Great Update!!!!!!!

The family visited Wes in Lexington yesterday, at the Markey Cancer Center where he is finishing his BEAM chemo treatments. As you can see, he is  looking great!  Today is his final and hardest infusion, and they expect him to feel weak for the next couple of weeks, the good news is tomorrow he gets his own stem cells back and the recovery should be in full swing!!!!

About the shirts!?  When Wes was waiting for his medical team and Dr. Byrne to give us the results of the original tests, he, and all of us, were pretty fearful it was some form of blood cancer.  He told his friend Jim Lacefield, “I’m pretty sure I’m going to have to fight a bear, but I still don’t know if it is a bear cub or a grizzly bear!”  With the diagnosis of T Cell Lymphoma we all knew it was a a really big, mean, aggressive, grizzly bear!  I found these shirts and bought one for his friend Jim, also fighting a tumor, Wes, Elijah and myself so we could all support him.  We call ourselves the “the grizzly team!”  Above is the pilgrim, Elijah, Wes’s son and my grandson, and Wes all sporting our Part Grizzly shirts!

Above, Elijah, Rhonda, Abigail and Wes.  During our visit yesterday I shot a few images of the family and this one of their whole family.  Wes asked me to thank all of you again, from the bottom of his heart for the miracles that have, and continue to occur, becasue of your prayers and God’ Grace!  Rhonda has been a rock and I’m more proud of her every day as she has walked this road with Wes!

Father’s and daughters have a really special relationship, as many of you know!  I love my sons, but my relationship with our daugther Catherine is equally special! Not better just special!  I’m not the greatest people photographer but this magic moment was not hard to capture!

I also want to thank Sherelene for her tireless efforts to fill in every gap she could to help Wes and Rhonda, we both have, but Sherelene’s efforts have been immense!  Rhonda’s mother, Helen, has also carried a huge load during this time, and does all the time, to be there for Wes and Rhonda and the kids.  Times like this magnify how much family means.

So when I get up to speak in Little Rock on Friday I plan to share how faithful God is and how the community of Faithful Friends, (that’s you!) have been with us through it all!!  By-the-way;  I will be wearing my Part Grizzly shirt!!!!

Blessings,

the pilgrim