David Howard

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January 23 ,2017 --- A day forever branded in the  memory of our family.  I was the designated driver for David's first ever colonoscopy. We had made light of it in days before hand and went in that morning with no worries except how much he was going to eat when he got done.  He went back, I went to the car to prepare for Bible Study the next night.  I was in the car maybe 30 minutes, when the phone rang and they said I needed to come back. The nurses were kind and the Dr. came right in with concerned eyes. He told me he had found a tumor and he was worried.  He repeated the words at least three times before he left the room. Now what transpired after seemed like a seconds but maybe it was longer. I asked if David knew yet and he said he didn't. So I stepped across the hall to try to pull myself together and pray. I had just shut the door when I heard them bringing him back and asking for me.  They gave him time to come around a bit and the Dr. came in once again restating what he had told me previously. David asked him straight out if it was cancer and he said he felt like it was, but he couldn't be sure.  And so we left, got into a cold car on a rainy morning and drove into the unknown . He was adamant on no one knowing till we talked to a family friend and doctor. We met with him later that afternoon and he too told us he had never saw something benign look like the tumor David had.  We went home and did what parents never want to have to do, we took our kids one by one and tried to explain the best as we could what was going on . We tried to give them what we always have tried to give them, faith, hope , and love. This time though it was through tears. 
     Now in the Bible study I was leading just the week before,  there was a statement that bothered me and I even mentioned it to my small group. It was talking about Paul's love for Timothy and how he didn't self protect but became vulnerable.  The statement was, " there are a  handful of people who hold your heart--- skinned alive--- and could slay you with their absence."   I can only tell you those words have echoed in my soul since.  Not that I am living in fear,  David and I are firm believers and know the Bible tells us his days were numbered even before one of them came to be, Psalms 139:16  and we don't think cancer is going to sneak in and shorten them.  But can I tell you, I want to hold his hand. I want to watch him sleep, I reach out and touch his warm body laying next to mine and realize that is a gift. We dread the next few months and all of the unsettled changes upon us. However we  know with Gods help and an army of fellow believers holding up our arms when we are to weak ,just like Moses with Aarons help this  enemy army will fall. 
 
January 24,2017---  We got confirmation pathology report . colon/rectal cancer
January 26,2017---  We went to St Thomas to a specialist Dr.  Tyson Thomas  and found out David has Adenocarcinoma , he has probably had it a year. It is in lower colon.  From the moment we walked in the door and a nurse walked us several floors and out of her way to get us to where we were going to the Dr. to the lady drawing his blood. We have felt complete peace that God is going before us. Saige says it best ," when the devil speaks he roars and its loud, but when God speaks " and she whispers," it's in the quiet of your heart." and it's so true. In the quiet of our hearts we know which step to take.
January 27,2017---  We got a call from Dr. Thomas that the CT scan showed that it had NOT spread to organs or lymph nodes. We now wait on an appointment with a Dr. Mertz a specialist in ultrasound colonoscopy. So Thankful!!
February 7,2017---  We had to be at ST Thomas at 5:30 am for his next test Ultra sound/colonoscopy. This would show the depth of the cancer T1-T3 are the levels. We were praying for T1 which would only require surgery. News we did not want , we  found out within a short amount of time that it was indeed T3. This will require Chemotherapy , radiation, and Surgery.
February 14, 2017--- Not how we wanted to spend our Valentines Day. We headed to ST Thomas at 10am for a meeting with Dr. Rosenblatt in their Oncology Radiation Department. We discussed options of Cookeville or Nashville for treatment. As he left the room to consult Dr. Thomas on the phone and David and I both felt that we should go to St Thomas for treatment but decided to go with whatever they decided. He came back in and said they felt better with us coming to Nashville even with the drive.  Again the Lord had led us with His peace.