Sunday, October 29, 2006

Update for 10-29-06

Sunday
We are having a wonderful time in North Carolina with our dear friends the Guenthers who moved here a year ago, the Carnevales who we traveled here with and Julie Eacott, a long time friend from our Marriage Encounter days. We have laughed a lot, watch old videos of us years ago and just caught up with each other. Friday we went to the Biltmore Estate. It was raining so we couldn't look at the gardens but the home was gigantic and unbelievable. Then yesterday we went to the home of Carl Sandberg. What a difference. He lived very simply and had gorgeous views of the countryside from his home up on the hill. Tha fall colors are wonderful and Joe borrewed Barb's camera to take some pictures. We have experienced some great vegetarian meals at all-vegetarian restaurants. I think I need to take some cooking lessons. My food doesn't taste nearly as good as what I have eaten this weekend. Joe continues to do well although I am pushing food and snacks on him so he doesn't lose too much more weight too fast. We head home tomrrow but will take two days and stop and see the sights as we go. Thanks for all your prayers and comments. We feel blessed with every good day we have. God bless. Mary Anne

Tuesday, October 24, 2006

Update for 10-24-06

It's another beautiful day! Sunny with a crispness in the air. These days, each day is a gift. It's amazing what something like Cancer can do for your attitude about the specialness of each day. I am still feeling very well except for the occasional "quesyness" ...(I'm not sure how you spell that). The Vegan diet is going well as I have lost thirty pounds (Yes, 30 lbs.) and managed to pare me down to just overweight from the previous morbidly obese.

As you regular readers know I have decided not to do any chemo. This type of Cancer is medically incurable (boy is that hard to read in the reports about yourself). I have not known anyone who has taken chemo and continued to feel well. I feel well now and so it seems irrational of me to take chemo which will make me feel badly but will extend my life. If I am feeling rotten, why would I want me life extended anyway?

As you know, we are praying for God to heal me but no matter what happens, it will all be in His plan. Words cannot express how humbled I am from all the cards, letters and especially the large numbers of those praying for me. Some time ago I received a prayer blanket and on it was a verse from Joshua 1, 5. "Be strong and couragous. Do not be terrified. Do not be discouraged for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go".
Thanks to all of you who read this for your care and support. I continue to feel wrapped in love and prayer!

Joe

Tuesday, October 17, 2006

Update for 10-17-06

Just arrived home from our trip. It was wonderful and Joe remained feeling well the whole time. We spent the last weekend in Las Vegas with our daughter Karen and had a wonderful time seeing the show "O" by Cirque de Soleil, and also the Hoover Dam. We will be home for a week and the off to see our friends the Guenthers who moved away a year ago to North Carolina. We are driving down with Carnevales and our dear friend Julie who used to be part of our sharing group from Marriage Encounter is going to meet us there from Boston. We will have lots of laughs talking about old times and just catching up. We will be gone from Oct. 26th to 31st. We have an appointment with Dr. Mulcahy when we return but are still firm in the decision not to take chemo. God Bless you all and please continue to pray. We are still looking for a miracle. Mary anne

Thursday, October 12, 2006

Update for 10-12-06

We had a beautiful day yesterday at Canyonlands National Park. We took two short hikes to see the vast ranges of mesa and buttes and then stood at the Grand View and the four of us prayed together for the beauty and for healing of Joe’s cancer. It was magnificent. It is really easy to pray when you are looking at God’s creation. We came back to Moab and toured the shops a little, took a nap and went to dinner. Joe has been spending time fixing the pictures on his computer so they are the best. We have never seen country like this. We ate a picnic lunch at one of the overlooks and some beautiful Pinon Jays, which are a gorgeous blue, joined us.

We have so much to be thankful for:

  • That Joe feels well enough to enjoy this trip that he has wanted to do for so long.
  • That we have wonderful friends to be able to share this with,
  • That we feel the grace of all the prayers each day.

We so value all the people who read this blog and care and believe that God can work with this cancer and bring good out of it.
Love to all of you and God Bless Mary Anne

Tuesday, October 10, 2006

Update for 10- 10 -06

Yesterday was a rainy day so we drove through Capital Reef but the scenic drive was closed as welll as all the trails. We came back to the motel and napped, had veggie subway for dinner and then played hand and foot. Score girls 1 Boys 1. The football game wasn't on in this town as well as no cell phone usuage. Glad we have the computer with us to keep in contact. It is amazing hoe different the formations are from one park to the other as well as just from one side of the road to the other. We actually drove through an area with 2 inces of snow on the road. They say this is like a 100 year rain. We hope to be able to get to Moab today but if it rained too much last night we will have to go the long way around because Hwy 24 was closed a few days ago because of the rain. We will spend 3 days in Moab and hope to have phone service. There we will see Canyonlands and the Arches. Joe has taken some wonderful pictures with Ed's camera and we hope to download them today so we can take more. Love to you all and please keep praying.
We are using the last Xango juice today but should have a shipment waiting for us in Moab. ( That is the mangostein juice but the particular brand we use is called Xango.) Bye for now. We will check in tomorrow. God Bless Mary Anne

Monday, October 09, 2006

Update for 10-9-06

We had a great day yesterday. We visited the original ruins of an Anatazi dwelling in Boulder and then went on a 6 mile hike to Calf Creek Falls. We weren't sure if we could go all the way but we did and were proud that we could. Our son Michael will also be proud becaue he did this trail a few years ago and recommended it to us. Joe led the group and was a real trooper. It was worth the hike, the falls were beautiful and we had lots of good laughs. We played name that tune with three notes on the way back. We didn't start out til 3 P.M. so were concerned with how long it would take but we did it in three hours. We were pooped when we got back and ate and went to bed at 8 (well at least I did). Joe's stomach felt good all day also so that was a God thing. We are eating mostly vegan but sometimes we just can't get it. We are using the juice plus and the barley max to substitute for the juicing. There is still no cell phone coverage. Our plans for today may be changed becaue they are expecting more rain and the road we need to take has been flooded. Please pray the Joe continues to feel well and that He will use this time to bring us closer to Him. Seeing his natural beauty, you can't help but know what a wonderful God He is and how He loves us. God Bless Mary Anne

Sunday, October 08, 2006

Update with a very nice comment

Update for 10-8-06

We are totally out of cell phone range and didn't have internet either yesterday. However we are in Escalante today and will spend two days here seeing the Escalante grand staircase and state park and one other thing. If you have been watching the news Utah has had some horrific storms, very unusual for them, and flash floods. We haven't been bothered by it yet but we may find some things not accessible today due to rock slides etc. We ate at Hell's Backbone Grill last night and it was all organic food,. Delicious, not all vegan, but at least very healthy. Yesterday we saw Bryce Canyon and it was again spectacular. I can't think of another word to use to describe it. We can't find a camera store anywhere but Joe filled up Ed's camera disc and now he is deleting some to have more room For those of you who know Joe well, he takes hundreds of picture each day on a trip like this. So the one disc Ed has doesn't quite make it. He continues to feel well except for the queeziness which is back. His headache is gone. Yesterday we walked two trails and probably a total of 4 miles. We are getting our exercise and drinking lots of bottled water. Michael, our son, bought Joe some great running shoes so he is wearing those for our walks. Yesterday we saw Quail, a beefalo (not a buffalo), chipmunks, two golden eagles and jackrabbits. It is so nice to see wildlife in their own terrain. Please keep praying for health and safety. We so appreciate your support.
Take care God Bless Mary Anne

Friday, October 06, 2006

Update for 10-6-06

We arrived yesterday with no problems and although we had thunderstorms on and off we did go through Zion National Park yesterday afternoon and had dinner in the restaurant in Zion Lodge. Joe had a headache most of the day yesterday and for those of you who know him he has SAD which means rainy days are not good. On top of this his camera jammed and the lens won't come out. Taking pictures is a huge value to Joe so please pray that either we can get it fixed in this tiny town today or he will be happy with borrowing Ed's camera. Even in the rain, the cliffs are spectacular and we got in a 2 mile walk between the storms along the Virgin River that runs all through the park. Our pastors daughter, Debby, sang a song at church recently and I can't get the words out of my head it said "light your candle, run to the darkness" I think for me this means for Joe to feed his body healthy food that God originally intended us to eat and it will run to the cancer and it will be dark no more. All night I kept waking up to the words of this song so I must need these words today. Thanks to all who are praying and caring. We are back to Zion this morning and then on to Brice this afternoon. God Bless Mary Anne

Tuesday, October 03, 2006

Update for 10-3-06

We are getting very excited. We leave for Utah in 2 days and are trying to pack for cool weather in Utah and warm weather in Las Vegas. I want to bring the computer so we can blog along the way (where did that word come from?). We hope we will have room. Joe continues to feel well and we are taking the Xango juice with us and will have a case drop shipped to one of the hotels so Joe can stay on it. We hope to stay as legal as possible to the nutrition program and Joe is such a trooper. I am trying new recipes every day and some are not as successful as others. Yesterday I made a cold raw soup with zuccinni as the main ingredient as well as other vegetables. I could tell when Joe took the first taste it wasn't good. I had him make himself a almond butter and fruit spread sandwich and I continued to eat the soup. This program agrees with my system so well, my irritable bowel is gone! However I know I liked veggies better than Joe to start with. Another thing I realized yesterday is I won't have to cook or prepare raw for two weeks. I can't remember the last time I didn't cook for two weeks. Maybe NEVER. Each day is a blessing and we are trying not to waste them. We pray every day that this cancer will be used for God's glory in some way. As an aside, I started coaching a swim team here at Carillon in June rather than train for Triathlons. What a Godsend decision that was. Our club has competed several times and I love seeing them enjoy swimming as I do. They gave me a gift certificate yesterday for a manicure, pedicure and massage. They will make sure I take care of myself in case I don't. They are also taking over while I am gone so they don't lose two weeks of practice.
Joe is supposed to play his last golf game of the season today but with all the rain last night he may be swimming on the golf course. Love to you all and God Bless. I will do my best to get the computer in. It goes with my favorite scripture - Phil 4-13 I can do all things through Christ who give me strength. That fits in so many situations. Mary anne