A Little Good News

Turns out that there was a job waiting in the wings after all. A hospital in Montgomery has offered Lauren a J-O-B.  Yahoo. Pay is what they need, she will be supervised on site as we had all hoped, and it isn’t quite full-time which turns out to be a blessing. She can work four longer days (about 36 hours a week) and have Wed off. Driving down working, staying with her folks overnight, working again and driving back. Repeat cycle on Thurs/Fri.  This should help her get her foot in the door for the future. Work starts Sept 8th. (Feel free to take a moment to do a happy dance, cheer, yell in your office, living room, coffee shop. )

Clay is doing well. Coming off the steroids this week, slowly, which means his fatigue will creep up. One more treatment on Monday and then a test (MRI - I think) on the 18th. Dad B and Clay are driving up for an appointment with Dr. Einhorn on the 23rd. Please pray he gets an all clear and can start the process of getting back to normal. Its gonna take some time to get there but so glad the chemo is behind him.

I don’t know about you all but I am still holding my breath until I hear its really over. It has gone so well relatively speaking but can’t relax until the good doc signs off. Praying we can trust God no matter what and yet also praying the cancer is ALL gone.

A word from Clay….

Hey everybody,

I thought I might actually post something on my blog. This is my pre-round 3 update. You probably won’t find it as entertaining as one of David’s posts, but you have to take what you can get.

I just wanted to share some of the incredible things God has allowed me to experience over the past six weeks. I have met a handful of people in the infusion therapy room to whom God has given immense faith. The type of cancer they have is irrelevant to the hope that only the gospel of Jesus provides. It has been something that words only begin to describe to see the woman receiving experimental treatment for metastatic breast cancer light up when she tells you about taking her granddaughter to church on Sunday and then to the park. The hard part is if the cancer metastasizes again she probably will die. Or the lady who has colon cancer talk about how much she loves to go eat at her favorite restaurants in Atlanta. She won’t talk about odds, but she will tell you where she loves to eat. Then there’s the guy with stage 3 prostate cancer who is getting experimental treatment at Tulane for his cancer. He’s not sure about this experimental stuff, since this is his third time around with treatment. But then we talked about praying for each other.

I’m not saying that all these people are all believers, but there’s something in their eyes when you ask them if you can pray for them that tells you that they know that the ONLY hope they have is in God. Only He can heal them and make them whole. Maybe I’m reading too much into all this, but I really think that when people realize that they are out of options and the could easily give up, they find that God is there, waiting for them. Really, He has pursued them there. I guess what I’m getting at is I really don’t understand the radical lengths God goes to to show us how much He loves us. We are so undeserving and unworthy of the love He lavishes upon us. We are so sinful in our natural state that we deserve death, but only through the atoning work of Christ, He sees us perfect. We have no right to expect that even in our illness he will heal us, but in His mercy He gives us the hope that He will.

I’m starting my third (and final!) long week of treatment today. Thank you again for your prayers along this journey. Lauren and I are feeling more encouraged about the future and jobs this week- more news to come. Praise be to God for all the work He has done!

Clay

Job update

Hi everyone,

  I just wanted to let you all know that I talked to the Kirklin Clinic today, and I didn’t get the job. Also, one of our dear friends had a miscarriage today, at 13 weeks- her second one. So it wasn’t such a good day today. I was reading Isaiah 40 last night and I was comforted by how God knows us inside and out, and how he never slumbers or sleeps. But today I really am having trouble understanding His plan and believing that He is in control, even when dreams die and lives end. Please pray for faith for us and for our friends, that we would trust that He is good- especially when it is hard to believe. Love you all.

    Lauren

Round two is over!

Hello everyone,

  Our ghostwriters are in the midst of moving, and we were unable to contact them about an update for week two of chemo. So Clay and I wanted to let everyone know how he is doing. 

  Long week two of chemo is finished, thank God! Clay actually felt strangely good this week. The nurses are giving him an IV steroid with his chemo, so he actually had more energy than he had the first week of chemo! It was a little strange, but we were thankful that he didn’t seem as tired during the week. The fatigue is hitting him this weekend, and we anticipate that he will feel the effects this coming week also, as his white count drops again. Please continue to pray that he does not get an infection, as he will be around kids coming back to school (when he works), and we have friends’ weddings coming up soon.

  We continue to be so grateful for your prayers. God has been very faithful to answer them. Clay has met other patients during chemo who are dealing with cancer situations far worse than his, and he has been encouraged and humbled by their stories of faith. We really are realizing that God cares about our emotional needs, as well as our physical needs. I am struggling some with anxiety about my job search, and looking at having to expand my search to Montgomery and commute. I really am praying that I find a job in Birmingham, though, because of course I would much rather be here with Clay as he recovers. Please pray for that. 

  Monday is the halfway point for Clay’s course of chemo. The last day is September 2nd, and we are counting down! 

  We are grateful for all of your encouragement and we covet your prayers. Much love to y’all. 

             Clay and Lauren

Dr. B Antes Up

Dad also requested a pre-baldness posterity picture.

David Antes Up

Baldness

2 AM Last Thursday Night

Last week seemed like a great week and in many ways it was. Clay hasn’t lost his hair yet (for which David and Glenn are thankful) and he was able to exercise and work some last week. He felt tired but was managing fairly well. However, on Thursday he had some pain and Thursday night/Friday morning Lauren and Clay went to the hospital. He had joint pain and they checked the information they have from the cancer center but there wasn’t specific mention of his symptoms. So off they went to the local emergency room afraid of infection and weird complications. Fortunately it was neither an infection or some weird complication - just an unusual symptom. The doc gave him some pain meds and sent them home. They slept a lot yesterday morning and seemed to be okay yesterday afternoon. Yet another reminder that cancer stinks and chemo too.

We are so thankful that Lauren isn’t working yet even though it weighs heavy on her heart that she doesn’t have a job yet. Please pray for peace for her during this season where she isn’t working. That she could focus on Clay and know the job will come. Thank you for your prayers so far and please keep praying. It is clear that people are praying and it is so encouraging to them.

Update on Treatment Schedule

Turns out we’re not so good at math - but with all this craziness who could blame us. Clay’s chemo officially ends on September 1st, a Monday. We originally thought he would have one week of chemo and three weeks off in between but actually there will only be two weeks between.

Real Schedule -

Week 1 - 5 days chemo

Week 2 - Monday only. Chemo related shot (2 hours-ish including white-blood cell count)

Week 3 - Monday = Shot + white blood cell check

Week 4 - 5 Days chemo

Week 5 - Monday = Shot + white blood cell check

Week 6 - Monday = Shot + white blood cell check

Week 7 - 5 Days chemo

Week 8 - Monday = Shot + white blood cell check

Week 9 - Monday = Shot + white blood cell checkand done!

Unless my math is wrong the Monday of Week 9 is September 1st and that will be his last shot. Then he will have a few appointments with various docs including Dr. Einhorn to check the sucess of chemo.

David and I ( I = Katharine) were with them yesterday and today and their spirits were fair. Oak Mountain’s worship this morning seemed like it was for the four of us which helps so much. We are so grateful for the church community coming around them. Clay said that if he was going out on a Sunday (making the effort energy wise) - he was going to church.

So Week 1 down and 8 to go. Yea Jesus!

News and a Little Bit of Real Life

Great news this week. Between an unusual coincidence and his co-workers, Clay has enough sick days to cover this period of time of chemo. Part of the days came from a gentleman retiring who had 30-ish days he couldn’t take with him and several other days were donated by his co-workers. Yet another answer to prayer.

But on the other hand the reality of chemo and waiting for a job for Lauren has set in. Waiting is hard and watching your spouse wait or get sicker is also hard. Please pray for Lauren and Clay as the struggle intensifies. We know that God has a job for her and we will know it will be just the right time and just the right job. In the meantime please pray that for trust and faith for her and for him as they walk in this.