Saturday, March 21, 2009

Update

Hello everyone! I have been getting messages from people who are wondering why the blog has not been updated as regularly as it was last year. I really apologize to you all about that! I guess I have been lazy. Also, just enjoying the calm after almost three years of storm. Whatever the reason, we are very pleased that we have friends out there who are interested in Dave’s health and progress.

As I wrote last time, he is back at work. This has been a double-edged sword. On one side, it is great that he is able to work again, and not have to break up his week with 12 hours of dialysis and then sleeping an additional 2-3 hours during the day just because he was so exhausted! But going back to work has been difficult, too. The economy, the financial industry, the uncertainty of everything; it has been very stressful on him. That is something that we HAVE to watch, as stress can re-awaken that auto-immune disease and this time, it could mean an attack on his heart, lungs, or brain. So I spend a lot of my time praying for God to touch his heart with peace and give him wisdom in perspective. I fight with knowing that as much as I want to prevent anything from happening to him, this is an area I cannot control. I must give it back to God and know (and trust) that He will see us through.

Another reason that I have not written in awhile is that I have been following a friend from high school’s blog. He has stage IV metastatic melanoma, which has produced a tumor in his groin and they suspect numerous inoperable tumors throughout his lymph nodes. He has been on a clinical trial at City of Hope, since standard chemo will not work. But sadly, the trial drugs were taking their toll on him, and his quality of life was awful. They took him off the medication, he is feeling so much better, but now must decided whether or not to continue the treatment by this week, or he falls off the trial criteria. His wife is an amazing woman, and it is she who writes the blog. I feel so blessed to be on this side of tragedy. Then I feel guilty for feeling blessed. We know that my friend only has a matter of time left on this earth; a limited time left to watch his 3 year old son play, and hold hands with his wife, and experience whatever it is that gives his spirit pleasure and gladness. Quite honestly, I feel scared that I could have been where she is. So I turn inward and just don’t want to talk about it. Not the best solution, I know.

Please keep my friend, Bill Bartak, and his wife, Jackie in your prayers. Thank you for all the prayers you have lifted up for Dave and our family throughout these past three years. We truly, truly are blessed!

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