We are getting ready to turn another page in this chapter of our lives; after a ton of prayer, research, and conversations with survivors, Kara has settled on a treatment plan. In preparation for what lies ahead, this Monday we will begin commuting daily to Tampa for one week of treatments at an alternative cancer center. Our hope is that this will give Kara’s body and immune system a boost before the chemo wipes her out. Chemotherapy treatments will start the following Monday, June 19th. This week, Kara got fitted for a special cold cap that she will wear during her chemo treatments that’s supposed to help limit hair loss.
This all comes at a price though, and we need your help! The alternative treatments ($5,750) and the cold cap ($1,600) are not covered by insurance. We have been blessed by so many of you with funds to help us cover medical needs! So far, we have almost half of what we need for next week’s treatments. I hate asking for money so much, but we trust God will supply all our needs. As we ask God for His provision, will you ask Him if He wants to use you to provide it?
To be honest, I hesitate to share specifics. Summoning the mental clarity to sift through the information and options out there has been incredibly difficult. God has given us the capacity to learn what we can, and discernment to make a decision. Since healing will come from Him anyway, we find peace trusting the Great Physician. For those who have not personally walked this road, you cannot imagine the weight on Kara’s shoulders through all this. I ask that you trust Kara in her decisions regarding her treatment and care. It has been difficult for me at times to remember that, while I am not unaffected, I’m not the patient; Kara is. She is the one who will be subjected to the treatments and surgeries and long-term uneasiness that comes with this disease. She will not face them without support, but she will face them alone. Our role as her loved ones is to support her and encourage her. I say all of this because out of genuine love and concern for her, some will feel compelled to share opinions, suggestions, or cautions with her about her decisions, but please know that while we appreciate the sentiment, those kinds of words are not helpful at this stage. I hope I don’t come across harsh or insensitive… It’s just that this is one of the few things I can do for my wife right now: to stand in the gap for her by writing the updates and to hopefully stave off anything that might add to her burden.
One thing that is very important to Kara is how she looks, but not the way you might think. She says that if it was just her, she wouldn’t really care about her hair. But when we told the girls about her cancer, that was one of the first things that really freaked them out about it: “Mommy is gonna look scary?!” We can’t shield them from it all, nor should we; walking through this as a family will be a formative experience for them in many ways. But the cold cap is something that may limit the traumatic effect this will have on our daughters, so we want to do it. While you’re praying, please pray with us that the cancer would respond to whatever treatments we throw at it, that Kara’s body, mind, and spirit would be built up and strengthened, and that Carlee, Riley, Chelsea, Josie, and Finley would see that all of it comes from the hand of God our Father who loves us unimaginably!
When through fiery trials thy pathway shall lie,
My grace, all sufficient, shall be thy supply.
I’ll strengthen thee, help thee, and cause thee to stand,
Upheld by My righteous, omnipotent hand!
-From the hymn, “How Firm A Foundation”