Another Update

Well, it's Tuesday and my Mom is doing much better than she was when she was put on the breathing tube. She is still on 40% oxygen, but she is doing good. Their intentions were to take her off life support today, but when they tried decreasing the breaths that the machine gave her, her heart rate when up. Her oxygen stayed up, but her heart rate jumped to around 130. The doctors just want her to stay calm and not have to struggle at all, so they turned it back to regular settings. So, it seems that she wont be coming off today, but possibly tomorrow. My Mom is pretty bummed out though. She really wants the tube out, and I can't wait till' she can talk to me.

Last night we went to the mall and bought my Mom a bear. It was one of those places where you stuff the bear yourself and pick out an outfit for it. So, we got my Mom a dark brown bear and picked out some scrubs with a doctors coat and mask with it. It looks very cute. I will try to take a picture of it tomorrow and post it. We were going to wait until my Mom was off the breathing tube to give it to her, but she was awake this morning and we decided to give it to her then. I think she likes it, she started to cry when we gave it to her.

I guess that is all of my news! We bought a DVD player last night for our room, so we are finally able to watch some of our DVD's. We have bought a lot of new ones since we've been here. Last night we watched the Christmas Child, a movie with Stephen Curtis Chapman in it. We also bought the second season of the Waltons---haven't watched those yet! I'm looking forward to it though. We also ordered in pizza last night to the room. It was a lot of fun. None of us were hungry at dinner time, but around 8:30 we started to, so it was David's idea to order in. I'm hoping one more time we can do that! :)

Tears of Joy

Yesterday we went to the hospital to see my Mom and she still was just laying there. I never know if she is sleeping, or not totally there, or if she can hear us. It's confusing. David had promised my Mom though, that we would sing to her while she is like this. So, yesterday morning we sang a few hymns to her. We noticed her heart rate going up though...a little too high, so we stopped singing. Through the night her heart rate had gotten to 105, so 120 was too high. We noticed when we stopped singing it would go down. I guess our singing isn't the best!

Then we went out in the lobby for awhile and Mandy and I decided to go back in and see her. When we walked in, my Mom was awake. I couldn't help but cry. I was so happy. I started talking to my Mom, telling her how good she was doing and that I loved her so much. I also asked her if she knew who I was. After all these questions my Mom would nod her head yes and no and then she started to cry. By this time I really couldn't stop crying. My Mom was trying to talk to me she wanted to say something, but everytime she tried, her oxygen would go down to around 95 or 93. I was so happy to see her. Since they put the tube in before we got to the hospital, I didn't get to see my Mom. I had the slightest doubt that I never would again. I was overjoyed to see my Mom...I love her so much! For about the next 30 minutes, I just cried. Not because I was sad, but I was so happy! I tried to stop crying, I just couldn't...Weird!

Throughout the day, I actually got to see my Mom 4 times. She would communicate with me by nodding her head. She definately knows what is going on and knows who we all are. The doctors said she is on a light sedative, so she can easily wake up. They just like keeping her asleep because she stays calmer. They did a chest x-ray of her and found less liquid in her lungs, that means things are getting better! Praise God! Also, her oxygen was up to 100% with only 70% oxygen from the breathing tube.

I am so excited to go and see my Mom today. Maybe today I will get to talk to her again. Thank you for all the prayers and encouragement!

Please Pray

There have been so many changes in the last few days. I was going to blog, but it seems like new things just keep coming up...it's very scary. On Wednesday my Mom started having trouble breathing and her oxygen was low. So they started her on some oxygen. Even with oxygen she only got to about 96. Usually we are supposed to be 99 or 100. When she would take of the mask her oxygen level would drop to 81 or 82. Then the doctor listened to her breathing and said he could hear she was having difficulty in one of her lungs. He went ahead and started her on antibiotics thinking it was pneumonia. Later that night we did find out for sure, that yes, she does have pneumonia. So, on Thursday, the Dr. Quintana came in to work and had a specialist with him to check my Mom. After checking very closely they both suggested she go to San Diego to a hospital that can give her more attention. So, they transported her by ambulance from Mexico to Chula Vista, CA. David rode in the ambulance with my Mom and Mandy and I followed in a van. After being in the ER for awhile we found out that my Mom does have pneumonia in both lungs and also has blood clots in her legs and now up to her lungs. Blood clots are not good! The doctor said they can be very dangerous, especially if they go to the heart. So, they admitted her into ICU and we started talking about what we could do. Although my Mom has these problems she looked very good. They put her on oxygen and got her up to 100% Her color was good and she was in good spirits. Most of all, she was hungry! The two weeks we were in Mexico my Mom couldn't eat. We were happy that she was so hungry.

Usually with blood clots they give you blood thinners. With my Mom's case they were worried that she could start bleeding in the brain because of the tumors. So they wanted to do a CT scan on her brain. That was the only good news we have had! They did the scan yesterday morning and found lots of necrosis (sp?) Necrosis, or how ever you spell it, is dead cancer tissue. The doctor said that there was lots and lots of it in her brain! Praise God! The Lord has chosen to use something to heal my Mom of her tumors. Right now we are just battling something different. Cancer is just a minor problem.

Well, yesterday Mandy and I went back down to Mexico to pack up all of our things and say good-bye. When we left my Mom was doing pretty good. They had just decided to give her a blood transfusion, but usually that isn't too serious. We kept in contact with David and he kept saying everything was fine. Then this morning we got to the hospital around 10:30----the border was crowded! When we got into the lobby David was there to meet us. I was pretty sure something was wrong because he didn't look too happy. He started explaining to me that this morning he got a phone call that my Mom was getting so paniced and he needed to get to the hospital to calm her down. So, he went there and tried calming her down and he did pretty well it's just that she had a hard time breathing. Her oxygen was getting very low and I think it was hard for her. The doctor suggested to David that they put in a breathing tube. My Mom was in agreement with this, so they gave her something to sedate her and put in the tube. So, now my Mom is on what they call, "Life Support" She is unconscience, but breathing okay. It was so hard for me to see my Mom like that.

David said that instead of us sitting in the room with my Mom we need to do things to get our minds off of it. This seems so odd, because he never says things like that. So, we have left the hospital and changed hotels. Our last one we had to leave, because our iPod got stollen, it wasn't too good. Now we are at a Holiday Inn. They are so nice here. They are giving us the same rate as the last hotel, but the place here is so much better! :) I think we are going to do some shopping today and then maybe during the week we will go to the San Diego Zoo. I'm not sure, anything can change.

Please continue to pray for my Mom. God can still work miracles!
Love, Danielle

My Weekend

Okay, I think I have time now to write about our weekend…

First, David Ingrassano came down Friday night to visit and do some more interviews. It was good to see him again. We stayed up late Friday night interviewing and then had a big day Saturday. Our friends Art and Adele told us they would be coming down on Saturday we just weren’t sure what time. So, they arrived around 12:00, just as we were getting ready to go get some lunch. Since, David drove down to MX, we could use his car to go out. He took me to a Taco Stand called “Tacos Manuel” It was very good. We bought lots of quesadillas and some tacos to bring back to the hospital to eat.

After lunch, Art and Adele and their daughter Alyssa took Mandy and I to the flea market in Rosarito. It was a lot of fun because we got to see all of our friends there again. Since we have been to Mexico so much they remember us every time we come. There are about 3 of them that always stop us. I ended up buying a bracelet I really didn’t need just so I could buy something from my friend. Last time we were there, I had bought my purse from her, so I wanted to make it a tradition! ☺ I do like the bracelet though…

When we got home we sat in my Mom’s room and sang. Art brought his guitar and played for us. He is a fantastic guitarist. We actually sang right through dinner. Art and Adele and Alyssa had to leave by 7:00, so we didn’t want to waste our time sitting and eating. We really enjoyed our time with them. It wasn’t until 8:30 or 9:00 that we started thinking about what to do for dinner. So, David I. and Mandy went this time to Tacos Manuel to get more food. Eve though we had it for lunch it was still so good for dinner! In order to burn the calories from eating that late, we got in the hot tub afterwards until 12:00. No, it really was just a good excuse…I’m sure we didn’t burn any calories! ☺

By Sunday morning I was exhausted. I could barely wake up. I think I was a little late to breakfast, it didn’t matter though. We were planning to have a little church service at 9:30 with the other patients. David had to leave before we started but after he was gone we sang some hymns and everyone who wanted to shared something or read from the bible. It really encouraged me and my Mom. We’ve all decided to choose LIFE! After our service Mary Ellen, the daughter of patients asked me if I wanted to go with her to an orphanage. I was so excited because I’ve always wanted to go to an orphanage in Mexico. Our plans changed rather quickly though. Dr. Cruz, invited me to go to church with his family at 12:00. So I told Mary Ellen about it and she said she also always wanted to go to a Spanish speaking church. So, this worked out good. We figured we could take a taxi from the church to Ensenada where the orphanage is.

The church service was rather different. It was a Pentecostal church, but not like the ones in the states, or at least what I know of them. The music was so loud and there were lots of people dancing and jumping around. Kind of strange. Even though everyone seemed very different, they all had a heart towards the Lord. At first I was thinking it was all show, but I got to know one of the members pretty well and it isn’t show at all. It’s real! From church we got a guy, Jesus, actually pronounced Hey-Sus, to take us to Ensenada. His job is a taxi driver, so he didn’t mind at all. Ensenada is about an hour and 10 minute drive so we got to know him pretty well. He speaks okay English, but not enough to really carry on long conversations.

Now about the orphanage…Our visit was very different from what I thought it would be, but it was still nice. I pictured us playing with kids and holding them, but in reality, we weren’t even allowed to touch the kids. I guess the Mexican Government is very strict about that. The workers from the orphanage really aren’t supposed to touch the kids either, but they do. The kids seemed so loved though. The orphanage was like a big church camp. They had dorms for the girls and one for the boys. It really didn’t seem like a bad place to live. I was told that most of the children have parents, they just have been abused some ways, or they can’t be taken care of at home. Only a few were really orphans.

(Picture on Right- Intern with girl from Orphanage
Bottom- Intern with Omar orphan boy)

On our way back home we all got really hungry! We had missed dinner at the hospital, so we planned on taking Jesus out to dinner. He was only charging us for the gas money to take us to Ensenada and stayed the whole time with us at the orphanage, it was nice to have a male chaparone (sp?) We told him to pick the place so we went to eat at Los Arcos. It was a nice little Mexican Restaurant. We all enjoyed it. We got back home to the hospital around 8:00. My Mom was worried until she realized we had been safe and with a guy to protect us. That’s a big thing in our family. We usually go nowhere without a guy with us. And not usually some taxi driver we barely know… Jesus ended up coming in and staying awhile to meet my Mom and David.

He came for the past two days also. We use him now whenever we need a taxi driver. So yesterday, he took me home from the flea market and then we invited him to stay for dinner. While in the taxi on the way home yesterday we were talking a lot about the Bible. He was having me look up scriptures while he was driving and then I was trying to translate them into English. It amazed all of us who were in the Taxi with Jesus, because he kept saying to us that he was so hungry for the Word. He would thank the Lord and give God all the credit and glory for everything. It shocked us because you don’t see that too often in the states. Christians become to complacient and lose that fire that once was there. We aren’t hungry! Or at least I’ve found myself wondering why I am not as on fire for reading all the time, like I can’t get enough. Even while we were eating dinner, he didn’t shut his bible. He would take a bite and then turn his head to read more. I want to be like this. I challenge all of you to be hungry for God’s Word!

Still Alive!

I just wanted to do a quick post to let everyone know that I am still here! I've wanted to blog many times, but didn't get a chance. I have lots of things to talk about and some pictures I want to post also, it will just take time.

Quick Update on my Mom: Her cancer is doing good! Or should I say bad...It looks like the swelling is gone and her facial features all look good. Praise God! The one thing setting us back though is the "virus" we thought she had. It turns out she has what they call Montezumas Revenge. (Sp?) Normally people get it in Mexico from drinking bad water or from eating something bad. In my Mom's case, we think it was actually from something she ate in MO or on the plane. She does have parasites in her stomach though and that's whats keeping her sick. Since she is going to the bathroom so often she is getting very dehydrated. The doctor is very concerned about this. He now is keeping IV's in her all the time to replace all the liquid coming out. Please continue to pray for my Mom, since she is sick, she is also extremely weak. She can hardly walk, with help. The doctor suggested we stay a few more days...I'm not sure if we will or not though. By 8:00 tonight we will have our answer. We are waiting to see if anything gets better.

When I get more time I will blog about my great weekend! Hope all is well with all of you!

Another Update

HOLA HOLA HOLA
Today went by really fast. I’ve been trying to think over what I did all day and I really can’t think of much. It was an unproductive day I guess. My Mom woke up this morning though with an appetite. She was able to eat eggs, toast, cereal and oatmeal…I think. ☺ I was very happy to see that she was eating real food, not just liquids.

Today was supposed to be my Mom’s day off but she wanted to do some therapies. She started with Mag Ray and instead of them putting the lamp on her tumors they put it on her side. She was still complaining of pain. After 20 minutes of that therapy she had 20 minutes on the Spinalator. This one used to be my Mom’s favorite. Today when she did it, it hurt her really bad. She said everytime it got to her back it was so painful. So, after her time was up, she said she needed to rest, and couldn’t do anymore. So she slept a little and then started complaining that her shoulder hurt. It’s weird, once we get one thing under control, something else starts to hurt. She is never comfortable or happy. The joy is gone…in our whole family. I miss it.

For lunch today David wanted to do something special for the staff here. So he payed for us to get tacos for everyone. I was able to go with Oswaldo to the taco stand and we bought 30 tacos. These are huge tacos, but so good! It was a lot of fun watching them make the tacos. The guy was so fast and proficient. He would toss the beans up in the air and catch them with the tortilla and then add the salsa, guacamole and cilantro, all within like 5 seconds. RAPIDO!

David Ingrassano, the guy making the documentary, is here for the weekend. He came to do some interviews and also to see my Mom. The weekend should be a little better having some company! We are also looking forward to our visit with friends from California tomorrow. They are such an encouragement to me, they were the ones at the airport in San Diego when my Mom had her seizure.

I’m looking forward to going home and getting ready for Christmas. I can’t believe it is already that time of year. It’s strange because in August when my Mom was diagnosed they gave her one year, if they are right, it is hard to think that 3 months have already passed…That would mean only 9 left. Time goes by fast…………

Lots of Thoughts

There really isn’t that much news to talk about, but I need to write. It’s weird, sometimes I get in these strange moods and the only thing to get me out, is usually to write. That’s how I am now. I feel like I am emotionally drained. I don’t get like this too often, but this afternoon for some reason has been like this. Mandy and I have been taking turns to stay with my Mom and on my last turn out, I went down to reception to talk to Miriam. I think she could tell something was wrong, she asked if I was tired. I just told her that I was ready for my life to become normal again. She then had me come into the room with her and she gave me a big hug! It was strange I hadn’t cried at all, until she hugged me. It’s like I could let it all out. She just kept saying, this will help! It did help. ☺

My mom wasn’t so sick today, just tired. It was a beautiful day in Rosarito so I layed out in the sun with her today. She felt good sitting out there, but we had to come in for lunch. She still has no appetite, so for lunch she had a protein shake. Then she started complaining of her side hurting. She’s actually said it before, but was never in real pain. We then remembered that the day we got here, my Mom fell down in our room and hit her side and head and arm. So, we thought she could have possibly bruised her rib. So, I got the doctor and he came up to look at her. After looking and having her take deep breaths, he told me it was a strong possibility she cracked or fractured her rib. Tomorrow, she is getting an x-ray to see for sure. Even if she did fracture it, the only thing for her to do is rest. She is doing a good job of that now! He gave her a natural pain killer though, she is sleeping now, so I’m not sure if it is working.

I’ve been working a lot of the quilt for my Mom today. I figured instead of just sitting in the room while my Mom is sleeping, I should be doing something productive. I finished one of the blocks from down here and started on Dr. Quintana’s today. I learned something: It takes twice as long to take stiches out then to put them in! I started his, and got one line done and then realized I used the wrong color! He wanted green, not blue!

Tomorrow is my Mom’s last day for the chlorophyll and then on Friday will be her day of rest. We are excited to see how the ultrasound part of the treatment goes. My mom’s a little excited because she gets to be in a large bathtub! She really likes taking baths and in the hospital all they have are showers.

I’ve been wondering a lot lately if it is right the way I am feeling. I mean I know it can’t be right, but it’s hard for me to change. I love my Mom so much and I’m so glad I was able to come to Mexico, but it shouldn’t be a punishment for me to stay in the room with her all day. For some reason, it is feeling like that. I prayed that the Lord would give me joy today while serving my Mom, and I did have some this morning, but I think that is because I was pleasing myself at the same time as helping Mom. But I’ve noticed when I am just sitting with my Mom, I get bored and almost resent the time. All I think is, She’s sleeping, how will she know I am even here? I want to change this. I want to enjoy every minute with my Mom. And especially with my Mom, because I don’t know how much longer I will have with her. None of us really do, my situation just seems more obvious. Please pray for me, that I will be content in all situations and have joy in serving my Mom. Also that others around me will not count it a punishment to stay in the room.

Okay that is enough of my rambling!I have a tendency to go and go and go when I’m writing! ☺ I have also been thinking a lot about college. First of all the subject I have always not wanted to talk about. Everyone thought we were crazy because we’ve just said No to it. My dream is to get married and school my kids at home. Why would I need to go to college for that? Well, since my Mom has been sick, we’ve thought lots about learning about the medical field. My sister and I are both very interested in it. So, it was David’s idea to have me start soon with online courses in natural medicine. Yeah, I would like to, but I always question, Is it right? I guess as long as David thinks it is okay, it will be. I don’t know…Someone mentioned today that since I like to cook it would be smart for me to learn more of nutrition and take the medical approach that way. Maybe??? These are just all of my thoughts, none of it may happen. I’d rather just be married----that’s my biggest goal!

Well, it looks like my Mom is getting her x-ray today. So, this has to be it for today. The man will be here any minute and we have to get her downstairs. Please pray for my Mom, that her side stops hurting and that this virus will leave her!

Mexico Bonito

YEAH we are in Mexico now! Our flight seemed very fast and the ride was so smooth. After we got off the plane my Mom said it felt like 20 hours so I guess it just went fast for me? When we left yesterday morning there was frost on the ground. I was so surprised it would be so cold. I guess we left just in time, because it is still rather warm here. Although, last night I did have to put a sweater on, so maybe it isn’t as warm as I am thinking. ☺

Once we got here my Mom wasn’t feeling too good. I think flying really stresses her out and she worries about too many things. She had a little to eat for lunch and nothing for dinner. Then around 7:00 we all layed down to go to bed. We were wiped out. But at 9:00 David came in our room and said that my Mom had thrown up and was pretty sick. I couldn’t believe it. My mom had been complaining of a stomach ache, but I figured it was just stress. She was really sick though. After cleaning everything up and getting new sheets for the bed, we got to sleep about 10:30. The nurse last night was so nice. She cleaned up all the mess and didn’t think twice about it. I wish I could like her. I want to get to that point. But last night, I thought I was going to be sick just being in the room. She really is a blessing to us!

I woke up around 6:00 this morning and I hadn’t been woken up the whole night. So I figured my Mom had done okay. Thank God that she did. She didn’t throw up again, but was up going to the bathroom. She said she felt much better this morning though. Her legs are very weak today. She has fallen several times, not where she gets hurt though, it just scares her. So, she told me that she wants to be in a wheelchair for now. I guess she feels safer that way. I’ve tried asking her if when we eat if she will get out of the wheelchair and get into a normal seat, but she said,”Why do you want me to get out so bad?” And it’s not that I care, she just made a comment to me the last time we were here and she said, “Once I get into the wheelchair I will never get out.” I know this isn’t true, but this was her attitude. She wanted to do everything she could to not get into the wheelchair. Now she wants to be in there. It is less stress on her though, being in it. Before it would get her really worked up, knowing she had to walk all the way down to go eat. Hopefully this well help her with everything.
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She is going to start her treatment today. It really isn’t much though for the first 4 days. All she does is take a pill. She stops all of her other supplements and different treatments. Then after 4 days she will have one day to rest and then start the 4 days of ultrasound treatment. From what I have heard, the results from this treatment are not super fast. We aren’t expecting to see a lot of progress while we are down here, but after a while they are hoping we will. Since they just started this treatment on patients they don’t know how long it will take.

Now my Mom is sleeping. She is trying to get as much rest as she can. I think sleep is good for her though. Maybe she will be stronger when she wakes up. ☺

Well, I guess that is all of my news now. Adios!

A Great Day!

Today has been such a GREAT day! My Mom woke up feeling good and talking so much! Praise God! It actually started yesterday, we had some company over and since then she has just been so happy and seems very alert. For the past few weeks, she has just sort of seemed out of it. Then last night after Tara left, she started singing, dancing, and laughing. She seemed so happy. I haven't seen her this happy for a long time, either. Then this morning after talking to Mrs. Martin, she said she would come stay with my Mom for a little while and Mandy and I could go shopping for a little while. When I told my Mom this she said, "Oh, I want to go too!" So, I called Mrs. Martin back and she was all for us ALL going shopping. So, we all got to go to the Outlet Mall and shop for awhile. It was a lot of fun! It was very good for my Mom to get out and interact with other people. I think she had fun also, except for the fact that I take too long picking out things. I guess I am a bad shopper. I take a long time to pick something out and then after I buy it, I feel horrible about spending the money. I usually get over it though.

The pictures I am posting were taken by Jonathan Myers in Kentucky. He was showing us some of them and I really liked them, so he let me put them up on my blog. They were taken in his front yard actually...I think. Hope you all enjoy them, I did.

Please pray for Robby, a man we met while in Mexico. His wife had cancer and wasn't doing too good while we were down there. So, a few days ago he emailed me and said that his wife passed away on Sunday and he is left with his two sons, 4 and 9. He said he is having a really hard time. It's hard for me to know what to even say to him. Although my Mom is sick and going through the same type of thing, I feel lost knowing what to say. He lives about 6 hours from us, I am hoping there will be something we can do to help. Please just pray that God will give him strength and that through all of this he will learn to seek the Lord only.

Tomorrow I am going to have a busy day! We are leaving Sunday morning and I am still not packed. I am almost done packing my Mom and David, but haven't even started mine. NOT GOOD! I'll have to spend some time doing that tomorrow and I am hoping to go shopping somemore tomorrow with my brother. We are praying that my Mom will have another GREAT day and will be able to go with us. She is looking forward to it. :)

My mom had a doctor's appointment today and he basically gave us two options. He can go with the aggresive approach and do chemo and radiation, or he can do his best to just keep my Mom comfortable. So, we are going with this approach. He has offered us hospice also, not because she is doing bad, but because it is safer that way. If we ever need help in the middle of the night, it will be easy to have help. Otherwise we would have to go to the Emergency Room. We didn't tell him we were going back down to Mexico, we aren't sure if he is for this alternative treatment or not. He told us that my Mom's cancer is terminal, but he doesn't believe that God can heal! I do! :)

I guess that is all of my news. Thank you for the continual prayers for my Mom, we really do appreciate it.

Love, Danielle

Just a Quiz!

I saw this on someone elses blog, and thought I would try it also. I'm not sure it is going to work though. We will see I guess. Just click HERE and take my quiz, "How well you know me?" Thanks!

Adios for now!
Danielle

On The Road Again...

On Tuesday, I think, we got a call from Mr. Myers and he invited us down to Kentucky for a visit. We were all excited. We love going there and seeing there family. Since my Mom got sick, the only place she has wanted to go, besides home, was KY. So, we were finally able to go. We packed and were ready to leave by Friday morning. Although it was a short trip we had a lot of fun. We decided that laughter is the best medicine, and we just aren't getting that at home. :) Being there, almost seemed to make all the problems go away, or at least lowered the stress. My mom was very happy being there.
On Sunday my Mom was up most of the day. We had church at the Myers' house. We listened to a cd of theirs of a missionary. This man had great faith. It really encouraged me. Lots of the questions I had about praying for healing with my Mom were answered. There was no doubt in this man's mind. What he was praying for had nothing to do with healing, but it was his assurance he had that God would provide and come through for him. I pray that one day I can the faith that man had. After church, my Mom layed down for a little while and then while we were sitting and talking in walked my Mom. I think we were all amazed. It was the first time she had gotten off the bed by herself in a long time. Praise God! She said she had been calling for us, we just couldn't hear her. Right before I started writing this she did it again at home. So, it seems that she is getting stronger!

While in Kentucky, I learned to make a different kind of pizza~so good! Our first day there, Hannah had made it and David loved it, we all did. So, our last day, she taught me to make it. We had a lot of fun, or at least I did. She is a great cook and I love learning from her. I also learned a few more songs on guitar. Usually the only time I learn more things is when I go to Kentucky. There aren't too many people around here that play, so they are my teachers! :) I don't have any pictures, just a few short video clips, but I'm not sure how to post those. I'm not sure he would want me to either...

Now for some news, we are going back down to Mexico. On Wednesday before we left, Dr. Donsbach from Mexico called us. He said that his new treatment had come out and he wanted us to come back down. He says he is 90 percent sure it will reverse my Mom's cancer. Thank the Lord! We still believe that any way she is healed it will be because of the Lord. He can use the doctors here, or in Mexico, or by prayers alone. So, we are going back down to Mexico this Sunday for about 13 days. We are praying God will use this treatment to work, but we will have to see. I dont' know much about it, but when I am there and I see it, I can let you all know. Others who have performed this treatment have been very succesful! Please pray for our return down there and for strength for my Mom. Thanks for all the prayers already.

Here are a few more pictures from Kentucky...

Whatever it Takes

This post has nothing to do with my Mom, just some thoughts...

Awhile ago, actually a long while ago, I was thinking about all the things I had changed in my life when becoming a christian. Some were easy, but others were just so tough. Then the Lord put it all into perspective for me. If I really wanted to marry a certain guy, it wouldn't matter what he wanted me to change, I would do it. Anything to please him, or to get the chance to marry him. Normally, I don't wear skirts all the time, and I don't wear a head covering. These are things I thought I would never do. But if the one I was going to marry wanted me to, I wouldn't care. Anything to please him because I would love him. I'd do whatever it takes to marry that person. So, why isn't it like that with God. These are just going to be random things, not things that apply to me. But if God said, No PG-13 movies, and no dating, and no public school, why do we get upset? Or even deeper, no arguing, loving our enemies, and not complaining. Instead of asking God, why, or why can't we, we should do whatever he says, because we love him. And one day we want to live with him. We should do whatever it takes, just like in marriage. It's hard for me to always remember this, I still question some things, like why shouldn't girls work, or why does sickness happen, but it ultimately doesn't matter. If this is what the Lord is giving me, I know I need it. And I need to be okay to change anything that he says. What's my ultimate goal? TO LIVE FOREVER WITH HIM!

I just thought I'd share that with all of you. I hope it makes some since. Sometimes I have all the thoughts in my head, but getting them onto paper is the difficult part. :)

Just an Update

I probably have lots to do right now, but I can't think of any of them, so I might as well blog...right? No, really today is a slow day. The house is clean, dinner is under control, and it's too cold to do anything outside. So we are just sitting here. Mandy is at David's Dad's house cleaning today, so it's just Mom and me, and she's resting right now.

She has been doing very good though. Yesterday we went to the doctor and she was out all day and still felt good. She was able to get her MRI done yesterday and her blood work. We are hoping to get some results today from the MRI. Her next doctor appointment isn't until next Friday, so we probably wont get a detailed report until then. We are praying though for really positive results. All the side effects from radiation seem to be fading away. Her strength is getting better and the control she had lots is coming back. It is so great to see my Mom feeling good and having joy! :)

This weekend we are planning on going to Kentucky to visit some friends. Kentucky is probably our favorite place to go, besides Mexico, so this will make my Mom really happy. As depressed and sick as she has been, everytime I ask what would cheer her up, she says going to Kentucky or seeing the Myers Family. You can imagined how pleased she was to find out we were actually going soon. We haven't seen their family since my Mom was diagnosed with cancer. It was actually April the last time we were there. Wow!

I finished the Old Testament last night, so tonight I am going to start my study of the New Testament in English and Spanish. It should be very interesting. I'm hoping it will help in someway. I imagine this time going throught he NT will take me much longer, what do you think?

I guess that is all of my news. When I find out some results I'll let you all know. Thanks for all the prayers and encouragement.

Danielle

Amazing Grace

As I started writing this, I've been listening to a song by Chris Tomlin. I guess it is a version of Amazing Grace. Here are the lyrics:

Amazing grace
How sweet the sound
That saved a wretch like me
I once was lost, but now I'm found
Was blind, but now I see
'Twas grace that taught my heart to fear
And grace my fears relieved
How precious did that grace appear
The hour I first believed
My chains are gone
I've been set free
My God, my Savior has ransomed me
And like a flood His mercy reigns
Unending love, Amazing grace

The Lord has promised good to me
His word my hope secures
He will my shield and portion be
As long as life endures

The earth shall soon dissolve like snow
The sun forbear to shine
But God, Who called me here below
Will be forever mine
Will be forever mine

I just love this song. The lyrics are very special to me! :)

Our weekend has been pretty good. Yesterday my Mom did wake up with a headache, but after two pain killers and 3 hours, the headache was gone. The pain pills both had side effects of drowsiness though, so my Mom was extremely tired. She had a tougher time walking also, because she was so tired. So, we decided yesterday to increase her steroids to 30 mg. instead of 24 mg. David was saying that in Mexico they were giving her the steroids through IV which makes her get all of it. But being at home she is taking it orally, and from what I've heard, some gets lost. That's the reason for increasing it to 30 mg. It worked though, My mom had no headache this morning and is feeling good. Praise God!

Yesterday we had some guys come over and chop firewood for us. It amazed me, because we didn't tell anyone we were low on wood or that we needed help, but Jake just noticed and called Stephen and Mr. Schuknecht to come and help. They ended up getting us two pick-up truck loads of fire wood. I think we will have enough for this winter now! We are so thankful to these guys.

Also, last night Lora and John Paul Tate came over to visit. It was nice to see them. I wish I could have seen Cheryl too! She is in Romania now though. She did send a gift for my Mom though. It is so special to my Mom. It is a sign that says, "God didn't promise days without pain, Laughter without sorrow, Nor sun without Rain, But he did promise strength for the day, Comfort for the tears, and Light for the Way" This sign was so appropriate for my Mom. Thanks so much Cheryl! It was really nice yesterday night to just laugh. Most things have just been so serious, these last few months. I mean, yeah, I do laugh, and things are funny, but last night topped it all! Just ask John Paul about his layers! :)

Today, I got back to doing some normal things. The last two days, dinner has been somewhat spontaneous. It turned out okay, but it wasn't really planned. So today, I made a menu for this up coming week and David went grocery shopping for me. It was difficult thinking of things to make though, I guess I have been "off work" too long. In Mexico they do all of that for us. Sometimes I think it would be so easy, if someone just made the list and I cooked what they planned. But that could get boring, never picking what you want to make. I don't know. I'll see how this week goes.

I guess that is all of my news. Please continue to pray for my Mom and that God will show me the truth. I've mentioned before about being confused. But I know the Lord will show me in his time about praying his will or asking for things. Can't wait to know! :)

Love, Danielle

Saying Good-Bye

The last few days have been such a turn of events for us. I was expecting another week and half in Mexico, but now we are already home. It's weird how things change so fast. The last two days we were in Mexico, my Mom was having really bad headaches. She also had lost control of her bladder. The doctor talked to me and said he wasn't sure if it was permanent or just a side effect from the Radiation. But we all agreed the radiation isn't doing any good, only harm. So, basically Dr. Quintana, said there was nothing else to do in Mexico at this time. I had written an email to many people explaining all of this and I mentioned that our last hope was gone. I need to clarify though, we were told before ever going to Mexico that it was our last hope. What I meant by all of it was that our last option was gone. We still have the Lord, and he is the best doctor. We could be in Mexico, Missouri, or China, God works anywhere. Lately, I think it has been really hard for me to totally trust the Lord because for some reason I feel like I've been let down. I know this isn't right though. God gives and takes away breath, we shouldn't expect any day. But I was just so sure she would be healed, and now we are being sent home, this didn't make since. I'm still really confused, I don't know what to think. I know I can't give up hope, but it isn't as easy to hold on to right now.(Mandy, My Mom, and Me)

My Mom doesn't know that we were sent home. She was just so happy to find out we were leaving. She has wanted to come home for so long now. Saying good bye was really tough for me. I am not sure when I will see them all again, and we have so many great friends down there now. I'll never forget any of them. :) Mexico will always be so special to me!

(Mucho Loco de la Cabesa)

At the airport in San Diego, our friends Art and Adele and their daughter Alyssa came to see us off. It was really nice to see them before we left. We had a little bit of time before we had to go past security so we decided to get a bite to eat. Well, while we were ordering, I went back to ask my Mom something and she was in the middle of a seizure. Her hand was bent up next to her face and her tounge and jaw were doing very weird things. She was shaking a little and her head was tipped. It was one of the scariest things for me. Everyone was staring at us because my sister and I were crying. Our friends were huddled over her and praying for her and withing 5 minutes she came out of it. She was just crying. I was still just so scared. I talked to David and the doctor, I didnt know what to do. What if this happend while we were on the plane? All of this showed me something though. My first reaction was to cry and then call the doctor or David. Why didn't I turn to the Lord? This is what I mean, my trust isn't fully in him. Oh, how I need to change this. But how? Prayer works, I saw that yesterday, I just wish I would have turned to HIM first. Well, my Mom ended up doing great on the flight. She actually seemed to have more strength after the seizure. She was really hungry and just wanted to eat.

We got into STL around 11:30 last night and then got home by 12:30. We were all exhausted I think. A friend of ours, Mrs. Tate, stayed the night to help, if there were any problems. She is such a great help to us. It ended up that my Mom only got up once in the middle of the night to go to the bathroom and had no other trouble. It seems like the bladder problem she was having was only temporary. Praise God! She also woke up with no headache. I was just so amazed to wake up hearing this good news. We have started her on some seizure medicine, so now she is sleeping, the doctor told us it will make her drowsy. Other than that though, she feels great today. She is so happy to be home and with her friends and family. :)

I also wanted to say one more thing. I wrote earlier in a different post about God not wanting some to be crippled or sick, but after lots of thinking I have changed my mind. I thought that the sickness resulted from sin, that's what I've been told, but I thought of some friends and different family members. What sin would a little boy have commited to get diabetes? Or when a child is born mentally handicapped, that isn't from his sin or the way he lived his life. We accept all the blessings with no question, but when things go wrong we look for reasons. A friend sent me this scripture:
"So Satan went out from the presence of the Lord and struck Job with loathsome sores from the sole of his foot to the crown of his head. And he took a piece of broken pottery with which to scrape himself while he sat in the ashes. Then his wife said to him, "Do you still hold fast to your integrity? Curse God and die." But he said to her, "You speak as one of the foolish women would speak. Shall we receive good from God, and shall we not receive evil?" In all this Job did not sin with his lips. Job 2:7-10

So, I am sorry if I offended anyone, it was not my intention. I was wrong, a different friend was talking with me this morning and we were talking about the different ways God can get glory. I can't remember all of the scriptures. But the main three we talked about that we don't usually think about were through persectuion, sickness and even death. The verse about sickness is:

John 11:4 "When Jesus heard [that], he said, This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God might be glorified thereby."

Here are some pictures from the last day!

Dr. Quintana's new baby boy, Emilio!

Long Wait...Sorry

Okay, I'm sorry I haven't written in awhile. I actually did write over the weekend, but the internet was down so I saved it to the laptop. Then, David left on Monday and took the laptop home, the internet was still not on. So, that's my long excuse. I've asked David to mail me the file, I'm just waiting. And I figured, it will all be old news by the time I post it. I might as well start a new one. Right? I have lots of photos also to post, so you will see them all through out the post. They are mainly just random photos. Tara and David did make it safely here by 10:00 on Friday night. It wasn't the best surprise for my Mom though. She had already been asleep for 2 hours, so when they woke her up she was just really confused. She wasn't sure what day it was or why they were in her room. Not until the next morning did she fully understand. Our visit was okay, it didn't exactly go like I had planned. We were able to do some shopping and Mandy and I went down to the beach with Tara. My mom was pretty tired the whole weekend though, and we started noticing on Saturday that her hair was falling out. This really shocked us, because we had been told that the chemo wouldn't make her hair come out. So, we talked to the doctor and he said it was from the radiation. At first this was really hard for me. I was brushing her hair and it just kept coming and coming. But my Mom seemed to be staying very strong. So, I'm okay with it, actually she looks so beautiful without all of the hair. We figured by Monday she wouldn't have any left, but it is almost Wednesday and she still has some. Tomorrow she will wash her hair though, and I'm pretty sure most of the rest will come out. I think it is all dead, because it feels like a wig. It's pretty strange. We've bought her a hat and we are still looking for bandannas for her head. She doesn't want to go around bald. Her hat looks really cute on her though. This picture was taken on Saturday, I figured it would be the last time for awhile until I could braid her hair again. She still had a lot there.
Today my Mom has been pretty depressed. She woke up with a really bad headache, which is unusual. It was actually very scary for me. I thought she could be going back to how it was the first night we were here. She would just cry, and she couldn't tell me what was hurting. So, we got the nurse and doctor and they gave her the steroids just a little early. After an hour the doctor came up and looked to see if there was a lot of swelling. After looking he said it was all normal, which is really good. Praise God! She ended up going back to bed and she slept until 10:00. But when she woke up, she had no headache anymore. We were so happy. She was able to go to radiation and do most of her other treatments. Although nothing hurt on her, she still wasn't happy. She cried a lot of the day. It was so sad for me to see her like that. She just kept telling me that she would be okay though. We figured she is just really home sick. She wants to see family, friends, and especially the dogs.
Does Mandy looked a little surprised here? She likes to do her "bug" eyes!

This was a dog on the beach when we went on Sunday. Our aunt and uncle came down Sunday from California to spend part of the day with us. It was really nice having them here. It was a really pretty day. The picture of the ocean was taken the same day! :)
Well, I guess that is all of my news. My mom is doing much better now. Not so much in the bad mood. Please continue to pray for my Mom, and thanks to everyone who already has prayed and continues to!

A Wonderful Day!

I wasn't sure how the day would turn out, you know with David being gone, I figured my Mom would sink into depression again. Praise God though, because she didn't! Mandy and I woke up with excitment, thinking about Tara coming.

Well, we've been waiting, waiting, and just more waiting! Tara missed her flight this morning, so her next flight was later in the afternoon. So instead of arriving at 2:00, David thought 8:00. Well then we got another phone call saying Tara's flight is running behind schedule. So, he thought 9:00. Now, the update is that he has her with him, but they won't be here until 10:00 or 10:30. OH BOY! I just know that my Mom will be so excited and surprised, I just want her to get here. I was told she got sick on the plane though, so hopefully she is feeling better now. :)

We had a great day though. My mom finished all of her therapies by 11:00, so when we got back from radiation we weren't rushed at all. I really believe my Mom's legs are getting stronger also. She told me she isn't so sure, but I can tell that I don't have to lift as much anymore, or hold on to her when she walks. A different problem she was having is getting better also. Praise God! In the afternoon we layed out in the sun again. I couldn't believe how hot it was. It had to be in the upper 90's. We went throught almost an entire large water bottle from sitting out there. I hope the weather stays like this.

I also made gorditas today for some of the staff here and for our family. While David was still here we bought some Maseca and queso fresco and avocados. So I have almost everything for them. At first it was going really bad, because the dough was too sticky and the cheese was too clumpy. After many attempts we got the dough right and I figured out the cheese situation. So, tonight I had some dough left over, so I got to try making them all on my own. Scary huh? It actually didn't go too bad...I had enough dough to make 10 gorditas or empenadas (whatever you call them) so I saved two for Tara and David, we had some and then I was able to give some to more staff and some patients. I don't have a picture of the final product, with tomato, lettuce, and avocado, but I do have some others! :)

The picture above this is of the gorditas, not cooked. It is hard to see, because they blend in so well. And the picture below is of a frying pan with them cooking. Sorry, the pics didnt turn out too good. :(I guess that is all! I'm still just waiting...patiently. ;) I do have one other picture too to post. It didn't turn out to well either. Last night there was a beautiful sunset, but my camera didn't do to well. It was too dark outside I guess. The sun was practically down. I'll post it anyway though.
Oh, today Oswaldo, a man who works here, brought a Spanish New Testament. I've been wanting to get one, but couldn't find one here. So, he got me one. I'm almost finished with the Old Testament, so I figured this time through the New Testament, I'll read it in Spanish and English. I've heard of some people learning languages that way, so we will see how it goes. I'm very excited to start though. Maybe in a week or two.

Thanks for all the encouraging emails and prayers!
Hasta Luego!