This Is Debbie

Hey everyone, today has been a much better day switching from IV to oral pain medication. I feel better and I'm able to walk more. Still on clear liquids but hopefully can begin solid foods tomorrow. Your thoughts and prayers have made a difference and your support has meant more to me than words can ever express. I love you all and thank you for your love. " Hear me when I call, O God of my righteousness! You have relieved me in my distress; have mercy on me and hear my prayer." Psalm 4:1

Courage

Eighty hours after surgery - I'm so inspired by Debbie's faith & courage. Her brothers & sister Pat visited today, lifted her spirits, shared a few tears, laughs, fond memories of their parents and closed with a circle of prayer before heading back to Ky. We skyped the kids - technology is great. No complications and Docs say we are on track to have her home Tues or Wed. "In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world". John 16:33

Strength

48 hours after surgery and Deb is on the recovery track - sat in a chair & walked yesterday - step by step. Deb says " I'm sore but each step I take is progress. While I am weak He is strong and I know He is carrying me and lifting me up. I'm looking forward to simple pleasures - first something to drink, then eat. Thanks for all your prayers ."

It's A Beautiful Mornng In Atlanta

The sun is rising outside of her hospital window and Deb had a good night. Vitals and spirit are strong - " We know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose". Romans 8:28

In His Hands

Debbie is out of surgery, doing well in recovery and managed a Deb smile through the pain. She will most likely be in the hospital a week and they hope to get her on her feet tomorrow. Tumor tests will take 4 or 5 days before next steps can be determined. I'll hand the keyboard over to her one day soon so she can thank you directly for all your prayers, love & support. "I lay down and slept, and I awoke, for the lord sustained me."Keep the faith!

Keeping The Faith

Give thanks - less than 10% of pancreatic cancers are operable - and Debbie is scheduled for surgery at 8am Wednesday at Emory - 1364 Clifton Rd NE Atlanta Ga 30322. Thank God - she will not require the complex day long Whipple procedure. We are blessed - US News & World Report ranked Emory in the top 1% of 5400 US hospitals and their top Surgical Oncologist will be performing Deb's surgery. Once the tumor is out and tested the doctors will discuss follow up treatment options. Deb is drawing daily strength from God and his word. " Be joyful always, pray continuously and give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus." 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18. Continue to keep us in your prayers in the days ahead.

Next Step

Received a call from Dr Staley with great news - the cancer has not spread! The PET scan is amazing. Since cancer cells utilize glucose more rapidly than normal cells this technology combines with a traditional CT scan to measure metabolic cell activity and 'light up' areas of the body where cancer cells are present. In Deb's case only the tumor in her pancreas lit up. The cancer type will determine post-op treatment but surgery will be required either way. So even though we do not have the final biopsy results surgery is scheduled for Wednesday at Emory in Atlanta. I'll post the hospital info after our pre-op appointments on Monday. We're enjoying a weekend with family and friends in Texas and will be heading back to Georgia Sunday night after helping Brett get settled in his new apartment at Texas Tech. Thanks to all for continued prayers.

Step By Step

We spent Monday afternoon at Emory with Dr Staley, Chief of Surgical Oncology and are totally confident he is the right choice! Surgical credentials aside we feel he truely cares and has great people & communication skills. His instincts & past experience tell him Deb most likely has a neuroendocrine tumor , the type that will not require chemo. Additional tests are scheduled over the next few days and if results are completed and analyzed by the end of this week surgery will be scheduled next week. Keep us in your prayers and keep the faith - we are!
" I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go. I will counsel you and watch over you" Psalm 32:8

Day By day

We met with the Medical Oncologist, Dr. Szabo, on Friday afternoon and once again had to balance good news with the need for more tests and waiting. We like him, his style, his experience and his faith and he indicated all his experience tells him the odds are really in our favor. We consider what has happened a miracle because it is apparently very rare to catch a cancer like this at an early stage. The Pathologists have narrowed the possibilities to two types of cancer - one will require light follow up chemo after surgery and the other will not. Dr. Szabo has also scheduled a PET scan. Thanks again for your support and continued prayers for good news from Dr. Staley on Monday, hopefully we'll know by Tuesday if chemo will be required and the PET on Wednesday . A good friend, who claims to have a direct line, prayed: " God, you are piling on. Debbie has spent over 30 years with Dave and that's more pain than any woman should have to endure"

Waiting...Waiting...Waiting

We prayed to prepare our hearts and minds for biopsy results. We were led to Philippians " Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your request to God. And the peace of God will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus." We felt we needed a quiet environment to reflect, pray & prepare while waiting so we went to a lake resort outside Atlanta. Deb had a peace about her that I can't describe as we talked, walked, hugged and focused on positive thoughts & the future. I'm trying to be strong for her and I'm gaining strength from observing her faith - amazing! We received the call from Dr Gidey, the Internist Wednesday evening with news that Deb has an operable and curable cancerous tumor in her pancreas. The final pathology report had not been completed but there were no indications it has spread . The location of the tumor increases the odds for successful surgery, low complications and reduced recurrence risk. Emotions quickly turned to resolve - with God's help ..and the best medical expertise..we can beat this! Dr Gidey got the Oncologist, Dr Szabo on the phone to discuss next steps and his recommendation for surgeons. That evening we began our own search for the best. We called and discussed options with a top pancreatic specialist at MD Anderson in Houston. My sister Sue works for a group of surgeons at UAB Med Center in Birmingham, one of which is their top pancreatic surgeon who has successfully performed this surgery many times. He provided valuable insight & questions to ask and offered to perform the surgery. We reached out to one of my colleagues at Bowne who quickly put us in touch with a good friend of his - the head of Neurosurgery at Emory in Atlanta. After several email exchanges he referred us to the top specialist in this field at Emory. When we called for an appointment the way had been paved for what normally would have been a difficult accomplishment - a quick appointment on Monday with Dr.Staley, who trained at MD Anderson. We are feeling very positive about Emory. Every Doctor and medical professional we have encountered has been great and God's hand is guiding our path.

Unexpected News

On Sunday August 9th Debbie, after debating for some time if she needed to, made what turns out to be a God inspired life saving decision to go to the emergency room with stomach cramps. The cramps were apparently a reaction to an antibiotic she had been taking but the extensive tests they ran revealed a small suspicious mass in her pancreas. . Additional tests and Contrast CT scans were ordered that indicated a 50/50 chance it could be cancer. Deb, being Deb, immediately drew on her unwavering faith and put herself in God's hands. Dave, being Dave, kicked into a research, analyze, ask the right questions, understand the options, let's get a plan mode. Biopsies followed on Monday and the emotionally draining waiting game for answers continued. We began to move from shocked numbness to thankfulness. If left undetected this tumor could potentialy silently grow and spread and unrelated pain led to tests that discovered what could be a life threatening condition. We have always known and quickly felt the awesome prayers & support of family, friends and colleagues - from Alabama to Kentucky to Georgia to Massachusetts to New York to Florida to Texas. Our children, Jaime & husband Zach, Kim & husband Josh and Brett demonstrated amazing maturity and have been a source of positive ,optimistic faith. Our recent relocation to Atlanta has allowed Deb to spend a lot of quality time with her older sister, and Pat & Steve provided much needed & greatly appreciated local hands on support, comfort, love and perspective for us in the hospital and days that followed.