Shave and a hair cut.....

Everyone has been helping out here at Chez Murdock - even the teenagers. Mom thought Dad was looking a bit shaggy. Here he is getting cleaned up by Hannah and Samantha. Tommy and Matthew also helped out by picking up sticks after the wind storm the other night. All the kids are doing a fine job entertaining themselves while we care for Mom and Dad. Mom is continuing to improve and getting stronger everyday.

Happy to be Home

Thank all of you for your prayers, well wishes,cards, flowers and encouraging comments on the blog. The girls have been invaluable with all their help and care and learning new nursing procedures for Alison and Jenyl. Heidi is a great teacher. Please pray for them as they continue their care for Rod and myself.

Change of plans

Plans kept changing yesterday, but the short version is that Mom is HOME!!! She arrived last night around 8pm. She is still quite tired and her white count is still a little high. We will post when she feels up to receiving calls and visits. Please bear with us as we are trying to limit her exposure as she recovers and prepares to start chemotherapy. Please continue to pray for her health and for Heidi, Jenyl and I as we learn the many aspects of her care (and Dad's) and establish a schedule to manage both. Again, thank you all for your prayers and support.

Road Trip

We were greatly anticipating Mom coming home today. Unfortunately that is not to be. Her white blood count is elevated. So Tom is taking Dad to go visit her on his way back to Baltimore. Heidi will then bring him back up to Greenville. There is quite a crew here and the more people and activity, the more Dad tends to be confused. Our requests for prayer are for Mom's continued healing and health, safety in travel for Tom & Dad, and sanity to be maintained with a house full of very active grandchildren. Did I mention that the puppies might be coming too???

There's ten in the bed.....

To top off a great Christmas with mom, Abbey, our lab, presented us with 10 Christmas puppies. Just when Scott and I were settled down for a long winters nap....she started to give birth about 8:30 last night! If anyone is interested, the puppies will be ready for Valentine's day so think about the gift of a chocolate lab!

Merry Christmas

Part of the family converged on Montefiore Hospital today to spend Christmas with Mom.
We had a delicious meal together at the cafeteria in Presby. We then sang Christmas carols with Mom - with varying degrees of success. The attempt of God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen as a round was quite amusing mostly due to the son-in-laws.... We had a great time visiting Mom and are looking forward to getting her home. A very Merry Christmas to all of you!!!

Glad Tidings

Things are looking up again. Most of Mom's nausea seems to have passed. She is tolerating the feedings fairly well. The small leak seems to be getting better. So, it looks as if we are past the worst of it. Mom may be discharged as early as Friday evening. We are planning to all visit on Christmas. Tom & I will drive Dad to Pittsburgh and Heidi & family will meet us there. I imagine there will be some caroling going on......

Monday, Monday

Today has been challenging. Mom has not been tolerating the feedings very well. She was started on an antibiotic today. Heidi is headed back to Pittsburgh tonight to spend the night with Mom. It does not look like she will be home for Christmas which has us all a little down. Dad has been tired after our thermostat adventure last night. Many thanks to Dan Callahan who braved the frosty weather to make sure we were safe. The thermostat has been replace and seems to be working fine. My husband, Tom, and our kids arrived today. Thank you all for the cards - we take them to Mom and tape them all over her room. I know they cheer her up. We continue to ask for your prayers for Mom & Dad.

My True Love Gave to Me....

Thanks to a good night's rest Mom had a much better day today. The family was all together for a few hours this afternoon for the changing of the guard. Jenyl brought Dad down to see Mom. They have both been missing each other and enjoyed their visit. Jenyl is back in Baltimore and Alison arrived to take over caring for Dad. The flowers behind Mom & Dad are from Dad "to his Marily". The roses are from Ralph & Betty Enokian - Thanks so much they really brighten up the room. Mom was out of bed up to a chair and even had a nice stroll with Dad around the halls. The bilirubin levels continue to decrease. Please continue to pray for Mom's spirits that she will not get discouraged even as she continues to make improvements. Also continue to keep in prayer that the pain will be controlled and that she will tolerate the feedings they have started today.

A rough place

Today was a mixed bag.  They increased Mom's feeds this morning but Mom experienced quite a bit of nausea and vomiting.  The feeds have been stopped.  Heidi is spending the night with Mom tonight.  

On the up side, her bilirubin level is down to 8.4 (still well above normal but much improved from her highest level....) and her other liver enzymes are coming down as well.  

We ask for continuing prayers and thank you  all so much. 

Thursday's Update

Mom had a pretty good day today. She is having a bit more pain as the anesthesia from the surgery is finally all wearing off. We have made some changes to her pain managemnt to help her be more comfortable. She is getting up and doing some walking as well. Today she felt more tired that the past two days and we ask for prayers for a good night's rest. Please also continue to pray that there would be no leakages, no infections and that she will grow stronger each day.
We cannot thank you enough for lifting our family up in your prayers each day.

Wednesday Update

We are happy to report that Mom's pain is well controlled and she is up walking around a bit.  Her throat is still very sore and talking is difficult.  We asked for continued prayers for 

• no leakage
• her labs to return to normal ranges
• no infections

Thank you all for the thoughts, prayers, comments, kindness and love that have been bestowed on our family.

Praise God From Whom All Blessings Flow....

His blessings are new every morning. Mom is doing GREAT this morning. When I saw her this morning she was sitting up in the chair. She was able to sit up for about 15 minutes. Later she actually took a stroll around the hall. She has a new type of pain block(Peri-vertibral- continuous infusion) that keeps her stomach numb but not her legs so she can get walking while controlling her pain. Her bilirubin level is down to 10.2 (Highest was 18) so her itching is getting better as is her coloring. Please pray during her recovery for:

• For God to be glorified in this situation.
• That pain will continue to be well controlled so that she can walk and move comfortably and so that she can breath deeply to avoid pneumonia.
• Bilirubin levels will continue to decrease to normal levels.
• Incisions will remain clean and infection free.
• Drainage to decrease and become increasingly clear and less bloody(They are doing well now).
• There would be no leakage inside the GI tract from the surgical sites.
• Bowel function would return quickly.
• A good nights rest each night and several good naps each day.
• For Mom to be home for Christmas.

Thank you to all of the prayer warriors out there doing battle for Mom. She said she is doing so well because of all the prayer. She is not anxious about anything but is resting secure in her Saviour's mighty arms.

Surgery Update #4

Just spoke with Heidi.  Mom is in the recovery room and doing well.  Her pain is being managed well and she has been sleeping off and on.  It looks as if they got all the cancer - the margins were clean according to Heidi.  AND it does not appear to have spread to her liver.  They did take biopsies of the liver though.  She will be in a private room once she leaves the recovery room.  I spoke with her briefly and she had to mention the Steelers-Ravens game.  Just to rub it in a little.  

We ask for prayer that her recovery goes well and her pain is managable.  Thank you for all the prayers of support today.  

Surgery Update #3

Heidi spoke with the surgeon and he said it couldn't have gone any better. He removed the tumor, the gall bladder, 1/2 the pancreas, lymph nodes, and part of the portal vein. There was no bleeding so she did not require additional blood during the procedure. The surgery lasted approximately 5 and 1/2 hours. She should not have to be in ICU and is expected to go straight to a regular room. She is expected to recover in the hospital for 10 days. Depending on her recovery, chemo will be started in 6-8 weeks.

Surgery update #2

2:15pm...The tumor has been removed and they are starting to close mom up. Heidi will know more when she has a chance to actually talk to the surgeon. Thank you for lifting mom up in prayers especially today. jenyl

Monday morning surgery update

Mom went into surgery at 7:19 this morning. Heidi called around 10am to report that surgery is going well. The next update will be after 1:30 or so. jenyl

Monday the 15th

Today is the day.  Thanks to Bill and Dee for driving Mom to the hospital yesterday.  Jenyl is in Greenville with Dad.  Heidi is in Pittsburgh with Mom.  They are at the hospital now.  I will post news as I get it.  

O Christmas Tree...

Thank you to Jim, Fran and Kathy for the Christmas tree and delivery service. The tree is beautiful. Thank you also to the Runnells for the wonderful christmas arrangment. Everyone's prayers, support and blog comments have been a wonderful source of encouragement to Mom, Dad and us. We apprediate all the thoughful acts of kindness and your willingness to learn how to blog. Mom received one more update regarding the surgery it is now back to being scheduled at Presbyterian hospital.

Friday's Update

Mom's surgery will be done Monday at Montifiore Hospital. She is scheduled for the morning so she and I will need to be there for 5:00 am on Monday. We will be travelling to Pittsburgh on Sunday. Special thanks to Bill & Dee Ruhlman for driving her to Pittsburgh on Sunday. Please pray for safe travelling mercies for everyone. Pray also for Mom, Dad, Alison, Jenyl and I as well as her surgeon Dr. Moser and her caregivers and that Mom will have a private room. We will try to keep the blog updated on Monday to let you know how everything is going.

Click on Pic

FYI, if you click on the pictures in the posts, you can view a larger version.  Try it on Jenyl's picture!  (You can see an old railroad hat of Dad's....)

Coming to Greenville

This Sunday I will be driving back up to Greenville to take care of Dad while Mom goes in for surgery. I will have Matthew and Caleb with me so that I can do school with them during the week. I would like to request prayer for safety in travel, patience with Dad, and the ability to handle all of his medical needs. I am a little out of my comfort zone with some of the medical stuff. Most of all for Mom of course, and for wisdom and guidance for the doctors.

Thursday Update

Mom's surgery has been moved to UPMC Presbyterian hospital we will find out more about the time tomorrow.
Thank you to everyone who has been praying for the itching to decrease. Mom feels it has been getting a little better and she had a good night's sleelp last night- Praise God.
Please continue to pray for her so that she will be well rested for the surgery and will have a speedy recovery.

It's Monday....

Mom is still dealing with itchy flashes.  Some rather intense.  She gets worn out quickly and is taking naps after lunch.  We ask for continuing prayers for some relief.  Photo is of a Christmas ornament...(Click on picture to view a bigger image...)

Lo How a Rose E'er Blooming

We thought everyone would enjoy seeing these lovely flowers sent from the church.  Thanks so much CCFC!

How to post a comment

For help in how to post a comment for Mom & Dad please check out the link below.

http://help.blogger.com/bin/answer.py?hl=en&answer=42399

The Good News Club

Mom's surgery will be on December 15th at Shadyside Hospital in Pittsburgh. The surgery will take approximately 7 hours or somewhat longer depending on what all they will need to do once they see everything. The surgery is scheduled as the first case so they will start around 7:30 in the morning. Please be in prayer for her during her surgery. She will most likely need to be in the hospital for 10 days after the surgery for recovery. After surgery the plan is to follow up with Chemotherapy.

Mom's surgery is scheduled for December 15th.  Heidi will post a more details later.  

Prayer Requests

Matthew 21:22- And all things you ask in prayer, believing, you shall receive.

Philippians 4:6- Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.
Thank you for all your prayers and support. Please pray for the following:

• Upcoming surgery
• Decreased itching
• Improvement in liver labs and bilirubin level
• Grace for the day
• That God will be glorified in this situation

The Good News Club

Jeremiah 29:11 For I know my plans for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper and not to harm you plans to give you a future and a hope.

Great is His faithfulness: Mom is now home from Montifiore Hospital. She had a new stent sucessfully placed in her common bile duct and her labs were improving this morning. She has a doctors appointment tomorrow in Pittsburgh and we will be discussing possible upcoming surgery dates to have the tumor removed. Thank you for all your prayers and support.

Welcome!

Thank you for stopping by to check up on Rod & Marilyn.  We hope this blog will provide information to all of you who care about our parents.  We will try to post regular updates, but please be patient with us as we learn the ins and outs of blogging!   We are so grateful for your continuing prayers.