Let's Just Praise the Lord!!

Mom had a follow up appointment with Dr. Bayles on Tuesday and received some amazing news. Dr. Bayles said that the tumor had good margins, meaning that when he removed the mass, he checked in the remaining tissue for evidence of the tumor. He takes small portions of tissue and sends it away to the lab to test for cancer. ALL of the samples were negative!!!! This means that he was able to remove the complete tumor leaving no evidence of cancer! This is phenomenal! In addition to this, the Doctor said that ALL of the lymph nodes he removed were negative for cancer!!! According to Dr. Bayles, mom is CANCER FREE!!! He doesn't even recommend radiation. He said that his work in mom's mouth was detrimental, but if she had radiation first it would be more devastating. He feels like radiation is not worth the risk to her body and the risks out weigh the benefits at this time. She will visit the radiologist and discuss this plan with them, but I have a feeling that Dr. Bayles recommendations will be valued highly. On top of all this good news Dr. Bayles staff asked mom to swallow some water and she was able to swallow it!!! She can have her cake and eat it too as far as I am concerned! They said to take eating by mouth very slowly, but to try and over time her coordination will improve. Praise the Lord!
I met my parents at the hospital after their appointment. They were happy, tearful, weightless and praising God. My mom said that she was not looking forward to going to radiation. We decided to celebrate by going to lunch. Mom picked out some jello. She was able to swallow it. When I asked if she could taste it she smiled brightly and said with tears in her eyes, "Yes!" I had a wild hair and asked her if she wanted to just suck on one of my potato chips. She looked like a kid, she raised her eyebrows and said, "Yes." It was a fantastic potato chip! We have so much to be thankful for. God has been so faithful. He has carried mom through all of this for His Glory. For purposes that are higher than us. As we were leaving Zachary said, "Grandma Judy is not in the hospital anymore!" and Elin said, "Yes and Grandma Judy is all better she can eat JELMO (my kids version for Jello) Praise the Lord." Like I said, the Lord has had His hand in our lives through this, molding, even the young ones, to bring them to himself. Praise the Lord!!!
My sister Meg is arriving from Oklahoma to care for mom for the month of June. She may write more updates to this blog. Thank you for your prayers and love on mom!!
Ingrid Hope

Back at the Health Care Center

Today Judy was released from the St. Joseph's Hospital and returned to the Christian Health Care Center. She will be there until possibly Tuesday when she goes to Seattle VMH for her post surgery examination, by Dr. Bayles. At the health center she will receive care for her wounds and her tube feedings. Her antibiotic treatments will take place during dialysis.

Judy was more than happy to be out of the hospital, she is feeling so much better after the antibiotics. She was happily greeted by John John, Erik and Linnea, three of her grandchildren who were so excited to be loved on by her and they were able to express their concern and love for their grandma. Little ones really know how to put a smile on their Grandma's face. Judy and her daughter, Karen were able to get out a little. She was able to walk around downtown Lynden for a couple of hours before returning to the health care center.

We ask that you would continue to pray that the antibiotic treatment will kill this bacteria. Also, that there would be no loss of hearing that could be a side effect of the antibiotic. We want to thank everyone for there prayers, flowers, cards, phone calls, this infection has set her back a couple of days but she is making big strides, which we praise the Lord. She is a walking, talking miracle for which we give all honor and glory to our Lord Jesus. You can reach Judy at (360) 354-4434 ext. 501.

Back to the Hospital

Mom has really done well for the most part at the Christian Health care Center in Lynden. She was feeling better walking better and doing more of her own activities, like showering, dressing and giving her meds and food through the peg tube. She has had many visitors from Victory and Lynden over praying for her and encouraging her. Her Ladies Bible study was so encouraging. They not only encouraged mom they met as a group at the hospital to include her! I was amazed ladies! Thank you so much for reaching out to my mom, she was deeply moved by your love!
Dad asked that I update the blog tonight to ask for prayer for mom. Last night mom was admitted to St Joseph's Hospital in Bellingham. Dad brought her to the Emergency Room after dialysis. She was experiencing pain in her stomach around her feeding tube and her skin graft on her arm was looking red and inflamed. Dad noticed the redness for a couple days, and noticed that mom was more tired and unmotivated. He knew that he had to press for further answers. I am glad he did and that the doctors responded. They have identified that her pain was due to a Staph infection (MRSA). She was started on a very strong antibiotic called Vancomycin. She will need this IV therapy for 4-6 weeks. The details are not very clear about how long mom will be in Bellingham and in the hospital. They placed a long term IV (picc) line to administer the therapy. Need I say that mom is really bummed out!! She has to be in an isolation room by herself. (People visiting her need to wash their hands and plan not to bring in their purse or belongings that they want to bring home. This MRSA bug lives a long time after it leaves its host. Good hand washing will prevent the bug spreading from person to person). I think she is starting to internalize how the surgery has changed her. She told me yesterday that she just wants to feel like a normal person again and be able to walk around. She told me never take for granted the fact that I can walk around! I was moved by that. She never complains about her situation or her life as it is, and to hear that I know that she is working through a loss, a loss of her old life as she was before surgery. Please pray for mom as she is facing this road block. Karen, my sister and her family are going to visit tomorrow. They are planning to be there until Sunday. I will update this blog as I know more. I may ask Karen to post as she will be with mom daily for the next couple days. Thank you so much for your prayers and sweet time with my mom. It is amazing to see the people that have been touched by my mom. May the Lord be glorified and lifted up! Ingrid She can be reached at (360)734-5400 #223

Mom's landing pad information

Mom is currently at The Christian Healthcare Center in Lynden. The address is: 855 Aaron Drive, Lynden, WA 98264. The phone number is 360.354.4434 ex. 523. Thank you and my you be blessed today!

Ingrid

This Chapter is closed!

Today marked the end of mom's stay at Virginia Mason. She was discharged to a skilled nursing place in Lynden. She will be there for one week. She had many staff members stop by the room to ooo and ahh over her. You know, I think anyone looks sick when they are in a hospital gown! It seems to rob people of their personality. She got dressed after a shower and dialysis and she looked amazing. She let me take a couple of pictures that I am currently trying to post, but am running into a road block. I hope to have them posted tonight or tomorrow. She was so excited to be outside. She was able to ride with my dad. What a blessing. It hasn't even been two weeks and she is on her way to going home. Thank you for praying for my mom and my dad. We have been sustained my the power of the Almighty. He has carried us, for His glory and His glory alone. Praise God! I will get the contact information for the place she is as soon as I know it. And please look for her pictures. I know that my dad would love to hear from you too. I pray that you are blessed for all of your thoughts and prayers for my mom. Praise God from whom all blessings flow! Ingrid Hope

The Lord has carried mom through!

Yes, that is right. The only thing that is keeping my mom in the hospital is her dialysis schedule. The surgeon has cleared her! She will be going to a skilled nursing center in Lynden for a week to adjust to her tube feeding and get a little more physical therapy. I will give you the information for the Lynden center as soon as I know it. She called me last night about 1100pm and said that the surgeon Dr. Bayles stopped by and reported that the pathology on, the specimens from her mouth, are indicating that all of the cancer has been removed! WOW! Praise the Lord!! I think that radiation is still in order, due to start in about eight weeks. One step at a time. Mom had a number of staff members stop by her room to talk about discharge yesterday. One was a nurse clinical manager. Mom didn't skip an opportunity. She said, "I feel like the Lord has carried me through the hospital." The nurse was touched. She said "He certainly has." Mom smiles and offers her hand to people as she passes them in the hallway. She still reaches out to people even through these circumstances. She has been an inspiration to me. Whatever the circumstances she is praising the Lord! Thank you so much for your prayers! Ingrid

A cheerful heart is good medicine

A cheerful heart is good medicine. Psalms 17:22 Mom's heart has been lifted! Thank you for your prayers. Mom is progressing wonderfully. Her mind is clear, worry and pain free. I called her this morning and something was different. She was verbalizing more, saying "oh, and um" more. I read her a Psalm and when I was done she said, "Praise the Lord." I was in tears, she left ME speechless! We praised God together. A cheerful heart is good medicine. Mom was different today. It all made sense when I arrived to her room to find that she HAD HER TRACH REMOVED! This was in her airway, making it difficult to talk. She just has a bandage over the site. She has to hold pressure over the spot to make air go up to her mouth to verbalize. It takes a little coordination and some getting used to, but this won't be forever. The site eventually will close up on it's own. She is tolerating her tube feeding well. We were there this afternoon and she walked twice while I was there. She is a little embarrassed about how she looks, the swelling is still large on the right side, but it is not getting bigger. Her three drains from around the incision will probably come out tomorrow. I was there with my three children today and it was a blast. I noticed my dad at ease with the kids there. He was finally at rest. He has been so worried about mom, he could hardly enjoy a cup of coffee. I was praising God that he felt like he could engage with the kids. He played with Elin, and read books to Zach. Mom's disposition really rubbed off on dad. They were happy and at ease. I can't tell you what a blessing that was today. I left the hospital with good cheer knowing that happiness is a good medicine, even for me. Thank you Jesus! Ingrid

Moving forward

Mom had a great day yesterday. She walked easily to the end of the hallway to the waiting room where enjoyed the view of Seattle's skyline. She had dialysis that they were able to remove 8.5 lbs of fluid. That helped her swelling and her blood pressure. They were able to use her "peg" tube to her stomach to give her food through. I think she felt much better. She called me at home twice. I knew it was her because I couldn't hear anyone so I just started talking. Zach, my son, was on the phone with mom and mom said "Hi Zach." It was really fun to have grandma say hi. Zach was all smiles. Praise the LORD!! One day at a time! Ingrid

"Hi and I love you"

Mom informally learned how to talk around her trach today. We convinced the RT to teach mom how to talk. He did, and the light came on! She said "Hi" and "I love you" to us. She seemed almost gitty after she knew that she could verbalize words. Linda, moms roommate from college, called just as we were practicing her words. Linda was greeted warmly on the phone by a "Hi and I love you." Linda said that mom made her day. I know it made mom's! I am amazed by the grace she gives me when I try and finish her thought, her patience to write her thoughts on a white board and her faith in the LORD. She is always thinking of others. She noticed that dad was rubbing his back after standing up. She motioned for him to turn around and she proceeded to rub his back. Wow! I could tell that dad was really touched by that. She is amazing! God is good. So the medical update. Another day another procedure for mom. She had a feeding tube placed today that will stay permanently in her stomach. We are not sure if she will be able to eat by mouth again or not. Dialysis is scheduled for first thing in the morning. She is still experiencing high blood pressure that they give her pain meds and hydralazine for to try and bring it down. I am convinced that dialysis will help her blood pressure. We know that people are praying for mom I can see it in her she has a strength that only Jesus can give. Ingrid

Long Day

David, here again for Ingrid and Bill. The two of them just came home at 11 pm hunched over and exhausted. Bill just went upstairs and went to bed, he didn't say much. . . .long day. Ingrid is exhausted too. Judy was supposed to have that "minor" surgery this afternoon around 2pm or so to remove the hemotoma (blood clott) in her neck. But it didn't happen until almost 6pm. As a result of all the waiting. Judy and Bill experienced a tremendous amount of anxiety, just waiting in pre-op, knowing that the surgeon was going to reopen the tremoundously large incision originally made for removing the lymph nodes. I didn't realize until they came home, but this was a very difficult reality for Judy to face again. Fortunately Judy had some wonderful visitors today, her sister, Debbie came by for a visit and then my parents came by for a visit and were able to pray and sing with her just before the surgery. The doctor said that he got the blood clot out. Ingrid and Bill said that initially they could see a decrease in the amount of swelling, but that after a little while it seemed to swell again, probably due to the recent procedure. But even with this little swelling, it is still better than before. It was also clear to Ingrid that Judy is in quite a bit of pain. Ingrid went to visit her at the hospital after her day of work was through and noticed that Judy could not move much and that she was clearly in pain. It's been a bit of a roller coaster day, I think. . . .waiting, being nervous, positive results, pain. Bill and Judy seem pretty anxious today. Pray that they can continue to trust God and that they might be able to rest.

Minor Surgery for the swelling

Bill called me, David (Judy's son in law, Ingrid's husband) a little bit ago and mentioned that Judy his having a small operation this afternoon to do some suction in her neck. The swelling has become enough of a concern that they are going to do something about this. A few years ago, Judy had something like this in her abdomen after a procedure and the swelling hematoma took what seemed like months to fully go away. So they are going to try to remove some of this hematoma in her neck this afternoon. I don't know all the details, it was a quick conversation with Bill. But it sounds like it is a minor procedure, but it will involve anasthesia and some sort of suctioning. Pray for this, if you would. This, I think, is Judy's biggest concern and source of frusteration right now. We'll update you more later this evening. David, for Bill and Ingrid.

Another day at VMH

Saturday at Virginia Mason Hospital, kind of a dreary day. Judy had dialysis today and that was good they removed 3 liters of water and other bad stuff that is accumulating in her and that perked her up quite a bit. The extra blood she got on Thursday is helping also and her hematocrit is staying stable. The swelling in her neck is still a problem that doesn't seem to be improving very much and remains a prayer concern. It is a source of discouragement for Judy as she is thinking that it might be something that will not go away. We had Larry and Lynn Grell stop by to visit today, It was so good to see some familiar faces. (Larry and Lynn are friends from our home town of Richvale CA and former rice farmers that now live in Vancouver WA). They drove all the way up to see us and it was sure nice of them to do that. Ingrid worked at Children's Hospital today and so I rode with her in the car pool van and they dropped me off at VMH for the day. Saved some money on gas and parking, I will do that tomorrow as well. We will be listening to a CD with one of John Jones' sermons on it tomorrow for "church". Judy received more grandkids pictures to enjoy today from Margaret to round out her bulletin board. Thanks for your prayers, cards, calls, gifts and flowers. Bill

"It is well with my soul"

Today was a good day for mom. She finally admitted to the nurses that she was in pain and didn't like the IV pain medication because it was making her feel weird. Since she is tolerating her tube feedings the doctors changed her pain medication to go in with her feedings. They transitioned mom from continuous feeds to bolus feeds. Meaning they will space out the food to a more traditional four times a day schedule. Mom is a champ. She went on three walks with me today and went the length of the floor and back! I was so proud of her. She had her drains (from around her neck) pulled earlier this morning and as a result had a bit more swelling to the right side. This is still concerning to the doctors, but they are keeping a close eye on it. Enough of the medical stuff!! Mom looked great and today. She received a beautiful pink shawl from Bev and a fun hat from Judy that she was sporting around and I might say she was smug and superior flaunting her new duds! I brought my foot bath in and gave her feet a soak and massage. She loved it! While I was rubbing her feet she was listening to some hymns (Amy Grant's Legacy of Hymns) on my Ipod. I looked up at one point and she had her eyes closed and she was directing the choir softly with her hand. She was mouthing the words to "It is well with my soul." Priceless! Love Ingrid YOU Can call her in her room directly at 206-341-1678.

Loving on Grandma Judy

Mom's room was brightened by phone calls, flowers and her grandchildren. Elin and Zachary sang a sweet song to Grandma that had hand motions ending with "I love YOU." Mom's face beemed, in fact, I think it glowed. I even caught mom playing peek a boo with little Nathan. He loved it. She covered her head with a washcloth and peeked at him and that sent him into a giggling frenzy. I had mom sit up and look in the mirror to put on some lipstick. We talked about God's goodness and His plan for her. She was suprised that she woke up from the surgery. I affirmed to her that God is not done with her yet! He has a good plan for her. A plan to give her hope and to bring himself glory. She was very encouraged by that truth. Every day she looks stronger, the swelling in her neck is slowly subsiding. Dialysis went well today. She also got two units of blood. One of the days highlights was when she was out for a walk and we (the kids and I) went to the other end of the hallway and cheered moms every step. Zachary was so excited to see Grandma go! I loved seeing my mom's face lifted. Another highlight was some mail that Grandma and Joni sent mom at the hospital. She loved getting those notes! Thank you for your love and notes. I read your comments to her every morning and she is deeply encouraged. Ingrid

Up and at em

Today Judy continued to shine. She was given the challenge to walk to the nurses station and did just fine, not only once but twice. She had a very able, inspiring, and caring staff today that cheered her on with each step. Judy really responded to an aide called Stephanie. Dr. Bayles was able to adjust her feeding tube at the bedside, so a trip to interventional radiology was not needed. The nutrition seemed to perk her up quite a bit and tomorrow she will get a boost from a blood transfusion and another dialysis session. We hope that this will help to reduce the swelling, which by the way, is a source of discouragement for Judy. She looked in the mirror and saw how swollen her neck was and you could see the dissappointment in her eyes. She has been encouraged by her medical team that it is only a temporary setback and it will eventually go down, but may take a few weeks to get back to normal. Her surgeon is very happy with the graft on her tongue. Judy also saw the speech therapist today for the first time she was very nice to Judy and told her she was doing just fine. Tomorrow Ingrid will bring in the grandkids to the hosital for a visit. This will be good therapy. Elin (one of Judy's granddaughters) says that she is going to teach grandma Judy some sign language so she can comunicate! Today we see Judy's biggest struggle is her self image. We ask for specific prayer in that area. Thank you for loving Judy and praying for her. Bill and Ingrid

Graduation Day, but more hurdles to jump

Mom was transferred from ICU to the floor today after tolerating dialysis well. Her spirits are good inspite of some set backs. Dr Bayles, mom's surgeon was happy with how the flap in her mouth looked. He is concerned about some swelling in her neck. The swelling seems to have increased all day, despite the two neck drains. She may have a hemotoma forming. At this time he does not feel it is jeopardizing her flap (skin graft on her tongue). Please pray for this because she has had a history of internal bleeding before. We don't want history to repeat itself. Remaining are two more minor issues. Her feeding tube has a kink in it and needs to be repositioned by interventional radiology. The doctors hope to fix that tomorrow so that she can start getting nutrition. She also had to get a new IV this evening. The old one was infiltrating into her arm. She needs the IV for hydration and a place for pain medication. Mom continues to smile and have good humor with the staff. I am amazed at her patience with us trying to guess what she is saying. I am sure that it is very frustrating when you can't communicate. I was reminded to be patient and let her take her time to write her comments before I try and finnish her statement. Talk about holding your tongue!! You can call dad and mom in her hospital room (206)624-1144 and ask for the 16th level. Judy is in room #1678 with a beautiful view of Seattle. Thank you for your prayers Ingrid and Bill.

Mom's the Bomb!!

Tears overwhelmed my eyes when I saw my mom after surgery. She was awake, scared and the nurse was attending to her pain. She immediately blinked her eyes, smiled and squeezed my hand. She used her hand to draw in the air the work "LOOK." She wanted to know how she looks! She looks beautiful. Her smile is still there and it is full! The next comment she made was "I was surprised that I woke up." Boy, that is when I lost it. She went into surgery knowing that she may not wake up. She was prepared to meet her Maker, are you? Thank you for your prayers. I had an incredible peace today. Glory to God! David made the comment that dad and I were waiting room bandits. Yes, waiting room bandits, we showed those people in the waiting room how to wait. We are really good at it! Dad and I laughed, cried, prayed, and talked to most of you on the phone. All I can say is that mom is the bomb. She is amazing. Glory to the Lord our God! Ingrid Hope

Surgery finished.

Ingrid just called from the hospital . . . Judy is out of surgery and into the ICU. Judy will be there tonight and into tomorrow. Ingrid has not actually seen her yet, but she said that the doctors were happy with the procedure. Judy will now enter the recovery phase. Nobody knows for sure what the exact outcome will be yet. We are all a bit concerned about her ability to talk in the future, but we will just have to wait and pray. Ingrid will update with more details later this evening when she gets back from the hospital. David, for Ingrid

4 hours in, 2 to go.

This is David, Ingrid's husband. I just got off the phone with Ingrid. At 2pm Bill and Ingrid got an update at the four hour mark of the surgery. The initial tumor removal from her tongue has gone well. The surgeon was able to remove the tumor "with good margins." This means that the tumor was well defined and that they feel that they got it all. More importantly, Judy is stable with the anesthesia (there were some concerns here due to some of the "stress test" results that were done prior to surgery. The surgery so far is at the 4 hour mark and probably will continue for another 2 hours. The next process is to do a graft and repair the missing tissue in her tongue and to also remove her lymph nodes. We'll keep you posted, probably no more updates until this evening.

The Day Before Surgery

Those of you that know my Mom, Judy are well aware that she is contagious with Christ's love. She is having surgery tomorrow on her tongue at Virginia Mason Hospital in Seattle. She has been so encouraged by your prayers, words of blessing and hope. She is clinging on to her hope that is in Christ, knowing that He is Sovereign and and her Jehovah. Please pray for her, Dr. Bayles and the nursing team that is caring for my precious mom. Her Surgery is starting at 9 am. We will update you as we know information. Please feel free to post as you feel led. Please pass this web page to those who know and love my mom. For my mom, Ingrid Hope