In-Patient Physical Therapy

Answered prayer! Tim checked into a Dallas hospital yesterday to begin his inpatient physical therapy. We are guessing he will be there 2 weeks, but that has not been verified. Praise the Lord that all of Tim’s past scans have been clear. Tim, however, has slowly become isolated at home due to the decline in his health from the steroids and low platelets. This isolation has contributed to his feeling disconnected from people. His brain surgery inhibited his speech and ability to communicate well. We are hoping that the therapy will help stimulate his brain to reconnect his thought and speech processes. The therapists will also be setting goals for him to determine his ability to walk unassisted for more than a few steps.

How can you help? Email Tim and Janice an update of you family happenings, like a year-end letter you might receive in a Christmas card. This will help him stay connected to his friends and church family.

Tim is down to 4 milligrams of steroids starting today and they plan to decrease it 1 mg a week until he is off completely. He will be more tired than usual as he comes down off the steroids so therapy will take all of his effort. Two weeks ago, when they reduced his steroids, he experienced seizures. The decreasing in medication and therapy will be a delicate balance. Please pray for:

· no seizures as his system is adjusting to the decrease each week

· his body to be strengthened through his physical therapy

· his speech therapy and occupational therapy to show continued improvement

· that he will supernaturally surpass their goals for him

· ultimate healing and restoration

· Janice to feel rested and rejuvenated

· blessings over their finances

· protection over their mental stamina during this season

· many people to write and keep him connected to their lives

· prayer, prayer, and more prayer. Please pray each week at meals, with friends and in small groups.

Gary Hutchison has asked that we step-up prayer for Tim over the next 2 months, to have a focused prayer time each week. Philip Pfanstiel, a member of Grace, was impressed by the Lord to begin organizing structured prayer time. More to come on that later.

Prayer sheets will be updated and placed in the HOP and lobby weekly.

Health Update

We received some wonderful news from Tim's most recent MRI (6-20-2010) that shows no signs of new tumor growth and the swelling has gone down to a minimal level. Tim has been on high doses of dexamethasone (steroid) to help accomplish this and unfortunately has experienced some very negative side effects. He has steroid myopathy which basically means the steroids have caused his muscle tissue to atrophy. He is not able to take more than a few steps at a time and somedays is wheelchair bound.

Some of you know that we took a trip to Georgia for our 34th anniversary towards the end of May. We had some free tickets that were going to expire the end of May and thought the change would be good for morale. We took lots of books and were going to just find some pretty spots around the hotel and read and talk. About 4 days into the trip Tim experienced 3 really bad seizures and had to be hospitalized for 2 1/2 days.

Below is a letter I sent out to some of our friends when we got back. In the meantime we are waiting on the insurance company to approve inpatient therapy or to begin out patient therapy. Our oncologist would really like to have us in the hospital as we continue to reduce his dose of steroids. Even though the steroids have caused the weakness; decreasing the dose makes him even weaker and it increases the risk of more seizures. We would covet your prayers as we go through this season. Tim's attitude has been incredible but that doesn't mean he doesn't get discouraged. We are both trusting the Lord and seeking His divine healing, peace, power and joy. I will admit there are days that I feel overwhelmed and fearful but through your prayers we have grace for each day and a desire to wake up each morning and do battle again.

Please pray for Tim's muscles to be strengthened, his ability to be stable on his feet and to walk well again, for health and safety as the steroid dose is reduced, and for no more seizures. We want to trust the Lord for his heart of restoration in Tim's cognitive abilities too. His platelets have come up to 92,000 but still need to increase to about 140,000 before they will do another round of chemo. He has missed three rounds of chemo already but we just need to trust the Lord in this.

We know that trials refine our faith and that our hope is in Him. While we appreciate the medical advances that we have we know that it is God who is the one who wills and works healing and restoration in our lives. We do not want this time of suffering to be wasted in our lives but for us to walk in closer harmony with God and to bring Him glory and to trust that He is our sun and shield; the Lord bestows favor and honor. No good thing does he withhold from those who walk uprightly. Psalm 84:11

We love you all and are so grateful for all your prayers!!!!! We are anxious for the day that we can be back among you at church and involved in ministry again!!!!!

Hospitalization During Georgia Vacation: June 1

I can never tell you how much we appreciate your love and prayers for us during this time with Tim in the hospital. Even though it was a very frightening time for us I could see God’s goodness in the midst of things. Being in unfamiliar territory I had to totally trust God for Him to work things out. Witnessing Tim have seizures for 45 minutes, the small hospital, the EMTs lack of confidence in the hospital and the incompetent ER doctor, I must admit I was filled with fear. I just kept calling out to the Lord and things began to change.

We were assigned to a different doctor, (who was nothing short of incredible) had great nurses who were kind and competent, told I could spend the night in a house across the street, Beth Ramos (a former Grace member and PBT missionary living in Jacksonville) came to be with us and picked Amy up from the airport. Carol Weideman took on responsibility of helping find ways for Amy to come to help me get Tim home. I was unaware of all she was trying to do here on this end to get tickets for us as I had about all I could handle with Tim and the hospital side of things. Since it was a holiday weekend, the standby tickets were not working out very well, Carol got the word out we might need more help with the tickets. When Carol called and told me a neighbor had bought a ticket for Amy to come it just opened the floodgate of tears that I had been holding back. At first I was going to say I was amazed at the generous outpouring of our friends and neighbors but then I have seen so many wonderful expressions of love and generosity among the brothers and sisters of Christ over the last 16 years of being at Grace and among our neighbors that I shouldn't be amazed only extremely grateful and touched. A boyhood friend was among those who blessed us too and that really hit a tender spot with Tim so we all cried over your generosity.

We are finding it very humbling at times to receive from people but know that we also feel so very blessed. We were extending ourselves to take our anniversary trip but we knew our marriage needed some “fresh air” so to speak. To have something to share together besides “have you taken your medicines yet, or no we can’t eat that because of your blood sugar issues” and to just to get out of the house. We had a wheelchair with us that allowed us to get out a little more but mostly we found a scenic and relaxing spot to read, sit and talk and reflect together. We both cried a lot and were able to for the first time since Tim’s surgery to grieve together instead of keeping things locked up inside. It was emotionally healthy for us in that regard and even though we had the trauma at the end we are in a better place as husband and wife because of it.

From here we will be in contact with our doctor in Dallas this week. Tim had been on anti seizure medication ever since his diagnosis but they have doubled the dose. Our oncologist wants to begin tapering him off the steroids but this will put him at greater risks of seizures too. Tim will start having physical therapy as his muscles on his right side have gotten very weak and have begun to atrophy. He is due for another round of chemo but his platelets are too low so they may consider a transfusion or postponing the treatment. Tim recently had an MRI and the scans looked great as far as no new tumor growth and the brain swelling is now minimal. We continue to be very hopeful and covet your prayers for continued recovery. But with that said please be praying for Tim’s spirit to be encouraged. He is very discouraged with progress or lack of it at this point.

Thank you again so very much for your love, prayers and generosity towards us!!