Prayer for our friends

Please pray for our dear friends, Mike and Sharon Druley. Mike has been battling cancer for some time now and I just ask that you bathe him and Sharon in prayer. Please read their latest CaringBridge update below...

"The following verse appeared in a card this week: "On the day I called, You answered me; You made me bold with strength in my soul." Psalm 138:3 We have not always felt strong this week but God has made us strong to face some tough decisions.

The last two weeks have been very difficult. Following the last chemo infusion on November 1st, which was a new recipe following the new port, Mike was beseiged with difficult side effects. He had extreme soreness of the tongue to the point that eating was very painful. He had very dry skin which would cause pain and also had extreme weakness. Because of all this he was unable to eat but tried to drink plenty. For the first time he fought the ultimate side effect of diarrhea for a week. On Monday when he returned for another chemo he was a very sick guy. The oncologist took one look and sent him straight to the hospital where we have been until yesterday morning. During the hospital stay he received fluids, antibiotics for a urinary tract infection, several blood tests, and another CT scan. The oncologist and surgeon shared the scan results on Wednesday. They showed an increase in the liver tumors and tumors on the adrenal gland which weren't visible last scan three weeks ago. In short the two new chemo mixes were not working on slowing or stopping the rapid cancer growth. After asking some very difficult questions of the oncologist, we were faced with some hard choices. Should he continue to receive chemo (which didn't seem to be working) and be so sick that he could not function in any normal manner, or discontinue chemo to concentrate on comfort management and place his time in God's hands (where it has been all along)? After a prayful and tearful night, we both felt strongly that continuing chemo was NOT the best choice. We met with Dr. Narayan, his oncologist, and shared our decision. She supported our choice and contacted hospice to set up our home program. Although this was a difficult choice, the peace that we have felt following it has reassured us that it is the right choice. Our family has been very supportive and our son, Jeff, and family plus our daughter, Kristen, are with us this weekend to lend their help and support. Kristen has even taken Family Leave Time from her job and is planning on staying through the end of the year. Our son, Brian, will be coming on Tuesday next week to stay the week.

Some have questioned whether we are "giving up" and the answer would be NO! There just comes a time when quality of life has to outweigh quantity of life. We have received so many blessings along this journey and hope to be able to enjoy many more in the days to come. Never be discouraged in your prayers for us. A friend once told me that God answers prayer in three distinct ways by saying: YES, NO and NOT NOW to our requests. Your prayers for our strength and guidance and for our doctors have been answered in multiple ways for the last several months. We have been blessed with doctors and nurses who have gone above and beyond the call of duty to treat us, counsel us, pray for us, and yes, even cry with us. What a blessing they have been! Your prayers have allowed us to get up, make it through some very hard days, and trust that there was hope for a better tomorrow. In short, please continue to lift us up as we face the next step of our journey that we might be able to walk it faithfully with God's help.

Blessings to you all,
Sharon (for Mike too)"