Still in Hospital

I don't have the news that I want tonight, sorry to report that Joe's condition has not turned around yet. He still has a major problem with trying to eat, vomiting and fever and is still losing weight (2 more pounds). Joe was moved to a room at 4 am on Friday and now Sandra has a chair that lets out so she can rest (she got to sleep good last night). The CT scans did not show anything much. He is receiving insulin now because his sugar levels aren't quite normal but this is expected to be temporary. Please keep praying for a miracle so he won't have to have a feeding tube put in. God bless our friends, Joe and Sandra!! Thank you all for your love and care, Sherry

Update from Hospital

Joe still isn't doing good at all. He has been vomiting still and fever spiked again this evening to over 102. They have did CT scans trying to locate the problem, but no answers yet. Joe is still in the emergency room waiting to be moved to a room. Someone has to be released for a room to be available for him. Sandra may have to lie in the floor to get some rest because her left leg has started to swell from being on her feet so much. So you all see by this just how much we need to be praying for them. They really are counting on your prayers for God's help in so many things at this time. Thank you for all of your love and care, Sherry

Last Radiation Treatment

Joe took the last radiation treatment this morning!!!! Praise God, that's over. These last 7 weeks has really took a toll on our friend, he has lost 24 pounds because he has a very hard time (pain) swallowing his food and then part of the time he has not been able to keep his food (lots of vomiting). He has been and still is very sick, in fact he told the doctor tonight when asked how he felt, "I feel like a dead man walking". He has ran fever almost constantly for a while now and it spiked this evening to 102.7 and they went to the hospital as they were told. Joe has been admitted to the hospital tonight and is receiving fluids and meds intravenously. He is dehydrated and they say the fever is caused either by something called "tumor fever" or an infection somewhere. In my last conversation with Sandra, the temp had dropped considerably so that was good to hear. Please pray diligently for Joe and Sandra because they need God's continued help in a lot of different ways. They want to be at home soooooo bad but in my opinion Joe will have to get better before he can make it home. I visited them this past weekend and I can tell you Joe is terribly sick and Sandra is carrying a heavy load, but God is real to them and has blessed them tremendously! Love to you all from our friends, Joe & Sandra

Monday Night

Joe & I saw Dr. Phan today. She was encouraging Joe to "Hang In There". Due to the irritation & burn in his stomach from the radiation, he is having fever & nausea. His stomach just cannot work and digest as well as normal. So far surgery is not in the picture. No tumor, no surgery.
She is saying the radiation is a "clean up" , a process trying to insure that the canacer does not return. Joe didn't take chemo last week, nor is he this week. I don't think they give it when you have a fever. His temperature is up again tonight (101.2). Today has been very rough for him.
He has kept almost nothing down. Please keep us in your prayers...Joe & Sandra

Saturday Morning from Houston

Good Morning....Just want to let you all know that Joe is feeling a little better every day. For almost a week he wasn't able to eat or keep anything on his stomach, but that has changed. He is eating better now and keeping it. Our current problem is keeping his fever down. The apartment we're in came to us just in time.. I don't know how we'd have managed in the motel with him being so sick. Here, I've been able to cook a bit and not have to drive or walk here & there for everything we eat. Please keep remembering us in your prayers. Love to you all..... Joe & Sandra

Guess What?

Joe had a better, more restful night and he had breakfast before the radiation and at 11am he was still keeping it!!!!! Isn't that gooooood news....PRAYER still changes things. Let's all praise God today for that improvement. Thought you would want to know and I just had to tell someone! Love to everyone....Sherry

Tuesday's Update

Sandra had to take Joe to the emergency room Sunday night with the fever. They gave him fluids, ordered him an antibiotic and gave him tylenol. They were told to come back to the ER if his temp got up to a certain number that I don't remember (sorry).
Joe is still receiving radiation treatments Monday thru Friday however his chemo has been put on hold for a week because he has been so sick and the white blood count was low. They think the chemo is the cause of his nausea and not being able to eat. Another medicine has been added to what he already was taking for the sickness and it has a drowsey effect so maybe the stomach problems will be better now. It has been hard for Joe to swallow so they are mixing something up now for him to swish around and hold in his mouth and then swallow before trying to eat. This is also for the mouth ulcers that the radiation causes. Joe has lost 8 pounds in about a week and this has the radiation doctor concerned. He told Joe, "you have got to eat!" so now Sandra is trying even harder to get him to eat. This weight loss is not good. But it just tells you how sick he is. They are begging for your prayers and God's help as it is very hard on them. Joe woke Sandra up during the night "taking on" because he was burning inside. They are missing you all and are hoping to be home sometime after the 29th. Please pray that Joe can eat or he will soon have a feeding tube. Love from the Bynums by Sherry

Treatment update

Joe says he is feeling "fair" today. The radiation & chemo is taking a toll on him now, he has been quite sick lately. On Thursday he couldn't keep anything down but was a little better on Friday. By Friday night he had a fever and wasn't feeling good at all. He still has some temp now on Sat. night as well. He has 3 weeks of treatments left to go.
They moved into an apartment Thursday and have more room and it is quieter there. Sandra has even cooked squash and cornbread! They are asking for your prayers so please don't forget them. It has been rougher on them lately.
I am making this post because Sandra doesn't have internet at the apartment.
God bless everyone! Sherry

Homesick in Houston

Hello again...Just letting you all know we came thru Eduard (the tropical depression) ok. They closed the hospital Tuesday for all outpatients & surgeries, but reopened today. It didn't do as much as they were expecting. Some of the streets may have flooded. It was o.k. here.
Joe was sick & vomiting this morning. After having his radiation, we came back to the room. I got us some breakfast & brought it back to the room. He didn't feel like going with me...but, thank the Lord he was able to eat & has not thrown up any more. He took a long nap after eating breakfast.
We will probably be moving into an apartment tomorrow. Maybe it will work out better for us there. We will still have shuttle service. But, we won't have internet service. So, I'll have to figure out a way to update the blog. We are so...sick of this place. I think Joe is getting ready to kiss the ground again when we get home to Alabama. Please.....keep us in your prayers...We're still loving & missing you all.....Joe & Sandra

Sunday in Houston

Hello everyone...We are missing you all so ...bad. Joe is doing well most of the time, but I have noticed that he is more tired & he gets nauseated in the heat. He thinks he is getting lazy, but it's just taking more rest for him. He was sick to his stomach Friday morning before eating breakfast, then again this morning after breakfast...Both were partially due to the heat. The radiation really zaps his energy, so he takes naps thru-out the day. We are still thankful for our blessings....and can hardly wait until we can get back home and see you all...Joe & Sandra