Merry Christmas from Builder Zion

Zion recieved a small tool box for Christmas yesterday. He rewarded mom and dad for the nice gift by putting a small hole in our newly painted kitchen wall when we weren't watching. He thinks he can fix it with his tools, but as with the hole in our living room wall, mom will get the honor of doing the repair. Here is Zion with some of his tools after church today.

Merry Christmas from Moriah

Time Flies at Home

Zach was released from the hospital on October 23rd. We came home and shortly after we arrived my Dad (mom was with us), Josie and Javan, Julie, and Jason arrived. We enjoyed a visit from Joy and Jordan the following weekend (Oct. 30-31st). Zach's parents and siblings have been stoping by often to eat with us or just to visit. On November 2nd Zach returned to IU for appointments and they removed two of the drainage tubes, leaving him with the internal tube in his colon and the neph. tube that drains the urine from his left kidney. Zach was really thankful to have some of the tubes out since they were causing some pain-the two left aren't too bad. We haven't gotten a full report on the CAT SCAN that was done that day yet, but Zach's surgeon looked it over and his assessment was that the cancer in the liver seemed to be the same size as it was at the time of the last scan (maybe even a little smaller.) We go back to IU again on November 30th.

We had a wonderful time with our friends at Leo this past weekend and were thankful to attend Testimonies and Baptisms for Jeremy and Gavin. Zach started back to work this week and worked around 4 hours each day. He is tired at the end of the day, but is glad to be back.

Zion is potty training (again). The process has been slow since Zach and I have been gone so much. He seems to be making some improvement. Uncle Ryan told Zion a scary story a few weeks ago and now he insists on having Zach tell him one every night before bed. We found out that Zion likes to tell stories too. Last night Zion told Zach a story that lasted a 1/2 hour about a lady who kept getting eaten by animals and then climbed out of their mouths (possibly related to hearing Jonah and the Big Fish?). It is so neat to see his imagination developing. Zion is very into playing with construction toys and begs me to get him Bob the Builder DVDs at the Library.

Moriah is learning new sounds and words everyday. She says "bye, bye," "da,da," "ma, ma," "thank you", "all done," and a form of Zion. Just this week she started trying to sing "Jesus Loves Me." She definitely knows what she wants and tries really hard to communicate with us. Moriah loves to eat and insists on using the spoon to fee herself (thankfully she isn't too messy).She has been kind of grumpy since she is getting four teeth.

I have been spend my time taking care of the kids, cleaning up after everyone, working a few hours for Gateway, and finishing up decorating projects. Zach's mom and some of her friends started painting my laundry room while we were at IU and also took down the wallpaper in our dining room. Now I am trying to figure out what color to paint the dining room. I am looking forward to a visit from Joy tomorrow and possibly a shopping trip with my sister-in-laws on Saturday. Excited that Cassie was scheduled to arrive home in Indiana today.

Thanks everyone for your continued prayers. Our God is so Good and He is showing us that He can use this Cancer for HIS HONOR AND GLORY!

Surgery Update

Zach's surgery went well and he seemed to feel pretty good when I left the hosptial last night. We are hoping that he will get to go home tomorrow if everything continues to heal.

Short Update

Zach was admitted back into the hospital yesterday. Today was a busy day for tests and procedures. We couldn't get wireless access in Zach's room, so I am on the Internet for the first time today. Zach has a surgery tomorrow late morning/early afternoon to address the leak they found in his colon. Thanks for all the prayers. I will try to post more information tomorrow.

Prayer Request

Zach and I have appointments tomorrow with his three doctors. We are really concerned that he has an infection. Please pray with us that the doctors will be able to figure out why Zach's body isn't healing and have wisdom to treat whatever problems they find effectively. Pray that we will know how to work with the doctors even as it can be very frustrating when we feel like our concerns aren't being addressed quickly enough.

Thankful for our Busy House

We were blessed beyond measure by our church family over the weekend. On Thursday, Friday, and Saturday Brothers (and a few Sisters) tore off the old roof on our house and put on a new one. Several sisters provided meals to us and the many volunteers. My cousin Sarah and her husband, Mike, came for a visit Friday-Sunday and blessed us with their company and their remodeling skills. They tore down the wall between our kitchen and dining room and with help from some Leo Brothers got everything back together by Saturday Night.

As I reflect on the weekend a verse from a song goes through my mind. "God will repay what I can not. Only Heaven knows my heart." My words can not begin to express my appreciation to the many who gave of their time to bless our family. It was so humbling to see over 25 people working on our behalf each day, knowing that many of them were sacrificing time at work and with their families to give to us. My prayer is that each one will be richly rewarded in Heaven for their efforts.

For We Walk By Faith

For we walk by faith, not by sight. - 2 Cor. 5:7

My eyes see meaningless pain and suffering.
My faith sees a plan and purpose to bring souls to Christ.

My eyes see discouragement and despair.
My faith sees a reason to rejoice in the midst of trials.

My eyes see a pointless end in death.
My faith sees hope and promise for a much better future in Heaven.


Faith is the light in your heart when all your eyes see is the darkness ahead.

Zach

Home at Last

Zach was released from the hospital at around 2:00 yesterday (Friday) afternoon. It is really nice to be home with our kids again. We enjoyed being at Ryan's 30th birthday party for a while last night. We spent a couple hours at TJ and Shelby's wedding reception this evening and sat with our neighbors by a fire for a while tonight. Zach is spending a lot of time resting, but is also enjoying distractions from other people to keep his mind off the discomfort. We head back to the hospital for follow-up appointments on Tuesday the 19th.

Wednesday Update

Zach did well during surgery this morning He has two tubes in his back draining urine from his kidney and his abdomen. They had hoped to put a tube into his left ureter, but it was too badly damaged (cut all the way through) to complete the procedure. The Colon Surgery Team came in to explain the situation and it sounds like Zach will need a surgery in 3 or 4 months to repair the damage. I haven't talked to the Urology Department Surgeons/Residents yet, but they will be coming to give their recommendations and explain more about the tube from Zach's kidney that will stay in place until he has his next surgery. Zach's oncologist also came in today to answer my questions about how this will impact Zach's cancer treatment. Dr. Helft will be closely monitoring the situation and will help us decide when the surgery should be done based on CAT Scans of the cancer in the liver and lungs. If the cancer is growing Zach may have a few rounds of chemo before surgery.

Update from the Hosptial

Thanks for your continued prayers.

Zach is still at Hospital. His colon woke up from surgery Sunday, but he had a lot of testing yesterday because his abdomen has been swelled for days. They removed 2 1/2 liters of fluid yesterday evening and we found out today that his left ureter (the tube between the left kidney and the bladder) is damaged and leaking fluid into his abdomen. He abdomen is swelled again today and this is causing him a lot of discomfort. He has a procedure/surgery tomorrow (Wednesday) to put in a tube to re-route the urine so the ureter can heal. They don't think the recovery from this should be too long, so we are hoping he will get to go home at the end of the week.

Hanging out at the Hospital

Zach had surgery on Friday (Sept 24th). The surgery was scheduled to take 3 1/2 hours, but took 5 hours instead because of some problems with the stapler they were using to put everything back together. Thankfully Zach wasn't awake for this, but it was very frustrating for the medical team working on him. A nurse gave mom, Carmon, and I updates every 1 1/2 hours so we knew what was going on. The doctors feel that they were able to get Zach's colon hooked back together correctly after removing over a foot of it. We are waiting for Zach's system to start functioning again. A test of patience for Zach since he thought he might get to go home Tuesday or Wednesday. His doctors and nurses have assured us that it just takes time. We have been walking the halls a lot and are getting good at moving around nurses, computers, and other patients. We are hoping he will get to go home Thursday, Friday, or Saturday.

Zach and I enjoyed visits from our kids, my mom, Zach's parents, Brad/Sonya, and Ryan/Jessica on Saturday and Sunday. Austin and Rachel visited Monday night. Matt Pfister just stopped by and Mike (Zach's dad), Brad/Sonya, and Ryan/Jessica are coming up tonight.

Things I am thankful for: medical care in the U.S. (so many people around the world aren't able to access treatment for cancer), Zach getting through his surgery, family members to visit and take care of our kids, a church family that prays for us, a comfortable safe hotel, God's grace and strength each day.

Zach is thankful for the opportunity to work on his patience. He committed to work on his patience at a Bible Study a couple of weeks ago and this is definitely giving him a great opportunity to work on it. It should be interesting to see what he reports back to the other brothers in the Study.

Praising Our God in This Storm

Praise You in This Storm
Written by Mark Hall / Music by Mark Hall and Bernie Herms

I was sure by now
God, You would have reached down
And wiped our tears away
Stepped in and saved the day
But once again, I say "Amen", and it's still raining

As the thunder rolls
I barely hear You whisper through the rain
"I'm with You"
And as Your mercy falls
I raise my hands and praise the God who gives
And takes away

CHORUS
I'll praise You in this storm
And I will lift my hands
For You are who You are
No matter where I am
Every tear I've cried
You hold in Your hand
You never left my side
And though my heart is torn
I will praise You in this storm

I remember when
I stumbled in the wind
You heard my cry
You raised me up again
My strength is almost gone
How can I carry on
If I can't find You

As the thunder rolls
I barely hear You whisper through the rain
"I'm with You"
And as Your mercy falls
I raise my hands and praise the God who gives
And takes away

CHORUS

I lift my eyes unto the hills
Where does my help come from?
My help comes from the Lord
The Maker of Heaven and Earth
(repeat)

CHORUS
Though my heart is torn
I will praise You in this storm



Parts of this song have went through my head many times over the past few months and then a card that plays the chorus arrived in the mail today. I wasn't sure of all the words of the song or even the group that sings it, so I looked them up and wanted to share the words.

It is our desire to Praise God through this battle with cancer. As Zach faces surgery on Friday I am forced to continuously give my fears to God, knowing that I am helpless to determine the outcome of the surgery. I continue to believe that God can work a miracle and provide healing from this cancer that has no cure. He can make a way for the surgery to to be successful. He can give us strength, grace, and peace as we face whatever He decides is best for us. I Praise God that He is with us always and that He can use this cancer for His glory.

It's not about me. It's about You. If it pleases You, it pleases me. All that matters is that You are glorified. (Nancy DeMoss)

Cancer Update

Zach had his fifth chemo treatment yesterday along with a CAT Scan to see if the treatment has been effective. The doctors found that the cancer spots in his liver and lungs have shrunk around 50%. They told us that this happens in 20% of patients or less. Normally they expect the first four treatments to stop the cancer growth and maybe shrink it a little bit. This is definitely a wonderful answer to the many prayers that have been said for him. We are so thankful.

The tumor in Zach's colon has continued to cause some concerns and the doctors have decided that since the cancer has responded so well to the chemo that now is the time to remove the tumor and hopefully get rid of some of the symptoms he has been having. They also want to remove it before other more serious problems happen requiring a more emergency surgery (or a surgery that does not come at a good time for the rest of his treatment). Another benefit of surgery now is that once Zach has recovered they can give him an additional type of chemotherapy (they have not been giving this one so far because it can cause complications if he needed to have surgery).

With every surgery there are of course risks. The surgeon hopes to use a Laparoscopic surgery method that will mean smaller openings in Zach's skin. He plans to remove the tumor and the part of the colon that the tumor is attached to and then attach the colon back together. There is always a risk of infection from the surgery itself and also the risk of the colon not healing properly and causing future complications. Zach has one more chemo treatment scheduled for September 14th and then his surgery is scheduled for the morning of September 24th. The doctors anticipate him spending five days in the hospital to recover. If all goes well Zach should be able to start chemo again 4-6 weeks after his surgery.

Several people have asked for specific things they can pray for, so here they are.
-Praise God that the Chemo is working.
-Pray that the cancer can continue to shrink and that the tumor will get smaller before surgery so that there will be less to remove.
-Pray that Dr. Helft will be given wisdom as he directs Zach's treatment.
-Pray for Dr. Nakeeb as he performs the surgery.
-Pray that Zach and I can glorify God and walk in peace through this storm.
-Pray for our children, Zion and Moriah, and our extended family members and friends as they are going through this with us.

Thanks for your prayers, cards, gifts, and support. We have been blessed by so many and hope God can use us bless others even as we have been blessed.

Back 40 Junction

A full tummy from a yummy buffet, lots of rocks, old trains, and attention from Uncle Jordan, Aunt Joy, Daddy, Mommy, and Zion. What more could a little girl want?

Cancer Update

Zach started Chemo on June 29th and has had two more treatments since then. He is scheduled for his fourth treatment on Monday along with a colonoscopy to see if the tumor in his colon is shrinking and to determine the condition of the rest of his colon. We are thankful that the anti-nausea medications seem to work well other then causing some annoying hiccups, so Zach has been able to go to work the day after his chemo. He is on medication through his port for 46 hours after chemo and a nurse has been coming to our house to unhook the needle. She taught me how to unhook it the last time she was out, so I am hoping to be able to unhook him myself after this treatment.

People often ask us how Zach is feeling. Over all he feels pretty good, but he does get tired more easily and is learning to stay home and relax more often. We continue to be thankful for God's help in our weakness.

A Great Surprise

When we arrive home this afternoon Zach and I looked out our back door to find an amazing transformation in our backyard. While we were gone someone worked hard to give us a backyard that we will enjoy spend time in. Zion and Moriah have a great big sandbox (to replace the one that was falling apart and needed new sand) and a cute chair and table set. I am thrilled with the new stone and plants around the back of the house and the potted plants on the patio. Our mystery guests also cleaned and sealed the inside of our fence (it looks much nicer), painted our front porch posts, mowed our lawn, and provided us with a steal fire pit. Such a wonderful surprise.

We are so humbled by all that people have done for us since Zach was diagnosed with cancer. We know that there is no way for us to repay all the people who have blessed our family over the past weeks, but we trust that God will bless each one greatly in eternity.

Bertsch Family Vacation

We just returned from a week at Lake Webster. What fun!!! Zion loved the sand, water, jet ski, and boat. Moriah enjoyed walking around and playing with her cousins. Zach and I played a lot of games and enjoyed a few books.

Family Photo

Happy Birthday Zion!

Zion turned three on July 15th. We had a party with the Rufener family on July 4th and with the Bertsch family on July 10th. I made Zion, Zach, Rob a monkey cake since Zion loves to see the monkeys at the zoo. Zion's favorite gifts are a tricycle from Grandpa John and Grandma Janice and a tool bench from Grandpa Mike and Grandma Carmon. He is also enjoying the candy he got. Zach and I gave Zion a few gifts on the 15th and I hosted a bunch of kids (and their moms) for a play date (Pampered Chef Party).

A New Journey

I started this blog to record cute tales about our kids and to share stories of our lives. Life continues to happen, but with it brings the busyness that has made blogging less of a priority. In April we sold our house in Leo, moved in with Zach's parents for over a month, and were thankfully able to move into our new house in Bluffton in mid May. We were just starting to get settled again when God chose to open our eyes to a new journey He wants us to take. A journey that we are thankful we don’t have to face alone.

On June 12th Zach had a colonoscopy and after the procedure the Doctor shared with us that he had found a large growth in Zach’s lower colon that appeared to be cancerous. On Monday Zach had a CAT Scan and then on Tuesday received the news that the growth was cancer and that the CAT Scan showed spots in his liver and lungs. We met with an oncologist in Fort Wayne on Wednesday the 16th and he ordered a PET Scan to verify the CAT Scan Results. Zach had to have a blood transfusion on Friday the 18th because his hemoglobin levels were too low. On Monday (21st) he had the PET Scan and on Tuesday (22nd) we met with Dr. Helft a specialist at Indiana University’s Simon Cancer Center. Dr. Helft verified that the cancer has moved from Zach’s colon to both his liver and his lungs, which means that Zach has Stage Four Colon Cancer. This type of cancer has no cure at this time, but we are thankful that there are chemo treatments effective in shrinking the cancer and preventing it from spreading. Research has shown that people receiving treatment for type four colon cancer live on an average of 2 ½ years and 1 in 8 live for 5 years.

Zach has an MRI on Friday the 25th and is scheduled to start chemotherapy on the 29th. Our hope is that the chemo will decrease the size of the tumor and also the pain that Zach is experiencing. Dr. Helft and his nurse are hopeful that Zach should be able to continue working and function fairly normally as he is given this first type of chemo. We are thankful to be working with medical professionals who along with being experienced in treating colon cancer have a great compassion for their patients and their families.

In the coming weeks we are hoping to be able to settle into a new routine. A routine that includes trips to Indianapolis every other week for chemo and tests every few months to evaluate the effectiveness of the treatment. We find our future very uncertain right now, but are thankful for the things we know are true. GOD is in control. HE will give us the strength to endure everything we will face. No matter what happens we can look forward to Heaven.

That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ: Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory: Receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls. 1 Peter 1:7-9

Zion is enjoying his new room and apparently his floor is comfortable because he prefers to sleep on it instead of in his bed. He is learning how to pray by repeating after Zach before bed each night. Zion loves to ride his bike in the basement and asks to play at the park across the street almost everyday. When we take walks through the neighborhood he almost always stops to pick a flower or two or three (one fore each person we are walking with).

Moriah turned one on May 15th and had a great party with her cousins a few weeks before her birthday. Today she is finally starting to get excited about walking from one person to another. It is kind of crazy how much amusement and joy a group of adults can get from watching a little girl's excitement in learning how to walk. She is still the Princess at our house, although she is learning that she sometimes needs go to bed even if she isn't quite ready. It is so sad to hear her cry for her mommy, but she is usually asleep within a few minutes. Moriah loves to eat and eats more than Zion at many meals. She is also learning that it is fun to climb up and down the basement steps. Thankfully she hasn't tumbled down yet.

SPRING-WE HOPE

Moriah enjoyed playing in the grass tonight for the first time and got jumped on my our neighbor's new puppy. Its hard to believe she is 10 months old. Zion also enjoyed the freedom of being outside. He is getting more vocal everyday and is starting talk on the phone more often. We are all hoping that winter is over, so we can continue to get outside for some much needed exercise and sunshine.

Life is kind of crazy, but we have so much to be thankful for. We traveled to Ohio the last two weekends. The first to meet Jacob's fiance Beth Miller and the second to attend a Family Life Marriage Conference. We may make one more trip to Ohio before the end of the month for a wedding shower. Providing the sale of our house goes through we will be moving out in April. At this point it looks like we won't get possession of our new house until mid May, so we are thankful that Zach's parents have offered to let us stay with them for a while. I will be so thankful when this moving process is over. I totally understand why moving is listed as one of the more stressful life events. Zach is getting tired of the long drives to work and I am ready to feel more settled again.