach, and increased his medications a bit to help him feel better about food and start getting stronger again. When I talked to them earlier today, it seemed like everything was working. My dad had eaten today, and all was good. Tomorrow, they have another dr's apt to decide what is the next step they are going to take... whether it be put him back on the chemo, or take a week or so to get him stronger again, and then reevaluate.

Meanwhile, my brother has had his issues with the car (if you know my brother and his driving history, this shouldn't surprise you!). The plan was for him to caravan back to the Chicago area with another guy and his family that were on the tour as well, then we'd figure out a way to get the car back to Denver. I found out today, that the radiator went out on my dad's old car just outside of Indianapolis. At this point, he is home, and exhausted (I'm sure after driving that old car for so long).

Anyway, as I type this, I can't help by see God's hand on the whole situation. God allowed my dad to go on the tour (if he hadn't gone, he would have been home miserable). God allowed my dad to say yes to going to the hospital (I do not feel he would have done that on his own). God allowed my dad to say it was time to go home (which was huge for him). God protected my dad on his journey home through the airports while he was feeling so aweful. God has protected my brother throughout his journey with the car (he mentioned that there was a fatality on the Power Tour). The first two prayer requests that I had in the last post were completely answered... PRAISE THE LORD!

If you are reading this, then I know that you care about my family. And you have probably lifted up prayers for us as well. I want you to know that we believe in a God that ANSWERS PRAYER! This past week was the perfect example of that, and this God will bring glory to HIS name through this whole battle with cancer.

I changed the background on this blog because I felt it was more appropriate... God allows us to go through storms in our life... and this is a storm in the Campbell family's life. But God also has reasons for the storms, and knows that there is amazing abundance on the other side!

Please continue to pray for my parents as they communicate with the dr's this week, as well as the dr's wisdom about how best to handle my dad's situtation. Your prayers are being heard!

6/3/2010 Update

About three weeks since I last wrote, and nothing much has been happening. Actually, my parents have been out and about quite a bit, which is good.

My dad started his second round of chemo (a different chemo than he had earlier) on May 19th. He had three days of chemo, and then 11 off. The intention was originally that he get another 3 days treatment this week, but because of his traveling, the dr decided to wait until he returns. So, he'll have three consecutive days of treatment when he returns.

Returns from where you may be asking... well, if you've talked to my dad in the last three years, you will know that the highlight of his summer is the "Hot Rod Power Tour". This is described by the website as " one of the best automotive tours in the world, and is a rolling testament to what HOT ROD magazine is all about. The seven-day, seven-city tour will wind it's way through the midwest and southeast and will generate a nationwide buzz in the automotive enthusiast market." He has this car... a 1970 Oldsmobile 442 W-30 convertible, red on black with Colorado plates, that he loves to drive. And to drive it with fellow Hot Rod enthusiasts is like a dream come true for him. So, starting tomorrow morning, him and my brother (thankfully someone is going with him) will be participating in the 2010 Hot Rod Power Tour. If your interested in more details on that, my brother has a blog going about the tour (and also to keep us updated on how my dad is doing) at http://442copilot70-hrpt2010.blogspot.com/.

So anyway, after his first treatment a couple weeks ago, he had some side effects, but not as much as before. Got sick a couple of times, but is much more productive and still able to be a normal person going through his normal daily routine. He is still eating regularly, but he just has to monitor what he allows himself to eat, how much, and how often. We expect this 3 days on, 11 days off cycle to continue until around Thanksgiving, with then another scan to see if the cancer has decreased any, and then to see if surgery is an option. Right now, the dr and even a surgen feel that surgery is not the best option at this point.

Prayer requests...
1. That the Lord will protect my dad, brother, and mom (she's riding the last leg with my dad) as they participate in the power tour.

2. That the Lord would give my dad wisdom and discernment as far as the decisions he needs to make on this trip (like eating the right foods, and when he is to tired to drive).

3. That the Lord would allow the chemo to work, and decrease the cancer area in his stomach, over the next few months.

Thank you very much for your support and prayers. As we are all learning, this is a huge waiting game, and God is in control of it. When I don't post, it's because nothing has really changed and there is not much to tell, but please keep my dad and mom in your prayers!

5/12 Update

Well, it's been a while, but there hasn't been much going on. My dad has had the challenge of gaining weight over the last month, with last weeks dr's appointment the goal. Well, he went to the dr, and the dr ordered his PET scan. After some complications with the insurance company, he finally got his PET scan, and went in this past Monday to talk to the dr about the results.

This was the e-mail I received from him on Monday:

Just got home from the doctors office. Pretty good news.

The cancer has not spread. The spots that my December PET Scan saw on my lung, liver, and limp nodes were not present on this PET Scan with the new (better) machine. The cancer in my stomach has gotten smaller but it still needs to get smaller before he wants to pursue surgery.

He is going to start me on chemo again on Monday. I will get a dose for three days every two weeks for the next 6 months. He will be monitoring me as we go. It will be a different chemo formula than last time. We will see if I react to it.

He has me scheduled for a test of the fluids around my stomach for Thursday. It will be early in the morning.

I will be able to do Power Tour and most everything else. My energy level may be down, I may not want to eat red meats, I will be more sensitive to sunlight, and my hair will thin again.

The red meat part is king of strange. I just started eating red meat again in the last couple weeks and had my first steak yesterday. Now that will be going away again. Guess I better enjoy it while I can.

So, overall, we are pretty happy. Praise the Lord! I think we are all being taught a lesson here. My dad, mom, and brother's and our families were all looking towards surgery as the solution. The Lord simply stated...nope, not yet. Your not done with what I want you to learn through this. So with open hearts and minds, we are pressing on as He is asking us.

Thanks for your past prayers. We really appreciate.

Please continue to pray for the following...
1. That the Lord will allow the chemo to work on the cancer, and decrease the size of it.

2. That the Lord will be with my dad and whatever reaction he has to the chemo, and that the reaction will not be as bad.

3. That the Lord will help us become aware of what we should be learning through this trial ... it's not over yet, the Lord wants us to spend more time in this. Praise HIS name for all his doing!

4/1/2010 Update... No fooling

Well, after spending a week with my parents, here's what we know.

1. My dad is gaining weight! As of last night he was up 13 lbs from the lowest weigh in he had 4 weeks ago... not to bad! Only 20 lbs more to go (I wish I was on that plan)! My mom, my dad, and his dr are trying hard to find ways for my dad to gain healthy weight, by eating good fats and drinking lots of vitamin D milk. He has been able to eat a variety of foods as well... most feel ok, some feel great, and some still don't work.

2. There will be no further chemo or radiation for quite some time. In fact, the dr thinks my dad might be a candidate for surgery. So right now, the focus is to have my dad gain weight and strength, because he needs to be strong for surgery.

3. Around the middle of May, my dad will go in for a PET scan, which should show the dr where the cancer is and if the inflamation in his stomach from the radiation has decreased. If all goes properly with the results of the PET scan, appointments will be set up with a different doctor to begin the process of surgery. If surgery can happen, it will not occur until the middle of June.

4. As far as lifestyle, my dad feels a lot better. He is working full time again, and is taking the dogs for walks regularly. My mom and him are looking towards a small road trip in the mountains this weekend, and I'm sure seeing all his grandkids the last two weeks has been wonderful therapy. This past week, he took my two kids to the children's museum and the butterfly pavilion (so obviously he is feeling better!).

For our prayer warriors, we would ask for the following prayer requests...

1. That the Lord would allow my dad to continue to gain weight. He's working really hard at it and seeing success on the scale I'm sure makes him feel better.

2. That the Lord would allow the PET scan results to come out in favor of surgery... all of us seem to believe that that is the best option at this point.

3. That the Lord would continue to provide his dr, and the other dr's that he interacts with, the wisdom needed to beat this cancer, even if surgery isn't an option.

4. That the Lord will be able to time everything perfectly this summer so that my brother's families and my family's visits will be able to help during the recovery time.

Thank you for all of your support and prayers. It appears that the Lord is working, and HE WILL BE GLORIFIED through this!

3/1/2010 Update

Just got off the phone with my parents. Today, they visited a different dr to get a second opinion.

The dr's agreed that my dad should not be receiving any treatment over the next 6 to 8 weeks because the effects of the radiation need to wear off... not exactly what we wanted to hear, but ok.

The new dr hasn't ruled out surgery... he said it is an option. However, he would like to look at some other variables first. He has some different people and tests that he wants to take a look at over the next week. My parents have another apt with him next week, and they'll see what this dr comes back with before they make a decision as to which dr they are going to continue with. My parents said that the new dr seemed better informed and more on top of things than their dr from the cancer center.

So... prayer requests for this week...

1. That the Lord will allow my dad to start keeping food down so he can gain some weight back and start getting stronger again.

2. That the Lord will allow this new dr will stick to his word and do the things that he said he would do over the next week to perhaps better treat my dad.

3. That the Lord will continue to provide ways (financial and time off) for me and my brothers to go visit my parents over spring break, as well as provide safe travels for us all.

Thank you for all your prayers!

2/22/2010 Update

Well, another dr's visit come and gone, not much to report. My dad's weight has not gone up any, though he has been able to keep some food down over the last week.

In addition, it looks like the dr wants him to rebuild over the next couple of months, before putting him back on chemo again...

So prayer requests...

1. That the Lord would allow my dad to continue to hold food down, so he can continue to rebuild his body and get strong again to fight this!

2. That the Lord would continue to allow my mom to be an encourager to my dad, and help keep his spirits high, as again, it seems like we are playing a waiting game.

3. That the Lord would provide both my parents with open doors as they investigate getting a second opinion.

4. That the Lord would be with the dr and provide him wisdom as he determines what the appropriate treatment is for my dad.

5. Again, that the Lord will allow all of us kids to get out to Colorado over spring break to see my parents and provide them much encouragement!

Thank you so much for your support and prayers... it already seems like it's been such a long journey, and we know we're only at the beginning.

2/15/2010 Update

The dr's apt today revealed that the cancer has not grown! Praise God! The doctor said that the cancer didn't really shrink either, but if all the chemo and radiation that my dad went through wasn't working, the cancer would have definitely grown, and it didn't... so many praises!!

In addition, my dad has been able to hold down a little food today... for the first time since last Tuesday! Many, many praises there!

Now, for the details...

First, my brother Jeff and his almost 5 yr old son were able to go and visit my parents this weekend, which I'm sure was needed. Having a little distraction around hopefully helped the time pass a little faster, and helped them take their minds off everything for a bit. My other brother Scott and I only wished it could have been us because we haven't seen them since Sept!

Treatment for the cancer will be put on hold for a couple of weeks. My dad's stomach is "fried" from all the radiation he has had, which may be why he is not able to hold much down. So, his body is going to get a break, to see if it can't start repairing itself, thus allowing him to hold in food. If, by the end of the week, my parents have seen no change in what dad is able to hold down, a feeding tube will be put in to assist in nutrition.

In a couple of weeks, a different chemo will be given to try and attack the cancer again.

So, though no fabulous news, not a bad day!

To the prayer warriors, please pray for the following:

1. That the Lord will allow dad to keep more food down over the next few days. His body needs to repair itself and can't do that without food!

2. That the Lord will give the dr wisdom as he looks towards the next treatment option for my dad.

3. That the Lord would protect my dad's mind from discouraging thoughts and allow him to be productive.

4. That the Lord will be with my mom as she cares for my dad and watches him deal with his discomfort.

5. That the Lord would allow us kids to get out to see them over our spring breaks in 5-6 wks.

ULTIMATELY, GOD'S GLORY WILL BE REVEALED THROUGH THIS!!!

Update - 2/9/2010

Well, it's been a while since I've last posted because my family has gone through a week plus of sickness... so taking care of the kiddos and recovering myself have taken all of my energies lately.

Anyway, I just got off the phone with my mom, and... well... let me update you...

My dad went back on chemo on Mon, 1/25, and quickly, the same effects began. Circulation in his feet decreased, and he had a hard time keeping food down. The new perscription seemed to help with the sores in his mouth, but that was about it. So... just like my dad, he pressed on. Spirits were high because he knew he was doing something to fight this aweful disease.

Monday, 2/1 my dad had another dr's apt, and the doctor informed him that he only had 7 more radiation treatments left, when he thought he had 12... good news! The dr assessed my dad's response to the chemo, and basically told my dad to tolerate the side effects as long as he could, but to feel free to "turn off" the chemo if needed.

Friday, 2/5 (their 38th wedding anniversary), at 4:15 pm, the chemo was turned off. If you know my dad, that was a hard decision for him, because he is a fixer... and in taking the chemo, he was "fixing the problem." After speaking with my mom, it was a necessary step.

Monday, 2/8 was the most recent apt, and... it's left us all a little discouraged. Finally the doctor is showing concern about my dad not being able to hold down food. On Friday, at 3:00pm MST, they go in for another CT scan. Through this, the dr will be able to take a look at the cancer to see what the radiation and chemo has done in the chest, pelvic, and abdomen. In addition, the dr is going to look a the pylorus (the muscle that allows food to pass from the stomach into the intestines). Perhaps something is causing the muscle to not function properly, thereby causing all the vomitting.

Depending on the results of the CT scan, the dr may want to put a portable feeding tube on him to allow him to get some nutrition.

On a positive note.... my dad's feet have gotten better since he has taken himself off the chemo. He is able to walk around a lot easier now.

So, at this point, we are still waiting...again. My dad has his last radiation treatment tomorrow. He is also getting hydrated every day this week. He has not been at work since last Thursday (mainly because he doesn't know when he's going to get sick), and is doing a lot of sleeping.

Please pray for the following:

1. That the Lord would protect my dad's mind from discouraging thoughts and that the time over this next week would pass quickly.

2. That the Lord will be with my mom this next week, as she cares for my dad. I wish I could be there to help, but I can only image how painful it must be for her to watch him be in so much pain and discomfort.

3. That the Lord will allow my dad to keep down the dye that he needs to take before the CT scan on Friday. Obviously, this is important, so the machine can pick up on what it needs to see.

4. That the Lord will guide the dr's thoughts and decisions as he tries to figure out what is wrong, and what the next step should be. My parents have an apt next Monday at 11:30 am (mountain time) to discuss the results of the CT scan and what the next steps should be.

ULTIMATELY, GOD'S GLORY WILL BE REVEALED THROUGH THIS... WE ARE ALL JUST HAVING A HARD TIME STAYING FOCUSED ON THAT.

BOTH MY PARENTS NEED TO BE ENCOURAGED, SO IF YOU KNOW THEM AND CAN GET IN CONTACT WITH THEM THIS NEXT WEEK, I KNOW THEY WOULD APPRECIATE HEARING FROM THEIR 'FAMILY OF FRIENDS'.

Please keep our family in your prayers, especially over this next week please.

Update 1/23/2010

Ok, I know it's been a while, so I'll try and update you since them.

Mon, 1/11, the dr took my dad off chemo. The side effects were effecting him too much. They took some blood, and sent him home to start purging his system of all the chemo that is left in the body.

Wed, 1/13, my dad started going in for hydrations (basically IV's for 90 minutes every day). This was to help flush out the chemo in his body, as well as get some nutrients into him because he still wasn't able to eat or drink much. This helped considerably! He continued being hydrated at least through yesteday (1/22), and maybe even this weekend. That Friday (1/15), I talked to my mom, and he was feeling a bit better. By Sun (1/17), he was eating food, and even felt well enough to take the dogs for a walk.. that's a very good sign!

Well, I talked with my parents last night, and after reporting to the doctor on Friday (1/22), it appears that dad is going back on chemo on Monday. The dr. thinks that he may have had a virus or infection that he was already fighting when he started the chemo before, because all his blood work came back fine (he is producing that enzyme that they thought he might not be). So they are going to try again, with the same chemo treatment as before. He is half way through his radiation treatments, so in about 3 more weeks hopefully the dr. will do another cat scan and see what has happened to the cancer since we started this whole thing before the first of the year.

The good thing is that now both my parents understand the chemo a little bit better, and they know what to expect, and will be immediately calling if they feel the side effects are more severe than should be. My dad's feet were really swollen last time, so much so that he found it hard to walk. They will not let it get that bad again. In addition, the dr. has prescribed some medication to help a little bit with all the side effects that my dad is supposed to stay on even while he is taking the chemo (I just wonder how many chemicals the body can take?!?!).

The Lord is definitely giving us a lesson in patience, as we all were hoping the 7 weeks of chemo and radiation would go by quickly and without major problems.

For those of you that are commiting this in prayer with us, please pray:
1. That my dad will not react as negatively to this round of chemo.
2. That the chemo and radiation will do it's job.
3. That in 3 or 4 weeks we will have another cat scan to see how all this is affecting the cancer.
4. That my y brothers and I and our families will have the means to see my parents over this upcoming spring break.
5. That God's glory will be revealed in this whole situation. We know He has a reason for this trial, and he will be glorified through it!

Thanks to all of you who have shown love and support to my family through your comments are prayers. We really appreciate it!

Prayer requests...

To all my prayer warrior friends out there...here are our current prayer requests:

1. Please pray that the dr's will find the right type of chemo treatment, soon! Everyone in my family is ready for the fight... we aren't patient people, and reoccuring setbacks like this are hard!

2. Please pray again for my dad's schedule. That he will be able to continue to work (mainly because it keeps him busy), and that his sleep at night will be amazing, even if the hours don't allow it to be lengthy.

3. Please pray for my mom... that she will continue to know how to care for my dad, and that my dad will be receptive to her ways of caring for him.

Thank you... and I'll keep you all posted when I find out more! We appreciate all your prayers and support.

Feel Better...

For those of you who are facebook fans of either myself, Scott, Erin, or my mom, you may have noticed a bit of discouragement in our posts yesterday. Well, today is a better day! After much encouragement from friends, as well as gaining some medical info, I'm hoping we all feel a little bit more confident in what's going on (A good nights sleep helps too... though none of us got that last night. Thankfully dad did!).

Anyway, my mom mentioned Sunday night that my dad wasn't doing good....so off to the dr on Monday they went. The dr took him off the chemo...apparently, he isn't responding correctly to it. So they took some blood, running tests, and continuing with the radiation everyday. Friday, they have another apt.

Dad stayed home from work today and rested. He said he was bored, but feeling better. I called tonight and both my parents seemed in good spirits. My dad was eating (good!), but maybe a bit dehydrated. It seems these next 4 days are an opportunity for his body to flush out the chemo that wasn't working, and hopefully (depending on the dr's apt on Friday), start a different chemo treatment, maybe one that's less potent.

This whole cancer thing is so new to all of us, we are learning as we go along. I didn't know that there were different types of chemo... but I guess it makes sense. There are a zillion different cough syrups, so why shouldn't there be a zillion different types of chemo. I think that's where my frustration came in last night... I didn't know that there was a different type of chemo to try.

So anyway... I'm going to put up a different post with prayer requests... but I just wanted to keep you all updated.

What stage???

Well, we really don't know. After today's doctors apt, not much more was cleared up.

This is a summary of what my dad said during our phone conversation today.

1. They asked about what stage of cancer he is in, and the doctor said they really don't stage stomach cancer... but if he had to, it would be around a stage 2/3... so not stage 4, which is a huge blessing.

2. In a recent conversation with my grandma (my dad's mom), we found out that my great grandpa on my dad's side (my dad's grandpa, his dad's dad) had 1/2 his stomach removed. Obviously, back then, they really didn't know much about cancer or why it was removed, but that may indicate that it could be in the genes... which is good for us kids to be really aware of what our stomachs are doing regularly.

3. Right now, we are just in a "holding pattern" as my dad stated it. He's taking his chemo, and going in for radiation, and in 7 weeks (which is actually 6 weeks from this upcoming Wed) new tests will be done, and they will determine what needs to be done from them... maybe more chemo and radiation, maybe surgery, maybe something else... so basically they don't know at this point.

So that's it... as my dad stated, not good news, but not bad news either. Let's keep praying as he keeps fighting!!!