Cheat Number One

So I used my first cheat last night and to be honest, I probably could have saved it but yesterday was kind of a bad day. Lots of stuff I prefer not to get into so at about 8pm last night after not eating but half of my sandwich I made I told myself I would have ice cream with a small brownie. And it was good, but not as good as I thought it would be. But one cheat down, that's okay no worries. Today is a new day!

An updated on my friend's nephew that has cancer, she sent me an email that said his last chemo session is May 6th! Hopefully after that he will be in remission! I copied the email she had sent me posted on their blog, it was really sweet and I just thought I would share.

"We love Friday's around here. That means no radiation for two days. The good news is that the countdown has begun. Only 9 radiation treatments left. Last day is Thursday, May 7th. That day is known as "Bang the Gong" day at MD Anderson's Proton Radiation Center. There really is a gong that the patient gets to whack after the last treatment. They encourage hitting it lightly, but I'm betting Ben is going to take his best Pujols-like cut at it. Friends and family are invited to join the celebration.

After his treatment today, I was trying to get him excited about eating something. He said he might want rotisserie chicken. So, I took him to Vincent's on the way home. He changed his mind about eating after his food arrived but we still managed to have a nice time at an outdoor table. We really weren't sitting next to anyone that would have overheard our conversation, but someone must have noticed Ben's head / scar / lack of hair. I say that because when the bill came, someone had written "Your bill was paid for by a guardian angel." I just welled up on the spot. I was so moved I went and shook the waiter's hand and the manager's hand and told everyone thank you (even though it was probably just some nice patron of the restaurant).
Ben is still battling nausea. We thought we were seeing some improvement, but the appetite just isn't there. He dropped below 40 kg for the first time today. He's down to 89 lbs. Nothing sounds good to him. Please keep praying this gets better. Also, continue to pray that his blood counts rebound this week.

I want to say thank you to the patients and their spouses at the Proton Therapy Center. They bought Ben a shirt and a basketball and all signed them both (including some of the staff). It was really, really nice. Today was "Bob's" gong-day. His wife was one of the nice ladies that befriended Ben over the last several weeks. Please pray that the treatment was effective for Bob. We are so thankful to you all for being so kind and supportive to our son. Our prayers go with you.

I have been reading David's Psalms this week about how his enemies are pursuing him and how he is looking to God to protect him and to rid him of his enemies. I'm finding some amazing strength as I lift up those same prayers to God.
9 days to go!

In Him, Steve and Stacey

**you know sometimes we are feeling down or depressed about our own lives, I hear and read or watch stories just like this and think, wow my life is cake compared to this. It's hard sometimes to remember that what we seem to be so upset, hurt, angry by are things that yes are significant but not life threatening. Stories like this are definitley a reminder that God is good and prayer works***