Welcome to all!

Donald is a full time student at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth, Texas. He is in his 3rd year and hopes to graduate in December of 2005. He began Seminary in Kansas City, MO at Midwestern and transferred to Fort Worth in August, 2003. I was home schooling our three oldest kids and expecting our fifth child in December.

By November, 2003, Donald became ill with what we thought was a bad cold or viral infection. He noticed the lymph nodes on his neck were swollen and he was just extremely fatigued. We both felt he was wore down from all the classes and work he was doing. He was taking a heavy course load including Hebrew and Greek!

He went to the doctor and was put on antibiotics. After a weeks time, he had only improved slightly and the lymph nodes remained swollen. As the days passed, he began developing more symptoms. He was itchy and couldn't scratch hard enough or often enough. He will have scars on his feet and legs from scratching so hard. He started having night sweats and had a tremendous amount of pain in his shoulders and through his chest. No matter what he tried, he could not find relief. He began to have difficulty breathing and was so fatigued that he would come home from class or work and just simply crash. He was referred to an ENT specialist. Soon, he was worked in at a local hospital. During this time, I had our fifth child, Lincoln Andrew. (The first Texan in the family!)

By mid January, 2004, Donald had a biopsy and we learned within a week he had Hodgkin's Lymphoma. Our only transportation was totaled at this time and we were left at the mercy of the insurance company for a rental car for a week! Two weeks after the biopsy, Donald went back to surgery for a port to be placed in his chest. He began treatments and we started down a very long road, with Chemotherapy every other week and lab work and doctors appointments scheduled on the other weeks. He remained in classes and continued with his job! During that whole time, he did not once get sick!!! Praise be to God!

By July 2004, it was determined that Donald would end chemo and begin radiation by mid August. That gave us enough time to go back "home" to Iowa to see our family there. It was a welcome time of renewal and refreshing for us before everything started back up again!

August, 2004, Donald started back to class and began his 20 days of radiation. He went daily for radiation and soon had decreased saliva and a sore throat. He did well with that and was declared "cancer free" that fall. We had several good months after that. We enjoyed every free moment we had!

January, 2005, Donald went in for a regular checkup. He was told he would be referred back to oncology.