Richmond Family Updates

Join with me in worship as you listen to this hymn, one of my most favorites.

I pray for each one of you reading this blog, as you care for me and pray for me, that you too would know  how “wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ” for you. (Ephesians 3:19) and you would be drawn closer in your relationship with Jesus than ever before and give Him your life, your all.

1. When I survey the wondrous cross
   On which the Prince of glory died,
   My richest gain I count but loss,
   And pour contempt on all my pride.
2. Forbid it, Lord, that I should boast,
   Save in the death of Christ my God!
   All the vain things that charm me most,
   I sacrifice them to His blood.
3. See from His head, His hands, His feet,
   Sorrow and love flow mingled down!
   Did e’er such love and sorrow meet,
   Or thorns compose so rich a crown?
4. Were the whole realm of nature mine,
   That were a present far too small;
   Love so amazing, so divine,
   Demands my soul, my life, my all.

Dear Jesus,

Love so amazing, so diving, demands my soul, my life, my all.

I know my life is in your hands and I thank you for all you are doing in me and in my family and our YFC team and all our friends as we walk this journey of faith and healing.   I know that all things work together for good.  I  run to you each day in love and thank you for holding me tight in your arms.

Jesus, you have my life, my soul, my all.  May you be glorified.

Love,

Chris

(Written by Becky)

“It takes a village to…”  … you finish the sentence. This phrase is used in several contexts, like “It takes a village to raise a child.” And for us, “It takes a village to get through this journey.” There is no way we could get through this without our friends and family.

My cousin Pam, for example. She was here today cleaning our bathrooms… and not just cleaning but loving and serving at the same time. And she’s just one of many who we are so thankful for. (She just happened to be here when I thought of taking a photo for this post.) Just today, someone cleaned our bathrooms, another person brought Dad and I dinner and another person brought me a kitchen table from a thrift store and visited with Mom for a while. And that’s just today. I don’t even know if I could count the rest of the people who have been here in the past week to visit, eat with us, bring us food, shop for us, vacuum the house, move furniture, whatever.

A symptom of emotional trauma is memory issues… and I can guarantee that we will forget to thank someone. We try our best, but please know that we have no idea what we would do without you. Truly. I hope you will accept this blog post as a sufficient thank you from someone who finds it too difficult to “take it a day at a time” but rather needs to just take things an hour at a time. Although we are slowly getting into a routine, we sometimes feel we are just barely keeping our heads above water with everything to remember for Mom (fresh juice 6 times a day, growing wheatgrass, special dietary needs, meds, shots, vitamins, doctor appointments). But when we rest, we wish we had the energy for real thank you cards. I don’t know if that will ever happen and I’m sorry about that.

So, please remember: WE ARE SO THANKFUL FOR YOU. WE LOVE YOU.

(P.S. We would love to see you this coming Sunday night at a prayer service for Mom at 6:00 at First Baptist Church in Scotia!)

(Written by John)

I want to invite everyone to pray with us Sunday night. We will gather at 1st Baptist in Scotia beginning at 6:00. Chris has a CT scan on Monday that will indicate the effect chemo has had and will determine the next course of action. Thank you all for your continued prayers.

(Written by Becky)

We were bored today. And that’s a good thing, I think. Mom and Dad were both very restless today which means both their energy levels are up and they felt like doing something. They both went to the office for a few hours this morning and it really invigorated both of them. Being around people in a place they love really energizes them. While they did this, I met my aunt halfway for more wheatgrass because I’m still not harvesting enough for the amount of juice Mom needs each day. It’s so helpful to have someone else growing it alongside me! We have great talks about the amount of seeds to plant and the timing to the “science of wheatgrass.”

This afternoon, Mom and I went to Walmart while Dad made some calls. She did well there and wasn’t tired at all. When we got back, Dad wanted to go out because he was so bored. So, we went to a wholesale club to stock up on some stuff. His arms hurt more than his foot sometimes because of the crutches and he gets a big kick out of riding the cars around the store.  Now, they are both working on things on the porch because they are so bored of the tv. I think this boredom and restlessness is a sign that this was a good day.

Dad got his stitches out yesterday and got a hard cast on his foot for the next three weeks. After that, he’ll have a sort of boot-cast that he can take off when it’s really hot. There’s a funny story behind that… the hard cast was supposed to be on for 6 weeks and he negotiated it down to 3 weeks because it’s so hot. The friend who took Dad to the dr. said it was a scene very typical of John Richmond and his negotiating skills.

Please keep praying – we are feeling your prayers and encouragement every day. Mom NEEDS your messages and visits, so please keep them coming. Hey, if you come at the right time, you might even get a spinach smoothie or a shot of wheatgrass juice! Mom has a scan next Monday, the results of which are vital. Please keep that in your prayers.

I asked Mom about her day today and she said, “Today was a little better than yesterday which was a little better than the day before.” And that’s a good thing, too.

Dad at the store, loving his ride.

Mom and Dad working on messages, bills, blogs, etc.

(written by Becky)

Short update – lots to do tonight! Mom’s blood tests looked good today. Her white blood cell count is higher, now in the normal range. However, her red blood cells are a bit lower. Not dangerously low, but lower than last week. However, we have lots of wheatgrass growing now and she’ll be drinking more fresh juice which should help. She’s also getting other iron-heavy foods and drinks, including spinach smoothies. Yum!

Next Monday is a big day – a CAT scan to check the tumor and determine next treatment steps. So, we’re all anxiously awaiting that with lots of hope and faith. Also, Mom’s energy continues to rise and she says she’s feeling much better!

Normal families offer coffee to visitors. We offer spinach smoothies.

Our wheatgrass garden growing in different stages so there’s always fresh grass to harvest for juicing. We’re also experimenting with broccoli sprouts for salads. We’ve learned that so many things are good for fighting and preventing cancer, but the short list of superfoods are: wheatgrass, broccoli, carrots, raspberries, garlic and beets.

(written by Becky)

I’m taking Mom to the Cancer Care Center tomorrow for a blood test to check all her levels. Will you please pray that things have improved?

We’ll keep you updated…

(written by Becky)

The last three days have seen an amazing turn-around since our last update. Mom hasn’t needed any naps (although resting is good and she sits and reads to relax) and her energy has really improved! Three days ago, she slept most of the day and could only be up for about an hour at a time before needing another nap. And today, I couldn’t get her to sit down! She’s busy organizing her home office. Although it’s not necessary, it does give her a sense of accomplishment which is nice.

We’re getting into a routine here… with some help from a wonderful friend, we got the kitchen completely organized and found a variety of meal ideas for Mom to keep it interesting. We started cooking in bulk so we always have something on hand for Mom when she’s hungry. This is helpful because the best whole-foods store is in Albany and it’s a treck!  We’ve also achieved a rigourous schedule of soaking, sprouting and planting wheatgrass every single day so there’s always some fresh to harvest for Mom’s juicing. We’re also experimenting with sprouting broccoli sprouts (anti-cancer super-food!) and alfalfa sprouts for salads. This, along with fresh carrot juice three times a day is quite a science in timing it all, but we’re getting there.

Dad’s has little pain in his foot. He can drive now, which is a help. He still needs crutches and finds stairs hard, but there’s progress. Stitches come out next week and he’ll probably get a hard cast.

Some things to pray for:

1. Mom’s blood test on Monday to check her levels – first since last round of chemo. Pray for increased white blood cells, specifically, so we won’t worry as much about bacteria. For now, visitors need to take off their shoes use the pumps of anti-bacterial gel at the door and visit with Mom outside on the porch when possible. We’re also vigorously sterilizing all dishes and food that Mom comes into contact with. It’s alot of effort!

2. Mom’s CAT scan next Monday 8/1 to see if the tumor has stopped growing or, even better, shrunk. This scan will determine further treatment plans, including another round of regular chemo and/or the new “chemo pill.”

3. Quick healing for Dad’s foot.

4. Mom and Dad’s finances. Much of Mom’s treatments aren’t covered by insurance and we’re even getting some denials in the ones that should be. Also, Mom’s diet is completely organic and very demanding, but worth it!

5. My husband Keith’s visa! He’s back in England tying things up and waiting for his visa to be approved. Please pray it happens NOW!

6. General upkeep of things. This house is more than I can handle alone and with Dad not able to help, it’s impossible between cleaning, the pool and Mom’s special diet, meds and appointments. I’ve created a “schedule of help” and if you can come vacuum once a week or come clean a bathroom once a week or do one-time jobs like seal and stain a deck that gives visitors splinters, organize Dad’s tool section in the garage, weed the flower beds or take a day with a few friends and steam clean the entire house (furniture, carpets, etc.) to sterilize for Mom, please let me know!

Some things to praise for:

1. Continued opportunities for quality family time and the making of great memories

2. Increased energy for Mom

3. Amazing friends and family that have helped recently in so many ways: cleaning, shopping, cooking and organizing. We couldn’t do this without them!

(Written by Becky)

Mom sat in a chair outside today in the sun to supervise the big garage clear-out with a few friends and family members (Mom had wanted to do this for a while to clear out clutter). However, before and after this, she was quite weary and achy. Today and yesterday, she’s slept about 16 hours a day.

Your ongoing prayers are needed for increased energy for Mom.

(written by Becky)

Today is a hard day. It’s a slow day, no visitors, not much to do around the house. But Mom’s energy is very low and she’s very “achy.” She had two appointments today – one for her IV of high dose Vitamin C and another with her chiropractor. Other than that, she’s rested most of the day. This has been the case since Friday’s chemo. It’s really drained her this time.

Dad is fine. He needs to keep his leg elevated or else his pain increases. But if he keeps resting, he has no pain. However, he’s REALLY bored. (If you’re on his phone list, watch out! He hit the phones with a vengeance today.)

Last week was a busy week with a few birthday parties and also a few times with family cooking for us. I think this week is going to be a bit slower, which will be good for Mom. However, please keep the calls and messages coming. In a few days from now, please offer to come visit her! Visitors really energize her and she needs this encouragement. I think she just needs until about Wednesday to recover from chemo and rest.

Thanks for your continued prayers!

(written by Becky)

Mom wanted me to give you a quick update. She’s getting chemo right now as I type. I’m sitting here with her talking in between her naps. It’s going ok. They are a little worried about her white blood cell count so they are giving her a shot tomorrow to stimulate her bone marrow to produce more. A third round of chemo in three weeks is dependent on a scan in two weeks to determine any changes in the tumor.

All her blood counts look to be within ranges that are not worrying. Praise God for this and pray this continues. They are paying close attention to white blood cells counts, as well as the categories that indicate her liver and kidney functions. If her hemoglobin count drops (red blood cells), she may need a blood transfusion. But for now, things look ok.

Her spirits are good though… Fiesty as always… Askings tons of questions to any doctor or nurse who will listen. I’m not doing as good, however. This is a shock to be here with all these people who have lost their hair. I forgot she had cancer until today. These last two weeks have been so fun, but a bit deceiving, I think. I think we all have alot to learn from Mom’s strength and faith!

Dad is home resting. His surgery yesterday went very well. He now has some pins and screws in his foot. Some will stay, some will be removed in a few months. He’s set up again in the family room near the bathroom without any stairs to deal with. We are so grateful for friends we can call to come over with 5 minute’s notice to move the bed downstairs or family to go to the grocery store at the drop of a hat!

We’ll keep you posted.. Thanks for your prayers!

Please pray for:
1. Of course, complete healing for Mom.
2. No side effects for Mom which could include hair loss, bone pains, nausea and fatigue.
3. An increase in Mom’s white blood cell count.
4. Dad’s speedy recovery
5. Continued approvals with the insurance companies. We got a pretty big denial today, but I called our pitbull who is bored in bed and needs something to do, so Dad is dealing with that.

Dad’s set-up in the family room in front of the big tv.

Mom napping during chemo today.