Tyler's Thing

Whenever grandpa's little white Corolla rolls up to Val's house, Tyler is out in a flash to get the plane out of the trunk and up in the sky. Arriving without the plane is not feasible.

Last Thursday, Nancy and I arrived at Val's house at 5:45 am to travel with her and Chris to USC Norris. Val was sick, having been up all night with Chris, who was struggling with a recurrence of Crohn's. The decision was made to send Val and I to USC. Nancy would stay with the Chris and the troops in Stone Canyon.

We fired up the Chrysler 300 and head El Norte for the two hour drive to LA. Val was sleeping in the back seat and I dialed the cruise to 80 in the commuter lane, hoping not to get busted for (a) speeding or (b) having only one person in the car since Val is not visible through the windows.

We checked in at USC and went to "Blood Draw". Sadly, USC does not have good needle nurses. A painful reality for Val. After this, we consult with Taleen, Dr. Lenz' Nurse Practitioner. Val's weight, BP, and temperature are right on the numbers but she feels like #@*& physically and emotionally.

Dr. Lenz comes in and we discuss the radiology report. The results; slight shrinkage observed in the large (6.7 cm) tumor, no change in the shadows observed since October in the lungs, inconconclusive on the enlarged head of the pancreatic lymph nodes, also observed in previous scans. He asks if we would like to see the films and we are out of the exam room in a flash. Going out into the hallway I see an entire wall of films and ask which picture are Val's. "All of them", said Dr. Lenz, and he proceeds to explain the details. The large tumor is located in the right lobe of the liver, probably surrounding the bile duct. The left lobe has numerous small tumors.

The goal is to shrink the tumors in the left lobe until a PET shows a low enough metabolic activity to move ahead with a surgical procedure called re-section. This involves removing all or a portion of the left lobe containing the large tumor. The liver (the largest organ in the body) has the amazing ability of regenerating itself with 8 weeks!

Val asks Dr. Lenz if she can postpone her Chemo infusion of Avastin and 5FU/LV for a week. He says ok, adding "we are chasing this disease, it is not chasing us". I liked hearing that!

Finally, The blood results come out of the Lab. High liver enzymes. Not a good thing. Like storm clouds in an otherwise blue sky.

We started home and realized we had forgotton a prescription mouthwash made only by USC. This is needed to deal with the side effects of 5FU. Did a U-turn on I-710 and went back to pick it up.

On the way home, Val asked me why God did not heal her completely in a healing service several weeks ago. I told her that He is healing her day-by-day. If this claim seems almost arrogant to you in light of the elevated liver enzymes, beloved, just look at God's promise to Valerie spoken through the Prophet Jeremiah (29:11). "For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."

It reminds me of a song I learned years ago, "Little by little every day. Little by little in every way. Jesus is changing me. Sometimes it slow go'in but there's a know'in. someday perfect I will be."

When we returned to Stone Canyon, Nancy and I took the kids to spend the rest of the day at the beach so Val and Chris could get some rest. Char called me that night to tell us that Aunt Nancy from Lakewood, Ohio had died.

Fast forward seven days. It is Thursday (yesterday). Chris and Val go to USC for the postponed Chemo Infusion. Having lost my cell phone, I am out of touch with the world. Paul called me on my land line. Val's liver enzymes and Bilirubin are up. She is at Scripps Encinitas for an Ultrasound to look at the bile duct for possible blockage. I pick her up at 4:15. She looks great to me. No jaundice. We have dinner at Wahoo's, get some takeout for everyone at home and head for Stone Canyon.

Today is Friday. Paul walks into my office and hands me his cell phone. Nancy tells me that USC has received the Ultrasound results from Scripps. No clear conclusions but our enemy is in our face.

Beloved, we are cast down but never destroyed. We are in peril but always our Redeemer is with us.

Your prayers are so important to us. Please pray that we would have wisdom to know if any of the holistic products Val is taking from The Block Institute are interfering with chemotherapy, and that the USC Medical Staff (Dr. Lenz and Taleen Khoukaz) would be highly motivated and filled with discernment in her treatment. Pray that God would intervene and that His mighty hand would reach down and wrench this disease from Val's body.

This is my beloved daughter, whom I love more than life itself.