January 18th ~ And So It Begins ...

Over the holidays Steve began having what was, basically, an extended abdomen. He was joking that he was getting a ‘pot belly’ and that he needed to go on the “Flat Belly Diet” he’d heard Jenna talk about. We were at a party for his old high school friends , and his good friend who's an ER doctor in Long Beach took him aside, did an informal exam, and told him to get in to the Dr. immediately.

He was diagnosed with “ascites” which is fluid in the abdomen. Over a few days they drained 8 liters, with a couple more liters left in. The bottom line is that after a week and a half of further tests to determine the cause of the ascites, he’s been diagnosed with pseudomyxoma peritonei, an extremely rare form of cancer that originates in the appendix, and impacts the abdomen and the lining of the abdominal cavity. At this point Steve is scheduled for another ultrasound and we have an appointment to meet with the oncological surgeon on Tuesday. At that point we explore the options of finding a doctor who is experienced in in the treatment of this very rare form of cancer.

They need to get in there to know just how much/where it is, so at some point within the very near future he’ll be undergoing an extensive surgery and we’ll certainly keep you posted before that happens. He’s in no pain whatsoever and is actually feeling pretty good, though tired, but this is a lot to take in and process so quickly.

One interesting thing is that, after months of waiting, at the almost exact time we were getting word of Steve’s test results, Brian and Jenna were getting the news that Brian had been accepted into Test Pilot School @ Edwards AFB, and they’ll be moving here next Jan.

I can’t stop being thrilled at God’s impeccable timing in giving them the news at the same time we were getting this other news. I call these ‘faith builders’ .... Clear gifts, (like the timing of the news) from God and a reminder that He indeed loves us and is at work in our lives. ....what a GREAT time to be reminded of this!

I know friends and family will be holding us up in prayers, and I thank you for that.

We'll keep you posted as we go along.

~ Keren