Once again, thank you all for your generous support, love, and prayers! We were kept afloat in more ways than one throughout the past year. Your friendship and encouragement meant so much more than I can express.

Now, we say goodbye. Let's celebrate the life of my wonderful husband, loving father and brother, and friend to so many! He may not be physically present, but he lives in our hearts, and is now in the presence of the Lord.

Saturday, September 14, 2pm. The chapel at The Lakeway Church, Lakeway, TX 78734

The memorial service is meant to be a celebration of the life of my dear husband, gone too soon, but never to be forgotten. In these weeks following his death, I often have a sense that he's just in the other room, or just out for a bit, and will return momentarily. Reality hits hard sometimes. I'm torn between wanting not to be alone, and only wanting to be alone with my grief. I am grateful for the many friends who are still holding me up, often holding me together. God has blessed me with wonderful friends and family, beyond what I could have wished for. Each one of you has been a blessing to me, to Shamus, and to our family. We could not have weathered this past year without your kindness, support, and generosity. I know he felt well-loved throughout this difficult journey, and for that, I am so very grateful.

As for the service, since Shamus was a very informal guy, I'm asking all the men to wear their favorite Hawaiian shirt, in his honor. Those of you who knew him, know that he almost always wore some kind of Hawaiian shirt. It seems appropriate to celebrate him this way. Ladies, wear whatever you like, but we don't need to be solemn and downcast. He's whole and healthy in his eternal home. We will miss him terribly until we meet again, and I know I will be a blubbering mess on that day, but I hope we can celebrate what a gift he was to so many, his son and me, especially. He was one of a kind, my sweet husband. Brilliant, loving, and kind, with a passion for learning; musical, with a wry sense of humor. He was a tinkerer, whose curiosity was never fully satisfied. He had so many interests. One lifetime was never going to be enough to do everything, but now he has eternity laid out in front of him, free of pain and suffering. 

If you are able, please join us as we celebrate this amazing man's life, Saturday, September 14, 2024, 2pm, The Chapel at The Lakeway Church, 2203 Lakeway Blvd., Lakeway, TX 78734-5133. Note: The service will be held in the smaller Chapel, not the large main sanctuary. Enter from Lakeway Blvd.

After meeting with our pastor, we have set a date for a celebration of life/memorial service: Saturday, September 14, 2pm at Lakeway Church, 2203 Lakeway Blvd., Lakeway, TX 78734. I wanted to give out of town folks time to make travel arrangements.

It's been 3 1/2 days since he passed, after 340 days of fighting this thing. I am bereft. This was a long journey and a hard fought battle. My dear, sweet, talented, brilliant, stubborn husband remained strong to the end. He never gave up hope, though, in the end, he realized he wasn't going to win this one. Still, he continued to trust in the Lord to get him through to the other side. He didn't want to die. He wanted to stay with us, but God had other plans, and Shamus knew his life was in God's hands. I am glad I was with him till the end, but I am trying to remember him the way he used to be; strong and healthy.

It now is left to me to wrap up the final details, which is a daunting task. I am exhausted, mentally and emotionally. I am finding it difficult to focus on what comes next. There are final expenses to be handled, final arrangements to be made, paperwork to be addressed, people to be notified. It's a lot, particularly in my emotional state. I know some of you know what this is like.

I am grateful for the many friends and family who have come along side us this past year, as well as during this incredibly difficult week. As time goes on, I know there will be waves of sorrow washing over my son and me. We appreciate all prayers to weather the storm of grief. And, for me to get through these next days, weeks, and months of figuring out what comes next. Financial concerns are in the mix, of course, but I know sorrow and grief can really knock a person sideways. I've already felt it in waves. I realize time will help, but yikes, this is HARD.

Thank you for walking with us this past year. I am eternally grateful for each one of you who supported and prayed for us through this trial. My hope is still in the LORD, who made heaven and earth, and who holds all of us lovingly in His hands. This life is a drop in the bucket of eternity. There, all things will be made new. I fully expect to see Shamus again one day, whole and healthy.

Please join us, if you can, as we celebrate his life and remember the amazing man he was. Husband, Father, Brother, Friend. He was one of a kind.

My dear Shamus has passed into his eternal life with Jesus. I was with him until his last breath, expressing my love for him and holding his hand. It was a peaceful passing. He wasn't in pain, though it was hard to see and hear his breath become labored, shallow, and slow. I had spent the day in the company of friends and family, but in the end, it was just the two of us. They say hearing is the last sense to go, so I can only hope he heard me, along with others throughout the day, express our love for him as he prepared to go.

He is no longer suffering and weak. I believe he is in the presence of God, through his faith in Jesus. He was never afraid of dying. He may have wanted to stick around a while longer, but he had no doubt of his eternal destination. His faith sustained him, and that same faith will sustain me. I am confident that one day we will see each other again.

"The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want. He makes me to lie down in green pastures; he leads me beside still waters. He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me: your rod and your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table for me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil, my cup overflows. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever." Psalm 23

Now, for me, it's time to mourn. I will miss my dear, sweet, stubborn husband immensely. He may be dwelling in the house of the Lord now, but I am left here to try to figure out what my life will look like without him. Not a pleasant prospect. Please pray for our beloved son, Quinn, to get through this loss of his dad, and for me, as I try to guide him through the pain, as we grieve together. There is much to be done, logistically speaking. All kinds of loose ends and paperwork and planning. At the moment, all I really want to do is weep and sleep.

However, I will, as this week goes on, begin to plan a celebration of life/memorial service. I have not spoken to the church or our pastor at this writing, but I will before the week is out. I don't want to wait too long, but I also need a little time to plan. Shamus already gave me his requests for musical selections, so there's that. I will post again, perhaps for the last time, when a date and plans have been set for that service. If you happen to be in the area, we would be so honored if you can join us in remembering our dear husband and father. He was one of a kind.

Thank you all for your continued support from the beginning of this difficult journey. Your prayers, encouragement, and support have been incredibly uplifting and humbling. We have been so grateful for our friends and family, near and far. We have been surrounded by the love of so many! We continue to be blessed by your presence in our lives. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.

"Under His wings, I am safely abiding, though the night deepens and tempests are wild. Still I can trust Him, I know He will keep me, He has redeemed me, and I am His child. Under His wings, under His wings, who from his love can sever? Under His wings, my soul shall abide, safely abide forever." - Cushing/Sankey

Dear Friends,

Shamus has been experiencing hallucinations, delusions, and paranoia for over a week, and they tell me it will continue to get worse. :(

It's a symptom of the disease, which has spread and increased in size. The cancer is now in several organs, and possibly in his spine, all of which are messing with his ability to think clearly. His body and brain are flooded with toxins, and his liver is no longer able to filter as it normally would. He sees things that aren't there; he believes things that aren't true; he's lost his grasp on reality. I understand that it's not personal, but it is terrible to witness, and worse still to be the target of his ire. Apparently, it is a common experience for spouses, or loved ones to be treated with suspicion and blame, even dislike. It's devastating.

On Friday, He was taken to a rehab facility where they can care for him 24/7, as it became too much for me. He requires round the clock care. I really tried, but I'm only one person. I was very ambivalent about letting him go, but it was time. As it happens, his delusions were telling him that he was being held prisoner at home, and I was his captor, so he was relieved to go somewhere else. He considered it a rescue. He is currently scheduled to stay for 10 days. The hospice nurse and nurse manager of the facility don't actually expect him to outlive the 10 days. In fact, they are surprised he's lasted this long, having not really eaten in well over a month.

That said, he's a strong, strong-willed man, my Shamus. He has beaten the odds all along, but it does seem the odds are less and less in his favor. He certainly is not going "gentle into that good night." In spite of his lack of interest in seeing me, I plan to spend as much time by his side as he'll allow.

There may be additional days which will not be covered by hospice, but I don't believe he'll be coming home again. This is incredibly painful. He is more miserable each day, physically and mentally, the relief at being "rescued" from home only lasting that first night. He's relatively comfortable, if you can call it that, as the pain is being managed by the nursing staff there. That, too, may become more challenging as the days pass.

Please pray for a peaceful transition. He is not the man he was. His spirit has been squelched by this cruel disease. The husband I knew is almost unrecognizable. This is not the ending we wanted. It's heartbreaking. Pray for Quinn to come to terms with losing his dad. Pray for me. This is going to be excruciating. It already is.

We are grateful for all the support, encouragement, and prayers of so many. We could not have walked this path without your help. Thank you.

UPDATE: I apologize for the wonky updates. The site is not accepting my newest update, and all the updates have shifted dates, for some reason. If this works, I'll just write the text for the newest update HERE.

It seems we're approaching the end of the road.

That is a very hard realization. We fought and hoped for 10 1/2 months, but the fight has gone out of Shamus. We still have hope, but it's looking like that hope will be fulfilled in eternity, resting in the arms of Jesus.

We don't know how long it might be, but we are still trusting in God to carry us through the rest of this journey. It could be days, possibly weeks. He's not eating at all, though he is still drinking water with no trouble. It's very hard to predict. His life, our lives, are in God's hands.

Please continue to pray for Shamus to sleep peacefully when he sleeps. He's no longer in much pain, thankfully. The pain meds are doing their job. He is feeling some agitation at times, which can be alarming.

We are so very grateful for all of you supporting, loving, and praying for us through this difficult time. I will keep you all posted on what comes next. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts for standing with us.

Well, we're home. Shamus was discharged from the hospital Sunday afternoon.

At the hospital, it was decided we needed a plan for palliative care, and met with hospice rep to discuss home care. It was explained to us that a feeding tube or nutritional iv wasn't the answer, and, in fact, could do more harm than good. So, we hope and pray that he can increase his appetite with medication. He's also taking strong pain meds to be as comfortable as possible.

He slept in his own bed the first night home, but yesterday morning he fell, and is now unable to move around. He can't stand or walk for any length of time. This has been a very difficult couple of days, well, really, couple weeks. These first days home from the hospital have been very disappointing. We have arranged for a hospital bed, and I'm in the process of clearing space for that.

Truthfully, we never imagined it would come to this. We are deeply disappointed. The silver lining in this incredibly dark cloud is the amazing support and love from so many friends and family. Even in the darkness, the light of God's presence is shown through all of you.

This is not over. We don't really see a way out at this point. We are grateful for the amazing staff at both the hospital and the hospice care team for their compassion and assistance. The path ahead looks bleak, but we are still living in hope, if not in this world, then in the next. Who knows? There's still a chance we could come through this. He could turn a corner. Where there is life, there is hope.

Please keep us in your prayers.

Well, here we go again. Back in the hospital. Shamus has lost too much weight and is unable to eat much, so we're trying to address that, to give him time to re-set. His CT scan does show the cancer has spread. The tumor has increased slightly and seems to be starting to invade the abdominal wall, and there are more spots on his liver. These are not good signs.

We don't know what's going to happen, but we know the One who does. This journey has been a hard one, but we are so very grateful to know we are not alone. We are loved and supported by so many friends and family.

We will be talking with a palliative care team today to discuss next steps. My goal is to have either a feeding tube or a nutritional IV, so he doesn't starve to death. There are varying opinions, medically, about such steps at this point. As it stands, the doctors are not optimistic. The phrases "end of life care" and "advanced directives" are being offered. He's not ready to hear that, nor am I. Realistically, it may be true, but, even in the face of this situation, we're not throwing in the towel. As long as there's life, there's hope. On the plus side, he slept a lot yesterday, free from pain, thankfully.

I am asking for prayers for Shamus. This has been the fight of his life and he's not done fighting it. We are praying for strength, wisdom, and peace. Thank you for standing with us.

10 months to the day. It's hard to believe it's been 10 months since our life was turned upside down. I certainly didn't think we'd be in this dark place at this point. We were full of hope and optimism. After 10 months, hope is still present. As long as there's life, there's hope. Still, it's been exhausting. Optimism is harder to come by these days.

I realized today that I hadn't posted an update on his labs from a couple weeks ago. They were not what we hoped, although his iron levels are a little better. CEA number is still very high, which is not a good sign. His appetite has not improved, but he's not dehydrated, at least. Please pray that his appetite improves. He desperately needs nutrition.

His pain level is up and down, but he experiences pain daily, which, of course, affects his sleep. Mine too. For me, the worst part is having to stand by, helplessly, while he suffers. Praying for strength. This. Is. Hard.

Please pray with us for strength, peace, wisdom, and healing. As I said, it's getting harder and harder to stay optimistic, but we believe in God's presence and love. We may not know what's going to happen, but God does. We're holding on to the hope for eternity. I am definitely not ready to say goodbye, and neither is Shamus, but his life is in God's hands. As is true for all of us.

Thank you all for your love, support, and prayers. We value our friends and family so much! It's such a blessing.

The days (and nights) are getting harder. Shamus is weak, tired, and in pain most of the time. He's not eating enough and continues to lose weight, which he can ill afford. We're looking into the possibility of getting at home nutritional IV care. We don't currently have coverage for that, but hope to get approved for it asap. It can't happen soon enough, as far as I'm concerned! Time is of the essence.

In the meantime, he's getting some lab work done tomorrow to test his blood count and iron levels. Please pray that his numbers are better than last month! After that, we'll think about another CT scan.

Thank you for supporting us through this journey. It's been a long road, and we can't really see where we're going, but we are trusting that God knows. Shamus is still fighting to beat this thing. We are trying to stay hopeful and optimistic. Please pray that we can weather this storm. It's a challenge.

Well, it's 9 months to the day of his diagnosis. We're down, but not out. It's been a long journey and it's not over yet. He's holding his own, in spite of the pain, loss of appetite, and lack of sleep. I do think he's sleeping better this week, so that's a good thing. While there's breath, there's hope.

Still waiting for new labs to see how the transfusion and iron supplements are working. Eventually, we'll need to get another CT scan to see if there's any change in the tumor and spots on his liver and lymph nodes. As you may recall, the last scan was disappointing.

We had such high hopes 9 months ago. We were full of optimism and fully believed he would prevail. We are not without hope, but it has been more challenging that we imagined back then. However, as I've said many times, we are not giving up!

Thank you for standing with us, supporting us, praying for us, and loving us! We are blessed and grateful for your friendship. Onward and upward!

We are still living in limbo. Shamus is in pain most days and is very tired. I'm tired. I wish I could be more upbeat, but this slog is wearing us down. The good news is he's no longer dizzy when standing or walking around. His doctor wants to give it a full month from the blood transfusion to get labs done again, so that means 2 more weeks. Until then, we live in uncertainty. We continue to rely on the prayers of our friends and family. We will get through this, though it's often a challenge to get through the days.

This is hard. The hardest season of our lives, honestly. Summer is going to be a challenge. I will be teaching fewer lessons, with school out and families leaving town periodically. On the plus side, that will give me more time to be at home with Shamus. Thank you for standing with us and supporting us. We are not giving up hope. Miracles happen.

We've had a difficult week. Lots of pain, little sleep, and a visit to the ER.

Shamus is home, resting now, but, yikes, it was a rough few days. He was experiencing lots of dizziness when standing up. He had labs done on Thursday afternoon, after which he extremely low energy. He had to stop and rest on the way back to the car, after the blood draw. The afternoon was even more challenging with excruciating pain and vomiting, after which he finally did get some sleep, as the pain subsided.

The next day, yesterday, we got the results of the labs, discovered that he has been severely anemic and needed a blood transfusion, pronto. We got to the ER around 4:45pm, went through more testing, followed by two units of blood, which takes hours to administer. He didn't need to be admitted, thank goodness, but it was a long night! We finally got out of there around 1:30am. Phew! On the plus side, he's feeling better, and is no longer dizzy when standing up or walking around the house. We are both very tired from our night in the ER, but happy to be home.

He'll need to re-do the labs in a week or so, to monitor his iron levels, as well as the CEA number, which may have been skewed by the anemia. Another plus, his liver function looks good. Small blessings!

Please keep us in your prayers. We so appreciate your support and encouragement!

We are still in a waiting game. We are now 1 1/2 months into the newest protocol. Shamus will be going in for lab work this week to measure the cancer in his blood (CEA number). The next CT scan is at least a month or so away.

Please continue to pray that his pain level will lessen, and we can find the right combination of meds to help him manage his pain. He is eating, but not enough, as his weight continues to drop. We are still praying for a miracle for his healing and strength. He is weak and tired, and unable to do much.  It's pretty disheartening, to say the least.

I haven't felt up to writing an update, since things feel so bleak at the moment, but want to keep folks aware of what's going on with us. On the plus side, we have had wonderful visits over the last month and a half, which have been spirit lifting. We are so blessed by our family and friends who are standing with us through this difficult journey.

Thank you all for your support, encouragement, and prayers. We are so appreciative. Don't stop praying! We're not giving up!

The current prognosis is uncertain. Conventional medicine may not be optimistic, but, we are not giving up.

Truthfully, we have no idea what's going to happen. We're trying alternative treatments in the hope that we can buy more time for him to heal. We are still praying and hoping for a miracle. We are continually grateful for friends and family. We know we're not alone in this.

Last week, and the week prior we had different family members visiting, which was a real boost to our spirits. First my brother, then, more recently, his brother, sister-in-law, sister, and nephew. Quite cozy, but what a gift!

There will, of course, be more tests and scans to come, but nothing is scheduled as yet. We need to give it more time to see if the most recent course of treatment is working. Please continue to pray for us. Shamus's greatest need right now is good, pain-free sleep. His appetite is good some days, not so much other days. He needs to put on some weight, which is a challenge, however, his digestive system seems to be operating as it should.

We value your  prayers more than you know! We are blessed with amazing friends and family. Thank you.

Well, the news was not what we hoped for. The main tumor has grown, as have the spots on the liver, along with enlarged lymph nodes. Obviously, not good news.

We are discouraged. Not gonna lie. This has really taken the wind out of our sails. However, we are not giving up. This is definitely a set-back, but we will be talking with the specialist early next week to regroup and figure out our next steps. Meanwhile, we need to get through the weekend holding this disappointment.

Please keep us in prayer. For healing, for rest, for restoration, for peace, for strength. These are difficult days, but we are committed to putting our faith in God. We are praying fervently for a miracle. Thank you all for your support, friendship, prayers, and love. We could not get through this without you. We are blessed by your presence in the midst of this incredibly challenging time. This is not over.

After all the waiting, Shamus is finally going in for another scan on Friday morning. Please pray that the tumor has shrunk. We are hoping for good results. Also, we are praying for peace as we wait for whatever news is revealed.

He is still having some difficulty sleeping and eating, though the past couple days have been a little better. Unfortunately, he lost ground on the weight front. He's down to his lowest weight yet. :( I'm trying to give him high calorie dense foods that he is allowed to eat on his very restricted diet. Organic, non-GMO, etc. It's a balancing act. We're also trying to get the pain under control; another balancing act. Truthfully, it's ALL a balancing act.

We may or may not hear the results before the weekend. I will, of course, write another update as soon as we hear. Thank you all for your love, support, and prayers. We are continually grateful for friends and family!

Shamus has been struggling to eat the past couple days. He has maintained a steady weight, which is good, but he is pretty weak and lacks energy. He's re-started taking iron, which we hope will help with his energy level.

We're still waiting for the next CT scan in March, so, until then, we don't really know what's going on in his body, but we are trying to stay positive.

As you can imagine, this is hard for us. The waiting. The not knowing. Please keep us in your prayers as we wait. Thank you for all your support! We are grateful.

Well, they say no news is good news. Shamus is holding his own, so that's a positive sign. The pain is almost manageable. His current challenge is getting a good night's sleep, which is so important for his body to heal.

He'll be going in for another CT scan next month, at which point we'll know more about what's actually going on in his body. In the meantime, we ask for prayers for peace, and restful sleep. Getting ahead of the pain is also a priority. At least he's not losing weight!

Nobody said this was going to be easy. Also, it's a marathon, not a sprint. The waiting is wearing on us. Praying for all our needs to be met, and so far, they have been. Thanks so much for your part in that! We are grateful.

Not much to report on the health front. Shamus is dealing with pain on a daily basis, so still has not been able to work much. His biggest job is trying to stay ahead of the pain, which is a challenge in itself. His appetite is good, however, so that's a positive sign, and his digestive system is working as it should.

On the home front, I have had a particularly difficult week. Hit a deer last week, and have been dealing with the fallout from that. It's been deemed a total loss by our insurance company, so I'm in need of another car. For those of you not in deer country, hitting a deer is considered a "no-fault" incident. That's a good thing. Also, I was uninjured, though shaken up. My poor car basically gave its life for me. I am thankful.

As you might imagine, this incident was just One. More. Thing. on my already heavily laden plate. We certainly have had a challenging 6 months! We're trusting that we'll get through all this, if not unscathed, at least unbowed! Still thanking God for the blessing of friends standing with us through the challenges. We are grateful for all of you. Truthfully, I am finding it challenging to maintain a positive attitude. It's a lot. Shamus is keeping his chin up and feels confident that his current protocols will provide good results.

We appreciate your love, prayers, and encouraging words, not to mention your support! These are difficult days.

Well, we don't really have anything to report at the moment. We're between labs and scans for now. Waiting is the name of the game, which is hard. We're continuing to hope and pray as we wait.

In the meantime, we are beyond grateful for all of you, for all your support, prayers, and encouraging words. You have no idea how important that encouragement is to us! We are so blessed by our many friends and family! Honestly, it's humbling and overwhelming to know that we are being prayed for, thought of, and supported in this truly difficult time. I am filled with gratitude and love for all of you on a daily basis. We truly could not do this without you.

Shamus will be checking in with his doctor soon to set up next steps. So far, so good. He's eating, but is still pretty weak and tired most of the time. On the plus side, his digestion is working well. We're staying hopeful.

I am so grateful for all of you this holiday season, this 4th day of Christmas. We enjoyed a low key celebration at home on Christmas day. Shamus is still dealing with ongoing pain, but is trying to manage it as best he can, thanks to pain meds. Another challenge is making sure he's eating well, with all his dietary restrictions. His appetite is pretty good, thankfully. All systems seem to be working. He had another scan done a couple weeks ago, which was not what we hoped, but we're staying positive and going back to his original treatment protocol, which had showed promising results, albeit slower than we wanted. It's been a journey to find the best program for him.

So, now we wait. Again. He'll probably have another scan in January or February. The waiting is hard. The weight of our situation is difficult for me. I often feel helpless in the face of everything. I believe all will be well, eventually, but I sure could use your prayers for strength in caring for Shamus. For the moment, things seem to be ok, if in a holding pattern. Time will tell.

He's still not able to work much. We had hoped he would have regained more strength and lessened the pain by now, but that has not happened, so our finances are looking a little dicey going into the new year, but we believe God will provide.

In the midst of all of our challenges, physical, mental, emotional, and financial, we are grateful for friends and family, who have stepped up and continue to stand with us in prayer, encouragement, and support. May the new year bring blessings to all of you, and, of course, we are hoping and praying Shamus regains his health and strength in this new year!

I have always loved this time of year. We deck the halls, smile more, sing more, and yes, eat more, all in celebration of the coming of the Prince of Peace. This year is certainly different than years past, but we're still celebrating the joys and blessings, even while living in our own particular limbo.

This time of waiting is not unlike the Advent season. I think we all live in a state of waiting, in one way or another. Our waiting is a little more specific at the moment. We are waiting for the next scan to see if the tumor is still shrinking. We're hoping to get it done before Christmas. Praying for another Christmas miracle!

We got through the scary time in the hospital, if not unscathed, at least in one piece. Then we started receiving the medical bills. Bleah. Please pray that we will be able to negotiate our payments in smaller increments, as Shamus is still unable to work much. His pain has not abated, in spite of the lowered CEA number, which is somewhat discouraging. We are so appreciative of our many friends standing alongside us, praying for us, encouraging us, and supporting us! In this time of waiting, we are grateful for all of you, and for the Child who came over 2000 years ago to give us peace, joy, and love.  May God bless you with beauty and blessings this holiday season!

We've been waiting for some lab results. The good news is his CEA  (Carcinoembryonic Antigen) number is down 15 points from his time in the hospital two weeks ago. This is a positive step in the right direction. We're not in normal range, but we are feeling optimistic. We believe his current treatment is working, for which we are very grateful.

Obviously, we're not finished with this journey, but this was a huge relief, especially after the past couple weeks! That hospital stay was a little scary, to say the least. We are so blessed to have all of you, our friends and family, supporting and encouraging us. We appreciate all of your kind words, prayers, and best wishes! It means so much to have people standing with us in and through this time. We are grateful for your presence in our lives.

I'm a little later writing an update this week. It's been rough, but better now.

We thought Shamus might need surgery, but it was decided that we need to shrink the tumor for that option to be feasible. Thankfully, his vitals were good, and his digestive system got a kick start while in the hospital, to the point that we were able to get him home. We are working on trying to shrink the tumor.

He lost even more weight while we got through the past couple weeks, but is back on track with eating and taking in fluids, so we're hopeful that he can now gain a little of that weight back.

This has been a very serious and stressful time. Please continue to pray for us. For Shamus to regain strength and function, for less pain, and for peace and restful sleep for both of us. Thank you for your prayers and support! We are blessed with wonderful friends and family.

Well, it's been another roller coaster week. Shamus was getting weaker and sicker daily since my last update until yesterday, when we determined he needed a visit to Urgent Care. As it turns out, we really needed Emergency care. We ended up at Seton Hospital in Austin, where he was admitted for care and possible emergency surgery for a perforated bowel. Not exactly on our agenda. The doctors and nurses and staff have been wonderfully compassionate and efficient in their care. We are grateful.

 We're in a wait and see holding pattern at the moment. More testing to be done, as well as determining if his digestive system can operate normally. He is already looking and feeling better since being at the hospital yesterday and today, thank God!

He will be meeting with his surgical oncologist and general surgeon tomorrow, after which we hope to have more information. The possible surgery has been put on hold at present. Thankfully, his vitals are good and he's getting stronger with the care he's received. Please pray for his continued healing and recovery. We know we're asking for a miracle.

All that said, it is now apparent that our original financial goal will fall significantly short of our financial obligation. Particularly, as his hospital stay exceeds our expectations, as well as a longer treatment and recovery plan. As it stands now, we're not certain what our needs will be. We will know more as the days progress, and his treatment plan becomes clearer to the doctors.

Thank you all for your support and encouragement. As ever, we are grateful.

Shamus is still having ups and downs, which is par for the course these days. On the plus side, he says he has noticed some positive signs. I won't go into detail, but his system seems to be working better this week. We're grateful for small blessings. His weight is slowly creeping up the past few days, which is also a good sign. He had lost a significant amount of weight in the past month and a half. We continue to pray for good sleep, good nutrition, and a good amount of fluids, all of which his body sorely needs.

On the car front, we're still dealing with the certainty that, even with some small repairs (is any repair small?), we will need to replace the car sooner rather than later. My hope is that it has at least 3-6 more months to give us time to find a way to get a budget replacement vehicle.

We continue to be amazed at the enormous blessing of so many friends reaching out, supporting, encouraging, and praying for us! We are forever grateful!

Well, this has been an up and down week. We thought we had turned a corner, but today was rough. Shamus wasn't able to keep any food down today, and is very weak. This journey is not a straight line. Ups and downs, twists and turns seem to be the order of the day, every day. It's a challenge.

We also discovered one of our cars is now on its last legs and needs a new transmission, which is definitely not in the budget. We need to find a way to either get it repaired or replace the car. Please pray for wisdom and guidance, as we navigate our options. God can make a way, when it seems there is no way. We're counting on Him.

Please pray that Shamus gets good sleep tonight and every night. Pray that his appetite returns and he is able to get the nourishment he needs to strengthen his body. Pray that his treatment attacks the cancer and eradicates all traces. We are praying for complete healing.

We appreciate all of you and your prayers so very much!

Greetings, Friends!

This week started off well with Shamus's birthday on Sunday, which we celebrated with some wonderful friends. Shamus was able to enjoy a nice, if somewhat restricted, meal. Love and laughter were the best things on the menu. He's definitely having a better week. He's eating more and getting rest. General tiredness is still an issue, but that's to be expected, under the circumstances. He's still not able to spend significant time sitting upright. Still, all in all, he's very optimistic, in spite of his weariness and other challenges. We are hopeful for the future. It will be another couple months before we can really know if the tumor is shrinking, but we will keep you posted!

Thank you all for your prayers, love, encouragement, and support! We are so blessed by each of you!