Hi Everyone!
We wanted to get a couple urgent prayer requests out there and ask for your help please.
This may come to many as a surprise to many, as our last post was to let everyone know how well the stent was working for Jas since March 1. Well, since then the stent fell out of place and is more than likely sitting in his stomach right now.
So on April 12 we headed back to the hospital with plans to have the 1st stent retrieved and a 2nd stent put into place. Well, things didn't go quite as we planned :) They never do, do they? HAHA. So our Dr. decided to put a stent in that was 2mm larger than the last one. Doesn't seem like a big deal does it? Oh but it was! It was larger than he had even ever been stretched. So, he experienced severe, intense pain from the moment he had the new stent placed :( So the poor guy has felt, "like a dull knife has been stuck in the middle of his back" since April 12. He hasn't been able to sleep laying down in bed since then - having to sit upright in a chair at night and can only sleep for a couple hours at a time due to the intense pain. We know that narcotics just make him sick so he has steered clear of those, but nothing else is giving him much relief. And to make matters worse, it is making all the areas that he was operated on for his esophagectomy feel much worse again... And are you wondering about the stent that fell into his stomach? Well, because of stretching his esophagus to the largest yet for the new stent, our Dr. didn't want to add additional salt to the wound by having to stretch it that wide twice that day to remove the other one. So, the 2nd stent still remains in his stomach.
Now this is where prayer request #1 comes in. Jas heads back to the hospital this Wednesday, April 24 for an 8am appt with plans to remove the stent in his stomach AND the stent that is causing this awful pain. If you could please please blanket him in prayer during this procedure that the removal of both stents take place and go smoothly, we would sure appreciate it! And for Jason to have instant relief from the pain the second they are removed would be fantastic! Our hope is that as a result of his suffering for a straight 1.5 wks, that his esophagus will stay open on its own, much wider and much much longer. So please pray for that also! THANK YOU!!!
I can't help but think of Hebrews 12:1-2
"And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, 2 fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith"
As I continue to watch Jason fight through these health trials he has battled over the past 2 years with such perseverance, I continue to be so thankful for what an incredible example he has been to me and others in a way honoring to the Lord during such an extremely difficult time!
On a different note, we do have one more prayer request please! Believe Big, an organization that we LOVE and are part of, is hosting a fundraising dinner this Saturday, April 27th. Their focus is on helping families navigate the cancer journey and believing that ALL things are possible with God. In addition to raising funds to continue to help bring hope to others in their fight with cancer, this year they are working on a groundbreaking clinical trial with Johns Hopkins with the use of mistletoe (a natural way to treat cancer that Jason has also been using since his 2nd cancer diagnosis.) Their website is www.believebig.org if you haven't had a chance to check it out yet or want to learn more about the clinical trial. Below are a few specific requests please :)
Prayer Requests:
1. Jason will be given a few minutes at this fundraiser to give his testimony. Please pray for the Lord's guidance and wisdom on which points are most important to be shared from the past 2 years in this short timeframe and that they are impactful to those attending which result in them being brought closer to Christ.
2. That the hearts be softened of those attending the event to hearing more about Jesus and be compelled to learn more about having a personal relationship with him.
3. That the hearts be softened of those attending and those who hear of the organization to help contribute to this extremely important clinical trial and also help contribute to such an incredible God centered organization, that helps touch the lives and bring hope to so many.
4. That the hearts of the Doctors who have been invited to the event remain open to a new way of treatment for cancer and that they take the information back to their work areas to spread the word on new, safer treatment options.
Thanks again for your continued commitment to pray for our family! It means the world to us!
More to come soon :)
With Much Love in His Healing Name,
Meg
