Good morning! Maggie and I transferred to 3C late yesterday afternoon and rested much better last night (a long story I may delve into later – the neighborhood on 2C was not conducive to rest). Phil is resting easier today back in Hattiesburg knowing his much sleep deprived wife is not coming home in the condition she was in yesterday. The important thing is Maggie is rested, managing with controlled pain, has no complications, and is ready to be home. If all continues, we should be discharged this afternoon.

About the pathology report: the tumor on the liver was positive for cancer. The good news is that Dr. Berch removed more than adequate liver tissue to establish clear margins. We are able to rest in the certainty that it is all gone. We may never know why the spot showed up now when the lung nodules are responding to the present chemo. The most probable explanation is that the cancer in some form has remained there since a suspicious area showed up in December 2014 after the first liver resection in August 2014. A very small tumor could have escaped detection in subsequent CT scans. We’re thankful it is gone. The one other encouraging point about the surgery Monday is it offered Dr. Berch a chance to visually check the entire belly area and pronounce it clear of any present indication for future tumor growth. He also performed a proctoscopy Monday during surgery to inspect the primary tumor site and found it still clear. Maggie will have another complete colonoscopy before year end to monitor the colon. In other words, we are once again dealing only with lung tumors which are currently in retreat.

After a two week recovery at home, we will have a follow-up with Dr. Berch to be cleared to resume chemo. We have not discussed chemo strategy with Dr. Collier this week but assume at this point a return to the current chemo regimen. We hope to know more before leaving today.

Life is never free of setbacks, is it? Two steps forward, once step back still means progress. Even something short of that may mean growth in a different direction or another form. Because we don’t always have to be moving to get where we need to be. God may want to hold us close for greater rest. And I’m all for that right now!

The connection between our struggles and confirmation fascinates meet. This week and the few leading us to surgery have resulted in another period of intense struggle and affliction. As a family, we have felt under attack on several fronts. But the blessed peace of confirmation rushing in as uncertainty resolves into deeper trust is hard to describe. Being brought to the the point of a crisis in trust is tough. Maybe it’s spiritual resection – God’s removing of dangerous tissue – we experience. He roots out what least looks like “healthy” with His holiness as the standard. Painful stuff but, oh, the reward.

Thanks for following Maggie’s progress and praying and encouraging. I’ll keep updating as we transition to home rest.