Aaron's Army

A friend told us that it is difficult to search the blog everyday with the lack of updates.  She was concerned that we might lose our ARMY of people sending prayers heavenward for Aaron.  I know how this feels.  When I am home in Paradise I worry about how things are going in Farmington and not many days go by before I just have to come down and see for myself.  I need to know how Aaron is doing.  Is he improving?  Is his pain lessoning?  How are his spirits?  And I also need to know how Lorraine is coping with it all and how the kids are doing.  I feel a need to help, if I possibly can.  So I journey down and stay a few days.  I have been here in Farmington since Thursday.  It is Saturday morning and I thought I might fill all of you in on what I have found here.

Improvement is slow but it is easier for me to see it when I haven’t seen him in a few days.  I found him improved with more energy and almost a bounce to his step when I got here on Thursday.   His smile was bigger and he could stay up for a longer time.  He mentioned things he was hoping he could do soon, which was so encouraging since he hasn’t had the strength to do much of anything. His energy has been low and he has been constantly tired spending the larger part of every day in his bed.   It is a roller coaster ride however with constant ups and downs.  Thursday was probably his best day.  Yesterday he fought dizziness all day and stayed in bed all day.  He is taking less pain medication, which is a good sign.  He stopped taking it all together yesterday trying to see if it might be causing the dizziness.  Later last night he was feeling less dizzy and his pain level was tolerable.  I am hoping he was able to sleep. 

Another roller coaster like thing has been his weight.  He was up about 8 lbs and we were cheering this bit of good news, but he has lost those gains again.  Possibly the reason for the loss is simply that he sleeps most of the day and can’t eat for several hours before he takes his medicine or an hour afterward.  This makes his chances for nourishment limited.  His appetite hasn’t been good either.  Things that used to sound good to him simply don’t any longer.  Smells bother him – even good smells, and any food smells are a negative.  He told me his favorite smell is now ‘odorless’. He has new empathy for pregnant women who say that smells bother them. 

He has the rash that the doctor told him he would surely get.  It looks like a bad case of acne.  We love it however because from what we have read about the drug Tarceva, the more prominent the rash, the better the body is responding to the medicine and could have a longer response to it.  And he has been responding, his breathing is so much better.  He can go for short stints without any oxygen and is using less all the time.  His ability to talk is greatly improved.  Surely this must be because the tumors in his lungs are shrinking giving him more room for oxygen and a stronger voice.  He also has less pain in his back and ribs, which must mean the tumors are lessoning there as well.

I found Lorraine upbeat and strong.  She is amazing to me.  I love to watch her each morning as she checks all the homework from the day before, visits with the children over breakfast, counsels them, and laughs with them.  She fixes their lunches, administers all their medications, praises them for all the good they do and listens to their little stories.  She is a remarkable mother.  Her faith always strengthens mine.  She keeps going, shows no sign of fear or desperation because she feels none.  She finds strength where it is abundant, in the words of the Lord, the counsel of His prophets, and with the other sheep of His fold.

The children are also doing well from what I can observe.  They like to be close to home where they can be with their dad.  They love the hugs and reassurances from their mother and they are enjoying all the beauties of spring with their bunnies and chickens providing friendship and adventure.  They are functioning well in school and their other activities and the home is alive with their many projects and creative activities.  

This difficult bump in their road has been remarkably smoothed out for them by all the many, many acts of kindness, the constant help they have received, the delicious food that seems to magically arrive at their home just when they need it. I can count on gaining a few pounds every time I come as I just try to taste all the good things that are brought in. People have taken the children when Lorraine needed a rest.  They have rides to all their activities.  Kind neighbors, friends and family have cleaned the home, worked in the yard leaving it beautiful with even the sand pile filled with new sand for the children, installed new appliances and repaired leaky sinks.  Thoughtful letters with sweet thoughts and encouragement arrive on a daily basis. Wash has been done and homework helped with by neighbors.  It would be impossible for me to list all the things done for this family.  It is equally as difficult to express the way these have buoyed them up.  The love extended has been felt and has strengthened all of us.  The fasting and prayers have been felt.  I have heard people say that they could feel the prayers being offered in their behalf and I never really understood what they meant.  Now I do.  There is a tangible strength that comes because of those prayers.  I have felt lifted, enveloped, held tightly, comforted, and actually felt strength being poured into me.  It is a new testimony I have of the power of prayer.  Thank you.

I have taken up a Book of Mormon challenge I found on line.  It is to read the Book in the time it took Joseph to translate it.  That means I started on April 7^th and will finish in June.  I have tried to read everyday from its pages for years but will have to read a few extra pages a day to complete the challenge.  As I read the last verse of the first chapter of Nephi, I remembered my Book of Mormon professor at BYU telling us that the last sentence of that verse contains the thesis statement of the whole Book.  I thought how well it fits our own lives.

“But Behold, I, Nephi, will show unto you that the tender mercies of the Lord are over all those whom he hath chosen, because of their faith, to make them mighty even unto the power of deliverance.” 1 Nephi 1:20

The tender mercies of the Lord, and faith really do make us powerful, and all those who worship the great Deliverer, know of his succor and feel of His love.  He delivers us not only from the grave and from our sins but from fear, from doubt, from turmoil and gloom.  He fills us with strength and with hope.  He teaches us truth and helps us find good in all the things that we suffer.  He sends his angels to strengthen us and we have been sent an army of angels.

We don’t want to lose ‘Aaron’s Army’, all of you who have been praying for him and his family.  You have given us strength for the fight and courage as the battle rages on.  We have felt supported in every moment of need.  We find ourselves praying for you.  Not only offering our gratitude to the Lord for you but also asking that strength flow back to all of you who so generously have given it to us.  We pray that you will be upheld and feel the love of the Lord in your own battles.

We love you all,

Kathy Thatcher, (Aaron’s mother)

Each of these lovingly folded paper cranes is a constant reminder to our family of each of your heartfelt prayers “flying” up to heaven, and also that the Lord is mindful of His children (Luke 12:6-7). Thank you.