Packing our Bags

Diane and I are so ready to return home! It was wonderful to spend the night together at the Hope Lodge. Today's Doctor's appointment went fine with the removal of half the staples. The other half will be removed by a doctor back home. We will need to return to Cincinnati at the end of April for a CT scan. The scan will be used as a base line to assure no new tumor growth. Diane will also need to find a oncologist back home to have routine cancer markers completed. Dr. Sussman who practiced at the UofM Hospital will refer us to an oncologist in our area. Diane and I will continue to pray that God will bring full healing and no further treatment will be needed.
As the apostle Paul had a thorn in his side, we have one in our side. We have asked God to remove that thorn, but rely and trust in God to take care of us and use us for his glory despite this or any thorn. Most of us, if not all have asked why does God allow people to suffer with disease and death? A clear understanding of that question may not be known on this side of eternity. I do know God created us in his image for his pleasure. Sin that came into this world separated us from God and broke our relationship with him. That is why Jesus was sent to earth as a perfect sacrifice for our sin. It was a gift of mercy and grace that would restore our relationship to God. However that gift would need to be accepted by us, a gift not opened is of no use. In order to accept that gift we need to confess we are sinners and that we can do nothing in our own power to be good enough to restore our relationship with God. It is only through Jesus and his death and resurrection that we have hope. Most of us celebrate Christmas (the birth of Jesus) and Easter (the resurrection of Jesus) but do we fully understand the impact these two holidays have? If we truly understand the meaning, then we would want to live a life that serves and brings glory to God. How do you show your thankfulness for God's gift to the world? The first step is to confess that you are a sinner and in need of a savior. Then simply ask Jesus to forgive you of your sin, and to be Lord of your life. Admit you are powerless in your own strength, and that you need God to fill you with the Holy Spirit so he may guide and empower you. You must give Jesus the honor he deserves for the love he has freely given. Ask yourself how was the world created? what is my purpose for living? What will happen to me after death on earth? what will I tell God when he asks, why should you be aloud into Heaven? The answer to all those questions can be found in Jesus, as revealed in the Bible and by the Holy Spirit. Just as we have packed our bags to leave the Hope Lodge, Diane and I are prepared to leave this earth and travel to a place that God has prepared for us for eternity. Are you prepared to pass from this life into eternity? I pray that you are. The only travel agent qualified to prepare you for your trip is Jesus! This will be the last daily blog, I will update it from time to time. Thank you for your love and support you have already, and will continue to give.

Love Jeff & Diane

Diane is Discharged!

Praise the Lord! He is good and faithful. I write this blog as Diane rests in bed at the Hope Lodge. She was discharged around 11:30 am from the hospital today. The thankfulness she felt for the ability to experience some of life's everyday amenities brought an over whelming feeling to her heart. We are both so thankful we are on the other side of surgery. Tomorrow we will see Dr. Sussman at his office at 11:15 am. We hope he will remove the staples and have a chance to discuss his recommendations moving forward. We will stay Tuesday night at the Hope Lodge and return home Wednesday. The thought of being home is peaceful to our heart and to our soul. I thank God for the comfort we found meditating on his word, and the promises within, during this time of need.

God bless you all

No More Lines

Hello everyone,
The last of the lines where removed today. Diane is know transitioning into the next phase of recovery. Her plumbing is working, but they need to adjust in how they function as the result of surgery. The nurses are fine tuning the type and dose of oral pain medication. They need to find the right one to relieve the pain and have the least amount of side affects. When Dr. Sussman talked with us today he was thinking about releasing her from the hospital on Monday. We would stay at the Hope Lodge Monday night and see the Dr. at his office on Tuesday. If the staples are ready to be removed he would do so at that time. Depending on how Diane feels we may stay another night at the Hope Lodge or return home Tuesday. We are going to take it one step at a time and not worry about any time table. What ever is best for Diane, that is what we will do! We miss our family, friends, and worshipping God at New Faith Chapel. If we all pay attention to the details we will see how God is not only working in our circumstances, but the circumstances you all face in your lives as well. It is hard to see God at work while we are in the middle of our circumstances, but we need to trust that he is, and know that others see God working.

Good night

Getting Closer

Diane had a great day today! She had two regular meals with no problem. She also had a nice visit with her children that lasted 4 hours. We are sitting in her room as I write this blog, and Diane reads the Bible. Tomorrow will bring us a step closer to discharge. Our prayer is that the doctors will remove her IV and administer her pain medication orally. Tonight's update is a short one, my mind is tired and ready to relax. I think I will watch a little football. May the Lord bring us together soon, that is Lord willing and the creek don't rise.

God bless you all.

A Little to Soon

Greetings to everyone,
It is post operative day 9, another day that the Lord allowed Diane and I to be together! In the morning Diane looked out the window and saw a beautiful pink streaked sky that we enjoyed together. Diane had a regular breakfast today, unfortunately she could not hold it down so the doctors returned her to a liquid diet. There are two different anti nausea medications that she has been taking, Zofran and Phenergan. The Zofran cause's Diane to feel very hot, flush and disorientated. We had told the nursing staff she did not want the Zofran any more, but she received a dose this morning. Diane can tell you it was not a fun experience. We are both so thankful for he support we have been receiving from all of you. I read all the comments and email's that everyone sends, she really enjoys them all! Diane is hoping to see Sean, Kyle, and Mori this weekend. With the snow falling not sure if the visit will happen or not. I thank the Lord for all he is teaching Diane and I as we walk through this circumstance together. If you asked me 10 days ago I would have told you I was in the valley. Today however I feel on the mountain top. I believe wee can go through difficult circumstances and remain on the mountain top as long as we are keeping our eye's on God. If we take our eye's off God, that is when we end up in the valley. It is how our relationship with Jesus is that determines if we are on the mountain top or in the valley. I just returned to writing after tucking Diane in bed. We are both excited and happy to report, she passed her first gas since the operation! Diane received a card today reminding us that God is an on time God, and we both said yes he is!

Good night and God bless you all.

Diane Move's

Hello,

Diane's bowels moved! the doctor's gave her a little something to help out. Help it did, maybe a little to much. She will be put on a regular diet in the morning! She is looking forward to 9:30 am when the breakfast cart comes around. We welcomed Dave and Cheryl Jones for a short visit today. Diane had a virtual walk with Lynn & Deb today. I missed the big party that Diane's sister Beth through for Diane today. Diane's IV alarm went off so Beth decided to call the nursing staff by pushing the staff button on the wall several times. If you push the button 3 times it alerts all staff on the floor. In a matter of seconds, Diane had a dozen people at her room. The nurse's where glad that Beth did not use the CODE BLUE button or the party would have been double the size and would have included doctors. Diane has taken another step in the right direction today. We praise the Lord for his healing, and we thank you all for your prayer's. God receives the glory know and in the future, what ever our future holds. None of us know our future and therefore are hope is not in our circumstances or in what is seen. Hebrews 11:1 "Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see". We are looking forward to returning home as soon as she is physically able. Tomorrow should be a big day in determining her discharge day. I will keep you all posted. Good night Numbers 6:24-26
"The LORD bless you and keep you; The LORD make His face shine upon you, And be gracious to you; The LORD lift up His countenance upon you, And give you peace."

Diane Rests!

Diane finally got some well needed rest today. last night the lack of sleep for the past week caught up to her, she was exhausted both physically and mentally. Some of the care she has received from a fraction of the nursing staff was questionable. We had a conversation with Dr. Sussman and he informed the floor manager that we had some concerns. We then met with the appropriate people and things where rectified. She was able to rest much better today. We thank the Lord for the much needed rest. Her bowels still have not begun to move. Diane is still not ready for phone calls, she did talk to her children and a couple of other people two days ago but found it stressful to continue at this time. I would be more then happy to answer any questions that have not been addressed on the blog. The blog is updated with the most recent information as time permits. You can either email me at jeffcarnacchi@hotmail.com. The Doctor has given no indication of when Diane will be discharged. Please pray for her bowels to start functioning.

Love always

Diane Receives Food!

Hello again,
Today Diane began a clear liquid diet. The Physicians Assistant so happen to be in the room when the food was delivered. Diane was staring at the jello, juice, tea, and chicken broth. She was not sure what she wanted as her first bite of food after 6 days of not eating. The P.A. warned against the broth, it don't taste that good. She decided to have the jello and thoroughly enjoyed it, the two bites that she eat. She then tried the broth and confirmed the taste was indeed not very good. Other then her IV for fluids and pain management, all other lines are removed. I just praise the Lord for all he has done. Diane had a shower early this morning. I did my best to assist her in the shower. If it was video taped we would have won the funniest video award. Although at the time it was not very funny, but stressful. The water was not very warm and the assistant (me) was not trained. Diane said we should have practiced at home before we left for Cincinnati. The doctors stopped by to see how she was doing and informed us that the pathology report was in and on a scale of, not so good to great, Diane's was great. The Dr. also told us she will not need any further chemo therapy. The Lord is good and worthy of praise and glory! Matthew 10:30 "And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered". If God knows how many hairs are on our head, he certain knows what is taking place on the inside of us. We have requested and trust God he has eliminated all cancer cells on Diane's inside. All the pathology and further treatment must be confirmed by Dr. Sussman, the attending doctor, but I feel confident with the information we where given is accurate. I will give more specific information on the pathology report after we speak with Dr. Sussman. I spent the night and have been holding out to see him, but he has no been by yet. Well Dr. Sussman just left, he confirmed the report. He told us there where other low grade mucus producing tumors that he removed during the surgery. His hope and our prayer is that the chemo wash killed any residue of tumor left behind, and the wash will prevent future growth. Matthew 6:26 "Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?" We are God's children and he desires the best for us. God knows what is best, his best is not always the same as our best. Diane and I just returned from having her legs ultra sound to check for clots. The technician told us there was no clots! An other reason to praise the Lord.

Kathy's surgery went well,, she is in the ICU. I hope she will be moved up to the same area as Diane soon. Her husband will be by himself the next 3 days. Please continue to lift Kathy in your prayer's.

Love to all

"It's a Great Day to be a Christian" (Pastor Curt)

Hello again,
Two more tubes where removed earlier today. The Dr's removed the epidural and chest tube. They have her on a self administered IV pain killer. She has been complaining about feeling hot. The nurse just took her vitals and everything is normal. Diane is wondering if it could be a hot flash as the result of her right ovary being removed. She is only allowed a small amount of ice chips. Once her bowels become active they will start her on clear liquids. Please make your prayers specific to the bowels.

Last night I was picking up things in the room and came across a card Diane has been carrying. It has Joshua 1:9 written on it "Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you when ever you go."

I had a chance to set with Kathy's family in the surgical waiting area for a short time today. Please do not forget her and her family in your prayers.

Love you all!

Post Op Day #4

Another tube has been removed! The NG tube that has been keeping Diane's stomach empty is history. She still is not allowed to eat or drink, but the discomfort of the tube is gone. She has been walking around the corridors of the floor today. I would estimate the number of walks to be seven! We have hopes that two more lines will be removed tomorrow. Please continue to pray for a complete and speedy recovery. I met Kathy and her family today at the Hope Lodge. Kathy is having her surgery in the morning, please lift up her and her family in your prayers.

The Lord Blesses!

Hello everyone,
The Lord is so good! The day is coming to the end, and all of Diane's visitors have left for the night. I'm sitting in the room with Diane writing this blog. I will be spending the night with her tonight. Last night Diane's sister Beth spent the evening with her which allowed me to get a good nights rest. Today the central line was removed from Diane's neck. We are counting down the lines as they are removed, there are 5 lines remaining. Diane took two walks in the hallway today. The Lord blessed me by allowing me to set next to Diane and hold hands as she rested on a bench during her two walks today! How we take for granted the simple act of sitting next the the ones we love and hold hands. We do not know what tomorrow will bring, make the most out of every day that God gives you! Not much more to report today. Thank all of you for your words of encouragement and mostly your prayers. Until tomorrow, good night.

A New Day!

It may not be New Years Day, but it is a new day that the Lord has made! I just returned from a nights stay in Diane's new room. They moved her on Thursday @ 6pm to the Surgical Critical Care Floor. Diane has a private room with chairs, table, TV; no I did not turn on the football game last night, might of turned on the golf channel if we received it! As Pastor Curt would say; "JUST KIDDING" Her vitals where fine all through the night. She had RN's, LPN's, PAC's, Team Dr's, Resident Dr's, Physical Therapist, Occupational Therapist, house keeping, and who knows who else check on her. You really get to know how many people it takes to care for a patient. I have come to really appreciate all medical positions! They have a hard job, but they must keep in mind the real difference they make in the lives and family's they care for and how meaningful of a job they perform! Thank you to all you medical workers that may read this. Diane got out of bed this morning and sat in a chair for an hour. It took two people to monitor her vitals and assist her. It was not easy with the discomfort and all the lines connected to her. I will say it was a lot easier for her to return to bed. I was very nervous, very happy and very proud that she did it! The Dr removed her covering from the suture and I got to see her incision, it is from her rib cage to her pubic line. I told Diane that between her Dad, who had open heart surgery a few years ago, and her new zipper they could make a full length coat. God is good, God is faithful!

Today I will meet Kathy and her family that is coming from the Canton, Oh area. Kathy will have pre surgery testing today and the same surgery with the same surgeon this coming Monday. They will be staying at the Hope Lodge where I'm staying. Please include Kathy and her family in your prayers.

Love you all!

Happy New Year!

Not the New Year Diane and thought we would have, but a new year it is. The Lord tells us in Matthew 6:34 "Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own" That is what I need to remember, not to get ahead of myself. When we get ahead of ourselves we are certainly getting ahead of God! I visited with Diane for a short time this morning. She looked very good, her color was good and she was more alert. She is in need of rest! They hope to move her out of post op into surgical ICU sometime today. Diane's blood pressure is slightly low, they are not worried about it, they say it is normal under the circumstances. I will let her rest most of the day, I would like to set with her, however there is no chair where she is at the present time. I will see her later in the afternoon and then once in the evening. I wish everyone a Happy New Year! One that will bring us closer to Christ, and one another.