BigFred

Can you believe it’s been over a year now that we’ve been “trusting God” through this ordeal?

After Frederick’s doctor appointment on Wednesday, I felt like I was almost back to square one. I’m not sure how Frederick felt. The MRI showed no significant changes in the tumor and the doctor had not presented Frederick’s case to the cancer committee and he hadn’t talked to the surgeon. I know that we’re not the only patients they have and I want to believe they are doing all they can but somehow, I’m not convinced. The excuse this time was that “they” were not able to see the MRI’s to make the presentation. What could I say? So we asked again if he can get on the next committee meeting. He said he would try again. While we wait, he will give Frederick another 2 months off the chemo.

On a more positive note, our home help worker, Fatima has been wonderful with Frederick and she has been keeping him exercising every day and not letting him just sit around. He will also continue to go to the ACTIVE physical therapy at least twice a month. His big goal now is to be able to drive himself around! Praise God that day will be a blessed one.

Please pray that we are patient and allow God to do what he’s doing. I am continually reminding myself to keep my focus. I draw nigh to God and he will draw nigh to me and I can trust him to work all things together for my good because he loves me. You like how I tied all those verses together!!!

Thank you for your constant love, prayers and support. We love you and we appreciate every thing big and small that you do for Frederick and for our family.

Love
Diana & Frederick

It’s been approximately 2 months since Frederick has had a chemo treatment. He’s enjoying his time off too. With a home helper now it’s been quite a nice break for both of us.

Today Frederick went through his initial sessions for the ACTIVE Program. This program helps patients to “deal with the physical, mental and emotional challenges that arise from living with cancer”. Yes, that is a possibility. They say that “to live well with cancer means bringing back abilities lost due to the effects of cancer and its treatment.” Basically it means using exercise to help people feel beter, become more active and enhance the ability to fully participate in everyday life. Specifically ACTIVE stands for Addressing Cancer Through Individualed Exercise, and is based on the individual.

This treatment is managed by a doctor and a physical therapist. The initial evaluation continues on Thursday with another visit with the physical therapist and then another with the doctor. The physical therapist has said that Frederick should come and do therapy twice a week. Though he says he doesn’t like physical therapy, he was encouraged with the idea of getting some of his “life” back. I think what we both heard was that the light at the end of the tunnel was getting increasingly bigger. Praise God! Additionally, the therapist said that singing will be very good for Frederick to help build his stamina because proper breathing is important to the process. So please pray for the hoarsness to go away and for Frederick’s voice to be strengthened.

I am claiming Jeremiah 31:3Jeremiah 31:3
“They found grace out in the desert,
these people who survived the killing. (NKJV says survived the sword - my interpretation survived the surgery)
Israel, out looking for a place to rest,
met God out looking for them!”
God told them, “I’ve never quit loving you and never will.
Expect love, love, and more love!
And so now I’ll start over with you and build you up again, (The physical therapy is the starting over process)
dear virgin Israel.
You’ll resume your singing, (Frederick and I will resume our singing for the Lord)
grabbing tambourines and joining the dance.
You’ll go back to your old work of planting vineyards (The lives touched by Frederick as a drug & alcohol counselor)
on the Samaritan hillsides,
and sit back and enjoy the fruit—
oh, how you’ll enjoy those harvests!

THE LORD GAVE ME THIS VERSE FOR A DEVOTIONAL THAT I GAVE TO OUR WOMENS GROUP LAST FRIDAY! I TRULY BELIEVE HE WAS SPEAKING DIRECTLY TO US (FREDERICK AND I WITH IT).

The devotional was called “How I’m Keeping My Faith”. The answer is by keeping my focus. What am I focusing on:

1. Heb 12:1 - Called to something greater than myself
2. Heb 12:2 - Jesus the author and finisher of my faith
3. Rom 8:18 - my present sufferings not comparable to the glory to come nor do they compare to what Jesus went through for us - 2 Cor 4;16-18
4. God loves me and he has it under control - Rom 8:39, 1John 4:9-10, Gal 2:20, Eph 2:4-5, 2Thess 2:16-17, Jeremiah 31:3 and Gal 5:6

Okay, enough with the bible study…

As always, we thank you for your continued prayers and support in so many ways. As I’ve said so many times, I can’t complain about anything. God is in control!

Love ya’ll
Diana & Frederick

So as the week ends, we have not heard from either of the doctors! I called the surgeon twice to no avail so I didn’t even try to call the oncologist. The surgeon was going to review the last MRI with the best radiologist and the oncologist was going to present Frederick’s case to the Swedish Neurological Committee. I am hoping by faith that they have done what they said they would do and just haven’t had the time to get back to us.

It’s been a quiet week. Our home care provider starts on Monday! Yeah! I mean, thank you Lord. Her name is Fatima. She will care for Frederick while I go to work. She seemed very nice when we met her on Friday and she said she thought this would be a good fit for her. She has been in this type of work for 12 years. It should be interesting to see how she and Frederick will interact together.

Frederick is working on an instrumental song to play at church this month. From what I’ve heard it’s a very nice song. I’m a little jealous cause being an instrumental means I don’t get to sing!!!

Thank you for your continued prayers and expressions of love. We are truly experiencing the love of God and the love of his people and things are alright with the Robinson clan.

Love ya’ll
Diana & Frederick