"Hair" today, gone tomorrow?

Let it fly in the breeze

And get caught in the trees

Give a home to the fleas

In my hair

A home for fleas

A hive for bees

A nest for birds

There ain't no words

For the beauty, the splendor, the wonder

Of my...

Hair, hair, hair, hair, hair, hair, hair

Flow it, show it

Long as I can grow it

MY HAIR!

~ Hair Musical: James Rado & Gerome Ragni

Hi Everyone!

Today was Alan's first day of chemotherapy. He and Terri, his sister-in-law, arrived this morning - bright and early - to receive what amounted to a "I'm-going-to-beat-this-cancer-cocktail!"

Last week he had a port-a-cath surgically implanted just under the skin in the upper part of his left chest. His chemotherapy was administered through that cath today. He will also be on a continuous chemo-pump which will be refilled each Monday for the next three weeks. He will then begin a round of radiation followed by another round of chemotherapy.

Alan's positive and joyful attitude is truly inspirational! Continue to keep him, his family, Ronnie, and his care-givers in your thoughts and prayers.

Also, if you plan to visit, please take every health precaution as his immune system will be virtually non-existent.

Love from him to all...

Prayer for Alan

God of Grace and God of Glory,

We lift your child Alan up to you in prayer. We also lift up Ronnie, Alan's family, his doctors and all his caregivers. We pray for an extra measure of courage and strength and healing for Alan as he continues on this journey. Give us who love him and pray for him an extra measure of faithfulness in our prayers for Alan. And as we pray, we remember all those who need your mercy and grace and healing - let us be beacons of your light and love wherever we go.

Amen

Psalm 121:1 - 2
I will lift up my eyes to the hills, where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth.

Keep those prayers coming

Alan's faith continues to inspire and amaze. His faith and his wonderful spirit is a beacon of light to all of us who have ever spent time with him, but in this journey his light and love have been especially bright - shining on us all. As I have pondered Alan and his journey over the past few years I am reminded of Job and one particular verse from Job keeps coming to my mind -

But He knows the way that I take; when he has tested me I will come forth as gold.
Job 23:10 (NIV)

In the midst of so much adversity Alan has shown great faith and courage and God knows Alan and when he has been tested he too will come forth as gold.

************************************
Alan is healing beautifully and sends his heartfelt thanks to all of you. Perhaps you will note the little shock of color in his hair - a reflection of his colorful soul - a beautiful sight.

He has some tests coming up and on October 31 he will have outpatient surgery for the doctor to put in the chemo port and then the next week he will meet with the oncologist to set up his schedule of chemotherapy and radiation.

Keep those prayers coming and keep calling and visiting and caring.

May God continue to shine his love and grace on us all - we are all tested and when we come through we will all "come forth as gold".

Peace to you, Genie

Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me bless his holy name.
Bless the Lord, o my soul, and forget not all his benefits.
Psalm 103:1-2

We continue to thank God for Alan's amazing recovery. Please continue to pray for him as he gets adjusted once again to life at home. Pray for all his caregivers - as they are vital to him. Offer up special prayers for Ronnie who has been so faithful in his care and concern of Alan.

We are all bound together by a great and merciful God who through his Divine Providence brought Alan into our lives. Like me, I know you have all been blessed by Alan's great love and by the people that have become a part of your life because of Alan. Thanks be to God.

Remember, Alan loves to hear your messages on his cell phone - even when he can not return your calls. Remind him of your love and care - whenever and wherever you can.

Peace be with you all!

Words from Alan

We are sitting on the screened porch (Alan, Johnny, Ronnie & Genie) enjoying the cool air and each others company. Alan is home and looking absolutely fabulous and he has some words for all of you.


Hallelujah - I am home! I want you all to know how much your love, your prayers and your compassion have taken me through this experience. Your support has given me the strength and courage I have needed to face my surgery and my continued recovery. I am ecstatic that I am home and enjoying the comforts of my house and my porch. I look forward to your visits and your posts to my blog. Someone will read them to me daily.

You are all great gifts to my life and I thank God for each of you and all that you mean to me.

With all my love,
Alan

P.S. If you have left a message on my cell phone I will be listening to them over the next few days and I will respond to them as I am able. Thanks again for all your thoughts and prayers.

Alan's Home!

On my porch is where you will find me, when my body is tired but my mind is restless to roam...

Giving Thanks

In everything give thanks, for this is the will of God, in Christ Jesus concerning you.
I Thessalonians 5:18

God of grace and God of glory we give you thanks for answered prayers. Amen

“Rivers know this: there is no hurry. We shall get there some day.”

~ Winnie the Pooh

Hi Everyone...

It's been a week since my last post... and so many hurdles have been met and jumped over!

Wednesday, October 1st: Finally a pain medicine that worked! He was able to relax for a few minutes in between doses.

Thursday, October 2nd: Alan continued to improve. Still nothing by mouth, except the glycerin swabs... but hey, it's the little things.

So tomorrow's another day...

And I'm thirsty anyway...

So bring on the rain... ~Jo Dee Messina

Friday, October 3rd: He was taken down for an x-ray and was given the good news... NO LEAKS! Water is promised for tomorrow!

Saturday, October 4th: "Oopa Metsi!" ~ the gift of water!

Monday, October 6th: Cream of chicken soup, ice cream milk shake... YUM! And let's not forget Terri's tea! The look on his face as he sipped it was pure joy! The catheter was removed! Physical Therapy had him chasing them up and down the halls. Occupational Therapy showed him some shoulder exercises. He sat up in a chair for most of the day and truly rested during the night until about 4:00 a.m. when he and Chasity (one of his favorite nurses) decided they needed to spend some time together. (Obviously there is more to that story!)

Tuesday, October 7th: After a gourmet breakfast of scrambled eggs, Alan bathed and readied himself for the day. LaTonya shampooed his hair - he loves it and her! For lunch he was able to eat (and enjoy) meatloaf, green beans, mashed potatoes with gravy, and fruit... his favorite... soft peaches, pears, and a cherry... he said he had never liked cherries but this particular one was perfect! He had all of his I.V.s removed and currently has only his chest tube and feeding tube in. Hooray!

Keep him in your prayers as we continue to be blessed with God's miracles. ~ Juli

Thoughts for Today

Alan,

To love someone deeply gives you strength. Being loved by someone deeply gives your courage.....know that you are loved as deeply as you love and you are being prayed for.

*******

The Lord bless you and keep you;
The Lord make His face to shine upon you,
and be gracious to you;
The Lord lift up His countenance upon you,
and give you peace.
Numbers 6:24-26

*******

Dear Alan,

We continue to pray for you daily - without ceasing. Our hearts reach out across time and space with love and concern for you. I would expect that at any moment during any day someone, somewhere is praying for you. You have inspired many and shared your great compassion and love with everyone who has crossed your path and we all cherish those touches by you.

Keep the faith Alan - we are all praying for you.

ghh

Alan's Smile

Alan's smile today made my heart soar on the wings of eagles. He looked so wonderful today. He was sitting up beside the bed - all cleaned and polished and joyful. He is finally able to drink and eat a little - grits this morning I think. Thanks be to God!

This is the day the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad in it. Psalm 118:24

First and foremost, Alan sends you his love and his gratitude for all your thoughts and prayers. When I asked if he had a message for you all he said that words are not adequate to express the depth of his feelings of thankfulness for you and all you mean to him.

Please continue to pray without ceasing....for Alan, for his doctors, for his family, for Ronnie. Pray for Alan's continued healing and that he will soon be healing at home. Offer up prayers of thanksgiving for God's presence on Alan's journey.

Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, his love endures forever. I Chronicles 16:34

May the Lord bless you and keep you all as you travel your own journeys of life.

Peace, Genie

Thankful Hearts

Thoughts from Genie

Greetings to all you who love Alan and have been praying for him. Thank you so much for all your love and care. Alan feel's your love and prayers. I have not seen him since Friday evening but when I saw him Friday he looked the best he had looked all week. I am sorry I don't have a more current report for you but hopefully I will get to see him tomorrow and will let you know. Meanwhile, keep on doing what you have been doing - lifting Alan, his doctors and his caregivers up in your prayers.

Lamentations 3:22 - 23 says
Because of the Lord's great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning - Great is His faithfulness!


As you pray remember the Great faithfulness of God. If words fail you your heart will not. And then from the book of Psalms


Psalm 118:26 - 29
Blessed is he who comes in the name of the LORD. From the house of the LORD we bless you. The LORD is God, and he has made his light shine upon us. With boughs in hand, join in the festal procession up to the horns of the altar. You are my God, and I will give you thanks; you are my God, and I will exalt you. Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his love endures forever.

Peace and prayers to you all. Genie

Alan's Journey

Todays Meditation...

To every thing there is a season - and now is the season to thank God for answered prayers.Let us continue to pray for Alan - without ceasing. Every time he comes to your mind and heart lift up a prayer on his behalf - pray for the easing of his pain and for the healing of his body. Pray for Alan's family that they will rest when they can and get an extra measure of strength and courage when they need it.

Pray for yourselves as well - for your own journey of faith.

From the Old Testament - "The Lord is my strength, He makes my feet like the feet of a deer, he enables me to go on to the high places.

"Peace and prayers to you all. --Genie

Alan's Journey

We must embrace pain and burn it as fuel for our journey. ~Kenji Miyazawa

What a day! Alan was moved from the ICU to room 491, (take the A elevator to the 4th floor.) Once he was situated, the concern was about pain management... there has been so much pain today. In order to navigate through the pain, he has developed a form of quiet meditaion each time a shot is administered. We will know more of the "where-do-we-go-from-here" plan later this week.

He sends his love... and we'll send him ours. ~ Juli

When evening falls so hard, I will comfort you.
I'll take your part.
When darkness comes, and pain is all around,
Like a bridge over troubled water, I will lay me down. ~Paul Simon

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 29, 2008 (Day of Surgery)

A day for prayer, hope, support, and healing. ~ Juli


A note from Genie:

In I Thessalonians 5:17 the apostle Paul tells us, "Pray without ceasing".

Let us pray without ceasing for Alan's healing. Quantity or quality of words is not important - simply utter Alan's name throughout your days - God will know and that is enough.

Peace and prayers,
Genie


SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 28, 2008

We will be praying for you at Beulah today. Juli and I will soak up all the love and care of the fellowship of Beulah that we can and then bring it to you when we come.

From the Gospel of John - Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled. Do not be afraid.


Dear Everyone,

As it turned out, Alan was unable to make the trip to Beulah this morning... so we took the service to him. What a glorious day - (and night) - filled with friends, fellowship, beautiful music, and amazing grace!

Ronnie and Kelli had prepared a (liquid) feast for Alan and when Genie and I arrived they were sitting at the table enjoying mashed potatoes, steamed squash, and cubed steak. (Thankfully, they had omitted the cubed steak from Alan's blended and pureed concoction but it sure smelled good!)

After lunch, Alan and Genie retired to the porch. Within minutes there was music filling the air. Ronnie's Uncle Steve, his wife Carolyn, and Johnny Dunn stopped in; followed by Alan's parent's, Dan and Maxine, and his sister Dana. Reginia, Alan's neighbor, visited in between her "Sunday-mom-jobs." Kristina and Kevin stopped in; Ronnie -ever faithful- continued working on the "upper room" and busying himself with "the taking-care-of-everything-that has-to-get-done" chores. At one point I told him he needed to take a break and sit down... to which he replied, "If I sit down, I may NEVER be able to get back up!"

When things calmed down a bit, Genie sang "His Eye is on the Sparrow" for Alan. Following that beautiful song, Genie lead us as we prayed over Alan. I think everyone felt the awesome presence of God on that little smoky porch on Boulevard.

My Sunday porch time was coming to an end but not before Kevin played his guitar and Kristina sang "Starry, Starry Night," one of Alan's favorites. They also shared some of his original music with us.

As Genie and I were leaving, Kim arrived, as did Rob and Phil. I heard that the afternoon turned into evening as more and more friends dropped by.

I would guess that Alan would call it a "perfect day!" I certainly would!

~ Juli

Each day comes bearing its own gifts. Untie the ribbons. ~Ruth Ann Schabacker

What a day! What gifts! We literally "untied some ribbons!"

Our day began (a few minutes late -- imagine that!) on the back porch sipping on diet cokes and trying to redo the outgoing message on his phone... HYSTERICAL!!! We giggled our way through several attempts and settled on one that begins and ends with laughter. You must call his cell phone and listen to the message... just for the comic relief!

Alan is already packed and ready for the hospital but there were a few things he wanted to get done before heading out on Monday.

Many of you are aware of Alan's prayer beads. He wraps them around his wrist and arm and plays with the "baubles, scarebs, charms, etc" that he has "blindly" - not perfectly - attached to the beads. He wanted to redo the additions (literally "untying the ribbons") and find/attach things that would represent people and events special to him so, obviously, we had to go shopping. UGH! There are few people that dislike "shopping" as much as I do but today was different! I got to take my "dearest dear" shopping for FUN things.

As always, we started out with food -- sharing some very good "Hot & Sour" soup at a new Chinese restaurant. Then we went to Best Buy to get the necessary equipment to set up the wireless network for the voice activated computer that was so generously given to him. Finally we ended up at Michaels to purchase art supplies, and some "baubles, scarebs and charms" for his prayer beads. So, after he led me around the store for an hour, we made our purchases and headed home.

It was a great day and Alan's positive spirit was contagious!

I will be picking Alan up on Sunday at 9:30 to take him to Genie's church service (Beulah Baptist in Linton.) She's preaching on "God Moments" so if anyone wants to join us, you are welcome to... just be at his house by 9:30. Genie will pray over Alan during the service... a very spiritual and emotional event. God's blessings are GREAT!

If you can't make the service, and want to see him prior to his surgery, I will have him back in Macon by 1:30 on Sunday.

An update on the hospital: He will need to be at the hospital by 5:30 a.m. on Monday. I'll be there so, if I don't already know you, PLEASE introduce yourself.

Stay in touch and I'll try to keep this blog updated.

Love and hugs... ~ Juli

From Alan...

The life of God flows through every single fiber of my being... it is through His grace that I will be healed... either in this life or the the next... God's grace is sufficient!

Hi Everyone!

Alan gave me this - "his meditation" - and asked that I share it with all of you. It is certainly a time for faith, prayer, and miracles!

Okay, this is what I know:

Last week was busy and also slooooooooooow! Anyone that has ever had to endure a complicated health "event" knows just what I mean.

Alan saw his surgeon and the consensus was to move forward with the surgical option. It is a radical operation but is supported by everyone concerned.

On Monday, September 29th, Alan will check into the surgical unit of the Medical Center (Macon) at 7:30 a.m. The surgery to remove the esophagus and the stomach will begin between 7:45 and 8:00. My understanding is that after the esophagus is removed, the stomach will be taken out and the cancerous part of it will be removed. Part of the uninfiltrated stomach will be used to construct a small section to be molded into a new "mini" esophagus. The rest of the stomach will then be re-attached to it and will make it's home in the chest.

Sounds easy... not really! This will actually be THREE SURGERIES! There will be an ongoing exploratory surgery, a stomach surgery, and an esophageal sugery.

However, it must be done! With the aggressiveness of this cancer, there is a 95% chance that it will return so we need to move forward.

Here's where the prayers and miracles come in...

Join me as I offer prayers and peace to all... ~Juli

Genie's prayer...

A Prayer for Today:

O Thou in whose great arms all the children of earth are embraced,
Here in thy presence we remember our kinship with all human kind.
We rejoice for those who are in full health and strength.
Our hearts reach out toward those whose ways are ways of suffering, of body, mind, or soul.
May it be that thou shalt find us reaching out to them, not only with our hearts but with our hands also.
To help them in the bearing of their burdens and to help in the lifting of their burdens.

Amen

Peace to you all...

From Alan...

"To get through the hardest journey, we need take only one step at a time... but we must keep on stepping."

Hi Everyone!
I'm pretty new at this "blog thing" but Ronnie suggested I do one so everyone would be able to follow Alan's progress through this journey and send him well-wishes along the way.

~ Juli

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"Toto, I have a feeling we're not in Kansas anymore."

Dorothy, The Wizard of Oz

In mid August Alan made an appointment with a gastroenterologist, Dr. Vincent A. Gibbert, because he was having some stomach issues. An endoscopy was performed on Tuesday, August 26th, 2008 at which time a very suspicious tumor was found in the lower part of his esophagus. A biopsy was done and a follow-up appointment was scheduled for the next day.

The news was not good. Alan was diagnosed with Esophageal Adenocarcinoma.

"I am a bear-of-very-little-brain, and long words bother me."

Winnie the Pooh

Although commonly associated with lung cancer, adenocarcinoma is a type of cancer that develops in cells lining glandular types of internal organs, such as the lungs, breasts, colon, prostate, stomach, pancreas, esophagus, and cervix.

A P.E.T. scan was scheduled for the following Friday but, because of the Monday holiday, the gastroenterologist did not receive the report until Tuesday, September 2nd.

Because this cancer is known to be extremely aggressive - the typical "plan of action" is to quickly begin chemotherapy, radiation, and - once the tumor 's size is reduced - surgery is performed to remove the affected part of the esophagus, and re-attach the stomach to the remaining part. Everything sounded "scary but hopeful" so Alan was anxiously preparing to move forward with the plan.

However, after Dr. Gibbert's further review of the studies, it was determined that in just 3 days the tumor had already increased in size! His opinion was that there was not enough time to wait for the chemotherapy to shrink the tumor so his office contacted Dr. Randall B. Brown, a well-respected Macon Cardiothoracic Surgeon. Alan met with him on Tuesday and was prepared to enter the hospital immediately.

This would not be the case. Dr. Brown explained to Alan that the adenocarcinoma had moved vertically up his esophagus, was in the mucin, had "infiltrated" -- (his word) -- the mucous membranes in the top part of the stomach, and there appeared to be some possibility of lymph node "involvement" -- (again, his word). With that said, the original "scary but hopeful" plan has been postponed.

Because of Alan's inability to eat, he has become extremely malnourished. The "new" plan of action will require him to build up a "nutritional level" that will give him some much needed strength to prepare for the possibility of surgery at a later date.

If the surgery proves to be his best option, Alan will travel to Charleston , S.C. and the surgery will be performed by THE top surgeon in this field, Dr. Carolyn E. Reed. To learn more about the surgery, you can go to:

http://theoncologist.alphamedpress.org/cgi/reprint/4/2/95.pdf

In the meantime, Dr. Brown has ordered additional tests to be performed in order to determine the scope of the disease and options for treatment. No doubt this next week will be a busy one for Alan!

Dr. Brown believes that medicine and miracles go hand-in-hand. Please pray for both.

A blessing from Genie...

I too am lifting you up in prayer - praying for an extra measure of courage and strength. I pray that we, your friends and family will be the people you need us to be during this journey.

"May the Lord bless you and keep you; and make His face to shine upon you, and be gracious to you; may the Lord lift up His countenance upon you and give you peace." Numbers 6: 24-26