[The background of the computer comes up with one of those pre-loaded picturesque scenes of mountains]
Lucy: We have to get me one of those mountains!

I really liked this prayer which Chris and Kelly shared with us from Compline in the Book of Common Prayer (Anglican).

“Keep watch, dear Lord, with those who work, or watch, or weep this night, and give your angels charge over those who sleep.  Tend the sick, Lord Christ; give rest to the weary, bless the dying, soothe the suffering, pity the afflicted, shield the joyous; and all for your love’s sake. Amen.”

Dad had some good news and some bad news.  He came home from the hospital Friday, and the chemo seems to be working well.  Mom says he looks good and he sounds good, and actually seems stronger than before he started the treatment.  But they also found that the cancer is in his bone marrow, which is not good, and they have planned two more treatments in his series, so that there will be eight instead of six.  I think that means he’ll be finished somewhere around Christmas.  The worst part of the chemo is supposed to be 7-10 days after the treatment, which is around July 23, so he’ll need extra prayers then.  Plus that is the day my brother is having his back surgery, so please keep him in your prayers, too.

My dad got his diagnosis yesterday.  The background – he had been having pain starting back in the end of May, and the doctor thought he had an infection, so he did two rounds of antibiotics.  When that didn’t work, they started doing scans looking for kidney stones, and instead found a large lump in his lower abdomen.  After the biopsy and more CAT scans and such, they have decided it is stage 4 lymphoma.

In other words, my family needs lots and lots of prayers right now.  There are five stages lymphoma is categorized into, and four basically means large tumors and lots of spreading.  So they’re starting chemo on Monday (assuming that his heart tests as strong enough to under go it), and Dad will spend most of next week in the hospital to make sure he can handle the chemo.  Then a couple of weeks off, and another round of out-patient chemo (most likely).  They expect to do six rounds, and I’m not really sure what comes after that, but that will take most of the rest of this year. 

It’s more than a little strange to wonder (very seriously) if your father will still be alive at Christmas time.  Lots of deep thought swirling around right now.

We’re still here in Texas, but planning on leaving tomorrow (Sunday) morning to get back for Craig’s last week of summer camp, a going-away party, Fr. R.B.’s visit, and then Lisa’s wedding.  It does leave me wishing we had found a job here after South Bend, rather than in New Orleans.  But there’s not much to be done about that now.  I’ll try to keep updates coming, and please know that we appreciate your prayers very, very much.