the latest and greatest

- We are loving having Wes home. Lily loves to take his hand and walk laps around the house (since he still can't lift anything over 20 lbs they just walk) and Halle loves to play video games with him.
- Adjusting to home life has been easier this time around since Wes is almost completely healed from surgery and much more independent. We are still trying to figure out his ileostomy and which foods work for him.
-We got back the results of the genetic test they did on his colon and, surprise, it was negative. I was blown away because I was sure he would test positive. Get ready for me to blow your mind. After his initial colonoscopy we were told his sisters over 18 needed colonoscopies. My mother in law and several of his bell cousins jumped on it and set appointments. So far two cousins and his sister Kendyl have had theirs. One cousin's was clean. His sister and his other cousin both had a precancerous polyp the doctor was able to slice off. If they had not screened this early they could potentially have ended up where Wes is right now. He has possibly saved them from developing colon cancer at a young age. I told you he was superman. Now try and tell me that it is not genetic.
-We met with our oncologist who looked completely shocked at how thin Wes is now when he saw him for the first time since before his surgery. He laid out the facts and numbers for us. After chemo there is a 30% chance cancer will return within the next five years. I hate cold hard medical facts. In my mind there is a 0% chance. But bless our doctor's heart he read my mind and said he is expecting Wes to be cured and we can chalk all this up to one heck of a bad year. It felt so good to hear someone else say it.
-We attended a chemo class with other cancer patients young and old. I swear we were the only ones who smiled. I wish they all would smile more. Smiling does the body good. Wes is determined to be the happiest chemo patient and I am determined to be the happiest chemo wife.
-Wes was scheduled to have his port placed and his first chemo treatment on May 7th, but then this week happened. On Sunday, Wes was in a lot of pain and throwing up and almost went to the ER a couple of times. It may have been a partial blockage or some kind of reaction to a new food. We don't know, but he had to go back on a liquid diet and get some blood work done and fluids through an IV. He weighed 160 this week. I didn't know it as possible to be 6'4" and weigh 160 pounds. Long story short we don't feel good about starting chemo while he is in such poor health so we are delaying his first treatment another week while we figure his new plumbing out and hopefully get his weight back up.
-This week was hard and I found my prayers were a little more "aggressive" then usual. There have been times since wes's diagnosis when I have felt my faith could move mountains if I needed to. I have tremendous faith in the healing power. But I have even more faith in a loving heavenly father's will and plan for our family.
-We found ourselves at a sperm bank the other day to freeze a sample. The list of things I never thought I would see or do just keeps getting longer and longer. I turned on the song "sexual healing" in the car on the way to the sperm bank to lighten the mood. It worked, but the reality is after all this radiation, surgery, and chemotherapy there is a pretty good chance his sperm will be wiped out and we will no longer have the ability to conceive on our own. I just can't imagine a world without a little Wes jr. running around. So as Scarlett O'hara says, "I'll think about that tomorrow."
-Goodness we are blessed. Blessed by ministering angels both on this earth and angels on the other side. How will I ever get to say thank you to all who look out for, check up on, and serve me and my family.