This is the story of how a great love and huge faith are
helping Jack battle brain cancer...
September 26,
2014
People say that life can change in an instant. Believe them. It can, and it did for Jack and me. As summer was drawing to a close I was finishing up teaching two classes at Florida State College at Jacksonville and putting last-minute touches on projects for the last two courses of my Florida Gifted Endorsement. The school year was upon me, and I was heading back to teach Gifted Language Arts to 7th and 8th graders. Jack and I decided to go to the beach for two last days of summer frolic and stay at a historic inn. It was August 3rd. Suddenly, though, Jack was getting mixed up and having trouble deciding how to carry both the chairs and the cooler. He struggled to walk and felt clumsy. He began to drift to the left while driving, coming very close to the car in the next lane. He dropped his cell phone when he tried to answer it. He missed the counter with his coffee cup and it went crashing to the floor. Clearly, something was wrong. We just didn't know what.
Within two short weeks of whirlwind testing, we had our answer. Jack had a baseball-sized glioblastoma multiform level 4 tumor in the right frontal and temporal lobes of his brain. There are no words that adequately convey how horrible it is to receive that news. You always think it can't happen to you. But it did. The decision upon us was whether to do nothing and face 3 months of life at most, or to undergo surgery to remove the tumor. Although the surgery carried the risk of paralysis on Jack's left side, we opted for it. On August 22nd, we left home for the hospital at 5 in the morning. We took our faith, a small bag of Jack's things, and an overnight bag for me. We prayed on the way.
We were blessed with a gifted neurosurgeon who removed 98% of the tumor without causing any paralysis. The next days at the hospital were full of rejoicing and friends as Jack moved from ICU to a regular room. He wiggled his toes, declared the hospital food "luscious" (at which we questioned his sanity), and requested the boom box I keep in my classroom. He conducted his own music therapy with Miles Davis, Fleetwood Mac, Emmylou Harris, The Subdudes, and many others while he passed out the chocolates our neighbor brought him to all the nurses. (He was very popular.) We came home on August 25th, encouraged by the progress he was making. On the evening of August 28th, however, we got the scare of our lives; Jack had a seizure while standing, causing him to fall, hit the corner of the wall, and split open his forehead above the eyebrow. He then had 12 more and was rushed back to the hospital, where he was re-admitted for a two day stay while his anti-seizure meds were adjusted. Apparently, he was metabolizing the correct amount he was given and there was too little left in his bloodstream. He doesn't remember much about that night, but I do. It was terrifying. Since then, he has been seizure-free, and has begun his radiation and chemo treatments daily for 7 weeks.
We are SO grateful for our dear friends and our church family who have stepped up with meals, prayers, visits, and encouragement. Two very special people have been taking Jack to all his treatments and appointments so that I could return to work: our dear neighbor, Carol, and our wonderful friend, Tim. My heart thanks you two all day every day, as you have given Jack and me a gift we can never repay.
I invite you to post messages to Jack here, to reach out and encourage him as he faces each day with an amazing positiveness and courage. We are both infinitely grateful to God for His mercy and His grace. We know He holds the future, and we are trusting Him.
All my best,
Lisa
People say that life can change in an instant. Believe them. It can, and it did for Jack and me. As summer was drawing to a close I was finishing up teaching two classes at Florida State College at Jacksonville and putting last-minute touches on projects for the last two courses of my Florida Gifted Endorsement. The school year was upon me, and I was heading back to teach Gifted Language Arts to 7th and 8th graders. Jack and I decided to go to the beach for two last days of summer frolic and stay at a historic inn. It was August 3rd. Suddenly, though, Jack was getting mixed up and having trouble deciding how to carry both the chairs and the cooler. He struggled to walk and felt clumsy. He began to drift to the left while driving, coming very close to the car in the next lane. He dropped his cell phone when he tried to answer it. He missed the counter with his coffee cup and it went crashing to the floor. Clearly, something was wrong. We just didn't know what.
Within two short weeks of whirlwind testing, we had our answer. Jack had a baseball-sized glioblastoma multiform level 4 tumor in the right frontal and temporal lobes of his brain. There are no words that adequately convey how horrible it is to receive that news. You always think it can't happen to you. But it did. The decision upon us was whether to do nothing and face 3 months of life at most, or to undergo surgery to remove the tumor. Although the surgery carried the risk of paralysis on Jack's left side, we opted for it. On August 22nd, we left home for the hospital at 5 in the morning. We took our faith, a small bag of Jack's things, and an overnight bag for me. We prayed on the way.
We were blessed with a gifted neurosurgeon who removed 98% of the tumor without causing any paralysis. The next days at the hospital were full of rejoicing and friends as Jack moved from ICU to a regular room. He wiggled his toes, declared the hospital food "luscious" (at which we questioned his sanity), and requested the boom box I keep in my classroom. He conducted his own music therapy with Miles Davis, Fleetwood Mac, Emmylou Harris, The Subdudes, and many others while he passed out the chocolates our neighbor brought him to all the nurses. (He was very popular.) We came home on August 25th, encouraged by the progress he was making. On the evening of August 28th, however, we got the scare of our lives; Jack had a seizure while standing, causing him to fall, hit the corner of the wall, and split open his forehead above the eyebrow. He then had 12 more and was rushed back to the hospital, where he was re-admitted for a two day stay while his anti-seizure meds were adjusted. Apparently, he was metabolizing the correct amount he was given and there was too little left in his bloodstream. He doesn't remember much about that night, but I do. It was terrifying. Since then, he has been seizure-free, and has begun his radiation and chemo treatments daily for 7 weeks.
We are SO grateful for our dear friends and our church family who have stepped up with meals, prayers, visits, and encouragement. Two very special people have been taking Jack to all his treatments and appointments so that I could return to work: our dear neighbor, Carol, and our wonderful friend, Tim. My heart thanks you two all day every day, as you have given Jack and me a gift we can never repay.
I invite you to post messages to Jack here, to reach out and encourage him as he faces each day with an amazing positiveness and courage. We are both infinitely grateful to God for His mercy and His grace. We know He holds the future, and we are trusting Him.
All my best,
Lisa
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