Made it through Christmas

We made it through another season of Christmas with the family.  The weekend before Christmas, we all gathered together for the Janszen and the Morgan Christmas.  While all the family was gathered together out at the Ranch, Dad got a piece of chicken stuck for about 24 hours.  Sounds gross, but it wasn't as bad as you think.  It was bad in that, for about 24 hours, he was not able to drink or eat.  Monday morning, Mom and Dad headed in to Dr. Bismar's office, and he was able to retrieve the chicken, keeping Dad from dehydrating.  This was not as big of a scare, since we have gone through this before, we just really felt bad for Dad.  He has to be careful with his eating, and make sure he chews very carefully from now on.  It has been a long time since he has had food stuck.
He is heading to MD Anderson in January for his 6 month checkup, but while Dr. Bismar was retrieving the chicken, he looked around with the scope, and said things looked good, so we are hoping for a good report in January.

Thanks for keeping up with Dad.  Happy New Year from our family to yours,

JJ

Updating

Hey there,
To anyone that is still checking this....Merry Christmas. Hope you are enjoying the season already.
Some of you are wondering and chastising us for being so random with the updates. Well, no news is good, I've always been told. Mike is hanging in there.
It has been over a year since he had to have a dilation. (Nov. 2009) Food occasionally will get stuck only for a moment then goes on down.
He has to be careful what and how much he eats. He can't seem to gain any weight, but he has gained strength and energy.
He goes back for his 6 month check-up and scans Jan. 18, 2011. We thank the Lord for each and every day that He has given us.

I have officially been released by my Orthopedic doctor. Bone has grown back at the sight of the bone graph and my strength in my arm should be back to normal by March, 2011. Metal is not a problem, thus far.

We are trying to update our mailing address book. If you would send us your current address we would really appreciate it.
If you haven't moved in the last 20 years, then we probably have it.

God has been so good to this undeserving family. We say all the time, our cup overflows. And you are part of the reason.
Thank you for praying for us the past couple of years. We wouldn't be here reporting to you this continuing saga if you hadn't.
Our love,
Jan and Mike

Another good checkup

Dad just got back from MDA with another all clear checkup. No return of cancer, and no new cancer. Hallelujah!! He does have pneumonia in one of his lungs, but he is on antibiotics for that. He had been tired and just not able to gain strength. We feel sure that this is why.

Mom has had several good checkups with the ortho, and he is continuing to see bone growth!!! She is doing great, and if you look at her, you can't even tell she broke her arm.

Thank you for praying for them. Sorry it has been so long since I updated.

In His grace,
JJ Ford

Another update

On April 28th I went in for another ex ray on my shoulder. The doctor still didn't see any bone growth. He wasn't discouraged but I was. He said the only reason that it wouldn't grow bone would be infection or damage to the blood supply. After 2 days of me being down about the finding, the Lord woke me up with the reminder of Hebrews 11:1 "Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen." I was encouraged that even though the ex ray didn't show bone growth, that didn't mean God wasn't growing it. And 3 weeks later on May 19th, Dr. Harmon could see bone growth. Thank You Lord. My therapy is progressing and my arm is getting better, but my doctor reminds me that we aren't out of the woods yet. I am limited in using it. My next visit will be in June. Please pray that my body will mend. I'm focussed on Ezekiel 37 now. God brought those dead dry bones back to life and I need Him to do it again.

Mike is doing about the same. Working too much. No change in his weight. We pray for a breakthrough in his ability to gain some. He will have follow up tests at M.D. Anderson in July, a PET Scan and EGD. It's hard to believe it's almost time for a 6 month check. He hasn't had a dilation since Nov. 9th. His episodes of getting food stuck have been few and only momentary. He is learning to eat slower and carefully.

Pray, pray, pray for good results on all his tests. We thank you all for continuing to cover us with your prayers and love.

We love and appreciate all of you.

Jan and Mike

P.S. Mike has become quite the hairdresser. Since my right arm has been hurt, he has learned how to put my hair in a ponytail. It wasn't pretty (or fun) at first, but he has got it down, now. Sometimes I have to go get him off the mower to get it done. Wish I had known he had this talent when our 3 girls were growing up. :)

Just a quick update

Dad is doing well, continuing to stay the same in weight, but his choking episodes are few and far between, and it's been awhile since his last dilatation.

Mom is still in a sling, and unable to use her arm, except to write a few letters, she is supposed to keep all movement passive at this point. Her last ex rays, last week, still showed no bone growth, so she is stuck until they begin to see that bone growing. No rehab yet, except passive movement. You know Dad is raring to get her started. :) Please pray for bone growth, and encouragement for her and Dad. Mom hates feeling like she needs help.

My oldest son, Jesse, told her a story from one of the books he is reading about a warrior who broke his right arm, and had to learn how to fight with his left, and then when the other arm healed, he was able to fight double handed, and was a far better warrior than before his inconvenient accident. He told Mom that maybe that would happen to her, that maybe God has a purpose for her to learn all these new skills with her left arm and hand.

Who knows the purposes of our Mighty God. His ways are right.

One of the things mom shared with us about the day she was hurt, was while she was walking across the pasture, holding her arm as tightly as she could to keep it from bouncing around, because the pain was excruciating, was that she thought of our Lord. Easter was just a few short days away, and she couldn't help but think about His arms being yanked out of socket as He hung on the cross for our sins, for her sins. As she thought on this, she was, in a way, thankful to reflect on His sacrifice, and share in His pain. She now bears a scar across her right shoulder, which also reminds her "by His stripes we are healed." What an amazing way to reflect on Him, in the midst of suffering, and be thankful, even in time of pain.

Thank you all for continuing to pray for Mom and Dad. You are loved.

In His grace, JJ (Janszen) Ford

Mom broke her arm!!

Well it has been awhile since an update, and it has been my mom doing the updating, but.....this is JJ, and I will have to take over for awhile because......

This weekend my mom and dad were riding horses, which is a usual activity, especially if the weather is nice. I received a phone call Saturday evening around 5:15 from Dad. He said he had my mom in the car and they were heading to the hospital. To spare you all the details.... in a nutshell, Mom was thrown from her horse, broke her humerus is several different places, a very bad injury, and had to have surgery Sunday to try and put it back together. She now has a metal plate, 12 screws, and a bone graft in her RIGHT arm!! She is right handed!! She is still in the hospital, but is being released today to go home.

Dad, of course, still needs to eat, and mom is his main supplier of food. This is going to be a challenge to say the least, as Dad will be caring for her, as well as, trying to keep himself going. He is doing well, but still has relied on Mom to keep him on his schedule of eating and pills.

So many people from church have offered to help, so I have been able to line up meals for the next 2 1/2 weeks. Thank you friends for your help!!

We know God is good, and his purposes are always right. We will walk through this knowing that He is right in the midst of it, He will give us all that we need to get through this, and to hopefully learn things along the way. We praise Him that it was her arm, and not her head or something else more severe.

The Dr. gave us a time frame of 3-4 weeks of her not being able to do much of anything, then at six weeks, range of motion returning slowly, then 5-6 months of rehab before she returns to a somewhat normal activity level and function. Yikes!! That sounds like a long time. Please pray for both Mom and Dad as they begin this new journey together. Thanks for reading and caring about our family.

In His grace, JJ Ford

Good Test Results

We got the final results back from all his tests and they were all good. Praise the Lord!

Dr.'s at M.D. Anderson said keep doing what he's doing and they will see us in 6 months.

Now, if we can just keep him out of the bull pen and emergency rooms....:) By the way, they said there was no tear or perforation. Before the EGD, the doctor looked at all his film from Harris Hosp. and Hugeley Hosp. to compare it to his other film in the computer there in Houston. Everything was fine. There is still no definate answer as to what may have caused his severe pain on Thanksgiving afternoon.

Thank you for praying with us. Praise God for all of you who love us and stand with us. We will ask you to pray for his continued progress, to gain some weight and strength, to be able to eat without all the difficulties, and stay on this path. And like the prophet proclaimed in

1 Samuel 7:12 ".....Thus far the Lord has helped us." He surely has.

Amen and Amen and Amen, Again. (another old prophet's words)

We love you,

Jan and Mike