Over the past year and a half, several of you who follow my blog have been generously keeping my husband Pete and me in your prayers. So, on this very blessed Easter Sunday, I’d like to take this opportunity to offer an update.

Pete was diagnosed with bladder cancer in October of 2022, and in December of the same year, I had a heart attack. I got the easier part of the bargain – two stents for Christmas, followed by cardiac rehab therapy, a healthier eating plan and more exercise. Pete’s journey has been far more grueling – chemotherapy, followed by major surgery to remove his bladder, then several hospitalizations due to infections and other complications, and finally, immunotherapy treatments.

There were bright spots, like the major milestone moment when Pete “rang the bell” upon finishing chemo last spring.

But much of 2023 was a chaotic roller coaster ride of repeated hospital stays, juggling medical appointments (sometimes as many as 15 in one week between the two of us) and frustrating efforts to navigate the health care system – not to mention an abundance of anxiety and uncertainty about the future.

So it’s with much relief, joy and thanksgiving that we’re finally able to report some good news. In mid-March, Pete went for a complete follow-up CT scan of his lungs, abdomen and pelvis. Nothing scary was growing and several previous “areas of concern” had either shrunk or disappeared entirely. Last week, Pete’s oncologist confirmed that his current regimen of immunotherapy seems to be keeping his “bad-boy cells” under control.

Because it’s Stage 4, there is no cure at this point. But the oncologist assures us the cancer continues to be treatable, and so far (knock wood!) the side effects from the immunotherapy have been minimal. These days, a LOT can be done – even some advanced cancers are now being treated like a chronic illness rather than an automatic death sentence. As Pete said a few days ago in his Facebook update about the CT scan results: “This stuff never goes away, and doctors deal with probabilities, not certainties. But I’m taking this as very good news indeed!”

Meanwhile, my heart attack was definitely a wake-up call. My heart – quite literally – was telling me I really, really needed to establish better eating habits and address my mostly sedentary lifestyle. My cardiac rehab program offered nutritional advice, a personalized exercise plan and educational classes on how to live with a heart condition. So we’ve established a healthy eating plan and have added yoga and walking to our routine.

This, of course, has me singing: “Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah, hallelujah, hal-le-e-lu-jah!” (Picture a choir singing the “Hallelujah Chorus” from The Messiah.) And I do have much to be thankful for.

I have been impressed and humbled by my dear husband’s strength, courage and persistence as he has plowed through his endless treatments.

I’ve taken to calling Champie our furry little comforter. Our sweet kitty kept Pete company and rubbed noses with him as Pete was recuperating from surgery and other complications. Our fur baby cuddled up with me on those lonely nights when Pete was in the hospital and I had to sleep alone at home. Even at the ripe old age of 18, he continues to be his sweet, ornery, adorable self.

We are both beyond grateful for the mountain of get-well wishes, the delicious meals sent to our house by special angels when we didn’t feel like cooking, the offers to assist with transportation and other needs, the cat photos and baby goat videos and bad puns posted to our Facebook pages to cheer us up, and the many other things our wonderful family members and friends have done to help us feel supported and loved as we’ve traveled through this uncharted and often frightening and frustrating territory.

Everyone’s continued prayers have been especially appreciated!! Our church congregation has kept us on their prayer list for well over a year now, and friends and family members have put us on the prayer lists at their own churches. The Dominican Sisters in our community have enveloped us in prayer and provided us with spiritual direction. Several dear readers who follow this blog have assured us that we’re in your prayers as well. The steady stream of prayers, cards and visits have helped more than people know!

We’ve even gotten support from complete strangers who probably have no idea how much of an impact their small actions are having. When we’re out and about, especially when we’re on our way to doctor’s appointments, we make a point of driving by the house on MacArthur Boulevard with this sign in their yard.

While we’ve gotten amazing support from family, friends and our spiritual community, possibly the one biggest thing we’ve needed is hope. For hope to happen, we’ve had to lean on a health care team we can trust.

Over the past year, we’ve assembled a good medical team that is helping both of us get the ongoing physical care we need. As exasperating as our health care system can be to navigate, we’ve been blessed with competent and dedicated health care professionals, from Pete’s oncologist and my heart specialists to the overnight nursing staff who helped keep Pete and me comfortable during hospital stays.

We mustn’t forget to mention the amazing staff at the Simmons Cancer Institute’s infusion center, the interventional radiology team at St. John’s Hospital, the folks at the Prairie Heart Institute’s cardiac rehab center, and the home health team who came to our house throughout the late winter, spring and early summer of 2023.

More importantly, we’ve had to lean on and trust God to get us through. The “Prayer of Good Courage” was written in 1941 by Anglican priest Eric Milner-White, and is a favorite at Holden Village, a Christian retreat center in Washington state. It has become a favorite for Pete and me as well, especially during times when we’ve found it hard to trust where God might be leading us next.

So … Pete and I finally seem to be turning a corner. I hope!! For those who have been keeping us in your prayers and offering a million other kinds of generous support — thank you, thank you, thank you!!

Happy Easter, everyone! Christ is risen indeed.