Posted on 03/28/2010 7:15:15 PM PDT by DollyCali
Edited on 03/28/2010 7:51:23 PM PDT by Admin Moderator. [history]
BTTT
My prayers for you continue....
Relax and listen to your doctors. We have your back.
my prayers for you.
Best wishes, Jeff. Stay strong.
Jeff, I join you in praise to Almighty God, for His provision for you and Gail.
Hi, Jeff.
Thank you for this latest update and for the news that clearly shows God’s direct intervention on your behalf in providing that apartment, just exactly what you and your beloved wife need!
God is so good and loves you - as He loves each of us - so very much!
We know that He is able to do exceeding abundantly above anything we can ask or even think! Here He has showed this fact - to you - and through you - to all who have read your report. So thank you for bringing this witness to God’s goodness towards you - as well as His faithfulness in answering the prayers by providing just the right place for you, exceeding your expectations!
What a joy to know that is what God’s love is like - this love which He LAVISHES upon each of us, no matter what we deserve or merit.
I know your children and grandchildren are learning about the love of God and of His marvelous provision for our every need through your experience.
Isn’t it wonderful to discover that just as you love your children and grandchildren so very much and just as you would do anything and everything to help each of them, and how you delight to do good things for each of them - because you love them so very much - just so - and ten million times more - does our Heavenly Father love you / us!
Indeed, His love, evidenced to the world by Jesus’ coming and living and dying on that cross for us, is like a RIVER which can wash over us and fill us and heal us and restore us and make us new!
Jeff - please listen to this song again -
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XkUxH5YBQoY
The River - by Kim Hopper. Share it with your loved ones.
I believe this is the most beautiful healing song I have ever heard.
I thank God for your faith and witness to all of God’s goodness to you.
I thank Him for His continued healing in your body and in your spirit and for His overflowing river of redeeming, healing love which is washing away all the cancer and all the scars of this illness in your body and spirit and soul!
I thank Him that Jesus bore your and my sins and our sicknesses in His body on that cruel cross -and that the river that began flowing to the world on Calvary - His Blood - is in the River still - His cleansing blood washes and cleanses us - now - of all our sins and all our sicknesses!
Let us dive into that river like little children do - and let our troubles wash to the Father as He washes us - you - clean - and make you new!!!
God bless and continue to heal you every bit whole!
Whew! Did that give me the goose bumps! It's always that way when I hear the good works of God. GOD BLESS!
Ping to fatima to keep you in the loop.
(((((((Heartfelt Prayers)))))))
(((((Thank you)))))
You’re welcome - and love that song, don’t you? How much I hear, feel the healing love of God in it!
Jeff head update. Prayers for you brother.
Thank you for keeping us updated, Jeff. Prayers are continuing for you, Gail and your medical team. Prayers that this aggressive treatment will restore your health.
Father, hear our prayers. Amen.
Thanks for the ping, Issaquahking.
BTT!!!!
We miss you around here, Jeff!! Get yourself well soon!
Jeff, once again I want to tell you that my thoughts are prayers are with you during this trying time.
May God watch over you and protect you my friend.
D1
Here is my latest update, taken from the prayer thread and added here too:
We have now visited with the surgeongical teams tht will be involved in our upcoming surgery, and have conducted and been through all of the CT scans and MRI tests. It has been a whirlwind of activity and I have to tell you, when you are feeling the tumor's effect on you, and feeling the side effects of the pain meds and other meds they have you on it is not an easy thing to go through.
But, we have done so and today we got the word back from Dr. Rhines.
No new cancer at this point! And the cancer that is there in my sacrum and the small spots in the illieum has not grown appreciably, certainly no more than they would expect.
This is good news from our perspective and we are grateful that the Lord God, in His Mercy, established His will accordingly. it means that our surgery can go forward with the best prospect available for slowing, or potetnially even stopping the disease.
In the past two days I have signed away my concent for every way imagineable that my life might be ended or severelly effected by these procedures imaginable. The Drs., each of them have now explained in exquisite detail what they will be doing. Again, I say, it is a miracle in and of itself what they can attempt through modern medicine these days. Such truths as they have gathered, in my faith, comes from God. All truth iminates forth to mankind from God through His Holy Spirit for our benefit. These dedicated professionals, who are dedicated to serving, saving, and helping their fellowman (which in and of itself is God's work), have been richly blessed with a great measure of truth which they apply to the good of others. There is a special, christ-like spirit about it that radiates from their christ-like desire to help others and I thank God in Heaven for it.
As it is now, I have a sigmoidoscopy tomorrow morning. This will take several hours and will help determine the shape and functioning and postion of my rectum for the surgery. Saurudray and Sunday we have free, but then MOnday morning we are preadmitted and then screened for the proper anisthesia for the surgery. This will be another critical process to determine what anisthesia to give me so my body will react well to it. Given what all they intend, it is important that we do not have an adverse reaction.
Then, about 5:30 AM on Tuesday (April 27th) I will be admitted and my 1st surgery will occur around noon. It will be 6-8 hours and will position my veins and vascula componenets where they are least vulnerable, and most accessabe as needed for the second surgery. They will also take one set of my abs (one of my three packs) with all three muscles, its meat and tissue and set them aside with their own natural blood-supply to be used later in the 2nd operation to fill the gap left by the removed sacrum. Dr. Rhines and Dr. Garvey (the plastic surgeon) has proven that this procedure significantly lessens infection, blood clots, and rejection. They will also take one of my thibia bones from a leg and prepare it to be structure that will back-up and fuse the metal they will put in during the 2nd surgery. That bone will need its own blood supply too, so they will strip a major vein from my ankly up to my thigh to be used for that purpose. Ultimately this will provide the needed structure...my own bone and tissue fed by my blood, to fuse and srengthen the titaniuam that otherwise, over a period of years, would come lose. Finally, they position cutting saws in precise place from the anterior so they can get at them in the 2nd surgery to make the cuts to the sacrum
Then, three days later (the 30th), they perfrom the second surgery from the posterior. After opening me up, they clear the area around the sacrum and then make the cuts...delicately working with whatever nerve roots and endings they can preserve. Once the cuts are made and the sacrum removed, they then fill the void with the flap created from my one set of abs, and then create the titanium/bone structure to rebuild the structural component to carry my wieght. This operation can take over 12 hours and if it looks to be going too long to the point of causing any fatigue with the team...then they would finish it in a 3rd surgery three days later.
So this is my path. I know it it the path the Lord has set me on...a path to bolster my faith and for me to witness His goodness in ALL things, that His WIll is best for me, for my family, for my friends...in short, His will is best for us all because it allows hearts to be touched and minds to be swayed, of their own free will, towards Him and to salvation in His Son Jesus Christ.
I hope to be able to write more before these surgeries...but if not, know I go in with my eyes wide open, and I do so praising my Father in Heaven and His Son. I know their paths lead to good. I know their paths lead to happiness and eternal joy and salvation in Jesus Christ.
"Trust in the Lord wih all thy heart, and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy way acknowledge Himand He will direct they paths. Be not wie in thine own eyes: fear the Lord, and depart from evil. It shall be health to thy navel, and marrow to thy bones." Proverbs 3: 5-8
"I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me." Phil 4:13
"Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on Thee, because he trusteth in Thee." Isaiah 26:3
"Come unto me all ye that labour and are are heavy laden and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn of me for I am meek and lowly in heart and ye shall find rest to your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light." Matthew 12:28-30
I testify to all...particularly to my own children and grand-children, that these things are true. They are the fundamental truths of the ages, the boon to individuals, pillars to families, and strength to nations...including the liberty of nations. Hold fast to them and be strong and be free...depart from them and fall into bondage, either personal or to tryants, it is the same.
Once again my eternal thanks and gratitude to all who have helped my family and myself as we have faced this difficulty. There are so many to name...and the crisis and its impact if far from over. In fact, in many ways, it is just now, at this date, finally getting started.
Just the same. it has been so humbling and at the same time so inspiring. We live in a good land, full of good people. The path has not been lost. Have faith in your fellow man, and in your fellow Americans! May God in Heaven bless you each for helping us, may He pour at the blessings ten fold on you and yours. I know He will...it is how He blesses His Children. I look forward to the day, not terribly distant in this life, if He so wills it, when I can again return to helping others in this same manner again, as I have been helped.
...and if not, then so be it. I will greet you in the clouds when I return with my Savior. For as surely as I breath, the great Redeemer, full of mercy, love, and charity will return to this earth one day and cleanse it of all hurt, heartache, misery and sin. I look forward to that day, whether I see Him come in the air, or whether I am there with Him.
I will write again as soon as I am able. Watch for updates from my dear, wonderful wife...the love of my life, Gail, or from others.
Sincerely, in humility, and in liberty and Christ,
Jeff Head
Mark for tomorrow.
Thanks so much Jeff. Please don’t wear yourself out. I want to know what is going on, but you must be drained to the max right now. Take care bud. Excellent report.
Gail, Katie, Natahn, Rachel, Chad, Becki, Toni, Jeff, Jolene, Jared, and Braedon, Rley, Kasen, Kyra, Kenna, and Gracei (and Mike and Kelly), Lee and Brenda and Family, PAul and Adlois and Family...and all who have prayed for, ecnouraged us, and lent us your faith,
Several years ago when I had what I though was major surgery, I wrote individual lettetrs to each of my children.
As it turned out, that colonoscopy surgery was not nearly as dangeorus or serious as it could have been, and certainly not as serious as what I face now.
Most of you (older folks anyhow) know the details of this condition I face now from my journal. It is out there on Facebook, on my own site, and on FreeRepublic for others to lead later (JUst google "My Sacral Chordoma"). But, suffice it to say that over the next few weeks, starting tomorrow, I am facing very serious life threatening surgery to remove a malignant cnacer tumor in my sacrum. Even if completely successful, for which we hope and pray, it will be life-altering.
Many prayers, a lot of faith, and wonderful encouragement and generous help has helped us reach this point. I am so grateful, beyond my ability to express it for that help, ecourgaement, and partiocularly the prayers and faith. They have sustained us and gotten us here now to where I can enter the areana of this trial and have the real fight for my life begin.
My 1st surgery will be tomorrow around 7 or 8 AM and will last 8-10 hours. Then on Friday, April 30th, they will conduct the 2nd part, where they actually remove the chordoma. If necessary, if that takes too long, they now tell me they may split that into two parts...but they hope to be done sometime late Fraday afternoon or early evening. Then comes the long revobry, rehabilitation, and then followed by special proton radiation treatments.
I want each of you to kow in so doing, how much I love you.
Gail and I have been married 32 years yesterday. I count my relationship with her, next to my relationship with my Savior and Father in Heaven as the most beautiful blessing and gift, the greatest honor and privilege of my life. I cannot put into works how much I love her, how much she has taught me, and how grateful I am for her love. Simple stated, she is the love of my life and the one, as our Father cammanded, to whom I cleavve, and none else.
Those same type of feeling extend in love to all of you thoughout my family. First through my parents and siblings who all helped form my life and thinking, but then very importantly to my children ALL of whom have taught me far more about life than I believe I have taught them. My love for each of you, despite whatever differences we may have ever had, is eternal, and I look forward to the day we are all gathered, in God's time, in the eternities together where we can share one another's company and joy. My darling princess, my prcious agel, my bay pony, my 1st born son, and my go getter, Jared...and now all six grandkids
Please please, I plead with each of you, to do whatever it takes to make that same love possible in this life for each of you. That blessing, made possible by the love and atonement of our Savior Jesus Chrst, is the great gift to mankind and the pearle of great price we should all strive for.
There is no ill, there is no mistake, there is no wall, there is no boundary, there is no weakness we cannot overcome with His help in order to make that eternity of joy possible. He has broken them all..all bands of hate, musunderstanding, even of death on our behalf and I pray each of you, from oldest to youngst, will simply study His life, His teachings for how to live life, and then try it. Make His life your own. Come to Him, seek His forgiveness and the efficacy of His gift, and then do all you can to live like He would live...helping others wherever you can
He said,
"Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light." Matthew 11:28-30I testify to each of you, I promise you each, that this is true. No matter how dire the crcumstance, no matter what we face, we can overcome it through Christ. Individually as we work ourselves, together as couples and families if we all work together.
I have seen it...I have experienced it myself. At this hour I have no reason but to speak the truth to you out of my love for you each and the omportance of these truths...and I so speak, I so testify, and I so witness now.
Now, we hope that the surgery goes fine. I have asked all of the Dr.s if they believe in God. I am asking them to look for miracles in their work and let God in Heaven guide their hands. If they do, His will shall be done. And whatever that will is will be what is right. That is another critical part of life...understanding whose will we should seek, and then making His will our own...and doing it of our own free will so it is in fact our will as well. I know that this principle in life leads to happiness and joy. It allows us to weather any strom, and come through into the sunshine and clam on the far side.
It is with these thoughts in mind that I close. Looking forward to that calm weather on the far side. Whether the far side of this immediate travail and years of living with each of you on this earth with Gail, visiting grank-kids, serving missions, etc...or, awaiting for you over yonder, on the far side of life, where my Dear Father and other loved ones wait even now.
I pray it will be the former...but know that if it is the latter that the time will pass quickly in the Lord's service.
All you grandkids...I long to sing to you once again in the evening as I put you to sleep. Remember the words.
"Jesus said love every one, treat them kindly too. If your heart if filled with love, others will love you."
"Cause Jesus loves the little children, all the children of the world. Red and yellow, black and white, they are precious in His sight, Jesus loves the little children of the world."
"Jesus loves me this I know, for the scriptures tell me so. Little ones to Him belong, they are weark, but He is strong. "Yes Jesus loves me, Yes Jesus loves me, Yes, Jesus loves me.... "My papa tells me so...and Nanna tells me so, they both they love me so." Continue to pray for us, particularl for Gail (for Nanna). She has been my great strength and friend in this, after our Savior. In fact, she has exemplified the Savior to me though all of this and I am so humbled bu it.For all those praying for us, once again I say, I rpay, in turm, that the good Lord returns the blessing on your head 100 fold. He shall. I know that He is alwasy true to us...always. All of His plans and activities in our life build us up, build up His kingdom of love and joy, and bring men and women to Him for ever if they will but respond to His call.
These same truths are what gives us everything that is good in life...including our liberty. Principles that move a person away from these truths, of sanctity for life, of love of family, of the essential nature of fundamental moral principle and Christian faith in our society...eskew. They will destroy liberty and hurt the family, life, and many of the greatest gifts and joys our Father in Heaven and Jesus Christ desire for us.
I love you all, and long to be in your company again. The good Lord willing, we shall, and soon...and if not, then as surely as the sun risies in the east, we will be together again in thr hearafter.,
Your husband, father, brother, friend, granfather, and fellow-laboror and servant in Christ and in liberty,
Jeff Head
26 Arpil 201o
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