Diagnosis

" DIAGNOSIS
No malignant cells identified
Acute and chronic inflammation, histiocytes, foreign body giant cells "

There is an inflammation from the necrotic bone infection site but cancer, be gone!  We are so very thankful.  Extremely happy about it indeed.  ~Traci (Martin's view below, read on please)

**************************************

So our evening went this way last night after the happy news.

When you serve this for supper,

Mandi's veggie panang with added ground beef by me and, you get this reaction,

it makes the evening a bit dreary.  I love your panang Mandi (no link to share though) but the whole gang has to force it down unfortunately..it is delicious and nutritious with the sweet potatoes, green peas and onions...I don't get it!!  I am such a mean mom, until...I put this on the table.

And get to make up a song that goes to the tune of Happy Birthday with new words like this,

"Happy 3 years with out cancer to you, happy three years without cancer to you, happy three years without cancer dear Daddy, happy three years without cancer to you!"

The smiles soon return.

And all is well and no complaining at the table for a short while. ~tm

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Rom 8:31

 

What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who is against us?

 

Rom 8:32

 

He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how will He not also wih Him freely give us all things.

 

Ps 27:14

 

Wait for the Lord; be strong and let your heart take courage; yes, wait for the Lord

 

I Thes 5

 

In everything give thanks; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus. 

 

Hi all,

 

This week has been a roller coast ride in many ways.

 

Let me start with Winston. On Monday as he was riding home with Traci from the homeschool store, he announced;

 

"Mom, I prayed to God the Father and told him that I accepted Jesus Christ as my savior. Amen."

 

You can imagine the goose bumps that we felt and the surge in emotions that went through us.

 

Yesterday, I received another extension of Grace. The biopsy results came back and showed no malignant cells. The diagnosis is a severe and chronic infection and inflamation which has resulted in this big mass. This infection is related to my decaying and nectrotic jawbone. Since the drain fields are all plugged up, the "sewage" has no where to go.

 

Give a whole new meaning to being full of s*%*....if you know what I mean. 

 

Tomorrow I begin with another specialist to see if we can get the infection under control and eliminated. In the meantime, the exposed bone area has started to heal. The efforts of the surgeon last week in cutting out the nectrotic dead bone has helped the tissue find a live source of bone to bound to. I am hopeful that the whole area will eventually be sealed. I am applying my "miracle cream" salve daily to help stimulate the growth.

 

In the meantime, we take it one day at a time and and remember to be thankful in ALL things as is mandated in I Thes 5.

 

The three candles on the cake signify being cancer free for three years. The kids loved the blowing out part cuz dad can't blow to save his life.....

 

Semper Fi

 

Martin, Traci, Gunnar, Winston and Tessa  

Cancer battle continues::In Martin's words

Phil 4:11b-13

 

For I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am. I know how to get along with the humble means, and also know how to live in prosperity; in any and every circumstance I have learned the secret of being filled and going hungry, both of having abundance and suffering need. I can do all things though Him who strengthens me  

 

Is 41:13

 

For I am the LORD your God, who upholds your right hand, Who says to you, 'Do not fear, I will help you.

 

Is 41 : 10

 

Do not fear, for I am with you; Do not anxiously look about you, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, surely I will help you, Surely I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.

 

Is 30 : 18

 

Therefore the LORD longs to be gracious to you, And therefore He waits on high to have compassion on you. For the LORD is a God of justice; How blessed are all those who long for Him.

 

Ps 40:1

 

I waited patiently for the LORD; And He inclined to me and heard my cry.

 

 

Hi Everyone,

 

This is an update since my last email in August. A lot has happened and is percolating at this time.

 

In August, I approached a local pharmacist who reviewed my situation with the exposed bone that was not healing and he came up with a topical cream to apply three times a day. I called it the "miracle grow" cream. I would apply it to the exposed bone area and then add an additional poultice of aloe vera juice and raw honey.

 

For several weeks I did not notice a change until what I felt was some positive movement with gap around the exposed bone closing. About that time, I started to get a sore throat on my left side which is where the exposed bone is. It got so pronounced that I stopped doing the poultices and waited for the problem to subside.

 

I attributed it to the weather, smoky skies and air, exertion, working in 102 temps, etc....

 

This week I was back at MDA for another round of tests and consultations. It was a mixed bag of good and not so good news.

 

The good news is that the exposed bone finally had become so pronounced and visible that the dental surgeon could reach in there with his cutting tools and break off a big chunk. The result is that no longer do I have a sharp jagged bone sticking out  irritating my tongue and surrounding tissue.  What a relief!

 

The not so good news is that the CT scan showed an area in my neck behind the donor tissue and my throat that appears to have the characteristics of a tumor. This is the spot where my throat has been sore and is close to where the exposed jawbone was.

 

The surgeons want to have a biopsy done to see what this is. I will be having that done at some point soon.

 

There are theories as to what this problem area is. It is about the size of a quarter. One theory is that it is cancerous and it is now traveling to other parts of my body. The other theory is that it is a collection of fluid from the infected tissue related to the exposed bone and since I do not have any lymph nodes, it is trapped right now. 

 

Right now we have to get  the facts and then make a decision.

 

I have prayer time with the boys in the evenings before going to bed. Each of us gets to pick someone to pray for. Gunnar picked Ms Ruth, a fellow cancer warrior, Winston picked Gunnar who has a cold and me because of my mouth problems and I was at the end to wrap it up with the rest of the names on our list. We proceeded to pray and after wards Gunnar asked me the following question.  

 

Gunnar asked me why does God let all these bad things happen to you? Great question and awesome opportunity to answer in a proper way.

 

I explained that God is not letting bad things happen to me. They are tests for me to pass and so that others can be able to watch me and see the peace I have which comes from God. Then maybe they would want to have that peace also which comes from believing in the Lord Jesus Christ and knowing that as a believer, we are in His hand.

 

I expanded a little and talked about comparing our life now with cancer to our life before without cancer. We compared our house to the little house we used to live in. We compared being close to friends and family now and not so far away as before. We compared many other blessings as well.

 

I then told Gunnar that the biggest and most happiest day of my life with cancer was actually a day with him. He looked at me quizzically and that is when I relayed the time when shortly after three surgeries and during the radiation and chemo, I had gone to his room to pray and say good night. He told me that evening that he believed. I was not sure what he meant and he clarified. He said that he believed in the Lord Jesus Christ. He smiled and said he remembered that evening and where we were. 

 

So the take way in this is that our battle with cancer brought our son to the point where he made the decision to accept Christ as His Savior and for the parents, that is a moment of extreme joy and happiness.....makes this three year battle worth it. 

 

I will send out a new update once we get more feedback from MDA regarding the possible tumor and if it is cancerous or not. In the meantime we continue taking each day one day at a time and being thankful.

 

Semper Fi,

 

Martin, Traci, Gunnar, Winston and Tessa            

The Man and the Scars:Martin, in his words

But first, an update from Traci:

Uh, so I thought I would take part in screen free week this week.....halt!...not when I am sick...moving on.....I have been in survival mode again. There are so many house projects, sewing projects (Bellville Market Day rolls around again on May 7th..please come! And, I hope to post some new items here when they are ready..I hope!) , just simply reading and teaching projects that are on hold a bit for now. I must rest. I am battling my second sinus infection, maybe bronchitis, this month alone! It seems, the older we get, the less leeway we have with our health. I strongly believe that nutrition and our gut is the key to health. I know that our diet is very good and not the Standard American Diet but a whole/traditional foods diet and we limit grains and sugar and even still, I am guaranteed a sinus infection/cold/flu something int the springtime. It seems that perhaps I need to tighten up this diet thing even further....sigh....no more occaisional pit stops at Sonic..yes, Sonic, I admit it!

I am teaching and reading to our children about Easter, listening to Homer Price on a skippy audio cd from the library and then there is the laundry, meal prep and straightening..not cleaning. We did one reading lesson this week and that was with both boys and it was very good. Win can recognize most letters on a page..that is fun! Gun can read and sound out and will soon formally learn blends...I know he will apply what he learns as he is ripe and ready to learn to read these days..that is exciting! I plan to dye Easter eggs tomorrow with turmeric, grape juice (my fave when I am sick!!) and cranberries...and do this craft for the children which I think will help make the reality of Easter come alive. So, as usual, there is learning going on even if it is not copy work, math games and reading lessons or deliberate reading lessons, that is....the 7 year old boy asks me how to spell everything! I can remember wondering when I would see the day that the light would turn on and it has...the Lord is faithful to give us the desires of our hearts/minds (and the patience and faith in children's ability to learn in their own time) in ways we may not imagine and that is exciting!

Today, I plan to make some handmade love...bandoliers for all three children, see the super cute, easy tutorial here, and hopefully a new bath mat as my white spa mat got a big splotch of cobalt blue nail polish on it this morning..no, it was not a child. ;-)

"I have never let my schooling interfere with my education."

~Mark Twain

And now, my Martin:

**********************************************************

Hi all,

I was back at MDA this past week for another round of tests including blood
work,chest xray and the CT Scan also known as the feline scan or cat scan. This
is the customary 100,000 mile checkup.

I got a price break on this month's CT scan because I had access to
some cheap radioactive stuff from Japan. It seems that a couple of drums from
the damaged nuclear reactor washed up on the west coast and were available for
use.


The advantage to using this radioactive mix versus the
regular bariumiodinehydroxenefahrvergnungen solution is that I do not need a
night light when I go to outhouse at night and it helps with my aim. It is kind
of like having tracer rounds mixed in.

The results showed the cancer to be still in remission. No new cancerous tumors
were detected. It did show that I have a sinus infection which has been a
problem for

awhile now. The high pollen count and other allergy related issues have not
helped either. I am not on antibiotics at this time as we will see if it can
resolve itself in time.

I still have a small section of exposed bone in my lower jaw which has been a
problem since last December. We are in limbo at this time as it is not getting
worse nor getting better. The dental surgeon wants to wait another month and
review the situation at that time. The goal is to avoid any more cutting.

All I can do is keep the area as clean as possible and keep it from getting any
worse.

My radiation treatments from 2.5 years ago is one of the reasons why I am still
dealing with all this. Radiation is the gift that keeps on giving. It is a hard
road back from that process.


My surgical areas are still healing and I have not yet regained full feeling in
those areas....it feels like a lump of something...the nerves have not yet
reconnected.

Another highlight while at MDA was that I had an opportunity to have them look
at my damaged ear. Ever since radiation, I have had reduced hearing. It turns
out that my body went into protective overdrive and produced 25 lbs of wax to
protect the inner ear.....so much that it totally blocked everything. They dug
away in there using a gadget called alligator clips, a shop vac, a roto-rooter
and some dynamite and got the obstruction removed.

Well, now I have a new problem. I can hear again which means I can hear my
wife. oh....well......man, is that honey do list long too....

Eating remains a challenge. I am still learning how to swallow and not choke in
the process. My daily challenge is to maintain a high enough calorie intake to
offset my calorie usage. I also am having to remember to remain hydrated. I lost

8 lbs this past month due to increased physical activity and not eating
enough. I realized I was having a problem when I had to start using rope to keep

my jeans from sliding down around my ankles. I weigh about 142 lbs right now.

A major milestone for me this past week was when I ate a "loaded" hamburger and
tater tots for the first time in almost three years. What a head rush that was
to taste all that again....of course the challenge was what to do once I had the

hamburger in my mouth.....

Because of all the new caverns in my mouth, food gets lost in there. This gives
me camel like characteristics. I can be walking along and have a morsel of
something fall down on my tongue and I can have lunch on the
run... that hamburger from last week, yea, it showed up again yesterday,
fortunately it was some of that genetically modified beef which has the life
span of spam and so it was still good.

One draw back to the hamburger event was that the family had to load me onto
the trailer and haul me to " Bubba's 4X4 Monster Truck Wash" and run me thru it
a few times to clean me up....kids enjoyed that show a lot.

Well, one has to keep a sense of humor and remember that our time here on earth
is but a short one in light of eternity. My sons remind me that once I get to
heaven, I will have my mouth again. Their confidence in the promises of God
speaks volumes.

We face each day with confidence in God's plan for our lives.

Thank you for your continued prayer support and the words of encouragement that
you send us.

Semper Fi

Martin, Traci, Gunnar, Winston and Tessa

No Bended Knee::from Martin

Ps 46:1 God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in danger.

Ps 61:3 For You have been a refuge for me, a tower of strength against the enemy

Ps 73:26 My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.

Ps 121:7 The Lord will protect you from all evil, He will keep your soul.

Eph 6:10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might.

Phil 4:13 I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.

2 Thes 3:3 But the Lord is faithful and He will strengthen and protect you from the evil one.


No Bended Knee

"No Bended Knee" is the title of the memoir of Gen. Merrill B. Twining. He was with the 1st Marine Division at Guadalcanal and fought in that epic struggle. He chose the title of his book based on the fact that it was the intent of the Japanese Army commander to force the Marines to surrender "on bended knee".

The 1st Marine Division refused to surrender and ultimately won that struggle and Japan never again had an offensive military victory in the Pacific war.

"A Dawn Like Thunder: The True Story of Torpedo Squadron Eight" is a book written by Robert J. Mrazek. The principle of "No Bended Knee" is evident by the men of this squadron. At the battle of Midway, 45 of the 48 men who flew the outdated planes with faulty torpedoes did not return. The remaining squadron members flying with the Cactus Air Force out of Henderson at Guadalcanal lost seven and had eight wounded. Their actions at both Midway and Guadalcanal changed the course of history.

"Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience and Redemption" by Laura Hillenbrand is a book about Louis Zamperini. His is a remarkable account and the principle of "no bended knee" even as a POW.

"Operation Mincemeat" by Ben Macintyre is a fascinating book about a plan of deception that ultimately gave the allies an advantage in the war with Hitler. In the book was a brief account of LTC Alexis Baron Von Roenne who was in charge of FHW, the intelligence gathering unit for the German military. His sector was the western front. LTC Von Roenne was a believer and also an anti-nazi.

The author, Ben Macintyre, put forth a theory that Von Roenne deliberately gave Hitler faulty intelligence data to hasten the end of the war and remove Hitler from power. We will never know as Hitler had Von Roenne killed by the SS. Von Roenne's last statement was that he was going home to be with the Lord. Von Roenne did not have the "bended knee" moment that Hitler wanted.

In the Bible, the accounts of Moses and David illustrate waiting upon the Lord for His strength and not to have "a bended knee" moment.

Moses waited for the deliverance of the Lord by the Red Sea as he watched Pharaoh's forces approaching. The people of Israel were in panic and scared, ready to surrender. Yet Moses admonished them and told them to wait. Exodus 14 has the whole historical account.

David did not have a "bended knee" moment when he faced Goliath. He was the only one not scared unlike the whole Israelite army that was cowering and ready to surrender or flee. As the account of I Samuel 17 illustrates, David faced Goliath and won.

It has been now two and half years since we began our fight with cancer. We have had our ups and downs in this war. The times when we are down are the toughest as you want to quit. Yet, we cannot. We cannot go "on bended knee".

God gave us this assignment as we have to see it through. He will provide for our needs and give us the strength to fight on.

Since my surgery last November, progress has been slow and steady. We have had some new developments since then.

Yesterday, I received my new mouth. It fits a lot better which helps when eating even though I still need to be put through a car wash to cleanup afterwards. Part of the problem is that I still have not regained the ability to close my lips which causes food and liquids to leak out.

I have aspiration issues when swallowing due to small droplets of liquid being stuck in my throat. As a result, I have to cough ever so often to clear the passageway. I guess I could also consider using a roto rooter.

I am still retraining my tongue to work for me in the swallowing capacity. Pushing food down my throat does not work all the time which causes a coughing spasm so I do not choke. My 2yr old daughter will look at me and say..."k daddy????" She is quite cute when she says it too.

I also am the "Mr Potato Head" of the family. How many dads can take their head apart and show off the pieces....I get a lot of mileage out of that one. Of course, it does create a problem when I sneeze and pieces fly everywhere....

In the last three weeks, I have had a small area of the skin graft recede from my jawbone thus exposing it. We are watching it closely. I am on antibiotics and pain meds to keep this issue under control. We are hoping that it will grow back. In the meantime, the surgeon went in and clipped the bone back to remove the sharp edges.

I will be at MDA (Martin's Daily Adventure) for a day or two every week for the next month or so while we focus on these issues. I am continuing with my physical therapy regarding the use of my mouth and getting some additional tests done to look into my hearing loss.

I had the gastric feeding tube removed after not using it for almost a month. What a relief that was to get it out. I finally had to wrap it up in a 4 ft long bandage as I was forever getting it caught on things and yanking the heck out of me and it.

We appreciate your ongoing prayer support and words of encouragement that you send.

Semper Fi

Martin, Traci, Gunnar, Winston and Tessa

What I do in my darkest hour....

new do, same me

I just got a phone call from the dear woman, Darlene, who hand milks her cow and we buy direct from her. We know and trust her and her cows. Her well timed call must have been inspired by the Lord.

Martin and I have troubles. We have challenges in direct relation to his cancer and treatment not to mention that we are flawed, sinful people in the first place. Our struggle in general, is not unlike, as I told Darlene, who is a widow, when a spouse has a husband or wife die and in short time, the world returns to their routine. Life carries on with its obligations and duties and passions to pursue and things to learn but for the widow, this is not true. The attention and compassion she received and needed so much, dries up. For the first time perhaps, they are left to realize that they are truly on their own for the first time. And then, they are left with a choice. Some times one can carry on by sublimation. Knitting, sewing, traveling, reading, joining clubs, getting active in a church, beginning a running program to train for a marathon, drugs and other addictions, sex, etc. This list is not extensive. But without fail, if you were to ask these people if their coping was helping? I would bet, if they face reality at all, they would say...."no". I would bet that many would not even be able to answer the question. I think these things (well, drugs the exception I suppose!) are fine but not if they are sublimating another need that is much deeper.

To be happy, I don't need people to constantly ask how we are doing, what are we doing, how are we coping? But there are many days of feeling very alone in the struggle and noone is asking. That is my darkest hour. That is when I turn to the Lord the most. And then, sometimes the isolation surrounds my husband and I and we get "seperated" and become two housemates in the daily life of raising three small children, a home to repair and renovate and decorate and house pets. With a deforming serious illness and the aftermath of the surgical result the physical changes of it and the logistical challenges of eating....well, our marriage just seems to be in the toilet.

It may sound too simpleton but, without the Lord, our marriage would plain and simply be...in the toilet. After all, who really expects to deal with the "or worse" part of their marriage vows in specificity? I am sure, most folks don't think too far down that road...it is fruitless anyway right? Why worry about being broke, broken, seriously ill...why not build yourself up for the struggle with the word of God. Right? Right.

Often, after I wipe up my tears and, mumble to myself (the children sometimes hear me I am sure) , why Lord do we even keep on? What am I here for anyway?...would it matter at all if I were not? And it spirals down from there even deeper at times...that is the truth.

What I know is that faith is moment by moment. Faith is not walking down an aisle in church, making a public confession, naming him as Lord of my life...no way. It is simple return to trust in Him privately as a believer in Him, name my sins of self pity privately and return to His fellowship so I can push on...moment by moment. I don't log a lot of time in guilt over my feelings. I don't have the time. Thank you Lord for these little children and cancer! Thank you Lord for your solutions.

What I must remember is how often we are remembered in prayer and otherwise. Daily if not more often by some people compassionate and caring about Martin's challenges with his mouth. People that think of me as a wife and mother coping with the deformities and changes in his hearing, his tolerance of noisy, messy little children, his discontent with a routine interrupted by much of anything spontaneous. These are things that are fine and even truly welcomed by me but not him necessarily. The personality traits of before cancer have been magnified. For better or for worse. I was told I had courage by a man I met years ago...a married father of two young boys. Courage? I said. What choice do I have? He smiled and agreed. You love who you love no matter what changes them...no matter what. You just don't shut it off and walk away.

I must remember to not try to be perfect or right but forgiving...of him and myself. How many times did the Lord forgive my sins and shortcomings? Too many to count, before I was even born.

For I know the plans I have for you declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you. Plans to give you hope and a future.

~Jeremiah 29:11

Rest in the Lord and wait patiently for Him Ps 37:7a

Hi everyone,

As you are aware of, I have been undergoing hyperbaric oxygen therapy for awhile. I have completed 24 dives and have another 16 to go. I am starting to see some results.

I have been applying a castor oil pack to my cheek each night and sleeping with it on. The purpose is to help loosen the scar tissue that is on the inside of my cheek.

I have been inserting gauze that is soaked in raw honey into the infected area of my jaw. On average I keep each honey pack in the infected area for 6-7 hours. The raw honey helps with the infection and the healing process including the building of new tissue.

I also am taking an array of vitamins and supplements to help in all this. This includes aloe juice several times per day.

This past Wednesday, I had a red letter day. All this activity finally caused a piece of my infected jawbone to fall out. It had played a role in my chronic infection which also caused all the side effects.

Getting rid of it was a relief. There are still some small pieces floating around in the general area that this piece came from and I am hopeful that those too will soon be expelled.

This explains why all the vultures have been circling my vehicle while on I45.......they thought there was some new road kill

Thanks again for all the prayer support and remembering us.

Semper Fi

M

The Man and the Scars

"Without God it is utterly impossible. But with God everything is possible." Mark 10:27

"The Lord is faithful in all his words, and gracious in all his deeds." Ps 145:13

"Since God assured us, I'll never let you down, never walk off and leave you, we can boldly quote, God is there, ready to help; I'm fearless no matter what. Who or what can get to me?" Heb 13:5-6

"I have thoroughly tested your promises and that is why I love them so much" Ps 119:140

Hi everyone,

Here is a brief update regarding my experiences with my new therapy, the hyperbaric oxygen chamber. I have undergone 8 "dives" so far and it has been "unique".

The chamber I am in has the comforts of a C130 and a DC-9. I mention both aircraft due to my experiences in them. The C130 is loud and you sit in web seats. The DC9 is similar but had windows and some form of padded seats....of course my last flight on a DC9 was with one that caught fire upon takeoff and it changed my outlook of that plane.

The tank is about 30 feet long and 7 feet across. On both sides are chairs that have some sort of padding on them, I think it is left over from a East German Trabant factory and they got a good deal. The noise level is similar to sitting in a shop vac. Fortunately, the noise level tapers off once we have reached the depth we need. As I mentioned earlier, it lasts for two hours.....two very long hours....

Once I am seated in my "Trabant" chair, I get my "dive suit" handed to me. It consists of a round ring that has a rubber gasket on it. I pull this over my head and the rubber gasket wraps around my neck which acts as a seal to keep the oxygen in. I then pull a clear flexible plastic cover over my head which is attached to the ring around my neck. The clear plastic cover is pretty much like a plastic bag that linen comes in. Once all that has happened, then I get hooked up to the oxygen, two tubes that connect my "dive suit" to the oxygen pipes running overhead.

As to my fantasy about catching up on my reading....well....trying to read through a clear flexible plastic shield while ensconced in a Trabant seat which is in the middle of a shop vac....it takes a little extra concentration.

We cannot bring in any electronic devices or paper as to the fire hazard. With all the oxygen, that makes sense.

There is a TV in there which is in a sealed case to prevent sparks. The channel usually is on a classic movie channel.....of course there is the chance that one day the thing will be on with Nancy Pelosi giving a speech about her brilliance... what a delight that would be....

I was asked by a friend whether all the extra oxygen I was getting to my cranium was helping my brain. Considering that I am seated, the oxygen has a hard time reaching my brain....think about it ;-)

The dive goes to a depth of 33 feet. My first week was miserable because of the pain I would get from the initial diving process. Radiation has effected my left ear and so equalizing the pressure is a challenge. One of my colleagues who is a diver gave me some advise and tricks to do to help ease the pressure problems and minimize the pain. My second week went a lot better and so I think I can overcome the pressure problems.

I have 32 "dives" left to do. After that, we will reassess my infection and determine if we are getting better or not. There appears to be some improvement, but it is too early to tell.

Thanks again to all who remember us before our Heavenly Father. It is greatly appreciated.

Semper Fi

Martin, Traci, Gun, Win and Tess

The Man and the Scars update

Hi everyone,

I will be starting a new direction in my post cancer recovery. Hopefully as early as next week I will begin Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy. It will consist of daily two hour sessions (M-F) for at least a month if not longer. I will be able to read during this two hour time frame which will be productive as I do have a backlog of reading.

I will be in a chamber with pure oxygen and the purpose of this is to help fight my infection and accelerate the healing process. The infection is still in my upper jaw and we are hopeful that this will finally bring it to an end.

This process may also help with the current efforts to regain my mouth opening and reduce the damage from the radiation and scar tissue.

The hospital I am going to is 5 minutes from the office which is wonderful. I will be there at 0645 each morning for my session and then return to the office.

I did have another option to use a hyperbaric chamber that BP (Barack Petroleum) had available, but they wanted me to also put a cap on their leak and I was supposed to take a pipe wrench and cap with me on the "dive"....... however, the "divemasters" were some guys called Harry and Joe and it looked kinda shaky.

Semper Fi

M (email post from June 23, 2010)
*****************
As of today, M has learned that he cannot, in fact,read. The helmet used to pressurize his head is made of blurry plastic of some sort. So, for two hours everyday, Monday through Friday, for two months, he will sit and wait and hope this treatment will help.

Thank you for your prayers and thoughtfulness during this time.

"The battle is the Lord's" 1 Samuel 17:47

love, T

The Man and the Scars update

Heb 13:6 The Lord is my helper, I will not be afraid. What will man do to me?

Phil 4:13 I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.

Is 58:11 And the Lord will continually guide you, and satisfy your desire in scorched places, and give strength to your bones; and you will be like a watered garden, and like a spring of water whose waters do not fail.


Hi all,

Here is a brief update regarding myself. I went back to MD Anderson for another round of xrays, blood work and a CT scan. This was the second one for this year.

The blood work and chest xrays showed no sign of cancer. The CT scan did show the continued area of infection and bone compromise which has been an ongoing situation for me for quite some time.

The jaw that I broke as a result of my physical therapy did heal back. I can once again resume my physical therapy. However, this time I will be doing it in more moderation ;-). ( No improvised air tools!!)

We decided to fore go any additional operations in regards to the infected area and rather focus on a regimen of non surgical options to stimulate the blood flow and revive the damaged tissue and bone.

I have been able to eliminate antibiotics as a result of this process. It will take a long time and patience will be the key.

I am still not able to open my mouth more then 5 mm which makes all my meals a challenge. However, I am able to eat and maintain my weight and have also been able to increase my stamina.

I am not scheduled to return to MDA until my two year mark which is in August/September. At that time, we will once again go through the process and review my progress. The type of oral cancer that I had usually shows up again in the first two years. If I can make it to that milestone, the odds are reduced.

I was discharged from the radiation department which was an encouraging sign. I was thrilled as those 30 days of radiation were tough and not something that I would want to do again.

As always, we appreciate your continued prayer support and the notes of encouragement.

Semper Fi

M, T, Gun, Win and Tess

(3a.m.)'Sometimes I cry a little bit'

As M was gathering up to make ready for work, I met him in the kitchen since I rise at 5:30am during the week to get ahead of the little ones and for my personal time. As I was sending him off, he tells me that G6 was up at 3am to tell him goodbye. (He thought daddy was already leaving for work then) Then what he said, made me still. He told his father that when he goes to work, 'sometimes I cry a little' and I worry about you. How precious. Stoking the fires to keep M moving and positive. A small reminder of the love here at home for him.

Healing. A long process.

Although raised by wonderful missionary parents who constantly remind me that things change, people change but God never changes!....M struggles, and so do I, with this healing 'phase' of cancer treatment. The facts are these. His mouth constantly re closes and seems to rebel against opening the more therapy and stretching that he imposes upon it. The Naturopathic doc is helping and the help is gentle but a lingering infection in his neck, probably difficult to kill because of his lack of lymph nodes (I am not sure) is preventing vigorous health. M is loaded up with great herbs, vitamins, minerals and nutrition but imagine.....I can cheat with nutrition..cookies and cake here and there...M does not eat these things (or rarely anyway since they won't fit in) and still, infections linger on. This one has sustained a good 5-6 weeks and I am concerned.

Earlier in the year, he developed necrosis. It is decaying, dying bone tissue resulting from the radiation. It is somewhere in his jaw and actually causes pain. It was a concern of the oncologists and now a concern of mine. M will be calling M.D. Anderson today I think. He has to keep the Naturopath in the loop with what these docs will be recommending. It requires M to be a real discerning consumer with a bunch of white coats which is challenging for most folks.

So now, I want to share more of his (Actually, I wrote this particular one about him which includes an inspiring article by Tony Snow that was very meaningful to him at the time and even now) inspiring testimony when he was in the thick of treatment last year. I know of one thing for sure. God honors obedience and faith in His perfect plan...no matter how imperfect we may perceive it.

How do I keep going? I blog, I knit, I craft, I nurture our children and home educate...I drink a little wine but most of all my soul is restored when reminded of God's perfect provision.

(photos courtesy of Schindewolf Road on Christmas Eve 2009)

An email from me, almost 14 days after M's first cancer surgery (August 26, 2008, 12:34am) :

Hello friends and family,
I am embarrassed because I know these emails I write late at night are shared with all my misspellings and scatological rambles but here it goes again. ;-)

Today was a busy day. Martin has begun to do even more for himself and this morning, it allowed me time to enjoy what Erica Stark made for me at breakfast. An English muffin half topped with a perfectly poached egg with sauteed carrots and spinach with a big bowl of fresh raspberries and blueberries and then a hot decaf cappuccino to sip...yummy!! I have told her that her care of me is the very reason I have not gotten sick since surgery and recovery. She says it is the Lord sustaining me and I believe that is true. I need my mommy friends to know that I, the caregiver, also have a wonderful caregiver in Erica as well as her family pitching in for errands. It is a tremendous comfort. You know me...give me good nutrition and I'm good to go! ;-)

Martin and I got to the hospital to meet the plastic surgeon...he said Martin's healing was coming along fabulously. We then went on to the clinic, one floor up to see about getting the trachea tube removed from his windpipe. Well...I feel like a dope for not calling on Friday to set up authorization from the head and neck surgeon so that we could do it today....we were waiting an hour in clinic while the nurse tried to get a hold of the doc's nurse..she finally did but we will have to meet the doc on Wed. and then he will decide to remove it or not....the plastics physician's assist. seemed to think it would be removed soon as well as the feeding tube. We have a barium swallow test tomorrow to determine so that is today, tomorrow and Wednesday that we go to the hospital...pray that Martin does not want to knock me out at some point..he hates not being the driver which he cannot be since I drug him regularly with hydrocodone for his pain and on top of that...he particularly does not like MY driving. Oh well...we got there in one piece today anyway. So anyhow, while we were waiting in clinic for an hour, I struck up a conversation with a couple that looked a little younger than us (well, they were about my age or a bit younger). I remembered them from the critical care floor where we were transferred after ICU. The husband, named Kyle, had similar bandages as Martin and I could tell was eager to meet someone (as was Martin) who really knew what it was like 'in his shoes'. Turns out, he had the same type of cancer and had over 70% of his tongue and under his tongue removed with a tumor and then had it 'rebuilt' using his forearm tissue on the same arm and same site as Martin. Both he and his wife had a wonderful attitude. He was a strapping 205 pound man who had lost 50+ pounds prior to surgery with radiation and chemotherapy which was unsuccessful in eradicating his tumor so then he had to do the surgery. A different path than Martin's but a positive result. They are returning home to Mississippi tomorrow and we plan to keep in touch via email.

Seriously, I pray for Martin's continued reliance and trust in the Lord's plan. He will need to stay focused when in mid September, the next chapter of chemo and/or radiation begins with a new set of side effects. He is my hero and I love him even more watching him cope with this thing called cancer.

If you have time, please read a wonderful piece written by Tony Snow prior to his eternal promotion after battling cancer. Here it is...it is wonderfully written and puts things much more eloquently than I do here.

Thank you all for continued warm emails and prayer support. Even the little children who know 'Gunnar's daddy' are praying for him.

with love,Traci