Dear Friends,

Since my last surgery on April 3 I haven’t been up to doing a full and proper update until now. I think the anesthesia as well as the kind of surgery this was (to remove many more lymph nodes from under the right arm), with a drainage tube, all coming so close on the heels of the previous surgery of February 14, compounded to make my recovery time a bit longer. I do not know the total number of nodes removed but the doctor did say three were cancerous. I’m glad to be rid of them.

Thankfully, I had the drainage tube removed Monday (4/14). It is amazing how having a foreign object protruding from one’s body slows things down. Randy was a wonderful and gentle nurse, by the way, as he cleansed the wound site every day and re-bandaged it. The body has an amazing capacity to heal itself but it does take a lot of energy, all focused on mending itself, so that I was tired and needed to rest a lot. But now I am feeling better each day and getting back in the “swing”, so to speak. Before, I didn’t even have mental energy so just allowed myself (gave myself permission) to “vegetate”, reading and resting, while my body heals. Enforced inactivity is never pleasant but necessary at times.

The healing is still going on, of course, and includes exercises to stretch my arm to regain range of motion, which is very painful. I would appreciate your prayers that this goes well. This will go on for some time, as I understand it.

In a few weeks I will go into a phase of fighting the side effects of the drugs of chemotherapy. It kills cells, even good cells. But since we do not yet have the technology to kill only the “bad” cells, we must take “the bad with the good”.

This is where I will again need your earnest prayers. Pray I will be strong, not have nausea and vomiting and will not have the extreme fatigue and weakness even otherwise healthy people experience. I haven’t thought much about it but when I do, I realize I am concerned and even a bit anxious about it. So I am having to take these anxious thoughts to the Lord. I have had such peace after the first surgery and then following the decision to go ahead with the second surgery. The Lord has abundantly answered prayer, both ours and yours.

I will be seeing the oncologist on April 24^th and I hope to schedule my chemotherapy sessions for after Randy has been home from the hospital at least a week. He goes in for knee replacement surgery April 29^th and is expected to stay in hospital 3 days. Of course, I will be there with him. Pray for a successful and uneventful surgery, for a speedy recovery and the ability to get mobile quickly so he can return to WV in early June for the summer home repair/volunteer season.

Our son Jeremy (in whose home we are living) will be his “coach” for all the physical therapy exercises he will have to do multiple times a day after surgery. Randy jokingly calls him his “pain coach”. Jeremy being a competitive, athletic guy himself, I am certain will be (lovingly) tougher on dad than I was a few years ago when Randy had his other knee replaced! Randy is tough though. That’s why he wants Jeremy to be his coach. Randy’s lived with so much knee pain over the years yet you’d hardly know it except for his limping and occasional grimaces of pain. He pushes through the pain on a daily basis and will be doing the same in the increased pain to get his legs back into shape after surgery. Do pray for him.

Monica, who had a diagnosis of shingles, is back at work and on the mend. They caught it very early and she had minimal outbreak and pain, thank the Lord. Thank you for your prayers. We had been living over at Seth and Melissa’s home for the last week and a half and it was great to be with them and little Caleb every day! We are back at Jeremy and Monica’s now. We had moved out because of my compromised immune system. Didn’t want to take any chances. It is an amazing blessing to me that we have 2 sons and wives so close together and so lovingly willing to take us in!

You all continue to amaze and humble us with your prayers and encouragement. I wish I could hand write responses to every card, note and email I get but I’m afraid these letters will have to do for the most part.

I love you all.

Jacque

Jacque is doing fine after her second surgery. We met with the Dr today and he said that three of the lymph nodes removed in the second surgery had significant cancer involvement. Praise God that all were removed! She still has the drain in her side and will for another week. She is strong although she is experiencing weakness in her right arm.

A key prayer request is for Monica, our daughter in law with whom we have been staying. She was diagnosed with shingles! We have had to move to our other son's house (Seth and Melissa) for a few days until we are certain that she is no longer contagious and that the illness is under control.

A second prayer item relates to Randy (Jacque's husband). His left knee has reached the point where something must be done in order for him to walk around without the fear of the knee collapsing or causing such excruciating pain that he has to sit. The orthopedic surgeon recommended today that he have it replaced. This surgery could take place within the next few weeks. He has needed this surgery for quite some time but has been putting it off. Now, because of how the knee is functioning, something must be done.

That will mean two of us will be laid up at the same time, and a limited summer involvement for Randy. The surgery is serious and will involve a protracted time of rehab afterward. Randy has been through this before and knows what to expect.

Posted for Jacque by Randy