August 5-8

The Pieter and Rita deBoer family reunion scheduled for the week of August 8th in Hecla, MB was moved to Langley, BC because of the news that Dad deBoer has cancer on the kidney.  With this sudden change in plans, the children from Ontario and Manitoba made quick plans  to fly to BC to be with the rest of the family during this challenging time.

On Thursday, August 5th, the children from Ontario (Derrick and Chris' families) arrived in BC and were able to greet mom and dad.  On the way to mom and dad's home dad received a phone call telling him that his calcium levels were too high and that he needed to check himself into the hospital after a scan that was scheduled at the hospital.  This dampened our mood as we had hoped that we would be spending a lot of time with mom and dad at home.  Nevertheless, when we got home, dad and mom called the doctor and were told of the plans that the doctor had for them, namely medication through IV to get the calcium levels down and then get some more scans completed that were scheduled for the following week.

Dad and mom went to the hospital, got the scan completed and then he was admitted to the hospital.  Providentially, dad got room 401, the nicest room on the 4th floor and a private room too!  The family is able to come and go as we please and we can fit quite a few guests in the room, for which we are grateful.

On Friday, August 6th, Dad got the result of the previous day's scans.  His head scan was all clear... nothing to see!  A few jokes were made and we were pleased with this result.  However, the scan of dad's chest identified a number of nodules on the lungs and we were disappointed with this result.  In the meantime, we were also told that while dad's calcium levels were too high, his hemoglobin levels were falling and if they fell too low, dad would need a blood transfusion.  Dad also had a bone scan on Friday.  The results would be known on Saturday.

Saturday, August 7th, was a tough day.  Mom and a few others went to visit dad in the moring.  Uncle Harry (Dad's oldest brother, although younger than him) was there already.  When the rest arrived we were impressed with how well dad looked and we were hopeful that the calcium levels were dropping and that the hemoglobin levels were stabilizing.  After Uncle Harry left, Belinda dropped by quickly to wish Dad a good day and then she had to jet off.  In that brief visit the doctor stopped by with an update on dad's condition.  He had the results of dad's bone scan.  Much to the surprise of the doctor and thus, also us, it appeared that the cancer was spread much further than anticipated.  Dad's sore hip, which he has been complaining about for some time and which doctors had suggested had nothing to do with cancer, was apparently full of cancer and was indeed the cause of this discomfort.  The doctor expressed concern that dad could quite easily fracture his hip if not careful because of all the damage the cancer had done already.  This changed dad's prognosis quite considerably.  The term "palliative" care was mentioned in passing but it stung all the same.

When the doctor left we were able to shed tears and express our confidence in God's goodness.  Reading Psalm 121 and praying together was a great source of strength and we were able to leave Dad's hospital room with confidence that God would provide all of us with the strength we needed.

On Sunday, August 8th, the doctor and palliative specialist came to visit dad.  The doctor and dad discussed further steps first and then the palliative specialist was able to talk to dad about pain management. 

At this moment, it looks like dad will be transferred from Peace Arch hospital to Vancouver General Hospital on Sunday evening or some time on Monday.  The specialists at that hospital will discuss a plan of action for dad's treatment and will see what treatment plan is best for dad.  We expect dad to be in VGH for a day or two and then have him come home.  It was also during this discussion that the doctor gave dad a life expectancy of about five months.  It was longer then some of us expected and was a sense of relief for dad and the family.  It means dad will probably be home and able to take care of some of the things he would like to do before he might be taken home.

There has been a lot of crying, praying, scripture reading, laughing, praying, and more laughing during these days.  We never doubt Dad's confidence of his salvation in Christ nor do we ever doubt God's faithfulness.  He is so good and the overflowing fountain of all good. He is perfectly wise in all His ways and this is a great source of comfort for dad and the rest of the family and his loved ones.

We also get a great source of strength from the various communion of saints of which we are members.  It shows how we are not simply a family with a mother, father, five children, and fifteen grandchildren.  No, we are more than that... we are members of a great family with our Father in heaven and many brothers and sisters in Christ who is our King.  To our triune God belongs all the honour and glory.