The Struggle Has Ended

Greg Hewlett passed away on January 17th after nearly eight years of battling colon cancer. While we grieve his loss, we are comforted to know that he is with his Lord.

If you would like to leave your thoughts on Greg, please see this thread.

If you would like to make a charitable donation in Greg's honor, please see this thread.

Sunday, May 15, 2005

Spring hope

memdayrose.JPG I have completed my four post-surgery cycles of chemotherapy. My body is hanging in there - weak but still kicking. Tomorrow, we leave to go to MD Anderson for evaluation and to discuss with doctors what is next. Everything is dependent on the scans that are taken. I am counting on them being clear! We'll find out if they still want to do radiation on the area of the most recent surgery, and if so when, where (Dallas or Houston), and what dosage. After that, maybe some more chemo. Every day that creeps by is one day closer to the end of treatment.

Here's the first bloom from my recently planted "Memorial Day" rose bush -- a spring first fruit of better things to come.

Natasha is healthy and growing. She is still in the neo-natal care unit. Here are some pics from last weekend visiting Natasha - all four pounds of her! We're all looking forward to her coming home.
ChristineNatasha.jpg GregNatasha.jpg







9 comments:

Scott said...

Hey Greg:
Great to hear that things are seemingly going so well with your recovery. We are trusting God to complete everything. You're an inspiration to me, and it's an honor to count you not just as a friend, but also as a brother in Christ.
-Scott

David Pagan said...

Greg and Christine,
I am so glad to see my attempt to help in the garden doesn't seem to have had any ill effect on the roses! Seriously, it was great to see you.
As always, we are in constant prayer for you and will say a special prayer for wisdom for the doctors tomorrow.
David, Charlene, Davy & Matty

Craig & Maria said...

Greg & Christine,
If you get to Anderson this week and can look up Shirley Williams. She is a dear sister in the Lord for our Church here in Greenville, SC. She will be having surgery Wednesday. Shirley is 85 and a real encourager for the Lord.
You and Christine are sweet testimonies to God's goodnes, provision and power.

Sue Hui said...

Greg,
Good to know that you and Christine grow roses. I have inherited some roses when we moved into our current house two years ago. At first I thought those thorny plants are quite annoying. But I did not really want to just get rid of them so I had no choice but learn how to tend to them. Now I have become quite fond of them and even added a few more this year. I have found out that roses are extremely resilient. No matter how much neglect they receive, the moment when the condition improves, they come right back and blooms better than ever. I have a miniature rose that was planted in a pot. I kept forget watering it, towards the end of the summer, its leaves were all gone, and branches were all brown. I thought for sure it had died. I just left it out there and never bothered to water it again. To my amazement, this spring, after receiving a few rain showers, the leaves of that plant started to turn green. It put on the most beautiful flower ever. Another rose in the garden had received an accidental amputation from a lawn mower. All of its branches were cut off right to the graft union. I thought there goes that rose. How wrong I was! After a few months, that rose was back in life healthier than ever with many branches, green leaves and big flower buds! Roses are quite amazing plants!

Curtis Frodge said...

i am glad to hear you are still hanging in there, God has given you a strong spirit and its good to see you use it. i will be praying for everything to go well at MD Anderson and for a safe trip. God blass and congradulations on the beautiful roses, i know who to go to next mothers day ;)
-curtis

Willeyne Berger said...

We are so glad you are doing better all the time. I am too so I can certainly relate to you now. Give your family my love and I hope the Natasha is home by now. She wasn't the last time I talked to your mom. Love to you and Christine. Willeyne

Carl said...

Greg and Christine we are trusting in the Lord with both of you.
Those three images you created were beautiful.

anne said...

And Natasha is just beginning to know the best aunt and uncle in the whole wide world!!!!
love,
the murrays

Martha Gessick said...

Dear Greg and Christine, always appreciate your updates. I will continue to pray that God will continue to care for you in so many ways: encouragement, love, prayers, beauty of your roses, and beauty of your new niece. PTL and hope your treatment(s) if needed can be done at Dallas rather than Houston. I love you both, and in Jesus' love and great mercy, martha g