I am only meters away from Lianne! It's incredible to be here. I never imagined I’d still have this opportunity. Didn’t dare dream of these precious moments.
In the last post we mentioned that Lianne got a drain placed in her abdomen for fluid to be withdrawn Home care came every few days to drain the fluid. We have had some trouble here and there with the drain and site but it seems managable now. Last week Sunday they came but no fluid came. They checked with the doctor and then had a CT scan made last Wednesday. On Friday we got the results. It has taken some time to process. The radiation has had positive effect. The lung tumour shrank significantly, to about half its size and now she breathes much easier. We are so thankful that things improved, that she coughs less and can breathe without wheezing. She still uses oxygen sometimes to keep the O2 levels in her blood up.
We were shocked and disappointed (and at the same time somewhat expected it) to learn that the tumour in her abdomen has grown. In fact it has almost doubled in size. We wonder if it continues growing, but know for sure that it has given increased discomfort. Lianne is a trooper and fights this with so much grace and patience.
Lianne has met with the family doctor on Monday and he connected with the oncologist from FMC and the cancer center in Red Deer. Lianne has follow up appointments later this week and early next week as well. Today, she met with a naturopath and will get Vitamin C intravenous treatment as well as some other minerals to improve immunity and hopefully make her stronger. We continue with meds and natural treatment as before and try to take it easy.
Sunday we were able to go to church with Lianne. Reminding us that we can pray to the God who heals! It's an invite to pray, an invite into His presence. Matthew 8,9.
Visitors come and go and we’re thankful for that! Thanks also for the positive insights and laughter you bring into the house. Helma continues to manage the schedule for Lianne and we’re grateful for that. We’re thankful for the ladies who have come in the last few weeks to help with the housework. It certainly didn’t go unnoticed.
Lianne, Helma, mom, Cindy and I went for facials and pedicures this Tuesday. It was lovely to hang out together and have a spa afternoon. We’re thankful for outings like that.
Today, Lianne got a tattoo of 2 Corinthians 12:9 on her left wrist. Thanks Cindy at Cin City for being so awesome! The verse was opa Cees van der Lee (mom’s dad)’s verse, the one he quoted often and held on to. When Lianne got the diagnosis in August this was the first thing she thought. “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” We know that God is glorified in this. That He gives strength when we are weak. That His grace is sufficient, for Lianne, for you, for me, for all of us. It was quite the experience and she is super happy with how it turned out! We can’t wait for it to heal and are so thankful Lianne was able to get it – she has been wanting to do this for years.
Auke came on Tuesday, October 16th and I followed on the 18th. We’re both staying at mom and dad’s and spending lots of time with Lianne and the other siblings. Here and there we do a chore (Auke is doing quite a bit of wood work!) or task and we sure love doing puzzles with the rest of the family. Thanks James for the awesome puzzle and setting the standard high! We were able to finish before the deadline! It’s a blessing to be here and it is such a gift to connect and make memories! We praise God for this opportunity.
We got a kitten at the house. It's soft and fluffy and we call it Scoot. A new addition to the family and we're all trying to get used to it. It definitely stays in the safety net and warmth of the house.
The other day I was driving and heard this song on the radio. Let Them See You In Me
(click link to listen). I immediately thought of Lianne. This is her prayer, her wish, for all around her to see God, for them to hear God’s voice, to feel His arms around them, and to know God as their Lord and Saviour. She doesn’t want you to look up to her, but to look to God. He’s her Lord, and He wants to be your Lord too! <3 Marieta
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