The fact that you are reading this means that you have not forgotten us, despite us being MIA (Missing in Action) for over two months. We were a bit surprised to realize that in our busyness we have been 'ignoring' you for that long.

As you may recall, Sue made the decision in late May not to restart chemotherapy ahead of Mitchell and Lauren's wedding on 28 June so that she had maximum opportunity to engage in, contribute to and enjoy that most precious family event.

We could write pages and pages about the period leading up to the wedding, the day itself, and the time since, but that would really require another blog! Suffice to say that Sue threw herself into it all with energy and joy and spent many hours making her own special contribution through sewing and preparing table decorations and, and , and...  As you might appreciate this was a blessedly busy time!  In due course, the wedding day (and all the visiting friends and relatives) came and went. We entered July in a state of deep thankfulness and joyful tiredness.

Please indulge us - as proud parents we can't help but show you a few photographs.

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However, underneath all the focused energy, excitement and celebration we became aware that there were some niggling signs that Sue's divinely-timed 'grace period' of unexpected wellness was not going to be a lengthy one. As such was to be cherished even more. Day by day, in small increments, Sue became aware of returning discomfort and decreased energy levels. While she was able to manage and push through this, we were ready to go back to the oncologist and talk 'where Sue is at' and 'where to from here?'.

As reported in an earlier post, the expectation was that Sue would restart chemotherapy almost immediately. Unexpectedly Sue was asked to undergo an immediate PET Scan. Other than taking quite a bit longer, and involving the injecting of nuclear material into the bloodstream, the test is not very different that the CT Scans Sue has been having routinely - other than it cannot be done in Darwin! Consequently, having just enjoyed the company of all our South Australian family at the wedding, we ended up almost following them back home. We arrived in Adelaide on 12 July and Sue had the scan on 14 July and we returned to Darwin the following day.

Yesterday we visited the oncologist again. He confirmed what we expected -  the cancer is active and growing again in its primary location in the bowel, probably in the bowel lining or on the outside. This is causing some constriction. There is also active cancer in a nearby lymph node and in one spot in particular in the liver. That is the 'bad' news. The good news is that these are all existing locations and there are no apparent 'new' sites where the cancer is active. As a result, the question of an operation to remove the affected section of the bowel, and possibly even resect the liver, is under active discussion. We see the surgeon (our good friend Phill Carson) again on Monday to discuss the pros and cons of this option.

If we proceed to surgery it will be soon and will be followed by a period of recovery then chemotherapy. If we decide against the surgery, then chemotherapy will recommence immediately. Either way, we are clearly back on that roller coaster!

Thanks for 'hanging in there' with us - for caring and praying. Despite our recent failure to keep you informed, we do cherish your willingness to travel the journey with us. Life is best lived in community with others, and that community takes many forms and is expressed in a multitude of ways - including through this blog. Feel free to leave a comment (yes, we read them all) or make more direct contact. God bless.