"Sing to Him, sing praise to Him; tell of all His wonderful acts" ~ Psalm 105:2 (NIV)

With this update, you have to know that Andy and I are singing out the praises of our God! For all of you who were praying for God to send blessings and help and guidance and... our way—well you need to join us in our song of praise! Here's what our God has been doing: 

1. We asked for prayer that Andy's diabetes would be in better control. God is answering that prayer!  His A1C has lowered significantly since we started the use of insulin. He's trying to work on the diet part a little more. AND a wonderful little pharmacist from Walgreens has been able to find us some pretty good discount deals on the cost of that insulin. A second praise regarding the diabetes battle—the insurance company has now agreed to cover the cost of a new monitoring system for Andy! It's on its way to Andy - he should get it this next week. Woohoo!! Thank you, God, for these great answers to prayer! 

2. We asked for prayer regarding Andy's new diagnosis of FCS and the super high triglycerides levels and the effect of that upon his pancreas. God is answering that request too! That $49,000, once-a-month injectable medication is working! PTL. AND the manufacture of that drug has carried through with the promise of a three-month supply at no cost to us, but to give some immediately help in getting those high numbers down quickly. This week's blood test revealed that the levels have gone from over 1200 to 743! That's great progress. But there is still a long way to go. We need to keep praying about this. And pray for the endocrinologist as he appeals to the insurance company for coverage. Praise God for this great progress! 

3. We've been asking for lots of prayer regarding Andy's liver cancer. God is providing some answers to this ongoing journey. For over two weeks we had lots of appointments and conversations to get clearance for a liver ablation. Cardio clearance—granted. Chest x-ray—all-clear. Full body bone scan—clear of any metastasized cancer and no presence of bone cancer (his bone marrow cancer is much different! Everybody, including us at first, get those two things mixed up)—huge praise! Blood tests—we knew these would not be good results. Tumor markers were up by 34 points (ugh!). Too many high levels, too many low levels, not too many normal levels—all these numbers verify that things are either stably bad or increasingly worse. The anemia continues to be a major issue as well. YET, with all these factors in mind, and once she told us of the risks and complications, the radiology doctor cleared Andy to have the liver ablation done.  So, in the wee early morning hours of Wednesday, June 11th, we arrived at the hospital for one said liver ablation. Again, not a cure for Andy's liver cancer but an only option at giving him some help with it. In a two-hour procedure, the doctor confidently went into the liver and burned as many cancer cells as she could to help stop the spread of the cancer. At the end she reported to me, "It was a 'textbook procedure'"—everything went as planned, maybe a little easier than planned (from what I was told by others later) and the BIGGEST PRAISE OF ALL—there were NO COMPLICATIONS!!! None! We prayed specifically about that issue. God heard those prayers, and He gave us the best answer we could have asked for! Now, we wait and see how the liver responds. And for that, we need to cry out to the God of heaven once again. His plan will be perfected in this matter too. 

4. We asked for prayer about Andy's bone marrow cancer. God is answering here too! We saw the hematologist/oncologist to check in about the bone marrow cancer. Andy numbers there, while not good, they are holding steady. The doctor is happy with that. "No treatment for this cancer is needed right now! But we will keep a watch on it!" Thank you, God, for holding something steady within Andy's body, while doctors can focus on the unsteady! 

5. We always seek prayer that God would meet all our needs while on this journey. It's been a budget-blowing experience, that's for sure! God is answering our prayers and is proving Himself to be our Jehovah Jirah over and over again. He is providing needs in some of the most unusual and heartfelt ways. Like: Discounts on the prescriptions that we have to pay for, extra monies coming in for copays and out of pocket medical expenses, gift cards for grocery stores, someone stopped by the house to deliver a hug on their way to work, someone blessed us by filling up our gas tank the other day, another stopped by with a fruit basket just when Andy said he was hungry for a banana, another sat with me during Andy's liver procedure, another blessed us by bringing us a fully prepared meal (they were up for the challenge of a low-fat, low-sugar, heart-healthy, glutton-free diet) and it was ever so yummy! The blessings and provisions of love are just pouring down upon us! Thank you, God, for being our Jehovah Jirah and using Your people to bless our hearts! 

God has blessed us with the best friends, the best brothers and sisters in Christ, and the best prayer warriors ever! We thank Him daily for all of you! And we would ask that you just keep on blessing and encouraging us through your continued prayers, your cards of encouragement, and your mighty prayers lifted up to the throne room of heaven! To God be the glory and praise!! Always and forever! 

What a crazy month this has been! But our God has been present every step of the way and His PEACE is ever so comforting to our anxious hearts!  Let me bring you up to date...  Earlier this month we found that Andy's A1C levels and triglycerides levels were rising at some unprecedented rate. Our PCP was able to find us an Endocrinologist who could see Andy right away. We praise God for Dr. Sethi!!  Andy was diagnosed with FCS (Familiar Chylomicronemia Syndrome)—a rare, genetic, disorder that affects the body's ability to break down fats (triglycerides) in the blood. It can lead to severe pancreatitis, pancreas failure, and other major complications. It was (and continues to be) EMERGENT to get Andy's levels down. (1) Dr. Sethi has now added insulin to Andy's diabetic medications to bring his A1C and blood sugars down. Insurance only covers part of the cost of this insulin, so we bear the rest of the cost. We are now into the routine of administering this to Andy and he seems to be responding well to it. We will see what next week's blood tests reveal. (2) Andy is being strongly encouraged to maintain a strict diabetic and low-fat diet (He's been encouraged to do this for years now) but this is something he really struggles with. He's a butcher who loves his meat. He's a foodie that loves his sweets. Pray with me that Andy might see the value of changing his eating habits for the benefit of his health. In some ways its already too late, but then, as the doctors have said, "a little change might just bide you a little more time!" The "want to" has to be Andy's choice. (3) Dr. Sethi and his staff have been diligent to try and get help for Andy's pancreas issue to get the triglycerides down. He prescribed an injectable drug—its new, went through very successful trials, only been officially FDA approved since December 2024, and it's only $49,000 per injection! Yes, you read that number correctly. No way can we afford that on our over-stretched medical budget! And of course, the insurance company denied coverage of it—surprise! Dr Sethi and staff began their magic and were able to get the manufacturer to provide a 3-month trial to Andy at no cost to us. This is not a cure... but a means to stop Andy's pancreas from failing and to give him a little more time with us. Praise God for Panther Rare RX Pharmacy and Ionis Every Step for helping to make this medication available to Andy!! Truly, this is a PRAISE!! The delivery presented some challenges though -- no fault of the pharmacy! It's a refrigerated, timed delivery and one that you don't want to have problems with. This much needed delivery went via - Fed X to Dairy Queen (Yep!)....delivered to the wrong address! ... multiple phone calls and many anxious moments later... it was finally delivered to our doorstep, albeit a few hours late, but well intact and still cold. Another Praise—This very expensive medication has now been administrated to Andy (this is a once-a-month ordeal) and thus far there is NO REACTION! And again, we will see how this helps him in the lowering of his triglycerides and stabilizing his pancreas. We ask God to show His favor upon this new development in Andy's health. May His will be done! Please keep praying with us and for us!  Meanwhile, we are also working with the liver team to get everything set up and ready to begin the treatment for his liver cancer next month. 

Real and personal vulnerability always brings a reaction of some kind. We've gotten criticized sometimes for our vulnerability. We've also gotten thanked "for the real rawness of your honesty!" Andy and I love it when our vulnerability is met with prayer support, encouraging cards, and plenty of hugs! In this update there will be room for any and all kinds of reactions from the people who read this message. 

While many of our friends are planning and preparing for their summer vacations and holidays from work and responsibilities—the O'Brien's are preparing for their Staycation! We are getting ready for camping—yep! Camping out at the doctor's offices, hospital, and labs. Woohoo! Sounds like a fun summer! I'd be happy to send you all a postcard if you would like! 

For this update—brace yourselves. There's lots of activities going on, a lot of needs (especially if you are good at reading between the lines), and some very specific things to join us in prayer about. 

For the rest of May — Andy and I and the team of doctors will be focusing on addressing a new diabetes crisis. Much prayer is needed here, please! This is all new for him and more than scary! His A1C is ever climbing higher. His daily readings have been like a roller coaster gone wrong! His highs and lows are zapping what little strength and energy he has in him. THEN, with his last set of labs, the PCP reported that his triglyceride levels are also climbing higher. This is not a good sign for a diabetic. Normal levels should be 150 or below, Andy's are upwards of 1200 and climbing. Being diabetic this makes him a very high risk for pancreatitis. A few days ago, we were able to get an EMERGENT appointment with an endocrinologist who is changing his diabetic routine to address this life-threatening issue. Andy will continue with the oral meds he has been taking and will now add daily insulin shots in hopes of better regulating the blood sugars. Doctor is also changing the monitoring process that we've been doing, and we are praying that the insurance will grant the doctors request for this much needed equipment change. In addition to this medication change, he is adding a high-priced injectable medication for the triglyceride levels in hopes to advert the beginning of pancreatitis. We were told that "Medicare should cover this!" They DON'T cover it all. Yesterday, I literally stood in Walgreens, crying and praying, as the pharmacy team worked diligently to try and lower a $695 bill for me. We got it down to nearly $300. That was only for three of the 34 different medications that Andy takes every month. Even then, I still had to send the grocery list to the chopping block for its own adjustments of fatty tissue! So, for the rest of May, we will be working with the doctors and these medications and see if we can bring Andy's out of control diabetes under control and totally advert a diagnosis of pancreatitis! 

For the month of June — As we continue tending to the diabetes and triglycerides issues, we will also be focusing on the treatment of Andy's liver cancer. An ultrasound was done just last week, with the report that his tumor has grown a little more since March's MRI. We've already been told that he is not a candidate for a liver transplant, no surgery will be done to remove the tumor, as they would have to take over half of his liver and the other half, being so badly diseased would not recover well. Surgeon said, "You would likely not get off the operating table, and I won't do that to your Mrs." Neither will there be any chemo or radiation done on it. We had been told that the insurance company wanted a biopsy done, but four of the doctors have now said, "No way! That would only spread the cancer further!" Besides, there is enough imaging of this growing tumor to prove he has a malignant cancer. The only possible treatment that can be done at this point is a liver ablation, where they go in laparoscopically and burn what cancer cells they can. This is NOT a cure by any means. Just an attempt to prolong Andy's life a little longer. This procedure is scheduled for Wednesday, June 11th beginning at 5:30 am and could take as long as 6 hours. It will be done as an outpatient, unless there are complications that would require admission to the hospital. There will be plenty of follow-up appointments with lots of imaging required for days and weeks to follow. 

For the month of July — Continuing with the diabetes, liver, and who knows what else—we will be adding the treatment of a THIRD CANCER to the regimen. Two weeks ago, Andy was diagnosed with basil cell carcinoma, a skin cancer on his face. Dermatologist is certain he will find more on this fair-skinned Brit. July 15th he is scheduled for the first of those surgeries. 

Oh, by the way, Andy and Kathy — Happy Birthday to you both! and Enjoy your summer vacation! We hear the camping is really good this time of year! 

I've said it before; I have to say it again—I am so glad that our great God has a perfect plan for Andy's life. Little by little that is being revealed (sometimes a little too much!) and our hearts are having a very difficult time in keeping up with everything—all the emotions, the mental gymnastics, not to mention all the appointments, tests, labs, procedures, doctors, and...! To say that we are overwhelmed is simply an understatement of truth! We are overwhelmed! We are also exhausted from this long tedious journey! We are a little more than scared but hopeful at the same time! We are more than concerned about our finances right now, but we know Jehovah Jireh really well and trust His provisions come at the right times. And with God's love, strength, grace, provision, guidance, and faithfulness on our side, we will get through this. "Yea, though I walk THROUGH the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for You (our Great and Mighty and Awesome God!) YOU are with us!" (Psalm 23:4). We continue to walk with Him, the best we know how. We might be crying, but we are on our feet! We might be concerned but we haven't given up. We might be a lot scared but we know He sees and knows it all. God's got us! His eye is upon us! And we, Andy and Kathy O'Brien, have agreed with our God to simply press on in faith believing that HE will "make a way where there seems to be no way!" Please, whoever is reading this message right now—pause for a moment, encourage our hearts, and lift us up to the Father's throne by praying for us! Thank you!!

We saw the liver oncologist/surgeon this past week. Not good news! Andy is NOT a candidate for a transplant! He is NOT a candidate for liver surgery without fast-tracking to total failure. They cannot do any chemo or radiation on an already thoroughly diseased liver. The only hope to prolong life a little for Andy is to do a procedure of "Biopsy and Burn"— The biopsy is required by insurance before they will pay out anything cancer related. The burn is to go after the cancer cells, burn them, in an attempt to stop the spread of cancer and the development of more lesions, and to give Andy a little more time. This is not a cure! This is the only hope from the medical team. We know and rest assured that God's plan gives us way more hope; for His plan involves a complete heavenly healing in God's time! Meanwhile....We are awaiting the scheduling of the appointment for that procedure. We are awaiting the scheduling of a PET Scan. We are waiting an appointment for another MRI (these will be done every three months for the rest of his life to check on the progress of liver disease/cancer/failure). We are awaiting follow-up appointments with Oncologist and PCP to happen. We are waiting for our hearts to process all this change in life. We are waiting for God's daily measure of strength, peace, and hope. We are waiting....! WAITING! Waiting! In the words of Andy's favorite Bible verse—"But those who WAIT on the Lord shall renew their strength; They shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint." As we wait... we are tightly hanging onto our God! "Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand... For I, the Lord your God, will hold your right hand, saying to you, 'Fear not, I will help you!'" (Isaiah 41:10 and 13). Thanks for waiting with us through prayer and helping to meet our needs in the name of the Lord our God!! We say thank you with all our heart! 

Results of Andy's latest tests... (1) Bone Marrow Study shows he has Myelodysplastic Syndrome (MDS) or bone marrow cancer. Caused by unhealthy and malfunctioning red and white blood cells and platelets, which explains the chronic anemia, the blood infections, and the constant shortness of breath. It's a slow growing cancer and is easily treated. (2) MRI confirmed that his liver disease has now progressed to the next stage. Diagnosed with Hepatocellular Carcinoma (HCC) liver cancer. Awaiting appointment with Liver Specialist/Surgeon to learn our next steps. So, yes... that is two different cancers!!  The valley that Andy and I have been walking through these last two years just got a little deeper and a lot tougher in terrain—BUT—our God is still the same! We see His familiar faithfulness in so many ways! His peace right now within our hearts is awesome!!

This message might be a little long and that's because my heart is a little heavy right now. I feel the need to rally our prayer warriors to cover us with some mighty strong prayer support. As most of you know already Andy is in the midst of his three-months test cycle for health checkups. These always set me a little on edge only because each time they either reveal something new or something that's worsened. This time is no exception. Andy still has one major test to complete the cycle and that's an endoscopy (on the 18th) to check on the esophagus. His blood work results are all in and his numbers reflect that most have worsened while some remain stable. We are still awaiting results of the bone marrow study. Wednesday Andy had his MRI to check on the liver. Late Wednesday afternoon we received our copy of the results. You don't need a medical degree to realize that the news is not good, reflecting that Andy's liver disease may have moved into the next stage. That was confirmed Thursday morning when PCP's office called us. She ordered yet more blood work to check on his tumor markers (now done!) and PCP wants to see us in the office Monday morning to discuss the full details of the MRI and set the next steps before us. Would you join us in prayer for God's peace to surround our hearts this weekend and that He will graciously prepare us for the news from the PCP on Monday.

Today was Andy's appointment with his new hematologist! 

Whew! Two hours later! We really like Dr. Abdelaziz! He is Egyptian! He is a Christian! He is a Liverpool Football fan, so he and Andy hit it off really well! He was ready to see this new patient of his, having studied Andy's records thoroughly. He had questions for us. He answered questions from us. Gave great explanations that were very understandable. We liked that he took a couple of obstacles moving forward off the table for us. He did confirm the prognosis as the rest of the Dr. team have already laid out. A whole bunch of blood was taken today for new types of testing. An appointment was set for Thursday, Feb 27th for a bone marrow study to be done. We are headed toward getting more answers to Andy's anemia problem and how it fits in with his liver disease! Today, we praise God for this new doctor added to Andy's team! Go, Team Andy!! 

Upcoming appointments: Feb 25 with Infectious Diseases—Feb 27 Bone Marrow Testing—March 5 MRI to check on liver progress (especially that lesion!)—March 17 Follow-up with Hematologist—March 18 Endoscope to check on esophagus issues.

Prayer Requests: (1) Andy would start having more good days than bad ones! (2) More energy, better appetite, less nausea, greater ability to breathe well, and restful sleep. (3) Jehovah Jireh would continue to show us His faithfulness in providing for our financial needs right now! (4) The results of all these upcoming tests and appointments are in God's loving hands. We are at peace with whatever His will reveals!

Thanks to all who are bearing us up through prayer! Your strength in us is awesome! And the answers to prayer have been mind-blowing!  God is SO good! All the time!!

Praises and Answers to Prayers! 

As of January 29th, Andy is now finished with his at home IV antibiotic treatment. He is so happy to have that pic line out of him! He is still very weak, fatigued, and in pain—still experiencing good days and bad days—yet, I'm starting to see him with a little more desire to "putter" around the house (most in the kitchen!) even though it tires him out greatly! Due to the fact they were unable to find out the source of his blood infection, he will need to be on oral antibiotics for the rest of his life so that the infection and sepsis doesn't come creeping back on him. The next two months will bring a lot of appointments our way as he goes through his "three-month check-up cycle" with doctors performing various tests and procedures (Cardiologist and Hematologist in February - Gastro and PCP in March). We always brace ourselves for these "check-ups" for they usually reveal something new or something that has worsened in Andy's health journey. Even still, we ask God to reveal to Andy's doctor what needs to be revealed and to prepare us for whatever those results will be. 

We also praise God, our Jehovah Jireh, for His faithful ways of providing our needs. We got the news that all of the expenses with the "home nursing" for the past six weeks has been totally covered! Every day during January one or two gifts were delivered at the house, through mail delivery, or donated through our GSG campaign, which has enabled us to pay each and every medical bill received thus far from this past hospital stay. Praise God, for family, friends, and even strangers who are being the hands and feet of Jesus, who are praying daily for us, and who are providing money for bills, groceries for our table, practical help with tasks at home, and tons of cards that encourage our hearts and bring smiles to our faces. For all of you—we say, "Thank you!!" 

Several Updates that include multiple prayer requests: (1) Andy is coming to the end of his at Home IV Antibiotic treatments, with a completion date set for 1/27. Praise is that he has been tolerating these mega antibiotics fairly well. Prayer is that his "inflammation/infection markers" are still registering high. They have come down from what they were in the hospital, but they are not yet down to normal levels that the Infectious Disease Doctor would like to see. We need to pray that these come down! (2) Andy is struggling daily with a lack of energy, extreme fatigue, lack of appetite due to increasing nausea, shortness of breath, low grade fevers, out of control blood sugar levels and all over body pain. It's hard to know if these symptoms are continuous from the anemia, liver disease, blood infection, or something new. We pray God will give us and the doctors wisdom in what needs to be done for him moving forward. (3) The medical bills from his last hospital trip are beginning to trickle in (I'm still making payments on the other three hospital trips we had during 2024). Our savings and emergency backup funds are gone! And everyone wants their payments NOW! We are praying that our Jehovah Jireh (who sees every one of these bills) will step in and help provide for us so we can pay all our medical bills on time. (4) It will soon be time for our next "three-month check-up cycle" (mid-Feb through mid-March). Those appointments are already made. We are praying that God will be preparing both Andy and I for these intense weeks of appointments, tests, and procedures. We also ask that God would reveal what needs to be revealed, and that His perfect will would be accomplished in Andy's life. Thank you, our friends and strangers alike, for holding us up to the throne of God. Your prayers carry us through some very difficult days! 

There are certain things that I dislike about the medical world. The cost of insurance and medical procedures. The uncertainty of diagnoses. The lack of bedside manner from some healthcare professionals. The waiting for test results. And having to decide between medicines and groceries. 

There I was today, in front of the Pharmacist picking up 7 of Andy's 28 daily medications. One floored me. Last month I was told I had hit "the donut hole" and had to pay full price. Ugh! Happily, the insurance companies have done away with "the donut hole" this new year BUT they didn't do away with rising their prices on some medications. This one medicine (a must have right now for Andy's diabetes) is $7.50 per pill. Doctor had ordered a 90-day supply, and the insurance company wanted some $675. Ugh! "I cannot do that!" Let's try a thirty-day supply—still an UGH! from me. What about Good RX and another prescription savings plan? The pharmacist and I checked—not covered. Of course not!  I'll be talking to his doctor about this new medication. 5 of the medications I picked up had zero copay (thank you, God, for that!), and two meds I had to pay for. I left the Pharmacy $292.68 poorer! And groceries? Well, they will have to wait! 

We do have some praises: (1) Andy is starting to respond to the antibiotic regime (4 syringes of "joy juice" every eight hours for another 4-6 weeks!). His appetite is slowly returning. He is starting to "putter" around the house a little. He cooked a meal for us the other night—totally wiped him out, but he loved being in the kitchen again! Please continue in prayer with us that his weekly blood work might start to show improvement. Also, his kidney and liver functions need a little "touch" from the Master Physican. (2) Saturday, January 4th, my family laid my dad to rest at a graveside service. Dad was a singer in a Barbershop Quartet for years. As a surprise to everyone, my sister arranged for his group to sing at his service. "Amazing Grace" was one of dad's many favorite hymns. And in honor of dad's love for baseball, they closed the service with a rousing rendition of "Take Me Out to the Ball Game!" Dad would have LOVED that! 

The "God of all Comfort" has been, and daily is, surrounding Andy and I with His presence! His comfort is "whasome!" as one of my little students used to say. God's comfort very often comes with whispers of His promises. Here's my favorite promises for times such as these: "So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with My righteous right hand" Isaiah 41:10. The God of all Comfort is faithful to keep every promise whispered. And our Jehovah Jireh is faithful to provide our every need in this journey of trusting Him! 

I trust everyone reading this site had a Merry Christmas with your family and friends, and that you are looking forward to a Happy New Year! (I still want to know what happened to 2024 - it sped by so very fast!). Our Christmas was different, not very merry, and just weird on so many levels! But we tried our best to focus on the reason for the season. In our hearts, we rejoiced at the birth of our dear Savior, Jesus Christ, and realized, once again, just how very special He is to our hearts! 

December 11th, my hubby, Andy, was admitted to the hospital in critical condition. He was diagnosed with sepsis due to an infection in his blood. A team of nine different doctors ran tests, scans, and procedures from head to toe and every inch in between, looking for the source of the infection. One was not found. A few tests had to be aborted as they were impossible to complete due to his complications from his liver disease. They were able to identify the kind of bacteria involved and started him on the correct antibiotic treatment. After 11 days in the hospital, the Saturday before Christmas, I brought him home. Just because he came home doesn't mean that he is well (he is still considered critical); he is not better (prognosis is not a pretty picture); and he is not even okay (extreme weakness, lack of appetite, and great fatigue) but he was able to come home for Christmas! He is currently undergoing a regime of antibiotic treatments (through a pic line) every eight hours for a duration of 6-8 weeks. This infection is affecting his other health issues—chronic anemia, progressing liver disease, esophageal injury, diabetes to name just a few. A Nurse Practioner told Andy the other day, "Sir, you have to realize just how critically ill you are right now. Your body is fighting a major war within, and you are currently losing the battle!" Andy needs our prayer support and encouragement to get through this battle with his health! Healing will happen either here on earth or in heaven—that's all up to God's plan for him! And we totally trust God's plan!

On the Sunday before Christmas (22nd) and two days after his 92nd birthday, my (Kathy's) dad passed away after an extended illness and hospice journey. The doctors told us that he would never stand on his feet nor walk again (not on this earth!) but on the day of his passing my dad got to walk on the streets of gold in heaven. He got to meet his Savior. He was reunited with Mom, his mom and dad and siblings, and so many friends who met him there. Whenever I get sad that he is no longer with us, I just think of all the beauty he sees, all the conversations he is having, and all the worshipping of God that is taking place. Those thoughts make me smile! From where I'm standing on this old earth, heaven is looking sweeter every day!

A special thanks to all who have read this campaign site, who have prayed for us, who are encouraging us in spectacular ways, who are the hands and feet of Jesus to our needs—we say a gigantic heartfelt THANK YOU!! Family, friends, and strangers alike, we THANK YOU!! You help to make this journey of ours a little brighter! God bless us one and all.