We'll be able to confirm the diagnosis in the next few days, but honestly, that is of little concern to me. I know that no matter what the diagnosis, God is going to have to show up in a huge way if little Ava is to be healed completely. No matter what, we know He has her. Days like the last two make things a little easier on the emotions because she feels good. Right now, I can handle a lot more when I know she is not in pain. The next 6 months are important, but not as important as today. We are living day by day, and in many cases, minute by minute.
This morning as a lot of the medical staff gathered in the room to help Ava with different things, she began to use "magic" to turn each of them into different barn animals. They played along and we all laughed for a while. It was a nice few minutes of joy in what has otherwise been some super sucky stuff over the last 6 days. Ava is working hard to get better.
In a blog a while back, I mentioned that her left arm and leg were not working since the surgery. Last night Ava began to have pretty heavy pain in her left leg. The docs and Lisa were up by her head trying to keep her calm while I was down at the foot of the bed. I wasn't paying attention to what they were saying since I was trying to figure out how to help. I realized her left leg was bucking up and down like she was riding a rodeo bull. I kept saying "her leg is moving! her leg is moving!" Everyone else seemed concerned with the pain...but I saw progress.
I am guessing that is what we will be going through for the rest of our lives, cancer or no cancer. It's what we went through long before we ever involved any doctors or the C word. Life is full of pain and progress (it's full of joy too...but I don't know that joy yields the richness of God when there is no pain to compare it to). Progress allows us to tolerate pain that much more.
I am grateful for progress, trying to learn to see God in the pain, and hopeful that I can become who God needs me to be for my family through the days ahead. But, for now I relish the progress of today...even if there was pain involved.
Thanks again to all of you who are praying. Keep it up. We need you.
Josh- Your post have been come part of my daily life. Like others say it helps me to pray. They are honest and true....while telling Truth. Grateful to be on His team with you. Praying for the road.
ReplyDeleteI am constantly amazed at the strength of you all during this crisis. It has changed our life perspective. It really has. Jennifer & Family
ReplyDeletePain and Progress...thank you for sharing, I just love the lense that you look through as you walk through each situation. You and Lisa are pointing everyone to God, he is being given honor and glory, trust and praise. We are praying alongside you.
ReplyDeleteI'm in awe of you both! Checking your FB posts and blog has become part of my morning and evening routine and I truly appreciate you taking the time to share things with everyone.
ReplyDeleteAt 10-months of age, our little girl was rushed to the hospital for emergency surgery and we almost lost her. It was a tough time for us but through God's strength and the support of family and friends we all got through it. Reading your posts takes me back to that place and makes my heart break all the more for you and Lisa, knowing what you would give to make Ava feel better.
I continue to pray for God to show Himself in a huge way to your family!
Praise Jesus that Ava is alittle bit better. I am so happy to hear that Ava and your family got to laugh alittle bit today. Praise Jesus!!!!!!!!! will keep praying!
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for continuing to post every day. It is a blessing to me to know how to direct prayers and praises in a more specific manner. Praising Jesus for every inch of progress and trusting that He will continue to reveal Himself to all of you - especially precious, beloved Ava - in every minute.
ReplyDeleteContinuing in prayer . . .
We have been praying for Ava and your family every day. It has been a faith building experience for us to read how you are walking through this day by day, placing your trust in God. We are Northlanders, so we feel a special family bond. Thank you for updating us so we know how to pray.
ReplyDeleteKeep the faith, Josh and family! I was brought to Childrens Hospital in Boston at 4 months old with a suddenly weak and uncoordinated left side and diagnosed with Cerebral Palsy. At that time, my parents were told that I probably would not ever do many things-- talk, walk without braces or at all, drive or have a productive life...
ReplyDeleteFast forward to today-- I walk a little clumsily, drive on I 4 like Andretti, have a college degree and am a child of Jesus! The only residual effect of the CP is a lack of fine motor skills in my left hand and overall weakness on that side of my body. This is the way that God made me and although others may be uncomfortable with my differences, I'm ok because I rest in Jesus' love and peace.
Once Ava's cancer is gone, any residual weakness is NOTHING! In Jesus' love and awesome healing power, I pray for Ava's rest and recovery <3
I have never met you but have attended your brother's church. Your blog has become a part of my daily routine, and your faith amazes me. I am praying for Ava every day.
ReplyDeleteJosh and family, this journey is so painful, yet precious. Anywhere we turn in God's WORD we see his greatness. In you and your family, we see His greatness. Who would desire anything else, but to belong to our great GOD. There is truly a wide reaching fellowship of support and love to surround you. I, too, will be blessed by your daily updates; we are keeping the watch. His peace and mercy to you.
ReplyDeleteReading your blog has become my nightly ritual once my fmaily is all in bed. I read it, revel in the gift of your raw, bleeding out faith, and pray specifically for Ava and your family. I am a 13-year northland groupie and have followed the Hunter brother's progress through joel's stories and updates. You could not have a better family to weather this storm with, thank you for being vulnerable and sharing, you blog has been a blessing to me, and has certainly glorfied God. We need to keep praying and watch God move in a mighty way.
ReplyDeleteJosh and Lisa,
ReplyDeleteYou have no idea how very many lives you are touching. Josh, you are so gifted in your writing. Your vulnerablility, humor, and integrity is so admirable. I have grown in my walk with the Lord this past week from the wisdom you have shown. It is mind boggling that we don't have a say in how our ministry is going to play out for the Kingdom, but yet somehow God still allows us to have one. Rest assured that non of this is in vain. You are ministering to thousands! We are trusting and believing that the Lord is going to heal Ava completely. Thank you so much for allowing God to use you and this situation for the furthering of His Kingdom. His Kingdom will come on earth as it is in Heaven. "Stand firm and see the deliverence that the Lord will bring you today. He will fight for you, you need only to be still." Exodus 14:14
Hi there, I am really sorry to hear about Ava but very hopeful and excited to know your family is seeking alternatives to the traditional route of chemo and radiation. I am 30 years old, married to TJ, and mom of 2 boys (ages 4 and 1) and I cannot imagine having to go through what you are going through. I am a friend of Maggie Jobson's....we used to live in Orlando and attend Northland. She told me about Ava and said I should take a look at your blog and perhaps offer my suggestion on another way to go since you are seeing natural therapies for the cancer. I cannot speak highly enough of the Hallelujah Acres Lifestyle (hacres.com). I eat a mostly whole foods, plant-based (almost vegan) diet, as do my kids and husband. We are all about eating plants. We believe in the amazing self-healing powers of our bodies when we fuel them with the right things, and Hallelujah Acres has helped us to learn and grow in our knowledge of how best to feed our bodies. I have always told myself if me or my husband or children were diagnosed with cancer, we would completely and wholeheartedly go the Hallelujah Acres route, which is an 85% raw diet with plenty of freshly extracted juices and some supplemental powders such as barley powder. I love that they want to educate people on how God made our bodies to function best. I believe in the work they do with my whole heart, yet I know that healing ultimately comes from God. If you go to the Hallelujah Acres website and click on Library, you will see a section on Cancer Recovery. I'd start there if you are new to their website. I also want to recommend a DVD that I purchased from Hallelujah Acres called "Healing Cancer from Inside Out." It's sort of like a documentary on why the mainstream treatments do not work and what good alternatives to those are, primarily the nutrition route. If you email me at gingerfriesen@gmail.com and give me your address, we will order you your own copy of the DVD and have it sent to you. I cannot tell you how glad I am to see people out there who are looking for other ways than what the "system" says is the only way to go to treat cancer, which it is not! We will lift sweet little Ava in prayer!
ReplyDeleteJosh, there is a FABULOUS, AMAZING Russian doctor IN ORLANDO who was in charge of the medical care for the Chernobyl victims. Many of them were children who got all kinds of cancer within days, weeks and months of the reactor meltdown. She has the equivalent of 2 PhD's and an MD. Her non-traditional treatments have literally done miracles- for people I know personally and for 10's of thousands in Russia - and she treated Bill Bright for the last two years of his life in his home. It would probably take a personal appeal to her for her to consult on your case, but if you want more information or for me to get you guys in touch with her, feel free to email me at atarter at tarterecon dot com or call me at 757-871-5825. Pressing in in prayer, Ashley Tarter
ReplyDeleteHey there, it's Shelly Uner, I was talking with a friend last night who has supported a client through a struggle with glioblastoma and she shared the following link to a doctor in TX who is supposed to be helping a lot. Just wanted to pass it along for what it's worth: http://www.burzynskiclinic.com/ph/index.html
ReplyDeleteOf course we are praying and thinking of you guys daily.
Josh and Lisa, like so many others my husband and I check your blog daily to see how Ava is doing. All of you are in our prayers. As grandparents to 3 young ones, we can only imagine what you are going through and it brings us to tears and to the throne of God. We are honored to be among the thousands who are praying for a miracle. May God continue to give you the strength you need each day to face this difficult journey.
ReplyDeleteKathy and Dave Fox
My wife, Mary found this book that may lead to some helpful information. Title: Detox with Oral Chelation. Protecting yourself from Lead, Mercury, & other Environmental Toxins. Authors; David Jay Brown & Garry Gordon, M.D.
ReplyDeleteJosh,
ReplyDeleteMy sister is a pediatric nurse working at Memorial Hospital's Pediatric Hematology/Oncology Clinic here in South Bend, Indiana. I shared your story with her in hopes that she would have any information that might be helpful to you. She has some information that she would like to pass along, but I thought a private venue would be better. If you would please email me at mtholewc@iusb.edu and I will get it to you ASAP.
I have been holding your entire family up in prayer often...
Mary Holewczynski
Praying for you today and hoping Ava can see somer fireworks tonight!
ReplyDeleteHey Josh, random Florida connection for lead on GBM, and hopefully you've already been pointed in this direction, but give it a read anyway... after all, coincidence is my favorite kind of conversation with God.
ReplyDeleteA friend from Arizona has 2 cousins, 17 and 20, who had brain cysts and malignant brain tumors - they are both doing well now. They both lived in an area of Florida called the Acreage, in Palm Beach County. There's been an abnormally large number of brain cancers diagnosed in this region, a large number of which are GBM. Most of these have been in people younger than 49, which apparently is the "rare" cut-off age. Here's a link to one discussion on it:
http://www.palmbeachpost.com/news/rare-brain-tumors-strike-8-adults-1-child-767707.html?printArticle=y
My friend is checking to see if it was GBM that her cousins had. They actually live in Orange County now, so the world keeps getting smaller in this. I'll let you know as soon as I hear.
Praying for you and your family, and especially for Ava. Me, along with tons of others, are enlisting prayer warriors from all over the country. I know you've heard this already, but people you will never meet are lifting up Ava to the Ultimate Physician.
Del Schwalls
Are you still looking for feedback on research? If so let me know. I can devote as much time as is required.
ReplyDeleteGod, You know the needs and miracles that are needed in this family. You are the only one who can bring full and complete healing and removal of this cancer. I pray comfort and strength above, around, and through this family, and there friends.
In Jesus Name, AMEN!!
Josh,
ReplyDeleteMy mother has been battling an illness of her own - but forwarded this information to me. I am sure you may already have this - but we didn't want to take our chances on you missing this just in case
http://www.pbtc.org/public/protocol_summaries.htm
Our family is praying throughout each and every day for Ava, you and Lisa, and your entire family.