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!