Friday

Marty started off the day with physio. He stood up, sat down and then stood up again. This was very simple to write, but quite the process for him, with nurses assisting him every step of the way. After standing for several minutes, he slowly moved his feet ahead and to the left and right side -- all this to build his core strength. When Marty lay back down, his physio was done and he was done.

Marty coughs less and there are less secretions coming from his lungs. He was only suctioned once today. 

This afternoon, Marty was moved from the ICU to the hematology ward. He is still in a room by himself and we still have to gown up, wear gloves and a mask.

Marty's second round of chemotherapy is scheduled to start on Sunday. It will be the same as his first round of chemo; the same chemo drugs and also administered for 3 days. 

"On my bed I remember you; I think of you through the watches of the night. Because you are my help, I sing in the shadow of your wings. My soul clings to you; your right hand upholds me." 

Psalm 63: 6-8

Mike

Thursday

Marty seemed quite relaxed today. For a short period of time, he was sitting up, as in a chair. His bed can raise and lower his upper body and it can also, among other things, lower his lower legs so his shins are perpendicular to the floor. For physio, Marty sat on the edge of his bed and conducted leg and arm exercises. At one time he held Dad's hands for balance and then sat up straight -- this in order to help build core strength.

A nutritionist tried to assess Marty's weight and muscle mass. Marty's bed can weigh him but at this time it isn't calibrated accurately. Tomorrow, the hope is that Marty will stand up, away from the bed for a period of time. While the main objective of Marty standing is one from a physiotherapy perspective, this also gives opportunity to re-calibrate the weigh-scale in the bed. Once there is an accurate weight for Marty, then the nutritionist can determine whether to increase or decrease Marty's calorie intake.

The hematologist-oncologist came by to discuss future chemo treatment plans for the near future. As we know more details, we will post them.

Recently it's come to our attention that Marty has double vision at times. This can be bothersome to Marty. A short-term way to deal with this is to enforce single vision by providing a patch for Marty to wear over an eye.

At limited times, Marty is able to communicate by writing short sentences and mouthing words. For us, written communication is more accurate (when legible) as our gifts of lip-reading are still developing :). Marty is very patient. We sometimes ask him to repeat words or phrases, repeatedly, and Marty does just that. Patience is a wonderful virtue and Marty has been blessed with it in abundance. 

"The Sovereign LORD is my strength; he makes my feet like the feet of a deer, he enables me to go on the heights." 

 Habakkuk 3:19

Mike

Wednesday

Marty had another good day, which we are very thankful for.  When Dad arrived this morning, the physiotherapists were busy working with Marty, expanding his range of motion. They had a little extra time this afternoon and returned to give Marty a second round of exercises.  They are pleased with his progress.  

This afternoon the nurse removed the arterial line from his left hand.  This was re-inserted when the doctor re-intubated him early Friday morning.  It is primarily used to monitor blood pressure and as a means to obtain blood samples. 

Psalm 66:20

"Praise be to God, who has not rejected my prayer or withheld his love from me!"

Mom

Tuesday

Erica took the boys to visit Marty again today. She also gave Marty a buzz cut as he has really been loosing hair. Below is a picture of Marty, taken today.

An infectious disease doctor told Dad today that it is their intention to slowly take Marty off of all the antibiotics that he is currently on.

Marty seemed quieter today than yesterday, but aside from that there were no new medical developments to report on.

"A righteous man may have many troubles, but the LORD delivers him from them all;" -- Psalm 34:13

Amanda and Mike

Monday

Today was another good day for Marty; he is doing well with both the trach and the PEG tube.  The team of physiotherapists came by this afternoon and had him sitting up on the edge of his bed.  They went through a variety of exercises with Marty, including lifting his legs one at a time, leaning on his elbows towards his left and right side and then going back into a sitting position using his arms and his stomach muscles.
   
The neurologist stopped by again today and was very encouraged by Marty's progress.  He was taken off the ventilator, although he is still receiving a minimal amount of oxygen.  Early this morning they restarted Marty's feeds, using the newly inserted PEG.

Verbal communication with Marty is still somewhat limited.  Marty does mouth words to us, but because there is no air passing through his vocal cords, no sound comes out!  Marty is very patient with us as we work on improving our "lip reading" skills ...!  On several occasions today, he scribbled down a question and an answer for us on his clipboard.  Though he does not complain, he does upon questioning, indicate to us that the trach tube is somewhat irritating ... though not nearly as bothersome as the intubation tube was. 

He looked peaceful and content when we left him this evening and we rest assured of our heavenly Father's protection over him.    

Psalm 33: 20-22

      "We wait in hope for the LORD; he is our help and our shield. 

In him our hearts rejoice, for we trust in his holy name. May your unfailing love rest upon us, 

O LORD, even as we put our hope in you."

Amanda and Mom

Sunday...A Day of Waiting

Today at approximately 12:30 p.m. we were informed that the surgeries for the tracheostomy and PEG tube would be happening at 3:00 p.m. and that we'd probably get a chance to see Marty around 5:30pm.   However, it was not until about 7:30 p.m. that Erica, Dad and Mom had a chance to see Marty.  We are thankful that the two procedures were successful.  Marty is still on a ventilator and the plan is to wean him off the ventilator soon, possibly even as early as tomorrow.  Marty is breathing on his own but the ventilator is there to assist him to take deeper breaths.  It will still be a number of days before Marty is allowed to eat or drink anything.  He will be relieved to know that he can moisten his mouth a bit; because of the intubation tube he has had a very dry mouth and has repeatedly asked for something to drink.  The PEG tube won't start to be used until 24 hours after the operation to allow for the swelling to go down and some healing to begin.  

We are thankful to our Heavenly Father for sustaining Marty once again through these surgeries and pray that these measures will help make Marty a little more comfortable.  We also pray that Marty will be able to regain some strength as the doctors have started talking about starting another round of chemo treatment in approximately 2 weeks.

Isaiah 49: 13

"Shout for joy, O heavens; rejoice, O earth; burst into song, O mountains! For the LORD comforts his people and will have compassion on his afflicted ones."

Amanda

Saturday

Marty had another good day today.  Marty's white blood cell count was up to 3 (normal range is between 4 - 11).  In the past week it has been as low at 0.4.  He was also very responsive and communicating with hand gestures. 

Marty will need a tracheotomy and a PEG (Percutaneous Endoscopic Gastrostomy) tube put in which possibly could be happening tomorrow.  Due to the fact that Marty can not be indefinitely intubated and for his comfort level, a tracheotomy tube is necessary.  The tracheotomy tube is put in to help him breath easier and to remove secretions from his lungs. The length of time that this will remain in will be reevaluated as Marty's care continues.  The PEG tube is a feeding tube in the abdomen that goes directly to the stomach.  It will be put in so Marty can continue to receive adequate nourishment as he may not be able to orally intake sufficient amounts of food.  This is especially important when future chemotherapy treatments will be administered.  These surgeries will happen simultaneously. 

Marty continues to receive 3 different antibiotics in order to fight off the infections of unknown origin(s).  His blood sugars continue to remain within normal limits.

"The LORD your God is with you, he is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, he will quiet you with his love, he will rejoice over you with singing." -- Zeph. 3:17

Amanda

Friday

On Friday, Marty seemed much more alert and awake. Though he is now reintubated as of early Friday morning, he was quite responsive.  His boys went and visited him with Erica and they were quite excited about how Marty was interacting with them. A sample of these interactions is as follows: giving thumbs up in response to suggestions/comments/questions, pointing at people/things, trying to snap his fingers, squeezing hands, following people with his eyes, etc.

When we visit Marty these days, we have to wear gloves and a gown prior to entry into his room, and then dispose of the gloves and throw the gown into a laundry basket as we exit his room. This is because he has VRE (vancomycin-resistant enterococci). "VRE is an intestinal bacterium that has become resistant to many antibiotics, particularly vancomycin, the drug of choice in dealing with hospital associated infections" (medicalnewstoday.com).

We are thankful for the good day God granted us to spend with Marty. 

1 John 5: 14, 15: "This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us—whatever we ask—we know that we have what we asked of him."

Mike & Ashley

Thursday

In the evening, Marty developed a fever. The doctors are unsure of the source of the infection which may be causing this fever.  Marty wasn't very responsive today. Due to his decreased level of awareness, his high heart rate and high respiration rate, the doctors decided to reintubate Marty. This was done during the early morning hours of Friday. As, humanly speaking, this isn't a step in the right direction, this development can be somewhat unsettling. We can take comfort from these words of our LORD:

"Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid."

-- John 14:27

Mike

Wednesday

An additional note to yesterday’s post: Late yesterday afternoon Marty became quite restless. When we returned after supper/shift change he was still agitated. His heart rate was increased and his breathing was rapid and raspy, which continued for sometime. The Doctor was paged and it was decided that Marty’s lungs would be suctioned for phlegm. The respiratory therapist stopped in every several hours today and occasionally suctioned his lungs.

Overall, today was much the same as yesterday. However, today Marty had a CT Scan to ensure there was no bleeding in the brain, meningitis or infection. This CT Scan came back negative – which is good. Marty received increased amounts of steroids. Doctors have also decided to change up his antibiotics. He is currently on 3 different antibiotics. He also was given more platelets and medication to increase white blood cells.

The pattern seems to be that Marty is quiet and resting in the morning and early afternoon. He then seems to be more alert and sometimes almost restless in the afternoon and evening.

After seeing Marty for the past three days it’s becoming very apparent to me that Marty’s journey, and our journey with him, is to be taken one day at a time. The reality of his condition is that each day and week brings it’s own ups and downs. The Lord has Marty’s, and our, tomorrow planned. We rest in this fact.

Jeremiah 29:11 – “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”

Ashley

Tuesday

Today was much like yesterday. Marty would interact with us, but also took many catnaps. He had good reason to be tired – he was transferred to the CICU, his white blood cell count levels were low, he had a physio appointment in the morning and he was determined to beat Ashley in a couple of rounds of thumb wars.

Marty was given two units of blood, platelets and a shot to increase his white blood cells.

Two physiotherapists visited Marty this morning. During their visit they had him sitting on the edge of the bed for a few minutes.  This afternoon Dad and Ashley worked with Marty through some of exercises they left. Marty is very determined to do this despite the fact that he fatigues very easily.

Marty was also visited by the dietician and was very happy to find out that he was approved to receive increased amounts of food. She also suggested that he receive some other medication to boost his amino acid levels. The dietician was very happy to know that Marty has not developed any sores in his mouth, as that is a side effect of the chemotherapy treatment.

All in all, Marty had a good day. He still has bouts of confusion, which doctors tell us is to be expected. When we look back on the progress he has made in the past week we are thankful to God for the improvement and strength He has provided. We continue to look to God for His grace and will in all things.

Proverbs 3: 5, 6:

Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.

Ashley

Monday

Marty spent most of the day awake and aware of the fact that he is in the hospital in Hamilton.  The nurses, who are his primary care givers do an excellent job of providing for his needs.

Yesterday Marty received a new bed ... it's a bed that has a lot of "bells and whistles."  It is able to create percussion on his back to help loosen up some of the congestion in his lungs. It has pockets in various areas of the mattress which inflate and deflate which allow for the pressure points on his body to continually change throughout the day. This really minimizes the chance of bed sores and helps keep his skin in good condition despite his limited mobility.

As we stated yesterday the feeding tube was taken out of his mouth and inserted through Marty's nose and into his stomach.  This does seem to really irritate him and consequently Marty did remove it early this morning and then again early this evening.  

Yesterday they did start giving Marty medications to increase his white blood cell count.  This seemed effective yesterday and the idea is to continue with that for the next little while.  This is being monitored very closely as samples of blood are being drawn a number of times throughout the day.

The physiotherapists were around today to begin a program with Marty.  They did various exercises on his hands, arms, legs and feet.  They will come and work with him everyday and also left a few activities for us to do with Marty; anything that we can do with him while visiting is also helpful.  

This afternoon they also inserted a PICC line in his upper arm.  This is a form of intravenous access which can be used for a prolonged period of time. This will be used for his intravenous chemo treatments in the future as well.  

Philippians 4: 6, 7

"Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.  And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus."

Mom

Sunday

Marty slept late into the day ...  John spent the morning with Marty, but he slept through it all!  Audrey arrived at about 1:15pm and after a little stimulation Marty did wake up.  His voice was still very quiet but we were able to have some verbal communication. Erica arrived after lunch and her and Mike spent the afternoon interacting with Marty.  

The doctors are checking Marty's blood on a very regular basis.  Today his hemoglobin was down again so he received another 2 units of blood.  His white cell count was also very low -- these are the blood cells that work to fight infection.  This evening they gave him a medication to boost these white blood cells.  This will be reviewed on a daily basis until they again reach an acceptable level.  

When Marty was intubated to keep his airway open, he also had a feeding tube going to his stomach alongside the breathing tube. Both tubes were removed yesterday. Today, another feeding tube was put into Marty, but this time via his nose rather than his mouth.

Marty's responses were definitely clearer today than yesterday evening,  although at times he did appear somewhat confused.  We left him sleeping peacefully, assuring him that we would visit again tomorrow morning.   

Erica has been receiving a lot of support and encouragement in various forms from her local and broader church community, family and neighbours and for that she is extremely grateful.  Thanks especially to the Guelph congregation for all your care and concern over her and the children; your kindness, and acts of service are greatly appreciated.

Psalm 37: 7a

"Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for Him...."

Mom and Mike

Answered Prayers

While on rounds this morning, the doctors again considered extubating Marty.  The doctors asked Dad to keep an eye on Marty and make them aware of when he seemed to be in one of his "deep sleeps".  When this happened a doctor put a tube down Marty's throat to see if he had a gag reflex.  He responded appropriately so the doctors were then confident that he could be extubated.  The gag reflex showed the doctors that Marty was protecting his airway even when he was in a "deep sleep" state. This afternoon at around 3:30, with Dad and Amanda watching, Marty was extubated.  It seemed to be a simple procedure as they just pulled the tube out while Marty coughed.  He did sound quite congested for a few hours post-extubation.  The nurses did warn us that it might be a while before he could or would talk, as his throat would be quite sore.  When the respiratory therapist took the intubation tube out they also removed the feeding tube which will be replaced through his nose. Though it was obvious to Amanda that Marty was mouthing words, she couldn't actually hear what he was trying to say.  

Russell, Marty's brother, went home this evening; Marty was sleeping quite peacefully when Russell went to say 'good-bye' and he did not get an opportunity to see him awake before he left.

Mom and Dad went to visit Marty again after supper. He was awake and whispering barely audible phrases.  Though Marty's voice was hoarse and barely audible, he was quite alert.  The first thing he mentioned to Mom and Dad was that the nurse had just cleaned out his mouth and it felt great.  He did recognize Mom, Dad, Mike and Amanda and greeted us with a handshake and/or by name. Although we had to strain to understand him, we were able to have short conversations with him. He was able to make us aware of the fact that he would really like to have his watch at the hospital and when the nurse asked if we could bring in an electric shaver, Marty informed us that he has two electric shavers at home and also reminded us not to call Erica too late in the evening as she might be tired.  

At around 10:45 pm Marty indicated he was getting tired and wished us all a good sleep.  

We praise our Heavenly Father, who has surrounded both Marty and us with his love and care during these past months and we continue to trust him in all circumstances.

Isaiah 40: 28b - 31

"... and His understanding no one can fathom.  He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. ..... those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint. "

Psalm 84: 8, 12

"Hear my prayer, O LORD God Almighty; listen to me, O God of Jacob.  

O LORD Almighty, blessed is the man who trusts in you."

Amanda and Mom

Friday

At this time, the doctors don't feel like Marty's ready to be extubated. While he has been somewhat responsive, it's been quite sporadic. Yesterday, for example, Marty was quite responsive during several times of the day. Today, he was much less responsive. 

Marty's hemoglobin was low so today he received two units of blood. This is not unusual for patients who have undergone chemotherapy. 

A person who has been bedridden as long as Marty has is at risk of blood clots. Today, Marty had an ultra-sound of his legs and they didn't discover any blood clots. This was good news. 

Erica, Marty's wife, took the boys along to see their dad. This worked out well. The oldest three boys hadn't seen Marty since the beginning of July!

"I will keep my eyes always on the LORD. With him at my right hand, I will not be shaken." -- Psalm 16:8

Mike

Thursday

Today Marty had an EEG this morning and we will wait for the results of this. 

Marty has been more alert today; looking around the room, moving his head and his eyes.  It seems that the intubation tube is somewhat bothersome to him.  There was talk that the tube might be removed today but they want to be very certain that he's ready for this next step, so it hasn't happened yet and we will wait patiently to see if this will happen tomorrow.  We are cautiously optimistic as Marty continues to give us the thumbs up for good morning and to squeeze our hand to say goodbye.  Today he also gave a small wave at several different times during the day to different family members to say hello or goodbye.  

Today seemed to be a good day. We continue on this journey step by step testing each day to see if the steps of the previous day will hold our weight before we move on to take another step.  We eagerly await what tomorrow brings. 

"The LORD is righteous in all his ways and loving toward all He has made.  The LORD is near to all who call on Him, to all who call on Him in truth. He fulfills the desires of those who fear Him; He hears their cry and saves them."

Psalm 145: 17-19

"Now to Him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us, to Him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever! Amen."

Ephesians 3: 20, 21

Amanda & Russ

Wednesday

Marty had an MRI of the spine today. For an MRI to be as accurate as possible, the patient must lie still and hold his or her breath. At this time, this isn't something that Marty can do, but the doctors are doing the best they can. As far as they could tell, the pictures showed that his spine is clear of lymphoma.

Mike

Tuesday

This morning a hematologist, (a specialist in hematology, the science or study of blood, blood-forming organs and blood diseases), informed us that Marty has a very rare form of brain cancer and that the tumour is "large". There is no prescribed protocol that the medical teams working with Marty are following. As it stands they are taking small, cautionary steps in Marty's treatment. It was indicated that while everyone is taking things day by day, there is an indefinite/extended timeline for ongoing treatment. The reality is that, as there is no prescribed protocol for Marty's care, exact treatments and timelines for such treatments cannot be outlined. While we know that the medical teams are constantly planning, we rest assured that all things are going according to the LORD's plan.

This afternoon a team from the neurology department checked on some of Marty's sensory responses. There seemed to be a slight improvement from yesterday. His hand and feet movement were more defined and deliberate. Marty's medical team has begun to change his anti-seizure medication to one which does not interfere with any of the other medications that he is receiving.

While Marty has received chemotherapy which is what he needs at this time, medically speaking, there are many associated risks. One such risk is that at this time, Marty is quite susceptible to infection(s). The next week is critical in this regard.

On several occasions today, Marty looked around, as he did  yesterday. We seemed to be able to communicate with him via talking to him and he responding with thumbs-up or hand squeezes. 

We continue to live day by day, receiving from our LORD that which he has in store for us.

"When I was woven together in the depths of the earth, your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be." -- Psalm 139:15b-16

Mike and Dad  

One Day at a Time

Marty is almost done this round of chemotherapy. One more dosage has to be administered early Tuesday morning. The next round of chemotherapy is several weeks away -- exact time to be determined.

This afternoon, for the first time since last Wednesday, Marty opened his eyes. He looked to where voices were coming from for several minutes. This happened again several times as the day progressed.  Erica saw him in the evening and he had his eyes open for about 5 minutes.  She also asked Marty that if he could hear her to blink once and he did. While this was exciting for us to witness and though we want to be hopeful we are not sure what Marty sensed from his perspective. Regardless, it was nice to see his eyes again and to witness him responding by squeezing our hands when asked to do so!

"Humble yourselves, therefore, under God's mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you."  -- I Peter 5:6,7

Mike & Amanda

Sunday

Today Marty started day two of chemotherapy with a different drug. He will have this drug administered every 12 hours for the next two days. Once this is done, then Marty will have had three days of chemotherapy. This will be the end of one round of chemotherapy.

Marty's level of awareness hasn't changed much one way or the other from yesterday. We might not witness much change in awareness in the near future -- while this is speculative, this is a potential reality. Marty has been in a coma-like state since last Wednesday morning. At times he responds more and at times he responds less to commands such as: "Squeeze my hand," or "Wiggle your toes," or "Give a thumbs-up".

"Though I walk in the midst of trouble, you preserve my life; you stretch out your hand against the anger of my foes, with your right hand you save me.  The LORD will fulfill his purpose for me; your love, O LORD, endures forever - do not abandon the works of your hands."

Psalm 138: 7, 8

Mike

Saturday

Today Marty started aggressive chemotherapy treatment for lymphoma.   He will have chemotherapy for 3 days.  Now we must wait.  The doctors are not willing to speculate about when we might see changes in his cognitive function.  As of right now there is no change in Marty's level of awareness.  He will at times squeeze your hand or wiggle his toes but it is hard to define whether he is doing this on command or if this is a reflex.  He is no longer on a sedative and hasn't been since yesterday morning so the doctors are speculating that the tumour is interfering with that function of his level of awareness.  He also remains intubated and again the doctors will not speculate on when that tube will be removed.  The good news is Marty is doing all the actual breathing himself however needs the intubation tube to protect his airway.

Marty also had another CT scan done this morning prior to the chemo treatment being started so they have a baseline for comparison.

We are thankful that the chemotherapy treatment could begin so quickly and continue to pray with hope  for positive results.

"May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace

as you trust in Him, 

so that you may overflow with hope 

by the power of the Holy Spirit." - Romans 15:13

Amanda

Friday

Today Marty was diagnosed with Lymphoma of the brain. Much of what he's been going through can be attributed to Lymphoma. To state things simply, Marty has been diagnosed with an aggressive form of cancer in his brain. Now that he has been diagnosed, treatment can begin. This evening, the LORD willing, Marty will be transferred to the ICU at the Juravinski Cancer Centre in Hamilton. Marty is still intubated and the doctors assume this will continue for longer than we had initially anticipated. Marty is intubated because he can not protect his own airway.  He has however been taken off the sedative they had him on and he is slowing rousing to painful stimulus.  The EEG was repeated this morning but we have not heard the results of that yet.

The medical staff at Hamilton General has done an amazing job caring for Marty and we thank the LORD for this blessing. We have many questions, and we know that the staff at the Juravinski Centre will (eventually) have many of the answers, but we know that everything is going according to God's plan.

     "Is any one of you in trouble? He should pray."
          (James 5:13a)

     "Hear my prayer, O LORD; listen to my cry for mercy.
     In the day of my trouble I will call to you,
     for you will answer me."
          (Psalm 86:6,7)

Mike

Thursday

Thursday was a long day of just waiting.  At around 10:30 Thursday morning they reduced Marty's sedative.  They were trying to get him to wake up. He had an EEG Thursday morning (this monitors electrical activity in the brain and also looks to see if he's having any seizures). Everything looks good so far but because he was still sedated they are hoping to repeat this Friday, with Marty not being sedated, to see if they can see any seizure activity.  

At 5 pm, Thursday, the nurse drew some blood, suctioned his lungs and checked his vitals.  When she lifted the sheet off his feet he moved his toes, then she asked Marty to wiggle his toes which he did. 

After supper on Thursday, Marty started to have some laboured breathing again, so he was put on a different sedative. This sedative has him resting and he seems settled and his breathing is easier. 

Erica went home mid-afternoon on Thursday, to be reunited with her kids.

Amanda

Wednesday

Yesterday Marty had a brain biopsy. The reason for this is because previous tests had indicated that he has several brain lesions. A lesion is a like a sore and can be caused by many things. We're not sure what has caused Marty's brain lesions. We sighed in relief once the biopsy was done because, let's face it, it was brain surgery. The intention of this biopsy was to remove a sample of a lesion in the right frontal lobe of Marty's brain. A pathologist was present during the whole surgery to make sure that the sample was adequate for testing and that all procedures for obtaining the sample were done by the book. They were and as such, the surgery was a success. The pathology report will take seven to ten days to come back.  So, in seven to ten days, we hope to have a much more solid grasp of what's ailing Marty. Once we know what's ailing him then a treatment plan can be initiated. In the meantime, his health has been declining steadily. What our immediate concern is what can/will be done for Marty during these seven to ten days.

Recently Marty's been having trouble with his breathing. During certain periods of time he would be breathing very rapidly. At times he was somewhat restless and even non-responsive to verbal stimuli. Today, around mid-day, a team of nurses met together as they were concerned with Marty's breathing. They ran some tests and did a chest X-ray. An Intensive Care Unit (ICU) doctor visited the family in the waiting room and informed us that he thinks that the breathing issues could possibly be linked to whatever is ailing Marty -- again, we're still waiting to determine that which is ailing him. It was as this point that we were informed that Marty would be going to the ICU. While this sounds like a set-back we're all confident that the medical staff at Hamilton General is doing all that they can for Marty. In ICU, Marty has his own nurse and there's also more medical technology immediately at the nurse's and other staff's disposal should the need arise. 

En route to the ICU, Marty began to have seizures. Once they got him to the ICU, they intubated him (put a breathing tube into Marty to assist his breathing if need be) and began a regiment of anti-seizure medication. The short-term goal is that once this medication takes full effect and Marty no longer has seizures, then perhaps they can extubate him. It's good to have a goal and a plan, but we know that Marty's LORD, our LORD, has everything under control. So, while today our nerves were set on edge, we also are extremely relieved that Marty is "in the doctors' radar", that he's getting the best care that he can, that there's a plan that makes sense, and we are also aware of the work of the communion of saints.

The communion of saints has assisted the family in too many ways to mention. One that we'd like to mention right now though is the care of Marty and Erica's children during Marty's hospitalization. As the kids have been under the care of many willing people, this has allowed Erica to focus on caring for her husband. In due time, Erica and her kids will be reunited and we want to thank all who have and will continue to assist her in this regard.

Our thoughts and prayers are with all of our family, both in Ontario, across Canada and in around the world.

Continue to pray for Marty's health, that God may guide the hand of the doctors, and that he will give Erica strength in this time.  Please also pray for the family that would love to be here to help.  Much of Erica and Marty's family lives far away, making this time extra difficult.  

"God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble."

     -- Ps. 46:1 --

Mike

Surgery Update

With thanks to our Heavenly Father, Marty's biopsy surgery went well. We now await the pathology report (7-10 days). Thanks for all your comments of encouragement!

Mike

Update on Marty Toet

Marty started experiencing extreme fatigue in April, 2012.  Since this time his health has been declining. He has undergone countless tests including blood, urine, MRI's, Lumbar Punctures and CT scans and so far the results are inconclusive.  MRI's have revealed that he is dealing with a neurological issue.  We have consulted with neurosurgeons at Hamilton General and the next natural step to help with diagnosis is a biopsy on a brain lesion.  We pray for the hands of the doctors and nurses that this biopsy may be successful and that a treatment plan can be made.  Marty is scheduled for biopsy surgery Tuesday morning, August 7.  We put our hope and trust in our Great Physician.  

Psalm 131:3  "O Israel, put your hope in the LORD both now and forevermore."

Amanda