Thyroid Cancer, Isolation, and a Healthier Bride

This is more a story about God's provision and protection then it is about thyroid cancer.  

Approximately 10 years ago my wife began dealing with a thyroid issue.  Did not seem to serious she simply had to take synthroid, a synthetic version of the hormone that a thyroid typically makes.  There have been some ups and downs over through the years but we seemed destined to simply fight for the care needed.  We fast forward to almost two years ago. She was going to a routine check up for her thyroid and the doctors were concern about the size and shape.  The concern was cancer.  They ordered ultrasounds and biopsies but did not peruse it further.

The summer of 2011 the Army moved me to Fort Leavenworth, KS to attend my next level of military education.  By this time De'Dee's thyroid had grown to the point that you could see it in her neck and it was begin to press on her throat and making it hard to breath and swallow.  Once we settled into our new home De'Dee went to the clinic to see if she can get some answers from new people.  With a little argument with the medical personnel she finally received a referral to a doctor off post.

In her first meeting with the doctor without the doctor even examining her and only looking at her records she recommended surgery.  No this was not a rash pass the patient off decision.  The doctor is quite good at what she does.  De'Dee had to do some lab tests and other examines to confirm what the doctor saw in her charts.

Once everything was confirmed De'Dee was referred to a surgeon.  Not just any surgeon but in my opinion one of the best in the area.  We met with him on the Wednesday before Thanksgiving and requested the surgery be done as soon as possible.  The surgeon was going to be on call on Friday after Thanksgiving and suggested we do it then.  Perfect timing.  It was a four day weekend for me and De'Dee would be home and recovering before I had to go to school.  They removed the whole thyroid and the doctor did a beautiful job in the surgery to ensure that not only the thyroid was removed but the incision and the closing were a work of art.

Several days later we received the report from the lab concerning the thyroid.  It turns out that the doctors first impression almost two years ago and confirmed by the current doctor was accurate.  The thyroid was full of cancer.  As De'Dee's current doctor stated on her visit, "This should have been removed two years ago."

This is where we see God's hand of provision and protection.  We learned that the type of cancer, though the best to have for ease of treatment, was also the most aggressive type of cancer.  God protected De'Dee from the cancer spreading and contained it within the thyroid.  There was evidence that it was getting ready to spread further but God protected.

As far as God's provision that comes from the fact that he provided the right doctor at the right time.  Dr. Amanda Bell just set up her practice in the Kansas City area at the end of August 2011.  Just months after we first arrived to Fort Leavenworth.  Dr. Bell is not any doctor when writing her thesis her topic was on the specific type of cancer De'Dee had.  Add to this Dr. Bell is a former Army doctor.  This means she knew the TriCare insurance system and how to work the referrals in order to get De'Dee to not just the right people to care for her but get her to some of the best people.

This bring us to where we are currently.  On 10 January De'Dee took the final step in dealing with the thyroid cancer.  She took a radioactive iodine pill.  You see the thyroid is the only organ that process iodine.  Iodine is what it uses to produce the thyroid hormones we need for so many things.  After starving the thyroid of iodine for two weeks she took a iodine pill that was radioactive.  The thyroid tissues left, yes there are some tissues left because of the location they cannot remove it all it is too risky, suck up the iodine and the radioactivity kills the cancer.

Here is the catch.  For 10 days after she takes the pill she has to remain in isolation.  I can be no closer then 6 feet.  Cannot sleep with her or use the same latrine or shower as her.  So she is in the master bedroom for the 10 days.  We find it quite ironic that she is in solitary confinement on Fort Leavenworth (Fort Leavenworth is home of the military prison U.S. Disciplinary Barracks).

Humor aside I am proud of my bride.  She has endured dealing with this for a decade.  She has bravely endured the thought that it might be cancer for two years.  She now deals with life without human touch for 10 days.  She cannot even have the comfort of our dogs.  She is connected to the world by digits with her phone, iPad and laptop.  We have said that being a part during a deployment is easier.  What is a good feeling is after over 25 years of marriage I still desire to hold her, to simply be able to hold her hand.  The number of times I wanted to just enter the room over the last several days I cannot even count.

I have learned much about the thyroid over the last few years.  More over the last several months then ever before.  What I have been reminded the most about is that God cares.  His timing is perfect.  His ways are not our ways his ways are higher.  I have also been reminded that I have one of the greatest women in the world living in my home and I am honored to call her my wife.  Thanks to God's protection and provision I get to call her my wife for many years to come.

Welcoming a Brother in Arms Home

Today we at Fort Leavenworth welcomed home one of our own to his final resting place.

The door gunner on the Chinook helicopter that was shot down in Afghanistan about a week ago with Special Forces aboard was buried at the Fort Leavenworth National Cemetery.  He was only a 21 year old Specialist when he gave all for his country.

To welcome this young man home and to give him the honor he deserved for the price he paid Soldiers, Family Members, and Civilians lined Grant Ave on both sides rendering a salute as this patriot was driven by.

Honor where honor is due.

From the front gate to the cemetery there were 1000's of Army, Navy, Air Force and Marine personnel and hundreds of civilians and Family Members paying their respects to this Soldier.  He was led on to post with the Patriot Guard (of which I am a member but did not ride in this one).  It was a mile long procession of motorcyclist, the Soldier's family, law enforcement and many others.  Protecting from the rear was a final contingency of Patriot Guard riders.

Patriot Guard

As the procession moved down the road the Soldiers came to attention and saluted holding the salute until the Soldier had passed their position.  I can only imagine the family driving on post and begin to see a line of people solemnly standing on the side of the rode to welcome their son home to his military family.  To see 1000's of military personnel and civilians rendering a salute or standing silently along the road giving a final respect to a patriot.

In this world where we have to deal with people from organizations like Westboro Baptist Church from Topeka Kansas.  This church's main purpose is to spew hate towards those who protect their freedom to say what they want. What I saw today was people demonstrating love, care and compassion not just for their fallen brother but for the family that escorted their love one.

As the family drove by close enough for me to see their faces as it caused me to choke back tears as I could see the pain on their faces and yet relief and comfort by seeing so many standing there to support them.  We may not have been allowed to go to the cemetery to be with them as they laid their patriot to rest but I believe lining that street today in Fort Leavenworth brought more healing then any one could convey.

It was a honor to be able to welcome this young man onto post.  A duty that I did not out of obligation because of an order but because it is the least I can do to say thank you for his willingness of this one to lay down his life for his brothers and sisters.  As Jesus said no greater love then for one to lay down their life for another.

Many don't realize that less then 1% of those eligible to serve actually serve.  This means that when one life is lost it is felt hard by all of us in the military.  My request is that more would do like we did today.  They would line the streets to welcome the living and the dead Soldiers home.  For if more would do as we did then we would drown out the hatred spewed out by people like those from Westboro Baptist.  If you own a motorcycle I invite you to become part of the Patriot Guard and protect those who simply want to peacefully lay their family member to rest.

If you know that even one Military personnel is arriving home from a deployment to an airport near you I ask that you would gather family and friends and greet them at the airport and express your gratitude.  You don't have to support the war just support those who protect your right to be free to believe the way you do.

When You Hold God To His Standard...

It is interesting how we as humans feel it necessary to remind God what His Word says.  A couple of months ago I found myself doing just that.  To understand what I am talking about let me back up for a minute.


In the fall of '09 I was accepted to the resident Intermediate Level Education course (ILE) at Fort Leavenworth, KS.  I was initially supposed to report last summer but was slightly tied up do to a "deployment."  The quotes are for emphasis because this "deployment" was to Camp Arifjan, Kuwait.  Those who have been to Camp Arifjan know that it is more of an unaccompanied tour then a deployment.  Yet I digress.


Because my selection was a surprise and because we had purchased a house De'Dee and I discussed our options.  We chose that I would go as a geographical bachelor while De'Dee remained with the house until it sold.  We were set with this plan for De'Dee to wait because the house is only two hours away from where we are moving to.


We realized that after a year of being gone and not getting R&R that being apart is definitely not what we want.  We also learn that most days I would be done with class by 1230 - 1300 (1230 - 1:00 pm for civilians).  That made it even more that we did not want to lose that time together.  So we began to pray.


The prayers went something like this,  "Heavenly Father, your word says...."  We then proceeded to remind him of our faithfulness and what his word had to say.  Specifically to the point of the fact that we are not to remain apart unless it is for prayer and fasting.


I mean it must be God's fault that we made the decision to be apart and that the house wasn't selling.  So if he wanted for us to be together like his word says then he best sell the house.  After praying this prayer a few times God stopped me and asked me what I was going to do about the situation.  I thought me I can't sell this house only you can.  He began to show me that I had a responsibility to hold to his word also and I wasn't.


You see I had not done anything to make sure De'Dee was coming with me.  No movers set up nothing.  So I proceeded to contact transportation and get the movers over to our house in the Fort Riley area and bring her to Fort Leavenworth, KS so we are together.


No, the house has not sold but it seems God wants us to rent it and not sell it at this time.  De'Dee is here with me and though it is hitting our pocket book pretty hard to have a mortgage and rent.  Yet this situation is much better with having De'Dee here with me.  God is protecting hour finances and keeping faithful on his part.


Just be aware that if you are going to hold God to his standards and Word I would make sure you are doing your part because he will call you on it as you have him.

Chaplains as Non-Combatants

Most know that I am an Army Chaplain.  I am currently assigned to the Command and General Staff College at Fort Leavenworth, KS.  I am assigned here to attend Intermediate Level Education (ILE), it is a year long graduate level course.


Being in this scholastic environment has caused me to reflect on something that I have simply pondered and debated both sides in the past.  That topic is the regulation concerning chaplains caring weapons.


The reason I am writing this blog is to confirm or deny things that I have heard over the last 27 years concerning chaplains and fire arms.  The intent is to open a discussion concerning chaplains and fire arms.


For those who are not aware of the Army regulations concerning chaplains carrying weapons AR 165-1 states that chaplains will not carry a weapon.  For those who are history buffs you may be aware that chaplains throughout history have at times carried weapons.  Prior to 11 September 2001 the regulations was more ambiguous and said chaplains should not carry a weapon.


The Geneva Convention gives some evidence as to where the basis of chaplains not carrying weapons comes from.  The Geneva Convention states that chaplains are non-combatants.


So here is what you can do for me.  Tell me what you think concerning chaplains carrying weapons.  It does not have to be long but please just don't say that you think they should or should not carry weapons.  Give me the reason why you feel the way you do.  If this does turn into a research paper for school I may like to contact some of you for more input.


Blessings

Back To School

I recently was ordered back to school.  Yes, you read correctly ordered.  Being in the Army there are many things you get ordered to do.  In this case it was to go to school.  The last time I attended formal schooling was back when I attended seminary in 1995.


Considering the options this is not such a bad thing.  My choices were doing all or part of the school online or attend the residence course.  The last time I did correspondence schooling it took me two years to finish the final classes to get my M-Div.  I in fact did sign up originally to do this schooling online in the summer of 2008.  By September of 2009 I was notified that I had 90 days to complete the course, I had not even started.  I rejoiced when I was selected to come to this school in residence.  In the Chaplain Corps to do ILE in residence is considered and honor.  They say I am the best of the best.  I know many who are better at being a chaplain then I.


The school that I am at is Command and General Staff College at Fort Leavenworth, KS. The course that I am taking is Intermediate Level Education (ILE).  It is my next level of military education.  In this case it is unlike typical military education in the fact that it is more of a college setting and is considered masters level education.  In fact many leave here with a Masters in Military Arts and Science.  Have not decided if I am going for another masters degree but the school itself is still at that level.


As I prepared for my first day of class the other day I caught myself having those typical first day of school thoughts. What am I going to wear (like I have a choice I am in the Army it is a military school I wear the uniform that I am told to wear.)? What if the other "kids" don't like me?  What if I don't do well?  You remember those thoughts you had on the first day.  Many of the thoughts I had were crazy for going to school in a military setting.  Some were crazy just simply considering my age.  I had to chuckle inside as the thoughts ran through my head.  All the good, bad, and ugly memories of my first days of school came flooding back.


The greatest challenge is getting back into the mode of homework.  I was telling De'Dee tonight that I feel like I am struggling to get the 25 meter targets knocked down let alone the other targets that are out there.  For those not in the military when on a qualification range you have targets spaced at 25, 50, 100, 150, 200, 250, and 300 meters apart.  25 meters should be easy and definitely not how close you want the enemy to get.  You prefer to hit the 300 meters targets.


Getting used to being in a college setting again is going to take some adjustment but I will get there.  I have no choice, for to fail would mean not getting promoted.  I am not done moving up.  Too many things left to do.


The thing that struck me the other day is that I was informed that "C's" are a failing grade.  I was dependent upon "C's" to get me through undergraduate and graduate studies.  They obviously did not see my transcripts or I am sure I would not be here today.  Of course then I was paying and working my way through school.  Here I am being paid to be in school.  Another example of your tax dollars at work.


For those taking classes my sympathies are with you.  I had forgotten what school was like.  Now I remembered why I did not want to go back to school.  I have encouraged many to finish there schooling.  I guess I best start setting the example for them and my girls.  Time to get a big straw and suck it up.

God Cares About All Things

This should have been blogged months ago.  No excuse for it taking so long.  It shows God cares about even the things we don't think he would care about.

I had arrived here in Kuwait and was going through what we call RIP (Relief in Place) / TOA (Transition of Authority).  It is the process that units go through when handing off the mission to another unit.

The mission here is such that I have Soldiers in my brigade that are scattered through out Kuwait and through out the region.  As part of the process of handing off the mission to me and my unit the outgoing brigade chaplain had the battalion chaplains take me on a tour of their AO.  This required traveling around Kuwait.

On one of the travels I was taken up to the Iraq / Kuwait border where I have a unit that process convoys through the boarder.  It was 6 years prior that I had gone through the boarder.  It was kind of an interesting feeling.

When we were getting ready to leave that evening I had taken my Blackberry out of its holster and was using it.  Just before climbing in the car I set it up on top of the car.  Finished preparing to climb in the car and then did so, not realizing I had left my phone on the roof of the car.  We then proceded to turn around and drive off.

We drove over speed bumps through the gate and then sped down the road.  About five minutes into the trip I realize I do not have my Blackberry and then realized I left it on the roof of the car.  So we whip around and speed back to the boarder, hitting a huge pot hole along the way.  Over more speed bumps and we arrive back to where I climbed in the car.  I was praying and hoping that I would find my phone on the ground unhurt but at that point I just wanted to find it.  It has all my contact info and I did not want someone, to get a hold of that info.

As I climb out of the car and begin to look on the ground where the car had been parked one of the Chaplain Assistants climbs out of the car on the other side and yells across the car to me and says, "It is still on the car!"  I said, "What?"  She repeated herself.  I said, "No way!"  I turn around and there it sits on the car.

I rejoiced and gave God the glory.  I have a saying, "God protects fools and children, and I am not getting any younger."  God cared enough to protect the information on my phone along with knowing how much of a life line it is because of Yahoo Messenger that I have on it.  It was amazing that it held on and there was no ledge or anything to prevent it from falling off.  I believe that simply the hand of God held it in place.

Qatar

Being in the unit I am in and deployed to the Middle East means that I have Soldiers and units scattered across the region. My responsibility as the brigade chaplain is to ensure religious coverage for all my Soldiers. I achieve that through various ways. One way is what I call a site visit. It is where I go and visit another camp then the one that I live on. A recent site visit took me to the country of Qatar. It is a small country off of Saudi Arabia south of Kuwait.
It was one that I fought against going. No just kidding this was a trip that I could not wait to go on. In fact I fought to go for the fact that one of my beautiful daughters is stationed down there. Cherish is deployed with a medical logistic unit to Qatar. I can't tell you the pride that I have in my girls. They all serve or served in one way or another. Either as a Soldier or a spouse of a Soldier. I am indeed blessed.
I spent the days down in Qatar visiting my units and since my daughter works nights I would go to her office area and spend the evenings visiting with her. It caused me to recall the times I worked or served with my Dad. It has been such a highlight of my time here knowing that Cherish was deployed with me. Though seperated a bit and we don't get to see each other all the time it has been still a special time.

On my last day there Cherish and I took an MWR trip in to Doha. Qatar was and somewhat still is known for its Qatari pearls. So in the top picture you see Cherish and I standing in front of a giant pearl on the water front of Qatar.

The gold market or Gold Souk was amazing. It was literally streest lined with gold. The gold here is typically very pure and is sold by the ounce not by the piece. The gold sold here tends to be 18 to 22 carat. Beautiful hand made intricate pieces. The price is quite high because of the purity and selling the gold by the ounce.

I did find some beautiful pearls sets. I think De'Dee will look beautiful in the set I got for her. Shhh it is her Christmas present. LOL No she already knows. She likes knowing what her gifts are. I have never understood that part. It has something to do with the excitment of knowing instead of faking.

We then went from the Gold Souk to the Old Souk or Old Market. At the Old Souk there was about anything you wanted. To include restuarants and various shops.

One of these shops was the hunting Falcon shop. They still use Falcons to help in their hunting. What they hunt I am not sure but they were amazing birds to see.

As we were leaving the Old Souk to head to a dinner at a local resturant I snapped the next picture of Cherish in the market. The lit tower behind her is actually the top part of a three story building. The bottom part of the building has a bank. I cannot remember what was on the second floor but the third and final floor which you see a part of with the tower is a mosque.

The local food was very good. Cherish was not impressed that I was attempting to take her picture while she was eating. Obvious by the look she is giving me. Kind of Dad, knock it off and let me eat.

It was nice to see something other then what is inside the wire of Camp Arifjan but in many ways it was just another middle eastern country.

The trip there was made worth while in the fact of getting to spend time with Cherish. The memories that were made being a father and a daughter are ones that last a life time.