Dad's doing OK.

A picture of Joshua and Buddy on the porch having coffee and "mokie" (milk), one morning up at Big Cedar a few weeks ago.

Just a quick update. Dad is doing ok. He seems to be feeling a little better. The antibiotics he was on have helped a little. His cough is a little better, even though he is still coughing, and his tooth is better. He still has much pain when trying to swallow, and is usually worn out after he eats a meal. He has his moments of feeling not so bad, and the pain, when eating, sometimes doesn't seem to be as bad.

This Thursday, he held the monthly men's meeting down at the ranch and did pretty well. He was worn out after it was over, but felt good enough to have it there.

On Saturday, Mom, Dad, and Joy went down for Ryder's (Jamie's little one) birthday party. He was thankful he felt good enough for that as well.

Continue praying for his pain when eating. It is important that he eats to keep his strength up and to build himself up during this time leading up to his surgery. Also pray that he is able to rest at night. He has had a few nights of insomnia lately. Pray also for the lungs and breathing to get better, the cough to diminish, and that he will be well as he approaches this time of surgery.

Thank you agian, praying always, JJ

Tough Week.

FIRST OF ALL...... Just a note to those who want to leave a comment but haven't been able to. When you go to leave a message, just sign your name in your message so we know who it is from. When you choose your identity, select anonymous, and that should make it easy so you don't have to sign up for a blogger account. Then just select "publish your comment" Try it and see if it works!! JJ

NEXT...... an update on Dad and Mom. Dad is coughing alot and has run fever on and off. Ray(my husband, and Dad's primary care physician, even though he is an ob/gyn, but it is who Dad has chosen) thinks it may be pneumonia. He had Dad come in for an xray today to take a look at his lungs. Dad also has a bad tooth, which our dentist says he needs a root canal, but doesn't want to touch him until he gets the cough under control and we know what is going on with his lungs.

Dad is frustrated to say the least!! He does not want to feel this way and is tired of all the problems that keep popping up. Please pray he will feel the peace of the Lord in the midst of this. Pray that somehow he can rest in God's faithfulness to him even though he feels lousy. Especially pray for Mom. She, being the closest to him, is feeling the most frustration from Dad.

I want all of you reading this to know that we appreciate each of you walking through this with us. My prayer is that through all of this, Dad's sickness, the pain he and mom are having to endure, and through their testimony, that God would be glorified. I pray that anyone who may be reading this update on Dad, that does not know the Lord as their Savior, would right now stop and realize that each of us are sinners, we all need a Savior, and that One and Only Savior is Jesus Christ. He came, He died, and He rose again for your sins and He lives today. All you need do is trust Him to save you, and He will.
All of us will face death, just as Dad has had to consider these last few months, and Dad is sure of one thing, that whenever he dies, whether soon or hopefully many years from now, he will be with the Lord for all eternity. What a peace, what assurance!!! We want that same peace for each one of you.
We thank you again for praying, and walking with us through this, JJ and All the Janszen Kids

Home from the Ozarks.

I am sorry for the lack of updates. We were at Kanakuk, working for a week, and we had no internet access for me to update the blog. We are home now, so I will try to update more often. I will also try to post some pics from the Ozark trip. Anyway.......

Dad and Mom are home from Big Cedar Lodge. Dad was not looking forward to coming home because he knew he would wake up every day with much work facing him and not feel like doing it. They had a good time in MO, but Dad has felt very tired (and frustrated about that), and has continued with this cough that has seemed to get worse over the last few weeks. Our last few days in MO with them, he was not able to hardly finish a sentence without coughing. He is concerned about that, as well as the fatigue. He has also thinned a little on the hair. (I think it actually looks pretty good!!) but it was not by his choice that he is losing some of his hair. He also developed an abscessed tooth, which we are not sure if it was from radiation, chemo, or just random. Needless to say, he is discouraged and wondering how much longer this is going to go on. We know that side effects are part of this deal, and so far we had felt pretty good that Dad had not had to suffer with too many, but it seems they are coming more here at the end. Please keep praying. Pray this cancer has not spread to the lungs. Also pray for Mom. She is the one who has to get up every day and encourage Dad on a moment by moment basis. She is amazing and Dad knows she is his number one fan, but it can be draining on her to see Dad not his usual "gung ho" self.

Thank you again, from all the Janszen Team,
JJ

Greetings from the Ozarks!

We are up here in the beautiful Ozark Mountains enjoying some time with Dad and Mom. They arrived Monday night for a week. Dad had a great day on Tuesday, floating in the lazy river with the kids and working out, but Tuesday evening started feeling pretty bad. He has done ok today, but has been taking it easy resting alot in the cabin. Joshua is actually enjoying this because he has a napping buddy.
Please pray for him, for his strength, for his ability to eat (it is hurting him, and wears him out just trying to get through a meal), (he is not choking on his food, it is just painful and burns apparently from the radiation). Pray also for emotional encouragement, he is frustrated that he feels this way. He has always been the "social activities director"(or as us kids would call him "the drill sargent") on our family vacations, and this week he does not feel like planning or really doing anything. We are still enjoying the time together and I am so thankful for this time with him and Mom.
The kids and I are leaving on Friday morning to pick up some of our other kids from camp, and Mom and Dad will have a few more days together up here before they head back. Continue to pray for rest and relaxation for them both.
Keep praying for the tumor to shrink or totally disappear, and also begin praying for the 16th and the 22nd of July.
Thank you again from all of us in the Janszen Family,
JJ and (Mom,she is here with me and helped me write this one!!!)

Dad is finished!!!!!!

MDA has a tradition, that when you are done with your treatment, you ring the bell. This is Dad ringing the bell in the radiation dept. with his favorite tech. who took care of him while down there.

Hallelujah, Dad is finished with his treatments!!! We are so thankful that Dad has come to the end of this first part of his trial. We will be excited to see, on July 16th, what the scans, ultra sounds, and mri's reveal to us. Pray for strength for Dad as he has time to allow his body to rest from the treatments, and prepare for possible surgery on July 22nd. Pray for both Mom and Dad that they can enjoy being back home, and also relax and enjoy a vacation up to Big Cedar Lodge, in Branson, MO.

I will try to update as often as things come up, or if anything changes. I am leaving town today to head up to Missouri myself to take our kids to Kanakuk. We will not be home for two weeks, so the updates may not come as often as they have been recently. Thank you again for praying. To God be all the glory and honor and praise. He is good all the time, and He has been so gracious to our family these past 2 months. You all have been a crucial part of all this, and we have no doubt that Dad's minimal side effects are due to ya'll praying. God bless each of you.

In Him, JJ

A tough week.

Dad is half way through this last week of radiation. Mom sent me some pictures of him getting his treatment. I thought you all might like to see these.

Mom said Dad has felt much more tired this week, especially Tuesday. He seemed to be doing a little better today, but still overall, worse this week than the last several weeks. I think Mom and Dad are both a little weary from the last six weeks of going back and forth to Houston and living out of a hotel and suitcase. Please pray for them as they are both physically and mentally exhausted. Satan tends to take advantage of us when we are down. Please pray for protection for them both; spiritual, mental, and physical protection and strength. Pray for encouragement in these last two days in Houston, that the Lord would bring along words from others, divine appointments, and situations that would remind them that He has a purpose in all this, and that He knows and cares about every little detail they are going through. Pray for joy and laughter in the midst of this trial, and a peace that passes all understanding. Thank you for praying, I know that they will be lifted up by you all.

In His Grace, JJ

PS. Please read the comments for those who have been having problems leaving comments yourselves. I think I figured out a way to change the settings so that you can leave a comment without having to sign up with blogger or google. Sorry for the confusion. I had been so busy that I had not taken the time to sit down and try to figure it out until today.

Dad has requested prayer.

I spoke with Mom yesterday as they were heading down to Houston. I asked if they had any specific requests for me to put on the blog besides the ones I had already posted. My Dad yelled across the car, "Yeah, no surgery!!"
Now, you need to understand that the Doctors have told Dad that even if they do all the tests on July 16th and they can find no sign of any tumor, that they will still do the surgery to remove any possible cells that might be hiding and not showing up on the scans. They said because he is young and healthy that this is definitely what they would recommend. Dad does not want to have surgery, so this is what he is asking for. We can surely pray this, God is capable of anything, we know that for sure.
Along with this, we can pray that if it is God's perfect plan for Dad to have the surgery, that He will provide Dad with the peace, confidence, and strength he will need to get through this with flying colors. We all love Dad and want the best for him. We will walk through this with him no matter what.
Pray expectantly, and let's see what God does.
Thanks to you all,
JJ and The Janszen Kids

Week 6, The Last Week!!!

Mom and Dad will be heading back down to Houston Monday afternoon. Dad is FINISHED with chemo, so he will only be doing radiation treatments this last week. Hallelujah!! All the doctors are amazed at how well he has done. His side effects have been kept to a minimum. We can only credit that to all your prayers. Thank you for praying!!!
He is more tired than usual, but tackles that with little naps throughout the day. He and Mom have continued working out 4 times a week, which the Doctors think may also be helping him with his energy level. He in not having anymore choking episodes, and seems to be able to eat more kinds of food. Praise God for that! We hope that is a sign that the tumor is shrinking. He has not lost any weight, and last I heard, had gained a pound!! He also has not lost his hair!! Esther(my 7 yr. old) keeps checking every time she sees Buddy, and keeps asking when it is going to fall out! The worst side effect of the treatments seems to be Dad's nose bleeds. They have continued to get worse and worse over the last week or so. It is almost a continual thing, so you can pray about that for him.
So prayer requests this week:
Thank the Lord for Dad's minimal side effects.
Please pray for Dad's continued strength this week.
Pray also for his nose bleeds.
Pray that the tumor is shrinking.
Pray for continued opportunities for all of us to use this situation to share the good news of Christ, His faithfulness, His sacrifice on the cross for our sins, His glorious resurrection three days later, and His willingness that anyone who might believe on the Lord Jesus Christ shall be saved.
Thank you again from all of us in the Janszen Family,
You are loved and appreciated by all of us, especially Mom and Dad,
Thank you again for praying,
JJ and the Janszen Kids