It’s probably past time for an update, but we’ve been enjoying our home time and haven’t stopped to take a serious look behind or ahead. You know that’s not entirely the case, but we have been focusing most of our attention on the present. Maggie has been recovering and getting stronger every day. The most troublesome physical issue is skin irritation from the targeted therapy. She has prescription strength creams that offer some relief. The liver seems to be functioning well – her color has returned to normal. Her appetite for food is slowly coming back. Her appetite for activity – never totally diminished – has been satisfied. We returned home last Wednesday afternoon, and she was at church Wednesday night. She hasn’t missed many other opportunities to get out of the house. As it should be.

We have a confirmed appointment with her oncologist at MD Anderson Thursday at noon. She’ll have lab work before. We’ll know more once we have our consultation with Dr. Raghav. Our current plan is to stay through the weekend – we have The 5 Browns concert, JJ Watt Charity Softball tournament (the Texans offense vs. the defense), and a Mother’s Day picnic in Hermann Park scheduled. And shopping. Lots of shopping for Maggie. We are keeping the calendar open in case more tests or meetings are required at MDA. If not, we’ll return home Monday. I’ll provide an update Thursday as soon as we have news.

We continue to be thankful for family and friends who encourage us along the way. We’re blessed by many acts of kindness. We’re also aware of many small details falling into place which add up to the undeniable truth of a loving, guiding Hand. I confess to moments in the “why” mode, still, after three years of this. Even though the questions are no closer to being answered, the peace is sweeter, the grace is deeper, and the mercy is clearer. On the surface, nothing about this is fair. But we’re meant to do more than scratch the surface. Real treasure is mined from the darkest depths. I pray today to keep digging.