It's been three weeks since my last update...

We have made two trips since my last post. I have found myself quite busy during the past three weeks and have not had the time to write. Quite a bit has happened. My two friends I have alluded to recently have had major developments. Both of them are Christians. One has had surgery to remove a large abdominal tumor. He is trying to recover and is meeting with the doctors this week to see what medical options might be available. Please pray for Allan and his family.

The second has begun conventional chemotherapy treatments to try to slow down the growth of numerous tumors in his abdomen and lungs. Please pray for Bernie and his wife and family as well.

A friend of ours here at home, Les, suffered a terrible accident on his job and ended up having to have a leg amputated just below the knee. While everyone is thankful that his life was spared, the trauma involved such a major injury is life-changing. Please pray for him and his wife and family.

My report pales in comparison to theirs. A couple of weeks ago, I had an episode of abdominal pain that lasted for about four days. After researching the symptoms on-line, I concluded that I was probably having trouble with my gall bladder. I have previously admitted how poor I am at self-diagnosis, but the location of the pain coincides with the location of the gall bladder. Helen wanted to call my research nurse and let her know; the pain subsided, and I talked her into waiting until our appointment to tell my doctor about it.

This visit began a new cycle on LDE225, cycle 24, so we saw Dr. Mita. My blood work didn't show any levels that would indicate a problem with the gall bladder. There was no indication of anything on my scans from four weeks ago either. She ordered an ultrasound exam on my gall bladder and liver to look things over. We will either get a call about the results or will find out the next visit if there is no problem revealed. I guess no news is good news.

We were blessed beyond belief Sunday morning when Stefani demonstrated her new life in Christ by being baptized. She received Christ back in November and made her profession public a few weeks afterwards. What a change has occurred in her life! Our girls walking with the Lord has been the greatest thing that could have happened in our lives. We have been so blessed!

One more thing...I am retiring from my job at the end of the month after 35 years. Helen has already left her job, and we will be retiring together. We are very excited and looking forward to it. Everyone is asking what we will be doing, where we will be going. We have so many projects to do around the house that should keep us busy for years. We want to travel some as well (to places other than San Antonio). We are thankful for God's grace and mercy in our lives. He has been so good to us.

Love and blessings...

The WWFL

The Wilenchik 5K Walk for Life was held last Saturday in Schertz. We were excited about the forecast temperature for the event -- the overnight low was supposed to be about 60, which meant that around 7:00 AM, it should be just about right for the walk. I don't know how we missed the part about high winds in the forecast, but we did. Let's just put it this way -- I don't know if we've seen the wind blow like that in San Antonio. And to make matters worse, none of us had taken heavy jackets on the trip. What were we thinking in the middle of winter?

Anyway, there was rain in the forecast also, but I had been told that the walk was going to go on -- rain or shine. And it did. We have still not heard the official count yet, but there had to be about three hundred participants there. I had a twelve minute talk prepared, but after seeing how cold and restless everyone was during Dr. Thompson's short welcome, I decided that there was no way I was going to ask them to be still and listen for even ten more minutes. So I tucked my notes inside my jacket. I had already asked God if He didn't want me to use them, to somehow let me know. He would have to give me the words. The wind was whipping so hard that I would not have been able to hold both my notes and the mic anyway.

The wind did give me a nice introduction. I told them that being from West Texas, we felt right at home. I don't even remember much of what I said, just that I really have been blessed by God and the people at CTRC. I pray that God will receive all the glory.

The 5K walk sure felt like a long way! Man, it seemed like a mile! Seriously, the walk was a little over a mile and a half up one side of the main street and then back. It worked out pretty nicely, because the first half we walked against the wind, and the second half the wind pushed us from behind. By the time we finished, we were not cold any more. But the amazing thing was that only ten minutes after the last walkers finished, it started pouring down cold rain. How awesome is that?!

Anyway, we all thoroughly enjoyed it. Helen's sister and niece joined the four of us, and it was a real blessing to be able to participate. And it was a real honor and privilege to be asked to speak.

I will let you all know how much money was raised when we find out. Thanks for your prayers and support.

God Bless

5:53

I don't know why I woke up with a sense of dread Monday morning, but I did. This was a scan day, but even on scan days I'm pretty much OK. And there was no reason to fear more than any other scan day. I had not slept well, but nothing really out of the ordinary had been going on, with the exception of a few dizzy spells and a four-pound weight loss over four weeks. But still, I felt unusually down when our atomic travel alarm awakened us. I had set it for 6:20, knowing that I would have to begin drinking the barium "smoothies" two hours before my scheduled 8:30 scan time. We were planning to leave for CTRC by 7:00, so we needed to get moving.

Helen dragged herself to the restroom to begin getting ready, and I descended downstairs to the kitchen where those wonderful banana drinks were waiting for me in the fridge. As I finally got through the human-proof lid and began sipping, I noticed the kitchen clock read 5:30. That clock had almost caused us to be late our last trip to the clinic because it was running behind. I thought to myself, "Boy, it's really running late now; I wonder why they don't either fix it or take it down?"

Without another thought about it, I began hauling our luggage and other stuff downstairs to put in the car. I remarked to Helen that I was surprised that no one else in the house was up yet. I stopped back in the kitchen to take a few more swigs and noticed a flashing red light on the coffee maker. I walked over to it and noticed that the clock on it read 5:53. Now a bit confused, I reached into my pocket and checked my phone for the time, and it read--you guessed it--5:53. You're kidding me! We're an hour early?! I could have slept another hour?! I thought I had better break the news to Helen. I made my way toward the stairs.

Meanwhile, back at the restroom, Helen had picked up her phone to see what time it was. It was 5:53. Going downstairs to tell me, she met me on my way up. We both said to each other, "Guess what time it is..." It could have been straight from the set of I Love Lucy. We both cracked up. And just like that, I no longer felt stressed, the tension was lifted, and everything was so much better.

I had to say, "Thanks, God. I needed that. That was a good one!"

I still don't understand how the clock was mysteriously changed to the eastern time zone. To change it back, I had to open the battery cover and push a button. It was one of those things we just call a God Thing. He always knows what's going on, how we feel, what's ahead for each of us, and just what we need and when we need it.

Our day at CTRC was quite a long one. We arrived about an hour early for some reason, so we both took a 15-minute nap in the car before checking in. While lying on the uncomfortable scan table and looking up at that expensive piece of equipment, I thought about how crazy it is how that harmless looking machine can change your life. You either get good news or bad news based on what that scanner reveals. It can be disheartening until you look at the real picture. "When I tried to understand all this, it troubled me deeply till I entered the sanctuary of God..." (Psalm 73:16-17) We know Who controls that machine. I never slide in and out of it without acknowledging that God is in total control of the outcome. We can leave it up to Him and not worry about it.

Anyway, they were having trouble with their computers, so they were having to enter data by hand. This always means a longer wait for the results. When Dr. Mita finally saw us, she said the scans remained unchanged. Great news! There have been essentially no changes since after my last surgery in June. "O give thanks unto the Lord, for He is good; for His mercy endures forever."

I have been presented with an opportunity this Saturday to speak about my story at a cancer walk. The Wilenchik 5K Walk for Life is an annual fundraiser in Schertz named after a cancer patient we met at CTRC about three years ago. He has since passed away, but the benefit continues each year, with all of the proceeds going to CTRC. I will be given about ten or fifteen minutes to say what's on my heart. I am honored and excited about it, but I will also be scared, so I ask for your prayers. I have asked the Lord throughout this experience to use me for His glory, and I believe He is giving me a chance to do just that. I pray that someone will hear something that will help them.

God's Blessings and Love