Back in Houston

Wow. The past couple of weeks have flown by and tonight I write to you from our new apartment in Houston. We were able to move back into the church subsidized apartments that we stayed in before. These are at low, daily rate and also offer a shuttle back and forth to the med center. They are truly a blessing to people who must stay here for treatment in Houston. Talk about God's people meeting the needs of others in a practical way...this is an example of Christian love at its best.

Once again Larry did a great job of getting us safely down here and we had time to get some rest before before we began a long day of appointments. We had to be at MD at 6:30 a.m. for our first appointment and then had tests, scans and meetings until almost 5:00 this evening. Amanda did great, and thankfully the day (although it was very long!) went well.

Dr. Anderson was able to meet with us today after reviewing the mornings scan and MRI results and was very encouraging and happy with what they showed. In fact, when looking at her lung scans and at the active tumor site, he stated that her test results were "better than anyone could have expected." The tests showed that her last round of chemo not only contained the active cancer but actually "killed" some of it and the small specks in her lungs had not grown nor multiplied. This was vital to her upcoming surgery. I truly believe those results are because of the faithful prayers that surround and uphold our daughter. (And the fact that I believe that she is just amazing!) :-)

Highlights of our time at home included Amanda and I getting to participate in the Children's Hospital Radio-thon, Amanda leaving a CFS soccer game and going down to accept the check for the money raised and standing between the Hospital president and Miss Missouri with her red and black face paint on, Amanda participating with her cheer squad at a school pep rally where they did a dance routine which concluded with Amanda doing the worm, the time of prayer and the incredible gift that our own church shared with us on Sunday, the wonderful 1st Annual Father/Daughter Dance in which so many turned out to show their support of our family and of course, the precious time spent with our own dear family and friends. It is hard to believe that we fit so much in and yet every moment of it meant so much to us. These are the memories, the hugs, and the words of support that help to carry us through as we prepare for the weeks ahead.

Tomorrow holds more scans and meetings but will not be as busy as today. We will continue to keep you posted, each step of the way, and we thank you for standing with us.

It is good to be a part of the family of God,

Denise