KC Building Progress

Back to Denver Today

Wed, 7 Jan 2009 12:04:57 -0700

After four days in the hospital I was released Saturday night and enjoyed a few days here in Scottsdale with Marsha. I seem to be fine. I have to inject myself twice a day to keep blood clots from forming. My care in the hospital was excellent.

Can you believe I was attempting to play golf for the first time in months when I got called into the emergency room. I was on the first hole with my board chairman Al Smith. I told Al, “I am at least going to finish playing the first hole.”

This weekend I get the joy and privilege of sharing with a group friends in Colorado Springs at a gathering for Doug Nuenke (1980 Doulos group) who is the new US President of the Navigators. I have many fond memories of Doug that year and subsequently when he joined our staff a ran the ministry at KU for a number of years.

Headed to Emergency Room in SCottsdale

Wed, 31 Dec 2008 17:04:33 -0700

I have had trouble breathing with any exertion for some time and thanks to the followup of my cardiologist this afternoon they discovered that I have blood clots in my pulmonary arteries. Hence I am headed to the emergency room to check into the hospital for a few days of blood thinner and a new med. All prayers would be appreciated particularly for Marsha.

New challenge in treatment with heart

Mon, 29 Dec 2008 21:27:53 -0700

Last week I went to my clinical trial prepared to take the double chemo I receive every three weeks. The test results came back from a heart echogram they had completed several days earlier. The heart test revealed a weakened aorta valve. This is the main valve that ejects the blood back into the body. Consequently the doctor did not give me the main chemo I normally take feeling that this is what had done the damage to the aorta.

I have been to the cardiologist twice since and had various tests. We don’t feel this is a crisis but certainly a challenge. I began a light dosage of a med today that the doctor is going to try to rectify the heart problem with.

The biggest problem continues to be my extreme exhaustion.

Project Red

Mon, 29 Dec 2008 21:21:34 -0700

Much to my surprise my daughter Stacey invited me to a night of knitting with her friends and revealed a project she had been working on since July. It was a afghan with one hundred squares from people around the country and world who had read of my cancer on her blog. Along with came stirring accounts of others battles. Included were squares from my own family. Needless to say it is very special and quite emotional for me. What a special daughter Stacey is.

Praying for Marsha and Richard

Mon, 29 Dec 2008 21:09:53 -0700

At the Winter Beach Party some of the pastors gather to pray while Jim Dixon, pastor of Cherry Hills Community, leads us. We are so grateful for our praying friends. We had a wonderful eveing at the Pepsi center with a meal, a ball game and sharing by our friends. About one hundred and seventy-five people attended.

I got the latest results of my scans and tests back and there has been no further advance of the disease. We are very thankful for that.

The battle for energy has been increasingly difficult. Marsha my ever faithful, loving and serving wife continues to amaze me in her serving and patient understanding of me and my situation.

The finishing of our new facility in Independence, MO is getting close and the program there is doing well with a great leadership team. God continues to amaze me at His faithfulness bringing all the resources to bear in this wonderful project.