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
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.
