February 13-23

We are going to summarize this all in one. During this time I was still in the Respiratory ICU down at Murray Hospital. On Friday the 10th I had a very rough day. They put a feeding tube in to prevent me from aspirating and they could control the amount of calories I had. On that night all the kids that were around including Thomas, Amy and Ethan, the Fausetts and Wrights, along with our wonderful Bishop, and my mom and dad gathered in the ICU and they gave me a blessing. There is such strength in families and the priesthood. I even got to talk to my missionary Elder Timothy Wright. I told him to keep up the work. Best medicine that could come came on Saturday and Sunday, my wonderful sons Mark and Matt along with Jacky and Ian were able to fly in from out of the country. We just missed our Michelle and our little M3. Then on Sunday the 12th it was not a good day. Nothing went right. The test results were low, I was not making much progress, it was a discouraging day.The only uplifting this was I got to listen to the Peterson Ward sacrament meeting via audio. Technology is amazing. About 2 am on Monday morning I had a sweet spirit come over me that said "Be still and Remember that I am God." I went back to sleep, and from that time on the oxygen levels have come down from that point where I was on 100 percent oxygen to where I am right now on 4 liters of oxygen. That was a significant turning point. During that week we started participating in physical therapy. Still very week, the therapy felt good. On February 19th we were able to celebrate 59 years of marriage for my parents. What a blessing it is to grow up in a home where the gospel is taught and lived, and where your parents love one another and each of their children. Love you Mom and Dad. I remained in the ICU until the 23rd where the transported me via ambulance to the Promise Hospital which is located in the LDS hospital. Promise Hospital is an acute care rehab hospital. Thanks for all the care at the Murray Hospital ICU. We had many attentive nurses, techs, doctors, therapists, and dieticians. We also want to thank for you all for the encouraging cards, flowers, texts, prayers, thoughts. We made it through all of that because of the love and support of our family and friends. Thank you!

Sherie

7-12 February 2012
Challenging Week
Thanks to the wonderful oximeter from the Fausetts (what a blessing!), we have been able to monitor Sher’s oxygen saturation for several days. On Tuesday afternoon, February 7th, at our doctor’s appointment, her oxygen was seriously low, and so I immediately took her to the IMC Emergency Room. The ER doc took a chest X-Ray and then a CT scan, and discovered additional blood clots and pneumonia. She was admitted to the Respiratory ICU at the IMC in Murray where the good doctors, nurses, technicians and others have been so kind in caring for her. On Thursday, Dr.Dean directed a bronchoscopy where they looked at her lungs with a miniature camera and cleansed them with a sterile fluid. The discovered a tumor that was blocking the lower left brochial tube. We are hopeful in time they will be able to remove the tumor, but we have to get her better first. From a culture taken from the lungs, we learned Bear has Pneumocystis pneumonia (PCP), an opportunistic form of pneumonia caused by a yeast-like fungus. Apparently, a pathogen specific to humans can cause lung infection in people with a weak immune system, e.g., people with cancer, HIV/AIDS and the use of medications that affect the immune system. It is very dangerous. They have Sher on oxygen and lots of antibiotics. Sher has an unconquerable spirit. She is amazing and we have felt a flood of love, faith and prayers from family and friends. We thank you for love and concern. Sher is resting well this evening with good stats and we will continue to trust in the Lord. We are thankful for the angels at this hospital who continue to care tenderly for my sweetheart. We have been so grateful to wonderful family who have gathered to sustain and bless us!

KelWil

I thought you would enjoy this thought. I loved it.

The Masterpiece Makers Delivered By: Lloyd D. Newell

Have you ever seen a painting by the artist Renoir—in a museum perhaps, or in a book of impressionist art? We marvel at the beauty he captured, the sudden burst of color in a portrait, the serenity of a French meadow scene.

But as famous as Renoir is, few people realize that he painted much of his work in excruciating pain. Renoir was so crippled with rheumatoid arthritis that he had to sleep with a wire contraption that kept his sheets from touching his body. His deformed hands had to be wrapped with gauze; otherwise his fingernails would grow into his flesh. He couldn’t even pick up a paintbrush. And yet he would sit before a canvas in his wheelchair, have someone wedge a brush between his claw-like fingers, and paint visions of joy and delight.

It’s easy to see why Renoir’s illness is not well known, because not a shred of bitterness or despair appears in his work. Renoir was the model of a cheerful attitude, saying, "The pain passes, . . . but the beauty remains,”1 and "One must from time to time attempt things that are beyond one’s capacity.”2

On rare occasions we meet someone like this—a person who is in great personal pain but somehow manages to be joyful, even vibrant. We stand in awe of such people; they refuse to focus attention on themselves but instead inspire us to rise above our own sufferings and create beauty for those around us.

The next time someone asks, "Have you ever seen a Renoir?” you might think of a beautiful painting, but you might also think of the Renoirs you know—the everyday people who teach us, by their remarkable example, how to forget our own problems and focus on what we can do to bring joy to others.

Sherie

February 4, 2012

Today was the women’s conference for the Morgan North Stake. I wasable to go and meet with the sisters for the opening session. What asweet and gentle spirit was there. Bro Laurie Anderson was the keynote speaker and he was magnificent. I was very touched especially as he talked about the fact that we are not invisible to the Lord. I know that this is true. There have been times when I know that I have been wrapped in His loving arms. We are so blessed to know that weare loved. Brother Devin Walker then sang “Where can I turn for peace?” It so fit with the words that had just been spoken. Then President Roger Peterson talked about our Spiritual DNA. I was lifted and felt the unity of the sisters and their leaders from the meeting. I know of the Love that the our Stake Presidency has for all of the sisters. The closing song was Sister Sandi Johanson as she sang “I believe” The words of this song have gone through my mind over and over again. Music can be such a healing influence. I must say how very grateful I am for my presidency. They did everything with their committees. The building was beautiful and the food delicious and the reports the classes were magnificent. I am so grateful for them, although I know that they are exhausted. The Lord has so blessed us with the plan to work as presidency and with each other. Know that I love you Lanelle, Cathy, and Christene.

SaraAnne and Aaron are their little ones stopped in for a couple of hours. They brought pictures of the white blood cells eating the cancer cells. I have swords and magic ponds that drown the cells. There are dead cells everywhere. They also brought food and bread but mostly they brought love and life and joy. We so loved having them here with us. Amanda and Ethan came up to so we all enjoyed the chance to be together again.

Sherie

1-3 February 2012

I am happy to report these last three days were much better for Sher, certainly better than Tuesday. I might think the monkey diet helped, or at least the compression stockings and lasix, including Lovenox, but I prefer to believe it was the hand of the Lord. We have been so grateful for family and friends who have blessed us this week, with meals, love, prayers and kind wishes. You lift our hearts and strengthen our faith! Thursday evening we were privileged to receive an audio stream of President Calvin Stephens with the CES Institute network teaching from the Doctrine and Covenants, Sections 77-81. For those who know President Stephens, its almost impossible to keep up with him and his many insights into the scriptures. It was wonderful!

KelWil

Rugged Day and Monkey Diets

Tuesday, 31 January 2012

I took my sweetheart into McKay Dee Hospital to have a paracentesis – a procedure to remove water from the abdominal cavity. She gained several pounds over the last few days. Unfortunately, the ultra-sound showed no fluid, so we left disappointed. But later in the day we met with Meredith, our fun PA with the IMC Cancer Center, who prescribed a number of things, including inter alia “Eat one banana every day.” Of course, I refer to it as the monkey diet. The compression stocking and lasix will help her eliminate the water, and the twice daily injections of Lovenox will speed dissolution of the pulmonary embolism. We know the doctors are walking a fine line between thinning Sher’s blood and concern for tumors bleeding. We clearly do not want the latter, so we especially invite your faith and prayers in her behalf. This evening I invited over my good friend and business partner, John Ure, to assist me give Bear a blessing. We felt the power and hand of the Lord! How grateful I am for your faith and prayers, and for wonderful family and friends! It is now my job to make sure Bear has one banana a day.

KelWil

(in case you forgot your latin, I believe inter alia = among other things. But what does carpe diem mean…?)

Faith

Sunday, January 29, 2012

To understand the blessings of Sunday, let me turn back the page to Saturday evening. As Bear and I discussed the planned events for Sunday, she mentioned a 6:00 am Stake Council Meeting, a PPI at 8:00 am and Ward Conference at 9:00 am. In my naïve way, I expressed concern about 4 hours of activity in the morning, and Bear simply said, well, I have faith the Lord will sustain me. So of course we both decided to rely on the Lord and did all we could to prepare for the Sabbath, including going to bed early. And then came the miracle. It turned out that Bear slept through the entire night, the first time in many months! Wow. She made the 6:00 am Council and did her presentation, had her 8:00 PPI and enjoyed a wonderful Ward Conference with the Enterprise ward. A restful nap in the afternoon kept her going all day. I returned for our combined Priesthood – Relief Society meeting at 1:00 pm and brought Bear to Church again for Sacrament Meeting to hear Taleisha Rhodes speak before leaving on her mission, and enjoy a powerful talk on having the Spirit of the Lord by remembering the Savior from our good friend Steve Lyon. We enjoyed dinner with family and then a restful Sabbath evening. As the Lord instructs in D&C 123:17, “let us cheerfully do all things that lie in our power; and then may we stand still, with the utmost assurance, to see the salvation of God, and for his arm to be revealed.” We love the Lord!

KelWil