It's 9:30, and I am officially home from Vanderbilt.  He is still getting chemo tonight.  Mom said he was receiving chemo last night until 2AM.  He still had one more bag to go tonight, and it will last for 6 hours.  He has yet to experience any side effects, though I have a feeling  that won't last.  He is receiving four different chemo drugs, one monoclonal antibody and a steroid.  The nurse told Mom tonight that she doubts if Dad will be discharged from the hospital before Saturday.  If that is the case, there may be a mutiny before the weekend!  Tonight, Dad told Mom that he had better get out his CD player, allow her to burst out in song and calm down, or else she'd have him in the psycho ward!  The nurse Louise (whom he called  by a completely different name) took that opportune moment to exit quickly and gracefully.   He redeemed himself by giving us a little smile.   We all get really excited when Dad smiles.

Mom DID LEAVE HIS ROOM, but only for an hour.  She was afraid she would get lost.  I told her she would have had plenty of time to find her way back, but she is a stubborn woman.  You all know that my father is a very stubborn man.  It is therefore no surprise that all of his children are.........well, a little stubborn too!!!!!!  I'm sure there are three husbands and one wife shaking their heads in total agreement.

Dad is still receiving a pain medicine, and that made him a much more agreeable companion today.  Mom says she doesn't think she could take another day like yesterday.  Apparently Dad's demeanor reached the nurses station, because this morning one of the nurses told Mom she had heard she hadn't had a good day yesterday, and then gave Mom a big hug!  I hope the nurse has plenty more where that came from!

While I was staying with Dad (and Mom wasn't in the room), Dad looked at me and said "I have Central Nervous System Lymphoma".  I told him that he was right, and he asked me if it was in his lymph nodes.  We discussed this for several minutes.  That may not seem like an insightful statement to you, but it is the very first time Dad has EVER acknowledged that he has cancer.  I don't want to get my hopes up that he may already be regaining brain function, but that was a pretty profound moment.  I know the Lord is working in my Dad's brain, and I can't wait to see the results.  Dad also mentioned worrying about something, and I asked him if he remembered Philippians 4:6-7, and with a little prompting on the first few words, the scriptures literally flew out of his mouth.

DO NOT BE ANXIOUS ABOUT ANYTHING, BUT IN EVERYTHING, THROUGH PRAYER AND PETITION, WITH THANKSGIVING, PRESENT YOUR REQUEST TO THE LORD, AND THE PEACE OF GOD WHICH TRANSCENDS ALL UNDERSTANDING, WILL DESCEND ON YOUR HEART AND MIND.

Thank you Lord for blessing us much more richly than we deserve.  I ask that you heal my father and help us to stand firm in our faith during his illness.  We also ask you Lord to fill us with the peace that is only available from You.  I am so very thankful to be able to put my Daddy in Your hands, Lord.  You truly are The Great Physician.
Amen

God bless your family.
Love,
Renee