Another Dr. visit

We had the follow up visit with the infectious disease doctor at the University of Utah. We had our niece Olivia with us to be returned to her mom in SLC. She was absolutely golden today. She was the perfect little angel. The three of us were sitting in the waiting room looking at all the brochures for living with AIDS and Hepatitis C and such. It made me think we didn't have it so bad after all. At least we were only dealing with staph. That is what the doctor told us today. They are pretty sure that it was staph that was causing all the problems. The pathology report showed no abcesses in the tumor at all and they are confident they have taken care of whatever was left behind. However, they decided to keep Trent on the IV antibiotics, Vancomycin and Meropenum, for a couple more weeks. That way when the chemo knocks off all of Trent's neutrophils he will still have something to fight any infection with. I felt pretty good about that. Both of the doctors looked at the incision and were very happy that there is no outward sign of infection at all and all of the labs are coming back normal. YEAH! We LOVE normal!

As the time comes closer for the next round of chemo we are more and more scared. It does not help at all that we know EXACTLY what it is like! It is AWFUL! It is hard to go through that all again after we have had some time with Trent feeling pretty good. But we are excited to get back to kicking cancer!

Texas Roadhouse Rocks!

My sister-in-law works at Texas Roadhouse and they have offered to do a fundraiser for our family. On Monday if you go there and mention our name 10% of your bill will be donated to help Trent kick cancer!

New Friends

Me, Trent, Todd, and Steph

(My lens had a fingerprint on it, sorry for the fuzziness!)

We have been looking forward to our visit with Todd and Steph for a while now. They are friends from Pocatello who are going through cancer treatments too. They found our blog from the radio ad for the cupcake fundraiser and we have been able to share many things. Our lives have traveled very similar paths and have finally crossed. All things happen for a reason. It was a great visit and we are glad to count them as friends. We are praying for you Todd and Steph!

Trent has done much better today. He was up helping to tend kids, clean the kitchen, and watch the dog. It was so nice to see him up and about. The pain in his chest was mostly gone until this evening when it started to act up again. The morphine we were given doesn't seem to help too much. We will have to start doubling up on the oxycodone. Besides the pain in his chest he keeps saying it feels like his stitches are going to split wide open. I am sure that won't happen. Number one-no more stitches, and number two-his incision is completely healed and looking beautiful. All the little holes that the stitches were in have bled just a bit before they scabbed over. When Trent sees even a drop of blood he assumes something is wrong. I can totally understand that reaction because of the horrifying hole that was the biopsy site. However, since the surgery he has healed up great. Just a psychological thing I guess.

We did hear back from Huntsman today. We are still on schedule to start chemo on Monday. As of now the drug regimen has not changed. We are going with doxrubycin and cisplatin. They are both nasty for nausea but not the brain stuff. Hopefully Trent will remain lucid and normal, albeit sick, throughout this round. We are enjoying the last few days of feeling good before the horror begins anew. We have to keep thinking, it is a means to an end. We have to do this to make him better, but it is all so backwards. Pushing him to the brink of death just to yank him back is awful. It is terrifying and horrible to watch and I don't even have to feel it. I can't imagine that I would hold up as well as he has. I am so proud of him and completely in awe of his strength. Together we will see this thing through.

Do You Want the Bad News or the Worse News?

I had a million and one things I needed to catch up on today so when Trent announced he was having chest pain I knew we were in trouble. I have been especially aware of any new symptom he has been having lately. He kind of has a cough and he always feels like he has something in his throat or chest that he can't cough up. It has been scaring me to death that the cancer in his lungs is actually big enough to feel.

When he told me he was hurting I did twenty questions with him trying to figure out if it was cardiac or pulmonary. I was worried about a clot in his lung. I told him I thought he needed to see a doctor and he was adamant he did not. Well, I won. I called Katie at the Huntsman and she got us an appointment for a scan a hour and a half later. President Baird and my dad gave Trent a blessing before we left. That made me feel a lot better. We zoomed down to SLC and saw Dr. Voorhies. He told us he thought Trent may be having a pulmonary embolism. Great. One more thing. We couldn't decide which was worse to have-a pulmonary embolism or cancer so big that it causes pain. I think they are pretty much a toss up. Both are pretty dang scary.

We got Trent in for the scan and just as they were pushing him into the machine he started having massive chest pains. Scared me to death. But I calmly told him to take deep breaths and relax. The scan was over quick and we went back to see Dr. Voorhies. We were worried he would be admitted for anticoagulant therapy. The nurse said we would probably just have to do some shots at home because judging by the way Trent looked it probably wasn't a very big clot.
Then Dr. Voorhies came in and told us the good news. It was not a pulmonary embolism. Then he told us the bad news. The cancer had grown so big it was putting pressure on the pulmonary wall and causing the pain. Not fabulous. He will talk with Dr. Gouw and we should be getting a call tomorrow afternoon to give more details about the treatment plan now.

I can't say we were shocked at the news. Trent hasn't had chemo for five weeks now. We had to know the cancer would continue to grow without treatment but there was a little part of me that was really hoping things would be better than this. I didn't expect everything to be smooth sailing after removing the giant tumor on his hip, but I was still hoping it would be.

We are still very hopeful about the next round of chemo. We have been praying for Dr. Gouw constantly and will continue to do so. This is just a little bump on the big bump on our road.

Railroad Tracks

Trent finally got the stitches out today. All 38 of them, spanning about 16" down his side. He is left with a pretty gnarly scar but the incision looks great in terms of healing. The actual taking out of the stitches was not too bad. Some of them were pretty tight and those were a bit tender but Trent chatted away with the nurse the entire time.

It ended up being another very long day at the Huntsman. Trent's port was clotting again and we had to do the medication to clear it out which takes a couple of hours. We forfeited the consult room/nap room :) to do a couple of errands for my Dad while we waited. Too bad, because we were dang tired by the time we got home.

I just have to say again how nice it has been to have Trent back mentally. We had such a great time today and I just had to smile while I listened to him chatter away with everyone. He is such a great guy and so sweet. I love him so much! I really miss him when he turns into chemo patient. I know that Trent hates it too. He is feeling so good and so much like himself that it really makes us dread chemo next week. We know it is for the best and a necessary evil, but we are not looking forward to it at all.

Fun Day with my Hubby!

Happy Pioneer Day!

We had a great weekend. Saturday Trent was able to go with Zach, Jarom, and his friend and his boys to the movie. That was huge! We even traveled to Providence to do it! He was tired when we got back but not too bad. Since the surgery he has slowly regained his strength. Each day he is a little stronger than the day before. He even scoots around a little without any crutches at all. It is nice to see him get better every day. We have had so much fun talking to the real Trent-he is really funny! That chemo brain is so NOT fun.

Last night Trent's sister Trisha and her husband came from California. It was so good to see them! We hadn't seen them for over two years. They had never even seen Jonathan. It was fun to have them stay with us. They headed out early this morning to go to the Rasmussen Family Reunion. We had hoped to go to but that was just too much of a drive for Trent. I was nervous that we would get up there and he would be miserable and I wouldn't be able to help him. Ultimately I left it up to Trent who decided he could not do it yet. He really misses his family and wanted so badly to go and tell them all how much he loved them. It was a tough decision to make.

Today Trent actually went to all three hours of church. We had many ward members come and greet and us say how happy they were to see him there. We were happy too. It felt good to be there and we both enjoyed every minute of it. Trent had an awesome lesson in Elder's Quorum about the Priesthood. They discussed the power and authority of the priesthood and how important it is to petition God using the priesthood. We had a similar lesson in Relief Society. Both of our testimonies of the priesthood have grown exponentially. We have come to KNOW more fully that the priesthood is the authority to act in the name of God. What power that is! We are seeing daily the blessings we have been given come to fruition in our lives. It is humbling and amazing. We are so grateful however unworthy we may feel.

Fun Day

Today was pretty good too. Trent is still dealing with post op pain but doing well. His incision looks beautiful and is healing really well. The holes from the drains are hardly draining anything at all but his leg and side are a bit swollen. He keeps complaining of being sore and I have to remind him that he is now forcing a little tiny muscle to do the work of several large muscles. He is getting pretty good at getting himself in and out of bed. He gets around pretty much all by himself. He still needs some help when he has been in one position for extended periods of time but is mostly independent now. He still doesn't eat with us at the table because those darn chairs are just too hard on his bum! So he eats on the fluffy couch instead.



We got Trent outside for a bit this evening to watch the kids learn to ride bikes. We showed off some of the tricks we have been teaching Scout and that was about all he could handle.



It is pretty scary to watch Trent change physically. He is starting to lose his eyebrows and eyelashes and I don't love that. I knew it would come but I secretly hoped it wouldn't happen to him. It makes him really look like a cancer patient. Little by little this is all starting to sink in. My husband has cancer. Cancer is our life. Hope is our future.

A Week in Review

Last week was pretty good all things considered. Zach chose to stay home from MDT camp so he could spend time with Trent. He told me that there would always be more MDT but he might not ever get this time with Dad again. He is so mature for his age...I can't believe some of the things he thinks about. So he and Trent had some movie nights, chess games, checkers, and Wii time. They are pretty good buds and had a great time.

Jonathan is just learning to talk. He regularly comes to give Trent kisses and hugs and says, "Daddy sick." It is so cute and he is so tender with him.

We were lucky enough to have Trent's mom and sister come for a short visit last weekend. His mom spoiled him by running to get whatever meal he wanted from whatever fast food restaurant. I admit, I did that too during chemo. I guess Trent has that affect on us!

Yesterday was our doctor appointments with Dr. Jones and Dr. Gouw. Dr. Jones took the drains out of Trent's leg and side. He asked Trent what he had for breakfast and as soon as Trent started to answer he ripped them out of his leg. Trent screamed. Apparently it hurt pretty bad and we were told it usually doesn't. Then Dr. Jones moved on to the upper drains. Trent said, " I am not telling you what I had for lunch!" It was pretty funny and good that Trent could keep his sense of humor even though it was pretty painful.

We met with Dr. Gouw who said that he is pretty sure he is going to ditch Ifosfamide this time and go with a new drug. We are still doing to give the Doxrubicyn another try as it hasn't really had time to prove whether or not it is working yet. Trent will start chemo on August 2nd-one day before our 15th wedding anniversary. How romantic! We are going to be all alone (minus the 101 doctors and nurses) in a huge suite (nevermind the fact that I can't share the same bed or bathroom with Trent) with no kids in sight (not that we would want them to see any of that torture) for our anniversary! I can't wait!

Then we had to have Trent's port re-accessed. It was clotting and they had to put some medicine in it and let it sit for two hours. By this time Trent was pretty tired. They led us to their consultation room that was decked out with two huge couches covered in pillows, a flat screen TV, and warming blankets. We each took a couch, turned out the lights, and took a nap. It was awesome. When we woke up it was time to finish all the port stuff and get outta there! It was a really long day and Trent paid for it in pain last night. But on the brighter side, he slept better than he has for a long time!

Trent still has a pretty good attitude most of the time. While the nurse was fixing his port she told him how sorry she was that he had to go through this. His answer was immediate. He said, "I'm not, it is going to make me a better person." That honestly is what we are praying for, besides a cure, to be better people. We have to let cancer change us permanently and never go back to the way we were. It is all about the attitude. Trent read a short blurp about Glenn Beck last week. He has been told that he may loose his eyesight. Glenn's response was something like, "If I do, I will just thank God for letting me keep my sight for as long as He has." I know that is the right attitude, that we should be thankful for all we have, no matter how long we have it. But we are really praying for longevity!

We took a little trip to Walmart today to pick up a few things. It was really sobering. Trent had been doing really good and felt like he wanted to see the outside world again. He used the jazzy all through the store. While that was good for him, it really made reality set in a little more for me. I could see the stares and looks we were getting from those who passed us. I tried to smile at them all but found myself wondering if they were feeling sorry for us. The thought of that was a little hard to swallow. I know people feel sorry for our situation but I don't want them to feel sorry for us. I am not even sure there is a difference. It just makes our life more real to me. This stuff happens to other people, not us. I am supposed to be smiling sympathetically to someone else, not the other way around. That part of cancer is something I really hate. Who am I kidding? There is not really a part of cancer that I particularly like.

Another Day Down

The last couple of days have been a little rough. Let me re-phrase that...the last couple of NIGHTS have been a little rough, which makes for rough days. Trent has been up a lot at night, with pain, bathroom trips, IV med changes, and bad dreams. He has a hard time getting to sleep. He can't seem to make his mind shut down and let him rest. Unfortunately that means I am up a lot a night too. Two sleep deprived people don't make for a very effective team during the day. We are EXHAUSTED!!!!

Trent is going so stir crazy. I don't have time to sit with him all day long because I am taking care of kids and trying to work full time. So that means Trent spends some time alone just hanging out. For most of us that sounds HEAVENLY! :) But for Trent, it is making him crazy. I bought him a sketch pad, pencils, and oil pastels today so he could do something while he is resting. Hopefully this will help snap him out of his funk. I am hoping to get him outside tomorrow, at least for a minute, so he can get some fresh air. That might wake him up a little bit.

We ran out of pain meds today so I called the doc only to find out I have to physically hold the paper prescription to get it filled at the pharmacy. So Michael, our patient care coordinator made a trip to Ogden to meet me and give me the script. I am sure that was above and beyond his job description and I am so thankful he did that for us! He has been awesome. He has a nice soft voice and always knows when to say something and when to just lay a hand on your back and wait for you. I have been really impressed with him. Another reason it is good to be at the Hunstman!

Homecoming and Weekend of Visitors!

What a great weekend we had! The kids came back Saturday morning. We missed them so much! We spent a great day just hanging out together and hearing about all of their fun adventures in Idaho. They loved the story about the Lovebugs too!

Trent is doing better each day-with minor setbacks here and there. He is mostly coming along very nicely but has struggled a little with bouts of pain and soreness. Not too surprising considering the surgery he had! He is very diligent about doing laps around the basement and doing his exercises from the physical therapist. He is now able to stand up-after I have gotten him to a sitting position-and get himself back to a sitting position again. He has done the big long staircase a few times now and usually does pretty good.

We had a fun surprise visit from my Aunt Gayla and my cousin Austin. They showed up with some awesome looking pizzas and cupcakes! It was really fun to talk to them. I haven't seen them for quite a while and it is nice to have great family support.

Trent, Austin, and Aunt Gayla

We also had Trent's brother and his family here to visit. They brought out kids back from Idaho and spent the afternoon with us. It really helps Trent to be so close to his family. We love that our kids get to be close to their cousins too.

Heidy, Sam, Trent, Trevor, and Kaleb

Trent's cousin from Ohio stopped by on his way to Oregon and spent a couple of hours with him. They enjoyed telling stories from their childhood and reminiscing the 'good old days'. I have to admit I really love the visitors too. It really gives us both a boost to share moments with friends and family.

Trent and Scott

While all of the visitors were fun, I think this little guy was Trent's favorite. Since he has been home Jonathan has been all over Trent. He is the spitting image of him and definitely the same personality. What a cutie!

Fabulous Day

Yesterday was a pretty good day. Not too many happenings. My Uncle Verle stopped in to see us and we had a great little chat. He is so nice to make the effort to see us. He chatted with Trent for a bit and was so sweet.

I had to step out for a minute because Trent was really craving Subway. When I came back as soon as I walked in the door I heard singing. I had turned on the monitor in Trent's room so I could hear him if he needed me. He was downstairs singing to himself with his mission hymn book. It was so sweet. I eavesdropped on him for a few minutes and listened to his sick little voice singing "Teach Me to Walk in the Light". He has always loved to sing and has a pretty good voice. It was really comforting to me to listen to him.

Then this morning we got a call from Dr. Jones, the surgeon. He had the pathology report and wanted to let us know that all the margins from surgery were WIDELY NEGATIVE!!!!!! That means that all the cancer was successfully removed from his hip. That was huge for us. We cried for a bit, prayed for a bit, and then started calling people. What a blessing to know for sure that the surgery was as successful as we had prayed for.

Then this afternoon Adam, my little bro, came to "babysit" Trent while I ran to the store for milk. It is so nice to know that we have people around us willing to serve us in even the littlest ways.

We are getting really excited for our kids to come home. We have missed them tremendously and can't wait to hug and kiss them. We put together a little movie basket for them and blew up balloons. Well, I blew up the balloons. Trent does NOT have the lung capacity that he used to! We wrote a little storybook for the kids about five little lovebugs who go on an adventure to Hydapo (Idaho) and have a great time. But all the while the mom and dad lovebug are really missing them and remembering little things about each child that makes them smile. They are always connected by heartstrings and the mom and dad finally get so lonely they start pulling on the heartstrings to bring the kids back home so they can all be together. It was a corny little story but when Trent read it he was really emotional. He really misses those kids and it is wearing on him. The countdown has begun...only 10 hours left!

First Day Home

The first day home has been pretty good. Trent got some good rest last night without all the beeping of the hospital. I don't know how the expect people to get well when they are woken up nineteen hundred times a night! We both slept hard and long. We were up a bit to give medicine and such but mostly it was a great night. We set up camp in the basement and enjoyed a nice quiet day. Trent is more sore today than before and is really feeling the muscle loss but we stuck to the exercise regimen and made sure he was up and walking several times today.

I finally finished the blanket I made for him. I had been calling it the "Cancer Blanket". I chose the fabric to remind Trent that he needed to get better to take his boys camping. Trent has renamed the blanket the "Get Better Blanket". I like the sound of that a lot more. Trent is a guy who really loves a good blanket. I have made several for him and they are all packed up in the storage unit. Hopefully he will grow to love this one as much as the others!


These little balls are lovingly referred to as "space balls". They are actually IV antibiotics that pump themselves in so Trent doesn't have to be hooked up to an IV pole all the time. They are pretty cool and very easy to use.

All in all it was a very good day. It is so much easier to take care of a post op patient than a chemo patient. I am sure it is easier for Trent too!

Discharge

We really did get discharged today. We are very glad to be home and in our familiar bed! Trent was sent home on some gangbuster antibiotics that will require a lot of attention from me as they are administered through his port. We had home health come tonight and they will continue to come daily for awhile. That was comforting to me because Diane, the home health nurse, was fabulous and spent a lot of time teaching me about the drugs and the delivery and how to care for the drains in Trent's leg. Thankfully the drains are set to come out Friday-right before the kids come back. I was a little worried that Jonathan might be a little too curious with those! Tomorrow will be spent organizing our new drug regimen and space so that Trent can get around as easily as possible without the risk of falling or getting infection of any kind.

While we were in the hospital a social worker named Steven came to see us. He was so good! He had a nice soothing voice and spent quite a bit of time with us. I would love to talk to him again when we go next. He offered some very good suggestions for us and one that I thought was very interesting. He suggested Trent take up cycling. I thought that was a great idea because that is something he didn't do before and therefore couldn't be compared as "pre-cancer" and "post-cancer". Something to think about.

We also had a couple of visits today from different nurses. The first was one of the surgery nurses. We have only seen her one time but she said she thought about Trent all weekend and just had to bring him a bracelet that says "Sarcoma knows no borders". She was impressed with his determination and wanted to make sure she saw him again. Then we had a visit from Dr. Jones' nurse, Nancy. We have only seen her once also. She too said she couldn't get Trent out of her mind and had to slip in to see how he was doing. Her exact words were, "You have done my soul good to see you today." She had been very worried about him because of the condition he was in when she saw him. But he looks a million times better than pre surgery and is looking better every day.

Post Op Day 3

More good news! We were told that we would go home today-only home health was not open because of the holiday and wouldn't be able to get the things we needed. Boo. Anyway, the fact that he COULD have gone home was good news. So we will be going home tomorrow. He just needs to learn how to climb stairs with the crutches. Yep-he is already using crutches. He even took a few steps today without any assistance of any kind!

Check out Trent's mom following along with the walker! Funny thing is-she actually said it helped her walk!

The surgeon was in again today and was amazed at how well Trent is doing. He is several days ahead of schedule as far as recovery. We also looked at the incision today and the skin is just as healthy and pink as you could hope for. It looks beautiful-if an 18 inch incision could look beautiful! Trent got just a glimpse of what his body looks like now. I had to draw a picture for him because it is kind of hard to see. He struggled for a bit but he hasn't really seen the whole of it yet. There will be some adjusting and some grief but we are thrilled with the results. I really believe that in time his body will fill in a little more and he will be able to do just about everything he did before with no trouble at all. I am just so happy that the tumor is out!!!!

The drains are looking great. They originally told us they would stay in for at least 4-6 weeks but after the doc saw them today he suggested they would probably be ready to take out on Friday! One week from surgery! That is good news because I am not sure how Trent is going to wear clothes with those things hanging off his leg!

Adam and Dev checking in on the patient!
We had a movie night last night with Josh and Joellynn. Josh had to climb up on the counter to figure out how to play the DVD. Lucky thing he is so young and spry! We had a great time chomping on peanut m&m's and licorice. Nice break from the monotony of the days in the hospital!

Post Op Day 2

Trent continues to amaze all the doctors and nurses. He is healing SO well! He has far surpassed their expectations with the walking and the surgeon said he is days ahead in his recovery. YEAH!!!! He got up this morning and did the big lap around the floor which is about 450 feet. He is walking so well and his balance is perfect. He learned a bunch of exercises to do to strengthen the muscles he has left and train his leg not to swing inward. His attitude is great and very positive. He loves to hear how he is surprising all the staff with his progress.



Testing out the new feet!

Looking good babe!

Uhh...cheese? It is so nice to have Trent back. For a long time he was not really there mentally but since the surgery he has been regular old Trent, cracking jokes and having fun. I can't believe how well he is doing! It almost makes being in the hospital FUN!!!

We have seen so many blessings in the last two days. My sister Jill nailed it when she said, "The priesthood is REAL!" We are seeing the power of the priesthood so clearly in our lives. We absolutely BELIEVE in the power of the priesthood. There is no denying that. We are so grateful and in awe of the blessings that are being poured out to us. Thank you all for joining us in fasting and prayer to make these things happen. WE WILL WIN THIS FIGHT!!!!

Post Op Day 1

Today has been pretty good. This morning Trent was given four units of blood. When he came in his hematicrit level was 19. It should be 30-35. So they gave him some during surgery which bumped it up to 22 then the next four units got it up to 33 so we are happy about that. He is actually looking pink again. He did not get much sleep last night and none today so he is pretty tired. He has been experiencing some pain but not too much. He has never had surgery before so he is not familiar with the "hit by a truck" feeling.


He tried walking today. He did really good. His left leg wants to turn in because the abducter muscle is gone and the adducter is pulling it inward. He will have to learn to walk a little differently. He got stronger each time he got up to walk but as the day went on he got a little more sore too. By this evening he was pretty anxious about things and had a hard time winding down for sleep.

We-Josh, Joellynn, Trent, and myself, tried to watch the fireworks out the window but there were none that we could really see very well. Not much of a Fourth of July! Happy 4th everyone!

Here are a few pics from the last two days.
Trent-pre surgery.

Post op and needing a little blood!

Some of our surgery day support group! Court must have been in the hall with the girls.

Joellynn and Trent just chillin'.

Getting ready to stand!

Check out all the wires! He is like a robot!

The proud patient after the first lap around the floor!

Josh perched in the window trying to see the fireworks.

Successful Surgery

We arrived at the Huntsman this morning at 7:00 am. At about 8:00 Trent's mom showed up and waited with us for pre-op. We spoke with all the docs and anesthesiologists and they all seemed really great. I asked the doc if I could see the tumor when he got it out. He promised me he would have pictures taken. They all laughed that I wanted to see it but seriously, I have been tending that thing for the last month and a half and I am really curious!

We said our goodbyes and they wheeled him away. I didn't even tear up at all. I was feeling really good. When we stepped out to the waiting room Court and Jill were there with their two little girls. We talked and visited for quite a while. I had grand plans to get a lot done during the surgery but had a way better time talking to them. Around 2:30 my parents showed up and later Josh came. Then finally at about 5:30 they called and said the tumor was out and the doc would be out to see me in fifteen minutes.

I opted to see him all alone first. He told me the surgery went off way better that he had expected. He removed a tumor that was a little larger than a college size football and he felt like there were negative margins which means he thinks he got all of the cancer. He was surprised at how much healthy tissue was left. He did have to take most of the muscles but was able to leave the minimus gluteous. Trent will have a limp but should be okay to get around by himself. He will be in the hospital for about 5 days. They will give him some time to heal and then start the chemo again around the first of August. Because we know the cancer did not respond to the chemo the first time it is paramount that Dr. Gouw finds the correct chemo this time to attack the spots on the lungs and whatever microscopic cancer is in Trent's body. We will now focus our prayers and fasting on Dr. Gouw and his ability to prescribe the correct regimen.

Trent has done beautifully today. He came out of the surgery way better than they had hoped. He looks great. It is amazing to see his body without the tumor. He has been in good spirits and pretty comfortable. We know the next week will be tough but we can make it. We are so grateful to our Heavenly Father for guiding the surgeon today and allowing such a positive result. It has truly strengthened my testimony in the power of the priesthood even more. We are counting this as miracle number one for this phase. Thank you so much for all of your prayers and fasting!

Hopeful Tomorrow

We are quickly drawing nearer to surgery. We are anxious, nervous, hopeful, and at peace. We got up this morning and decided we needed to be in the temple. So we packed up and went to Logan. It was quite the ordeal to get Trent there but we did it. As soon as I sent him off to the men's dressing room I turned around and asked a temple worker to keep an eye on him. Then I burst into tears and went to get dressed myself. We were only able to do sealings for about 15-20 minutes then went to the celestial room. I reread 3Nephi 17 and Trent prayed like crazy. I turned to him and told him I had received my answer six weeks ago and I have never doubted since. At that moment he received his answer. I am so glad we are both on the same page now! It is now our job to go forth with faith.

We left the temple and called Dr. Jones. Trent wanted to make sure the doctor knew him personally before he sliced him open. He expressed his concern about mobility. Dr. Jones was great. He told Trent he completely understood because he has four little children of his own. He told him he felt confident he could do the surgery safely and effectively and that the limp would most likely be barely noticeable. That did wonders for Trent. We still had some teary moments today but they are not panic like yesterday. In preparation for surgery my dad and brother gave Trent a blessing. It was perfect. I have faith that the blessings that were given will come to pass and the surgery will go well. I have a very strong testimony of the power of the priesthood and have witnessed it exercised so many times. I know we are going into this with the Lord watching over us. We will be blessed to handle whatever may come. Truthfully the "whatever" is still scary but I know we can endure. We have faced many challenges in life. None as great as this, but we will remain strong and grow through our trial. Thank you to all of you who have prayed and continue to pray for us. We feel the difference every day.