"Such a Dear Man"

I know the news was well-buried in this post, but my husband's father was recently diagnosed with cancer. I haven't said anything more about it, because there's so much we still don't know yet, but I know some of you are praying and wondering.

They've seen what looks like an encapsulated mass on his kidney. If it is indeed completely enclosed, then it's not a bad kind to have--once they remove it, if they get it all, the incidence of recurrence is low. He was scheduled for surgery last Friday, but then the results of a bone scan showed some lesions on his ribs. They could be consistent with arthritis, but one looked possibly cancerous. Because of them, they cancelled the surgery till he could meet with an oncologist. (Update: None of the lesions are believed to be cancerous.)

Then the results of a brain scan came in, and we learned that he also has a tumor on his pituitary gland. Most pituitary tumors are benign, but they can affect eyesight so they have to be dealt with quickly. They'll probably do that surgery first. (Update: It now turns out that they can dissolve the pituitary tumor with medication, and when he went in this morning, it had in fact begun to deteriorate on its own. So no surgery needed--Thanks be to God!)

He meets with the oncologist next week, and hopefully then we'll find out the total plan, including when and if they'll do radiation--possibly that will be first in order to shrink the tumors. I'll mention it here once we know. In the meantime, thank you so much for your prayers.

Two of my friends recently used the same phrase to describe my father-in-law--"He's such a dear man." And he is.

He and my mother-in-law are such a blessing to our family. They live 1.5 miles away, and in the days before we had built-in babysitters, they were over at our house probably two evenings most weeks. For years they took Bantam 7 every Wednesday morning, while my older kids were in an all-day homeschool program, so that I could have a morning to myself. (Bantam 7, at ages 4 and 5, knew all their doctors, their usual stores and their favorite restaurants! It was a great preschool experience for him.) And they'll still come over almost anytime we need them to, if it fits in with their social schedule.

Since moving to Illinois 7 years ago, they've become a connecting contact for many couples and singles at our church ranging in age from young to...older. Their jolly group goes out to lunch together every Sunday, and my in-laws make it a point to include newer singles who need connection. I bet everyone who attends our church regularly knows the dapper white-haired usher with the distinguished white moustache--though they may not know that he's the proud father of the assisting priest, and they've probably never seen him with out a jacket and tie!

So he is well-known and well-loved by many, and we are so grateful for your prayers for him and for our family. It's hard not knowing what we're facing, but we're trusting the Lord to see us all through.