Goin' Home

CAT Scan Results

Dr. Pitt just came by to give us the results of the radioactive CAT scan and thank the Lord there are no hot spots in the rest of Daddy's body. We still have the tumor in the colon and will find out the pathology results on Monday or Tuesday. The other exciting news is that they are releasing Daddy this evening, because his blood levels are doing great. He'll stay on clear liquids at home until further notice. We are looking at surgery sometime next week. Thanks for all of the thoughts and prayers. We are all definitely excited that Daddy  will not miss the birth of Lil Who. :O)  

Jaime     

Quick Vists

Dad's sisters (L-R: Margie & Helen) in St. Louis made a dash to Columbia to check in on their big brother last night.

Procedure Update

Dad is back from the colonoscopy.  During the procedure, a firm tumor roughly an inch in diameter was found at the resectioning point from his last surgery inside the bowel.  The bleeding Dad experienced on Friday was from the tumor and the bleeding stopped earlier without any intervention.  A piece was taken for biopsy and the surgeon said there is a 75% chance that the tumor is cancerous.  We'll know the results in 48 hours. 

At this time, it's unknown when Dad will be released from the hospital.  He is on a liquid diet until further notice and will need surgery in the near future to remove the tumor.

We are obviously concerned, but feel God's peace surrounding us during this time.

Prayer Points:
    The tumor is benign.
    The tumor disappears or is passed without surgery.
    Continued peace and direction for the family.

Mom, Jaime & Johnathan are with Dad in Columbia... and Jaime's Little Who remains in seclusion!

Scott

Hospital Update

Dad spent the night at Boone Hospital last night.  He is scheduled for a colonoscopy this morning.  He feels a bit weak and his stomach is grumbling.  When I spoke to him just now, he seemed to be in good spirits and hopes to go home tonight.  When further details are available, we'll post them here.

Scott

Another trip to the Emergency Room...

On Thursday, Dad went to see his surgeon, Dr. Pitt, for another checkup.  After a litany of Q&A and some poking and prodding around the incisions, Dr. Pitt declared Dad healthy and ready to move on... then came Thursday evening.

Late in the night, Dad began passing blood.  Friday morning it was even worse, to the point he nearly lost consciousness.  Mom took him to Boone Hospital’s ER and he was admitted with fluctuating, low blood pressure. The Boone team began a battery of tests including blood work, Cat Scan and EKG to determine where the blood loss was coming from.  A short time ago, Dad was moved to ICU as a precautionary measure.

The test results are not in yet, but a team is reviewing his condition and has indicated he’ll be spending the night for further review tomorrow.  He is very weak and napping while Mom burns up the phone lines and Jaime keeps her feet up.  (Yes, Jaime’s Little Who has locked the door, thrown away the key and refuses to come out even a week later!)

We’ll keep you posted on any details as we know them.  Thank you for your prayers for our Poppa!

Scott

PS - Want to know the latest craziness in Jordan?  Skip over to our blog for more news.

Mexican Cornbread

Every family has a series of stock recipes and one of ours is Mexican Cornbread. It's a quick, feel good meal that takes about an hour to prep & cook. This was my parent's first-year anniversary meal. Times were tight and the meal budget was scarce, but they had china & crystal for two and Mexican Corn Bread to celebrate. I hung out in the kitchen one August evening while my dad walked me through the process. At our house, Mexican Cornbread must be eaten with black-eyed peas with a little Pick-A-Pepper sauce on the side.

While Dad was mixing the ingredients, he discussed the merits of a whisk versus a fork when stirring a bowl. "I'm a fork-man," he commented nonchalantly. Sure enough, all my life I've only seen him mix eggs for omelets with a fork in a small Tupperware bowl.

The best part of Mexican Cornbread? Without a doubt, it's the the crust. You know those brownie molds that are all curvy so every piece is an edge? That'd be a dream... all crispy and dark with golden, spicy, corn and cheese goodness inside.

1 can of cream-style corn
1 large onion chopped
1 cup cornmeal
1 cup milk
2 eggs
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 lb browned ground meat
1 lb chedder cheese (to taste more or less)
Add jalapeno to taste

Grease & heat cast iron skillet prior to baking at 475

Mix all ingredients in bowl except meat & cheese
Pour half mixture into hot skillet
Layer in meat first & then cheese
Pour in remaining mixture

Bake 35 min or until golden brown on top


A couple of quick tips from the Lodge Chef:
Bacon grease seems to work best in keeping the corn bread from sticking. Dad says, "I don't know the science of it, but it just works." When heating the skillet, drop a scoop of mix in the skillet to see if it sizzles; if it does, it's hot enough. And always remove the skillet from heat when filling so it doesn't burn on bottom.

Just a few more days!

Here are a few shots of Jaime & Johnathan's nursery and the proud grandmas-to-be. Jaime has just a scant few days left. Her bags are packed and they're ready to go!

APC had Cowboy Sunday for the 5th Sunday in January, replete with cowpoke puppets and properly attired Sunday School teachers... it looks like everyone had fun, even the Pastor!


We're at 30 weeks and continue that climb right behind Jaime. Last Thursday's visit to Dr. Azar in Amman was positive: McBaby & Mama are doing great and progressing normally. Last week one of Suzi's English students offered her crib when she leaves the country this summer! We still need a bassinet for the meantime, but our nursery is slowly coming together. You can follow us at our blog and check out pictures on our website.

As 2010 races off into February and beyond, we wish you and yours a fantastic & blessed year. We're so grateful for God's blessings in 2009. It may have been the "best of/ worst of times" but He never fails!

Scott