Dear praying friends,

It has been over a week now since we celebrated Doug’s life – in style. Thank you for upholding our family in prayer as we prepared, talked, laughed, cried, reminisced … and then as we held the service.

Dear praying friends,

Thank you for your prayers and concern. Thank you for your friendship and care. Tomorrow (Monday) we will meet with the “Palliative Team” re the next step in Doug’s care. We have been strongly encouraged to utilize Hospice Care, but at this point of time I plan on having Doug discharged to come back home.

Dear friends and family,

Well I had such plans for today –(Wednesday) and altho’ everything changed, it was still very enjoyable. I had also planned on finishing this email yesterday, as it is now Thursday, but I was just TOO weary to finish it last night.

Dear praying friends,

                After a few days of preparation all things are ‘in place’ to bring Doug home tomorrow.  He is still considered “high care” – with the need of a hospital bed, bedside commode, etc.  However, he is excited to be returning to ‘home’ and we would appreciate your continued prayers for ability to function and meet Doug’s needs.  8 ½ weeks ago, I took Doug into ED at the hospital, and many many things have happened in that time, but the Lord has seen fit to bring Doug through some rough days, and an opportunity to return home.

Dear family and friends,

We are now part way through our 8th week at the hospital. The doctor was rather encouraged today – having changed one of Doug’s drugs, his potassium levels have remained closer to where they ought to be, instead of leaching out every day. The nurse remarked today, that Doug must have had some 100 mini bags of potassium over the past couple of weeks.

Dear praying friends,

Doug was making some progress this past week, physio therapists had had him up on his feet, and the doctor had even given me permission to take him home for 2 hours on Saturday afternoon, so he could be with the family as we celebrated Ezekiel’s 3^rd birthday.

I had all things in place for the outing, then the day before, Doug’s PEG site was VERY itchy, and eventually dislodged – they found bad dermatitis under the dressing, and the need for Doug to go into surgery again, to have a new PEG inserted.  That happened late Friday afternoon.  Then in the middle of the night, he was quite distressed, and it appeared that his catheter wasn’t running correctly, and had to have a new catheter put in.  After all these unexpected events with the trauma that went along with them, he was not “up” to leaving the hospital yesterday afternoon.

Feb. 3, 2014

Dear praying friends and family,

Just home for an hour – to regroup, water the garden, shower, etc. School is back in, the roads are busier, and the hospital was fairly bustling this morning.
The doctors, have Doug slated for a PEG “early” this week – still not sure exactly which day, and ONCE that is done, they want him 4 more days in the hospital to build him up to the correct amount of nourishment. He is allowed visitors.
I have been contemplating the Bible verse, Matthew 10:30 where Jesus says “And even the very hairs on your head are all numbered.” Showing us again how even the smallest detail of our lives, God knows and understands. I don’t know whether the chemotherapy did a “number” on Doug’s lung tumour, but the chemo certainly did a “number” on Doug’s hair, as day after day, his dark curls are covering the pillow slips. May be time for a #1 clipper hair cut!!!

Dear friends and family,

A new day, a new year. Wonder what God has for each one of us this year. Whatever lays ahead, it is GREAT to KNOW that He holds the future in His hands, and nothing takes Him by surprise. Not ONLY that, BUT, we KNOW He loved us so much that He sent His only Son to die on Calvary, so that we could have eternal life.

May God draw you closer to Him this year, as you walk with Him, and live for Him.

Dear Friends,

It is now a week since we were in at the hospital. Friends offered to drive us in which was a blessing, and we wanted to be prompt for our appointment, only to arrive and be told that two of the doctors had been called into Emergency surgery, and there was going to be a long wait. I did ask the nurse, if it was possible to put some local anesthetic cream over the suture line, which she did. SO-o-o-o when we saw the consultant an hour later and he requested the nurse to remove the staples, Doug was quite comfortable throughout. During the removal of the 26+ staples, the consultant came in to tell Mr Doug Croot, that again he was a challenge to the medical profession. The pathologist, even after two weeks, was finding it difficult to determine exactly what kind of cancer with which they are dealing, and altho’ they only needed to remove one lymph node, they do want to go ahead and radiate that area of his chin/neck, simultaneously radiating his lung.

Dear Friends,

It is now a week since we were in at the hospital. Friends offered to drive us in which was a blessing, and we wanted to be prompt for our appointment, only to arrive and be told that two of the doctors had been called into Emergency surgery, and there was going to be a long wait. I did ask the nurse, if it was possible to put some local anesthetic cream over the suture line, which she did. So when we saw the consultant an hour later and he requested the nurse to remove the staples, Doug was quite comfortable throughout. During the removal of the 26+ staples, the consultant came in to tell Mr Doug Croot that again he was a challenge to the medical profession. The pathologist, even after two weeks, was finding it difficult to determine exactly what kind of cancer with which they are dealing, and although they only needed to remove one lymph node, they do want to go ahead and radiate that area of his chin/neck, simultaneously radiating his lung.

Dear praying friends,

Thank you for your friendship and prayers. It has seemed a long time, since being aware of “something” on Doug’s lung and getting any results.

We did meet with the respiratory specialist this morning. The results of the bronchoscopy and PET scan show MORE than we expected, and as yet, we have no timeline as to treatment or prognosis, as we have now been referred to the radiologist/oncologist and await another appointment.

Dear praying friends,

Doug did go into the respiratory clinic yesterday, and has been seen by two doctors, but there is no diagnosis until after a bronchoscopy which will be in 7 – 14 days, depending on when there is a bed available. The doctors were concerned at his only having the one nostril, and small mouth, which makes the procedure a little more difficult, and the probable use of a pediatric scope. We wait for confirmation of a day and time.