Mom's Eulogy

Proverbs 31:10-31 ¹⁰ An excellent wife, who can find? For her worth is far above jewels. ¹¹ The heart of her husband trusts in her, And he will have no lack of gain. ²⁵ Strength and dignity are her clothing, And she smiles at the future. ²⁶ She opens her mouth in wisdom, And the teaching of kindness is on her tongue. ²⁷ She looks well to the ways of her household, And does not eat the bread of idleness. ²⁸ Her children rise up and bless her; Her husband also, and he praises her, saying: ²⁹ "Many daughters have done nobly, But you excel them all." ³⁰ Charm is deceitful and beauty is vain, But a woman who fears the LORD, she shall be praised. ³¹ Give her the product of her hands, And let her works praise her in the gates.

Anita was a lover of beauty and life. Her joy in the beauty of flowers and open spaces would often demand that we stay just a little longer and enjoy the smells and sights of creation. She loved fresh fruits and good foods, always to be presented and shared with as many people as possible. Easter and Christmas were always times of tradition and beauty, and she took pride in “going all out” with candles and flowers and decorations, even to the point of decorating the neighbor’s tree for the occasion.

She was classy, refined, and very lady-like and enjoyed the high and traditional things of life, and found in them significance and beauty, meanwhile filled with joy to pull out the camper and go for a camping trip and cook over the fire and tell stories. She was a deeply humble person who never considered herself above anyone.

She loved to laugh and never wanted to miss any conversation. We love the fact that when she laughed hard she could not stand up and would throw her head back, even willing to laugh at herself. She would defend herself from playful teasing by a playful bop on the head, causing hard laughter rendering her attackers defenseless.

She was to hundreds a friend and encourager, and was always on the lookout for a way to encourage and help and give. Whether it be shopping trips or sports or rook games or trips to a B&B, many came to love her deeply as a friend. She was a terrific listener and advocate and would always put people before tasks. She always defended people, and made them feel safe and comfortable. Always being slow to take offense.

She was to Tim the wife described in Proverbs 31. Utterly devoted to him, she was and is his cheerleader, advocate, helper, friend, lover, and confidant. In their union we see a beautiful picture of the relationship between Christ and His Church. Often seen hand in hand and side by side, they were for us a refuge and picture of what marriage must be.

She was for her children a defender, provider, advocate, and friend. She always displayed selflessness and put our interests above her own. She would fiercely defend us and gently encourage us at every step. She even loved and provided for our friends. She and Tim rarely if ever missed a game or event. They even traveled to the other side of the world for the birth of their first granddaughter. We were able to give ourselves to her honestly, without fear of rejection. She was the family “command center” and through her, we would all keep up to date on each other on a daily or weekly basis.

She was filled with grace and extended grace to everyone, no matter their situation. She was free of gossip, always striving to see the good in everyone and a reason to give everyone that extra chance. Very tactful and polite to everyone, she was well known to be gentle with people and their feelings and concerns. We have always said that she could find the good in absolutely anyone. If there is one thing that characterized her life, it is that she deeply loved.

She was a woman of deep faith and it would be impossible to understand her life and character without seeing that she was deeply committed to Jesus. The deepest foundation of her character was who she had become because of the work of Jesus in her life through the Holy Spirit living in her. She loved our times of worship as a family and prayed constantly that her children would follow Christ and marry those who followed Christ. She was ever to be found sitting in the living room in her chair with her green bible open and would ask tough questions and make sure she fully understood everything. She would often pray passionately for friends and relatives and others to come to understand the faith that had so filled her heart and set her free.

She lived for the day when her faith would be sight. And on August 6^th, it happened. Though her body failed her, she was joyful in a time of deep despair because of the amazing hope that this was not the end of the story. She was confident in what was promised to her and she knew deep in her soul that it was really so. She was joyful, even in her dying, because her dying was a way to reach out to others. Her faith that God would work through the cancer and bring good out of it sustained her to the end.

In Romans 12:15, Paul gives us a beautiful summary of how we as believers should relate to others in compassion and wisdom. He teaches us to "Weep with those who weep, and rejoice with those who rejoice." Today, we have come to do both things, if we are to be sensitive to those in this room and the one that we have come to honor.

It is easier to weep with those who weep, since they are here with us and since most of us feel the sting and tearing that comes with saying goodbye (if only for awhile) to someone so important as a mother, lover, friend, and sister.

However, we must not forget to rejoice with the one who is now rejoicing. After much running the race and fighting the faith and struggling to see and be convinced of what she knew in the depths of her soul to be true, she has arrived. The veil is gone and the problem of pain and brokenness and unanswered questions can no longer hinder her.

She has been faithful and has held fast and has overcome. She is now ready to receive from Jesus what He has promised to give to her.

Jesus says, “To the one who overcomes...

1) I will grant her to eat of the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God.
2) She will not be hurt by the second death.
3) I will give to her some of the hidden manna and I will give to her a white stone and a new name written on the stone which no one knows but the one who receives it.
4) I will give her authority over the nations and I will give to her the morning star.
5) I will clothe her in white garments and I will never erase her name from the book of life and I will confess her name before my Father and before the Angels.
6) I will make her a pillar in the temple of God and she will no longer go out from it anymore. I will write upon her the name of my God and the name of the city of my God, the new Jerusalem which comes down out from heaven from my God, and I will write on her my new name.
7) I will grant her to sit down with me on my throne, just as I also have overcome and sat down with my father on His throne.

Directions

Mom's visitation will be held at the Fratzke & Jensen Funeral Home in Storm Lake on Tuesday, Aug. 8th from 4 to 8 pm. Mom's funeral service will be held at Oakdale Evangelical Free Church at 11 am with a meal in the new church building following the service.

Fratzke and Jensen Funeral Home
300 Cayuga St.
Storm Lake, IA 50588

www.fratzkejensen.com

Oakdale Evangelical Free Church
1197 440th St.
Meriden, IA 51037

www.oakdalechurch.com

Directions to Oakdale EFC from Storm Lake:
West on Hwy 7 through Aurelia
West on Hwy 3 through Cherokee to Meriden
North on L51 (6 miles) to Oakdale EFC (the last mile is gravel)

We all really loved reading the comments that you left on our blog. Thank you for taking the time to write and encourage us. We would also like to thank all of you who have taken such good care of us this summer. Not only did we survive this summer, but we thrived and have no regrets about how we took care of Mom with your help. Thank You!

Mom peacefully passed away today at 12:45 pm. We are thankful that all of our immediate family was able to be there with her as she went home to be with Jesus.

Mom's visitation will be held on Tuesday night at the Fratzke & Jensen Funeral Home (300 Cayuga St. in Storm Lake). The funeral will be held at Oakdale Evangelical Free Church (near Meriden) on Wednesday morning. As soon as we have decided the times I will post them, along with directions to the church.

Status Unchanged

Mom's status is unchanged. We are so thankful for all of you who have supported us so well during this difficult time. Thank you for your prayers and support.

Dad wanted the above pictures posted. They are of Harlan and Sharon Betz with Mom and Dad. Dad grew up with Harlan in Ladora, IA and they roomed together at the U of I. Mom and Sharon were also roommates at the U of I.

Mom woke up several times last night with pain. It was difficult to get it under control so she was started on a continuous pain medication drip this morning to keep her comfortable. She is having some trouble breathing but we are trying to keep her as comfortable as possible. We have had good times of worship around Mom's bed each evening with Jon playing the guitar. Thanks for your prayers.

The above picture is of Mom, her mother, Coral, and her two sisters, Cindy & Wendy, taken at Kim's wedding.

Mom had a quiet day today. She smiled a few times as we relived old memories and as she talked with her Mom and sisters. The delphinium flowers that she planted in the back yard decided to bloom again so we cut them and brought them to the hospital for her to see. We are working hard at keeping her comfortable.

We are all in Mom's hospital room spending time with her. She isn't able to talk much and it's difficult for her to keep her eyes open for any length of time. She is responding to our voices, however, and can nod for yes or no questions. We know that there is little time left as her kidney function is worsening.

Mom's mother, Coral, and her two sisters, Cindy and Wendy, are coming this evening from Illinois. We hope to have a good day of family time with them tomorrow. Thanks for your continued prayers.

The above picture was taken two weeks ago at Kim's wedding.

Good Friends

Mom and Dad have been blessed with so many good friends. We feel overwhelmed by and are deeply grateful for all of the care and love that everyone has shown Mom (and us) this summer. Thank you for helping us get through this well.

Mom's day was slightly better today. Her vital signs are the same as yesterday and we were able to sit her up in bed for a few minutes. She was even able to talk with us off and on. We had a great time of worship around her hospital bed tonight. Mom wasn't able to sing, but she did have the strength to smile and hum a little bit. One of the songs that Mom loves is "In Christ Alone" which was also sung at Kim's wedding. Here is the last verse:

No guilt in life, no fear in death
This is the power of Christ in me
From life's first cry to final breath
Jesus commands my destiny
No power of hell, no scheme of man
Can ever pluck me from His hand
'Till He returns or calls me home
Here in the power of Christ I'll stand

We are all at Mom's bedside this morning and talking with her. She is very weak so it's difficult for her to say much.

Mom's health is doing about the same as yesterday. Her blood pressure is still too low and her abdomen is growing. The doctors are saying that it's not possible to drain her belly of fluid as it will cause her blood pressure to plummet. She is beginning to have problems with her kidneys too. Thanks for your continued prayers.

Angels

Mom isn't able to talk very much now, but Dad wanted me to share something that Mom just said. She said, "There are plenty of chairs in here, sit wherever you like." We all laughed when she said it-thinking that the morphine was making her a bit loopy, but then she said, "I'm talking for a purpose, angels are coming down."

Dad also wanted this picture put on the blog as this is how he will always remember her. This picture was taken at Mom's college graduation from the University of Iowa in 1969.

Mom only has a short amount of time left, thanks for your prayers.

Much love,
the Daniels Family

Mom's blood pressure continues to fall today while her abdomen is swelling. We are gathering around her today and tonight to be with her during her end days. Jon, Kieran, Molly, Ben and I are here now - Kim and Jon will arrive late tonight from New York, and Anne will drive up tonight from Iowa City. Please pray that everyone will make it here in time to say good-bye. Thank you for all of your prayers for us during this time.

Hospitalized

Mom was having increased pain and nausea on Wednesday and had a CT scan of her liver done at BV Hospital in Storm Lake. The scan showed that the tumor has grown significantly. Mom had an appointment with the oncologist on Thursday and it was decided by she and Dad to stop the chemotherapy treatments as the tumor has continued to grow.

Mom continued to have a lot of pain and nausea and was hospitalized here in Storm Lake last night to try and get both under control. She needs to be on a lot of pain medications and is very tired and sleepy, but feeling little pain. She is also on IV antibiotics due to an elevated white blood count from a possible biliary tract infection. At this point we don't know if and when she will be able to come home. Please pray for all of us during this time, especially Mom.

Happy Birthday Dad!

Dad's birthday was yesterday and when we asked him what he wanted to do to celebrate he said, "I'm exhausted, absolutely nothing." So-we had a simple birthday celebration with Shirley and Kilne Capps. Shirley's birthday was a week earlier.

Mom (and the rest of us) are exhausted too. We're slowly getting into the groove of "normal" life. Mom was having some abdominal pain last night at the site of the tumor, but Dad was able to adjust her pain medications to help. She was unable to eat much yesterday due to increased nausea, but is feeling better today. It's a great (albeit slightly annoying) sign that she's making us drive all around town in search for corn stands because she's so hungry for fresh corn on the cob. Thanks for sharing your corn with us last night, Nikki!

Mom wants everyone to know that she's not wearing lederhosen from the Amanas in the above picture, but special hose to keep ankle swelling down. She was feeling good enough this morning to work in the garden while it was still cool.

Thanks for all of your prayers for Mom's strength, she really enjoyed Kim's wedding and the whole weekend. We revisit pictures and vidoes at least three times a day.

Kim and Jon's Wedding

A great time was had by all at Kim's wedding. It was so wonderful to see extended family and dear friends enjoying the festivities. Thanks to all who were able to come and help us celebrate Kim and Jon's special day. We also want to thank those of you who helped us make it all happen - we are deeply grateful. We'll post pictures as we get them!

Going to the Chapel...

We are all excitedly gearing up for Kim's wedding tomorrow. The bridal showers are over, the bridal party has practiced the ceremony, and the Fest Hall is beautifully decorated with flowers and candles, waiting for guests. Thanks to all who helped clean, organize, and trim the church and Fest Hall.

All ten women that will stand up for Kim in the wedding went for manucures and pedicures today - a very relaxing time. One of the pictures posted is of Molly and our cousin, Megan, getting a pedicure.

The rehearsal dinner, held at the Iowa River Power Company, was the highlight of the day. It was a warm time with family and friends. Everyone had good memories and stories to share about Kim and Jon.

Mom is doing well. Thank yo so much for all of your prayers for her strength! Please pray that she will be able to enjoy every minute of the big day tomorrow.

Star Spangled Spectacular

Happy 4th of July!

Mom was able to watch the parade this morning and the fireworks this evening here in Storm Lake. She overdid it a little bit, however and is very worn out. Our whole family has a lot of traveling to do this month with a family wedding in Illinois on the 8th, getting Molly moved into her new apartment in St. Paul, MN, and with Kim's wedding on the 15th. Please pray for continued strength for Mom to be able to enjoy each of these events.

She is also scheduled for another round of chemo on Thursday. Thanks for your prayers.

Brown Eyed Girl

Mom has had a good week. She has enjoyed reading on the deck in the sun, having Kim home from NYC, and having Ben home from Iowa City. We'll have a full house this weekend as Molly will be home too. Uncle Bryce, Aunt Sheryl and our cousin Elizabeth are visiting from Topeka, KS until Thursday. Mom is set for another round of chemo on Thursday morning.

Dad is busy practicing to sing at Kim's wedding reception. The tune set for the performance is "Brown Eyed Girl" with revised lyrics. He's also working on some special dance moves to go with his song as he currently only has two in his bag of tricks. We affectionately call them, "driving the tractor," and the "whack-a-mole." Keep your day job, Dad!

Chemo on Thursday

Now that Mom's drainage tubes are fully functional she will resume chemo on Thursday. We'll find out in a few weeks whether the Gemzar is shrinking the tumor after a scheduled CT scan.

Kim is getting home from Iowa City today - we'll be hitting the wedding war path from now until July 15th. Please pray for Mom's strength to hold up during this busy time through the wedding.

This picture of Mom and Grandma Smith was taken a few weeks ago.

The cholangiogram done at Mayo this morning revealed that one of Mom's tubes was 90% occluded where it inserts into the small intestine. They have since put in a new tube and she was cleared to head home tonight. The doctors decided not to do another CT scan to assess the growth of the cancer as she is scheduled for reevaluation in a few weeks anyway. Thanks for your prayers!

To Mayo

Mom's bilirubin was still quite elevated today. The GI doctors at Mayo suggested that she come to the clinic in Rochester for more tests tomorrow. Mom and Dad left tonight (at 8:00pm!!) because Mayo has Mom scheduled for tests early tomorrow morning. Pleae pray for a safe trip tonight, Dad is famous for falling asleep on the road. Please also pray for Mom - that she will be able to come home soon.

June, 22 Tests

7:30 am Blood tests
9:00 am Cholangiogram
3:00 am Meeting with GI doctors

Outings

Mom had a good week with a refreshing trip to the Prarie Peddler with Grandma Smith, Joan and Judy. We all got lost in the bush maze and loved seeing the Delphinium in full bloom. Mom and Dad went to Minneapolis this weekend to visit Molly while she goes to summer school and to get together with my in-laws. Mom has another round of chemo due on Thursday, please pray that her energy levels and blood counts stay elevated.

Second Round of Chemo

Mom's second round of chemo went very well. Grandma Smith sat with her during the infusion. She feels ok now and even did a little bit of planitng with some friends in the yard. Actually, Mom supervised while her friends planted for her.

Grandma brought some pictures from Illinios when she came a few weeks ago and this is one of the best ones of Mom. Mom is the tallest one in the picture which was taken in Cutler, IL (the other two girls are Mom's sisters - Cindy and Wendy, and the boy is their cousin, Don Smith).

No news is good news - Mom is feeling ok. She is still feeling nauseated off and on, but otherwise is able to be up and about some during the day. Grandma is here with us and has been a huge help keeping the house in order.

Mom had a rocky start to the weekend but was still able to help plan Kim's wedding. Kim and Jon have set the date for July 15th at the First Baptist Church in Iowa City with the reception being held that evening at the Fest Hall in the Amanas. Please pray that Mom is in good health for the wedding.

Second Round of Chemo on Thursday

Mom is feeling ok these days, but is still battling nausea and pain. She plans to do another round of chemo on Thursday here in Storm Lake. Gemzar only has only a 15 percent chance of shrinking the cancer, please pray that mom falls into this 15 percent.
Off to a frenzy of wedding details!...

Engaged At Last!!!

On June 4th Jonathan Thorson asked Kimberly Daniels to marry him. She said yes. YEEEEEEHAW!!! We're all waist deep in wedding plans. They hope to get married in July in the Iowa City area.

Mom hasn't experienced any side effects of the chemo yet, and still feels like her baseline. She had a good night. Thanks for praying!

Chemo started

Mom's cultures came back negative this morning so she was able to start chemotherapy this afternoon. She's getting an agent called Gemzar which should have fewer side effects than other therapies. Gemzar won't offer a cure, but we are praying that it will slow the cancer down quite a bit. So far Mom feels great (or at least the same as she felt before). The doctor told her that the symptoms usually start showing up 6-8 hours after the chemo is given, so hopefully she will be able to sleep tonight. Thank you for your prayers, letters of encouragnent, and meals.

Kim celebrated her 29th birthday yesterday with a visit from her boyfriend, Jon Thorson, from New York City. Happy Birthday Kim!

Mom saw the oncology doctor on Thursday and he said that she could start chemo any time. Mom decided on Friday to start getting the treatments on Monday. Since then, one of Mom's external tubes started leaking quite a bit. Dad took some cultures of the site as it looked infected. Mom has been going to the BV hospital for IV antibiotics every 6 hours since yesterday afternoon as a precaution. If the cultures come back positive (we will hear tonight at the earliest) she will probably not be able to start chemo on Monday. Mom's tumor is growing quite fast according to the doctors at Mayo - so starting chemo soon will be key. Please pray that the infection will respond well to the anitbiotics.

She had a better night last night, but is still battling nausea around the clock and isn't sleeping well in general because of it. We usually like to keep mornings quiet and let her sleep in. She also hasn't been able to eat much because of the nausea.

Grandma and Mom's two sisters and their husbands are in town for the weekend to visit. They have brought a breath of fresh air to the house and have been such an encouragement to have around.

While You Were Out

Mom and Dad are back from Mayo. The doctors were surprised at how fast the cancer had grown since the last visit 10 days ago. They were able to reposition Mom's tubes for better drainage, but didn't know if they could do it again if it were needed. On the brighter side, the oncologists said that there was a new type of chemo that we could try, if mom so chooses. It's easier on the liver and has fewer side effects than other drugs. Radiation might also be a possibility - we are all going to talk to the oncologist tomorrow at BV hospital. None of the options will offer a cure, but they may buy a little time.

Jon, Kim, Ben and I all redid Mom and Dad's dilapidated main bathroom while they were at Mayo. It was nice to work hard and take our minds off of hard things during the day.

Meeting with Oncologists

Mom is headed back to Rochester for a meeting with the oncologists tomorrow. She and Dad left this afternoon to go to the St. Mary's Hospital because mom's bilirubin was greatly increased with this morning's check. She also had a lot of leaking from one of her tube sites this morning and will need to have that looked at as well. The GI doctors expected the stents to become leaky after 6-8 weeks, but not this early. All signs point to her stent being clogged which means that she may have to have the stents replaced or adjusted. She might have to be hospitalized at St. Mary's again because of all of this - but we will post news as soon as we get it. This is disheartening news for all of us, especially as we can see Mom's skin and eyes get more and more yellow. These past few months have been a rollercoaster ride of hope and disappointment about mom's health and prognosis. We are so glad that we always have hope for our bodies that are wearing out! 2 Corinthians 4:17- 5:8.

Molly also leaves today to takes summer classes in pursuit of a nursing degree from Bethel. It's hard to say goodbye to her from our side, and must be even harder for her to leave knowing that mom has limited time. Please pray that she will be able to focus on studies and that she will feel a strong connection to mom and the rest of the family while she's in Minneapolis. Molly also celebrated her 20th birthday yesterday with the addition of Uncle Richard and Aunt Cherie - Happy Birthday Margaret!

Mom and Dad are headed to Scott Brown's wedding. Congratulations Scott! Mom has had a bit more energy since the "Anita" procedure and has enjoyed doing some yard work and being outside. We had a lot of laughs telling mom which wigs to consider if she does go ahead with getting chemo this summer. Jon modeled a Jerry Garcia wig for her. She decided not to go with that one.

Happy Birthday!!! Mom's actual birthday was on May 23rd. We celebrated with a pineapple upside down cake made by Molly.

Mom is heading to Sioux City today to have some duct work done...Pancreatic Duct work that is. She's having a little stent removed that was supposed to have removed itself by now. It was placed several months ago to prevent pancreatitis. It's a simple and quick procedure and she will be back home this afternoon. Pray that it's short and sweet.

Mom also has appointment scheduled at Mayo with the Oncologists to discuss the possibility of chemo on Tuesday, May 30 at 10:00.

These pictures were taken a few summers ago. We're scanning our way through the 80's - a family picture with Molly included will be coming!

And....the "Anita" worked!

After a successful procedure to internalize her plastic tubes and two unexpected nights in the hospital, mom is home and feeling well! Dad was especially excited that everything went well, not only for mom's sake, but because the procedure was cutting edge. (We found out that this was actually the second time they have performed the "Anita", but still...)

Mom has been less naseous than before and even went for a long walk today. She keeps saying that she wants one good week to prepare her for what's ahead, and we're off to a great start.

She has asked us to thank everyone again for all their prayers and concern, as well as the fun cards and pictures! She has had such a good time looking at them!

Mom's biopsy went well and we should know the results soon. The stent procedure was a success, but a little more difficult than expected. The "Anita" ended up taking three hours and mom was admitted to the St. Mary's hospital because she was extememly nauseated afterward. We don't know yet how long she will stay in the hospital, but they hope to discharge her tomorrow or Saturday.

Mom has meeting with the Oncology Dept. and the GI Dept. tomorrow.

Thanks for praying!

Headed Back to Mayo

Mom and her entourage are headed back to Mayo on Wednesday night. The managing GI doctor at Mayo has arranged for Mom to have a procedure that would place an artificial stent between her liver and small intestine. We are affectionately calling it the "Anita Procedure" as it has never been done before. The "Anita" will be done endoscopically, which will give mom a quicker recovery. It's great to have such cutting edge medicine so nearby. This procedure will enable mom to finally eat whatever she wants, free her of the bags hanging at her sides, and possibly make her a candidate for chemo. The last visit that we took to Mayo gave us a chance to see the CT scan of mom's liver. There are several spots of cancer, large and small, riddled throughout. We don't know whether the benefits of chemo will outweigh the side effects at this point.

We've been trying to spend a lot of family time together, looking at old pictures to jog mom's memory about family stories that Dad would never remember. He can recount the entire history of every Hawkeye sporting event since the 60's and the sizes, weights, and exact location of each fish that he's ever caught - but not many family events with any helpful detail. ;) We've also been compiling a few of our favorite recipes of mom's so they won't be lost. It was discovered that one of our favorite childhood recipes, chicken and dumplings, is actually from the back of the Bisquick box.

Mayo Appointment Schedule:

Thursday, May 18
7:30 am ultrasound and liver biopsy
1:00 pm Anita Proceedure

Friday, May 19
8:30 am consult with Medical Oncology Dept.
1:15 pm consult with GI Dept.

We so dearly appriciate all your thoughts and prayers for our mom and our family.

Mother's Day

Mother's Day pictures of a great mom!

Back from Mayo

We are all safely back from Mayo. Mom's cholangiogram on Friday showed that her bile duct was not fit for surgery. The surgeon couldn't tell if the tumor had spread or if the inflamation had increased, but either way could not try to reconstruct her bile duct at this point. Mom is going back to Mayo in the near future to have a biopsy of the area done to determine whether it's inflamed or cancerous. She will also see an oncologist at that time to discuss Chemo (radiation is not an option at this point).

It's a large infection risk to have the bile draining externally and the GI doctor is working hard to come up with ideas to internalize the whole system. He is currently investigating the possibility of putting in a stent from the liver to the bowel to drain the bile internally, but this may be a long shot as it's never been done before.

Thank you for your prayers. We're all very discouraged and sad but still looking to God for strength to go through these days.

Mom's morning test is finished and went well. The surgical consult time has been changed to 1:15. Please pray for good news!

At Mayo

Mom's first battery of tests went well but we won't know the results until tomorrow when we meet with the surgeonss at 3:30. We've been waiting a long time for this day and we're a little nervous.

Mom is resting in the hotel room and the rest of us are heading to the pool to wrinkle our fingers and toes and let off some steam. Thanks for praying for her today!

Birthday Scrapbook and Mayo Visit

Thank you to all who gave mom birthday messages. We gave her the scrapbook yesterday and she really liked it. (A big thanks to Joy Bradley for putting it all together and making it beautiful!). The scrapbook is a work in progress and if you still have a message to send we will add it to the book. So many of you wrote such brilliant things about Mom. It meant a lot to the rest of us to be able to read what was written.

Mom is getting ready to go to Mayo for two days of testing this week. Mom and Dad will leave for Rochester on Wednesday night and will come back on Friday night. The culmination of the visit will be meeting with the surgeons after the tests are done to discuss whether mom is fit for surgery to recreate her bile duct.

Many of you have been asking about her testing schedule:

Thursday, May 11
7:30 am Chest x-ray
8:10 am Blood tests
8:40 am Body CT
10:00 am Electrocardiogram

Friday, May 12
8:30 am Radiographic Liver Study
3:30 pm Surgical Consult (Dept. of Gen. Surgery and Gastro. / Hep. Dept.)

Thank you so much for your prayers!

More from Memory Lane...

-As we reported earlier, Mom went into the office to get some blood work done reguarding a leaky tube. We don't have all the results back as of yet, but we found out that her white blood count has gone down, which is good, and she is now taking some new antibiotics to help fight whatever infection may have been there. Thank you for your prayers regaurding this situatuion.

- Some of the latests pictures have been of Mom when she was younger and they sparked some very good conversation among the family. We decided we would get her to talk about each one of us kids when we were younger and last night we video taped her telling stories. The night was dedicated to telling stories about Carrie. There were many good laughs had at Carrie's expense.

This photo is of Carrie as a four month old with Mom and Dad in St. Paul, MN.

- We are looking forward to having Ben and Anne home this weekend, as they have not been able to be here for about two weeks. Ben is in his third year of medical school at Iowa and has a very rigorous schedule. Mom has been thinking up some good memories to tell about Ben when he gets here.

- Please continue to pray that Mom will be able to sleep through the night, as it has been an issue she has been battleing since we got home. Every day brings new trials, please pray for Mom in these next two weeks before returning to Mayo for her check-up. Thanks again for your prayers!!!
Love, Molly

Medical Update

Mom had some labs done today and found that her white blood cell count was elevated. We also cultured one of her tube sites as it has been leaking for two days. Dad is taking her in to the clinic tomorrow for a check up and a few more tests. Please pray that if mom has an infection it will be easily treated with antibiotics. She has been feeling a little less nauseated latley, but she was so nauseated to begin with that on the whole it doesn't seem much better. She and Dad are still tweaking her medications to try and control it.

These pictures of mom and Molly were taken last summer.

A Blast from the Past

Here are a few pictures of Mom back in the day.