The Urologist appointment....

My Dad went Friday to the Urologist, whom officially diagnosed him as having Kidney cancer. He scheduled him to have a biopsy the following Monday. He said it was most likely Stage 4 Renal Cell Cancer. It's the most common form of Kidney cancer. He said surgery at this point would not be an option and he referred him to a Oncologist. He was not at all optimistic and was very real with my Dad. It was very discouraging and hard to hear this news. My Dad called me that afternoon to tell me the news and it was very hard to hear him talk about it. I am sure it was hard for him to tell me too.

I cried alot that day. I remember Grace coming up into my room and saw that I was crying. I was laying in bed and so she laid next to me rubbing my back and asked me what was wrong. I told her that Papaw was really sick. She knew that I meant it was serious. She asked if he could die from it, and I said yes. Right after that, she said, "Well, if he dies he will go to heaven which is good.......but I know you will miss him." Her words ministered to me in many ways. She was not being insensitive at all, but hopeful for what lies ahead in heaven.

We had planned a vacation for the last part of September in Florida. We were actually supposed to leave the very next day after their soccer games. We had planned this way before we knew my Dad was sick and we were so looking forward to getting away and resting that week. After we found out about my Dad, I didn't want to be away from him that long, especially at this time, but my Dad insisted that we still go and enjoy ourselves. He's the one who put the love of traveling and family in my heart and he wanted us to go. He knew Gene had worked so hard all year and really needed this vacation. He knew we had a really hard summer and needed this week to rejuvenate and get away.  He was so selfless and insistent that we go, so we decided to go ahead with our plans. I so wanted my Dad to go with us, I wanted to pack my whole family up and just disappear with them. (partially hoping that it would all go away....)

Normally, I am so excited to pack for vacation but I could barely bring myself to do it that night. I was pretty sad. I called a few friends and they started praying for my Dad and our trip! I asked them to pray that God could still bring some joy to this week despite what was going on in our lives. In the end, God did just that, He knew what was going to lie ahead over the next couple months and He allowed us to have a wonderful vacation! (Pics to come)