August 2, 2015 – August 8, 2015 – Week 21, in Nauvoo

Sunday, August 8, 2015

Dear family.

Sorry I have not sent messages to all of you for a couple of weeks,  We have been dealing with some health issues with Elder Ray and have been quite busy with Doctor appointments and mission duties.

We have kept our children informed, but waited to tell everyone until we had more details.  The prognosis is good for Elder Ray even though he has been diagnosed as having a small Gastrointestinal Stromal Tumor (GIST) in the lower portion of his stomach.  The GIST is cancerous, but the thing they were not able to determine from the biopsy is how fast it is growing - but it needs to be removed either way.  The recovery will be long, because the tumor is so close to the passage way to his small intestines they need to remove about 1/3 of his lower stomach, and do some re-sectioning of his intestines.

A very good Doctor in Utah has been recommended by Dr. Hoshi at the Iowa Cancer Clinic.  His name is Robert Hans Ingemar Andtbacka, M.D., C. M. of the Huntsman Cancer Institute in Salt Lake - he specializes in surgery for GIST and other Sarcoma's.

So we will be leaving our mission. The date of our leaving is not known - that will be determined by President Gibbins and Dr. Mark Udall, the Missionary Doctor, who we talked to last Friday.   It depends on when we get an appointment with the Doctor at the Huntsman Cancer Institute. 

So we will be going home.  We are sad to leave but we know this is important and we will follow through.

Farewell Nauvoo and the many friends we have made here. 

I will continue the blog as time permits, keeping you all up to date with what is happening.  

 Black smithy Ray (above)
 

           (right) Cooper Ray

Michael was here in Nauvoo for a short visit.  A delightful surprise and we loved it.

Elder Ray and Michael (left)










       (below) Sister Barbara and Michael

Another beautiful Sunset on the Missippi