The Georges in Peru

Alejandro is an 83-y/o amputee that we have been helping for several years.  We bring him food weekly and dump the buckets that he collects his waste into.  He lives in a cinderblock room about 10 x 20 feet with no running water, but a cookstove and one light bulb hanging from a cord in the middle of the room.  Yesterday I picked him up (literally.  I had to pick him up to carry him to the car since he only has one leg) and brought him home.  We put a plastic chair in the shower and he had his first shower in over a year (since Thanksgiving 2014)!  He loved it and said that his skin didn't itch so much.  I then gave him a 'hair hack'.  I wouldn't feel right calling it a 'haircut' since it looked like I cut it with a machete by the time I was finished, but since he wears a hat all the time and doesn't go out, I didn't think he'd mind.   We gave him some clean clothes from our giveaway bag (and didn't tell him that his jeans were some that Mia had outgrown (remember, he doesn't get out much)) while I threw his old ones in the washer.  I'm not sure I've seen browner water in a washing machine.  Since we live in a warm desert, his clothes were dry after only 30 minutes on the clothes line.  Paul accompanied us when we took Alejandro back to his room to help me shake out his mattress and get him settled back in.  I've mentioned before that our kids (and I suspect most missionary kids) don't whine much.  It's pretty easy to be thankful when you see how so many others struggle through life.

We just arrived in Lima!  We are pretty tired, since we left Amy's sister's place in Oahu Tuesday night around 9:15 pm, but we are here.  Amy's been doing much better.  No headaches today at all.  No seizures since the surgery!  (that makes traveling a lot easier, worry-wise)  Her main problem is that her right eye doesn't tear properly, so she has to add eye drops.  

On Monday we went on a hike to some tide pools and blow holes (my personal favorite thing on Oahu to see) and her eye suddenly started working properly, maybe from the exertion hiking but today it is back to being at least partly blocked.

The waves rush into the chamber under the rocks you see here and when they run out of space they blast air and water out of apertures in the ground!  Rumor has it that people have fallen into the holes to never be seen again.

BTW, I am photo A from the blog entry on January 16th.  Jerry is photo B.

I have a friend here in Omaha who looks like me. So much so that both of our mothers have mistaken us for the other one! Jerry is a veterinarian. Of course, this can be embarrassing and awkward for friends of ours after an exchange like this: “Hey! How’d the surgery turn out?” “Great! She had four healthy puppies!” “Wait. Are you Allen George?” “No. I’m Jerry.” Even my sister confused us on New Year’s Eve. Can you tell us apart? We’ll start with a hard one

Today we received many affirming emails from the various SIM personnel leaders approving of our return to Peru.  I also met with Craig Walter, the  missions pastor from Christ Community Church this morning, who said that he supported our return if SIM approved of it.  So with those green lights we have purchased tickets to return to Peru!  We will be leaving Omaha on January 20th, stopping in Honolulu to visit Amy's sister's family on the way.  Her sister is a pediatrician in the army stationed in Honolulu.  Except for one particularly notable date in history, Honolulu is probably a nice place to be stationed!  

Happy New Year!

Yesterday,  Amy had an appointment with the neuro-oncologist (brain-cancer doctor).  Like the radiation oncologist, the neuro-oncologist recommended that Amy repeat the radiation and Temodar chemotherapy , which is the same treatment that she had in 2004.   Studies show that it adds 3 months to the life expectancy of the average patient with her type of cancer, but doesn't change the long-term prognosis markedly.  This is pretty much what we expected to hear, but we wanted to meet with her for one more opinion.

We asked her thoughts on alternative treatments as well.  She said that cannabis oil (we'd have to go to Colorado or Oregon to get it!) has shown enough merit that they are doing studies on it, but so far there isn't any scientific evidence that it is effective, nor for the many other treatments recommended by well-meaning friends.    

So we now have to make a decision: Does Amy get the radiation and chemotherapy,  with the risks and discomfort involved,   hoping that it will prolong her life and prevent a return of her brain tumor, but making a long-term return to Peru difficult, or not do any treatment beyond prayer (which also goes with the first treatment plan!) and hope that the surgery she had two weeks ago will give her many more years of good life?  Please pray for our decision.