Our Home in Sherwood

Just a quick addition to the blog today. Here are some pics of where we live in Sherwood and how we're setting up the backyard to accommodate Mom's menagerie of flowers and lawn sculptures. I've also added on a new slideshow to the right; our backyard is REALLY in bloom right now!

Shuttling Between Eugene and Sherwood

Just a quick note this week to let you all know things are moving forward with June's (that's our mom, if you don't know) preparation for her Sept. 1st move to Sherwood. Her email address will be changing to junebug421@verizon.net effective 9/1/07. The current Earthlink address will also be good until 9/13/07. Our home phone is 503-625-9128. You can call or email for a new mailing address.

We've continued to all work very hard on getting the house cleaned up and ready to sell by September 8th or so. When we get the market analysis worked up by the realtor in Eugene, we'll try to link you to it. Deb, Bill, Kathy, Sean, Hannah, Cortni, Chris, and Amanda (Chris's girlfriend) have pitched in quite a bit with organizing, packing, installing lights, replacing garage springs, staining the deck, finishing and cleaning up the garage, painting the fireplace, staining moulding and doors, removing cobwebs, answering phones, and much, much more. Sabrina and I wrapped up this week's stay with painting of the garage, touch-up paint in the rooms, repair of dryrot and staining of the decks, picking out flooring, lining up window cleaners, taking runs to the dump and Goodwill, and innumerable other odds and ends.

Mom will have another dose of chemo in Eugene next week, then we'll transfer her up to an oncologist in Beaverton and a Primary Care Physician in Sherwood. She'll be set up on a Medicare "Replacement" or "Advantage-type" plan through Providence, so we're feeling pretty good about where she'll be sitting in terms of insurance. She phases out of the COBRA insurance she had via Bi-mart as of 8/31/07. I feel like I am really ready to retire now, what with all the education I've received concerning Social Security, Medicare, supplemental programs, etc. At least going back to school and multi-tasking all of the first of the year stuff will seem pretty easy now, by comparison! Mmmm, I wonder if I've accumulated enough in my PERS account yet?

A huge THANKS to all of you who have shown your love and concern with flowers, cards, phone calls, emails, assistance with the house, visits with Mom, etc. I really believe that, aside from your prayers, these things have really lifted my mom's spirits greatly. Having moved overseas over thirteen years ago to Almaty, Kazakhstan, I think I might have an inkling (albeit a shadow of Mom's) of what it must feel like to experience so much loss all at once. This has been an intense time, since July 31st, of losing a lot of things: decent health, a home, a community of supportive and loving friends and coworkers in Eugene, the end of a long involvement with the University of Oregon's foreign exchange student program, a beautiful view of Douglas Fir trees, Japanese maples, squirrels, flowers, and even an occassional turkey or two out the window, "stuff" that holds sentimental value, and on and on. Considering all of this, it seems to me that my mother is holding up pretty well. So, please continue to hold her before God's throne, asking Him to reveal His goodness and presence to her.

Continuing Mom's Cancer, Etc. Update from Eugene

This week we've continued to prep Mom's house for an early September marketing (and hopefully early sell) of her house. She has lived here for over thirty years, so it is a difficult transition for her, on top of all the recent news about her breast cancer. The home/pest inspector has been in, and we have had several things to address like a furnace inspection, minor electrical circuit issues, and some dryrot near the base of a couple of the deck support beams. We continue to multi-task throughout the day as we address insurance issues, social security/Medicare, transitions into new supplemental programs, and lining up gutter/roof inspectors or flooring estimators. Whew....the cell phone is getting a lot of use this month! I feel like the lead contractor on a massive building project. It looks like Sept. 1st will be Mom's moving day to Sherwood, so we'd appreciate your prayers as we move ahead toward that day.

Mom had her first clinic visit to her oncologist this week, and he was actually quite positive, all things considered. He said that the lab reports and other diagnostic tools they've used indicate no "bad oncogenes" (oncogenes are cells that normally direct cell growth). He also said that she has responded well to the antibiotics and said the breast with the tumors looked "dramatically better" (in terms of the infection itself). Furthermore, Dr. Kovach also said that the cancer was probably a little less agressive than initially thought and that she would be a good candidate for hormonal therapy since she was "rich in hormone receptors." So, we take the good news when it comes, don't we?!

Today, Sabrina and Cortni took Mom out to find a wig (still expecting hair loss in another week to ten days), so that will be something to look forward to. I told her to go for a "beehive" style. She seems to have relatively minor side effects thus far (as long as we keep the Cherry Coke, Hershey Kisses, and potato bread stocked and flowing). Friends have been visiting, calling, and writing, and her spirits in general have been good up to this point.

Thanks to all of you who are sending cards, emailing, calling, supporting and encouraging us through your kind words, and praying for a myriad of things before God's throne. We really sense a supernatural energy to get a lot done in a short time, a joy in the midst of stress and emotional turmoil, and loads of lessons about being Christlike servants (Phil. 2). We have a LONG way to go, but we hope to grow through this and learn to love Mom, family members, and others more deeply through this.

It is getting late, so I'll sign off for now. Thanks to all of you around the globe--from Japan and Taiwan to Kazakhstan, to Germany, Turkey, and Norway, and throughout the U.S.--who are reading this blog and thinking and/or praying for my mother. We are so blessed to have you lifting us up!

Tim, on behalf of the family

Update on Mom

It has been a real whirlwind since my last post, but I'm pleased to say that Mom has been released from Sacred Heart Hospital in Eugene, and is now at her home in Eugene with us. The infection in her breast has been brought way down and the color is much, much better. She is on oral antibiotics and is taking something for potential nausea. She had her first dose of chemo last night, and took it pretty well, all things considered. They want to wait at least twelve weeks to do the mastectomy.

We've gotten a lot done with the medical insurance details and general clean-up around the house. A chimney sweep came today (incidentally, he's currently an understudy for King Lear in a local production, so fun to talk Shakespeare and acting with him), and in the next few days we'll try to tackle some drywall and other projects.

Throughout all of the chaos of the last week, Sabrina and I have sensed the hand of our loving and merciful Father in all of it. I feel like my brothers, sister, and I have come together in a beautiful way, not to mention support and advice from other family members and a myriad of my mom's friends down here. He's given us the grace to apply humor at just the right times (we've even joked that we should write a book entitled Supporting Your Mom Through Cancer for Dummies). So, thanks to all of you who've been praying; we really appreciate it!

In the midst of all this, I've been reminded of one of my favorite poems by William Cowper:

Light Shining in the Darkness

God moves in a mysterious way,
His wonders to perform;
He plants His footsteps in the sea,
And rides upon the storm.

Deep in unfathomable mines
Of never failing skill,
He treasures up His bright designs
And works His sovereign will.

Ye fearful saints, fresh courage take,
The clouds ye so much dread
Are big with mercy, and shall break
With blessings on your head

Judge not the Lord by feeble sense,
But trust Him for His grace;
Behind a frowning providence,
He hides a smiling face.

His purposes will ripen fast,
Unfolding every hour;
The bud may have a bitter taste,
But sweet will be the flower.

Blind unbelief is sure the err,
And scan His work in vain;
God is His own interpreter,
And He will make it plain.

Wm. Cowper (1731-1800)
English poet, friend of John Newton (writer of Amazing Grace), and a guy who really struggled with depression and even suicidal thoughts


Until our next update,
Tim

Mom's Cancer

What a difference a week makes! As many of you may have heard by now, we found out on Tuesday, July 31st that my mom in Eugene has breast cancer. She noticed at work that she was feeling ill, and by late Monday or so her left breast appeared to have something that looked like a third-degree burn all over it. She went into urgent care and was immediately diagnosed with breast cancer. She has two tumors in her breast (one the size of a tennis ball). The discoloration is the result of an infection (one doctor basically said that the tumor had started to pierce the skin of the breast). They have been since treating the infection with heavy-duty antibiotics (the initial type was able to actually eat your veins), and they plan to begin chemo treatments by early this coming week (Aug. 5th or 6th, perhaps). The current plan is to have her come home, continue treatments for about twelve weeks, then do a mastectomy on the left breast.

Unfortunately, the cancer has spread to the lymphatic system, to the lungs, and one spot has been seen on the liver. This is aggressive cancer and we are on our knees before the Lord asking for strength, comfort, healing, and that His will be done. Some of you may also know that my dad in Central Oregon has been battling lung cancer since last fall, so keep him in your prayers, too!

As I learn new things in the upcoming weeks, you can return to my blog and get updated. Many of you have my number and can call for her room number at the hospital. You can reach me via email (twblack1@verizon.net) for additional information. Please pray for the following:

1. Continued healing and comfort for my mom.
2. Wisdom and sensitivity as we help her navigate the waters financially (we're learning A LOT about Medicare, insurance supplements, advance directives, etc.).
3. Energy for the final three weeks of my summer off before heading back to school (this will be prime time for helping my mother in the transition).
4. Energy and comfort for my two brothers and my sister as we work together to help Mom through this.
5. Attention to the spiritual dimension ("For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul?"--words of Jesus in Mark 8:36).
6. Wisdom and sensitivity with issues related to Mom's house (our current plan is to sell her house and have her move in with us). The next few weeks will be VERY intense and many important, emotional choices will have to be made.
7. That God's Word would speak encouragement and hope into all of our lives:
"Fear not, for I am with you;
Be not dismayed, for I am your God.
I will strengthen you,
Yes, I will help you,
I will uphold you with My righteous right hand." (Isaiah 41:10)