Author: Cassie Henriksen

This morning the Dr told us that Tim’s blood numbers were improving enough that he could be discharged tomorrow or Friday! We could hardly believe it. He MAY actually make it to graduation. 🤞

He has gone all day without having to be hooked to his IV pole. He took advantage of that and got in a couple walks for a total of 1 3/4 mile.

PRAYER REQUESTS:

Still having skin irritation issues and the drippy nose. His mouth sores are improving and we are told the other two should get better as his blood counts rise.

Getting discharged brings a whole new set of challenges. It is extremely exciting and scary at the same time. There are many things we will need to watch for and he will need to have clinic visits 2-3 times per week.

PRAISES:

That Tim might actually make it to graduation.

That his blood counts are improving rapidly.

Since today is Cinco De Mayo, we are celebrating the good news we received yesterday. Had a good conversation with the Dr. this morning regarding the next steps in Tim’s treatment too. He is also celebrating a nice new bed here at the hospital. Even has a Purple mattress!!

Tim had a nice visit with Timmy and Michaela’s pastor today. He brought Tim a Chipotle burrito bowl and Tim managed to finish the whole thing!! Talk about a Cinco De Mayo celebration!!

He got two half mile walks in today. Had a round of phosphorus and a few antibiotics but that was all. It’s nice that some of his medicines are starting to slow down a little. He is able to spend more time NOT hooked up to the IV pole and that is so freeing.

The Dr is thinking that Tim will be able to leave the hospital early next week (likely Monday). We are looking forward to a little normalcy in our lives. Then we have the appointment in Iowa City on May 18th. They will do another bone marrow biopsy that day and once the results are back, we will start the maintenance chemo (rounds of chemo for 5 days a month). He will likely do 2-3 rounds of those before the bone marrow transplant (or also called a stem cell transplant). These are just general timelines but it gives you an idea of what probably lies ahead for us.

PRAYER REQUESTS:

Tim’s skin and mouth sores are still quite an irritant as is the drippy nose. The nose is improving but slowly. It is very dry here in the hospital and that does not help with the dry, irritated skin.

Tomorrow I, Cassie, will be heading to Wayne, NE to spend a little time with our youngest daughter Sarah before her graduation this Saturday. Tim is already starting to miss me. His brother Rob will be staying with him during this time to help Tim be able to watch the livestream. Tim is disappointed to not be able to be at Sarah’s graduation.

PRAISES:

We are seeing steady improvement. It is slow, but steady. The Dr told us this morning that his blood numbers are also slowly but steadily improving also.

Words of encouragement from all across the country. The messages we receive are so uplifting. We cannot thank you all enough for them. They help us keep going!

Praise for our son-in-law Mitch and grandson Wells today. Happy birthday to them both!!

Today we learned that the first round of chemo killed enough that Tim doesn’t have to go right back into another round of chemo! PTL!! He could be released from the hospital in the next 5-10 days. Depending on when his numbers rebuild, he will have to come back for a second round of chemo but the timing of that all depends on numbers. We still have our appointment in Iowa City on May 18th also.

Tim was a bit more tired today. He needed more platelets, phosphorous, and potassium today. He spent some time in the rooftop garden enjoying the sunshine and got a couple walks in.

PRAYER REQUESTS:

Tim continues to struggle with digestive issues, mouth sores (which make it very difficult to eat), skin irritations, and a very drippy nose. Please continue to pray that these issues clear up.

Prayers that Tim’s levels will build and we can be released from the hospital. We have been here for almost 4 weeks and are ready to fly the coop!

PRAISES:

Obviously, we are praising God for the wonderful news we received this morning!

Tim enjoyed a better night of sleep last night than he has had for a few days.

Saturday was a BEAUTIFUL day and we had a wonderful time with our family celebrating our grandson, Wells, first birthday. Tim even got to indulge in a little pizza! We got some family pictures (see below) and even got to have a little family worship time before everyone had to head out. Despite Tim needing 2 blood transfusions on Saturday (he was a little tired), the nurses were wonderful and worked it out so one was basically done before the party and the second started after our worship service. He was able to be free of the IV pole for that whole time.

Today, several of us got to attend Cornerstone Church in Ames and watch Tate (our soon to be son-in-law) get baptized. It was a wonderful service!! Tim was able to watch the livestream and texted me after it was over that he got to watch the whole thing, uninterrupted. If you’ve ever been in a hospital before, you know that was a big deal!

Overall, Tim’s health is gradually improving. He is sounding stronger and his color is getting back to a more normal pallor. After the two transfusions yesterday, his energy level today is much better. He even got a mile walk in this morning after watching the service. His potassium was pretty low today, so they are giving him some meds for that.

PRAYER REQUESTS:

Tim started having a bloody nose last night. Because of that, they did a round of platelets. They do not want him blowing his nose as that can make everything worse. It is pretty miserable to continually feel like your nose is running and not be able to blow it. Please pray that will subside.

It is hard to force yourself to eat when you have no appetite. Please pray that he will be able to get enough food intake despite not feeling hungry so we don’t go backwards and end up on IV diet again.

All the washing and sanitizing is starting to take a toll on Tim’s skin. He is using some creams they have given him so prayers for that to help would be appreciated.

PRAISES:

For the wonderful day with family. It was such a blessing to be able to see everyone and have a time of worship together.

Hearing Tate’s testimony and seeing him get baptized. We are adding a wonderful young man to the family and we praise God for how He has blessed us with kids that are following the Lord!

Nurses who understand the importance of family time and even enjoy watching and listening to our family praise God. We have been truly blessed by the care we have received here!

Tim was able to enjoy most of the afternoon and evening free from the IV pole. He is transitioning from less IV”s to more pills again. A little scary but necessary steps towards the possibility of being released. While he was without “his friend”, he took two longer walks of about 3/4 of a mile each, showered without all the encumbrances, and even cut his hair (yes, he still has hair).

We now have an appointment scheduled with the University of Iowa. While there are still several things that may happen between now and then, it is good to have that set. On May 18th, we will head to Iowa City to have tests and be seen by the Dr’s there.

His food intake is still increasing but doesn’t take much to make him full, go figure! He is looking forward to a little pizza tomorrow with the family. SSSHHHHHHH!!!!!! 🤫

PRAYER REQUESTS:

That Tim is able to continue to consume enough calories to avoid IV nutrition.

While there are still many prayer requests we could mention, tonight we want to focus on the praises.

PRAISES:

That Tim seems to be making great strides. A week ago our son wrote about some pretty dark places we were walking through. Tonight, that seems like a very long time ago and for that we are ever so grateful. Not only to God but to all who have been beseeching him on our behalf.

Today I (Cassie) kept hearing songs that just reinforced God’s love and protection over us. Music is very important to both Tim and I and today God used it to speak to me!

For all the cards and words of encouragement. We have been taping the cards up on a door here in the room so we can look at them all the time. We enjoy reading though the notes everyone is leaving on this site each day. Thank you all for the cheerful and prayerful greeting you are sending.

Today marks the end of the 3rd week of us being here in the hospital. So much has happened in those 3 weeks!

Today was Tim’s bone marrow biopsy. They used some “gnarly” (Tim’s words) sedation that kept him fairly knocked out most of the day. This was not a bad thing as he hasn’t slept real well the last couple nights and really needed a couple good naps. We are very hopeful that the tests will come back “clean”.

We have officially been referred to the University of Iowa hospitals for further treatment. Not sure of any details to go with that. As we have found out with so many things, this is a marathon, not a sprint, and we often can’t see around the bend until we get closer.

Tim was able to have some actual food today, not just liquids. He did very well with it so far and we are hopeful this will help with the digestive tract issues.

PRAYER REQUESTS:

Please continue to pray for the decisions we will be making over the next couple weeks. Still many to make and some are going to be pretty big ones!

Please pray for wisdom for our doctors and care teams as they make decisions about Tim’s treatments.

Pray that we might be a testimony to all those around us. We hope that even through some of the hardest days, those around us can see the trust we have in Christ.

PRAISES:

ANOTHER GOOD DAY!!!!

That Tim was able to have some REAL food and that, so far, it has gone well. He seems to have an appetite (not always a big one) and we pray that continues.

We learned first thing this morning that Tim’s AML is complicated enough that he will eventually be referred to a bigger hospital for a stem cell transplant. That is a lot of information to digest and there will be many big decisions that will need to be made.

As for how Tim is feeling, the nausea is much improved and his energy today was much better than yesterday. He was able to get a half mile walk in and food is starting to sound really good – especially since he has been stuck on a liquid diet for nearly a week. He keeps trying to get me to sneak B-Bops french fries in here! He had to make do with a few cracker added to his tomato soup. 😁

Despite the tough news today, we still both feel peace!

PRAYER REQUESTS:

Wisdom for the many, many decisions that will need to be made. Some will be tough decisions and some will be easier. The amount of them will be overwhelming.

Tim will have his post-chemo bone marrow biopsy tomorrow. It will be several days until we get the results. Please pray for us in the waiting and that the results will be favorable.

PRAISES:

Recap: The cough is mostly gone. The gout seems to be gone. The nausea is much improved.

Cassie will be able to get insurance when Tim’s goes to COBRA. That is a weight lifted.

We continue to praise God for the wonderful care we have received. Doctors, nurses, aides, even the cleaning people and the people that deliver his meals have all been so friendly and have taken such good care of us.

Even though we have not responded to all the words of encouragement on this site, we read them every night and praise God for each of you that is taking the time to send us a note. Between those comments and the cards and other notes, we are truly blessed and amazed at the amount of people cheering Tim on!

When our kids were younger, Tim’s nephew Chris rode with us to his parents in Cedar Rapids. On that trip, he taught our kids a song:

“Oh the horse stood around with his foot on the ground (sung 4 times). Second verse, same as the first!”

This song was sung for about 2 hours in our van that night and by the time we were there, we wanted to strangle Chris! 😂 However, I was reminded of that song today because it basically doesn’t go anywhere. You simply keep singing the same thing over and over. That is what today was. Pretty much a copy and paste of yesterday. Nothing real good to report but also nothing bad to report. Tim had less energy today but it was gloomy enough that it made for some good napping, which he seemed to need today. We have decided though, that any day without setbacks is still a good day!

PRAYER REQUESTS:

Tim is still having quite a bit of trouble with diarrhea. That is not a pleasant thing to share but it has been going on for over a week and is very tiresome for Tim. Please pray that it will ease up and go away.

Emily is planning a small (our immediate family only) 1st birthday party for our grandson Wells this weekend. We thought a little time on the rooftop seeing his kids and grandkids would be beneficial for Tim. Please pray that he (and all of us) stays healthy enough for this to happen.

PRAISES:

That Tim was able to get some good naps in today. That is not always easy but was definitely much needed.

Starting the day without vomiting was a good start. I had more strength and energy today and I kept all the nurses busy with all the bag IV medications they had to get into me today. I needed a blood transfusion and platelets and even some lipids today. That was a new one. Had to squeeze in a lot of little naps due to a rather sleepless night. Still had time to sneak in a WALK to the rooftop garden and a little walk of the 5th floor hallways with Tate.

I got to add clear liquids back into my diet today and it was wonderful, especially since I haven’t been able to have anything by mouth for 4 days. Even got the nurse to sneak me a Crystal Light lemonade packet! 😁

Thank you to everyone who has been sending encouraging messages and cards. They have been a beacon for me! It’s so humbling (and encouraging) to know people all over the country are praying for us.

PRAYER REQUESTS:

I still get exhausted pretty easily so prayers that my stamina will continue to build would be appreciated. Sometimes just walking to the bathroom takes everything out of me.

We are still trying to figure out a lot of insurance stuff. Some of the information is coming in slowly. We would ask for prayers for wisdom as we make decisions.

PRAISES:

We praise God for these last few days that have each gotten a little better. It sure has been nice to see the daily improvement!

Tonight’s update is being written by Big Tim

I have had nothing to eat by mouth, per the doctor’s orders, since Friday and am starting to fantasize about drinking extra large glasses of lemonade. 😉 With the IV nutrients, the rapid weight loss (32 lbs so far), seems to have stabilized. My body looks like a war torn battlefield – lots of bruises, holes, scars, and sagging skin from the rapid weight loss.

Despite all the above and, after starting the day with nausea and vomiting, I was able to spend most of the day out of his bed and in my chair. Along with encouraging visits from family, I was able to spend a little time on the rooftop garden watching a couple grandkids play, shave, and shower. It was a big day, but the shower took everything I had left out of me!

Third day post chemo was a little better and we are hoping that will continue. However, we have been warned that there could be a 1 step forward, 2 steps back period for the next couple weeks.

I want everyone to know that Little Tim’s update from Friday/Saturday was amazing and, if you haven’t had the chance to read it, please do. We are trying to be as candid as possible with this website so you know how to encourage and pray for us.

PRAYER REQUESTS:

Please pray for our family as the kids are realizing this battle is so much bigger than what I have fight for.

PRAISES:

For all the words of encouragement and visits which make a HUGE impact. Please continue to send cards, texts, and comments on this website. They are truly something I look forward to.

Feel free to share this website! We love to hear from friends of family and friends of friends who are praying for us. Knowing the span that is being reached is an overwhelming comfort.