Short and Sweet

Today went very well with the supportive care team. They spent two hours with mom, dad and I going over our concerns and how they could help us with them. We are looking forward to getting back home and starting with our new adjusted medicine regimen as well as some new coping methods we have learned. Being in a hotel away from your bed and home is not fun for a healthy person, so you can imagine the toll it has taken on dad. He is as ready as anybody to be back home so we will be on our way bright and early in the morning. Thank you for your prayers. They were certainly felt and appreciated. Everything has gone so smoothly and nerves have been kept at bay and smiles and laughs have been known to peek through by each of us every now and then. We will begin making the medicine adjustments as soon as we can get home and to the drug store tomorrow. Looking forward to seeing a happier, more active Papa in the next few weeks. We will know the plan for the spot radiation and next chemo try as soon as we can talk to the doctors back home and make sure they have received the orders from Dr. Tsao here at MD Anderson. Our flight leaves at 10:15 in the morning, so pray for another uneventful, smooth ride...especially for Papa.

Love you all!
Michelle

I'm Glad That's OVER!

Thank you for prayers. The scans and the day has gone smooth as ever. It is very obvious that our prayers are being heard. My first concern is to get him feeling better and manage some of these symptoms and that is the first thing Dr. Tsao went over. She said there is a Supportive Care team here at MD Anderson who will see us tomorrow to teach us a lot of "tricks in their bag" on how to make him feel better and just get healthier so to speak. I pray they have a lot of tricks, because we need them! Results are that the chemo treatments he completed the past 3 months did not suppress the cancer. On the scans it appears they have grown in measurement since we were here in April. The spot on his vertebrae seems to have grown a small amount. She wants him to talk to our radiologists about getting those 'spot treated' by radiation. I point blank asked her, "Is it worth it?" and she said "Most definitely!, it will ease some of his pain. " I was encouraged by that. She also recommends that he stay on the zometo treatments to help keep if from spreading more in the bones and to protect the bone around the area it has spread to already. Finally, she wants to try another type of milder chemotherapy that is generally tolerated well. Dad chirped in that he didn't want to try any more chemo if it wasn't worth it and she looked at him with total understanding and said, "I understand, but you won't know until you try. We can try it and if you don't like it or see results then we will stop." So that is the plan. We are going to take a little break from all treatment, see about spot radiating the neck, and try the new chemo in about 3 or 4 weeks. I really hope that tomorrow brings great comfort with new ways to treat his annoying symptoms. That would be a huge blessing in itself! Much love to all of you for praying. Please continue to do so and THANK YOU!!!!

One final note, these doctors here are something else. They are very well respected and seem kind of "high and mighty" if you know what I mean. Well, this precious lady, Dr. Anne Tsao, came in one last time to explain the results and her plan to mom and dad and she did so with such compassion and tenderness. It is amazing how that can work for those of us on this side of the news. She is amazing. Very smart and to the point, but patting dad's knee and loving on him the whole time! When we got up to leave he told her thank you and she reached over to give him a big hug and as she did, she kissed him on the cheek. She told him to hang in there that he was very loved by his family and then she did the same to mom. Sweetest, kindest gesture I have ever seen from a doctor. Now if that is not answered prayer, I don't know what is! God was in that very room.

Dr. Tsao normally request scans after two treatments of any new chemo drug and a re evaluation appointment. Seeing how hard it is on dad to travel she told us that she normally does not do this for patients but that for him she would offer her expertise and recommendations over the phone to Dr. Becdach/Martha based on scans from home. That is great news since he needs to feel a lot better to take on this kind of traveling. We are blessed yet once again.

Safe Travels

Just a quick post to let you all know that we arrived safely in Houston this afternoon. I asked so many to pray for an uneventful traveling experience to get dad here. It went very smoothly. The airport security with all the meds, etc. went just fine. The flight was timely and smooth (he tried to sleep most of the way, but those seats are just not conducive for a good nap). The town car driver kept the air on full blast to ease the 110 degrees outside here in Houston and we made it to the hotel safe and sound! Thank you for your prayers. Dad is worn out (as are we) and we are all headed to bed to rest for a big day tomorrow. We ask your prayers for the scans at 6 am in the morning and the appointments that follow. Specifically pray for miraculous healing, for the facial paralysis to lift and the mucous/choking problem to be solved. Tomorrow is in God's hands.

Love to all!
Michelle

Hope Is Greater Than CANCER

As we prepare for our next trip to MD Anderson, we would like to thank you all for your prayers and support. The tshirt sales have been amazing and the Medical Fund continues to support the needs that may arise. We are so grateful for all of you! WE pray for healing and comfort for our Papa. Please join us as we PRAY BIG!

Heather made a video entitled "HOPE is GREATER than Cancer" To view...click here and may it warm your heart.

Love,
The Ernest Smith Family

Hanging In there..

Dad spent the last week recovering from the chemo treatment and as of today, it seems that poison has lessened its grip and he is feeling a little better. The Bells Palsy symptoms are still there but appear to be a little better, at least I think so. Last Saturday we took a little field trip to the hospital because he was having trouble breathing. It turned out to be "croup/strider" type thing. Since the drainage from his sinuses and lack of mucous on the left side cause him to choke and he has to really work to get it up, his bronchial areas tend to spasm and make it hard to get air. They gave him a super duper breathing treatment and an oxygen test and he was breathing fine so we came back home. He has breathing treatments at home now 3 or 4 times a day and an old fashioned vaporizer next to his chair. Things seem to be a little better there too. Since dad has been slacking on doing his exercises and Coach Mom is not having much luck inspiring him, Dr. Prickett had Home Health Care send a Physical Therapist out to get him going. He worked yesterday for about 30 minutes and did a great job! The more he gets up and expends energy the more energy he will have. You know what they say..."a body in motion stays in motion" so let's get movin Papa! We found out that along with the Physical Therapist visits, they will send a nurse out two or three times a week to bring mom supplies and check on dad to make sure he's doing fine..they will check bp, temperature, weight, breathing, etc. I am so excited about this.

This week he should feel pretty decent. We are asking for prayers to prepare his body for the trip to Houston next Sunday. Traveling isn't fun for a normal, healthy body so imagine the toll it takes on Dad to get to airports, go through all the screening, wait, wait, wait and then endure the flight. The Houston airport and 45 minute ride to MD Anderson is no picnic either! We pray for him to feel well on Sunday and a safe, non eventful trip to Houston. We will be arriving on Sunday afternoon (the 24th) and his scans are scheduled for 6 am on Monday (the 25th). Please pray for the scans to be read and available for restaging by the time we see Dr. Tsao later in the morning. THIS is a lot to ask and will be a big rush job for them at the hospital. Our doctor is only in clinic on Mondays and if she didn't have the reports I don't know what we would do. There is no way he could stand to stay out there in a hotel room for a whole week! I pray that God takes it all and makes it work for the best. Right now, we have a flight home on Wednesday, the 27th. That leaves Tuesday and most of the day on Wednesday should Dr. Tsao require any other tests or visits.

Of course, I will keep you posted!
Thank you!
Michelle

Awesome Sale of Tshirts!

Thank you all so much for buying our first two rounds of tshirts. We are all out delivering today and the response has been wonderful. Our friends are amazing! Here is a picture of the front and back (modeled by Patrick!). We are placing another order next week so let us know if you didn't get one and you want one. They are 10.00, checks made payable to Michelle Puryear/Medical Fund.

Dad had his 4th treatment yesterday. He did well and feels about the same as he has felt for the past couple of weeks. Please continue to pray for the Bell's Palsy symptoms to lift and for the reflux to be under control and of course healing. We have moved our Houston trip to July 25. Most of his appointments will be that day as well as the scans so start lifting up the trip, the doctors and the answers they will have. Immediate prayer request: JUST TO FEEL BETTER!

Again, contact any one of us if you want to order a tshirt! Thank you!

After My Last Post....

The last posts was in the depths of us feeling weary and tired and WOW does God speak to you when you listen. For the next several days, many verses came my way telling me to "look up" and give all my worries to HIM. He will NEVER leave us and comfort us no matter what. Isn't that awesome? Then I went to church Sunday morning and we were singing Everlasting God! I LOVE that song. It really lifted me up! Sing it with me....:)

Strength will rise as we wait upon the Lord

We will wait upon the Lord

We will wait upon the Lord

Our God, You reign forever

Our hope, our Strong Deliverer

You are the everlasting God

The everlasting God

You do not faint

You won't grow weary

Our God, You reign forever

Our hope, our Strong Deliverer

You are the everlasting God

The everlasting God

You do not faint

You won't grow weary

You're the defender of the weak

You comfort those in need

You lift us up on wings like eagles

The message was amazing and one of those that speaks to me. I just love it when that happens! Barry Thompson reminded me to fill my mind to fulfill my life! (From Philippians 4.) I am to celebrate God (always), add value to other people, GIVE GOD MY CONCERNS AND WORRIES and experience God's wholeness. I am responsible for my attitude. I am to fill my mind with good things, think about good things and practice good things. Barry said these words, "life is what happens to you, attitude is what you choose to do with what happens to you" . AMAZING! God chooses what we go through, we choose how we go through it! Dad sure gets the prize for "attitude"! He has taught us all so much through all of this.

Thank you God for speaking to us and reminding us that you are the EVERLASTING GOD!

We met with Dr. Bechach yesterday (after giving all our concerns and worries to God!) :) and the CT scan was a little confusing to understand since Decatur General was trying to compare it to the PET/CT/MRI report from MD Anderson in April. Basically, we found that there was nothing we didn't already know about and that the tumor on the neck had shrunk in size. The one above the collar bone didn't even show up. Woo Hoo! There is still a lot of stuff going on so since he has already done treatment number 3, both Dr. Tsao from MD and Dr. Bechdach here agree that he should do treatment number 4 as scheduled (July 7) instead of postponing it a week and going to MD for scans on July 11. So, Dr. Becdach wanted to go the hospital and see the scans himself instead of just the report, and if he doesn't call us back by Wednesday or Thursday we are going with that plan. That means I will call MD Anderson and move everything forward by 2 weeks. We have already purchased the plane tickets (thanks to the Medical Fund!) and have the hotel reservations so all I need to do is change the appointment. At MD Anderson, they will do it all for me with one phone call. It is great! I will let you all know the confirmed dates of our visit back.

Speaking of the Medical Fund, I want to personally thank all of you for your deposits. I wish I could thank you individually, but I don't know who you are! So, THANK YOU! Your continued support means more than you will ever know. He has tried to work a little bit but hasn't worked out so well lately. Mom has become the new "secretary" and we are helping her to try and finish up any open jobs he has going on. Again, on behalf of my entire family..THANK YOU!

Join me as we prayer fervently for Papa. Pray for a miracle to stop this cancer in its tracks! Pray for Papa to feel better! We can pray for HEALING...as I pray I try to visualize him being well and whole again.. With God, all things are possible!

Love to all,

Michelle