Faith.  Family.  Feelings.  When we talked about starting a blog to keep family and friends updated on Dad's health, we realized we'd need a title.  So this is what we came up and here's why. 

Dad lives a life of faith, faith in His heavenly Father and in Jesus Christ his Savior.  He has taught us to live lives of faith, and his faith is what is sustaining him and us all right now. 

If we had to summarize Dad with one word, that word would be "family".  His family is and always has been priority in his life.  He makes each one of us feel included, special and most of all loved.

The third "f" wasn't so easy to come up with -- we thought of "frappacinos", but Dad prefers his coffee hot.  "Fiction" came to mind since he does enjoy reading. "Fishing" and "flying" have never been any of Dad's hobbies and "finicky" he is not.  So when we considered the purpose of this blog, we agreed that though it is a place for us to share what procedures and such Dad is going through, it will also be an opportunity for us (and you too, if you so choose) to express some of our feelings as we go through this journey with our dad.

As you may be aware, Dad went into the hospital on Friday, January 6.  He has been enduring pain in his right leg since mid-November and has had no relief despite various medications and treatment.  Since Friday he has been through a number of tests and still awaits more.  The news is not good.  We have been told by the specialist that it is highly suspect to be lung cancer and it seems to have already spread, which would explain the pain in his leg.  The most recent test came back as non-diagnostic.  Unfortunately, that means another test.  As it stands now, we are waiting for him to be transferred to Surrey Memorial Hospital where a thoracic surgeon will perform a bronoscopy to ultrasound and biopsy his lungs.  If the procedure proves to be diagnostic, we will be told conclusively what subtype of cancer it is and what stage its at.  We don't know when this will happen -- could be as early as tomorrow or as late as next week.  We pray that it will happen sooner than later, of course.  In the meantime he will be getting a bone scan done today and we hope to get results from that fairly quickly.

It has been a lot of information to take in.  Dad is accepting of the news but is heartbroken as we all are.  He knows his life is firmly in God's hands.  With all the tests he has had and pain meds he's been given he has been very tired and sometimes confused.  He doesn't love being in the hospital but you won't hear him complain. 

We are aware of all the prayers family and friends and others are offering up for him and us and we thank you.  Please continue to pray -- that the tests may be done quickly and questions may be answered. 

"The Lord is the stronghold of my life."  Psalm 27:1b