Leaving for Mayo today

Hello friends. It's July 4th. A day to celebrate our freedom. Hopefully next year at this time we'll be celebrating Jim's freedom from cancer.

We leave for Mayo this afternoon. We're going to miss the Kohler fireworks with our kids. I am a little disappointed, I have to admit, but our appointments start at 7:30 am tomorrow morning. The Kohler fireworks are something to be seen. They kick things off with a Sousa concert in a bandstand. They sell cotton candy and popcorn. Every kid gets a balloon. There are hundreds and hundreds of people there. It's amazing. Like something you'd expect in a Norman Rockwell painting. Janet is going to take Rachel over to our friend's house to watch the fireworks tonight. I am glad that Rachel will be there and have some friends to hang with. Jake goes to bed at 6:30, so Jim Sr. will stay with him. Trying to bring Jake to the fireworks would be disastrous. Jake doesn't do well off his sleep schedule.

Please pray for us. We are scared. We still haven't heard anything about whether or not we can get that trial drug, and we were hoping to go to Mayo armed with that as an option. Right now we're just going to have to keep our minds open to the alternatives. I know it's all going to be okay in the end, but that doesn't relieve our fear at this point.

Tomorrow is an entire day during which Jim will be poked and prodded and have to drink contrast fluid. Please pray that he'll have the strength to get through tomorrow. Please pray that we'll find some good options and hear some good news. Please pray for us to have the grace to make it through the next couple of weeks so that we can give Jim the best treatment possible. Please pray for our family - that we can continue on this journey together.