A series of unfortunate e-mails. Well, actually, just one.

Rather than re-write and re-word and go through the drama --- again --- I'm simply going to cut and paste an e-mail that was sent out earlier this evening to our friends and family.

Not that you people reading here on this blog AREN'T our friends and family --- of COURSE you are!!! Just that I don't know all of your private individual e-mail addresses, and some of you are even "anonymous", and perhaps would prefer to NEVER get a personal e-mail from me ..... but you're here now, so you're stuck with it. :)

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Hey, everyone, it's time for one of those bulk e-mails that drive most people crazy with their impersonal messages, delivered to dozens of people .... just how personal can it be, right? But sometimes it's the best way for accomplishing what needs to be accomplished. So forgive me. :)

Things here with us are crazy, just like they are for everyone, everywhere. Kids keeping us busy with school, piano, choir, soccer, homework, etc. But it's exactly the way we like it and much like yours run you ragged as well, I'm sure in spite of all the grumbling about taxi-service, we're all enjoying ourselves.

So, small talk aside, on to the real reason for the e-mail.

I feel a very unfortunate sense of deja-vu, writing once again to tell all of you that Blaine's cancer is back, and to ask for your prayers and support. I would most definitely prefer to be writing with the announcement that we've won the lottery, or some other such fabulous news, but I'm afraid that's not the case. (At least not this week --- we're not giving up hope!) :)

In all seriousness, we would appreciate if you could keep our family in your thoughts. We've known for sure for about a month, but waited to tell anyone until my mom and I returned from our cruise to Alaska this past weekend. While she is our biggest supporter, she is also our biggest worrier, so we decided to *not* tell her until after the vacation-of-a-lifetime, in the hopes we wouldn't spoil the trip for her. Now that she's been told, and the kids know, we feel free to let everyone else know .... selfishly .... so we can ask you to pray for Blaine and his health. And for wisdom and discernment for his doctors as they decide on (yet another) treatment plan. We're currently helping them get their ducks in a row ..... sort of a logistical nightmare, having medical records and surgical reports and cat scans and pet scans and biopsies and MRI's from all over the country that have to be brought together and evaluated. Pray also, please, for help with our insurance. Although Tricare has been great, and gave Blaine permission to be treated at a non-military facility (OU Physician's Center, exactly where we wanted him to be treated) it's been a bit of a struggle getting them to approve the various tests that need to be done, so decisions can be made. Just the sort of red-tape hassle that no cancer patient needs to face when we're busy facing everything else.

As we find out more, we'll be sure to let you know. If you're receiving this e-mail, it's because we consider you a friend, and Lord knows our friends have held up our family lots during the previous years ---- I hope I'm not pushing the boundaries of our friendship by asking, one more time.

In the meantime, if I've spoken or written or e-mailed with you the past six weeks or so and have seemed distracted, or curt, or short-tempered, this is why. Please know it was nothing personal, just stress and anxiety. If you haven't heard from me in a while, it's the same reason. And to the people who have inquired about Blaine's health during the past few weeks .. and I've point-blank lied to your face ... I'm sorry. I hope you can understand why we felt the need to wait before telling people. I also apologize for giving you this news in an e-mail ... this was the best way we could think to get the word out quickly, but I'm sorry if it seems impersonal.

So pray for Blaine's healing, wisdom for the doctors, and my crappy attitude!!! :)

(ok, that last one might be un-fixable ---- but in all honesty, Blaine covets the prayers more than you can know! Personal, private, prayer chains ... he's not picky!)
Thanks,
Kristie