God gives grace.

Every day and at every turn God gives us grace to do this.  A couple weeks ago on an especially rough day it was a phone call from Ann in St. Louis right before we arrived at UNMC... and that morning an encouraging email from Nile & Leigh in California. Every week it was caring voice messages from Nancy in Dallas.  Today it was wise and caring words from Janice & Tom in St. Louis.  Or the reminders from friends too numerous to count that "we pray for you every day"...

This week it was compassion from Dr. Zhen who had one nasty canker sore in his mouth and voiced sympathetically that he wasn't sure he could endure the treatments that his patients weather... 

And this week it was the joy of a new grandchild in the family when Buck and Holly had their first child - Harper Francis Blanc - on Monday, October 17th.  We were able to go straight from our radiation treatment to see the beautiful, tiny little girl - and it was even more fun to see the wonder in the new parents' eyes. 
Holding babies is one of Mike's most comforting activities so it was perfect after his treatment. 

Mike reached a low point last night when (I don't know how to say this delicately) his broth and tofu noodles didn't stay in when he tried an avocado chaser.  Fortunately we can laugh about it today.  (You have to laugh...)  Speaking of, regarding his neck I heard him say to Kiley today "Yeah, my neck is getting really burned by this week and the skin kind of broke down in a couple places... you know, like when you are roasting a pig and the skin cracks".  It sounds more gross than funny when I type it...  But even with this, he said he doesn't have pain.  His complaint is with the lack of any working taste buds.  I think we will both have a renewed appreciation for the simple pleasure of TASTE.  So much to be thankful for...