GOD HAS GIVEN DAVE ANOTHER MIRACLE!

Dave was driving home yesterday afternoon when he had an accident. He was about 45 minutes away from his mom's house when he lost control of his truck, rolling with no idea how many times, saying that it felt like being in a roller coaster. The truck landed on its top and he crawled out of the window with cuts and abrasions on his left elbow. One of the people who stopped to helped him was a nurse and she cleaned and put bandage on his cuts before the paramedics got to the accident site. He refused to be taken to the ER, he was more concern about his truck and his meds thrown all over.
We are very blessed to be sorrounded with family and friends whose support and love for us is very unconditional. I called John, Barbie and Angie and they were with Dave in no time. John had Dave's truck towed to his place while Angie and Barbie drove Dave half ways. My friend Ruth and I met them along the way and had dinner before going different directions. Dave finally agreed to go to the ER at the Naval Hospital in Bethesda eight hours after the accident. Brandon and Lale were at the hospital to meet us and had a laugh, a sigh of relief on what had happened-- Dave seeing the jack flying while the truck was rolling, etc. When Dave got situated at the ER, Ruth and I left him with Brandon. They got home from the hospital at 3am and Brandon had to go back there for his uniform inspection at 6:30 am.
Thank you so much for your love, support, concerns and prayers. It keep us going!
Love,
Edith

Dave drove down to Va. Thursday morning, just in time to take Ms. Iris Lee for breakfast. Before he left, he did more powering washing on our house that he washed out our phone line. It was quiet for a week since that's how long it took for the electrician to come and fix it. Everytime Dave does something around the house, it seems like it costs more than to just call somebody to do it. But he's happy and occupied so that matters more :) He is obssessed with power washing lately so he had to washed John's deck after having breakfast with Ms. Iris. He is keeping himself busy while down there. He went fishing on Angie's pond Thursday evening and then went on a poker game 'till midnight. Friday morning, he moved heavy stoves with John that they are going to sell next Saturday, went fishing on the boat and did Turkey shoot at night. He called around 10:30 last night and he sounded so tired. He didn't have a nap all day long! He started he's day at 7:00 this morning. He took his boat at the car wash and it took him until noon scrubbing the floor and the seats. He said that it looks like new again, ( I thought it's still new, it's just 2 years old ) when I called him at his mom's house. He was ready to take a shower, take his nap and all energized for another poker game! He has another fishing tournament early Sunday morning and I hope he's saving some of that energy for that big fish.
Dave decided to take a month off chemo to do things before winter hits despite the bad news we just had. Please hold him in your thoughts and prayers.
Please include our friend, Benjamin Abad and his family in your prayers. His wife has been dx with kidney cancer and she is going to have a surgery on Monday at the National Naval Hospital. Please also pray for their son, Ben, who has Down Syndrome and Autism to be able to speak his first word. Pray that Ben will have the strength mentally and physically to take care of his wife and their 3 children.
Thank you,
Edith

CT/PET SCANS RESULTS
It seemed like a bomb just dropped on us all over again! We didn't get a good result on Dave's latest scans. The disease is progressing and also the soft tissue along the omentum, adjacent to the hepatic margin is now more confluent ( running together ) and thickened and direct infiltration is suspected. It's all over again from a year ago when Dave was told that he has cancer. But this time, I am not crying. I know that God is in control and we will get through this for another year and more years to come.
"THE LORD IS MY ROCK AND MY FORTRESS AND MY DELIVERER;
THE GOD OF MY STRENGTH, IN WHOM I WILL TRUST;
MY SHIELD AND THE HORN OF MY SALVATION,
MY STRONGHOLD AND MY REFUGE;
MY SAVIOR, YOU SAVE ME FROM VIOLENCE."
2 SAMUEL 22:3

This past weekend was great and wonderful. We started it with dinner at TGIF on Friday. Dave watches too much tv that he wanted to try their new appetizers, fried green beans and fried mac&cheese, but he was disappointed because it didn't taste as good as it look on tv. After dinner, we walked around Harbor Center and ended up at the Marine Boat World and walked out with a pair of sandals for Danica which I can't complain. We went home and watched the movie, "The Apostle". Dave decided to go to bed earlier than his usual bedtime which is midnight, excited for the next day. One of my daycare clients hired him to power wash their house, seeing the big sign out on our driveway, "POWER WASHING". He was up Saturday morning before his alarm that was set at 7am. He even made his own breakfast (microwavable pancakes and sausage) but had to get me out of bed for his morning meds, too much for sleeping in! Poor Brandon didn't come in 'til 2 am but had to keep going. They were on their jobsite at 8 am on a Saturday morning but could have been there earlier if Dave wasn't inform that the kids don't get up until 8 am! (Who cares about the neighbors who are trying to sleep in on a Saturday morning). Dave was so happy when they finally came home at 1pm with a mark on his neck, the shape of a handle of the power washer. He said that he was starting the machine and the cord slipped and hit his neck! "Weird things happened!" He said that it was so good to work again (he's a surgical tech) and they also were given a "fat tip"! He still had so much energy that after having lunch, they started shooting targets with B&A's (he owns 2 of them things) in the backyard with the shed's doors open so as not to use our neighbors as targets. Brandon didn't come home with a bruise so he had to get one on his arm while shooting. Well, things happen if you don't pay attention and with the phrase, "I THOUGHT". The string of the B hit his arm, leaving a big and nasty bruise. Dave tried to take a Snooze Cruise before going to Bass Pro Shop but with Brandon's cell and our phone ringing off the hook he said he wasn't able to take one so off we went. He was supposed to get a remote control trolling motor for his boat that he wanted so much since he got back from a fishing trip in Minnesota as a birthday present but he decided against it. He got him a Black Powder Gun (Barbie, Angie Delta and Ms. Iris,this is what we get him for his 40th b-day). He has to be properly equipt for every deer season hunting there is! Thank goodness, there is no sling shot season! Melissa and I decided to buy him a few T's and Sweat shirts in happy and loud colors to brighten more of these happy days. To finish up the day, we had Chinese at the food court, orange chicken and noodles, that Dave craves once in a while.
At bedtime he had a little bit of discomfort but didn't want to take any pain meds. (He hasn't taken any for more than a week now). He just sat on the chair by our bed for hours but at 4am Sunday, he was up to go crabbing with Brandon. They didn't come back 'til past noon. They had to stopped at Dave's favorite Mexican restaurant for lunch. They came home with a bushel of crabs for dinner with just me, Melissa and Brandon eating!
So long for now. Dave is calling me for his sleeping pills. He has been having trouble going to sleep!
Love, Edith

Dave went for another chemo treatment yesterday. His oncologists were very happy because his bloodworks was good, he looks great and he is strong. He has an appointment for CT/PET scan on Monday, Sept. 12. His oncologists (Fellow and Attendee) told him that if the disease has not progressed, they will give him 6 weeks off chemo to do some hunting, and another 6 weeks for Christmas. It will be great to have some drug-free time!

As hard headed as he is, he started driving himself to the hospital to get his treatment. Danica took the shuttle from the Naval Academy yesterday so that he had somebody with him going home. She started school last week and she gets off at 10:15 am everyday. She has been a great help for us not counting the attitudes we get once in a while. Melissa started high school and she seems to like it. She leaves the house at 6:45 am and it takes her 5 minutes to walk to school, class doesn't start until 7:17 am.

Dave's retirement date has been moved at the end of this month. He has been put on TDRL (Temporary Disability Retirement List) in which he will get evaluated every 3 to 18 months for the next 5 years. The navy gave him 100% disability rate and probably the VA would give him the same rating.

Please pray that Dave's tumors are shrinking, that he's going to have good results from his scans on Monday. We appreciate all your prayers, thoughts, love and concerns. Thank you so much!

Edith

HAPPY 14TH BIRTHDAY, MELISSA!

We celebrated Melissa's 14th birthday at Buggs Island (Kerr Lake) in Clarksville, Va. last Sunday, the 3rd of September. Loretta (Dave's mom) and Angie with her kids drove up there for the day for some family fun time (fishing).

We finally were able to go away from home since Dave got sick. We stayed at the Best Western by the Lake and upgraded our hotel room 3 times to get the best view of the lake. The girls didn't like the hotel because it was very quiet. They wanted to stay at the hotel across the street because there were so many people staying there and that's where the party was! Dave was so excited, as always, because he was able do some night fishing. John and Mason joined us Saturday night and they stayed out fishing until 2 in the morning. On Sunday morning, all of us went on the boat, riding around and more fishing. The girls and Diana (Danica's friend) went swimming in the lake and fished for a little while. Danica caught the biggest fish (catfish) of the day with a crappy jig which made her day.

After our little birthday party for Melissa,Dave and Angie went fishing with their mom and had some quality time together I hope. Sunday night, John and Dave went out fishing again but they were back by midnight. The batteries of the boat gave up on them and somebody had to tow them all the way to the boat ramp. They had a good time and I had some peace and queit which was badly needed. Dave made me promised that I would go with him to Hopewell, Va. for catfishing. I went with them last last year and I didn't like it at all. It was so stressful! I'll try to get away with it. Maybe John and Tim could go with him!