photo by matthewryanphoto
late last night i drove home from visiting my Daddy at the hospital under a moonlit sky
i am a huge lover of the bandwidth of music {there are a few notable exceptions;)}
i have a soundtrack and a playlist for every occasion in my life
from my anniversary to doing dishes
over the last few years as i have felt the temperature of my refiner's fire rise,
i have turned to the world of Christian rock to fill a need for inspiring words mixed with a rising beat, a sort of substitution for contemporary music at times during my day
i am a firm believer and testifier of the power of reverent worshipful hymns and songs in bringing the Spirit instantaneously into my heart and soul and have had countless experiences when words of these hymns brought peace just when I so desperately needed it.
however there are also times in my life when i can feel the love of my Heavenly Father as i sing out some of these contemporary lyrics
last night was one of those times
as i drove home from the hospital under a moonlit sky
with the image of the current vulnerability of my seemingly indestructible father in my mind
the lyrics of this song brought truth to my heart
and i found myself igniting my voice to sing out in loud praise
i raised my voice in testimony
You light up the sky
You light up the sky to show me that you are with me
And I can't deny
No I can't deny that you are right here with me
You've opened my eyes
So I can see you all around me
You light up the sky
You light up the sky to show me that you are with me
as I woke to a rising sun these words continued to witness of Heavenly Father and His Son Jesus Christ's ever presence in my life.
those hands which made this vast universe is watching over my own father,
one of their choicest servants here on Earth
"He that ascendeth up on high, as also he descended below all things, in that he comprehended all things, that he might be in all and through all things, the light of truth;
Which truth shineth. This is the light of Christ. As also he is in the sun, and the light of the sun, and the power thereof by which it was made.
As also he is in the moon, and is the light of the moon, and the power thereof by which it was made;
As also the light of the stars, and the power thereof by which they were made;
And the earth also, and the power thereof, even the earth upon which you stand.
And the light which shineth, which giveth you light, is through him who enlighteneth your eyes, which is the same light that quickeneth your understanding;
Which light proceedeth forth from the presence of God to fill the immensity of space--"
such an incredible witness we have received here on this Earth
such reassurance
if only we will open our eyes
and let the light in
today i have received wonderful reports from both my mother and Mike.
My mother said that Daddy slept good last night after his treatment despite constant interruptions by nurses. He just fell right back to sleep.
Mike went over to be with him early this morning so that my Mom could come home to get a few needed things done. He reported that Daddy was doing so much better!! He looks amazing and he is in great spirits!!
Yay!!!
He will have two more plasmapheresis treatments- one today at 1pm and one tomorrow.
The doctors are putting together his next treatment program.
So happy to be able to report progress!
***UPDATE 10:56 pm***
Daddy continues to sound as if he's on the 'mend'.
I just received a text from him advising me that the results following his first plasmapheresis show that his IGM levels dropped to 3660, down about 2000 points from when he entered the hospital.
Such great news!!!
He has another treatment tomorrow. The third and final planned plasmapheresis.
I look forward to hearing the results from the second to see another drastic reduction.
We are still waiting on advisement from his doctor as to what the new chemotherapy regimen will be.
In some exciting family news, my brother-in-law Josh graduated from the Orange County Sheriff's Academy tonight. Most of the adults in the family, as well as lucky O, were able to attend and felt proud of Josh's grand accomplishment. We agreed that we felt a greater appreciation for those in law enforcement after seeing this evenings proceedings. Jesse, Jani, and Abigail surprised Vanessa and Josh and made it down here in time for the ceremony. Such a joyful reunion. I got to hold the delightful Abigail who just exudes energy. What a wonderful evening for our family!
***UPDATE 8:44 pm Mar 8th***
well i had waited on posting in hopes that Daddy would be coming home tonight
alas he is not
after a communication blunder amongst the attending doctor and nurses,
Dad is forced to sleep what we are hoping will be his last night in the hospital
what is wonderful, most wonderful news is that his IGM levels have dropped significantly
from the 3 plasmapheresis treatments that he received over the past 4 days.
such a miracle!
it is a comforting feeling to see the life return into my father
{which includes his hankering to bust out of the joint and head back to work...ha}
seeing those numbers decreased allows me to breath a sigh of relief
so dear friends and family
i hope to be proclaiming more marvelous news tomorrow
and even lower IGM level
and Dad's freedom from the hospital:)
nightie night!
to read more on My Daddy and our family's journey with cancer click here or on the label 'My Daddy' in the right column
