Hello Friends and Family!
So many of you have asked how we finally came to Joel's diagnosis and what it was that made us go to the doctor.
For most of the year, Joel has been very fatigued; however, we attributed it to us building a house, working and moving. It wasn't until July, when he started running fever, that he went to his physician. He was diagnosed with an infection and given antibiotics; however, his physician ran some blood tests. When the blood tests returned, it seemed all was pretty normal except that Joel was slightly anemic. Thank goodness our wonderful family doctor referred us to a hematologist to just "check" things out. It was such a strange visit, to walk into a hematologist's office and to see many cancer patients; however, that wasn't Joel. We just needed to somehow get some more iron and everything would be fine....right??? Our oncologist was extremely thorough and asked many questions regarding what we had been through the past year, where Joel worked and if we had been exposed to anything "unusual". Then it was time for the physical exam and this is where everything took a turn for the worse. Our doctor found an enlarged lymph node under his arm. First step, was to order more blood tests and a CT scan. More waiting ...another week, then more bad news... enlarged lymph nodes in multiple places. Next step, was the surgical biopsy to test one of the lymph nodes. It was confirmed that he has Hodgkin's Lymphoma. Joel had to undergo another bone marrow biopsy last week as well. The results were that the cancer was in the bone marrow, which staged him as Hodgkins Lymphoma IV b. The doctors are stating that this is a very treatable cancer, and we know that our God is the great Healer, so we' d like to ask you all to pray.
You have been invited to sign up for "Day of prayer and fasting for Joel Hays." Please click on the link below to view the online sign up sheet. Please forward on to anyone that you can think of that would be willing to take a day
http://www.signupgenius.com/go/30E0F44ADAC22A31-dayofprayer 
