Journal entry by Carmen Fernau —
The last month has been busy but so good! The kids have been in full swing with baseball and softball season, with games starting this week! Levi had his tonsils and adenoids out last week and is recovering well from that! I have been training for a half marathon on April 27th and have found that running has become very therapeutic for me! Another huge change: Joe started subbing in the school district as a para and he did 2 full weeks in a row! This is such a blessing! He hasn’t worked since May of 2022 so it feels like a big step forward to get back into the working world! He commented on how nice it felt to have something to do, feel like he was needed somewhere, and to be around people. By the end of each week he was tired but said it was a “good tired”, better than just sitting around. It was fun for me and the kids to have him in the district and he is looking forward to adding more days in the last month of school! Joe has been feeling great and his lab work continues to remain stable and within normal limits. We continue to be in awe of the miracle of God’s healing after 3 years of fighting his cancer.
Joe was scheduled for a routine PET scan next Tuesday but we found out this week that his insurance is denying the scan due to “no evidence of disease in past scans” and “no ongoing treatment/medication for disease progression.” His doctor disagreed with this (especially since he is continuing his oral chemo daily) and is still trying to get a PET scan approved as a precautionary/routine schedule but for now they were able to get a CT scan scheduled and approved for tomorrow. Even though Joe has been feeling good and more active, we still have some anxiety around scan days. We continue to pray for clear scans and continued strength and activity!
There are so many others within our friend community that are dealing with cancer or illnesses. We continue to lift up each person and family member in prayer and will continue to believe in complete healing. We know the miracles that God does everyday and we continue to pray and have faith in more miracles to come. Please join us in these prayers and support for these individuals and their families. We will keep fighting with you and for you!