MERRY CHRISTMAS!

 Just a quick post today.  Our trip out here this time was just about completely uneventful.  The only thing we encountered on this trip was the usual crop of bad and rude drivers.  They seem to be out and very present at all times and on any given day!  There was only one driver from New York who tried to take the front end off our new truck as we traveled on I-94 near Chicago. We made good time and enjoyed taking our new 4 wheel drive Z-71 on it's first trip out here!  Weather good -- no snow!!

The blood test results showed the white count is a bit low so we will be getting a Neulasta injection tomorrow at the Oncology center in Maumee.  They have agreed to work with CTCA for treatments or whatever for us for which we are very thankful.  The CEA is a bit elevated, but really nothing to worry about.  CEA bounces around and it did just this the last time we were on Avastin.

Arnie saw a physical therapist this time.  They have him using a re-builder on his hands and feet to help with the neuropathy which is caused by one of the chemo drugs.  He will be taking it home for use there to help with these side effects.

It still amazes me that they seem to be so concerned about the patient's quality of life here at CTCA.  They are so concerned to have side effects under control so the patient can have as normal a life as possible.  We feel blessed to be here and we thank God that He led us here.

They will do scans in 6 weeks - not the 3 that we thought.  Treatment in 3 weeks and scans will be 3 weeks later.  Please continue to keep us in your prayers.  We constantly need God's presence in our lives as we continue this journey.

There is a sadness at this time of the year, especially for me because I lost my oldest brother, Ed, to lung cancer 5 years ago Christmas Eve.  I think of him often and miss him terribly.

Thank you again for all your prayers and love and concern you have shown to us.

 

 

May I wish each of you a very MERRY CHRISTMAS and a Happy New Year! 

 

Keep going!

We are here again at CTCA, on the 3rd floor, infusion center.  In about 5 hours, we will head back home. 

This trip was rather challenging yesterday.  We left Toledo amidst a driving rainstorm which soon became a snowstorm which we were in until just past South Bend, Indiana.  Snow is pretty, but when you are tired and it is dark and you would really like to get to your destination, it can be a real pain!  Along with the trucks who are driven by those who need to get where ever at any cost, it can become outright dangerous!  We were passed by those who must have thought the roads were clear and dry.  These lovely conditions delayed our arrival by about 45 minutes, but we made it there safely.

This morning, following the port access and blood draw, we saw the doctor.  She seemed upbeat when she entered the room.  Arnie has gained a couple more pounds - usually cancer patients do not gain weight, they loose weight!  His blood work showed the CEA has gone down a bit.  It was up last time we were here, but it has gone down by 5 points while on Avastin and Xeloda which he started 3 weeks ago.  He feels good and Dr. Neelam seems to be encouraged by his progress.

I still find myself wondering why we are going through this.  I have felt that in the past several days that God has been showing me that He remains with us and that we are going to get through this.  He has a plan for us and within that plan is that we go through this cancer at this time.  We have to keep in mind that we are to take this one day at a time.  (Advice that I have given others and I really need to take myself!)

Please keep us in your prayers.  Prayer does work!   Also I appreciate your comments and emails and encouragement! 

Encouragement and Disapointment

We are back at CTCA in Zion Illinois.  The break was so nice and we felt our life had returned to a sense of  "normal"- whatever that is!

We knew we had to come back out here, so we arrived yesterday for the scan and had results this morning.  The news we got was some good and some not exactly what we wanted to hear.  The rib is stable.  There is evidence of continued healing from the radiation treatment.  There are, however, several very small nodules appearing in the right lung.  The largest is about 1cm.

Because the stuff in the lung has increased, the doctor wants us to start chemo again, so here we are.  This is quite a long infusion - total of 5 hours - a lot longer than the previous one which was about 90 minutes.  The combination is similar to the ones used when  we first started treatment here.  They did drop the irinotecan, in favor of oxilaplatin.  Arnie has taken oxilaplatin before, with some neuropathy resulting.  Here, they are giving him calcium and magnesium to try to control the neuropathy.  The previous combo was Avastin, Xeloda, and irinotecan.  That worked well initially, clearing up the lungs in 3 months.  This one will be Oxilaplatin, Xeloda, and Avastin.

The oncologist explained to us that often times, if the cancer cells are given a break from a specific drug, then the drug can work again on the cancer.  She seems to be confident that this treatment will produce good results.  So are we. 

So, we had good news on the bone tumor and not so good news on the lungs.  Life goes on, and God is still in control. 

"Sometimes Christ sees that we need the sickness for the good of our souls more than the healing for the ease of our bodies."     ....Matthew Henry


Please keep us in your prayers and feel free to comment or email me.

A Break

I intended to get this written earlier today but I just couldn't seem to get to it before we left CTCA to go home.  We just got home a little while ago.

We arrived at CTCA yesterday in the early afternoon so Arnie would be there in time to get his scheduled PET scan.   We saw Dr. Neelam this morning when she talked with us at length about the results of that scan.  She told us that the scan showed continued activity in the 8th rib, which is the stubborn spot that we have been dealing with.  As we have seen in previous scans, there is no cancer anywhere else.

With regards to that stubborn spot, Dr. Neelam says she can't tell if the size has changed due to the nature of the PET scan.  She did note that the intensity of the reading was somewhat higher which she felt was more an indication of bone growth than cancer activity.  Based on these factors, and Arnie's increased rash from the chemo, she recommended a 6 week break from treatment.  This will give Arnie a chance to recover from the rash, along with a strengthening of the immune system.  In support of that, the Naturapath recommended an additional supplement, green tea extract, which is powerful enough that they won't allow its use during chemo. 

At the end of the 6 weeks, we will have another CT scan.  Depending on those results, future treatment will be decided.  Dr. Neelam has already indicated that she would probably add other chemo drugs at that time. In some cases, cancer can be considered a chronic ailment, requiring monitoring and treatment over a long period of time.  We have complete confidence in Dr. Neelam and that she is doing the very best for us. 

In one of the devotionals that I receive daily from Dr. David Jeremiah, his subject matter for today was faith and he referred to these 2 verses...

...being fully convinced that what He had promised He was also able to perform.
Romans 4:21

Let us hold tightly without wavering to the hope we affirm, for God can be trusted to keep His promise

Hebrews 10:23

I feel that God is speaking to us to keep the faith and hold on to the hope and the future that He has promised us.  He has been with us through this journey and it continues.  He must have more for us to do as we continue to trust Him for guidance.  Please continue to keep us in your prayers.

Are we being tested?

Well here we are again... in Zion Illinois on this last day of August.  We drove from home yesterday and will leave for home after this chemo treatment is completed.  We have these trips down to staying one night, since I am doing the driving on the return trip home.  We always try to get away early enough so we avoid as much Chicago traffic as possible - hopefully we will be successful today.

We had the port access, blood draw and visit with the physicians assistant before lunch.  Everything appears to be going well.  Arnie says that he feels the best physically that he has felt since all this began 16 months ago.  The only fly in the ointment, if you could call it that, is that the CEA has increased slightly from 3.1 to 4.3.   The doctor isn't too excited about this, because this does happen and it was only one point, which she doesn't consider that much change as significant.  All the other blood work looks good and Arnie is getting the usual Vectibix and Zometa for bones this time.  Next trip out, they want to do another PET scan because the last PET was in July and we can do them every 3 months. 

We could very easily consider this a set back with the jump in the CEA, but we actually feel that God is testing us and that He wants us to trust in him completely.  It seems as though when things are going well, we tend to become complacent and perhaps forget about the significance of all the good things that God has done for us and all the answers to prayer. 

We feel that these experiences are for a reason - that God has something for us, that we possibly don't even know at this point.   He wants us to be available for His leading and sensitive to His presence in our lives so we can share with others. Even as we were in the waiting area before this chemo treatment began, I noticed in the display area, there were a couple magazines that I had not seen before.  One of them is called "You Inspire Us!"  It is a booklet containing a collection of patient and caregiver stories.  There were also printed instructions for submitting your own experiences for a future issue.  Well, all of a sudden, I just felt that God was showing me right in front of my face, the next thing He wants me to do... and that is to share with others just what our experiences have been.  What an outreach that could be!  We have also gotten involved in the cancer ministry in our church.  There are things that God has for us!  All he wants is for us to trust and to depend on Him for our needs!

Please continue to keep us in your prayers... God definitely has answered prayers!  As I have said before, I always welcome and enjoy your comments and emails!

Results

We are in Zion...at CTCA on the 3rd floor - Infusion center.  The weather is beautiful -- blue sky with temperatures in the low 80's.

We got results this morning following the CT scan which was done yesterday, late in the afternoon.  Dr. Neelam said that things are pretty much the same as they were following the last scan.  The radiologist who read the CT scan compared it to the previous CT scan done in January of this year and also to the results of the PET scan done in June and found that nothing has developed or increased in size since June.  Nothing new has shown up so we are confident that the cancer is stopped, if not decreasing.

Dr. Neelam wants to continue with the chemo treatment to head off any further cancer development until the tumors in the ribs are no longer active.  We knew from the radiation oncologist that those tumors in the ribs would still show cancer activity for some time following treatment.  Continuing the chemo treatment will keep any cancer cells which may come from the ribs from developing into tumors elsewhere.

We had hoped for a break from chemo due to the progress we were making.  There was never really anything mentioned about a break at this time from Dr. Neelam.  We sort of assumed the possibility of a break, but we are satisfied that this is the correct path forward.  She is very conservative in her approach to cancer treatment and we feel that she is doing what she feels is best at this time.

So we will continue with treatments and will get a PET scan after 2 more treatments after this one today.

Please keep us in your prayers and keep in touch with me.

Please pray...

This is going to be very short... I am going to ask you to please remember us in your prayers during the next several days.  We will be going out to CTCA next week for a CT scan - getting results on Wednesday, August 10th.

My prayer is that we will be able to say on August 10th that we are cancer free!  I believe that God wants us to bring everything to Him and to leave it there... not to take it back and worry about it.  I am a great one to say that, since I am the world's biggest worrier, but I am trying to do just that.  I also believe that the scriptures instruct us to ask from God exactly what we want and I am praying for healing.

We believe that God as answered our prayers and has sustained us all through this journey.  Please pray for our safe travel too... as I always drive on the return trip from Zion which is always an adventure!

Many thanks to each of you for your support and love for us!  Please keep in touch with us!

More Good News!!!

We are here at CTCA, Zion Illinois on what the news people are saying is the "hottest day of the year in the Chicago area..."  Forecast temperatures here are as high as 102 degrees.  Tomorrow is supposed to be the hottest day in the Toledo area this year, so we will be enjoying this wonderful weather two days in a row!  Lucky us!

We are also enjoying another day with good news from here.  The scheduled events for today included a visit with the Physician's Assistant after the port access with labs.  We got the results from that blood test before the infusion.  All the blood tests results are within normal limits and the CEA is still 2.7.  So it would appear that everything is stable. 

Arnie has been feeling really good this summer -- doing more physical things as time goes on.  Compared with last year, he is progressing very well.  Still gets tired and doesn't have as much stamina as he would like, but I can tell that he is improving.  He is mowing the yard this year - last summer we had to have someone do it.  He is taking on more projects around the house, and talking about others that he needs or wants to do. So I would say he is feeling better and wants to be as productive as he possibly can be.  This is good both physically and psychologically for him.  He has never been the kind of person who just sits and does nothing - that part of having cancer has been difficult for him. 

They are doing a CT scan in 3 weeks instead of 6 weeks from now, which is what I originally thought was the schedule.  We are excited about getting a true look at the progress that has been made over the past several months.  We are praying that we will have a good report which will give us a break from all treatments for 3 months.

Please keep us in your prayers and pray especially for a good CT scan report in 3 weeks and that we would be able to enjoy a 3 month break.  God has been so good to us and our prayers are that He will continue to  provide for our needs. 

I know I have said this before, but I so appreciate hearing from you - your comments or emails, etc, and we really appreciate all your prayers.  God wants us to bring everything to Him.  He loves us so much and He wants us to depend on him totally.   It is hard to do that sometime because we want to take it back and worry about it... I know --- I do it all the time! 

We so appreciate your friendship and concerns for us.  May God bless each of you!

More Progress!

Haven't written since last time we were here @ CTCA.  We are totally enjoying the 3 week treatment schedule!  We are getting more stuff done around the house.  Arnie is feeling like doing more and his periods of fatigue and tiredness seem to be less frequent.  He is mowing the lawn and washing the truck, which are activities he wasn't able to do last summer.  He is also able to get to work more days than before.

We left to come out here Monday afternoon, with the anticipation growing regarding test results.  I always pray to God to be with us, give us strength, keep us safe as we travel, etc, etc, but in the back of my mind is always that doubt when it comes to good test results.  I always fear the worst... just my nature, I guess.  I always pray for God's help to have more faith and trust in Him.  But still there is that doubt.  This time, I did feel more of a peace that usual, which I was almost afraid to admit but I did tell Arnie about it.   So we ventured out here with perhaps more of a positive outlook than we usually do. 

Early yesterday morning, we had the PET scan and the blood draw.  Then this morning, we saw Dr. Patel, the Radiation Oncologist.   We saw him because he is the one who ordered the PET scan this time because of the radiation treatments he prescribed and he wanted to see the success of those treatments.  We had to wait to see him because he was in a meeting, which delayed his visit with us by about 10 minutes. 

When he finally came into the room with us, he was nothing but totally positive.  The PET scan showed the cancer activity in the ribs which were radiated to be much less than in the scan done in April.  The radiation treatment is doing it's job!!  He had  told us that it would take a period of time for all the effects of the radiation to be known -probably months. 

At this point, the ribs involved are definitely showing improvement as the cancer tumors are shrinking.  Dr. Patel said the remainder of the PET scan report shows no other cancer anywhere, which has been the case for the past several months.  Praise God for that! 

We then saw Dr. Neelam, our Medical Oncologist.  She also was very happy with the test results.  She had the pleasure of telling us results of the blood work.  The CEA is 2.7 which is in the normal range and lower than it has been since we began coming here for treatment over a year ago!   Another Praise God!!!

She wants to complete this regime of treatments; so we are having one today, again in 3 weeks, another 3 weeks later, then a CT scan.  These treatments are probably best described as "clean up."  

We have so very much to be thankful for!  Thank you for your prayers and your support!  Please continue to remember us in your prayers and keep in touch with us.  Please let me hear from you!

More Progress to report!!

It has been quite a while since you have heard from me.  We have enjoyed a 3 week break from treatments following the 4 weeks of radiation.  We spent some time in Pennsylvania with family over the Memorial Day holiday,  have visited with friends and have been able to attend church while not having to worry about the effects of cancer treatments.  We loved  the opportunity to do some things we wanted to do! 

We are here at CTCA today, and Arnie is getting a treatment with a medication they aren't even calling a chemo drug.  It is a "targeted cancer therapy treatment".  This treatment is  intended to complete the schedule which began before the 4 weeks of radiation.  We will be getting this treatment on a 3 week schedule for the next 2 months.  A PET scan is scheduled by the radiation oncologist in 3 weeks.

Dr. Neelam was very happy to report to us that the blood work done today showed everything within normal range and the CEA is almost down to normal again.  After the radiation treatments, the CEA had gone up a bit, which we were told was probably because of what the radiation was doing to the cancer tumors.  We were very encouraged by the numbers today!

We are also very excited about becoming great-grandparents!  My grand-daughter, Deanna, is in labor with our first great-granddaughter, Hayden Renee.  Makes me feel really old, but very excited!!

Please continue to remember us in your prayers.  We believe in the power of prayer!  God has been so good to us and we truly feel blessed!   Feel free to comment and / or send me an email.  I love hearing from you.  The encouragement is always welcome!!

Our progress

I haven't written in the blog for a while because last week the site was down which prevented me from posting anything  -- kind of upsetting!! 

Arnie completed the last week of radiation treatments at CTCA last Friday, May 13th.   We saw the Radiation Oncologist Thursday, May 12th, and he was very positive about the success of the treatments.  We will do scans in 6 weeks, but in the meantime the Medical Oncologist, Dr. Neelam, wants to do some additional chemo treatments beginning in 3 weeks -- sort of a "clean up" following the radiation treatments.  We have been told that cancer cells can be present in the body even if there are no active tumors, so she wants to clean up whatever may be floating around. Those treatments will be on a 3 week schedule, which will make the traveling a bit easier. 

It will depend on scan results to determine how long we will be on these chemo treatments. 

I saw my Neurosurgeon today for my post-op visit.  It has been 8 weeks since my L4 - L5 fusion has been done.  I got x-rays yesterday and took them with me to the doctor's appointment.  He showed us the films and explained what we were looking at.  Everything looks good.  The fusion is healing and the nerves are no longer being pinched causing pain and tingling.  I am still having some intermittent pain in my left leg but nothing like how it was before surgery.  Damaged nerves can take quite a while to heal.  Dr. McCormick seems happy with my progress, which I think is a good thing!  I am scheduled for some aquatic therapy which will begin the middle of June.

Please keep us in your prayers.  God is good and prayers have been answered!   We have much to be thankful for as we continue on this journey.  We thank God for His blessings to us!  Please keep in touch!

Home Stretch!!

It's late and I am tired but I did want to update you on Arnie's progress.  After tomorrow's treatment, we will be 3/4 of the way through!!!  We saw Dr. Patel this morning after the 14th treatment and again, he was encouraging and upbeat.  He told us that the treatments are going as expected and the plan is working as designed.

Arnie is experiencing some tiredness, which the doctor said is normal at this point in the treatment.  This seems to be the most significant side effect.  What little pain he has had is much reduced, which the doctor says indicates the radiation is doing it's job.  Dr. Patel used the phrase "home stretch" to describe our position.  We will certainly be glad when we are finally home to stay!

Please keep us in your prayers as we finish this week of treatments and anticipate the 4th and final week of radiation.  God has been so good to us - He has met our needs and has answered prayer for us.   We are especially thankful for the friendship and support of Joe and Karen, who have been there for us, who without Joe, we would not be at CTCA for cancer treatments.  We thank God for providing us with these wonderful friends.

Please send me your emails and comments!

Almost half way there!!

It is Thursday and we saw the doctor today following the 9th radiation treatment.  He says the treatments are going well and Arnie is doing well.  They take x-rays about every other treatment which lets the doctor know how things are progressing.  We are very encouraged by what Dr. Patel has to say and we are very thankful for all the prayers of friends and family.

The weather out here, on the other hand, leaves lots to be desired!  It has rained almost every day and the temps can't seem to get out of the 50's most days.  Not fun!!

After tomorrow's treatment, we will be half way done and we will be on the road for home.

Please keep us in your prayers and keep in touch with us!

4 down and 16 to go!

We are at CTCA after seeing the Radiation Oncologist following the 4th treatment.  Arnie is doing fine and the oncologist is happy with the treatment and progress.  He showed us the computer image of the tumors and the map of the treatment area. 

We were impressed with the precision of the map, compared to his radiation treatment in Toledo. The map showed the total area of radiation treatment, and also indicated areas that are receiving a higher dosage. 

The Oncologist feels that there will be no significant side effects other than fatigue which we feel is good news.   He examined Arnie's back and found no indication of "sunburn" yet.  He said that might even develop after the completion of the treatments.  He also told us that the benefit of the treatment would continue for several weeks after actual treatment was complete. It will be at least  6 weeks after treatment before a scan can be done that will indicate success.  He also said that at about 12 weeks after treatment there would probably be more progress indicated. 

Please keep us in your prayers!

Update

  Weather is awful here in Zion Illinois-- snow yesterday - rain, wind and cold temps today.  Good day to stay inside!!

We have completed 2 radiation treatments here at CTCA.  We got the treatment schedule yesterday.  Radiation will be every morning, Monday through Friday, until May 13th.  We will see the Radiation Oncologist every Thursday following the treatment. The schedule works out so that we will easily be able to get home Friday afternoons.

I will be in touch later - just wanted to give you an update.  Please keep us in your prayers as we go through these treatments and as we are spending more time traveling.  Send me your comments and emails!

Learning patience

Feels strange to me that I am writing this from Zion on a Tuesday afternoon from our hotel room!   We saw the Radiation Oncology people this morning at CTCA and I can say that we have yet to meet someone here who isn't nice and extremely competent!  The nurses who took care of getting vitals and asking all the questions they ask were extremely nice, cheerful and pleasant. 

Dr. Patel is young and asked all the right questions and had all the right answers to our questions.  He was completely familiar with Arnie's history both here and back home.  He is very confident as is Dr. Neelam, of the success of this treatment.  We are encouraged by his attitude and level of competency. 

We have an appointment tomorrow morning where they will do what they call a "simulation".  They will put Arnie in a machine, make a mold so he is positioned in the right place and they will collect data to determine the actual pattern of radiation. He will receive tattoos for the target points for the radiation. Following the simulation there are calculations to be done to determine the exact placement of the machine for each phase of the treatment which will take a few days.  Afterward, we will start the actual treatments.  We will receive our schedule for treatments tomorrow.  We expect to head home early in the day tomorrow.

Keep us in your prayers.  God is definitely in control.  We feel that God has led us this far and this is just another step.  We are not particularly discouraged, but encouraged that we are getting this close to being cancer free.

James 1: 2-3 says "My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience." 

I guess we are learning patience!

Cancer throws us a curve ball

Here we are in Zion Illinois.  This time I am writing this from our hotel room because the chemo treatment today was a short one - 26 minutes for Zometa, which is the drug they administer for bone growth so I didn't have enough time to get this done. 

The results of the PET scan were not exactly what we wanted to hear --the cancer has spread some and there are now 2 ribs involved. Dr. Neelam was very encouraging, however, because she assured us that there is no cancer anywhere else.  It has been contained in these 2 ribs but is showing resistance to the current chemo drugs.  The next step is radiation treatments.  We have an appointment next week to see a Radiation Oncologist who will evaluate our situation and lay out a plan of attack.   We will probably be doing 5 treatments per week for a period or 3 to 5 weeks.  Dr. Neelam was confident that the radiation would be able to finish this bout with cancer.  She also felt that the radiation treatments would give Arnie a much needed break from the side effects of the chemo.  The radiation would be confined to the 7th and 8th ribs on the right side which should produce a minimum of side effects other than fatigue. 

This is not exactly what I expected us to be facing but it does tell us where we are at this time and what we will be doing as we go forward.  We still feel that God is in control and there must be a reason for us to be facing these upcoming treatments. 

Please continue to keep us in your prayers and let me hear your comments and emails.  Many of you were encouraging prior to this visit and we appreciate that support.

Please pray!!

This is going to be a quick reminder and prayer request.  We are going to Zion this week for a PET scan.  The apprehension is very present here with me...again, as I have shared with you before.  I know that God is in control and that He is going to see us through this but that human-ness is showing it's ugly head and trying to dominate my thoughts ---again!!!  I know that God is with us and He will not leave us.

Please keep us in your prayers.  Maybe we need to be more specific in our prayers and actually pray that the cancer will be gone.  I know that God will have His way but can we influence that end result by praying specifically for something?  I believe that the scriptures tell us that God wants us to bring everything to Him in prayer -- He wants to hear from us.  So that tells me that we should express to Him exactly what we want and in this case, I want that miracle which is no cancer to be present.  Please join with me in that prayer - that we will see a clean PET scan on Friday.

I will be making this trip with Arnie this time.  My surgery was 3 weeks ago today and my back feels pretty good.  I wear the brace all the time, even though I find it more and more annoying but I know it is necessary.  I am learning to do certain things in creative ways because I am unable to bend over, so picking things off the floor becomes a challenge!  I have gotten out of the house more lately - going to church on Sunday, going to the grocery store and traveling in the truck for an hour to visit with my daughter.  That was all fine so I feel the trip to Zion will be fine but we will probably have to make more frequent stops so I can get out and walk around a bit.

Thank you for bearing with me as I express my feelings - writing this is therapeutic for me.   I would ask that
you please keep us in your prayers.  I will be back in touch with you soon.

It will all be fine

I did not accompany Arnie out to Zion for his treatment this time because of my recent back surgery.  My orders are that I can not travel for at least 2 weeks so as a result I stayed home in a "recuperative mode". 

Our oldest son, Gary, lovingly and willingly drove Arnie to CTCA for his treatment.  Their trip was smooth and uneventful.  My youngest son, Chris, and grandson, Jimmy, spent an evening with me so I wouldn't be home alone, which I totally appreciated.   They brought me dinner and we had a nice time visiting, which we don't do often enough!

I plan on making the next trip with Arnie to Zion.  That visit will be for a PET scan which will show just what that nasty cancer is doing.  The usual apprehension and uncertainty has begun to creep in.   I hate that!  I try to be up beat and positive but sometime it is hard.

Please keep us in your prayers.  My prayer is that the cancer will be under control and we could take a break from the chemo treatments.  That would be so helpful - giving Arnie's body a chance to recover from the beating of the chemo treatments.  What would be even more wonderful is if the cancer would be completely gone.

I know that I need to keep the faith and trust in God for His strength as we journey onward.  I need to be strong and uplifting for Arnie but I do have my weak moments.  Often times lately, I find myself reflecting back to my initial thoughts and reaction when the cancer was first diagnosed - in February of 2007.  I remember quite vividly, as though someone whispered in my ear..."It will all be fine."  Those were the first words I said to Arnie following the doctor's news to us that day.  I felt that God had assured me that it will all be fine.  So far that seems to be an accurate accounting of this experience.  God has been there for us and has answered prayer and has met our needs.  There is no reason that I should feel that He will leave us now.  We know that God NEVER goes back on His word.  He promises to always be with us and never to forsake us.

I appreciate each of you who pray for us and leave comments or emails.  God uses us to encourage and uplift each other and I am truly thankful for all the encouragement.

...Hope and a Future

We are here again... in Zion Illinois.  Cold outside - but no additional snow -- YAY!!  I guess the Maumee OH area got some nasty weather after we left yesterday.  Hopefully the trip home tomorrow will be uneventful.

We saw the Oncologist today following the port access and blood draw.  The CEA is good - still under 5 and Arnie feels really good.  He actually has felt better since the last treatment than he has felt at any time since treatments began.  We will be having scans in 4 weeks.  They will be doing just the PET scan and not the CT scan because the results we want to see are shown by the PET so there is no need to do both.

We discussed some of our thoughts and questions with Dr. Neelam and she was very receptive and willing to talk to us.  She assured us that there still remains additional treatments beyond what we are doing now if the need arises.  She said that we can take a break from treatments even if the cancer is not completely gone, but shows stability as a result of a PET scan.  That would be a cancer that could be called  "chronic."  There are people who have cancer that is referred to as a chronic disease which needs to be closely monitored and treated if and when the cancer changes in any way.

Dr. Neelam was very up beat and encouraging.  The Naturapath recommended an additional supplement.  This one is for strengthening nails and hair. 

Our discussion with Dr. Neelam today demonstrates to me the kind of hope that is so prevalent here.  They show a real concern for the patient and their family.  That attitude is one of the reasons we feel this is where we are to be.  God definitely led us here for treatment, and also so that He can use us to encourage others.

We talked to a woman in the dining room today whose husband is going through a similar kind of cancer as Arnie and he had the opportunity to talk with her.  She expressed an appreciation for Arnie's comments.  It always amazes me to realize that we are here for a reason and that God puts people in our path for a reason.

Please keep us in your prayers and leave a comment or email me.  I need to hear from you.  I have my good days and my not - so - good days.  Reading comments and emails helps!

Thank you so much for your prayers and concerns for us!

Good news!!

I guess we left Maumee just in time - to avoid the beginning of the latest snowfall.  Here in Zion there was no additional snow even though their piles of snow are still around. 

When we left the hotel to come to the hospital this morning, the sun was shining and it wasn't so cold that you froze to death just stepping outside.  We got here, signed in and immediately went to the second floor where they do the port access and blood draw.  We were not scheduled to see the doctor today so normally the blood work they do is not as complete as it is when we see her.  We knew, however, that they would be testing for CEA today because, depending on that reading, we might be making some adjustments to the treatments. 

We got the results just before chemo.  Two weeks ago, the CEA reading had jumped to 5 from the previous reading of  3.4.  Today's reading was 4.3.  Praise God!!  We were told that if that reading was higher today, we would have to begin taking an additional medication which has it's own set of special unpleasant side effects. 

There are so many lessons to be learned through this journey.  We go to God with our problems -- we pray and then we tend to take those problems back and worry about them instead of leaving it with Him.  That is the human part of us.  He is there for us - He makes that promise to us.  What we should be doing is putting it in His hands and not continuing to worry about it.  

Outside the cafeteria here is a white board with a map of the USA on it.  There are markers available for people to write comments.  We usually check it out and sometimes put our name on the state of Ohio.  Today we saw a reference to Jeremiah 29:11   AGAIN!!  That scripture reference has appeared to us previously when things have not been going that great!!  God keeps reminding us that He is in control... he knows the plan and we need to have faith that His plan is best for us. 

Please keep the comments and emails coming -- I love hearing from you -- and keep us in your prayers!!

"...for when I am weak, than am I strong."

We had an ice/snow storm yesterday. Makes for great photos, but kind of a pain to travel in and when you have to blow the snow and shovel the ice off the driveway and walks.  Pretty, but looking forward to Springtime!!

Just wanted to say a few words about our recent "set-back".   We have spent much time in discussions about the recent test results and the plans for future treatments, whether we change medications or dosages or whatever.  We have questions that we will present to the Oncologist and we are ready for any changes that she may prescribe.

We have asked ourselves whether we are guilty of not having enough faith or whether we have failed God.  Maybe we have not specifically asked for what we want.  We could go on and on beating ourselves up regarding our shortcomings, but what good would that really do?  God knows we are not perfect and He wants us to come to Him for our strength and courage as we travel through this journey and all He has for us to do.   Maybe we have to travel through some rough times so we can learn to depend more on our Heavenly Father.  The scripture tells us that "...My grace is sufficient for thee; for my strength is made perfect in weakness".

I believe we have lessons to learn all through our lives and that God is right there with us to guide and protect us and pick us up when we fall.  We are so thankful for what we have and how He has heard and answered prayer for us. God is in control!

Please continue to remember us in your prayers...that is the best thing any of us can do for each other.

A Bend in the Road

It is snowing again but this time as we look at the snow, we are in Zion Illinois.  Their piles of snow are bigger than ours at home!  It is cold - temperature was 14 degrees when we drove here this morning. 

We received some news today that we really didn't want to hear... the CEA is up to 5.  Even though the blood work showed that elevated CEA reading, physically, Arnie feels good...told me that he feels better today than he has felt the last couple of times we were here.  Dr. Neelam said she wants to look at the CEA in 2 weeks and if it is elevated more, she is going to make some changes to the chemo treatment. 

As I stated before it would be easy to be angry or bitter towards God when things don't go as we think they should.  He never promised that this would be a smooth or even an easy undertaking, but with His grace, we will persevere.  God is in control.  We look at this as a bend in the road and God is still there for us - all we have to do is continue to trust Him.

Please continue to keep us in your prayers. 

A new wrinkle

Well, here we are again in scenic Zion, Illinois at CTCA getting a chemo treatment.  We didn't have to see anyone this time...we are here just for the treatment.  In 2 weeks, we will see Dr. Neelam after having complete blood work which will give us an idea of where we are with this cancer, although we won't know for sure until we get scans again.  We will at least get a CEA which we pray will indicate continued progress in our fight.

We have a new situation requiring our attention.  I have to have surgery on my lower back March 15th.  The procedure I will be having is known as "lumbar decompressive laminectomy and fusion with spinal instrumentation" for the purpose of removing bone, compression of nerves, and stabilize spine. 

I have been having problems with my back for probably about a year and have been putting off having anything done about it.  The symptoms have escalated to where I had no choice but to go to my family doctor who ordered an MRI.  The results of the MRI caused my doctor to send me to a Neurologist/ Neurosurgeon for further evaluation and treatment.   I was hoping to avoid surgery but I really have no choice at this point.

Please keep both of us in your prayers!  As I have mentioned before, I always love receiving comments and emails from you so please keep them coming our way!!

Thank you all so much for your prayers and concerns for us! 

Latest Test Results

Well we now have the results of the latest set of scans.  The news isn't exactly what we wanted but it's God's will and we must continue to have faith that His way is the best way. 

One rib showed a slight increase of indicator on the PET scan, going to 5.0 from 3.1.  That was the only remarkable result on either the PET or the CT scan.  All the other ribs and vertebrae are clear as well as the lungs. 

The scar tissue that formed at the site of the original surgery in the colon is almost completely gone.  This is a site where the cancer would be likely to return so having it cleared up is a good thing.

The CEA has dropped again and is now 3.0 which is considered normal.

The Oncologist's remarks indicate that overall this is a positive report.  Being conservative, she wants to do another 4 to 6 treatments of chemo. 

Even though this isn't exactly what we had hoped for it shows definite progress in our fight against this cancer.  The positive attitude shown by Dr. Neelam is encouraging to me.  God must have other plans for us at this time.  We wanted to be able to leave here today, having completed all the chemo treatments for now, and not to return here for 3 months, but obviously that is not what we are to do. 

It would be easy to become angry and resentful because "God did not answer my prayer," but I honestly do not believe that.  God just didn't grant us exactly what we wanted right now.  He still provides for our needs.  We are still able to come to CTCA for the treatments which is where we feel God led us. 

Everyone here is so loving and gracious and we know we need to be here at this time.  Each time we come here, we talk and visit with other patients - some we had met before and others we meet for the first time.  Perhaps there is someone we still need to meet or who needs to meet us.   We never know what impact what we say or do will have on someone else.  God uses us in many ways to do His will and I am sure He has a purpose for Arnie's and my life. 

Please continue to remember us in your prayers.  God is answering prayer and we need each of you to keep praying for us!  Please also keep in touch with us.  I appreciate your emails and comments.

...hope and a future

This will be very short today, but hopefully you will find it to convey a meaningful message.  This verse has been the inspiration and comfort to Arnie and me through this cancer journey.  A few blog posts ago, I wrote about this verse and how and why it has become so important to us. 

We will be traveling to Cancer Treatment Centers of America in Zion Illinois later today. Tomorrow we will be having scans and the next day, we will see the Oncologist for results.  Our hope and prayer is that those scans will show no evidence of cancer.  The treatments have shown a consistent decrease in the presence of cancer as shown by PET scan and CT scan results and the lowering of the CEA with every blood test.  Also Arnie's weekly blood work that we get done here in Toledo is always well within the normal range. 

Please continue to remember us in your prayers.  Part of me is very excited and positive about this trip and part of me is apprehensive and negative.  Satan loves to throw that doubt and unrest in our paths and I feel he is doing just that.  God has answered prayer and has taken care of us and we believe He will continue.  We need to pray for strength and courage, whatever the news is.  I know that He is in control of our lives. 

Thank you all so much for being there for us!