Greetings Part A

Dear Friends and Family,

Am I the only one that wonders where time goes?  For those of you that have checked this blog and have not found an update... I'm sorry.   Let me bring you up to date on what has been going on.

First up to the plate is Becky:

Beck has completed all of her testing and it was sent to Mayo.  It has been concluded that she has PSC (primary sclerosing cholangitis)  I could explain it to you but it would be easier to 'google' and read up on it.  As far as what this means to Becky is that she will have to have cancer testing every 6 months and a colonoscopy every year (Yes at 23!)  I have spoken at length with her doctors and specifically her Oncologist (Cancer doctor) although PSC is specific to the liver and ducts it has a very high relationship with the colon and in almost all cases will end up with cancer in either the liver or colon.  Best is to stay on top of the disease and catch it early.  You ask: Is there a cure:  No.

Is there something to be done?  Not really.  What then?  Beck rests... in the Lord.  She has an amazing outlook on things.  Her faith is and continues to grow strong.  Lots of prayer.

We trust the Lord with our daily activity in guiding us and lean not to our own understandings... when you are faced with a young person; your child with an illness, you have many things that you learn and the one that comes to mind as I type this is that:  Who is the One that loves her more than me (her mother) that One is the Creator, the Savior, the Healer... Beck is in the Lords hands and has been all along.  When you say that and believe it... you can't help but find the rest and comfort of a love that is unshakable... indescribable... and for some just not understandable.  Remember we love and serve an AWSOME God!

Back to Becky;  She had the pain spinal stimulator removed.  If you recall she had a device placed along her spine that went to a little box (much like a pacemaker) in the hip that was suppose to be an alternate way to control pain.  Well... it didn't do much after all.  Plus, she couldn't have an MRI which Mayo wanted to have done.  When it was removed she had an MRI it again confirmed PSC and the cirrhosis which we knew about. It also revealed that Becky has "spots" on her liver.  Here is the thing... we don't know what the spots are; yet.  I'm not certain that we will know soon either. 

Some of you may wonder why they don’t just do a liver transplant.  Both the liver transplant team and Mayo have told us that at this point it would be more dangerous for her to have a transplant now (meaning a negative outcome; death)  verses waiting.  After digging a little deeper it appears that when a liver transplant is done or considered that the patient has about 3 or so months mortality time. After that was explained we were able to understand why they just continue to do... very little... because there is no cure there is not much that can be done but treat symptoms.

Well, praise God she is not at the 3 month mortality point!   

I tell friends that if you were to see Beck you would never guess she was so ill.  I also have to explain that what you don't see is when she gets home after being at church for an hour or two her need to sleep for 5 to 6 hours because it wears her out that much.  She is making it to church and I enrolled her in a one hour class for cake decorating which she loves to do.  These outings are pretty much the only time she gets out.  In April she is in one of her friends wedding as a bridesmaid.  She at first wondered if she would be able to stand up that long and have that long of a day (to be honest I wondered too)  but she agreed to be in it and I feel that overall it will be good for her, although exhausting!

--Continue to part B--

Greetings part B

Moving on:

Steve and I are the same...  which is a GOOD thing.  We love each other and although we think it is impossible to love each other more... we continue to grow more in love.  Steve is working still trying to grow his business.  I am still working in ICU at night.  I have found out that our lives are conducive for a person to work nights with it being quiet and dark... I just can't.   I feel like I've aged 10 years, so with that I am going back to days as soon as I can.  I am checking daily for openings and come March I will start calling my connections to see what they can do for me.  Please pray for this to take place.

Mary now up to the plate:

Well, where do I begin?   Okay, from the beginning.  Last March (2010) Mary was asked to travel to Uganda to help some missionary friends with a situation.  After much prayer she went.  (Please understand that as I share this story I am doing so with a smile on my face.  Putting this on black and white just does not do the story justice... hopefully she will see you soon and share it with you personally)  While there she met the staff of a ministry called: SOS (see link to the right).  There she met a man and soon there after ended up ... well they were drawn to each other.  Anthony is a Ugandan and attended The Master's College in California; recall that is the same college Mary attended.  He graduated in May 2003, she started attending August 2003.  He was on the basketball team; she was on the volleyball team.  Her v-ball coach who was engaged at that time married Anthony's best friend; who was also one Mary's friend. Anthony dated one of Mary's v-ball team mates for a short time... Do you see the connections?  Do you see the hand of God leading these two to meet each other???   There is more... after Anthony graduated he went to Texas for a number of years.  While Mary was in college she had ... you know those special friends that make your years away amazing.  One of those friends was Michael who introduced her to his sister and brother in-law which the Lord created a special bond.  They are the missionaries in Uganda.  While in Texas, Anthony lived with Michaels parents for a time.

I had expected Mary to come back from Uganda wanting to adopt a baby...not invite a man home! Well,Mary followed her dad's advice when he asked for her to "Bring the young man to dinner" and in June/July that's what happened - we had a 6'8" Ugandan black man live with us in our little apt. Mary & Becky bunked together for a month, which they both appreciated that special time together during this special time in Mary's life.

Since then they have stayed in contact and if any of you have had a long distance relationship...imagine one literally on the other side of the world.  Does the word SKYPE mean anything to you?  :) It's invaluable, though not as reliable as Mary would like.  Mary made another trip to Uganda in January and came home knowing that the Lord continues to draw her to Uganda. 

Now the kicker to Mary's story from my point:  When Mary was in elementary school Steve and I remember her telling us that God wanted her to be a missionary in Africa.  As parents we smiled and said something like 'that would be wonderful'.  Over the years she would mention that she felt the Lord wanted her to be a missionary... to AFRICA.  Her education, her hearts desire... placed her as a missionary yes... to Africa.   She even spoke to her aunt in Arizona whose brother is a missionary in Africa many summers ago about this desire. 

Steve and I marvel over what the Lord has done in her life.  She loves people and more than that she loves telling them about the Lord and sharing the Gospel.  After meeting Anthony and learning his heart desire his love for the Lord and how he shares on a daily basis... if not multiple times daily the love of the Lord and the saving grace of our Lord Jesus and hearing and seeing his amazing testimony and love for others.  Steve and I can not wait to see what takes place next. 

FYI:  Anthony is coming to stay with us again in May or June.  During this time Mary and Anthony will fly to California to see friends and her 'adopted' college parents (hopefully) and then travel over to Arizona to see family and friends then come back to Kentucky.  We all look forward to seeing him again.  Becky has developed a close bond to him as well; he has been an encouragement to her as had all of you!

My goodness!  This blog note has turned out to be long.  Please pray for all of us. 

We love you all.

Beth

We continue on (Dec 23, 2010)

Merry Christmas!!
We love you all!!
Becky has had the last test completed (that we know of at this time). The slides have been sent to Mayo for them view. Then we will recieve more conclusions; hopefully.
On December 23rd Becky will go into surgery; out patient. The pain stimulant device she had placed in her back and spinal area will be removed. It appears that the device does not work well for her. It is designed to “distract” the pain nerves by pulsating/vibrating. For Becky that pulsating/vibrating only changes the pain minimally and causes more nausea. So OUT it goes.
Christmas is just a few days away and we wish all of you a very merry Christmas as we look to the celebration of the birth of Christ our Savior and look at him not only as the King of Kings, Lord of Lords.
Mary is doing well back to a more normal 5 days with 3 of them being 12 hr days. She continues to prepare for Uganda.
Steve and I celebrated 27yrs of marriage last Friday. Where has the time gone? I still adore him and that has never faultered. The Lord blessed me greatly.
The weather outside is ‘frightful’ cold, cold and cold; especially for this Arizona native. I guess for all those who wish they had seasons it could be nice … well I could do without Winter. Do I sound like scrooge? HA ha.
Good night to all,
Love
Beth

Update? (Dec 8, 2010)

I wanted to send a quick post regarding any updates that we have. We don’t have one officially. In the last post I mentioned that Becky had to complete another test here in Louisville. She did complete it and the slides are on there way for Mayo to view.
She continues to gain strength although at times she seems to slip backwards. The old saying “two steps forward one step backward” or what ever the number of steps may be. Basically, she is just able to do a little bit each day and she feels worn out. It’s tough for a 23 year old (Oh she just had a birthday too) especially one that enjoys being active and loves the outdoors.
For the rest of us:
Mary is working long hours as she is preparing to travel to Uganda in January. I think she has worked 9 days straight. When I spoke with her today she sounded very tired. Her next day off is Saturday.
Steve has a cold/flu which he is trying to take care of.
Me, well I just take care of those above the best I can. I usually work three 12hour shifts a week occasionally four days.
Please keep us in your prayers. Becky for strength and endurance. (Emotionally and Spiritually I think she is doing well) Mary for strength while working long hard hours and the travel that will be coming soon. Steve to recover from the sickness that he has now and me as I work in a very stressful field (ICU) I want to be a good witness for my Savior.
I will let you know results as they conclude. Hang patient with us. Often the medical time line is not our time line. We will let you know the conclusion hopefully soon.
Thank you for your prayers, questions and concern. We turn all things over to Him that cares for us.
Love
Beth

Home from Mayo Clinic (Nov 15, 2010)

Dear Family and Friends,
First, I just want to give praise where praise is due.  Praise the Lord! He is faithful in all things!
Our trip:  Becky and  I left last Wed. (11-3) and drove up through Indiana on I65 once we got to Gary Indiana we headed toward Chicago then on into Rochester MN.   Over all the trip was very enjoyable with the exception of Chicago where it took us over two hours to drive 35 miles!  Oh my!!   None the less we saw down town Chicago.  To say the least we did not go home the same way we went.
Once there we had a nice couple that we made contact with that had a guest suite at their home.  This contact was made by some dear friends in Sedona.  The suite was very nice and welcoming.  We had a sitting/dining/kitchenette room, a large bath and a large king bedroom.  Their home was on the banks of a beautiful lake which Becky and I walked to on one of the warmer days.
At Mayo Clinic we met with many specialists.  It was nice that Becky was seen by people with a fresh perspective.  I know that you are all wondering about the conclusion… Sorry, I don’t have one yet.  We have another test yet to be done.  They wanted it to be done there but…  I’ll get to that in a moment.
Thursday and Friday we had meetings with doctors.  Saturday and Sunday no appointments (Clinic closed)  Monday another doctor and Tuesday a test procedure that took Becky into the same type of pain that she had experienced here.  She was admitted.  Thankfully, they attacked aggressively the pain and nausea and the next morning when we expected to come home after a conclusive meeting she was able to keep that appointment.  At that last appointment they wanted to have Becky stay and do another procedure she decided that she would like to do that.  Well… the last procedure took a lot of ‘prep’ to be taken at home.  What they did not understand was how physically worn out Becky was from being NPO for the prior 36 hours for the other appointments and tests.  As she started the ‘prep’ which had to be taken orally she became very sick and could not keep it down.  After a few phone calls to Steve we decided that this test could be done at home and that we would send the slides to Mayo for them to look at.
The next morning we headed home. this time we went down through Waterloo IA toward Bloomington IL and on into a small town where we have lots of family.  We stayed for dinner and a nice visit with some of them then we headed home.
Just a FYI:  If anyone want to try the ’5 hour shot’ drink that is supposed to keep you alert… well it does… even only half of it!  I was a little leery of drinking the entire thing thinking that I might be admitted with heart palpitations and so forth because the only caffeine I take in is from iced tea and chocolate (mmmm).  I must let you know that the lemon lime flavor reminded me of the taste of perfume.  (okay for all of you who are wondering why I would know the taste of perfume… just don’t talk walk spraying the perfume on.)
It is good to be home.  Although we don’t have a conclusion yet it was such a blessing to spend time with Becky and to have a few others look at her and tell us the degree of her liver or any other situations that need to be looked at.  I praise the Lord for her ability to make the drive.
Thank you for your prayers!!!!  I know that we were had many, many of you that prayed for us daily and we are very thankful for all of you.
We will try to keep you updated as conclusions (if any) come.
We love you,
Beth

Heading to Mayo on Wed. (Oct 8, 2010)

Dear Friends,
It has been a few weeks since our last update; sorry.
Becky is doing so much better.  Her strength has increased and she has been home since October 3rd.  The longest stretch since March.  Her pain is being controlled as is her nausea.    We had two days of vomiting but it was not every thirty minutes nor did it last long.
She was able to attend church last Sunday and a friend took her to a lunch gathering that was close to our house with the promise that if Becky showed any sign of trouble that she would bring her home.  Becky did very well, but came home and slept most of the afternoon.  It is amazing  what is taxing to her.
We are on for Mayo this coming week.  Mayo is a twelve-hour drive.  The time that she has had this month to get stronger has been a real blessing.  It will just be her and I on the road trip.  Please keep our travel in prayer as well as the doctors that we are to meet with.  We have been introduced to a couple in MN by some dear friends in AZ that has a guest house/room that we will be staying in.  They are about 5 miles from Mayo Clinic.  How wonderful it is to be in the family of Christians that open their home to strangers; only united in Christ.
Steve is doing well and will be teaching during our travel.
Mary is doing well and will find out if she is getting a second job at a clinic on the West side.  It will expose her to area’s of nursing that will be very beneficial in Uganda.
Her side business ’31′ has been a blessing for her to share about Uganda as well as share the gospel to all ladies that attend.  Her testimony is also on the invitations and thank you notes.  She is in contact with the missionary family in Uganda as to what is needed the most so that she will be sure to bring it when she goes in January. 
I am busy working night shift.  I have not figured out how to get my schedule right.  I’m sure I’ll get it eventually.
Words cannot express our love and thankfulness for all of you and your prayers for Becky and for us.  THANK YOU!
We love you all,
Beth.

She's still home & doing "well"

Right now Becky is sitting on the couch wrapped up in a blanket watching The Price is Right (hehe).  She seems to be doing well.  Taking things very slowly, which is good.  She is trying to get the strength to go to church on Sunday – at least for 1 service.
My mom has been on the phone all morning with her insurance company making sure she can go to Mayo next month.  There is no conclusion on that regard yet.
Thank you again for all your prayers.  Please continue to pray for us: discretion, wisdom, love, grace & strength.  All to walk in a manner worthy of our Lord & to be a testimony to the lost around us

The Mom Update (Oct 5, 2010)

Hi Everyone,
Again, I am very thankful for Mary.  Mary’s last update summed up the situation with Becky very well.    Mayo has been rescheduled till Nov. 4th.  Mary mentioned the reasons, all of which we had no control over.  It is wonderful to know that when we have no control over situations that the Lord is in complete control.  Maybe it would be best for Becky to gain strength before the trip… again we just rest in knowing that as much as we can do; we’re doing it.
It’s best not to ask what I think of the new health reform, but one of the things that I believe will work for us is that Becky will most likely be able to get on my insurance come the first of the year.  This will benefit her greatly and she will not have to pay the large costly insurance premiums.
Keep us in prayer as the new date will be here soon that Becky will be able to gain strength and we’ll make the trip and see the doctors that will be open to seeing her and her illness with a fresh perspective.
Side note:  As Mary mentioned in one of her previous posts she is now a “31″ representative.  For all of you who don’t know about “31″ it is a company that is based on Proverbs 31.    This company is a company that allows women to sell high quality products for the home and women such as handbags, totes, baby bags, home organizers, stationary and so much more for the home and you can get them personalized as well.
This evening UPS dropped off her ”box” of illustration bags and totes.  I was very impressed.  The quality was great and the use of the bags are endless.  I have to remember that she has these things for illustrations when she sells products.
So here’s a pitch from mom.  If you are wanting to organize your home, give graduates some totes for their dorm room to carry their laundry or simple create a livable area from a small space this is for you.  New brides or brides to be can use these for her own home or for gifts for her bridal party… you get the idea … it’s endless and colors/designs are versatile and fun.
As she mentioned all proceeds are for Uganda, Africa.  If you are not aware Mary is very involved with a mission called SOS (see links to view a great video and information regarding this wonderful ministry)  Mary has set up an account for all ”31″ funds to go into.  These funds will help with the cost of travel, purchasing or collecting medical supplies and so on to take with her as she travels there throughout the year.
Please remember her as you think of Christmas gifts or other needs and be sure to view Mary’s link for “31″ to view the fall catalog and the Christmas/holiday catalog.  www.mythirtyone.com/MaryFranklin
If you want to have Mary ship you a catolog to view “in hand” email her at maryelizabeth06@gmail.com.
Only if you’re wondering… Steve and I are fine.  Steve is busy with the office and so forth and I am officially off orientation this week and will be on my own as an ICU nurse.  I am enjoying my job… but I have never worked nights until now and although conditions for sleeping is conducive to our home (quiet) I still have to get used to it.  I feel like I’m loosing days…or is it nights?????
Much love,
Beth