News From The Derricks

I just thought I should catch everyone up on what's been going on at our house the last few weeks!
I have been having a bunch of tests run at the doctors because I can't seem to stay well the last year or two, I have also been loosing weight unexplainably and have swelling in all my glands. With my family history the doctor was very concerned that it might be some kind of lymphoma or other kind of cancer. I had a CAT scan of my face and sinuses and they found a "mass" blocking the right side of my sinus. My regular doctor couldn't tell what exactly we were dealing with so for the last 2 weeks I have been waiting to get in to a specialist. We felt like it was important to let our youth and church know what we were facing so everyone here has been quite worried about me, pretty much freaking out actually haha. They have been super to check on me and pray for me and we have definitely felt the love! :)
My appointment with the specialist was yesterday and for the first time I got to see the CAT scan and get a little more information about whats going on. The good news is the specialist feels very confident that it is not cancer in my sinus. But it is something that is causing me a lot of trouble. There is a pretty good sized amount of "diseased" tissue in my sinus under and beside my right eye, that extends down into my cheek and up into my forehead. It is so large that is has basically broken my nose on the inside, pushing that small bone over to the opposite eye socket, it is also pressing on the right eye socket causing alot of pain in my eye, face, head and teeth. The doctor said that I have had this for quite a while, maybe 2 years or so and it has been getting progressively worse and bigger. I obviously will need surgery to remove this tissue, clean my sinus out and set my nose back to how it should be. The doctor wanted to do the surgery in late May, but the recovery is 6 weeks, during which I will not be able to go out of town because I will require weekly appointments to insure that things are healing properly. Well if you know me very well you can see where this would be a major problem for me. Summer is our busiest time and youth camp in in early June this year. I would be heart broken if "my kids" went to Alabama and had a unforgettable week with God while I was home. So after a mini fit in the doctor's office I convinced him to put it off just a couple more weeks so I won't miss anything major. He agree and we scheduled the surgery for June 24th.
The sad thing is that is the week we were planning on going to Disney with our family, but he didn't want to postpone it any later, so that will have to be rescheduled for next summer. The girls were pretty understanding, as long as they get to swim all summer they should be pretty happy! I am also going to have a pretty long recovery which will involve me be unable to do almost everything for the first 2 weeks, this is going to be hard for me, but I know that our church family will help Tommy in an abundant way so I'm not too worried! I will probably be going crazy by the end of the 2 weeks haha, but the doctor insures me I will quickly be feeling way better than how awful I have been feeling recently!
So that's the latest! We are so hugely blessed to be a part of a church family that loves us and supports us. We are so hugely blessed that this "mass" is nothing major and once the surgery is done it will be behind us. We are so hugely blessed that the Word of God promises "the Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you or forsake you. Do not be afraid and do not be discouraged." We are so hugely blessed that no matter what we are going through or will have to go through in the future we know that God is going to use it for good and for His glory!!