Thursday Evening

Mom called awhile ago and said Dad got out of the procedure around 3pm. She said all went well. They drained 500 ml off of his left lung. He said he felt a little better right after the procedure, but when he got back to his room, he was still feeling bad. We will keep praying for the Dr.s to have wisdom as they take care of Dad. Mom is so thankful they are in the hospital where Dad's needs can be taken care of immediately. I will let you all know how he is doing tomorrow.
In His Hands, JJ

Thursday mid-day update.

Just talked with Mom. Dad is in a procedure right now to drain fluid off of his lungs. He has continued to feel bad this morning, and the Dr.'s said he has a lot of fluid in his lungs. After they finish this, he should feel much better. They are still not sure where the infection is, but they do know that his white blood count is still elevated, and they feel he would probably be running fever if it were not for the loritab, which contains Tylenol. Mom said he should be done with this procedure about 4pm, it is almost 2pm right now. Please pray everything goes well. Mom said this is like a surgery because they will have to put him to sleep, and go through his side instead of down his throat.
Right now, they plan on keeping Dad in the hospital until they know what is going on and he starts to do better. We are thankful for this.
Thank you for your comforting words on the blog. Mom, and our whole family are encouraged and amazed by all of you and your consistent prayers for Dad. We praise God for each of you, and as one of you put on the comments, you are right, this is no surprise to God. His plan is perfect, this is not a setback to Him, this is all part of the story that He is writing for my Dad's life. Praise Him, no matter what.
In Him, JJ and the Janszen Kids

Things have changed.

It is amazing how quickly things can change within a 24 hour period. As of last night when I posted the last blog and we were climbing into bed in the hotel in Houston with Mom, things seemed like they were moving in the right direction. But into the late evening last night, then this morning Dad took a turn for the worse. His energy level dropped greatly, his pain when breathing increased, his overall condition worsened.
He said this was the worst he had felt since a week or so after radiation treatment. He didn't feel like walking at all, and just felt overall miserable. He was also having some leakage at the jtube entry site. This morning the nurses were still giving Mom a crash course in care taking of Dad once they left the hospital, but after the Dr.s were told, by Dad himself, how bad he felt, they changed their plan. They decided to keep Dad, and run some tests on him to figure out what was going on. They also decided to do a swallow test on him for fear that there was a leak. They told us that if there was a leak, that they would take him straight to the OR. I had no time to update the blog and request prayer, except just to call family and let them know to be praying. After about an hour, this evening, we found out there is no leak. Hallelujah!! But, they are still not sure what is going on. Pray for wisdom for all those taking care of him. Pray for healing for Dad, and his energy level to come up. Pray for Mom, for encouragement.
Also, my parents want to thank all of you that have come by and seen them while in the hospital. Mom has asked, however, that since she is so busy and stressed with this training under the nurses of how to take care of Dad, and also because Dad is now not feeling as well, that no visitors come until they are able to get through this time. She will not tell you no if you call and ask if it is ok to come by, but she expressed to me the desire to not have visitors right now. Thank you all for understanding this unique and hopefully short period of time in their lives.
Feel free to send messages via the blog, or letters to the addresses I gave earlier.
In Him, JJ

A Good Day

( Just a few hours ago, on Tuesday night.)

Ray, our kids, and I just got back down here to MDA for a quick overnight visit with Mom and Dad. To our surprise, when we arrived, Dad had all his tubes removed except for his feeding tube, which will stay in for several more weeks, and his iv. Also to our surprise they are planning on letting him leave the hospital tomorrow. He will not get to go home to the Ranch, but he will get to go across the sky bridge to stay with Mom in the Rotary House Hotel.


This sounds great, but scary at the same time. All care giving will be upon Mom now. He will not have any iv pain drugs, and still will not be able to drink or swallow anything.


It sounds like after a few days, if all goes well, they may let them go back to the Ranch for awhile. They will have to come back in a week or two for Dad's swallow test.


Dad seems to be feeling ok, but cannot feel any difference in his energy level since his feedings have started.


He has been walking alot the last few days, but is very frustrated about his fatigue. The Dr. told him that this is just part of it, that because of the trauma that his body has been through, that he will feel fatigued. Short spurts of exercise are good, but he must rest as well and let his body heal.


As far as the blood supply problem, we will not know how that is effecting him until he comes back to do the swallow test or if he starts developing symptoms like severe pain in the chest or fever.


Pray for them both as they transition out of the hospital and into the next phase of this journey.


Thank you to all who sent Mom birthday greetings. She had a great day!!


In Him, JJ

A new week.

Dad is continuing to improve, day by day. Today he was able to get the ng tube out (that big ugly tube coming out of his nose in the picture.) My husband says that is one of the worst. Dad feels so good getting that thing out!!! He has been on the formula, feeding through the j tube, since yesterday, but says he can't really tell a difference yet. His mouth is still very dry. Pray for encouragement and patience, and self discipline on his part to hang in there until the Dr. says it is ok for him to swallow, which may be another few weeks.
Mom has had a slow steady trickle of visitors. This has been such an encouragement to her. God continues to give her support as well as Dad through so many.
By the way, tomorrow is Mom's birthday!!! Dad already took her out to celebrate since he knew they would not be able to after the surgery.
Pray for her tomorrow, that she would feel an amazing amount of peace during this time, and also for Dad as you have been doing.
In His Hands, JJ and all the Janszen Kids

Sunday at M.D. Anderson

This was Dad Friday Morning. He was doing laps. He told me I could post this. I need to send a copy of this to Mack Brown since he has his Texas hat on.

Spoke with Mom a few minutes ago. She sounded good. She said Dad had another good night and was continuing to walk great this morning.

He finally got one of the many tubes removed today. They took his oxygen tube out of his nose. They have slowly been weaning him off this since surgery, and today he is breathing on his own with no extra oxygen, and they said his O2 levels look great!! Praise God for small victories.

Also, I think the biggest news of the day is that they finally began feeding him through his jtube. This is huge, since getting nutrition will aide in the healing process, as well as his energy levels. He has been hungry for days, but they could not give him anything until his bowels woke up. They were basically paralyzed after surgery. We are so thankful that he is finally able to receive this well needed nutrition. The nurses also told us that this will somehow help with the dryness in his mouth and throat. I don't understand how, but they say it will. I will have to ask Dad in the next day or two if he notices a difference.

We are so grateful to you for all of your thoughts, prayers, and notes. We know that God has used each of you in this process: praying for us, for the Drs., nurses, healing, blood flow, etc. You all are a valuable part of this team.

I want to say this again for anyone who may have missed it early on this blog spot, or may have started reading this blog after I wrote it the first time, but I want each of you to know the heartbeat of our family. This blog spot was started as a way to communicate to many at one time, the facts and details of Dad's journey through his battle with cancer, but we know that God uses all things for his good purposes. We believe that Dad's battle has given our family a voice to many that we may not have had otherwise. It is our desire that all who read this blog would know that Jesus Christ is our Lord and Savior. It is Him that gives us the strength to get through even one day. It is Him that gives us our purpose and heartbeat for living, and He loves YOU. He came and died on the cross for YOU, and He rose again. He is the ONLY Son of God, and He has chosen to forgive YOU, NO MATTER WHAT YOU HAVE DONE. He loves you, and all you need do is believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved. He desires to have a relationship with you. And we wish nothing more than for all those that have cared so much about our family and what we are going through to know the Lord as their Savior.

I am sure with 300-400 hits a day on this sight, that there are some who do not know the Lord. Please don't wait another minute.

Praying for you, JJ and the whole Team Janszen

Post op day 3.

I made it home safely last night. Talked with Mom and Dad briefly, and all was well. Dad was having a good day today when I spoke with them. He said he got some rest last night, is still thirsty, but they are letting him swab his mouth out a little more. The nurses feel like, since they explained the severity of the complications that could result of him swallowing even the tiniest bit of water, that he will do a better job of sucking it out, instead of just letting some accidentally go down his throat.
He has been walking more and more, adding laps, and now time. This morning he walked for 30 minutes!!. He doesn't shake as bad after he stops now, and most of the time he doesn't at all. Everything seems to be moving in the right direction. Praise God.
He still has tubes coming out of him everywhere. I got a picture of him walking before I left, and I will post it as soon as I get my camera unpacked from the car!! (He said I could!!)
Mom is doing good. She had some friends from our church, who were in Houston, stop by and see her before they headed back to Cleburne today. She told me Jim and Micah Reeves, (Dad's best friend and his wife), were coming to spend the afternoon and evening with her. Mom told Jim she wasn't sure if Dad wanted company, and Jim assured her, he didn't even have to see Dad, he was coming for her!!!
No new prayer requests at this time, just keep them coming, however you all are praying, God is answering and blessing!!!
Thank you, In Him, JJ

Day 3 post op.

We are here in Dad's room this morning, waiting for the Dr. to come by.
Last night Dad was the most upbeat we have seen him. Yesterday early evening, Dad was so frustrated about his not being able to drink. He had been dipping the little sponge in some ice water, then swabbing his mouth, then sucking it out with a suction tube (like they have at the dentist office). Well, Mom and I were concerned that he was not sucking it all out, but trying to sneak little drinks. The nurse then confirmed our suspicion because Dad's ng tube showed clear liquid in the catch basin instead of red blood. The nurse had a good talk with him about the seriousness of him swallowing water, even a little bit. He finally gave in and trusted what she was saying. She took all liquids and cups out of his room. When Mom and I came back from dinner, he seemed to have a better attitude about his situation. Please keep praying, because this will be a very difficult thing to deal with, the longer this stretches out. Especially for Mom, when Dad leaves the hospital, Mom will have to be the water police, and that is not a fun roll to be in.
Dr. Roth, just came by, and said things look great. No change, and everything is continuing to improve.
Please pray for Mom today and the days following. I have been here since Sunday with her, and I have to leave today. My 5 children are ready for mommy to come home for awhile, as well as Ray. She will be alone until next Wed., when Tommy and Sue (Dad's twin sister) are coming back to spend the night.
I will continue to update the blog, but they will not be as frequent, since I won't be down here, and seeing him first hand. I will also be updating in between my family's normal crazy household of 5 kids and husband.
I will talk to Mom every day and will try to update at the end of the day, that is my goal. Thank you again to each of you for loving our family and cheering us all on, especially Dad and Mom.
In His Grace, JJ and the whole Team Janszen

Doing pretty good.

We just came down for lunch. Dad is doing well. He did have a better night with the help of the "noise blocking" box fan, and the fact that the nurses only had to interrupt him every 4 hours. He sat up in his chair most of the morning, (which is what they want), it will help get the fluid off his lungs. He walked 9 laps around the nurses station this morning, and just did 11 a little while ago. He wants to add a lap every time he walks. The tough part of this is that when he sits down after walking, he gets the shakes really bad. It is just a sign of severe fatigue, they have told us, but Mom and I want to cover him up with a blanket because he looks cold. The Drs have assured us that everything looks great. He is definitely moving in the right direction. He hasn't felt like talking alot because it dries out his mouth, but he did get to speak to all the grandkids today, briefly, on the phone, as well as Joy in Africa. That was a thrill to them!!!
Thank you for praying with us, JJ, Mom, and all the Janszen Kids

Last night.

I have been trying to put this picture on here since the morning of the surgery, and couldn't get it to load, but it finally worked this morning. This was Dad right before they took him back on Tuesday morning.

We stayed with Dad until about 10:30pm last night. He was talking a little bit more, and seemed to be in better spirits. He was fighting with the nurse to keep his sponge with water on it close to his bed all night, but she stood her ground, thank goodness, and moved it away from him for the night. She said she would be happy to come in and swab his mouth as many times as he wanted during the night, that was her job. It seems cruel, but it is soooooo important that not even a drop of water goes down his throat until this connection has healed. Right now Dad thinks that it will only be 14 days, because that is what we were told at first, but it may be longer because of the blood flow issue. We have not pointed this out to him, and there is no need to. He is already frustrated about having to wait 14 days!!!

Keep praying for the blood to flow.

Thank you again for all the comments. When Mom and I get to connect to the internet, we check this first just for the encouragement, and we are also sharing them with Dad.

We are about to head over and see him, we are anxious to see how he slept, we took his box fan over and put it in his room last night hoping it would block out the extra noises. We will see.

I will try to post an update after lunch sometime, In Him, JJ

Some have requested addresses where cards could be sent, here they are:

Mom's room at the hotel:

Jan Janszen, Room 405

c/o The Rotary House

1600 Holcombe Blvd.

Houston, TX 77030

Dad's room at the hospital:

Mike Janszen, Room 724

c/o M.D. Anderson Hospital

1515 Holcomble Blvd.

Houston, TX 77030

Better this afternoon.

Dad is doing a little bit better this afternoon. We came to see him again around 2pm, and they got him up to walk 5 laps around the nurses station( they only asked him to walk 4, but he wanted to walk 5). He seemed to be in better spirits, but after he walked, he was exhausted. Right after that, the Respiratory Therapist came in to give him a breathing treatment (which contains a bronchial dilator, that helps him to take in more oxygen), and he LOVED that!
Since he was so tired, we didn't stay so that he could rest, but we are heading back up there around 5:30pm since they are waking him up to walk again. We are trying to coordinate our visits with the nurses mandatory "disturbing his rest" schedule. We appreciate all your encouraging words on the blog, and especially your prayers.
Thanking God for you all, JJ , Mom, and the Janszen Kids

A New Day

We have seen Dad several times today, briefly. He is doing well according to the nurses.
We talked with Dr. Roth's Nurse Practitioner and she explained things a little more clearly about the blood flow. Dad does have less blood flow to the stomach than the average patient they see. This is why Dr. Roth mentioned this to us after his surgery. Dr. Roth is few on words, and did not explain too much afterward concerning this. We were upset to say the least and felt like this was bad news. After talking to his NP, she explained that, yes, this is a concern. Yes it could cause problems, worse case scenario, he would have to go back in for more surgery if the stomach tissue refuses to heal and they would have to figure out and alternate solution to reconnect the stomach to the esophagus. That is worse case. The more likely result of this blood flow issue, is that it will take a little longer to heal, but it will heal.
That is what we will continue to pray for.
As far as how Dad is feeling, he hurts when he breaths, he is very tired, his mouth, throat, and lips are very dry. He is not even aloud to suck on ice chips because it is so very important that he doesn't swallow even a drop of water until this reconnection heals. He is pretty grumpy, but who wouldn't be after what he has been through. Pray for his dryness, and also his rest.
Thank you again for praying, JJ and the Janszen Kids

We have seen him.

First of all, I am sorry for the delay in the last report. We only had about an hour from when we talked with the Dr. until we might be able to start going back and see him, so we ran down stairs to eat for the first time today. As soon as we came back upstairs, the nurse said we could start rotating through and go see him one at a time. Anyway, because we went to eat, I had to put the blog off for a little bit. So please understand, and thank all of you, again, for checking the blog so many times today to keep up with us. Things may not change much anymore tonight. The plan is for him to stay for several more hours or even several more days in recovery or ICU until they feel he is ready to go to his private room.
I will post something if our situation changes.
We were all able to go back and see Dad one at a time. He looks pretty good, swollen, but still hangin' in there. He talked a little with each of us, but was in and out of sleep.
Pray for blood flow in the stomach.
Pray for him to wake up soon and come out of the fog.
Thank you for praying,
JJ and all the Janszen Kids

He's done!!

The Doc. came out and talked with us around 4pm. He did not finish up with surgery until around 4:30. He said it went well, and it looks like the cancer had not spread anywhere else. Praise God!!!! He then told us he had a concern..... Dad's blood supply was not very good to the stomach. This is important because you have to have blood supply to heal. The area that they attached to the esophagus needs to have blood flow for it to heal.
This is our next major prayer request. We need God to make that blood flow well, so that the healing can begin quickly!!
Thank you for praying. I will put more details later!! I am about to go see Dad.
In Him, JJ

Update Number Two!!

The nurse just came out to let us know that Dad is doing well. They are still working on the front of him, dissecting all the anatomy. They said this takes awhile, and Dr. Roth does not rush through this. We are fine with that!!! Once he finishes this part of the surgery, they will place a feeding tube in, and then close him up. At that point, they will flip him, and then go in from the back to remove the infected part of the esophagus and stomach, and then reconnect the remaining parts. We will get our next update around 1:15pm. Thanks again for praying!! Thanks for cheering Dad on, Larry!! Glad you got the comment section to work!!
Praying with you, JJ

The first update.

We arrived this morning about 5:15 am. Dad got checked in and was upbeat and positive. Mom and I were a little tired this morning, but we are encouraged and are surrounded by friends in the waiting room. We are laughing alot at Jim Reeves' (Dad's best friend) stories and by far are the most joyful (and loud) group in the waiting area.
The nurse came out a few minutes ago to give us an update on Dad. All is well. Dad is doing good. The official cut time was 8:15 am, so a little later than what we thought. They said the nurse would be out again about 11:15 for another update, so I will update the blog again at that time. Thanks for all the prayers!!!!
In Him, JJ and the Janszen Kids

The Surgery is a go!!

We met with Dr. Roth (the surgeon) this morning and after talking with him, his assistants, and his nurses, Dad felt a strong leading to go ahead with the surgery. The recovery time will be difficult, but much of what Dad is limited to do will be based on his attitude and his ability to tolerate pain. (Which he has that part licked!!) Physically it will be tough, but the Dr. felt like Dad would do well. The Dr. told us we have a much better chance of curing this cancer if we go ahead with the surgery.
For those that have asked, the surgeon will remove 2/3rds of Dad's esophagus, and 1/3rd of Dad's stomach, then he will pull the rest of the stomach up behind the sternum and reattach it to the remaining part of the esophagus. He will go from the front first, then go in from the back.
We prayed for the Lord to speak through the Dr. this morning, and He used every person that came into the room to talk with us. They all gave the same counsel. We feel good about this and are praying for the surgeon, the equipment, and all the surgical team tomorrow. Pray also for no complications during or after the surgery. Pray for his recovery.
The surgery well begin about 7am on Tuesday, it should last about 6 1/2 hours. Then Dad will go to ICU for the next 12 to 48 hours. If all is well, he will then be moved to a room and stay for the next week to 10 days unless his progress is faster. He will be able to go home after that, but he will be on a J-tube for several more weeks, until the esophagus heals. He will then be able to begin eating again, but it will be small amounts 5 or 6 times a day. No lifting anything over 10 lbs. for awhile. Can't saddle Mom's horse for 3 to 4 months. No mowing for awhile.
I will post updates as they come. We may not know anything until tom, but as the surgical team comes out during surgery to give us updates, I will try to get them posted as soon as possible.
Thank you for praying, JJ and all the Janszen Kids

Encouraging words while we wait.

I sent this to Mom and Dad, and thought it would be encouraging to all of us as we wait with them over the next 3 days, until they make the decision about surgery. God's word is amazing, He always meets our need right where we are and knows what we are struggling with. (just click on the verse link and it will take you right to the scripture verse on the net, if you don't have a Bible available)

RESULTS OF WAITING

by Charles R. Swindoll

Read Esther 4:12--17; Isaiah 40:31

Now, even though what happened in the three days between chapters 4 and 5 is not recorded, don't think for a moment that God is whiling away His time, busy with other things. Remember, He may be invisible, but He is at work. That's the beauty of His invisibility. He can be moving in a thousand places at the same time, working in circumstances that are beyond our control. During a waiting period, God is not only working in our hearts, He's working in others' hearts. And all the while He is giving added strength. Remember Isaiah's words about waiting?

Yet those who wait for the LORD Will gain new strength;

They will mount up with wings like eagles,

They will run and not get tired,

They will walk and not become weary. (Isaiah 40:31)

Even though the prophet's pen put these words on the sacred page centuries ago, that verse of Scripture is as pertinent and relevant as what you read in the paper this morning---and far more trustworthy. From this verse we learn that four things happen when we wait.

First, we gain new strength. We may feel weak, even intimidated, when we turn to our Lord. While waiting, amazingly we exchange our weakness for His strength.

Second, we get a better perspective. It says we "will mount up with wings like eagles." Eagles can spot fish in a lake several miles away on a clear day. By soaring like eagles while waiting, we gain perspective on our situation.

Third, we store up extra energy. "We will run and not get tired." Notice, it's future tense. When we do encounter the thing we have been dreading, we will encounter it with new strength---extra energy will be ours to use.

Fourth, we will deepen our determination to persevere. We "will walk and not become weary." The Lord whispers reassurance to us. He puts steel in our bones, so to speak. We begin to feel increasingly more invincible.

We'll gain new strength. We'll get a better perspective. We'll store up extra energy. We'll deepen our determination to persevere. All that happens when we . . . wait.

Heading home from Houston.

Dad met with one of his doctors this morning. The good news is, the PET scan showed no signs of the cancer tumor either!!! We felt this, along with the results of the EGD, was good news. The tumor responded as they hoped and we all prayed it would, and it shrunk to out of visible sight!!! Praise God that Dad's body responded so well to the treatment, and that the cancer looks like it has dissolved.
Now, continue praying, because Mom and Dad are faced with a difficult decision. The doctor they spoke with today said that there still could be the microscopic cells hiding in the tissue. We all knew this was possible. This is a reason for wanting to go ahead with the surgery, to remove any possible infected tissue, and make sure that we get all the cancer out.
Dad would really like not to have the surgery. If he chooses not to, the doctor told us that the chances of the cancer coming back are 70%, and possibly more aggressive than this first time.
If he chooses to have the surgery, it will be a very difficult surgery and possibly a very difficult recovery. Not sure how it will effect Dad's quality of life after surgery long term.
They will not meet with the surgeon until Monday, for the preop. They will discuss all of this, and make the final decision at that point. If Dad decides to go ahead with the surgery as we originally planned, then the surgery will be the next morning, the 22nd.
Dad and Mom will have their minds and hearts on this all weekend. Please pray that Dad will hear the voice of the Lord behind him saying, "this is the way, walk in it." Only God knows what tomorrow holds, how all this will play out. Thank you for praying.
I will be down in Houston on Monday for the appointment with the surgeon. I will let all of you know asap as to what Dad decides about the surgery.
Praying with you, JJ

The Tests were Today!!

I spoke with Mom several times today. Dad had the PET scan done this morning, and the EUS (Ultra sound probe down the esophagus) this afternoon. The PET scan results will not be discussed until tomorrow with the doctor. The EUS results were revealed right after the test was performed. The doctor came out and told them she could not see the tumor!!!!!! Praise the Lord!!! It has shrunk. We do praise God for that, but now we need to know how to proceed from here. The doctor confirmed, what the surgeon had told Mom and Dad. This was, that even if the tumor had shrunk to nothing, they would still want to do the surgery to remove any possible microscopic cells that could be hiding in the tissue. Dad is wanting everyone to pray that the surgery will not have to be so major, and reconstructive. (They were planning on removing the part of the esophagus that was infected, and replacing it with part of his stomach). I really don't know how to ask everyone to pray except for this....
Pray for wisdom and insight for these doctors as they look at all the test results, from today and the PET scan tomorrow, that they will be lead by the Holy Spirit on what steps they need to take next.
Pray for Mom and Dad, that they will have a peace and strong leading in whatever the doctors suggest to do.
Pray for God's hand to be in every decision, every discussion, every situation that they are involved in over the next 24 hours.
Thank you again for praying, JJ
PS, I will update tom after we get the results back from the PET scan.

Doing Better.

Dad is feeling much better this last week. He said his energy level is returning, his cough is better, and the burning when he eats is much less than it was. Food is starting to taste better also.

He and Mom went out this weekend to celebrate Mom's birthday early (since he will still be in the hospital for her birthday at the end of this month). They are overall doing well.
Since Dad is more up and positive, Mom is following suite. She is more encouraged lately also.

There is, however, some concern of what they are about to face with this surgery. They will be leaving on the 15th to head back down to Houston. They will run tests on the 16th, then get the results on the 17th. I will post the info just as soon as I hear.

Thank you again for praying. Praise God for Who He is, and that He is walking through this with all of us.
In Him, JJ

Hanging in there.

Dad and Mom had a busy 4th of July weekend. They went to Mom's sister's (Judy) lake house on the 4th and were able to see some of the family on the Morgan side. That was a treat to get to see some of the family members that they don't see on a regular basis. Then, on Sunday, they had GaGa's (Dad's Mom, Doris Janszen) 90th birthday party at the Ranch. That was another special time to see more family and old friends on the Janszen side. I know Mom and Dad had lots of love and encouragement from all those they got to see over the weekend.

Dad is continuing to cough, but it comes in waves and not so continuous as it was a few weeks ago. He was also able to get his tooth worked on finally. Dad is still hurting when he eats, but tries to just force himself, with mom's encouragement, knowing that it is necessary to get nourishment in to keep his strength up. We are praying that everything will be a go when we get the tests done next week, on the 16th and 17th, that the tumor will be favorable for surgery, so that we can proceed with the surgery on the 22nd of July.

Several of you have asked about what will be done during the surgery. I am not exactly sure, but I will let everyone know as we find out the details. I am pretty sure that they are going to remove the area of the esophagus that was growing the cancer. I also know they are going to go in from the front and the back. They did tell Dad that they are not planning on cracking his chest which is a good thing. I also know they said he should expect to be in the hospital for awhile after the surgery. Please pray for the Doctors as we get closer to his surgery, preparing them now for Dad's specific case, giving them any insight and wisdom that will assist them with his specific situation. Pray also for Dad and Mom as they consider what they are facing. That they will not be anxious about anything, but take it to the Lord in prayer, laying it at His feet, Who is able to carry the burden.
Thank you again, from all the team, JJ