So Many Miracles and Tender Mercies!

Ever since Megan received her mission call, life has been pretty crazy for our family. I had naively thought that once Megan left on her mission that life would calm down. It has seemed to be the exact opposite. August, September and October have been some of the most difficult months that our family has ever experienced! It has also been some of the most spiritual months that our family has ever experienced as well! The entire story of all the miracles and tender mercies that we have seen during the last couple of months would take pages and pages to tell. I will do my best to give as few details as I can but yet to still tell the story of everything that has gone on with our family since it has had an impact on Megan's mission.

I had been having digestive problems and knew something was wrong for the past year, but things had progressively gotten worse. In August, my symptoms were bad enough that it put me in bed for most of the month. After four weeks of numerous phone calls, doctor's visits, IV infusions and even three ER visits with intense cramping, diarrhea and vomiting, they finally admitted me to Dixie Regional Hospital on September 16th. This was a hard time for Megan. Throughout August and September I started spending less and less time writing emails and letters to her. I had told her that I was sick but I don't think that she realized how sick I really was - it was pretty much survival at home. Once I was admitted to the hospital, I think that it helped her understand and have more compassion on me and our family for the lack of attention we had for her.

After four intense days of throwing up in the hospital, they were finally able to get me stabilized and my nausea under control. After quite a few tests, on September 24th, the doctors told me that my carcinoid cancer had returned and that I would need to go up to Huntsman Cancer Institute in Salt Lake City for further treatment. As difficult as this situation was, we were truly blessed during this time with so many miracles and tender mercies. One of the miracles was the fact that my parents were in Pittsburgh on their mission and were able to go tell Megan about my cancer returning. What a blessing it was to have the hug of loving grandparents while receiving such difficult news. The mission president was also so kind to let Megan call us that night as well. What a sweet and tender phone call it was for our family as we all huddled around the phone in my hospital room! 

Even though I had been blessed to feel such peace when I heard about the cancer diagnosis, I still had a lot of moments of anxiety waiting to be transferred up to Huntsman Cancer Hospital. Sunday, September 28th, I was so touched when family, friends and Megan's mission fasted and prayed for me. Our ward in St. George also had a special fast for me on Monday. I was so discouraged when on Monday morning the social worker came in to my room to tell me that things were not moving along very fast with Huntsman and so I needed to choose a rehab facility to go to for the next few weeks while waiting to get transferred to Huntsman.

All my discouragement turned to excitement when an hour later, the same social worker and a nurse came back into my room to let me know that a spot had opened up at Huntsman and I was being transferred there by ambulance in an hour! When I called to tell Mike that I had suddenly been accepted and was being transferred, he said that he was almost finished packing. He had woken up unexpectedly (after working a night shift) and had the impression to start packing! Kind friends showed up at just the right time and helped me pack up my hospital room. Jenna decided to stay behind in St. George with friends while Mike, Brynlee and my aunt JoAnne (who had been helping out with the kids while Mike was working) made the trek up to Salt Lake. On my ambulance ride up to Salt Lake, I was able to talk with my paramedic and learned that she grew up with Megan's companion, Sister Sears. We also shared some great experiences together and have even kept in touch after bonding for five hours on my ambulance ride.

After a few days being at Huntsman (and many more tests later), they figured out that my cancer test was showing a false positive because I had been born with an extra baby spleen that had mimicked being a tumor. After another couple of confusing days (and many more tests later), the doctors decided that my symptoms were instead being caused by a rare syndrome where my Superior Mesenteric Artery is pinching off part of my intestines and causing food to back up into my duodenum and stomach. During the stay at Huntsman, I was able to see so many friends and family. It was also so fortunate to have Sister Sears' mom come to visit me at the hospital. It is amazing how much you can bond just because your daughters are companions together on their mission! We took a picture of the two of us together and sent it to our girls.

On October 6th, after three long weeks of being in the hospital, I was discharged with a feeding tube and sent back home to St. George (this time without the expensive ambulance ride). I had fought having a feeding tube at first, but it has truly been blessing to be able to feel healthy again - plus it served as a great Halloween costume! Even though there is still a possible surgery in the future, life has gotten back to halfway normal again. Our family has been through a lot of trials since Megan has been on her mission, but through it all, we have all been blessed as well! On my Mom and Dad's blog, she wrote, "It just seems that the Lord has a plan for us all to serve one another. He truly uses our hands to serve one another and give us His blessings." This may have to be our family motto from now on! Throughout the last four months, we have had so much love, kindness and service given to our family while Megan and my parents have been giving love, kindness and service to the people in Pennsylvania. What a beautiful plan Christ has for us!!!