What a Long Day!

I have not reported much on Mark lately. Truthfully, not a lot has been happening, thank goodness! Out of the four classes he routinely teaches, he has been able to take back the two upper level statistics courses and next week will give the finals in all four classes. But, the good news is that after he grades his finals and gets the grades turned in...he's done until August! Ahh, the life of a college professor!

Two weeks ago today, we saw Dr. Dean, a hematologist/oncologist at U.T. Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas for a second opinion on his treatment. Another sonogram was performed and more blood work was obtained. Dr. Dean consulted with his "collegues" in Indiana and the recommendation was that Mark did indeed need the "little surgery" that was first thought in early March.

His day surgery was scheduled for today. We arrived at the hospital at noon for 3pm scheduled surgery time. At 4:15pm they started. Ugh! He went to the day surgery unit around 6pm and we got home about 9:30pm. Hence, "what a long day!" His surgery went fine and there were no complications. His doctor said that he should lay around for most of the weekend and ought to be feeling good by next week. The pathology report will be in next week and we'll be anxious to know the final report on that.

Another update is that we saw the radiologist/oncologist here in Abilene last week. If he feels good by Tuesday or Wednesday, then he'll go in for "markers" and the radiation treatments should start either the next day or by Monday. He'll go five days a week and probably for six weeks at the longest. It's really nice that he can do those treatments here in Abilene and we can be home.

We are both glad to have this surgery done and we're both ready for the radiation treatments to start. "Sooner we start, sooner we're done!"

Katie leaves tomorrow afternoon for Malibu, California! Too bad, huh? Ministers have it rough these days! She is so excited though! She is attending the Women in Ministry conference which backs up to the Pepperdine Lectures. Highland Church, where she serves as a Children's Ministry assistant, is paying for her and the Children's Minister to attend this conference and lectures. By the time she leaves tomorrow, she will have finished her big paper and the exam for her first grad school course and finished another paper for a different course at ACU. (She's also worked on her tan, so she's not a pale Texas girl in California!) Please pray for her safe travels.

Thanks to all of you who pray for Mark and I and hold us close in your thoughts. We love you all!

So This Is How It Goes

Our son, Will is a Sophmore at ACU majoring in Graphic Design. (however, he would want me to tell you that he is a Junior by hours accredited) I am very blessed that Will is good to instant message me from time to time to chat and fill me in on what's going on in his world. Here is how our conversation basically went today....

Will: "Hey Mom!"
Me: "Hey, what's up?"
Will: "Oh not much. I know I just got back from my art class that the prof passed back a ton of our projects!" (he also included the face like :-/
Me: "Isn't that good?"
Will: "not necessarily. I looked around and almost no one got any A's! So, that is bad." :(
Me: "So you got bad grades?"
Will: "well, there are bad grades"
Me: "So, did YOU get bad grades?" (now at this point, I'm getting myself pretty worked up for the big speech...you know the kind...I've have both barrels loaded!)
Will: "No, I got almost all A's!!!" "So, that means I'm probably getting an A in a course where the prof never gives A's!"

Now, will someone please explain to me why these conversations happen? Do they not want to just call and say "hey Mom, I'm getting an "A" in art! Woohoo!" ???
I guess I should just be thankful that he's good about sharing his news with me, but as Brandon Scott Thomas would so articulately say, "For the love!"

I've earned most of my gray hairs. A few just came in while I wasn't looking one day. But, I can look at most of them and assign and date, time and name to them!

I love you, Will Riggs! You exasperate me and bring me great joy! But, I don't ever want to know what I'd do without you! Besides, gray hair isn't so bad!

My Friend, Rebecca Brimmer Smith

Becky passed away this morning and just as she had hoped...at home with her family around her. Christopher arrived around 1am and went to his mother's bedside and was able to converse with her and "it was like she was waiting for him." said Steve this morning. She passed away a few hours later and Steve said, "she's gardening in heaven with her daddy now."

Services will be graveside for family and close friends Tuesday morning followed by a praise service at A&M Church of Christ that afternoon.

Steve told us last weekend that he is hoping to establish a scholarship at ACU in Becky's name and would like all memorials to go there in lieu of flowers. I will pass that along when it has been established for sure.

God answered my prayer for her to go soon and at home. I am so thankful for my friend, Becky and the joy of life, the appreciation of the landscape, (flowers, trees, etc) and the total dependency on God that she modeled for me.

"Who Am I?"

Tonight our hearts continue to be so heavy with the suffering of our dear friends.

Bob Gorsline was a man after God’s own heart. I never met anyone so passionately in love with the Lord and with the building up of His church! Bob and his precious wife, Annette were in Abilene in February, for Sing-Song at ACU, where they sat so proudly and watched their oldest daughter, Karyn, direct her social club. They also spent some great moments with their youngest daughter, Andrea who is a freshman at ACU and is the school mascot, Willie Wildcat! Karyn will graduate in just a few weeks from ACU. While here, they stayed with us and we played “42” and laughed and laughed and recalled fondly “old times” and how good God has been to our families. Also while here, Bob was just as proud as a peacock that their oldest son, Paul, and his wife are expecting their first grandchild (a boy!) in July! Paul graduated from Harding last May and lives and works in California as a youth minister. Bob and Annette lived in a suburb of Spokane, Washington far away from the rest of the family. They moved up there years ago to plant churches. Bob served as an elder in their church and had recently been involved in the planting of a new church across on the other side of town and had even sold their home and were in the process of moving to a their new home so to be closer to their work with that church. Annette said that Easter Sunday, they worshipped with that new church for the first time!

A week ago tonight, God took Bob home very suddenly. Without warning and without any goodbyes. They are still not sure of the “why”, but it appears to have been a massive heart attack. Tomorrow, Annette, Paul, Karyn and Andrea will say goodbye to their husband and father. Please remember them and pray for God’s peace and His comfort on them.

Many times, not necessarily here on my blog, I have asked you to pray for my friend, Becky. Tonight, hospice has been called in and her family has been summoned to come from all over and gather with her. Mark and I had the real blessing of spending last Saturday with Becky, her devoted husband, Steve and their sweet, sweet daughter, Laura. It wasn’t the fun times of the past visits. It was goodbye. I’ve never done that before. I’ve never had to sit at the bedside of a dying friend. But, as hard as it was, it was such a precious time that I will never forget! We sat for two hours and laughed and cried and shared and prayed and held each other! Becky told me some things that she wanted me to do for her kids and for Steve. I told her what a blessing, what a role model, what a hero, what a true friend she had been for me! Pray for Becky, Steve, Laura and their son, Christopher.

I have shared a few times a Zoe group song (also sung by Casting Crowns) that was speaking to my heart at one particular time or another. Tonight, it’s “Who Am I?” I don't know why God has called these two servants of His home. I haven't done near for His kingdom what this brother and sister have done. But, I know He knows why and I'll attempt to live my life like they did...full of joy for the Lord and His church.

“Who am I that the God of all the Earth
Cared to know my name, would care to feel my hurt
Who am I that the bright and morning star
Would choose to light the way
For my ever wandering heart?

Not because of who I am, but because of what you’ve done,
Not because of what I’ve done, but because of who You are!

I am a flower quickly fading. Here today and gone tomorrow,
A wave tossed in the ocean. A vapor in the wind.
Still you hear me when I’m calling,
Lord you catch me when I’m falling.
You told me who I am……I am yours!

Hello Again!

Let me start out by saying that I’m very sorry that it has taken me so long to write an update! Since I last blogged, we haven’t known anything new. But, we’ve had so many kind people saying they’ve been checking so I wanted to update you as soon as possible. And, now we know a little something……

Mark had his PET scan a week ago today. That is a test where they inject radioactive glucose into your veins and wait for it to “pass thru” then they scan and look for any highlights (kind of like “glow in the dark”). Only abnormal cells or tumors would be highlighted. The good news is NOTHING highlighted! All clear! Thank you, Lord!

Now we are waiting on a Dr. from Dallas to call us with an appointment time for us to see him about a second opinion on his course of treatment. Even Mark’s Dr. here recommended that we get a second opinion since his type of tumor is not-so-common and even more uncommon in someone his age. There is no uncertainty that the tumor is gone and that he is free of any abnormal cells. The plan has been (and will probably continue to be after the second opinion) that he will do six weeks of radiation treatments and that will be here in Abilene. We are anxious to start those treatments. Like Will use to say at the beginning of elementary school in the Fall, “the sooner we get started, the sooner it’ll be over!

Mark started teaching one class last week. This is an upper level Statistics class that no one else in the department wants near! I think that has been the “carrot dangling” for him to get well quick and take his class back! He is hoping to return to one more class before school is out. There are two more classes of his that other profs have been so kind to teach for him and what a great family at ACU that others just step-up and are ready to help! I want to brag just a bit though….he got a card in the mail this week from one of his classes that he won’t be returning to. All the students had signed it and some wrote notes. One young man wrote, “Dr. Riggs, You are the ONLY math teacher I have EVER understood! Hurry back!”

So, we are so good and Mark feels well and except for a few missing pounds (Mark lost 20 and I gained 3!) he looks like nothing ever happened! He is highly anticipating his return to the golf course and in about a week or so, will start lightly swinging his 7 iron. (whatever that means?)

I am going to write a separate “blog” tonight for my prayer requests. You all have been so faithful to keep up with us and to pray for our friends. Thank you sincerely.

Blessings for a lovely, restful weekend!