Resting in His Arms…

I just wanted to update you all since you have all been praying for my mom since she found out about her lung cancer...    


Molly N. beloved wife, mother, and friend is now resting in the arms of her Lord and Savior where there is no more sorrow or pain.  She died peacefully tonight in a deep sleep without any pain and was surrounded by her family and close friends.  Mom was an extremely strong fighter and was a true blessing to so many people…

Thank you so very much for your prayers and concern for our family.  Our family will always treasure your love and support during this time.  Mom always loved to write and encourage others on this blog, and she loved each one of you.  We are resting in the fact that she is in a much better place now.  God was ready for her to come home, so He must still have a plan for the rest of the family here on earth.   We will make it through this  difficult time, but only with His strength.

In Christ Alone,
Emily (for the rest of the Nichols family)

Update on Mom {Saturday}

Please feel free to pass along this prayer request to anyone that you know...

Mom still needs prayers that her platelets will increase and that her kidneys will function properly. Yesterday, she was a little responsive.  She answered yes and no questions by shaking her head and when dad asked if she wanted to see us, she even opened her eyes.  The doctor said something to the effect that these next 24 hours are critical for her, though... 

Thank you all for praying for our family!  We are so thankful for your love and support for our family.  I'll update again when I can...

Trusting in Him, 

Emily

Update on Mom...

Mom was moved to ICU yesterday.  She is okay but very sick.  They have her on a ventilator to help her relax in her breathing.  She has something down her throat that is trying to help get the fluid off of her lungs.  She was alert earlier when we were there, but now she is pretty sedated.  She can't talk with the thing in her throat but she was able to squeeze our hands. They feel like with her in ICU that the nurse can monitor her better.  I will try to update again soon. 


~Emily (Molly's daughter)

Urgent Prayer Request

Please be praying for mom and the rest of our family...  

Mom had chemo last Monday and on Thursday, she woke up with a terrible sore throat.  She had a reaction to the chemo and it's called chemo mucositis.  She wasn’t able to eat or drink for a few days because of it so she got really dehydrated.  My dad took her to the ER Saturday morning and they said that she was dehydrated and she has pneumonia.  She hasn't eaten since Thursday because it hurts to eat, so she is really weak.  She has been eating ice, but that is definitely not enough.  The goal for the week is to help her throat to feel better, so she can talk without hurting, get her pneumonia under control, and to get her to eat food again. 
Under the circumstances she is doing well but it's hard to see her like this.  They did put her on oxygen yesterday because her throat is extremely swollen, so her breathing levels were up and down.  When we left the hospital last night, she was doing better than when Katie got there earlier, but she said it was pretty scary earlier.  I had something to do all day to keep my mind of everything, so I'm glad I wasn't there at that time.   We have already had quite a few breakdowns.  We have never seen her like this before and it’s really scary.  I know that God is in control of everything that happens, but it’s hard to trust that everything is going to be alright when it feels like everything is falling apart.  

That's about it for now.  Her main doctor comes back today (he has been on vacation), so we will find out more.  I'll keep you updated!  Thank you for all your prayers and concern. 

In Christ,
Emily (Molly's daughter)

Prayer request

I went to my thyroid doctor today and she had run many tests as she usually does. The liver and kidney levels do not look good. The iron level is very high as well. It was 44 last year and this year is 3000. It should be below 100. I've asked Dr. W (the oncologist) about how my kidney and liver were looking in the past and he always says fine. I've never seen the results, just trusted he knew what he was doing. I have been having trouble being anemic for the past week and a half. Things are not improving so I'm going to see him tomorrow. Please pray that my dh and I will have favor with him as we share the results from my thyroid doctor with him. I'm a little nervous about that plus I don't feel well and am tired and emotional. Something has to be done about my kidneys and liver levels though and the iron level as well. My dh said I looked yellow yesterday so my color is off. This is new territory for me and a tad bit scary.

Please pray for our children and that they will rest in the arms of Jesus as we walk through this. I've had a few breakdowns lately and as much as I try to be strong for them, I can only do so much. The reality of all of this hits hard when the Mama can't hold herself together, ya know? 

Thanks for your prayers and I'll update when I can.

Love,

Molly

I am dealing with anemia right now and would appreciate your prayers.

I had a shot of medicine that is suppose to increase your red blood cells last Friday.    I do feel a little better this week, but certainly not how I want to feel.    I'm still weak.    We called the doctor this morning and he says to give it a few more days and if I'm not stronger by next Monday or Tuesday, he wants to check it again.    Please pray that I will feel better and get my strength back.    I'm weary from the different trials I have to encounter after each chemo session.    Since February, I've had a set back each time.   If I'm going to have to do chemo, I sure want to feel better and not just exist.    Pray for my children as well.   They are concerned for me and that I'm not bouncing back.

Blessings,

Molly

Just wanted to share that the CT scan shows the fluid is GONE, there are less cells than last time, and that the radiation on the esophagus is decreasing! This is an answer to my prayer request! God is good!


It was hard for the nurses to find my veins this time, so instead of three sticks, I got five this time. I will be calling in the morning to see about getting a mediport appointment in May for sure. :-) Dr. Walker wants me to stop the inhaler and thinks that is what has been causing me to be so hoarse. Also, the chemo I'm taking causes sinus issues, so it could be that. We'll try dropping the inhaler now that the fluid is less and hope that takes care of the hoarseness. I surely hope so. If you could pray about the hoarseness and that the sinus issues would be minimal that would be great.

I finally got the nerve up to ask the doctor today as I know many of you have asked when will I be finished with chemo. I am on a maintenance dose of chemo on a four week schedule. The type of lung cancer I have responds to this mixture of chemo as long as you stay on the maintenance dose. If you stop the chemo, within four to six weeks, the cancer would multiply rapidly. So, at this point, I will be continuing the maintenance dose . Of course, we are still trusting the Lord for complete healing. As long as I'm not sick with any other illnesses or the chemo tiredness, I am able to function at about 80% of what I used to do, so I am thankful for that. The Lord has helped me through 2.4 years now and I'm trusting him to restore my health and that I will live a long time.

I am thankful for each prayer you have prayed on our behalf! May each of you be blessed for your faithfulness to pray for us.

In Him,

Molly