An update in Martin's words

Hi everyone,

This is a short update on my family and myself. We have had quite a month of trials. Yet, we have come through it and we are still standing. We do have some battle scars though.

About 4 weeks ago, we had to take our daughter Tessa to the emergency clinic at the hospital. She had a virus and it was starting to cause dehydration. Our family physician had recommended that based on her observation of Tessa during the doctor's visit. Fortunately, once we got to the ER, Tessa revived and was able to keep some liquid nourishment down and did not need an IV. We were blessed to have a very helpful nurse who knew what to do. We were discharged after a few hours. Tessa recovered in due time and was back to her usual self. As parents, this is quite a test to wait on the Lord.

A week later we were at the same ER again. This time it was my wife. I had to call for an ambulance. She had a miscarriage at 12 weeks. The physical and emotional aspects of this were quite intense. The loss cannot be described. We were blessed to have a good doctor and nursing staff who took care of Traci. Traci was discharged later in the day and able to go home. We stayed with her parents so that she could rest. We have had to reach into our memory bank and apply divine solutions to the human problems and seek comfort in the Lord's provisions and His plan for your life. For both Traci and I, this is an incredible test, yet we can find the comfort we need in the Word of God and His promises.

Last Sunday afternoon, the left side of my face became very swollen and painful. My jaw mobility was reduced to about 1-2mm. In the process of trying to open my mouth to remove my mouth piece, I heard a load crack or pop. At first I thought I broke a tooth. When I did not find anything, I then realized that it was something else. I assumed that I had re-fractured my jaw. I went of an xray at the MDA ER which did not show anything. The doctor on call thought that the swollen tissue was a result of my "breaking" some of the scar tissue or fibroid tissue while trying to get the mouth piece out. Hence the loud crack or popping noise.

I am scheduled for more tests at MDA today and next week to determine what the cause is. I also am scheduled for a panoramic xray of my jaws so that we can with confidence rule out a fracture.
In the meantime, I continue my routine and am using ice packs and compresses to keep the swelling down.
As I find out more details, I will provide an update.

Some have asked about my hyperbaric treatments and I completed 32 dives. I will not be doing any more "dives". I accomplished what I had hoped for which was to reduce or eliminate the infection in the back of my mouth.

I left out two small minor details that happened in the last 2 days. The first was on Tuesday afternoon when I had the whole family in the van. We were waiting at the intersection for the light to turn green. It turned green and I proceeded across the intersection and was 3/4 of the way through when we heard tires squealing...I looked in the rear view mirror and saw a pickup who had run the red light and missed us by 2 seconds. Had he hit us, it would have been square on right where all the kids were. I told my wife that obviously it was not our time to go to heaven. Yesterday while I was in the ER, my wife called and calmly told me that while putting gas in the van, she heard what sounded like water running and then realized that all the gas was running out on the pavement....the fuel line was compromised...kids all in the van...3 gallons of gas all over.... She was able to pull away and wait for our mechanic who came out to take care of it.

Thanks again to everyone for your prayer support

Semper Fi

Martin, Traci, Gunnar, Winston and Tessa

Some thoughts on last year

Do you have somthing this cute rolling around in your lap and kitchen floor? Our T1, the blessing in our cancer trial of last year. She is the picture of radiant health.

My Ms struggles notwithstanding, in the wake of cancer, our entire family was and is deeply affected. I can only comment on my thoughts and struggles. You may have had the privilege to read some of his email updates for his own. Email me if I can forward some to you. As my father-in-law would say, my husband is 'a trophy of grace'.

So many thoughts have come and gone during Ms cancer treatment and to have chronicled them here would be a treasure and, very convenient. My thoughts continue and the cancer recovery continues like a never ending bad day. Daily, I pray for something that sounds perhaps silly to others..something like this...'dear Father in heaven, thank you for this new day, please allow my husband's mouth to open and stay open, in Jesus name, Amen!'. M uses so many modalities to work his tight muscles and ligaments including a Dynasplint, intraoral massage self and chiropractor initiated, acupuncture, topical massage with a hand held massage tool, various topical homeopathic remedies for muscle soreness and ..good ole oral pain killers. He is now investigating a new remedy used on horses by a veterinarian and looking at inflatable hobby craft tires to insert in his mouth to keep it open once he gets it fairly open from stretching. To add insult to injury, all the effort he takes, every single time, he is terribly sore and the nerves and muscles revolt with agonizing pain and new muscle tightness. M.D. Anderson docs are masters it seems at ridding those of cancer whom they can save, but the follow up and rehabilitation is severely lacking..sadly. M talked to a P.T. last week who had no ideas, did not have answers or creative solutions. I think they would be happy to just cut M and insert a gastric food tube than to get down and dirty like he has to solve this seemingly unsolvable problem.

Sobering...it really is tough to watch him. Its tough to feed the kids and eat in front of him knowing he would love to just eat normally. I know the man just wants some fried chicken! It is tough to make demands of him because his pain management and therapy comes first. He works so hard for us as it is and really is a tough warrior. I cannot complain that my husband is not who he used to be..he is in essentials. Thank God I married the man I did.

You know those flip books that you sit on your bathroom sink counter for daily inspiration? I gave my parents one for their 30Th wedding anniversary over 15 years ago and to this day, there it sits in my mother's kitchen, pages wrinkled from being turned while washing dishes, to the daily inspirational text and Scripture verse. Well, a friend gave us a new one when we arrived and began to settle in our new home last spring. As a homeschooling, home cooking, busy mother of three little ones, sometimes this little book really hits home with my quick glance to see what it has to say. Here it is:

(An interpretation of I Corinthians 10:13)

'No test or temptation that comes your way is beyond the course of what others have had to face. All you need to remember is that God will never let you down; he'll never let you be pushed past your limit; he'll always be there to help you come through it.'

No test beyond what others have had to face? No test beyond what others have had to face? This thought just comforted me and stopped me in my busy day. My in-laws survived by the shirts on their backs, literally, Nazi invaded Europe...I saw others at M. D. Anderson that were severely disfigured from cancer and surgeries. We saw children who suffer under cancer's highly inconvenient and, crushing blow. The list goes on when thinking of what others have had to face in life. I don't think of them as 'whoa..glad that's not me!' because it could be me. Pitying others and self pity can be a slippery slope and, God defines it as sin. If we sin, we are not in fellowship with Him and cannot grow spiritually...I want to grow up. I really do! I focus forward. I constantly rebound my thinking on God, not on me. This is what I struggle with often and at our lowest moments when M is suffering terribly.

I had so many more waking thoughts this morning that I wish I had a computer on my head! I leave with this promise.

'All things you ask in prayer (in the filling of the Holy Spirit), believing, you shall receive. (Matt. 21:22)

I believe God has a wonderful plan for my husband, me and our three little ones. It is likely not my perfect ideas and plans. I just need to get out of His way and let Him do it.

Our littlest warrior has picked up her sword. She does have two older brothers! She must be tough!