Master List and Menu Plan Monday - March 29, 2021

Greetings! It's the last Monday of March! 🌷 Can you believe that a quarter of 2021 has already slipped away? Wow! 😲

 

Being that we're in the midst of Holy Week and Passover, normally, our family would be counting down, and celebrating, the days leading up to Resurrection Sunday. Unfortunately, my husband is in the hospital and we've been on one of the wildest rollercoaster rides over the past few days that we've ever experienced. 

To save time, I will post here what I posted on my Facebook page Saturday evening. I said...

"John has been having issues for weeks now. He was hospitalized in late January/early February with low sodium, low potassium, dehydration, and COVID-19. Since then, he's been to the doctor twice and had an ultrasound of the upper abdomen. His liver enzymes went from being elevated to off the charts and he's had a terrible time with eating and gastrointestinal issues. Everything culminated yesterday morning with a trip to the emergency room at Barton County Hospital.

After a CAT scan and several hours of waiting we were told that John's gallbladder was enlarged, that there was a possibility of something going on with the pancreas, and that there was liquid in his belly that might be blood. He was then transferred to Mercy in Joplin via ambulance.

After running home to shower, change clothes, and grab a few things to take along with me, I arrived at the hospital in Joplin not too long after John got there. Upon entering the building a notification went off on my phone. It was a message on my MY MERCY app saying that John had been admitted to Mercy due to a mass in his pancreas. WHAT??? I saw it, but I didn't say anything. I wanted to wait until the doctor arrived.

When the doctor came in, he wanted to know what we had been told at Barton County. I told him and he said no...that he and the doctor at Barton County had had an hour and a half tele-conference concerning the mass that was in my husband's pancreas. The test...a CAT scan (without contrast because John has had a bad reaction following one WITH contrast before)...revealed a mass in the head of the pancreas that was blocking, and had crimped, the tube that is shared by the gallbladder and pancreas, cutting off the flow of the bile and sugar created by each. He told us that the mass could be cancer and that he had ordered up a couple of blood tests to check the cancer markers.

After further testing was done a different doctor came in to visit with us. She told us that the cancer markers were extremely high (should have been under 30; his were at 2,680) and that it looked like John was in the advanced stages of pancreatic cancer and that his life expectancy was extremely short.

In disbelief I said, "Wait! What are we talking about here?"

As gently as she possibly could, the doctor floored us by announcing that, in all likelihood, John only had two to four months to live. She told me that things were going to get very different very quickly and that they would be quite difficult, but that she was in it with us for the long haul.

Today they did another CAT scan...this one from the neck to the pelvis. Doctor wanted to see if there was anything else hiding out somewhere. The test didn't take long and results were expected before lunch. I'm glad that our oldest son and daughter-in-law were here to witness what happened next.

The test results were not delivered before lunch time, but a gal came in to draw blood. She said that she was doing a timed test. She was taking blood now and again in four hours.

Around 1:00 or so the doctor came in and brought two copies of the CAT scan report. One was for us to keep. She read through the results one by one in order. When she read the results concerning the pancreas we were floored...again. It was like...wait! What are you saying...again!

She said, "THERE IS NO MASS!!! And the numbers are going down, down, down!"

WHAT??? What happened? She said she could not explain it. What they were seeing today did not match what they saw yesterday and the numbers were dropping. There was no mass and the tube that had been crimped off was no longer crimped...nor blocked. She showed us the numbers and said, "Look...here are the numbers from February (near normal)...here are the numbers from last Tuesday at the doctor's office (elevated)...here are the numbers from yesterday (off the charts!) and here are the numbers from today (drastically reduced)." She said, "Something significant happened between yesterday and today and I cannot explain it. I'm not even going to try." She also said that she had never had this happen before.

Folks, you can call us crazy if you want, but I'm telling you...the Lord heard and answered the many prayers that have gone up on John's behalf. John does NOT have cancer! There was a mass there yesterday and it is not there today...and it is documented!!! If anyone wants to see the proof all of the test results, records, numbers, and documentation are in our My Mercy app and we'd be more than happy to let anyone that wants to go through them see them.

That's one reason that I was so glad the kids were here. They witnessed all of this first hand. I even told the doctor to tell them what she told us the day before and she did.

I'm telling you people...we serve a mighty God and He is still in the miracle business! Your prayers have been heard. God CAN and DOES answer prayer!

Now...John is still having some issues and is still in need of prayer, but we are in a so much better place tonight than we were last night! Praise God and thank you so much for praying! Keep them coming..."

That was Saturday night's report. Here was Sunday's...

"Just got home from the hospital. They bent the rules last night and let me stay, but not tonight. I had to leave by 6:00. I feel fortunate to be able to be there at all and am thankful that they're not only allowing me to be there, but they've totally bent the rules and have allowed our children and their spouses to come in in shifts, as well. Amazing!

John had a rough day yesterday and throughout the night. They've had quite a time keeping his blood pressure and heart rate up. They practically had to stand him on his head several times yesterday and he's on so many different medications right now that I can't even keep track. It's been determined that the low bp and heart rate is due to the Benadryl that was administered to counteract the dye that he had to take in order to have the CAT scan with contrast. That all seems to be straightening out now and seems to be stabilizing.

On the other hand, John has terrible bloating and a lot of swelling. He just messaged and asked that everyone keep praying. He is flat-out miserable and, at times, is in quite a bit of pain.

Tomorrow morning they do the endoscopy to take a closer look at that pancreas and they're doing a test on the gallbladder. If it comes back abnormal they will remove it.

The good news is that the numbers that were elevated and shouldn't have been keep dropping and the numbers that were too low and should have been higher continue to rise. Cancer of any kind has been ruled out completely. Praise the Lord!

Please pray over these tests tomorrow...that they will reveal the source of all this bloating and other issues that John has going on. Pray, too, for wisdom and direction over the doctors and other members of the medical team involved...that they will get clear answers and come up with a good plan..."

Now...here we are...it's Monday morning. They just took John down for the gallbladder scan and I am sitting in his hospital room...waiting...and using this time to write to you. The photo above is of a free printable that I printed off for decoration and the jonquil that I picked and brought to him Saturday. The "vase" in which it sits is the container from which John drank the contrast dye before going to the CAT scan. The endoscopy (and a possible biopsy) will take place a little later in the day today. We are believing for a good report concerning all.

As for my master list this week...it consists of taking one day at a time, spending time with John and our family, praising God for His incredible goodness to us, and focusing, as much and as often is possible, on our risen Saviour (the Lord Jesus Christ) and all that He really did for us when He laid down His life for us on the cross. Do you know Him? If not...message me and I'll be happy to introduce you to Him.

"But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed." (Isaiah 53:5)

My menu plan for the week is to eat whatever whenever wherever as the week progresses.

I pray that, wherever you are, that you and yours are having a nice day and that you enjoy a beautiful, glorious, and wonderful week ahead! Happy Easter/Resurrection Sunday! ♱

Until next time...

~Rebecca

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