Christmas Letter 2007

The Jerry Holloway Family 2007

David, Brittney, Sharon, Janelle, Joseph
Fink & Jerry holding Brooklynn & Josiah

December 2007

Dear Family and Friends,

At Christmas I join dozens of other who send a letter with family update. Some years the news is rather ho, hum. No big changes to report. 2006 was different: My Mom had a heart attack; we were remodeling, selling a home, and moving. When you add the challenges from Sharon’s bicycle accident, 2006 felt like a hard year and I hoped that 2007 would be easier. It started out good.

In January, David and Brittney took the brooch David designed that won first place in Arkansas to a national competition in New York City. We were delighted when he took the top honors there as well. His piece has been featured in several jewelers’ magazines and on the local news and his business is off to a wonderful start.

In March my brother and sister and I met in Colorado to celebrate Mom’s 90th birthday. My mother has done very well in spite of the heart attack and other health problems. She is back in the swimming pool exercising, attending Bible studies, cutting quilt blocks at the senior center, and praying for all of us daily. What a blessing and encouragement she is! Besides enjoying cake and ice cream and presents with dear friends, Marilyn and Steve and I all took a turn publicly thanking Mom for the ways she has impacted our lives. We surprised her at one of the Interchurch Fellowship of the Blind meetings. (The ICFB is a Christian support group for the blind that my dad founded. So it was also a tribute to him as well). We sang together and that memory will be one we cherish forever. Mom also flew to Michigan in September to attend the National Church Conference of the Blind and to visit her relatives there, and in November she flew to Minneapolis to spend a week with my brother for Thanksgiving. We are inspired and motivated by her life and courage.

June brought wonderful news: Our grandson was born! Joseph and Janelle named their first child Josiah Ethan. We were privileged to spend some time with him and with his parents during his first week. Joe and Janelle still work as campus pastors at Clemson in South Carolina. Their efforts are touching hundreds of students and have spread beyond the Clemson campus. We are so grateful for their ministry.

December 1 Sharon completed her music degree from the U of A when she gave her Senior Recital at the piano. For any music major the Senior Recital is a big deal, but it was especially significant knowing that a year ago she could not play the piano at all with two broken arms. We are so grateful to God for her recovery and for her life. Over 120 relatives and friends came from eight states to attend her recital, and their presence delighted all of us.

With all those blessings you would think that reflecting on 2007 would bring nothing but joy.

But 2007 brought some challenges as well.

In April we were shocked when our granddaughter’s pediatrician suggested that she needed glasses. Brooklynn was just 18 months old at the time! We learned that she is very far sighted and both of her eyes are crossing.


Brooklynn has adjusted to wearing glasses wonderfully and she is as cute as ever. She started with regular glasses, and then switched to bifocals. Later the doctor remommended eye patches, ointments, and that did not correct the problem of her eyes crossing either.

She had surgery on both eyes December 13.

Please pray for her to have a full recovery.

Jerry’s dad began having health problems in October. He made two trips to the emergency room and one time he spent 12 consecutive days in the hospital. He is getting stronger, but he continues to need prayer.

On August 21 I was stunned when I heard the words: “It looks like cancer.” I’d had a lump that was not cancerous before and I certainly did not expect the lump I found this year change my life so drastically. But, when tests revealed three malignant tumors, my life changed. For one thing my calendar has bunches of medical entries:

Aug 22 9:00 Biopsy
Aug 23 Call Confirms Cancer

Aug 30 9:00 MRI

Aug 30 11:00 Meet Surgeon Dr. Cross
Aug 31 9:00 Breast Center for Dye

Aug 31 12:15 Sentinel Node Surgery

Sept 7 8:00 Dr. Romaine
Sept 11 10:00 Blood Work before Surgery
Sept 12 10:30 Port Surgery
Sept 14 10:00 First Chemo

I am scheduled for six rounds of chemo. The last one is supposed to be December 28th and a mastectomy will be scheduled next year. My appointment book is not the only thing that took on a new look. I look different: I’m bald. And my outlook has been affected too. You can read more about this journey: finkholloway.blogspot.com. All of this serves as a reminder that each day is a treasure; each person is a treasure who should not be taken for grant it. The opportunities we have to do the things that matter the most should not wasted.

So I want to take this opportunity to say: I love you! I thank God for the ways that you have touched my life. I pray that you will be blessed this Christmas and throughout the New Year.

I am extremely grateful for Jerry and the rest of my family and dear friends who have surrounded me with their love and support.

Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!

You make it easier for me to face this journey with pure joy. I was memorizing James 1:2 and had that card in my pocket on the day I went for my mammogram: “Consider it PURE JOY when ever you face different kinds of trials.” Since I have been healthy my entire life this is a different kind of trial, but your prayers and support have bought me joy. I know God is still in control. He is my healer and He will provide everything I need for each step of the way. His presence is the best Christmas present that helps us in our hard times.

Merry Christmas from the Holloways!

Chemo # 5 December 7

Tomorrow I go for my 5th chemo treatment, so keep me in your prayers. It is easy to get stuck in a dread this ordeal mindset. So pray that I will remember to take my focus off the negative things I endure and that I will be sensitive to the Lord. There are dozens of people in the chemo room who have needs. Obviously, the patients all have physical needs, but I have also met some nurses who were in need of a prayer or a word of encouragement. I have had special prayer times and even sang to some of the staff in the past. I'd like to give out some Gideon's Nurses New Testaments tomorrow if I get the chance.

The room where the chemo is administered reminds me of a small gym. No, the floor is not painted like a basketball court, but it is a large open area and the floor looks like a hard wood floor. I think it is a laminate wood floor that can be easily cleaned. There are recliners and IV poles against the wall on two sides of the room and a large nurses station in the middle. The third side of the room leads to private rooms with beds for the patients who are too ill to sit in a recliner, or who prefer privacy. The fourth side of the room has a counter with another nurses station, the entrance, a restroom, and a counter with refreshments. There are juices, sodas, and crackers with cheese or peanut butter available for those on chemo. It takes 3-4 hours for my chemo to drip into my veins and that seems to be average. The nurses do not want us to leave hungry. Fortunately, I have always had a friend or relative with me during my chemo who has brought real food for me to eat during my treatment. The nausea does not usually hit me in the first few hours so I have been able to eat lunch while I am at chemo. Some of the time I try to pass the time with a project of some type. I've tried to remember how to knit, but that has not worked out too good. The anti-nausea medications added to the IV tend to cloud your brain. Some knitters might be able to work without thinking but I am not one of them.

As I sit in the recliner there usually is a patient on my left and on my right who are also getting medications by IV. Some people get iron for severe anemia, but most of the people there are also getting some type of chemo for cancer. Since we sit beside each other for several hours, there is a chance for some conversation. So pray that I will not only listen to them as they speak, but I will also listen to the Holy Spirit to know how to respond and know how to be a blessing to them.