Small victories, big challenges

Kol continues to make progress in his recovery from the surgery. He is now completely "unplugged" - no IV lines, no feeding tube, no electrodes for heart monitor, no EVD, nothing. He's eating pretty well, talking more, and has been working with a physiotherapist and occupational therapist to get up and moving again - he's walking unassisted for short distances (a bit slowly, a bit shaky, but on his own).

Today we had a ton of visitors - Wes, Andrew, Belinda and Thomas, Christy, Brette, Christine and Samuel, and Auntie Robin all stopped in at various points through the afternoon (at least one person asked if I was going to post their name "on the blog" - here you go, but you need to share the spotlight with everyone else). The room seems to be packed full with gifts - books, puzzles, games, movies, CDs, food, and more. It's been wonderful to see all of you (even if some of you never actually got to see Kol due to doctors and physio showing up during visiting hours).

I also drove back home to Outlook for an hour or so this evening to try to see Julianna's band concert. I arrived just in time to hear about half of the last song that the grade 6 band performed - even though I missed most of the performance, Julianna was very excited to see me there. It was also good to see a few familiar faces - I just realized that I hadn't been back home to Outlook since the night I took Kol in to the ER 12 days ago. I also realized that I had completely forgotten to ask anyone to feed my fish that was in my office, so there was a quick "burial at sea" tonight. Poor fish. Once life gets back to a more regular schedule, I'll see about getting a new one.

We met with an oncologist this afternoon to talk about ongoing treatment for Kol. They're recommending radiation therapy followed by chemo. The cancer is relatively rare - the oncologist said they would see a case of it maybe once every five years here in Saskatoon - so there isn't necessarily a lot of data on how effective the treatments might be. There are lots of unknowns, and some pretty big decisions to be made soon regarding treatment. I'm hoping to talk to my naturopath as well this week to see what complementary and/or alternative therapies might be options as well.

On another note, Birgitte is going in for an EEG scan Wednesday morning at 10:00, and we'll be meeting with a neurologist probably that afternoon - she was scheduled for the EEG next Tuesday, and the neurologist appointment the Tuesday after that, but after her seizure on Friday they were able to move her appointments up. Hopefully we'll get a better idea of what's happening there as well.

Thanks again to everyone for the outpouring of prayers and encouragement. We are so deeply grateful to you all, and can only hope that one day we can be as much of a blessing to you as you have been to us.

I'll close this post with part of a choir song that has been stuck in my head tonight (if memory serves me correctly, I think I sang this in LCBI Concert Choir or the Zion Lutheran chorus), called "Thy Will Be Done" by Joyce Eilers:

Sometimes the load is heavy,

And sometimes the road is long.

And sometimes, Lord, this heart of mine

Is not so very strong.

But Thy will be done, Lord,

Thy will be done.

Father, I do not ask You

To take this cup from me.

I only ask Your guidance

O'er paths I cannot see.

And Thy will be done, Lord,

Thy will be done.