Auctions worth bidding on!!! Help sam

Friday, October 30, 2009 7:16 PM, EDT





SAM'S MOM WROTE



Sam is resting comfortably right now in his room and his Dad and I have been with him for the last several hours. He was experiencing some pain when he first got to his room but the nurses have given him more medication and he is being monitored. He also has an epidural right now so that is helping with the pain in his legs and keeping the areas numb from surgery. He also has been experiencing some nerve sensations on his right side that have really been bothering him. They say that when your leg is amputated you can experience something called "phantom pain" where you can still feel the part of the leg/foot that is no longer there. A nurse just came in to give him some valium to help relax him and help with the nerve sensations he is experiencing. He fell asleep a few min. ago and is now resting comfortably. Dad went home for the night after a very long day and I will be staying with Sam this evening.

We are so thankful that today went as smoothly as it did with no complications during surgery. We are thankful that the cancer is out of his legs. I know it seems that Sam's journey has just started but it is a huge relief to have this surgery out of the way. Sam is in okay spirits. He has had a few outburst which is undenrstandable. He did say he wishes he never got his leg amputated which is also understandable after what he has experienced today and the discomfort he still has. Mike and I still believe in our hearts that the right decision was made for Sam to give him a better future. I cannot bring myself to really look at his stump on his right leg right now....it still hurts to much for me to think about what our son has gone through today. I am just praying that each and every day gets a little easier for all of us. Please pray that Sam has a good night, that his pain is managed, for his spirits to be as good as they possibly can, and for recovery to go smoothly. Praying for better days ahead. So thankful for each and every one of you who stood in the gap for us today. You helped us get though a very difficult day by lifting ou family up in prayer. Our family is so thankful for each and every one of you.

A year ago, there was a 14 year old boy several miles away that got his leg in a silo unloader and had to have his leg amputated. He was able to talk to someone while he was in the hospital that had the same thing done years before. That helped him out alot since he could see that life goes on and that he was not alone. I would check at the hospital and see if this could be arranged there. We all have to play the cards that we are dealt and so does Sam, but I'm sure with his courage and God's help, he will get through this.

Saturday, October 31, 2009 9:00 PM, EDT





SAM'S DAD WROTE

Dad here for this posting:



It's been a challenging day today. Sam has had to deal off and on with phantom pain, as well as some general discomfort. He isn't in his own bed,and along with the epideral in his back has allowed him to not get as comfortable as he would like. He also has a bit of a temperature like he did last night, so they just gave him some Tylenol.



Even with all the meds they are giving him, he seems to be having neurological pain. When he is asleep it's fine, but when he is awake and complains of pain. So, the nurses are trying to adjust him to give him some better comfort.



The praise is that he can move his left foot and that his one nerve did not go to sleep! With this nerve not going to sleep it means he won't have a drop foot and will be able to get around with fewer difficulties.



Please pray for comfort for Sam. At this point that is critical with everything that is going on.



Thanks!

Dad

Prayers sent for Sam and his parents!

Sunday, November 1, 2009 7:21 AM, EST



SAM'S MOM WROTE

Mom here writing from home. I have not spoken with Mike yet this morning so I do not know how the night went for Sam. I had a good evening at home with our girls and it was nice to get that break from the hospital. Even with the break my heart and mind was with Sam and wondering how he was doing. I will be going back to the hospital early this afternoon for my 24 hour shift. I just wanted to take this opportunity to extend a thank you out to a few people. Mike and I are really trying to keep up with Thank You notes but are getting way behind. Please know that if we thank you via CaringBridge instead of sending out a personal note that your thoughtfulness has meant so very much to our family. The outpouring of love and support has been amazing and we are truly appreciative of all of you.

I want to thank Rockland United Methodist Church for their outpouring of love. All 3 of our children received personalized packages of items that were collected for them by the church members. The kids enjoyed opening up their boxes. Thank you for bringing a smile to their faces. This church also collected a monetary donation for our family along with sending Sam a little spending money to buy something special that he wanted. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts.

Project of Love in Leetsdale, PA made prayer pillows for all of our children with decorated pillow cases on them. The kids loved them and have been using them for various purposes. Thank you for reaching out to our family.

Our family continues to receive monetary donations and gift cards from people all over the United States. Please know how appreciative our family is for this. All of the $ is going towards paying for medical expenses for Sam or is being saved for when he has to get his prosthetic leg. Thank you is not even a big enough word to express our appreciation and gratitude for your kindness. Samuel is so blessed to have so many people behind him (lifting him up when he can't stand) and praying for him at all times.

I am including a link below from an article in the Marietta Times newspaper about a school that I have mentioned that "adopted" Sam. I hope you all enjoy reading it as much as we did. Our church has a slogan that says "LOVE GOD LOVE PEOPLE". I must say that all of you have shown us in various ways that you truly do love the Lord and love our family. Thank you! Praying for better days ahead for Sam. Praying for that miracle and praying for healing in his body!





THE NEWS PAPER PICKED UP SAMS'S STORY



Local students ‘adopt’ boy



By Kate York, [email protected]



NEW MATAMORAS - In early August, while out playing with friends and enjoying the waning days of summer, 8-year-old Sam Bish started feeling a strange pain in his legs.



By Aug. 10, an X-ray had revealed a tumor in his right leg and it wasn't long before the diagnosis of stage 4 bone cancer was made.



Today, Bish will have his leg amputated in an attempt to slow the rare, aggressive cancer that has already spread to his other leg and lungs.



Bish isn't a student in the area and has never even been to the Mid-Ohio Valley. With no geographic or blood ties to link him to the students of New Matamoras Elementary, Bish might have been just another sad story of an anonymous person for them but for one thing: Compassion.



"When I heard about him, it just broke my heart," said New Matamoras sixth-grader Josie Felton, 12.



"A third-grader shouldn't have to think about cancer," said classmate Ranae Rutter, 11.



The entire school has now "adopted" Bish, a third-grader at French Run Elementary School in Reynoldsburg, sending him cards, thoughts and prayers and money they have raised, meant to be spent just on fun things for Sam, not on medical expenses.



"Sam is excited about being an honorary (Matamoras) Bulldog now as well as a French Run Firebird," said his mother, Cindy, in an online journal chronicling her son's battle. "I am blown away by the generosity of people that are praying for our family and for Sam."



A poster made naming Bish as an honorary Bulldog and a check for more than $1,000 was recently delivered to the family at Columbus Children's Hospital by New Matamoras Principal Bill Wotring, who first read an article about Sam Bish and brought it to the attention of students.



"I told the kids that this was a little boy, just like all of them, who had finished the school year and spent the summer playing and was looking forward to starting the third grade," Wotring said. "And just before he could, he ends up in the hospital, having chemotherapy."



Wotring planned to have the students make and send a batch of cards, but the students themselves wanted to take the project further.



Felton, Rutter and fellow sixth-grader Ashton Amos, 11, decided to start a fund for Bish and ultimately raised more than $500, which was supplemented by the school's PTO.



"My brother is in the third grade, so this really got me thinking about what if he had cancer and how I would want people to help," Felton said. "I've known older people at church who have had cancer, but I've never known someone this young. I just keep praying for him."



A place of learning is just the right place for the students to take on a project like this, said Wotring, who wants to teach the children character education along with their reading, writing and arithmetic.



"I think it's vital," he said. "The reason you get an education is so you can serve other people, and this is great character education that's age-appropriate for them. They're helping someone who will never be able to repay them and nobody wants to be repaid. They're doing this for someone else."



It's one of many character-building projects that will be taking place at the school and one that will go on.



The students continue to read the Bish online journal together and will soon make another batch of cards to send. In the spring, the sixth-graders plan to put another fundraising effort into place.



"I really hope what we've done has put a smile on his face because I'm sure he's scared," said Felton. "Every night I just wish for him to have the rest of his life to live. He's only 8 years old."



The students sending good wishes and support to Bish say they would love to meet him someday but don't expect to - and that's OK.



"We still want to help even though we don't know him," said Rutter. "You can care for all people, not just the ones you're close to. And I hope he knows how many people care."

Good morning SAM !!!! As the sun raises on this beautiful Lord`s day it`s hard not to think that this is a ray of lite sent from you !!! Praying Sam that your burdens and pain are lessoned as time goes on and that your joy and happiness is restored very soon !! SAM, the Lord tells us that all things through him are possible !!! Never give up the fight buddy !!! The entire deer farming community is with you in mind and spirit !!!! Get well my little friend !!!









The day will come that we may have to choose,

praying hard that we will never lose,

We question and wonder, but really ask why, how do we keep the tears from our eyes.

The lord set a path for us to go, if we follow it close we will surely know,

trusting in him is the way we should show, open our hearts and never let go.

Sunday, November 1, 2009 10:55 AM



SAM'S DAD WROTE



Hello, it's Dad again:



Sam had a pretty decent night last night. He was having some pain in his leg, so they took him off the morphine and gave him some vallium to help better with the muscle pain. So, we actually got some sleep last night.



He was able to have his left leg lifted pretty high while the nurses put pillows under his leg. I was really pleased with that, and that his leg could be lifted as high as it was without showing much discomfort.



He woke this morning and has had on and off leg pains, primarily in his right leg where the amputation took place.



We have been working on his left foot, and to get it some excercise. We have also been doing breathing excercises to help his lungs stay active and prevent pneumonia.



The physical therapist just came to work with him a little right now, and Sam seems to be doing okay. All in all, it seems as if things are going about as well as to be expected.



Please continue to pray for postive thoughts for Sam, decreasing pain and patience for all of us.



Thank you and God Bless-

Dad

Sunday, November 1, 2009 10:39 PM, EST



SAM'S MOM WROTE

Mom here and I am getting ready to turn in soon at the hospital...which means sleep in the recliner in Sam's room. Sam on the other hand look pretty comfortable asleep in bed. He has had a pretty good day. He is still dealing with episodes of pain but he is working through them better. Distraction and taking deep breaths are key things for Sam to do when experiencing pain and he has worked on this today. The pain did not seem to be as severe today. Praying that each day gets better. Sam was able to continue to lift up his left leg some and also was able to sit up in bed for short periods of time w/out experiencing much pain today. I was so excited for these small improvements.

Tomorrow will be a big day for Sam. I believe that his cathater and epidural will be taken out. I also believe that his hard cast on his amputated leg will be taken off and replaced with a soft dressing. Sam seems to have a low pain tolerance and is anxious about tomorrow and what will take place. PT is also coming in tomorrow to work with Sam and may attempt to get hiim out of bed. This will be a huge first step for Sam attempting to move while standing up. Keep up the prayers. Each day is getting a little bit easier...

Hey Sam,

Just letting you know that my family and I are still praying for you and your family. You are an inspiration to many of us. God has a special plan for you that has already begun. you have touched the lives of many that you have not met. That is awsome!

Thank you , Sam. Your story and ongong fight in this trial has given many of us a revived perspective on life. My wife Missy , and 3 sons Zachary, Kaden , and Ty, and myself hope and pray for you a quick and painless recovery. And may you touch the lives of many more in the years to come.

Tuesday, November 3, 2009 8:27 AM, EST





SAM'S DAD WROTE

Good Morning Prayer Warriors:



Last night started off a little rough as they are still trying to adjust his meds now that the epideral is out. Once they got that taken care of, he was in great shape. He slept through the night without any problems at all.



This morning he had some pain as he was waking up due to some of his meds wearing off. They have since come in and has "refreshed" his meds, so hopefully he will be in good shape.



He did great yesterday with the physical therapist. They had wanted him to sit up and rotate in bed so his leg was hanging off the edge and he was facing towards the window. He did it, and he did it by himself! He was in pain doing it, and the therapist wanted to help but he wouldn't let her. Primarily due to the fact that he did not want anyone touching his sore legs. So, he did it by himself! She did help him scoot a time or two at the end, but other than that it was all Sam! Even though he was crying in pain, he did not give up and kept going. He wanted to give up but we couldn't let him do that. He did such and great job, and we are so proud of him! I guess that's where his stubborness will come in handy, is during physical therapy.



Today will be another interesting day. They are planning to get him off the bed and start putting weight on his left leg. So, just pray for as much comfort as possible.



Thank you for everything for all you have done, for all your prayers and support!



Hope you have a great day!!



Michael

Tuesday, November 3, 2009 8:14 PM, EST



SAM'S MOM WROTE

Today Sam hit another milestone. PT came in and got him to stand up and take a few steps/hops with his left foot while holding onto his new walker. This was not an easy task. It brought Sam a lot of pain and he cried and yelled through all of it but HE DID IT! The first time he took about 4 steps and rotated the walker so he could walk from the hospital bed to the couch in his room. We let him rest for awhile on the couch since it took alot out of him. Then he did the same thing going back to his bed but we did move his hospital bed a little closer to him to make it just a little easier. Today was the first day he was out of bed and on his left foot so it was very painful for him (don't forget he had surgery on his left leg as well). PT will come back in to work with Sam some more tomorrow. We do have a wheelchair for Sam once he gets home but PT wants him up and trying to walk short disances at least 3 times a day at home.

Mike and I have made Sam a temporary bedroom on the first floor of our home so he will not have to worry about doing the stairs for the first several weeks. Another huge blessing has come our way this week. Mike works with a lot of contractors and builders and one of the companies that he works with has donated a new bathtub, bathtub surround and will also install the handicap bars and do all of the labor for our family. The work started today and it should be finished by tomorrow. This is a huge blessing for our family and we are so grateful for this company reaching out to us in our time of need. We knew that we would have to make some adjustments in our home for Sam and this is just one big thing that has been taken off of our "to do list".



Sam's pain seems to be much better and under control today and for this we are thankful. We are also so thankful for my brother in law (Mike's brother Jim) who drove 2 hours to come and stay at the hospital with Sam tonight so Mike and I could have a break at home together with our girls. Sam could possibly come home tomorrow or Thursday depending on how PT goes tomorrow. Sam insisted on doing a lot of his PT on his own again today....not wanting anyone to really touch him or help him. He is a stubborn little guy but like Mike said....in this case it is working for him. Thanks to all of you who continue to reach out to our family.EXPECTING THAT MIRACLE IN SAMS LIFE AND ALWAYS PRAYING FOR HIM!

Wednesday, November 4, 2009 8:08 PM, EST





SAM'S MOM WROTE

SAM IS HOME AND WILL BE SLEEPING IN HIS OWN BED TONIGHT! Sam was released this evening from the hospital. He hit some more milestones in PT today and passed their test to come home. We have been sent home with PT instructions and exercises to do with him at home along with various meds to help keep his pain/phantom sensations controlled. Please continue to pray for our family as we adjust to our "new normal". I am feeling a bit anxious about taking care of all of his needs on my own while Mike is at work while still taking care of our 2 young daugters. I know and trust that everything will work out and God will give us all strength to get through this time. Please pray for continued healing for Sam and that his left leg gets stronger every day. He should be home for about 2 weeks before he has to go into the hospital to start his chemo again. Thank you for all the prayers. It is amazing that 5 days ago Sam was having such a big surgery on his legs and tonight he is at home. Praise The Lord!

Wednesday, November 4, 2009 10:22 PM, EST





SAM'S MOM POSTED THIS ON SAM'S SITE

* I am posting a few new pictures tonigh taken the day of Sam's surgery before he went into surgery last Friday (October 30th). Some pictures are also posted of Sam taken in the days leading up to this surgery.



- People continue to ask how they can help our family and what we need. Obviously prayer is the best thing you can do for us right now. For those that want to help in other ways, donations are very appreciated for Sam's medical expenses. The check can be made out to Mike and Cindy Bish or Sam Bish and sent through our church. They will make sure we receive all $ coming in for Sam. I am also still working on setting up that donation account for Sam through a local bank here in Reynoldsburg. I have also found another organization that helps families that have loved ones with cancer. I am going to post below about this organization and if you would like to make a tax deductibe donation to our family how that can be done.

Christians Overcoming Cancer's mission is to provide emotional support and financial relief services to people in active treatment for cancer. We are publicly funded and have a 100% volunteer staff. We are the only organization in the country providing financial relief services based on what the person says they need. Sometimes people would like to give in support of a particular family but would also like the benefit of a tax deduction. The only way this can happen is if the donation is received by a 501C3 organization (which we are). This being the case people can donate through our http://www.facebook.com/l/43bef;www.christiansovercomingcancer.com website with a note indicating the donation is for your family. The email receipt they get serves as their receipt of charitable donation. We then would be in steady contact with you to help meet whatever financial need you have - the money would have to help you pay monthly expenses while Sam is in treatment. These expenses would be housing, utilities, car expenses, travel, phone, insurances, etc.

I hope all this information helps.

Enjoy the new pictures I posted tonight. Praying for Sam!



Fall photo session of our family 3 days before surgery



Sam in his new XBOX hat and his new Guitar Hero guitar from the XBOX game



On his way to the operating room. He brought his panda webkinz in with him.



Morning of Sam's surgery. Pictures of my precious boy with both of his legs for the very last time



Mom and Dad with Sam right before we said goodbye to him and he went in for surgery.



Dr. Mayerson marked the site on Sam's right leg where the tumor was and where his leg would be amputated.



Sam and his sisters.



Sam with Dr. Mayerson right before surgery



Left Fibia bone marking where the surgery would take place. Half of his Fibia bone was taken out.

Friday, November 6, 2009 8:22 PM, EST



SAM'S MOM WROTE



Sam is sleeping peacefully in his temporary bedroom we have made for him downstairs tonight. He has had a pretty good day. His pain has been kept at a minimum for most of the day but it did flair up right around dinner time. He is struggling with the phantom pain and feeling pain or itching in his foot/leg that is no longer there. This is very frustrating for him and he gets very anxious about this. We are trying to teach him different techniques to keep him distracted but it does not always work. It has been a bit of a stressful evening but everything is calm now with all of the kids in bed for the night.

Sam has been doing good with his PT at home. We have had him up walking a few times today and he is also transfering himself very well from the wheelchair to the couch. He is moving around alot more here at home than he was in the hospital. We did a dressing change at home with him tonight. My dear friend Beth who is a nurse came to help, supervise and support Mike and I since this is the first time we have done this upon arriving home. It went fairly well. Sam is still very sensitive to others touching his legs....especially on the side that was amputated. Each day is getting better though. Sam looks as though he is healing very well and for this we are very thankful! My friend Beth ended up staying with us throughout the evening to just help with the kids and hang out. She was a calming influence in our home tonight and we are so thankful for her friendship and help.

I would like to ask for prayer tonight for my father Jeffrey. My dad has been at the Mayo Clinic over the last several days in Minnesota for a series of medical tests. On a catscan that was done today a mass/tumor was discovered in the area of his adrenal glands and it looks like it has spread into his kidneys and his lungs as well. The doctor was fairly certain it was cancerous based on how it looks but my father will meet with an Oncologist on Monday morning for more testing/results. Please lift my Dad up in prayer along with our entire family as we await results and figure out a course of treatment for him. As you can imagine this news devestates me. I know that there is a saying that God does not give you more than you can handle. I do believe this in my heart but I am being stretched very thin right now. I do not understand why this is happening to my child let alone my father....especially at the same time. I need strength to remain strong and get through this for both my son and my Dad. When you pray for healing for Samuel please also pray for my father tonight. Thanks so much for lifting my family up in prayer. It means more to us than you can possibly imagine.

Thanks For Caring

SORRY I WENT OUT OF TOWN!





SAM'S MOM WROTE

Sunday, November 8, 2009 6:43 AM, EST



Sam has had a pretty good night. He only got up twice last night needing more meds. I appreciate the journal entry about rubbing the leg that is no longer there to help with phantom pain. Sam already does that and it seems to help a little bit. I will also ask his doctor about increasing his neurontin when we go in for our follow up appointment this Thursday. Phantom pain has been really hard for Sam to deal with up to this point and us as well b/c there is nothing we can do to help him with this other than trying to distract him. If any of you have any other suggestions about phantom pain that have gone through it with someone else in your family, please let us know what has worked for you. We are willing to try just about anything at this point to get our son some relief from the itching or spasms in his leg that is no longer there.

Sam's uncle Jim and his cousin Lauren came to visit yesterday. Lauren spent the night with us last night. She and Sam are very close and he just adores her. She is/was a very good distraction for him to help him keep his mind off of things. We also had a great visit earlier this week from our friend Courtney who we have met through this CaringBridge website. She has become an amazing advocate for our family and getting the word out about Sam and childhood cancer. Courtney brought her friend Dimitrious Stanley with her to meet Sam. For those of you who are not Buckeyes and do not know who Dimitrious is, he was a former Buckeye football player, MVP, and also now does Fox Sports News on television. It was an honor to meet him. He presented Sam with a very special autographed football and just spent some time with him. We took some pictures of this special meeting that we will try to post later. Thank you Courtney for setting this up for us. It brought a smile to Sam's face and my husband's face as well as he is a huge Buckeye fan.

Praying for better days ahead for both Sam and my father Jeffrey. We will update more this week. Sam goes in for a follow up appointment on Thursday and if he is cleared for more chemo then that will start the following week. Mike's parents Bob and Joanne Bish have faithfully come to Columbus every time Sam is in chemotherapy to stay with our girls and provide some consistency for them in our home. We cannot thank them enough for all of the support and love they have shown our family. We are thankful they are in a position where they can help us right now with childcare for our daugters. This means the world to us.

Mike and I are going to church this morning while a dear friend of the family (Thanks Tom) comes to sit with Sam here at our home. Sam is nervous about going back to church right now b/c of the regular phantom pain he is experiencing. I think he is embarrassed about what he would do if this happens in Sunday school with his friends. We keep telling him that every day will get better for him. This is all we can pray for at this point. Thank you for coming along beside us in prayer for both Sam and my Dad. Expecting that miracle in both of their lives and praying for both of them!

SAM'S MOM WROTE



Monday, November 9, 2009 1:55 PM, EST



Hello to all of our faithful friends and prayer warriors. The sun is shining in Columbus, Ohio today and it is close to 70 degrees. It is amazing what a sunny, warm day can do for your soul. Sam had some friends come over from church today. He seemed to enjoy seeing them and it got his mind off of his phantom pain. I appreciate so much all of the suggestions that have been coming in regarding the phantom pain and I will be trying some of them with Sam. I did speak with his surgeon's nurse today and he will be able to receive a higher dosage of Neurontin which hopefully will help with some of the phantom pain/sensations. He is also being given another medicine (I forget the name) but it is taken 1 time a day before bed and will hopefully help him during the night. I know all of this needs to build up in his system so hopefully we will see some results in the next few days. We will go back to meet with our surgeon on Thursday to see how Sam is healing. If he is cleared to start chemotherapy again then that will probably start the following week. This surgery was a big first step but Sam still has cancer in his body that we need to fight against. Please continue to pray for healing for our son. In the coming weeks and months he will have surgery on his lungs and also will receive radiation for a "spot" on his spine. Our little guy has a long road ahead of him but he is a fighter and we still believe he will be healed.

For those that are interested in making a donation towards Sam's medical expenses, I have finally opened up an account at a local bank by our home for this purpose. All of the donations we have been receiving up to this point have gone towards his medical expenses/bills as well as being saved for his prosthetic leg. Donations can now be sent directly to the bank where his account is held and can be deposited directly into his account. The information is below. Thank you for your continued support but most of all for all of the prayers for our family. All checks can be made payable to Samuel Bish. Address the envelopes to:

Huntington National Bank

The Donation Account of Samuel Bish

Attn: Sue Shepherd

8220 East Broad Street

Reynoldsburg, Ohio 43068



The office phone # if you have any questions is 614-480-0290



Thank you for the continued prayers and support. Still waiting to hear back from my father today regarding his appointment at the Mayo Clinic. I will keep everyone posted. I want to end this journal entry from a quote in a book someone sent me called "God can handle it day by day". God has a thousand ways where I cannot see one; When all my means have reached their end then his have just begun. This encourages me so when I feel I am at the end of my rope, I know that God is still holding me up with his strength working in and through my circumstances for his glory.

SAM'S MOM WROTE

Tuesday, November 10, 2009 8:29 PM, EST



Hello to all. Just wanted to give a quick update as to how Sam is doing. Not much has changed since my last journal entry in regards to Sam. We were able to get him a higher dosage of Neurontin and that did seem to help him sleep better last night. He also is on a new med that he just takes at night. Sam ended up being very sleepy today and actually took 2 naps. Apparently his body just needs to catch up on it's rest since he has not been sleeping as well lately. PT is going better here at home. We still have to walk with him with his walker and he has a harness belt around his waist that we need to hold when he is walking. He is walking longer distances around the house though and his left leg does not appear to be giving him as much pain when he is walking around. The hardest thing we have been dealing with up to this point is Sam's phantom pain. It did seem to be less today though and I am hoping that this higher dosage of meds he is on will make a difference for him. Thanks for the continued prayers.

Thank you to all of you who have been faithfully praying for my father Jeffrey since my last caringbridge post. My father's diagnosis has been confirmed that he does have cancer and it has metastisized to his lungs. More tests were run today including a liver biopsy. My father will meet with more doctors in the next few days at the Mayo Clinic. He hopes to get a treatment plan written up by the doctors there and then take this home to Florida to receive treatment back home. He has been told that do to the nature of his cancer that the treatment will not cure him but only prolong his life. Everyone is having a very hard time dealing with this turn of events and I still cant wrap my head around how both my father and my son have cancer. I still believe that healing can take place and I am praying this for both my son and my Dad.

I am going to end this journal entry with a quote by Charles Swindoll. "There is no impossible situation that God cannot handle. He won't necessarily handle it your way, but He'll handle it." I know and trust that God has a plan for all of this happening in our lives. Expecting that miracle!

SAM'S MOM WROTE



Wednesday, November 11, 2009 2:45 PM, EST



At the bottom of this journal entrie is a poem/prayer to God that encouraged me. I wanted to share it with all of you and hope it encourages you as well. Sam is having a pretty good day and his pain has been controlled for the most part. We are having a hard time with his shrinker sock that is on his right amputated leg. It is supposed to fit tightly to prevent swelling but it continues to shift around on Sam with all of the moving around that he does. Mike has gotten really good putting this shrinker sock on Sam's "stub" but it does not seem to want to stay put. We are going to go to the Prosthetic company tomorrow after Sam's doctors appointment to figure this all out. Other than that, Sam has had a pretty good day up to this point. I did find out that when he goes back into the hospital next week for chemo that it will be a 6 day stay. This will be the longest we have ever been in for chemo before. He will receive chemo for 5 days and be hydrated for 1 day before being released to come home. It will be a very long week for all us. Please continue to pray for strength for our family to just get through each and every day. Enjoy the prayer/poem below. Thank you for all of the support and encourageme​nt you all provide for our family. It is so encouraging to us to read all of the journal entries and feel so loved and supported. Praying for Sam and my Dad!



He's an Awesome God.. I Love Him !! Because He first Loved ME ! DEAR GOD: I want to thank You for what you have already done. I am not going to Wait until I see results or receive rewards; I am thanking you right now. I am not going to wait until I feel better or things look Better; I am thanking you right now. I am not going to wait until people say They are sorry or until they stop talking about me; I am thanking you Right now..​ I am not going to wait until the pain in my body disappears ; I am thanking you right now. I am not going to wait until my financial Situation improves; I am going to thank you right now. I am not going to wait until the children are asleep and the house is quiet; I am going To thank you right now. I am not going to wait until I get promoted at Work or until I get the job; I am going to thank you right now. I am not going to wait until I understand every experience in my life that has Caused me pain or grief; I am thanking you right now. I am not going to wait until the journey gets easier or the challenges are removed; I Am thankin​g you right now. I am thanking you because I am alive. I am thanking you because I made it through the day's difficultie​s. I am thanking you because I have walked around the obstacles. I am thanking you because I have the ability and the opportunity to Do better.​ I'm thanking you because FATHER, YOU haven't given up on me. God is just so good, and He's good all the time. Have a blessed day.