An update on David

Hi all,

For anyone who follows me on some other form of social media, this is just a reiteration of news previously shared, but if you don't I figured I'd share here and hopefully look back on this post in a few years with a lighter heart.

For a few months now, David has been experiencing some pretty bad headaches. They started off infrequently around the beginning of August, but there was no pattern to them. He'd get them in the morning, or later at night, and they were exacerbated by movement occasionally but not light sensitive or anything. He is basically superhuman when it comes to his pain management, and really hates going to the doctor for anything that isn't horrible. So we waited. He was also occasionally lightheaded, especially in the mornings, but just shrugged it off as a part of the headaches.

About a month ago, he finally went to the doctor to see what was up. Since it was just one spot on the back of his skull that hurt, they diagnosed him as maybe having mastoiditis (which is basically just an ear infection but in the bone in your head instead of your ear). They started him on antibiotics, which helped get rid of some of his headaches, but then he got a whole bunch of other symptoms. Originally we thought they were just side effects from the antibiotics but he was feeling lightheaded almost every morning, was waking up with night sweats, had a decreased appetite, random swelling in his feet and ankles, sleeping poorly, and just generally feeling icky and fatigued.

He had a follow-up appointment for the antibiotics this Monday afternoon at 4:00. Being typical David, he stopped to run an errand for me on his way, and even though he had felt really light-headed that morning (laying on the floor in the bathroom for an hour before he got up), he had gone to work all day because he had a work conference scheduled that week he'd been super excited to go on.

While he was at his appointment, he fainted twice. They took him to the ER in an ambulance and diagnosed him with leukemia (CML) after a few blood tests.

To say we were shocked was (and honestly, still is) an understatement. He was doing fine except for some headaches, for the most part. During the months he had the headaches (and what we know now was when he first got the cancer), he built our shutters, hung up a bunch of stuff in the garage, installed outlets in the basement, painted the whole basement with me, you name it and he had still done it.

There's a whole 'nother post in there about how amazing he is and how sacrificial he is, truly to the bone, but I'll skip that for now.

We have begun cancer treatment at UNMC, where he is getting fantastic care. There have been ups and downs, primarily downs since the news, but I'm trying to remain optimistic and hopeful and praying as much as I can. Both of the girls are doing fine - Kitty just thinks Dada is at the hospital and the doctors are making him feel better, and of course Cora doesn't know what's going on. Because he's a pretty private guy (especially when it comes to social media) I haven't been telling a lot of people the details because I know he wouldn't want them shared. So this will maybe be the only post I write on it, at least for awhile.

If you want to do something for us, we are requesting prayers. I've decided to ask for prayers specifically to St. Kateri Tekakwitha and St. Jane de Chantal, our two girls' patrons, for intercession. We're also praying the St. Jude novena which starts today, so you can sign up here for a FB group set up by a kind friend for it or here to get the prayers sent to your inbox every morning.

I can't describe the outpouring of love and support we've been shown already and how much it has filled my heart with gratitude for the community and family we're blessed with. I want to thank everyone who has already reached out and tell you how much it means to me. We are feeling very loved and supported and that has meant the world.

Keep us in your prayers as you can.
love,
the Gokies