JULY 1, 2011

September 2010, I posted about Gary having a problem with his right eye. We were concerned he was losing his sight. The conclusion of the test were, due to the damage the lymphoma did to the trigeminal nerve, he probably was not tearing as often as he needed to be and therefore, the doctor prescribed eye drops.

Off and on since then, there have been days that Gary's eyes were so painful he could not stand to keep them open. This week, was a bad week. He spent a good portion of it in bed with an eye mask on, being in so much pain, he lost his appetite.

Wednesday evening, I contacted our eye doctor, Manolito Reyes, to see if I should take Gary to ER or wait to see him in the morning. He was out of the country and referred us to another doctor, so we made the decision to wait until morning.

On a side note ... I had asked you to pray for Dr. Reyes, as he had been diagnosed with stomach cancer last September. I am happy to say, after going through treatment, he is cancer free at this time. I know he appreciates your prayers for him!

Yesterday, we saw Dr. Ronquilla. He confirmed that Gary is seeing 30% less in his right eye since September 2010. He also gave a name to what is going on with him. Neurotrophic keratitis. You can go HERE for a more detailed explanation.

Basically, the damage the cancer did to Gary's trigeminal nerves on the the right side of his face are affecting that eye. The trigeminal nerve is what supplies the lubricant necessary for the cornea. Because this is not happening, all the pollutants, irritants and bacteria are not being "washed" away from Gary's cornea, therefore causing damage.

We are being referred to a specialist for this and will know more of what we can do to slow down the progression at that time, but for now, I would like to ask you to pray for Gary. He not only preaches every week, but has several classes in Baptist College of Leadership, and this coming week he will be teaching every day at the Missionary Training School for Asian Baptist Clearinghouse. His left eye is fine, but will also hurt some days ... probably due to compensating for the right eye not seeing properly.

And while you are praying for Gary, please remember our son-in-law, Andy Wileman and our son, Brian in your prayers.

Andy (see his blog HERE) is still battling stage 4 Melanoma, and Brian is serving in Afghanistan. Appreciate your prayers not only for healing for Andy and a safe return for Brian, but also for our daughter Rebecca as she cares for Andy while working a full time job, our daughter-in-law, Kristina, as she waits for her husband to return, and for me as I care for Gary and take as much work load from him as I can.

ANDY WILEMAN

September 24, 2009, our son-in-law, Andy Wileman was diagnosed with Clark level 4 melanoma. He had surgery to cut out the cancer in his right forearm and lymph nodes removed. Doctors declared him to be free from any active cancer and we rejoiced.

For the past year, Andy has been checked every 3 months, and continued to be free of active cancer. Until now. This past week, Andy had a PET scan done to confirm what the doctor suspected. The cancer has returned in his lymph nodes. The good news is, as far as they can tell, it has not spread to other areas of his body.

Andy needs your prayers! He will see a surgeon this week to remove all lymph nodes and then possibly consult further with doctors at MD Anderson for further treatment options. Andy is a policeman for city of Collinsville. He will have to take off work for the surgery and possible treatment, which will be a burden on them financially as well.

As a wife of a surviving cancer patient, I also want you to include our daughter Rebecca in your prayers. Many times, we focus on the person who is ill, and rightly so, but the caregivers need the prayer too! Rebecca is a communications officer for Owasso Police, which is stressful in itself. Now, she is dealing with a husband whose cancer has returned. This week, she developed singles as a result of all the stress. She told me, she thought she was handling it okay, but her body must not have been. *smile*.

Our grandchildren need your prayer as well. Andy may be their step-father, but they are very close to him. They feel the uncertainty that the word CANCER brings into their life and they know what it can do.

Gary and I know what the prayers of many did for us during his journey with cancer and we are so grateful to know you all will lift Andy, Rebecca and the kids up in your prayers as well. We thank you in advance!