The Story of the Ash Tree that Wasn't...

Interesting…this cancer walk is interesting. You never know what is going to happen. God works in the most interesting ways.

First, let us tell you an interesting story. You know, when you have cancer, it is the little things that become so important. You want to fill your life with all the things you love, people, sights, and foods. Well, Layne LOVES cherries. Rainier cherries are his absolute favorite, but they are expensive and grown in Washington state, so we have to wait each year for the farmer’s markets in Oregon to get them. And he loves sitting and eating his cherries.

Nine years ago, when we moved into our home, we put in three trees. Two apple and an ash tree. Last night, I (Betty) was in the back yard, and what did I see? Weird fruit looking things on the tree! So, I tasted it, and it tasted like a cherry. How odd. So, I took it in to show Layne and he said, “That is a cherry!”

I said, well, it came off the ash tree in the back yard! What an amazing thing and a very, very nice blessing. Thank you, Lord!

Then, this morning, we came to Nevada Cancer to start chemo. We assumed the biopsy had verified the PET scan of five spots on the liver, because we had heard nothing. The interesting thing is…and they aren’t sure what it means yet, so no one should get too excited…but the biopsies are clean. No cancer.

Now, it was only the largest spot that was biopsied, but isn’t that amazing? No cancer in the biopsy?

We don’t want to read too much into it, but we are optimistic that this news is good thus far. We think that the Lord has something up his sleeve—we have felt that he has been carrying us. And we know, WE KNOW that he could just heal Layne with no chemo, no surgery—he chooses to provide medicines and doctors, but if he chooses to, this could all go away in a second. Therefore, we are on this journey for a purpose. We are trying to glorify Him in the journey…and to learn to walk not by sight, but by faith.

Please don’t quit praying. We know that your prayers are changing our lives. Never think “No one knows…my prayers are not important.” They ARE important. God listens. He does listen.

And He cares about YOU !

Biopsy...thanks St. Rose Hospital!

Well, you know you can have a great experience or a horrible experience at a hospital. Locally, our experiences have not been the best. However, Layne's biopsy was scheduled at St Rose Siena, and we both felt it was an amazing experience.

Check in was very quick, they accepted the blood work from the doctor's office, which had already been transferred--so no double stick! (When you have cancer, you become a pin cushion, and one less stick is a HUGE thing.)

Then, the procedure was quick, fairly painless (Layne felt pressure, but no real pain.) Then the nursing staff on the post-op floor was wonderful! Our nurse was Barbara, and she was an angel.

Now, we await results, and chemo is due to start again on Thursday. It will be interesting to see if the results change our chemo or our strategy. Again, with cancer, you never know what tomorrow will bring.

Layne is still feeling very good. He is loving his juiced carrots and wheat grass, and he notices that he does not crave sweets like he used to since he started juicing carrots!

Perhaps we should all juice carrots!