oh yeah...

It's dad's birthday tomorrow!!!

Treatments have started...

Treatments have startedWell, yesterday morning dad got the chemo bottle (more a bag) attached to the PIC line. I've been trying to do some research on what that really is but haven't been too successful. But I know that it is 47 cm long and is inserted in Dad's arm just above the elbow and goes into his shoulder area. The bottle that was hooked up yesterday will last for 8 days and then he will have to go and get a new one. And from that bottle on it will be changed every 7 days for up to 6 weeks. Radiation treatments started in TO last night as well. Everything seemed to go well and on the way home dad was even feeling up to a Tim Horton's stop so that's good.
Just as a reminder those treatments will be week nights for up to six weeks.Thanks again to all that offered to drive to appointments. There is a schedule that is good for the next week or so but we still have the names of those who offered and we'll give you a call when there is an openning! Right now we have a bunch of retired men doing the driving for this week at least. Today a nurse was coming to check on that chemo bag!
Specific Prayer Requests:
- strength
- quick reduction in size of the tumor
- safety for mom - she's helping dad a lot and the doctors have mentioned that they are not 100% sure of how chemo/radiation will react to her
- safety for trips to and from TO
- good rest and good health for Dad
- Complete Healing!!! - whatever that looks like! :)
Again thank you so much for your partnership thru all this it has been amazing!
Don't forget you can leave messages on either the carepages or the blog and we'll make sure that Dad and Mom get them!
Amy ~ on behalf of the crew!
PRAISE
They have gotten the right equipment sent lately and now mom and dad will get to use disposible rather than re-usable... :)

Tomorrow

Well, tomorrow is the big day! The start day of daily Chemo in the morning and Radiation treatments in the evening. We know that we have the Great Physian on our side but please pray for calm nervous, easy process and the doctors and nurses involved. Pray for steady hands and peacefully hearts!

Also, know that we all appreciate your thoughts and prayers. It's hard to believe that it's been almost 6 weeks since we found out about the cancer. It already feels like its been much longer but it has been so encouraging to know that as a family we are not going through this alone. Thank you to friends and family that have been there thru laughter and tears. Thanks to those that have helped to distract (one that comes to mind is shoveling pathways for the mail lady) guests and unexpected meals, and those that have been there to listen and those who have just been there in the silent times! You are all greatly appreciated! And thanks for partnering with us on this journey. Like all journeys it has its up and downs but we have not felt alone yet! :)Thanks for joining with us in our quest that we don't understand but trust that God's got it all under control! I'll try and let you know how things goes tomorrow as soon as I know!
Amy for the crew...

Sunday Report

Hello to all that check this regularly...
I am just talking to mom now and there really isn't anything new to report. Appointments are coming up quickly... so is Dad's birthday for that matter... it's February 1st!

Mom was saying that Dad's arm has been much better. The doctors haven't been concerned about it but Praise God its been better as that means that Dad can sleep better.

But yeah that's all for today!
Thanks for your prayers!
Amy for all!!!

Today's Report

Today's Report...Dad has been having a pain in his right arm mostly at night that goes down his arm and then into his hand and his finger goes numb. They have told the doctor and nurses and they don't seem to be concerned.
One new date to add to the schedule
- January 29th Dad is going for blood work and the will meet with Dr. Chan.
So you can be praying for those too things!Thanks again friends and family!
Amy

New Dates and Times

Appointment today went well. The pic line for the chemo bottle wasn't put in - it will be put in January 30th at 7:45 am. Dad's first radiation treatment is that evening. Once chemo starts the nrse said that dad will be very suseptable to germs and viruses so they will have to be very careful. They were told that if at any point dad gets a fever they MUST proceed immeditately to the ER and when they get there tell them that dad is on chemo treatments so that they don't have to wait with all people with germs. So that's a prayer request - pray that dad will not get sick while he is on chemo and radiation.
Tomorrow is going to be an early start for them... well earlier than it has been in a while as the nurse is doing a home visit and she'll be there at 8m. Mom said that they haven't had many early mornings lately. :)
But that's all for this evening!Night all!
Amy

Another Monday Update

Well, Mom and Dad had a good weekend. There were lots of visits and the phone still rings often with friends and family checking up on them.
I talked to dad today and he is really, really, REALLY bored. Apparently, while we were talking, he was wondering around in the garage looking for something for the trailer hitch on the van. He is being careful though. While I was on the phone with him he was looking a a heavier bag and made a good decision not to try and move to. It's a good thing that it's not too cold out there. Aunt Joyce and Uncle Charles were coming to visit this afternoon and when I tried to call a little bit ago there was no answer, which is a good sign seeing it means that they are out of the house.
Tomorrow's appointment is to deal with the chemo bottle. Dad says that it is to find out about it and I thought that mom said that it is getting hooked up tomorrow.
So yeah that's the info I have!
Specific Prayer Requests:
- That the chemo and radiation treatments work quickly, shrink the tumor so they can get it out ASAP
- Wisdom for the doctors
- Safe travel to and from appointments
- Creative Ideas for Dad - so that he won't be too bored
Isn't it great though that we have the Great Phyisian on our side?!?
That's about all from here for now.
Thanks again for your thoughts and prayers.
Amy

just a little more...

A little more info...
Some up coming Important dates:
January 23 - Chemo appointment
January 30 - Radiation treatments
~Amy

Updating Again

Hi All,
Well, I Have made it back to the land of the internet on demand...
I talked to Dad on Thurday and he was feeling quite discouraged. (you can pray about that). And on top of all the apointments he got a notice that it was time to renew his bus licence. As he can't drive (which for anyone who knows him knows that alone could drive him crazy) he has to let his bus licence expire and then go and retake it when he can drive again!
They have hooked up the chemo bottle and yesterday (friday) they were up had their first out of town appointment. It was about an hour and a half and dad got tatoos - the doctors marked where the treatments will be administered. It sounded like things went okay but both mom and dad were tired.
Specific Requests:
- Dad to not be discouraged.
- Rest - both mom and dad seem tired!
- Strength and energy for both mom and dad
- The chemo and radiation will work quickly and that there wouldn't be any strange side affects.
- Safety in travelling to and from appointments
- Peace anda calmness that can only come from God


A few of the things that have encouraged Mom and Dad:
- Great doctors and nurses at all stages so far
- How the Church (across the country and around the world) has come together in prayer
- Family and Friends that have called
- Family and friends that have been able to visit
- The notes and cards that have come
- The meals that have been given

i just tired to get a hold of mom and dad and there was no answer so I will try again later and update this again!
Amy

Update from Here

Hello All,Well, I did post that last one yesterday but apparently did it wrong so now there are two today... Joy is out of the country and I was just out to lunch... well really I'm out of the city at pastor's retreat!I talked to mom today. After appointments they have found out that they have to wait to find out when the chemo and radiation treatments will start. They will run at the same time one in town and one in TO. Friends have offered to set up a schedule for those who have offered to help with driving. So you will hear from someone. Chemo and radiation will run at the same time and for 25-30 days, Monday to Friday. They have been told that there really aren't too many side effects to the treatments. There may be tiredness as well as "some extra trips to the bathroom." Dad is really getting VERY bored and today he even went outside to do some, as mom put it, "puttering." Mom and Dad are both very thankful for the cards, phone calls, visits and meals. But yeah, I think that I should go there is a guy here that has questions for me. So thanks, for your prayers we all appreciate them.
Amy for the family

Update ... finally

Sorry, everyone for not updating this sooner but Sunday i had a migraine (not so good at all) and then yesterday we left PG for our district retreat and i didn't find this little room stuck in the basement corner of our hotel until it was too late and then there are 2 computers for all billion guests! good grief.
But i did talk to mom yesterday. The nurse has been coming in and dad's blodd pressure was low the last few times but they aren't too worried because they figure that it is because he hasn't been drinking even fuilds.. so it's an easier fix. Wrong supplies have been arriving so that's kinda furstration.
Dad has an appointment today to set up his other appointments but I haven't heard from mom yet so hopefully tomorrow i will be able to uypdate you on that
Specific Prayer requests:
- Pray the supplies that come will be the right ones.
- Dad's getting bored... anyone that knows my father knows that he likes to be doing stuff and right now he can't and he's starting to get cabin fever.
- Pray for mom too pray that they will not drive each other crazy! (if you are in the area i'm sure they would love a call and maybe even a visit... just call first to set up a time as dad still need rest!!!
- And as you have been i'm sure continue to pray for healing.
But like i said there are 2 computers for a bizzionane people and i am sure there is a line forming!
Thanks for your prayers!
Amy for the fam.

Saturday Update

I'm talking to mom right now and typing while she talks...
Mom says,
"After being discharged at 10:45am yesterday morning, Rick had a few visitors that were picked up around town and that dropped in. I got to do some running around too. Thanks, Lois! And thanks to Terry and Bertie for "babysitting" while Lois and I were out getting some things that will be needed around here for the next little while.
We made it thru the first night at home and we're able to take care the colostomy. the nurse approved! The nurse came this morning and helped us with some of the new procedures that we will eventally have to do on our own. She also brought the right supplies (when he left the hospital they sent him with the wrong things). The nurse approved of our work on our own but she will still be visiting everyday just to check up on us.
Next week will be appointments (January 17, 18 at the oncology Clinic here in town to set up out of town appointments for Chemo and Radiation. (Appointments for appointments good grief).
Yesterday, Rick realized that he is going to need to take naps during the day until his energy is back up. He was in bed at about 6pm and only up for a short time between 11 and 12 and then back to bed. So we're going to have get use to a new routine! We've appreciated all the calls that we have gotten even since we've been home! Thank you mostly for all your prayers."

So there you have it! He's home and doing well and mom's not going crazy, yet!!!
Amy

He's Home

Dad was, as Joy put it, booted out this morning!

January 12, 2007 at 10:58 AM EST
HE'S OUT!!! WOOWHOO! Thank you Lord! Daddy called me at 10:45 from his cellphone to let me know they gave him the boot this morning. The Doctor said that "nothing had changed" after looking at the CAT scan. So i don't know if that's good news or not. Thank you for your prayers! Now there is a long road ahead of Dad (and the rest of the family too) but we've reached one mile stone. Now to tackle the rest! ~Joy

Update 2 for today

Well, when I talked to mom last night she was hoping that dad wasn't getting is hopes up too much about coming home. Amy
as ofJanuary 11, 2007 at 04:43 PM EST
Hi Everyone! Just a super quick update. As of right now dad has not come home. He had his CAT scan as scheuled and we've sat around all day waiting for the Doctor to get the results and tell us whether or not we could leave. So, it kind of feels like a bit of a waiting game. I'm a bit disappointed that i didn't get to see dad come home before i left. But he is doing so much better, he's up and walking around, even going off to other hospital rooms to have visits! He's using very minimal pain relief and is looking fabulous. I know this is all thanks to your prayers and an Awesome Amazing Great Physician. Joy

January 11 update

I talked to dad last night and he as Joy mentioned he was very happy about the whole real food thing. Apparently he had fish and potatoes and squash! He sounds like he's doing really well! Everytime, to him he let's me know who's visited! He really appreciates the company!
But here's Joy's update too!
Amy

January 11, 2007 at 05:05 AM EST
He might be coming home!!!!! Ohhhh yesterday was a good day! Dad got to eat REAL FOOD! Yup, REAL FOOD! He's feeling hungry now and enjoying his real food. His CAT scan is scheduled for 9am and it's very likely that they're kicking him out tomorrow after that. Ohhh that would make me VERY happy to have him settled in before I left. Dad got his staples taken out today. 36 of them, can you believe it?? The nurse was even going to let me take out one (i really like playing doctor!) but she forgot to leave one for me. Oh well, maybe next time. Besides, i don't know how confident Dad was in letting me remove a staple from his tummy. So all in all, it was a good day. I'll let you all know if dad is released today or not as soon as I can. Be Blessed, and continue to pray!! Joy

Update 8-I think!

January 10, 2006
Good Morning!! We received an early morning wakeup call from Dad this morning. I think mom and I are getting a bit spoiled being together in the mornings and a tiny little sleep in is always nice! Dad will be having his CAT scan tomorrow, so please pray that everything looks good. The doctor also mentioned starting Radiation as early as January 17th. Could those ofyou that have mentioned helping out by driving please contact us? The time to be at the hospital will be between 6-9pm Monday-Friday. Dad got a new roommate yesterday, Woody has the same thing as dad minus the colostomy. He's a Seventh Day Adventist and enjoys talking about religon with Dad. Ohhh it's good to see God work!! :D Dad's on full solids now and is thuroughly enjoying his milk and puddings and mousses! Next step..SOLIDS!! Thank you for your prayers, they mean the world to us!! Joy

update 6&7

Wow Sunday's are crazy... Sorry that you are getting two at a time these days!
Amy

January 08, 2007 at 10:55 AM EST
Good Morning! Just giving a quick update as it's hard to have a lot to say when you're not there seeing it in person. The problem I asked you all to pray about last night appears to be better this morning. They're also starting to see that other things are improving as well. Dad's going to be going for an ultrasound soon just to take a peek and make sure everything is doing well. He's sitting up for longer periods of time, and although it does tire him out quickly the length of time is improving daily. I cannot describe to you how important your prayers are!! I know that these days the urgency to pray is stronger than it has ever been in my life. I know that others are praying as well and this is what is helping to keep my spirit at rest. Please continue in your prayers, they are what is making the difference!! ~Joy


January 07, 2007 at 03:05 PM EST
Just posting a quick prayer request. In trying to be discrete I won't say exactly what's going on. Dad's having a side affect of the operation that they say is on the side of normal, but it is concerning to us. God knows exactly what is going on and is in control, GLORY! Also, please pray that there is soon "proof" of a healthy colon so that dad can start eatting soon. Thank you to all the Saints that continue to pray daily and leave messages to us. You have no idea what your encouragements mean to us!
Joy

Update 4 & 5 - i think

January 06, 2007 at 08:49 AM EST
Just a quick one here that i forgot. For those of you that were into see dad before yesterday, he has changed rooms. Be sure to check with the front desk or the floor nurses station to find him! Also, a big thank you to Glenn for dropping off the print outs of the carepage. Dad really enjoyed reading your messages. Please continue to leave him messages and above all PRAY!! Joy

Just a NOTE: The reason for the room change was that when he went upstairs there were only ward rooms available (5 roomates) but because of work benefits he is actually eligiable for a semi-private. He didn't want to move at first because he like the nurses but the nurses he had changed so when a semi-private came available they moved him! He's still got a window seat... wow that's my airline talk coming out now isn't it?!?

January 05, 2007 at 11:09 PM EST
Today was a good day. Thank you Jesus! Dad's epidural came out this morning and guess what! He had no pain meds until 4pm! And even then it was at his daughter's nagging that he didn't want to let the pain get too bad and get away from him before taking the meds. I know it must be from the prayers. We were able to take a good look at the incision today since the dressing was removed. He has at least 20 staples and the colostomy. HOW after only 3 days can he be having such little discomfort? It HAS be the prayers being shot up from around the world. Another praise, Dad got to eat today!!! A lovely gourmet meal of broth, jello and juice..YUMMY! :D He's also having bowel sounds!! So yes, it was indeed a good day. It's looking very likely that dad's radiation will be beginning in as little as 3 weeks. If you would like to minister to Dad by driving to appointments out of town even once, or possibly committing to 1 day/week we'd love to hear from you. The kids and I will be heading home tomorrow. I know it's going to be very hard to leave dad and mom, but we do need to get these kids ready to head back to school and get some much needed grocery shopping and laundry done. Oh, and I think Dan might miss us a little bit too. Continue on in your prayers..they ARE working! Remember to thank God as well!

Praise:
- Dad is healing fast..it looks incredible!
- Bowel sounds are happening
- He's getting to eat
- He was able to sit up more easily today, and standing was easier.
- Our spirits are up
Prayer request
- continue to pray against infection
- that dad's strength would continue to grow
- continue to pray for complete healing and restoration.
Thank you to all who pray daily. We know without a doubt it is making all the difference in the world!! ~Joy

I feel a little helpless in adding anything intelligent to these! Isn't Joy doing great!?!?~ A

January 05, 2007 at 08:34 AM EST
Hi Everyone!! I'm sorry that i didn't update last night. Mom and I got home from the hospital around 8:45, returned a few phonecalls then I crashed out on the couch. I'm pretty sure my mom has super human strength as she stayed awake for a few more hours. However, she is still asleep so i'm letting her sleep in. All in all yesterday was a good day. Dad seems to have a bit more strength as he was able to pull himself up in the bed easier. He got a quick visit from the doctor and was told that radiation may begin in as little as 2-3 weeks. They hope to start dad on a liquid diet soon but they need to hear bowel sounds and see some gas/air in his colostomy bag. Until then, it's just ice chips. He's still on the epidural for pain and that will probably be stopped today or tomorrow. So continue to pray for that. He sat up in the chair for a tiny bit yesterday maybe 5 minutes or so and that took a lot out of him. But he did have quite a few guests yesterday, and then got all cleaned up, so i'm sure he was pretty tired to begin with. I hope they try to get him up in the chair earlier in the day today when he's feeling well rested. Mom and Dad's moods seemed really good yesterday. Mom even commented that "today didn't feel as bad as yesterday". I'm praying that we can all say that every day. Dad seems to be accepting things which can be a really hard thing to do. We talked for a bit yesterday and I was telling mom and dad how when Dan and I went through a really rough patch for 2 years many well meaning Christians would say "God won't give you anymore than you can handle" and I'd think to myself "well, What's wrong with ME then, cuz i AIN'T handling this!". I asked a good friend of mine where it said this in the scriptures and he told me no where! God says that we won't be TEMPTED beyond what we can handle. Then he told me the most amazing thing. God will CONTINUALLY give us more than we can handle, because if we could handle it we wouldn't need God. When the troubles in your life have passed GOD will have the glory, not us because people around us will know that there's no way we could have done it on our own, only God. It's to give Him the Glory. When i finished sharing this with mom and dad, mom said "and that's Joy's sermon for the day! (smile)" I guess there's more than one preacher in the family :D Please continue to pray: - for no infection - for the "swimminess" in dad's head to go away so that he can be upright for longer periods. This is good for his lungs to not be laying down so much. - this one will sound a bit funny..but for Dad to begin passing gas, I know I've never prayed for that before! He needs to start having some gas in his colostomy bag to prove that his bowels are working then he can start having fluids. - continue to pray for healing. We know that God can choose to perform a miracle in this situation, so we will continue to ask Him for one. Your prayers, messages and visits mean so much to all of us. To know that there are literally people around the WORLD praying for Dad is an incredible feeling. Thank you to all the Saints that continue to hold our family up in prayer. ~Joy (on behalf of the whole family)

Update 3

This is Joy's next update. It's hard to be so far away. You'll probably see more entries with her name since she's getting the info right from the source so why change a good thing, right?
*** remember some info in this is more general because a blog is more public then the Carepages... if you want to check out carepages.com and become a member or email either of us that works too!
Amy

January 04, 2007 at 12:10 AM EST
Another busy day is drawing to a close. I guess you could say that today was a good day. Compared to the shock of yesterday today has seemed rather peaceful. Dad is doing as well as can be expected. He had quite a lot of awake time today and seems to be in excellent spirits. They had him sitting up on the edge of the bed this morning and attempted to have him stand up but this made his head rather "swimmy" so he was quickly tucked back into bed. He is experiencing alot of sweating and the nurses think it is a side affect of the medication in his epidural. The incision and colostomy appear to be healing well so all is looking good so far. We have all been overwhelmed and humbled by the many offers made by all of you regarding any type of help we may need. It is so wonderful to see the family of God surrounding our family in such a loving and compassionate way. As of right now we have no immediate needs (what a wonderful blessing that is!) and trust me when I say we're not trying to be heros and "doing it all ourselves". We're keeping things rather low key and simple and just focusing on eachother, Dad and of course God. The biggest need we forsee in the future will be needing people to drive Dad to Sunnybrook for his radiation treatments. The timing of this is unknown as it will depend on how fast he heals from this surgery. If you feel that is a way you could minister to dad please feel free to leave a message here and we will keep a list and let you know the dates as soon as WE know. Well, I guess that's about it for today. Thanks to all of you who dropped by the hospital to visit, I know it sure picks up Mom and Dad's spirits too. Several of you have asked how you can specifically pray for Dad so here's the list. - dad will be coming off the epidural either tomorrow or the next day. Pray that his pain will be minimized and that the narcotics given will be effective. - that he will be able to cough deeply to help clear his lungs and prevent pnemonia - that dad's body will be healed and completely restored to health. - that any kind of infection will be avoided especially with the colostomy In closing I'd like to ask for some prayer for me as well. I feel guilty that I'm "hijacking" this post but I sure would appreciate prayer. I'm trying to decided what the next week to week and a half looks like for me and my family. My heart wants to stay here with Mom and Dad and help to take care of things but in reality there are things that need to be taken care of back home in West Lorne. Please pray that I can make the right decisions as to what to do. Continue on in your prayers as this is the way that the Battle will truly be won..... remember.. "For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. " Ephesians 6:12&13 Although Dad's battle appears to be a battle of the flesh (cancer) lets not forget that the battle is also spiritual. But, like the praise song says "In heavenly armor we'll enter the land, the battle belongs to the LORD!" Dear Lord, Today we give you this battle. We know that you love Dad even more than we do. We know that he is your son and as his Father you desire to give him good gifts. We thank you that you are in control of this and that you already know the outcome. Give us strength to continue, and build our faith so that we can bring you honour and glory through this. AMEN! ~Joy

Update on Dad/Ryk/Opa G

Well, I thought this might be the easiest. My sister has also set up a carepage but I know that a lot of people also use this kinda stuff as well, so I thought that I would start a blog too for dad and how he is doing and what's happening... it will more or less for exactly the same as the carepage just so people that use different things can still get the updates... so here you go... this first one is longer than they will usually be but it's more or less what I emailed everyone for day 1! Also the carepages have a place that you can leave a personal message for one of us where are this one will have names and places and some dates taken out as it's a little more public.

Thanks for your prayers! They are greatly appreciated. As for when we might head east... we're not sure at this point in time. Mom has said to wait and see. So, that's what we're going to do for now!

Amy

January 02, 2007 at 11:28 PM EST
Hi Everyone! We're hoping that this site will serve to help keep all of our friends and family informed as quickly as possible on how Dad is doing. I'll just give a small bit of a time line so that you can understand how quickly everything has moved. Dad's colonoscopy wasn't scheduled until May 2007 at the hospital. Thank God Linda suggested going to another smaller centre. Dad's colonoscopy took place. and Dad met with the surgeon and found out that he had colon cancer. His surgery was then schedueled for Tuesday January 2, 2007. In those 2 weeks it was an absolute whirl wind filled with doctors appointments, pre - op visits, and of course Christmas and New Years thrown in for good measure. Phew! So now that brings us to today. Dad was scheduled to go into surgery at 7:30am and we expected to see him in his room somewhere between 11:30-12 noon. Mom, Dan and I spent the time sitting in the food court attempting a crossword puzzle to try and keep our minds off things. At 10:30 the pager that the OR had given us went off (scaring the day lights out of me as i was wearing it) We waited until around 11:20 and the doctor came to speak to us. Going into the surgery we had expected for dad to have a 6 inch section of his colon removed and an Anterior Resection (colon re-attached with tumour gone). Unfortunately the doctor was not able to perform this surgery. There is some adhesion to the anterior wall of the pelvis. He is also wondering if there may be some adhession to the bladder. He feels confident that it has not entered the bladder as dad has not had any symptoms so that is a HUGE praise! Also he thuroughly examined his liver and says it looks great! The liver is a huge concern where colon cancer is concerned so this is another YEAH GOD! The surgeon felt that performing a colostomy was a prudent move right now. This way the healthy part of his colon will be kept far away from the radiation. The next 4 months will be very full, here is a rough itinerary of what will be happening: - 7-10 days in the hospital - 4-6 weeks healing at home - 5 weeks of Radiation not in town ( i will be writing more about this later so stay tuned!) - at the same time as the radiation 5 weeks of chemotherapy administered in town - 4-6 weeks recovery time as the radiation continues to work for up to a month after the last dose - surgery to hopefully remove the shrunken tumour and to resect (reattach) the colon. So, this is where we stand. I'm hoping that Amy or myself can update the webpage daily so as to keep you all informed. As you can well imagine there have been countless phonecalls and prayers for which we are so thankful!! If we haven't been able to return your call we apologize but as you're well aware life is pretty hectic and we aren't at home too much. We're hoping that this site will work well to keep you informed and kept in the loop and so that you'll know to to pray. God is so good, Dad has peace and that is a true answer to prayer. He says that he can feel your prayers and he knows the power of them being offered up to the on his behalf. Continue on in your prayers. Remeber, the prayers of the righteous availeth much! God is going to have the glory in this situation! AMEN! Please feel free to leave a message for Dad and Mom on the message board. I know they would so appreciate it! Also a little request, if anyone will be visiting them could you please copy and paste and print out a copy of the messages so that they could read them. Dad and mom haven't quite jumped into the computer age yet and I don't have a printer available to me at their house.
~Joy on behalf of Dad, Mom, Dan and kids, Amy& Jared

January 03, 2007 at 10:53 AM EST
Hi Everyone! Time seems to fly so quickly. I spoke with Dad's night nurse first thing this morning and she said that he had a good night. I was able to speak with dad later on and he sounds weak. He said that the nurses had him sitting up this morning and that it didn't feel so good. Mom and I are heading up to the hospital shortly. Dad's a bit out of it but I'm sure mom would appreciate the visits. A family from the church has kindly offered to keep my kids the rest of the week and the kids are thrilled. What a brave woman to have 7 kids around! Continue on in your prayers. I know that they are felt tremendously here. The strength of Dad and Mom through this is amazing and I believe it is your prayers holding them. If you know anyone who knows mom and dad PLEASE pass on the carepage so that we can keep everyone informed. Also, we will be leaving a green notebook up at dad's hospital room as well. PLEASE sign it when you visit, especially if mom or I aren't there..who knows what dad will remember right now :D
On behalf of the Opa G clan
Joy
God Bless you all, and thank you for your prayers.