Urgent, Urgent Prayer Request

Well, I get sad that my husband is undergoing chemo & then I receive this e-mail from my best friend in the whole world (other than Ben), Mikele. Please pray for this family & let me know if you can help with beds/mattresses & I'll get the info over to her.

Hello friends,
I wanted to write and ask you to pray for a dear family, the Taylors, that I have grown up with. Their youngest son, Nathan (24 years old), was in Oregon visiting family when he and a friend decided to go out fishing for a few hours. They were in a small boat that was capsized by 2 waves that hit them unexpectedly. The boat was too far from shore for the two guys to swim, and due to the frigid temperature of the water, Nathan lost consciousness before help could reach them. His friend tried desperately to keep him above water, but the weight of their bulky clothes and the hypothermia that had already set in prevented his friend from keeping Nathan afloat. The Search and Rescue team tried desperately to find Nathan, but they knew that unless they could find him immediately, there was no chance that he would be alive. The team searched for hours, but were not able to find his body. They called off the search once the sun set, but the Taylor family and friends continued their own search. Nathan’s body was found by his father, brother and sister that night, more than 8 hours after he went missing. Nathan leaves behind a wife and a 3-month old son. Please pray for Nathan’s family, that they will find supernatural comfort in the Father’s arms. This tragedy has hit everyone hard, and I can’t imagine the shock of this loss for his family. By God’s grace, they can rest in the knowledge that Nathan is in the Lord’s presence, and that they will be united with him again one day.

The funeral will be held in Oregon on Friday, but Nathan and his wife lived in Denton . We will be holding a memorial service for Nathan here in Dallas on Saturday, December 9th.

There are many people who will be coming in for the service, and I wanted to see if any of you know of extra beds that might be available for me to borrow for the weekend. I have 3 bedrooms in my new house that are not being used yet, and I would really like to open up my house for people to use for the weekend, but I don’t have any beds in the rooms. If any of you have extra beds that I could borrow, would you please let me know? My dad has a truck that we could use to transport the beds, and I could have it back to you as soon as the guests leave. Any help you could provide would be so appreciated.

Thank you for being a part of the amazing Body of Christ! It is times like these when we realize how important it is to have this incredible support system around us. Thanks for your prayers for this family.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Well, after 3+ years of marriage, I found out yesterday that Thanksgiving is Ben's absolute favorite! He loves Turkey & Stuffing! I've never seen so much excitement from him!! This is his favorite Thanksgiving Song! Please oblige him and view the fun!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2JsILdSZf-0

To back up a little bit...this has been a really rough week. After cutting down the tree, Ben exhausted himself too much. Every ounce of energy in his body needs to go toward healing and he put way too much toward cutting down the tree. So, he was flat on his back most of Sunday, Monday, & Tuesday. Yesterday, he got up and had breakfast about 10:20am. Those of you that know Ben well, know that he should be having lunch by then he wakes up so early. So, as his wife, this has been a hard week. I'm used to Ben leaving so early for school & waking me up as he's leaving. However, all weeek, I've been waking up prior to my alarm even going off and I'm out the door before he's begun to stir. It's been hard because this is the first time that we've really seen the "cancer" affect us. He's just not had any energy & was incredibly nauseated. So, NEW RULE in our house: Ben is no longer allowed to do much manual labor. It exhausts him and doesn't allow his body to fight the way it should.

I was also sick on Monday. All this craziness that we've been trying to figure out since April with me hit a peak. They originally thought I was having seizures & the EEG said NO. So, they've continued to do testing, but once I had seen NINE physicians and Ben was diagnosed, I just said, "I don't have time to mess with this anymore." The "episodes" have continued to effect me, but I've done my best to ignore it. On Monday, my body said I couldn't ignore it. I was so nauseated & sick that I couldn't move either. So, I wasn't much help to Ben on Monday. I was eventually able to get on line and do some reasearch to try to figure out what could be going on...I think I may have figured some of it out & I ordered some supplements from a doctor out here. I got them Monday night and haven't had any episodes since...Praise the Lord!!! So, now it's back to Ben!!

Anyway, he woke up this morning feeling much better! Thank you, Jesus! Just in time for some Turkey, huh?

So, everyone enjoy turkey today! I am most grateful for my precious husband today and our Heavenly Father that gives us strength to fight this battle!! Give your family an extra hug today...

Quick Updates

Well, today was a bit rougher than yesterday. I think Ben worked himself too hard being a wilderness man, cutting down the tree. He woke up this morning and was unable to move due to feeling so sick. His joints were also bothering him, which is a side effect of the chemo, but could also be the hard work yesterday. Anyway, he was pretty bad this morning. The worst I've ever seen him. I made him a flat egg and he was able to eat that. However, I also made him world's greatest smoothie and he couldn't get much of that down.

I think Ben has missed church in his life maybe twice and I think it's 'cause he was at T Bar M, a Christian Sports Camp. However, he missed this morning. He just felt so yucky. It was very weird going to church without my hubby by my side. Especially since we started a marriage series in Sunday School! "Turn to your spouse and discuss..." That was a bit odd, but I managed. We also found out that his nurse on Friday burnt his vein. She allowed the DTIC (one of the meds) to pump through too quickly. It has a tendency to burn if that happens. So, he has a red streak starting in the middle of his hand and working it's way up his arm. It's also swollen considerably. So, the doc called in some meds for that and nausea today.

So, after church, I wanted to find something to help Ben's stomach. He said he thought he could eat Chicken Noodle Soup. So, I was off on a quest....Culver's...NO; Schlotzky's...NO; Wendy's...NO; Chick-fil-A...CLOSED; So, finally, I went to Luigi's, a local Italian restaurant. All they had was minestrone, but he threw in extra noodles and Chicken!! So, when I finally made it home (around 1:30pm), Ben actually ate two bowls worth. Then, about an hour or so later, he had another bowl! Yeah! He's eating even though he feels yucky!

Finally, tonight, we had some special friends over. Our friends, David & Kim, are adopting Baby Abbey (Elena) from Russia. They have already made their first trip over, but their second trip has been delayed by Russia. They also got a judge that isn't known for being the kindest on the block. After your court date, there is a 10-day waiting period in Russia before you can take your baby home. The 10 days is a formality and most judges wave it. However, this guy isn't known for waving it. They are scheduled to leave Dec. 15th to go get her. That means they won't be able to come home until after Christmas since the Russians celebrate American & Russian holidays. So, they would be able to leave the province Abbey is in on the 25th & then be stuck in Moscow till after the beginning of the year (somewhere around January 6th) when they come back from the holidays. They have a two, almost three year old daughter, Emily, that would be here all that time. So,the big prayer is that the judge will have an unusual change of heart and he would wave the 10-days!! Please, Lord! So, we had a little prayer time at our house tonight for them. We had some sweet friends from our Sunday School class that also came over to lift them up in prayer! It was a special time!

While they were here, Ben got hungry again!! Thank you, Lord! So, he finished off the soup! YEAH!!! He is super tired & ready for me to get in bed...so, I'm going to end.

Please be in prayer for:

*Ben & his stomach and arm, as it is really tender.
*our friends, David, Kim, Emily, & Abbey
*Dan Jennings, the father of a friend. He has colon cancer.

Thank you all for loving on us and lifting us up to our Heavenly Father!

Goodnight!!

All kinds of updates

Well, all kinds of fun stuff has occured since we started waiting yesterday for chemo to begin...

We posted that we were still waiting & then had a friend of ours from church & the adoption ministry e-mail us to let us know she was praying. I later replied to her and told her that because of the wait, we had a very special opportunity. Out of the chemo rooms, a man walked with his son that looked Korean. We got excited and kept trying to get the man's attention without attracting the son, too. We never felt comfortable enough to call him over and ask if his son was adopted. However, a few minutes later a lady came walking in with two daughters that appeared to be Chinese. The girls stopped to look at the fish tank and the lady walked toward us. So, I stopped her and told her that we were adopting a baby from S. Korea and saw her children and wondered if they were also adopted. She was such a sweet woman & both her girls are Chinese & their son (the youngest) is Korean. She said that she brought him home Christmas Eve and it was the most beautiful, amazing experience EVER! Had we gone back for chemo at the right time, we never would have met this precious family!! So, I e-mailed our friend back to tell her about meeting them & she had specifically prayed that the Lord would reveal to us why we were having to wait! Praise Him that He answers prayers & that we have friends that take the time to lift us up specifically!!

Speaking of precious friends, one of the guys from our Sunday School class came over this morning to help Ben cut down the tree in the backyard. Ben had started the process and the chainsaw he was borrowing broke. So, he had to stop halfway through the process. Andy has been over here half the morning working his tail off to help us get the tree down. Ben is having to be super careful since he just had chemo yesterday & that makes him incredibly susceptible to infection. So, he had to wear a surgical mask while he was out there. Here are pictures of their progress so far. They've just left to go to Home Depot and buy an ax so that they can get the stump out of the ground! Wow! Andy, Thank you & may the Lord bless you for loving on us and working so hard to help us today!!

Working Hard!!

BONFIRE Anyone??!!

The remaining tree stump!!

Finally, we noticed when we woke up this morning that Ben had some hair on his pillow. Then, he noticed he had some in his mouth (yucky!). So, when he went in to the bathroom this morning to straighten his hair, he put a little water on his hands and ran it through his hair...he had a handful. We assume this means the hair loss is beginning. He can tell that a few spots look like they have less hair. I asked him if he was going to get a haircut, shave it, or what? He said he didn't really know and he'd figure it out later. It's obviously not affecting him that much! Such a stud and trooper! Though a tad bit morbid, I thought this was sweet today. When we were laying in bed, fighting waking up, Ben turned to me and said that if he was to die, he wants to give his eyes to his brother. He found out this week that his brother needs a cornea transplant. So, he said he wants to make sure that Tim gets his eyes if anything happens! NOTED!! Such a sweet giving man I'm blessed to be married to....

Prayers!!

Well, we are still sitting here waiting to go back to Chemo. The lab is behind today b/c their computer is broken. So, we have been delayed considerably. I'm sitting here doing some work & I just got this e-mail from a friend in our Sunday School class. Please be in prayer for them.

Ya'll, one of our kindergartners lost his dad last night. The mom woke up this morning and found him dead in the living room. He was 34 and they have a 9 mon old, 2 year old, and a kindergartner. The mom called a neighbor to take the kids, and the little boy was sent to school. I just had him in my class (he doesn't know yet) and it was so hard thinking that his life will change forever when he goes home this evening. So, I'm asking that we all keep the Cheek family in our prayers. They think the death was heart related. Thanks.
Beth

Chemo #3 of 12

Well, I was able to get a quick internet connection while waiting in a doctor’s office. So, I thought I would give y’all a quick update!

Today is Chemo #3 of 12 Total. So, after today, we are ¼ of the way complete! Praise Jesus! Especially since he’s already healed…we’re ready for this to be over.

He also has a doctor’s appt. today which should be nice to get a few more answers.

His chemo is today at 1p. So, for those of you that check this regularly & may see this before then, you can pray for him at 1pm. We are hoping that today goes a little faster than last time. We think last time took longer b/c they did it in his left hand & he seems to pump faster with the right one…so, we should be in the right hand today.

Ben has done so well these last two weeks. I think that knowing what to expect helped him to get through the side effects a little bit better this last time. He still had them, but seemed to handle them much better. He didn’t miss any school at all. Such a trooper…

So, please be in prayer that all would go well today & that he will feel better this time.

Also, for a “fun” note, he thinks that his hair is starting to fall out a little bit. He can’t beat me yet as I lose about 5 handfuls each morning in the shower & then another 4-5 while drying my hair. He was shocked when he looked in the trash can the other day & saw all of my hair from that morning. I told him I’ll have to shave my head before he will!! ; ) Ahhh, the lovely effects of stress (& we were worried about chemo).

Baby Alec is doing very well based on the last report that we received. He was breathing on his own! Thank you, Jesus.

Will you also be in prayer for our friends, David & Kim? They are supposed to be picking up their little girl, Abbey, from Russia any day now & the Russian government has delayed their trip. They also received one of the toughest judges. There is a 10-day waiting period that is usually waived (it’s just a formality), but he is apparently the only one that doesn’t waive it. This would require a lot of additional expenses for them as they would just have to sit in a hotel room for ten additional days & eat out, etc. So, please pray that they get to go soon & the judge waives the 10-days!!

Thank you all for your prayers!

Healing!!

Well, the other day I mentioned Ben's "cancer" to him & he said, "I don't have cancer anymore. The Lord has healed me!" The truth is that we are unable to feel any of the tumors anymore. However, I was still a bit skeptical! Then, this scripture was my quiet time today. Can we say conviction & have a little faith, Meredith?

Mark 5:25-42

A large crowd followed and pressed around him. 25And a woman was there who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years. 26She had suffered a great deal under the care of many doctors and had spent all she had, yet instead of getting better she grew worse. 27When she heard about Jesus, she came up behind him in the crowd and touched his cloak, 28because she thought, "If I just touch his clothes, I will be healed." 29Immediately her bleeding stopped and she felt in her body that she was freed from her suffering.

30At once Jesus realized that power had gone out from him. He turned around in the crowd and asked, "Who touched my clothes?"

31"You see the people crowding against you," his disciples answered, "and yet you can ask, 'Who touched me?' "

32But Jesus kept looking around to see who had done it. 33Then the woman, knowing what had happened to her, came and fell at his feet and, trembling with fear, told him the whole truth. 34He said to her, "Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace and be freed from your suffering."

35While Jesus was still speaking, some men came from the house of Jairus, the synagogue ruler. "Your daughter is dead," they said. "Why bother the teacher any more?"

36Ignoring what they said, Jesus told the synagogue ruler, "Don't be afraid; just believe."

37He did not let anyone follow him except Peter, James and John the brother of James. 38When they came to the home of the synagogue ruler, Jesus saw a commotion, with people crying and wailing loudly. 39He went in and said to them, "Why all this commotion and wailing? The child is not dead but asleep." 40But they laughed at him.
After he put them all out, he took the child's father and mother and the disciples who were with him, and went in where the child was. 41He took her by the hand and said to her, "Talitha koum!" (which means, "Little girl, I say to you, get up!" ). 42Immediately the girl stood up and walked around (she was
twelve years old). At this they were completely astonished.

When Ben and I were dating, we took a spiritual gifts test in our Sunday School class. FAITH was #1 on Ben's list & the last one on my list. MERCY was #1 on my list and last on his. So, I guess when they say that you complement one another (rather than complete one another), it's quite true! When I am weak, Ben is strong, where Ben is weak, I am strong. So, I am learning so much about Faith through Ben & this walk we're taking with the Lord! May your FAITH also be increased today!!

Amazing!!!

You are all absolutely wonderful!!

Wow!

When Ben got home tonight, he had 45 e-mails!!! He has since received another 15+!! We are overwhelmed with how precious you have all been!

When he walked in the door, he immediately laid down & took a nap. He felt awful. When he woke up, he had his favorite meal waiting for him: grilled chicken, green peas, & Uncle Ben's Wild Rice!! Followed by a cookie cake!! I think it made him feel better. ; )



Then, we had a sweet friend stop by & bring homemade chocolate chip cookies & balloons! So fun & encouraging!!

He is now finishing a term paper that is due tomorrow. It is for his virology class & he's writing it about the Epstein-Barr Virus (a.k.a. mono)! Anyway, through his research we have learned that EBV can cause Hodgkin's Lymphoma. Ben has no family history of cancer & so we learned that there are many viruses that can cause cancer. Sure enough Epstein-Barr is one of them. So, Ben is truly enjoying this class as so much of it is applicable to what he is experiencing!!

Again, thank you so much for loving on Ben, he has been so encouraged!!

Birthday Fun!!

Monday, the 6th, is Ben's birthday! Yippee!!

He has class from 10-11, but other than that, he'll be studying most of the day. If you are willing to take the time, why don't you e-mail or call him to wish him a Happy Day & let him know how many people are thinking about him & praying for him!!

I know he will be greatly encouraged!

You are all such a blessing to us & he is such a blessing to me that I want him to know that we are all celebrating him!!!

Thank you!!

Also, here are some pics that I took of him this weekend!!

This is him cutting down the tree in our backyard...

This is just a fun pic so that you can see how great he looks after two chemo treatments!!

Chemo #2 here we come

I will not die, but I will live to tell what the Lord has done."
Psalm 118:17 NLT

Well, here we are in Sammons tower. They are doing his first infusion, which is adriamycin. It's the red one. He's dancing in his chair needing to go to the bathroom (thanks to the adriamycin).

Ok, now they've just completed the Vinblastine.

We are to the last one now. It has taken longer today than it did last time. We don't know if there's a reason for it. Last time took a little more than an hour, we have already hit the two
hour mark with this one. However, Ben is quite entertained as he is watching the Blues Brothers on our computer!!

His nurse today, Mary is very sweet & knows her stuff. There is another nurse here that has been Hodgkin's free for 16 years, Patsy. She's a lot of fun. She came over & introduced herself
& encouraged us that Hodgkin's is so incredibly curable...90% cure rate now a days.

Ben's white count was REALLY low today & so they are putting him on Levaquin, a broad-spectrum antibiotic, since they want to fight all that he could possibly catch. So, we are going to need to avoid major public settings for a little bit.

The nurses here are a lot of fun. They know that I'm in pharma sales since I challenged the Levaquin Rx making sure it was exactly what he needed. They are all encouraging me to go into Oncology sales. I may have to check into what the company has to offer, but I would hate to leave my amazing manager & great team!! So, we'll have to see. The Lord would have to set the position in my lap, I think.

Anyway, the computer is about to die, so I'm going to hurry and finish this.

Please pray for:

*Ben's blood counts as they are a little off the charts & we would love for them to stabilize a bit more.
*Ben to not catch any bugs that are going around while his immune system is down.
*Baby Alec-some friends of ours have a friend that delivered her baby early & he swallowed some meconnium a few days prior to his birth. He was transferred to Children's &
is now on a CardioPulmonary Bypass Machine to give his heart & lungs a break while the meconnium clears out. Mom was discharged today & so she gets to go see her baby for the first time since delivery.
*Mom-she's been a little sick the last few days.

We love you all & Praise the Lord that you sit at our Father's feet in prayer for Ben!!

because of Him,

Meredith

p.s. Ben is wearing his "not I but Christ" shirt today! He has already had multiple people comment on it! Such sweet staff members & believers here!!