Week 2 of Florida

March 16

Today (wed) was suppose to be cruddy so I booked a River Tour in hopes of seeing dolpins and manatees. It was a really nice tour and we did see doplins…in fact one jumped up out of the water right in front of us. I actually really like hearing the history and seeing all the houses. I worried it might be too long of a tour for Mark but he did great and really liked it.

As it turned out..it was a beautiful afternoon and a chance for Cora to grab a little more sun before she had to fly back. I think we did get Mark down to the beach again that afternoon. I forget already. He said he really liked feeling the sun on his face but just sitting on the patio with the panaramic view was like sitting on the beack (without the sand or the walk there). A storm did roll in later on and left us with a beautiful rainbow.

I had to get up very early (2:30am) Thursday to take Cora and Scott back to the airport. Aly came with me to keep me awake and when we got back to the condo we jumped back in bed. I did get to take a nice long walk on the beach and do some laps in the pool (it was so warm) and then we got Mark down for the last day (we carry his chair) for about 30 mins but then I had to take him to dialysis. I came back and enjoyed the most beautiful day there so far. Aly and Hatcher did a dusk run and ended it with a swim in the ocean…and then when the moon was shining over the ocean at night we declared that it was almost a perfect day and we really hated to leave there.

Its hard at the same time. Tuesday I took Mark (and I always feel bad leaving him there. It must be lonely) but forgot his meds…I took the kids to a couple of places and returned them back to the condo and then had to go back to Davita (its about 30 minutes from the condo) and then had to go back AGAIN to pick him up. I did alot of driving on vacation. Mark was feeling more and more cruddy and tired as the trip went on. We are pretty sure his hemoglobin is too low but they forgot to take his blood on Tuesday so we still don’t know. He vomited more than normal and was just really run down. Thursday he got up…ate…and layed back down. He got up and came to the beach for a bit and then to dialysis. When he got home, he layed down. He got up, vomited, and layed back down. I think he got up to look at the moon and then went to bed. I think they took too much fluid off too fast at dialysis but then again he was sick Friday and this morning as well as on dialysis. I always worry something is wrong and I don’t know. His hands and legs are cramping more and even though he talks about food constantly and even sends me to the store to get specific cravings…he really isn’t eating much.

I do have a fun story. After talking with Cora on the beach I was really convicted. I went walking with Aly a couple days later and she is really still struggling with what is the right thing to do after high school and where she should go to college. The Holy Spirit “nudged” me to pray out loud with her. I ignore it. But I was “nudged” two more times so finally, as we walked, I talked to the Lord out loud and asked him help give clarity to Aly and that He would do it soon. It wasn’t some magnificant prayer but it purposeful and had intent and it was out loud. I think it was Wed that we made an appointment to meet virtually with a college she was looking at. The coach that was speaking to her was speaking TO her and it was exactly what she needed to hear and even though that wasn’t the college way up on her list—it became very clear that it should be (if not the one she chooses). His testimony about running was awesome and I think Aly could really relate. Mark and I also felt really good about it. If I had prayed to myself on the beach a couple of days earlier…Aly would not have witness a direct (possible) answer to prayer.

We finished up cleaning that night so we could leave early and I spent a long moment on the patio with some warm up leftovers from a restuarant and asked God again….”why?”. Why Mark? And…can’t He still heal him?

We drove to West Virginia last night and Mark was uncomfortable but he made it. He, once again, had a craving and ordered too much food –at 10pm. He could barely eat any of it. We took a little more time this morning to get going but made it to the Breslin Center by 2:40 to drop Hatcher to meet his friends and we finished our trip home.

The LAST thing we wanted to do was dialysis but we had to and it was a slight nightmare. It took wasting 5 cartridges to get going. It was almost 7 before we got started so he is still on as I type this. No worries–its March Madness and there is bball to watch.

Looking ahead. Monday is a long day at Ann Arbor. He starts immunotherapy as well as getting some labs and x-rays (his hip is really bothering him as well as his scapula). Thursday he gets his fistula looked at and I wonder if we will EVER get that thing going!

Thank you to all that made the trip possible…who did things at the house while we were gone…who watched my dog….who almost (but not quite) killed my plants (hee hee) and who continue to pray for us.