Day 1 Done!

This is what cancer looks like. A lot of days like this. Or so I've heard. In this picture, on this day, Nathan has had hiccups for 4 days straight (with moments where they stop for a little bit, but then start back up). Does that sound annoying? Yes, yes it does. But what's worse is that his ribs have been a major source of pain for the last few months and hiccuping over and over for days has made the pain in his ribs and sternum almost unbearable. At a really hard moment this morning, Nathan was listening to worship music and a song was on about the Holy Spirit. Nathan was listening to the words and pleading for help from the Lord and he was given temporary relief! Thank you Lord! He needed a break from the pain so bad and the Lord provided. Another huge win was that Nathan had no major side effects of the treatment today! This was great news! Severe side effects only happen during the first round of treatment, so he had to be observed for 5 hours today after he was given his medicine. He will continue on the treatment regimen of getting treatment every Tuesday and Friday with additional blood work to check things a couple times a week. We are so thankful for modern medicine and all that can be done to treat myeloma today. The specific prayer request for today is for the hiccups to go away permanently and that there would be relief from the pain caused by hiccuping for four days. The steroid he was put on last Thursday is the cause, but today he took his last dose and they are going to do a new steroid on Friday. The nurse said he may still have hiccups until Friday. We are praying that's not the case. Please pray with us for relief. Please continue to pray for the treatment to be effective and that his kidneys would stay strong and able to process the dead myeloma. While Nathan was getting his treatment today, I started reading a book that a friend got us last week. It's called Suffering is Never for Nothing by Elisabeth Elliot. Joni Eareckson Tada wrote the foreword of the book and she says this, "We (herself and Elisabeth) agree that no one participates in God's joy without first tasting the afflictions of His Son." This hit me today. Nathan and I know this to be true, but it hits different today than it did even 3 weeks ago. We want the joy of the Lord. We want our kids to have the joy of the Lord. We want all of our family to have the joy of the Lord. We want our friends to have the joy of the Lord. We want our neighbors to have the joy of the Lord. And if the "cross is the gateway to joy", we are here for it. But, we are so thankful that we aren't alone in it. We are so thankful for each one of you that is walking with us and praying for us! THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH!!