God sees you!

Hello everyone!

I wanted to share the latest on Louie and Marianne, and also say how grateful we continue to be for all of you. Your prayers, love, and encouragement continue to hold them up in such a big way. And a huge thank you for all the “I love you” photos you’ve been sending—they have brought lots of smiles and joy. If you haven't sent one yet, shoot one over to either Marianne or Louie! 

On Saturday, Louie had his biopsy and praise God, the procedure went smoothly with no complications! When they opened the area behind Louie’s right ear, they found extensive osteonecrosis—bone damage from past radiation. They also removed a portion of the large soft mass to send to pathology. We’re still waiting for results, hopefully in the next day or two. While we wait on results, the surgery to remove the cancerous lymph node is on hold until we know more. In the meantime, Louie has been referred for hyperbaric treatments to help with the bone deterioration.

The past radiation has also affected Louie's vocal cords and surrounding tissue. Right now, he can only whisper, but the speech therapy team is working closely with him, and today he was able to use his speaking valve for four hours. His trach will stay in for at least six months, and Marianne is already getting trained on how to care for both the trach and the PEG tube so they’ll be ready once he’s home.

Originally they were preparing for discharge in the next couple of days, but this morning Louie lost consciousness again when his heart rate and blood pressure suddenly dropped. Thankfully, the doctors were right there and stabilized him quickly. These episodes have been identified as vasovagal syncope—basically stress and dehydration triggering his system to crash. Louie and Marianne are currently in isolation as the team also checks for a possible infection, we are praying that the team can identify the source of anything negatively affecting Louie and address the issues quickly and with ease.

As tough as all of this is, Louie keeps pushing forward. He was able to walk three laps this afternoon and is determined to keep getting stronger!

He knows this is a full-time fight now, and while he loves his job and coworkers, he has accepted that his focus has to be on healing. Even with all the setbacks, his smile and sense of humor haven’t gone anywhere, and his faith is still strong. 

And God keeps showing up in the middle of it all. This morning, during Louie’s emergency, one of the nurses stopped, placed her hands on Marianne’s shoulders, and shared the Scripture she had been reading that morning about God’s strength. Right there, in front of her coworkers, that kind nurse reminded Marianne that we can do all things because He is carrying us. Later, one of Louie’s doctors tracked Marianne down in the hospital coffee shop just to say, “I see you” and to chat for a few minutes.  And last night, Louie’s second cousin—who just happens to be a retired respiratory therapist in Fresno—came by to offer support. Over and over again, God keeps surrounding Louie and Marianne with exactly the right people at the right time.

Please keep praying with us for:

• Clear and hopeful pathology results

• Wisdom and unity for Louie’s care team as they make decisions

• Healing from the osteonecrosis and strength for recovery

• Protection from infection and stability in his heart rate and blood pressure

• Peace, comfort, and rest for Louie and Marianne 

We may not always understand why all of this is happening, but we do know this: God sees them, He is with them, and He’s not letting go. That same truth applies to each of you reading this update. Regardless of what you are facing, remember that the God who created you and loves you is with you every step. 

Sara

Press in

 Hi dear friends and family,

We wanted to reach out with another update on Louie, and as always, to ask you to keep praying with us. Your love, encouragement, and prayers have carried us in ways we can’t even put into words.

This past week has been full of unexpected turns to say the least! On Monday, Louie had some sudden episodes where he lost consciousness. Louie was taken by ambulance from home to the emergency room and after bring told everything looked good, they were sent home. By the grace of God, they needed gas in the car so they stopped before heading home. Louie passed out again in the car and Marianne was able to quickly get an ambulance there to help. They headed back to the hospital and Louie was admitted and the decision was made to have the PEG tube surgery to help with his nutrition.

Before the surgery, Marianne just couldn’t shake a concern she’s had since Louie’s recent respiratory event the week before. She mentioned it to the team but felt it wasn't being fully addressed and in her spirit she knew she needed to stand her ground before Louie went in for the surgery. After prayer and encouragement from myself and her Mom, she decided to reach out directly to Dr. D, Louie’s pulmonary specialist who was with him during his earlier procedure. That call turned out to be such a God thing—Dr. D not only listened, but she came in person, stayed through the whole surgery, and is now overseeing Louie’s care. We are so thankful for God's hand of protection and for the prompting of the Holy Spirit and Marianne's ability to listen and act.

During the procedure, the team discovered that Louie’s airways were extremely restricted, and he couldn’t maintain his airway on his own. They placed a tracheostomy so he could breathe safely. Louie was on a ventilator for a short time, but—praise God—he’s now breathing on his own again. He has also been fitted with a speaking valve, which is an important step in his recovery.

He’s had a CT scan already, will have another MRI later today, and tomorrow morning at 8:30 a.m., he’ll go in for surgery to check on something they found when they scanned his head after he passed out and hit his head. There is a soft tissue mass behind Louie's right ear that could be related to radiation from 2013, but we will know more after the biopsies.

Right now, Louie’s care team in Fresno—pulmonary, GI, and head and neck specialists—are working closely with the Santa Clara Head and Neck Tumor Board to make sure all the right eyes are on his case. The trach will stay in place for now, and Louie will likley be in the hospital for another week.

In the middle of all of this, as always, there is evidence of God's Hand and glimmers of His goodness and love: Louie is getting stronger every day. He’s tolerating his PEG feedings well, getting vitamins, and has more energy. He’s smiling, engaging with his care team, and showing that same humor and faith we all love so much. 

Through every twist and turn, we can see God’s fingerprints. He brought the right people at the right time, revealed hidden problems and brought them to light, and has given Louie and Marianne strength for each day. We don’t take a single moment of that for granted. To say we are thankful, or as Marianne would say "thankfully and gratefully tired," is an understatement. 

We would love for you to keep praying for:

• A safe and successful surgery tomorrow morning

• Clear answers and good results from the biopsies

• Strength, comfort, and continued healing as Louie adjusts to the trach and PEG

• Peace and rest for Louie and Marianne during this extended hospital stay

Marianne and Louie's hearts are so evident as they continue to walk through this day by day. I love what Marianne shared with me...Even when it feels like God isn’t listening, keep pressing in! Pray harder. Speak His Word out loud. Worship. Get on your knees and believe. We’ve already seen so many miracles, and we know God isn’t finished. He is faithful. He loves us and He sees us, even when we feel defeated, lost, exhausted...regardless of what each day brings, God is present and will never leave us. 

Thank you for being the hands and feet of Jesus to us—through your prayers, your words, your texts, and your constant support. We feel every prayer. We feel the love. And we are so grateful.

With love,
Sara

P.S. Louie and Marianne would love to be flooded with 🤟🏼🤟🏼🤟🏼 photos! Feel free to text yours to one or both of them!!

God is good!

 Hi friends and family,

We got the best news yesterday! The results came in, and there is no cancer in Louie’s chest or lungs! Talk about the best birthday present! Louie and Marianne are incredibly grateful and truly feel this is a direct answer to prayer. God has been present through every part of this journey, and once again, He’s shown His hand in a powerful way. It’s the kind of news we were all praying and hoping for! We give all of the glory to God!

Louie and Marianne celebrated with relief and an overwhelming feeling of thankfulness, to God and to all of you who have been faithfully praying and encouraging them along the way. They know they aren't walking this road alone and that is such a comfort.

Of course, there’s still more ahead in this journey, but this moment is a milestone and another glimmer of God's faithfulness through every step.

We would love for you to continue on this journey with Marianne and Louie through prayer and unity in faith! They discovered that Louie has a lung infection, most likely caused by aspiration. He has started antibiotics, and we’re praying it clears up quickly. The doctors believe that the aspiration is what triggered the reactive lymph nodes they saw in his chest scans—we are so thankful it was discovered and is now being treated.

They are also seeing some delayed side effects from radiation in Louie’s throat and esophagus. These are making swallowing and eating more difficult. A video swallow study is being scheduled to get a clearer picture of what’s going on. Doctors are also considering whether he might need throat dilation to open the esophagus and allow him to eat safely.

To support Louie's weight and nutrition while everything is sorted out, a PEG tube will be placed. Speech therapy will also resume, and a referral has been made to GI so his full care team can assess and help coordinate next steps.

Through all of this, Louie and Marianne continue to see God’s protection and love. The aspiration, the narrowed airways, the reactive nodes—none of this was obvious at first. But thanks to God, the right people were given wisdom and everything was brought to light at just the right time. These things were found before they became emergencies, and we believe that’s not coincidence. That’s grace.

Once Louie is stable and has gained some strength, he will need surgery to remove the single cancerous lymph node in the lower right side of his neck. This procedure will take place in Santa Clara. Dr. H has already called to start setting things in motion for a September date, and he fully supports the current plan: rest, nutrition through the PEG, and antibiotics to prepare for what’s next.

Louie’s pulmonologist has placed him off work through October so he can focus fully on healing and gaining weight. We all know this is going to be a challenge for the guy who comes home from work to keep working! Pray for Louie to enjoy this season of rest! Maybe he can work on some new music, pick up a new hobby or two...anything to stay busy while still allowing his body to grow stronger!

From the beginning, we have all seen God show up in every detail of this journey—through the timing, through the people, through the answered prayers. This birthday news felt like a reminder that He’s still right here with us. Even in the hard moments, He’s working things out that we couldn’t possibly see coming in our limited understanding—but in His wisdom, He sees the whole picture and is already making a way. 

Marianne and Louie have seen God's love so clearly through all of you. The prayers, the texts, the phone calls, the FaceTimes—the joy and relief from their grandkids when they heard the news about Papa, the encouraging words from friends, and the steady support from their church family and the Well Care Ministry—all of it has reminded them that they are not alone. They are encouraged, hopeful, and anchored in the truth that God is carrying them through!

Please keep those prayers coming! Pray for...

• Complete healing from the lung infection and no further aspiration

• Clear results and guidance from the swallow study

• Wisdom and success with the PEG tube and possible throat dilation

• A safe and successful surgery this fall

• Strength, rest, and peace for Louie and Marianne in the weeks ahead

Thank you for continuing to lift Louie and Marianne up in prayer. They feel those prayers, and they matter. God is hearing, and He is answering.

-Sara

The Power of Prayer!

Hi friends and family,

I wanted to send you all another update on Louie and invite you to keep praying with us as God continues to guide this journey!

Louie had his EBUS procedure yesterday, and it turned out to be quite an eventful day. When Marianne and Louie met Dr. D before the procedure, she shared some incredible news—she had reviewed the latest CT scan and told them that the lymph nodes are SO small (sub-centimeter!) that she hoped she would still be able to get samples so that they could rule out cancer! 

This was no small moment! We had specifically asked for our tribe to pray over the CT scan results and that the lymph nodes would shrink—and they did. Considerably! This is a direct answer to prayer, and a testimony to the power of united faith. Louie had said he wanted the CT scan done first, so we could all see what God had already done. And here it is. Tangible proof of God moving. Another miracle we can point to and give thanks for! Louie and Marianne both felt relief and hope heading into the procedure. 

They took Louie back for the EBUS procedure, which was supposed to take about two hours. The procedure ran longer than expected and Marianne started to feel uneasy, she was just about to ask for an update when they called her back to recovery. Dr. D shared that a code blue respiratory had been called for Louie during the procedure. She said it got “pretty hairy” for a while. His airways, already narrowed from two rounds of neck radiation, were clogged with secretions. They struggled to get air moving through those tight passages.

But God.

By His grace, the team responded quickly and got Louie stabilized. He received medication, a breathing treatment, and a chest X-ray and they kept him for observation for another hour and a half. 

The report from the procedure showed something visible in Louie's lungs—possibly from aspiration—and Dr. D said they performed a BAL procedure to collect fluid and help determine what’s going on so it can be treated appropriately. She’s also referring Louie back to SLP to help with safe swallowing. Dr. D was able to collect three samples during the procedure. One lymph node was too tiny to even biopsy, which we are claiming as more good news!  She will be sharing everything with Louie’s care team and she recommended a PEG tube to help Louie gain weight, although a decision on this doesn't need to be made right away.

It’s clear that Dr. H’s decision to order this procedure was divinely timed. Not only did they discover the lung issue, but they also discovered the airway narrowing stenosis so that they can watch it going forward. Truly, it feels like God reached in and said, “Not today.”

Louie was later watching some television and looked up the survival rates for code blues after walking through that very thing. He looked at Marianne and said "Yet, I'm sitting here watching TV!" That’s just like him—full of faith, humor, and in awe of God and His hand of protection.

We continue to see so clearly the power of prayer and the strength that comes from being united in faith. You prayed. We prayed. And God answered! The lymph nodes have shrunk, the danger was caught in time, and Louie is sitting here today with a story that shouts of God’s goodness.

Please continue to pray for:

• Louie’s lungs and airways and a clear treatment plan to address any issues 

• Wisdom regarding the PEG tube and esophagus stretching and the best way to support his nutrition

• Peace and rest for Louie and Marianne

• Clear results from the samples collected during the procedure

• Continued strength, hope, and resilience

We’re so grateful for your love, encouragement, and faithful prayers. This is a journey Louie and Marianne are not walking alone—and that’s been one of the greatest blessings. Thank you for linking arms with us in faith and for lifting up Louie and Marianne in prayer. They feel it and they give God all the glory.

Sara