DECEMBER 28

One year ago today, Gary was going through, and had been going through weeks of excruciating pain. We did not have much hope that he would live long enough to celebrate my birthday a month away. (See DECEMBER 28, 2008) Today, Gary is free of cancer, and he was able to play golf with his father, Robert Phillips and long time friend and fellow missionary Herb Hayes, on a newly built course overlooking the South China Sea. Gary's father, told us the other night that all through Gary's journey with cancer, he had one picture in his mind .... Gary being able to golf once again with him. Today was a very special day for the two of them and we just thank the Lord that He has brought Gary this far. How wonderful to be able to enjoy God's beautiful creation, have great fellowship with fellow missionaries, and make special memories with his father.

Gary's stamina is still not back to normal, but each day we see an improvement. He was able to drive the ball and play better than he had in October when he first tried. Thank you for your prayers!

DECEMBER 21

Just an update on Gary's health. He still tires easy and does not have his stamina and strength back, but every day we see an improvement. He is going to try to golf 9 holes tomorrow using a cart. Hopefully, he will be able to gain strength each day.

We did get the final report of the last PET/CT scan and it was clear of cancer. We rejoice in that! Gary has struggled with his right eye, tearing alot and at times painful, so he went to an eye doctor last week.... mainly because his reading glasses were not working for him. *smile* We have used Dr. Reyes many times and he is a member of fellow missionary Lance Gotcher's church. He was well aware of what Gary has gone through these past two years. He ran the usual test and was concerned that the right eye appeared to have a little cloudiness in it, indicating cataract. He put Gary on another machine to test his eye and we had to wait for the results.

After the test were back in, Dr. Reyes called us back in his office and explained that he put Gary on the test because he was concerned that the damage to the nerves on Gary's face and/or the brain tumor, might have done some permanent damage to Gary's eye, causing him to lose his sight. He had tears in his eyes as he explained how relieved he was to see that the damage was very minimal.

There is some loss of Gary's peripheral vision, but considering all that he went through, it is nothing to be alarmed about. He put Gary on drops because his eye is very dry, and prednisone drops for a month. We will then go back and see if there has been any improvement. Gary has already noticed that his eye does not hurt or tear up as much as before, so we feel the drops are helping.

On another note... Before having the stem cell transplant.... in fact most of Gary's life.... he has had terrible cracked heels. He could never walk around barefoot or wear sandals. Since the transplant, his heels are as smooth as a babies! Just one of those funny, unexplained things that happens with cancer.

This past Sunday, we were able to reunite with our church we turned over just before going to the States. Faith Baptist. You can go to http://www.phillips2pi.blogspot.com/ to read about it. Thank you for your prayers!

BACK TO THE PHILIPPINES!

We made it back to the Philippines on Dec. 2. Gary's MRI came back clear. We are still waiting on word of the PETscan , but the doctor acted like he expected that to be clear as well. Words just can't express our joy to be home at last. God has been so good to us! So many times, I thought I would be making this journey without Gary. I am so thankful he is by my side!Our people at Bethel Baptist Church, Quezon City, gave us such a warm welcome. They surprised us by acting as if they really did not know us ... greeting us very unemotionally. After the worship service, Pastor Jun announced, "Let's welcome Pastor Gary and family!" Then BOOM BOOM, confetti was flying and they all swarmed us, hugging, kissing and crying for joy. What a reunion! Many talked how Gary is a living testimony of what God can do. So many thankful hearts, lifting their praise to God for allowing Gary to return.

The choir sang, "It is Well with My Soul", and they had a short video of a little golf ball, who was a long way from home and went through rough times but finally made his way back. It was a great picture of what Gary's journey has been like. I am having trouble with slow Internet loading it, so will try later.

We are anxious to get back to the work God has called us to do. Please pray that Gary will recover his strength and stamina and be able to accomplish all that he feels God is leading him to do. Thank you for your prayers!

NOVEMBER 3

Just wanted to give a few updates on what is going on in Gary's life and others that I have asked you to pray for. Get ready .... it's a long one! *smile*

Gary and I spent the majority of October in the State of Ohio. We were visiting several churches that support our ministry in the Philippines. This was exhilarating and exhausting at the same time. Gary had the opportunity to preach many times and although it was tiring, he enjoyed it tremendously. He still has a long way to go, to get back the same level of energy and strength he possessed before getting sick.

His hand continues to improve with physical therapy. I have noticed small changes that has brought back a certain level of independence for him. In a few weeks, Gary will be getting a checkup. They will be doing all the scans and MRI to see if he is still free of cancer. We appreciate your prayers concerning this.

We have booked our flight back to the Philippines and will be leaving December 1st. Please continue to pray for Gary's health to improve. He is anxious to return to what God has called him to do.

In my last post, I asked you to pray for our son-in-law, Andy. He was diagnosed with Clark level 4 melanoma that was large, ulcerated, and vascular. (meaning into the veins.) After surgery to remove more tissue in his arm, remove a lymph node and PET scan, the doctors say there is NO active cancer elsewhere in his body.

We praise the Lord for this good news, but also know that Andy's journey with cancer is far from over. This kind of cancer is very aggressive and has a high return rate... 85%. It is something that he will need to keep an eye on for the rest of his life. Please pray for Andy, for our daughter Becky and three kids as they take this journey with Andy. If you would like to read more about Andy, go here Andy Wileman

A few post ago, I mentioned Zach Smith and how miraculously, his cancer was gone. The cancer is back now, in a different spot. My heart just aches for Zach and his family, knowing what emotions they must be feeling at this time. Please pray for Zach. This week he starts a new chemo program. Here is Zach's writing about this new development. Zach Smith

And last, an update on myself. I did have surgery on my rotator cuff. They sewed one tendon back together, moved another back to it's rightful place and cleaned out all the areas that "old age" had creeped in. *smile*

I am one and a half weeks post-surgery, no longer needing prescriptive pain killers. I will have to keep my arm in a sling and sit in a rehab chair that raises my arm for me 6 hours a day for four weeks. I can not use my arm whatsoever, which makes it hard to do most things ..... like typing one handed at this moment.

I have learned that I am much better at being the caregiver than the patient. I told Gary the other night that God really didn't need to bring this into my life as a lesson for me. I understood full well the difficulty and frustration that he has felt these past two years not having the use of his arm and hand. The truth is.... I did need a lesson....

I admit I have felt sorry for myself. I have voiced daily my concerns of not being able to fix my hair. Of how hard the seat of the rehab chair is, and how uncomfortable I am trying to sleep at night with this crazy sling on.

Shame on me. My difficulties do not come anywhere close to what Gary has gone through or what Andy and Zach are going through now. Most of all, they don't compare to what Jesus went through to pardon my sin and the sin of the world.

"Lord, help me daily to count my blessings and give You honor and glory each day!"

SEPTEMBER 26

I have several request for you today....

1. Please pray for Gary.  He has not been feeling well this week and has had to cancel the three physical therapy sessions.  His eyes are painful and the right one continually tears.  He is just experiencing extreme fatigue and a general feeling of malaise.

2. We also need to you pray for our son-in-law, Andy Wileman.  This week, he received the news that he has melonama.  They will be doing further testing to find out the extent of the cancer.  As you can imagine, this is hard on our daughter Becky and her kids, after going through it with Gary.  Andy is a policeman for Collinsville, OK.  We are praying that this has been caught early before it has spread to lymph nodes or organs.

3. And last, for me. I will be seeing a specialist on Tuesday and will need to have surgery on my rotator cuff. I am having a hard time dealing with the thought that I will be unable to help Gary for a time period.  There is never a good time for surgery, but with Gary feeling so bad this week, I really am dreading it.

I appreciate your prayers!  It is so wonderful to be connected to believers all over the world that know the importance of prayer! What a comfort.

ANSWERED PRAYER

God answers prayer. Sometimes it is not the way we may expect or want, but He does answer according to His purpose and will for our lives.

A month ago, I asked you to pray for Zac Smith (see in archives). He had been diagnosed with stage four cancer and had been undergoing chemo treatments. To most of us and even medical doctors, his prognosis did not look good.

Today, halfway through his proposed treatment plan, Zac heard the news that he is FREE of cancer! His doctor said he had never seen anyone react to the treatments like this. All because of the thousands who lifted Zac up in prayer! You can read here Zac's own words on his wonderful news.

I can rejoice with Zac, his wife, parents and sister so much more, understanding what those few words meant to us when we heard them such a short time ago. Thank you for praying for Zac and thank you for continuing to pray for Gary.

SEPTEMBER 13

This weekend marks the one year anniversary since Gary received his diagnosis of cancer. As many of you know, Gary had been ill for a long time before doctors had figured what was causing his pain and paralysis.

Today, at our sending church, Lifepoint Baptist in San Angelo, TX, Gary was able to preach for the first time since April 08. This was a very momentous and emotional day for Gary. He loves preaching and has missed doing it this past year and a half.

He told me this weekend that he was nervous about preaching because he was not sure if he would be able to. Partially because it had been so long since he had been behind the pulpit, but also because the paralysis that he still has on the side of his face sometimes affects his speech.

I told him that Lifepoint was the perfect place to do this for the first time, because the members would be listening to him with ears of love. It would not matter to them if he preached the same as he had done in the past.

Gary was very emotional after the services today. Being a preacher has been his life and he loves it more than anything. He told me he was just so happy to be back at it. If you would like to hear his message today, you can go here , click on video for the September 13th service.

God has been so good to us to give Gary the opportunity to continue serving Him. We appreciate your prayers! We know he would not have been here today without them!

NATHANIEL IS HOME!

Thank you so much for your prayers! Nathaniel came home from the hospital today! I was pretty emotional tonight, thinking how just a few months ago, we did not know if Gary would be able to see Brian's son come into the world, and now Gary was able to spend the day holding and talking to this precious blessing! God has truly blessed us!

NATHANIEL

Thank you for your prayers for Nathaniel. This morning, he was taken off the breathing machines! The doctor said it was a "MAJOR milestone". He is not out of the woods yet, but we are very relieved to see him doing so much better.

NATHANIEL JEAN PHILLIPS

On Wednesday of this week, we received a call from our son that they were going to hospitalize our daughter-in-law, Kristina because her blood pressure was high and she was having headaches. She was experiencing preeclampsia and if she got worse, they would induce labor. Since we had 6 more weeks before our grandson's due date, we made plans to drive to Georgia Thursday. Even though the 14 hours trip was very hard on Gary, we were so glad we came when we did. Early Friday morning, they did an emergency C-section and Nathaniel came into the world weighing in at 4.7 lbs. He lungs are immature and so has had trouble breathing. Today, they had to insert a chest and put him on a breathing machine. Please pray for this precious little guy! Pray for Kristina and Brian as well. Kristina is recovery well from her surgery and will probably be released from the hospital tomorrow. It will be very hard on her to leave her baby in the hospital.

AUGUST 17

Today was another milestone for Gary. We went to the driving range to see if he would be able to grip a golf club enough to hit the balls. HE COULD! He still has a long way to go as far as getting his strength and stamina back, but it was wonderful to know that he will be able to play golf again! I told him that now he doesn't have to just drive the cart for me. *smile* This may seem like a small thing, but you golfers out there know how it would feel to not be able to play again. This is such an encouragement to Gary. We appreciate all the continued prayer for him.

ZACHARY SMITH

In the past year, you all have proved that you are great prayer warriors! I would like to introduce you to Zachary Smith.Zac grew up in Ecuador with his missionary parents, Jim and Sharon Smith. This past year, at age 32, Zac was diagnosed with colorectal cancer, which has metastasized to his liver and spleen. He is married and the father of 3 young children. He is in need of prayer.

I do not know Zac personally, but have a connection because of being fellow missionaries with his parents and having his grandfather, Carl Boonstra, as our missions director for a time. I told Zac, we have friends all over the world that prayed for Gary and would pray for him!

The church Zac attends recently did some videos with their youth department, and asked Zac to do one. The message that Zac shares is not just for young people, but for all of us. You can also go to his website www.zacsmith.com Please take the time to watch and remember to pray for him! Thanks!

Letter to Zac from NewSpring Production on Vimeo.

PHILLIPS to the PHILIPPINES

We have made the decision to change our website to a blog format. It has the same name as our website, except "blogspot" is inserted before .com. Those of you familiar with our website will need to remember this.

I will be posting about past ministry opportunities until we are able to return to the Philippines in December. We hope that doing this format, we will generate more "hits", so sign up to be a "follower" and you will be notified each time a new post is published.

Check us out!

www.phillips2pi.blogspot.com

BACNOTAN, LA UNION, PHILIPPINES

Bible Baptist Church

Pastor Delfen

Bacnotan, La Union

Philippines

SAN FERNANDO, LA UNION, PHILIPPINES

Bible Baptist Church

Missionary/Pastor Robert Phillips

San Fernando, La Union

Philippines

JULY 30

For the last 3 months, Gary has been attending physical therapy with the hope that he can get the use of his hand back. Although he still can not grip very well, we have seen an improvement. One of the things I have noticed is his fingernails are healthy again. For a time, the nail bed was blue from lack of oxygen and his nails were very brittle and started growing in a strange shape. At least all the activity is restoring circulation in his hand and making his arm and shoulder stronger.

His physical therapist asked him to let them know what his results were from his checkup, so we had called them on Tuesday to let them know the good news. Today, when Gary arrived for his session, they all burst into applause and gave him a card congratulating him. *smile*

I have put together a little video to show the different exercises that Gary has to do three times a week. Most of them are designed to make his thumb start working and give flexibility to his hand. They have him play in the popcorn to "wake up" the nerves in his fingertip. Then they have him play in a fake snow like substance as a way of soothing those nerves that have been stimulated. Gary still needs your prayers for his recovery.

JULY 28

NO CANCER!!!!

Today we saw Dr. Johnston and he related the great news that all the scans and MRI revealed NO cancer in Gary's body! It was very hard to control my emotions ... the relief was so great! Although this does not mean he can be declared cancer free, it at least is very encouraging that he has a chance to beat this.

The doctor said that due to the rarity of where the Lymphoma showed up in Gary's body, he wants Gary to have all the scans done every 3 months. We do not have to go to Mayo Clinic to do this, but he definitely wanted to see Gary again on the one year anniversary of his transplant, which would be April, for the next 5 years. If Gary continued to show no cancer after the 5 years, then he would declare him to be in remission.

We asked if it was normal for Gary to still be so tired and weak and the doctor said yes, that everyone is different and some take longer to get their strength back. We then asked what he thought about us leaving for the Philippines. He said he felt it would be fine, just to get a flu shot. *smile*

So, as long as Gary continues to feel better, we will plan to return to the Philippines in December!

Thank you so much for all your prayers! Last night, I was thinking how God must be pleased with His children lifting one another up in prayer all over the world and then today, with all the comments we received after hearing the good news ... I thought how God must really be loving all the praise, honor and glory that was lifted up to Him today! *smile* How wonderful it is to be a child of God and to know that we have so many around the world praying for us. I know that even if today's news would have been bad, we would still be able to praise God.

"Thank you Lord, for your many blessings to us. Thank you for allowing Gary and I to go through this trial to learn more of your grace and love for us. Thank you for the many friends and loved ones that have prayed for us and encouraged us in the times that we needed it the most."

"Oh that men would praise the Lord for his goodness,
and for his wonderful works to the children of men!"
Psalm 107:8

JULY 27

We are back at Mayo Clinic for Gary's 100 day checkup. In some ways, it seems like we have been away for a long time and then sitting in the waiting rooms and walking the halls, just made us feel like we have never left. Gary started the day early with labwork, then PET scan, body CT scan, MRI and chest xray. In the morning, he will do a pulmonary test, then see his doctor in the afternoon. We are anxious to see what all the scans will show or not show. Thank you so much for your prayers! It is a comfort to know that so many people around the world are praying for Gary. We know that no matter what these test show, whether good news or bad, it is all in the Lord's hands and we will deal with it with His grace.

JULY 17

9 more days before we head back to Mayo Clinic for Gary's 100 day checkup. To say the least, we are anxious to see what the scans and MRI's will all show. Our hearts desire is to be making plans to return to our ministries in the Philippines. Lord willing, that is what we will be able to do after this checkup.

Gary continues to have good and bad days. He still tires easily, but each day, we see an improvement. His physical therapy is going great. We are seeing a big difference in the flexibility and strength of his hand.

Thank you for your prayers for Gary and the encouraging notes and emails we get. We appreciate it so much!

JULY 5

Gary came through his bout with pneumonia okay. Had no complications and recovered well. Thankfully, we caught it early. He still tires easily. Some days, spending the majority of the day taking naps. His physical therapy is going well. The therapist have have noticed improvements as well. In a few weeks, we will head back up to Mayo Clinic for Gary's 100 day check up. I am anxious to know if the cancer is still gone. We cannot really make any plans concerning returning to the Philippines until after this checkup. We appreciate your prayers for Gary and for our family!

JUNE 27

Gary was feeling much better today! Just a world of difference! The antibiotic shot they gave him must have really went to work. Thank you for your prayers. I can't tell you what it means to me, to know so many daily lift him up in prayer! Thank you!

JUNE 26

Gary woke this morning with a low grade fever and chills so I took him in to see the doctor. They ran blood test which did not show any sign of infection, and a chest xray. The xray did show something on his right lung that could be the start of pneumonia. To be on the safe side, the doctor gave an antibiotic shot and then prescribed more antibiotics for a week. We will follow up with the doctor on Monday. Gary is pretty miserable and a little discouraged since he had just started feeling better before this hit. Hopefully, we were able to catch it early and he will not have any complications from it. Thank you for your prayers!

JUNE 25

PRAY for Gary today. He has been experiencing a low grade fever with chills and just a general unwell feeling. I have talked with his doctor's nurse, and she says if he has the chills to take him into a doctor to have him checked. At this time, the fever has broke and he is feeling better, so will wait and see. He really doesn't want to go into the hospital, but I will take him in if it starts up again. Just keep him in prayer today. Thanks!

JUNE 22

I was out of town Friday and Saturday, leaving Gary with our daughter Sandra. It has been a long time since I felt I could leave him. He is still dependent on help for even simple things like fixing himself a sandwich. When I returned late Saturday night, he told me how that he dropped his reading glasses beside his chair and instead of getting up and reaching for them with his right hand, like he would have in the past, he reached down with his left to see if he could pick them up. And he could! We are seeing a change every week with his hand and it sure is encouraging!

Tomorrow, Gary and I will celebrate our 30th wedding anniversary. It will be a special day for us. I have been thanking God for allowing Gary to live long enough to reach this special day. Looking back over the last 30 years, we have discussed the many things we have went through as a couple. We would have never foreseen all the things that God had in store for us. The things we have experienced as a couple, whether good or bad, have made us the way we are.

Recently, someone dear to me, told me they have always been envious of the relationship that Gary and I shared. As much as that is a compliment, I have to say none of us can compare ourselves to others, because we have not been on the same journey as them. The journey that Gary and I have had these 30 years, is unique to us, and made our relationship for what it is.

I am thankful that God brought us together and has been in our life. One of the blessings of Gary going through cancer, was seeing how God worked in our lives and how it brought us even closer and made us stronger. I am asking God to give us another 30+ years together!

JUNE 13

This past week was a busy one with having our son Brian and his wife Kristina visiting us. We enjoyed our time with them so much and was sad to see them head back to Georgia. Gary had his three days of physical therapy and each day he says he feels stronger. Today, I had brought a snow cone home for Gary and as we were sitting on the couch enjoying them, he said, "LOOK!" There he was, holding the Styrofoam cup in his left hand! He has not been able to hold anything for over a year! Pretty exciting to think he has accomplished this with just 6 therapy sessions! Thank you so much for your continued prayers!

JUNE 10

Gary is doing well with the physical therapy. He has noticed an increase in strength already and is encouraged by that. This week, our son Brian and his wife Kristina are visiting. We have enjoyed spending time with them and talking about our newest grandson due in October. I can remember back in November how I was sad to think Gary would not live to see a child of Brian's and now, here we are watching ultrasound videos and discussing names! God is good. Thank you so much for your continued prayers! We appreciate it!

SULPHUR SPRINGS, TX

Sunday School class lead by Terry Weise

Central Baptist Church

Sulphur Springs, TX

JUNE 3

Today, Gary had his first therapy session. He will be going three days a week. The therapist took measurements of Gary's arm and hand and then bent his fingers every which way to determine the extent of his paralysis. It was very painful for Gary to go through. None of this will be pleasant for him, but he knows he has to do it in order to get the use of his hand back. His goal is to be able to grip a golf club. *smile*

His mustache is growing back in and he has felt better in the last few days, just still very weak. Thank you so much for your continued prayers for Gary. We need to pray that the cancer stays out of his body and does not return, that he will grow stronger each day and will get the use of his hand back.

MAY 31

It has been awhile since I wrote. I miss doing my daily update! *smile* Gary is still very weak and tires easily. He still has days where he has trouble with nausea. Sometimes, he thinks he will never get well ... so tired of being sick. It will just take time. One new development is he has started to grow hair again on his upper lip.

We have found a physical therapy clinic here in town and after explaining what has happened and what he needs, they say they think they can help him. He will see his doctor here in Tulsa on Tuesday in order to get a referral for insurance purposes in order to start the therapy. Please keep Gary in prayer as he continues to heal and that through physical therapy, he will be able to get the use of his hand back.

MAY 24

We have made it back to Oklahoma after a long 13 hour drive. I would like to thank Gary's brother's for providing the airfare for our daughter Becky to fly up to Rochester, and Becky for her help driving the moving van back to OK. I know it was not easy on her driving that long drive. Gary and I are blessed with a great family. Parents, siblings and children have been there to help when we needed it and we appreciate it!

After packing up our apartment and getting it loaded into the U-Haul, we spent the night in a hotel before heading out in the morning. It was the same hotel we stayed in 8 months ago, when we received the diagnosis of Gary's cancer. I couldn't help but think how we felt that night ... just in total shock.

I gave thanks to God all evening for bringing Gary this far and allowing us to leave Rochester together, instead of me leaving without him. We had been told by other doctors in the Philippines and Oklahoma, that Gary had no cancer cells in his body. To hear, not only did he have cancer, but he also had something very rare, was just mind boggling. After making phone calls to our children and emails to other immediate family members and close friends, I spent that evening 8 months ago, getting this blog started.

My purpose for the blog, was to be able to write updates without having to constantly answer the same questions concerning Gary and his treatments. I also, could hardly talk about it. It was easy for me to email or write in a blog, but when I tried to talk, I would break down.

Little did I realize, how much the blog would help me. I was able to put to words the lessons that God was teaching me and later, when I would feel overwhelmed, I could read back through the encouraging comments left by friends around the world, and the scriptures that had brought me comfort.

The coming months will be filled with physical therapy and just letting Gary heal. He is very weak and it will take a long time to fully recover. Being near family will do alot to help him do just that. Words just can't express the gratefulness for your prayers for Gary! We could not have made it this far without them. Please continue to pray the cancer will not return, and Gary will be able to regain the use of his hand through physical therapy.

MAY 20

Gary continues to have good and bad days. Yesterday, he was able to get out for awhile and although was tired at the end of the day, he felt good. This morning however, he started the day throwing up. So, he is back to bed hoping his stomach will settle down.

Tomorrow, is moving day, or at least loading the van day. I plan to take Gary to a hotel so he can rest while the hired movers load our things for me. My daughter Becky, is flying up tomorrow night to help me drive the van back to Oklahoma on Friday.

I can't say enough good about Mayo Clinic and the doctors! This is definitely the place to go if you have unexplained symptoms or cancer! They just have the knowledge, technology and resources that other places don't have. God used them to work a miracle in Gary's life. Stage 4 large B cell Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma of the nerves and CNS involvement! To be honest, there were many times that Gary and I did not think we would come to this day ... for him to be clean of the cancer and for us to be leaving Mayo Clinic together. My heart is full of thankfulness to God, to the doctors, nurses and staff of Mayo Clinic!

MAY 16

It has been enjoyable to not have to go to the hospital every day. We are busy packing, getting ready to move back to Oklahoma on Friday. It will be good to be near family, but in some ways, I am nervous about leaving here. There is a security in living so close to the hospital and doctors.

Gary still battles the nausea from time to time. He has also battled an infection of sorts in his eyes off and on since doing the Gamma knife procedure. He has been on antibiotic drops for 5 days now and it has not gone away. It will take months for him to really start feeling better.

Something you can pray for at this time ... that we will find a good physical therapist near our place in Oklahoma, where Gary can start working on his left arm and hand. Those nerves have been so damaged from the Lymphoma, but we do know from past EMG tests, that they are still alive and there is hope they will heal. As long as his hand is unusable, he is still dependent on others to some extent. Try spreading peanut butter on bread with only one hand and you'll understand. *smile* Thank you for praying for Gary and for our family!

MAY 11

IT'S OFFICIAL! Gary had his line removed today, which means no more treatments, no more blood draws and doctor visits! The next scheduled doctor visit will be the end of July for the 100 day check up. At that time, they will do a PET scan, CT scan and MRI of his brain along with blood test.

Today, Gary has been pretty sick. He threw up all morning long, even while seeing the eye doctor. The nurse said it is normal to have a few "set-back" days and that it was nothing to be alarmed about. It just shows that Gary is not over it all yet and still needs prayer. The good news is his counts are excellent. Today's blood draw showed that his white blood count was 9.9! That is better than he started with, so I would say those baby cells have engrafted well!

Several of you have asked if I will keep the blog. I plan to keep it at least until the 100 day checkup .... just may not write every day. I would still like to post pictures of you if you can get them in to me.

On another note ... sad note. Little Esther, who sent Gary the Valentine, went on to heaven Saturday. I can't imagine the pain her mother is going through losing her little girl right before Mother's Day. Esther was in severe pain leading up to her death and it is a comfort to know that she is now in heaven, sitting at Jesus' feet, free from disease and pain. Please pray for Esther's parents, Adam and Jennifer Travis. The funeral will be tomorrow and although they know Esther is in heaven, I am sure it will be a rough day for them. Little Esther was a blessing to Gary in her faith she had. Even though she was so young, she was an example of simply trusting God .... no matter what happens. It seems it is easier for children to do that than adults. *smile*

I have thought about Gary's outcome alot lately. Even though we don't have 100% assurance the cancer is gone ... it is gone at this time. So many have written comments and notes, praising God for the answer to prayer. I too have spent alot of time thanking and praising God for bringing Gary through such a rough journey ... I still find it hard to believe! BUT at the same time, I realize now, that God had been working a change in me.

If it had turned out differently, and Gary had not made it through, I would still be able to praise God and thank Him for His blessings. That just amazes me. I have often heard and often quoted to others, how God gives grace when you need it. I can say with a certainty ... that is exactly how it works! "Thank you Lord Jesus for your love to me as your child. For your constant presence. For the grace you bestowed on me when you gave your life on the cross and for the grace you have given me these past months."

LONG BEACH, CALIFORNIA

Bill Renna

Long Beach, CA

Bill is a long time friend from Gary's days of working as Axillary Chaplain for Wallace Airbase in San Fernando, La Union, Philippines. We appreciate him getting in contact with us and not only praying for Gary, but helping us financially!

MAY 7

Gary and I are still having a hard time believing his treatments are over! Today he went for a blood draw. Tomorrow will do it again and then on Monday he will have an appointment with the eye doctor and get his line pulled out. That will be it! We will be free of doctor visits until the last week of July!

Gary will still need to be careful and take things slow, but all in all, he is doing good. His white blood counts are rising and more importantly, his neutrophils are rising. (Neutrophils are part of your white blood cells and are the first to respond to an infection. Since neutrophils are such an important part of the immune response, a lowered neutrophil count results in a compromised immune system.)

I spent today reserving a Uhaul truck and movers to help load the truck for me. Put in address changes and cancelled Internet and cable and gave notice to the apartment manager. Now, I just need to pack up our few possessions. We plan to be out of here May 22!

Words just can't express our gratitude for all your prayers for Gary! Please continue to pray for his complete healing. He would very much like to get the use of his hand back. We will be looking into physical therapy for that. Also, the side of his face is still numb. We don't know if those nerves were damaged beyond repair or in time will heal. We will not return to the Philippines until we are sure his immune system is where it should be, but our desire would be to return in December. Thank you for your prayers!

MAY 7
HEMOGLOBIN - 12.6
WHITE BLOOD COUNT - 5.1
PLATELETS - 268

SALINA, KS

Ray Ave. Baptist Church

Pastor John Day

Salina, KS

QUEZON CITY, METRO MANILA PHILIPPINES

Our ministry in Quezon City, MM is having their Daily Vacation Bible School (DVBS) this week. Each day, they are having a time of prayer for Gary. I wanted to include several photos to show these precious children praying for Gary. Our staff have done an excellent job of handling this ministry in our absence!

DVBS children
Bethel Baptist Church
Quezon City, Metro Manila
Philippines

MAY 5

DAY 14

Today, we met with Dr. Johnston to discuss Gary's care from this point on. Gary will still need a few days of lab work done since he is being "let go" earlier than the 21 day mark. Because of this, Gary opted to leave his central line in until Monday. Dr. Johnston will need to see Gary on the 100 day mark, which will be the last week of July. After these few more days of blood work, Gary will no longer need to be monitored every day! He can stop wearing the mask, unless in a place where it might be wise to do so. The doctor said he is doing great!

We are still in a little shock, realizing that at this moment in time, Gary is cancer free. It seems like it has been a lifetime since his diagnosis. He will still need to be careful about catching anything and it will be a long time before he will have his strength back, but at least we know we are on the downhill run now. Thank you so much for your prayers!

MAY 4
HEMOGLOBIN - 11.6
WHITE BLOOD COUNT - 3.3
PLATELETS - 115

MAY 4

DAY 13
Well! The day has finally come! After 8 months of treatment, Gary will go tomorrow to have his central line removed and will be able to leave the area. We are just kind of in shock to think he is really over any treatments! He will just need to come back to Mayo Clinic in July for a check up with his doctor.

Gary's journey has been such a rough one, and although he was very sick a week ago, we are surprised that the stem cell transplant went smoother than expected. I know it is all due to the many prayers around the world! We could NOT have gone through this without them!

Gary will still need prayers as he continues to gain his strength and recover. I would still like pictures sent in to post on the blog. If you are unable to send a picture of yourself with a sign of Gary's name (see past post), please write me at bamaw5@yahoo.com.ph and give your name, State or Country. I would like to make a list of all those that had a part in praying for us. If you do not want your name used, just say so and I will only post your location.

We are now starting to plan how to move back to Oklahoma. It will be wonderful to be back with family, especially our daughter and grandchildren. Again, thank you for your prayers!

MAY 3
HEMOGLOBIN - 11
WHITE BLOOD COUNT - 2.4
PLATELETS - 75

TULSA, OK

Calvary Bible Class

Southeast Baptist Church

Tulsa, OK

MAY 3 update

The nurse called this afternoon to give us the results of Gary's blood work. He is doing great! He did not have to go in this evening for the antibiotic ... that particular one has been stopped. His white blood count had jumped to 2.4! Gary is able to drink nutritional drinks relatively easy. The sores in his mouth are getting better and not having to deal with the nausea helps. We took a walk for several blocks today. He felt good, but may have overdone it a little as he is pretty tired tonight. He is just a different Gary than he was last weekend! I am excited to hear what the doctor will say tomorrow!

MAY 3

DAY 12
We went to the hospital this morning for Gary to have a blood draw and receive his antibiotic. The doctor had some very encouraging news! Because of the way Gary's counts are jumping up and depending on the lab results from today .... it is possible that not only will he not have to return this evening for the antibiotic, but he is very close to having his central line taken out and free to leave Minnesota and go back to Oklahoma!

It is just so hard to believe that a week ago, Gary was so very sick and today they are talking about letting him loose before the 21 days are up! Even if it does not happen on Tuesday as they are planning, it still means he is very close. I just wanted to skip down the hallway as we left the hospital! Thank you for your prayers!

MAY 2
HEMOGLOBIN - 10.5
WHITE BLOOD COUNT - 1.5
PLATELETS - 33

MAY 2

DAY 11

Wow! We are halfway to the 21 day mark. At first, when Gary was so sick, I thought each day would go by so slowly, but now that he is doing better, they are going by fast. Gary seems to not be battling the nausea and has a desire to eat. He just has a hard time, because of the mouth and throat ulcers. The doctor said they would be gone in the next couple of days. He has not had a fever in 48 hours and his white blood cells are showing signs of engraftment, so they will release him from the hospital today. He will still need to come back in twice a day for antibiotics, but it will be good to have him home. Thank you for praying!

MAY 1
HEMOGLOBIN - 10.1
WHITE BLOOD COUNT - 0.8
PLATELETS - 22

MAY 1

DAY 10

Today has been a better day for Gary. The nausea was not as bad and he even had a desire to eat. The mouth and throat sores just made it impossible for him to do so, but it was a good sign that the nausea was gone. The doctors said that he would not be released from the hospital until the fevers were gone and he was eating.

The best news of all is, his white blood count jumped up from 0.4 yesterday to 0.8 today! That is a sure sign that the cells are engrafting ... GO BABY CELLS, GO! *smile*

APRIL 30
HEMOGLOBIN - 10.2
WHITE BLOOD COUNT - 0.4
PLATELETS - 14

APRIL 30

DAY 9

When I walked into the hospital room this morning .... Gary was missing. They had taken him down for an xray. Because he is still spiking a fever, they wanted to check out his lungs. They also later in the day did an EKG, just to make sure his heart is doing ok. Gary's nausea is getting better, although he still has no desire to eat, mainly because of the ulcers in his mouth. His white blood count came up yesterday and today. The nurse said sometimes, it can jump back a few times before really moving upward, so tomorrow's count will give an idea if they are truly starting to increase. Another change is his hair. I know some of you would joke that he didn't have much to lose, but it sure is a shock to see huge spots in the back of his head. They brought in a razor for us to shave his head so he would not keep "shedding" all over his pillow.

I see a difference each day for the better. This has been a long journey for Gary and he will still have a long journey to go to complete health, but it is encouraging to know that we are nearing the end. I know I say this in every post, but it truly comes from my heart ... THANK YOU so much for your prayers!

APRIL 29
HEMOGLOBIN - 10.7
WHITE BLOOD COUNT - 0.3
PLATELETS - 17

APRIL 29

DAY 8
Gary has done a little better today. He was able to drink a nutritional drink to help get calories in him, but said it burned all the way down. The mouth ulcers are now down his esophagus. The sores in his mouth have not bothered him too much because where they are the worse, is the right side, which Gary still has no feeling. When I walked into the hospital room this morning, there was quite a change from yesterday ... he has lost his goatee. *smile* Sure happens fast!

He is still "talking out of his head" off and on. Other than the episode with the Apaches .... most of his talking is doing ministry. *smile* He is either organizing something or teaching someone. It makes me smile to think that even in his subconscious, his heart desire is to be back in the Philippines doing ministry. Lord willing, we will be able to do just that. Thank you so much for your prayers.

APRIL 28
HEMOGLOBIN 8.2
WHITE BLOOD COUNT - 0.2
PLATELETS - 31

GARY PHOTOS

I have been taking a picture of Gary each day through the stem cell transplant process. The picture I took yesterday compared to today tells a story as to how he was feeling each day. In the Day 7 photo, you can see his hair falling onto his shirt. It looks like a Labrador puppy was sitting on him. *smile*

DAY 6DAY 7

APRIL 28

DAY 7
Gary is about the same today. He started the day feeling pretty good and even tried to eat a few bites of oatmeal, but as the day progressed, he started to feel worse. He is still experiencing a fever, so this evening, they did another blood culture.

Yesterday, they gave him a unit of platelets since he went below 20 and today they gave 2 units of red blood cells because he was lower than 10. The anti-nausea drugs are still causing him to talk a little out of his head. He wakes himself up talking, and realizes immediately what he is doing.

Because of this, he is not resting completely. He told me to leave the TV on last night, but this morning, said that he had conversations with it all night long. *smile*

His doctor has not said anything about Gary leaving the hospital and Gary hasn't asked. Thank you for your prayers!

APRIL 27
HEMOGLOBIN - 8.6
WHITE BLOOD COUNT - 0.3
PLATELETS - 19

APRIL 27

DAY 6
Gary told me this morning that he was glad he was admitted. He felt a little better due to the heavier anti-nausea drugs they can give him. Still not eating, but maybe tomorrow. For the last few days, he has not talked because the effort made him so nauseous. This afternoon, he started chatting up a storm, but I soon realized that he was not quite in the same world that I was. I'm smart enough to know that when he talks about staying around to help "them" fight off the Apaches .... he isn't with us any more. *smile* This has happened before with the drugs, so I was not surprised. What was funny to me was, he went in and out and after saying something off the wall, he would say, "I'm just having a conversation with myself!" The nurses probably thought I was weeping for sadness, but it was silent laughter!

Gary's main doctor is on the rotation this week and as he walked into the room, he said, "Boy! You will do anything to get me to visit you in the hospital!" This has been a joke between Gary and his doctor since we arrived. His doctor is on the transplant team, so between those rotations, and seeing patients in his office, he does not do the "regular" morning visits. He said what Gary is going through is perfectly normal and nothing to be concerned about. Hopefully in a few days, Gary's counts will come up and he will start to feel better. Thank you so much for your prayers!

APRIL 26
HEMOGLOBIN - 10.1
WHITE BLOOD COUNT - .3
PLATELETS - 34

MORRIS, OK

First Baptist Church of Morris
Morris, OK

ROCHESTER, MN

Our daughter Sandra

Rochester, MN

APRIL 26

DAY 5

Gary has not done well today. We came in this morning for them to put him on antibiotic IV for 2 hours. This one is called Vancomycin and they will continue with this twice a day until 3 different cultures come back negative. The first one has. They administered another antibiotic through his central line called Cefepime. Because he has had a fever, he will now have this given twice a day, whether or not anything shows up in the cultures, until his white blood counts come up.

Gary has not been able to eat anything today and barely managed to drink some Gatorade, so this evening before the time I was to bring him in for the antibiotic treatment, I called to let them know how he was doing. They instructed us to come in and they planned to admit him. Gary was ready to do this, so that shows how bad he is feeling. He would do all he could to stay out of the hospital.

They will watch him tonight and if he still can't manage to keep eat anything or drink anything with nutritional content, they will put him on a nutritional IV. The doctor said that he is at the worse, and in a few days, his blood counts will start to rise and he should start feeling better.

I asked Gary tonight which was worse ... the extreme nausea or the pain. He said, that he is experiencing both. They took him off Lortab because it contains Tylenol and would mask a fever and gave him a different pain med for the "break through" pain. Obviously, it has not worked as well, so tonight the doctor said they would try something different.

Although this is all new to us, miserable for Gary and a little scary for me, it is all expected and they have seen it before. Gary is a typical transplant patient ... this time, he isn't being "special". *smile*

I appreciate your prayers! The comments we have received on Facebook and through emails, have also been such a blessing! Thank you!

APRIL 25
HEMOGLOBIN - 11.4
WHITE BLOOD COUNT - .3
PLATELETS - 66
POTASSIUM - 3.4
WEIGHT - 100.1

APRIL 25 update

Soon after posting for today, I had to take Gary back to the hospital. He was running a fever. They immediately hooked him up to an IV antibiotic that he was on for 2 hours, and then also administered a different one through his central line. They took blood draws, urine sample and chest xray to determine what kind of "bug" he might have and where it might be located, i.e. lungs or central line. This is a common thing among transplant patients, caused by their white blood counts being so low. The nurse said that our own skin has "bugs" and normally it isn't a problem for us, but when the white blood counts are so low, you can't fight it. The antibiotics they gave will cover a wide range of infection, so he will be put back on it tomorrow morning when he goes and then again in the evening, every day, until they are sure he no longer needs it. Appreciate your prayers!

APRIL 25

DAY 4
Gary is not feeling well today. It is starting to sound like a broken record, but that is the way it will be for the next several weeks. The nurse told me today that it will get worse before it gets better. They administered another 1000 ml of fluids this morning along with an IV anti-nausea medicine. Then they applied an anti-nausea patch behind his ear hoping that will help along with the two different drugs I am giving him at home.

Starting Day 4-7, he will lose his hair and develop sores in his mouth. Some get the sores all the way down their esophagus. That will make it even harder to eat. Gary has started a sore on his tongue and looks like one is starting on his upper lip.

When we started this, we thought "three weeks will go by fast!", but now realize that it is going to be a tough, long three weeks for him. Appreciate your prayers!

APRIL 24
HEMOGLOBIN - 11.6
WHITE BLOOD COUNT - 0.9
PLATELETS - 111
POTASSIUM - 3.5
WEIGHT - 100.1

Thank you for praying for Gary's Dad. Although not completely well, he is out of the hospital and plans to preach this morning (Filipino time) for the churches anniversary service. *smile*

SKIATOOK, OK (2)

The Day and Phillips Family

Skiatook, OK

SANFORD, FL

Praying for Gary in Sanford, FLPilgrim's Sunday School Class

Palmetto Ave Baptist Church

APRIL 24

DAY 3

Gary had a rough afternoon and evening yesterday, being very nauseous and not able to eat or drink much. This morning, the doctors were concerned enough to have him stay hooked up to fluids for an hour. They also administered an anti-nausea drug by IV hoping that would help. Gary's white blood count dropped significantly the day before, so that is the cause of the nausea and general "UGH!" feeling.

The nutritionist said if all he could do was drink ... to drink calories. So, if he feels like it, he can have all the milkshakes he would want. *smile* I did find out that a small milkshake at Dairy Queen contains 560 calories. Ouch! I guess I can't join him each time he wants one. Having one yesterday morning helped him to come close to his daily calorie goal. Thank you for your prayers!

HEMOGLOBIN - 9.4

WHITE BLOOD COUNT - 1.4

PLATELETS - 134

WEIGHT - 100.7 kilos

On another note, please pray for Gary's father, Bob Phillips. He is in the Philippines ... admitted to a hospital for pnuemonia. This is very hard on his wife, Sue, to not be able to be there with him since she is here with us. Thank you!

PHILIPPINES

Staff and youth from Camp 09

Joint project of

Sumulong Baptist Church

Bethel Baptist Church

Faith Temple Baptist Church

Metro Manila, Philippines

Can you see Gary's name? if you click on each picture, they will enlarge to be able to see everyone close up. This years camp had 177 young people come to know Christ!

COLLINSVILLE, OK

Our oldest grandson, Tyler

Collinsville, OK

APRIL 23

DAY 2
Gary had to have 1 unit of blood given today. His red blood cells from yesterday were 9.6. That is not terribly low and they normally wait until it is under 9 before giving a transfusion, but because of his previous heart condition, they want to keep his count above 10. He has just felt a little "off" today. This is all to be expected. We know that starting tomorrow, the effects of the chemo will hit and we expect several weeks of him being sick. All in all, he is doing as well as could be expected. I will start listing his blood counts from now on to keep record of it.

4/22/09
HEMOGLOBIN - 9.6
WHITE BLOOD COUNT - 3.2 (8-10 is normal)
PLATELETS - 167 (150-400 is normal)
WEIGHT - 101.9 kilos

Thank you so much for your prayers! On another note, the young man I mentioned in my last post has come through surgery well. Go to their CareBridges site to read how God has worked a miracle for Jeff, and continue to pray for them. Thanks!

PRAY FOR JEFF McCOART

This week, a friend asked that I post to my friends, a request for prayer for this young man. He is 24 yrs. old, married with a toddler and baby on the way. Jeff was recently diagnosed with a brain tumor and was able to make it up to Mayo Clinic to see the doctors here. He is scheduled to have surgery on his brain in the morning. I was able to call Jeff and his wife to encourage them that they were in the right place with the best of the best here. I know they would be encouraged to know many others will be lifting them up tomorrow as he goes through this procedure.

You can read about him here

http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/jeffmccoart

Thanks!

APRIL 22

DAY 1

Gary was able to eat a small breakfast before heading to the hospital. He will go every morning at 9am to have blood draws and have the doctors check him over. They have me chart his medicines, which are many, and go over that with us plus any questions we have.

In a few days when the full effect of the chemo will kick in, I will also have to chart everything he eats and drinks. At that time, it will be very important for him to get in a certain amount of calories whether he feels like eating or not. So, he could have all the milkshakes he would want if that is all he could stomach.

The rest of the day, he has slept off and on. Some of that is due to the pain and anti-nausea drugs. He still has a smell of cream/sweet corn about him due to the preservative that was in the stem cells. The doctor said she was surprised he wasn't as strong as some are, considering he had 10 syringes given to him. I hope that means it will go away soon.

I had to change his dressing on his central line for the first time tonight. It needs to be done weekly. Until now, he has been in the hospital and the nurses have done it. I have watched it enough times, but doing it yourself is a different story. Everything has to be handled with sterile gloves and both of us wearing mask. It would be very dangerous for him to get an infection at the site since the line travels right to his heart. Appreciate your continued prayers for him!

APRIL 21

HAPPY TRANSPLANT DAY!

Today Gary received his stem cells. It was quite a procedure! They started early in the morning taking blood draws to record his red and white blood counts and then hydrated him for 4 hours. The lab sent up Gary's stem cells still frozen in a little cooler. One nurse stood outside Gary's room and would place a bag of his stem cells in a warm water bath to thaw out. She would then draw it into a large syringe and hand it to one of the nurses inside his room.

The nurse inside the room would then slowly administer the stem cells into Gary's central line. They used 10 syringes and it took about an hour and a half to complete it.

The whole process was relative easy on Gary and we had a good time joking around with the nurses.
Many call the stem cell transplant "your second birth". Gary told the nurses that this was his third birth. His first was when he was born. The second, when he accepted Christ as his Savior at age 9 and then today, his third birth receiving the stem cells. He then told them that the second one was the most important!

Gary was able to come home today and will just have to go to the hospital every morning for the next 21 days for them to monitor his blood counts and make sure everything is going well. Thank you for your prayers. The important thing now, will be that these new "baby" cells will engraft into his bone marrow and will start making new white and red blood cells and platelets.