Decisions, decisions.

Please pray for wisdom!

We met with our oncologist this morning and he delivered not-so-hot news to us: Ryan's tumors have started growing again.  Not by a ton, but any growth is a major concern.  Ryan had been starting to feel slight pain JUST this week, so that makes sense now.  As we started to talk about the possibility of another chemo treatment change (which would be extremely wicked...48-hour infusion, high doses, nasty side effects, losing his hair), radiation was brought back up again.  Our doctor called the radiation oncologist and received some good news: he thinks he might be able to possibly radiate the entire area that is affected by the cancer.  WE ARE SO GLAD and hopeful that we can do this.  We are going to try to get in to meet with him today or tomorrow.

So here is the problem: that would be every day, five days a week, for six to seven weeks.  If radiation does become an option for us, we would likely start next week.  Do we do this radiation in Zion or in Muskegon?  We are going to have to make more decisions once we meet with him.  There are pros and cons to both situations.  We will make it work either way.

We will update again soon, either today or tomorrow, to let you guys know what the plan is moving forward.  Either way, this is going to have a major, major impact on our lives.  Radiation in Muskegon five days a week, having to stay in the Chicagoland area five days a week, or incredibly nasty chemo.  What a choice!

We are reminding ourselves that our God is just as good as He was a year and a month ago before the madness started.  He is abounding in love and grace, and He cares very much about our hurt and our fear.

Psalm 103Of David.
 1 Praise the LORD, my soul;
   all my inmost being, praise his holy name.
2 Praise the LORD, my soul,
   and forget not all his benefits—
3 who forgives all your sins
   and heals all your diseases,
4 who redeems your life from the pit
   and crowns you with love and compassion,
5 who satisfies your desires with good things
   so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.
 6 The LORD works righteousness
   and justice for all the oppressed.
 7 He made known his ways to Moses,
   his deeds to the people of Israel:
8 The LORD is compassionate and gracious,
   slow to anger, abounding in love.
9 He will not always accuse,
   nor will he harbor his anger forever;
10 he does not treat us as our sins deserve
   or repay us according to our iniquities.
11 For as high as the heavens are above the earth,
   so great is his love for those who fear him;
12 as far as the east is from the west,
   so far has he removed our transgressions from us.
 13 As a father has compassion on his children,
   so the LORD has compassion on those who fear him;
14 for he knows how we are formed,
   he remembers that we are dust.
15 The life of mortals is like grass,
   they flourish like a flower of the field;
16 the wind blows over it and it is gone,
   and its place remembers it no more.
17 But from everlasting to everlasting
   the LORD’s love is with those who fear him,
   and his righteousness with their children’s children—
18 with those who keep his covenant
   and remember to obey his precepts.
 19 The LORD has established his throne in heaven,
   and his kingdom rules over all.
 20 Praise the LORD, you his angels,
   you mighty ones who do his bidding,
   who obey his word.
21 Praise the LORD, all his heavenly hosts,
   you his servants who do his will.
22 Praise the LORD, all his works
   everywhere in his dominion.
   Praise the LORD, my soul.