First of all thank you to everyone for your thoughts and prayers over the last year. We have decided to create a blog to have an outlet for anyone who is interested in updates on Lances condition a place to come and be informed. The title of the blog "A future and a hope" comes from Jeremiah 29:11, which is a verse that has given our family alot of comfort through these challenging times. Because as my Dad has said, no matter what happens we have already won! I would encourage you to pass on the location of this site to anyone that you may believe would be interested in updates. -Justin



Saturday, April 3, 2010

Hi there! This is Nicole (Nathan's wife, Lance's daughter-in-law) We are enjoying a visit with Lance, Penny and Elisabeth. Thanks everyone for your prayers -- it must be working, keep them coming!! Lance is improving day by day now. His platelets which started at 1,ooo have now reached double digits at 10,000 (normal is 150, 000 and above; the danger zone is anything below 50,000). So keep praying for continued progress. It has been a blessing to see Lance, his energy is good and he is looking really good! He hasn't lost his spunky, ornery self as he has begun to tell the kids the chemo-therapy process where he will lose his hair (Helen responded: "Will you lose your head too!!??") and when he repeated this to Evie, also adding that he will lose his eyebrows, Evie thought that he would no longer have eyes. Fortunately, they know their grandpa all too well, and they have faith that grandpa doesn't do anything without a good fight!!

We have been personally blessed to see many good things through this ordeal. We have seen the family (especially the siblings) pull together in an amazing way. Elisabeth has been so strong and solid through this (she is SO grown-up now!) being with her parents showing the resilience that God has blessed her with. Justin has become the vigilante for making sure the right questions are asked and the right actions are taken and even getting off of work for several days. Cory has also sacrificed several days and been such a huge help in keeping track the details and information doctors have been providing and even looking up on the internet to understand what is going on and this has been huge in making things not so overwhelming. Nathan has also felt the unconditional obligation in reflecting the love his parents have bestowed to him by being there as much as he can which he has felt is not enough.

Once again, thank-you to everyone who is praying, thinking, giving and asking about Lance and the family -- this is a huge ordeal for all of us and to know that we are not alone is so great. God's sovereignty is in this all!

Final prayers: 1- that Lance can come home this week (his platelets need to be above 20,000 and steadily rising!) 2- that the results for the siblings being tested as a bone marrow match come back positive on at least one of them

Thanks again!

Nicole Hall

2 comments:

  1. We just checked the blog-we love it-we know exactly how to pray daily and we do--GO PLATELETS

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  2. Woohoo!!! Platelets at 10,000!!!! Can we see 20,000? :)) Come on, platelets! So happy to hear this news and we will be praying that they keep going in the right direction so you can go home.

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