November 2011 Re-Cap

We (I) have fallen behind a little on the re-cap.

If I said the month of November 2011 for us was a blur I am not sure that would be even close to adequate. I have tried to go back and read our posts and it is truly surreal to read it and re-live some of that. As I have said in other posts I believe we were protected from a certain percentage of fear due to our desire to not tie in to other peoples experiences. We knew it wouldn't be easy but if we had known what the year would look like we would have been shocked.

The things that stick out to me about that first month were obviously the trips back and forth to Houston. We also went to Thanksgiving with my family in Tennessee where we had rented a cabin. That was a neat experience but still odd in the fact that life was going on but we were living in shock.

Another huge item for that first month for me was the fact that we had a house that was about 40% finished. On one of our first trips down to Houston we were eating at Cheesecake Bistro and I got a call  that became one of the biggest blessings anyone could give us. Jonathan and Tara Hill completely took over the completion of our house. I said it in an earlier post but imagine the best person in their field finishing your project, indescribable. I could go back to where I was standing during the call but I can't explain what this meant for Aly and I.

Another huge moment came at a night that Coach Robert Mitcham and Claiborne Christian School had a night to benefit Aly at a home basketball game. To say that Aly and I care about those kids might be the biggest understatement I could make. The night meant the world to us.

A little funny note about the house. I am easy to convince when it comes to my ability to save money so when I went to build this house I asked Martin West if he thought I could wire it myself and it was a very quick yes on his part. In that situation I am not one to argue so that is what I did. Each time I needed to know what to do which was often I would call and Martin would tell me the same thing he had told me before and I would hope I got it right. Little did he know his pushing me to do this in August would lead to some funny conversations in November. We had at least 3 or 4 conversations on the phone where he would call me and say, Josh do you remember what you ran (which gauge wire) to this light or that switch and all I could describe was by color. So needless to say Mr. Martin and my other friends that finished got to deal with some odd things I am sure.

What Jonathan and Tara, Martin and Vanessia  and all the other people did during this time enabled me to mentally get away from everything to have a chance to help Aly. People gave me the chance to do right by Aly by them picking up where we needed help. Worry was going to be a part of our life but when people stepped in financially or with their time or talent they eliminated hurdles that made it easier for me to be with Aly.

I simply could not have been to Aly what I have tried to be without the help of other men and women at times absolutely taking hold of parts of our life.

We were never able to experience the lows that could have been possible. If we had not known that we were spiritually covered to a level that we cant explain then there would have been much less peace and  sleep. Aly and I knew beyond a shadow of doubt that God was hearing request on our behalf daily if not hourly and therefor we never felt the low we could have felt going at it on our own spiritually.

When people picked up the load in our everyday life they also stopped Aly and I from being worried about making life happen on a daily basis. It was clear very quickly that if there was a need then it would be met. There were people sowing into us in ways and amounts that blew us away.

On Nov 9 I wrote about Mrs. Vanessia West being given a clean bill of health and there being no more cancer. When Aly was diagnosed it became clear to us what we had not done for the Wests during Mrs. Vanessia's treatment. As we told each one of their family members and we have said to other people, we did not show them the love we were shown or would want to show. This truly broke our hearts because now we knew what their family had gone through from April-November and how little we had done. That will not happen again.

On Nov 13 I wrote about Aly beginning to lose hair but even in that I was sure that if she were to be asked about Canaan that she would give a report that beyond a shadow of a doubt that it was ours for the taking. I do remember that time I was just in utter shock at her ability to continue living. Most of the time you find yourself in awe of peoples athletic achievements or other things but to daily be watching Aly, my wife deal with cancer the way she was dealing with it was an incredible thing.

On Nov 18 I wrote about Aly telling the Dr. she wanted less sedation for her port surgery because we had some stuff we needed to get done that day. Again, my wife is crazy strong.

On Nov 19 Aly wrote a verse that I have heard her say a lot and it is a verse I can literally picture being to Aly and it is that Aly will live and declare the works of the Lord. I believed and believe now more than every that my wife will live and will continue to declare the works of the Lord.

At the end of November we flew back from Thanksgiving to Houston to get chemo and they would not give it to us because of low ANC count. They didn't realize who they were dealing with still at this point and told us to just come back next week. That was a Friday. We were there Saturday, Sunday after church and then Monday, they didn't know it but Aly was told she needed chemo and she wasn't leaving until she got that round.

As a husband that was one of the early points of me realizing the tangible fight that my wife's body was going through.