Author: bonniej71

Mike had his latest PET scan last week and we got the results today. The day got off to a rocky start as we discovered, at the hospital doors, I would not be allowed to attend Mike’s appointment or infusion with him. It was a surprise because I had been allowed in previously in the midst of this pandemic. So, we said our good-byes and I headed out to the parking lot.

Mike’s oncologist allowed him to call me and via speakerphone we discussed the scan. We heard the words “No Evidence of Disease in Mike’s liver”! The 2 tumors are gone – nothing at all showing up on the scans! Thank you, Jesus! We then heard that all the cancerous lymph nodes are 50% smaller than they were in January (and they were smaller then than they had been in July)! And, the primary tumor has shrunk some more! Praise God!

The oncologist went on to share that the spot on Mike’s esophagus the doctors had been keeping an eye on has become more metabolically active. In the oncologist’s mind, it is definitely cancer. This, however, did not surprise him. He said that Mike had had to have a systemic chemo treatment because his cancer had spread to other places in his body. Systemic chemo does not completely kill cancer at its primary origin. Initial tumors are radiated – which is what he believes is next for Mike. Since the spot has increased and Mike has developed a scratchy throat, the oncologist believes the radiation doctor will be motivated to start.

I think the best part for us came when the oncologist said that Mike is not the typical esophageal cancer patient. He said most EC patients take several meds just to help their livers and that most EC patients do not respond as well as Mike has. He is extremely pleased with the progress so far. These were such encouraging words to hear.

As I listened to those words, I was reminded of a conversation I had several week ago with a wise friend of mine. He had encouraged me to look for God’s yeses in ways I had not been. He pointed out to me that even though Mike was not cancer-free, he is definitely thriving and doing well. Though the journey is lasting longer than I had prayed (and hoped), Mike is getting better! The delay is not evidence that God is not listening, it is evidence that He is up to something I can’t see.

In John 11, we read the story of Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead. Jesus is friends with Lazarus and his sisters, Mary and Martha. In fact when the sisters send word to Jesus of Lazarus’ illness, their message is “Lord, your very dear friend is sick” (John 11:3). We would expect that Jesus would hop right up and head to over to heal Lazarus. Instead, Jesus stays where He is for 2 more days. He waits. When He is ready to go, the disciples are hesitant because of the danger they may encounter. Jesus stresses the importance of going by telling them that Lazarus had died and He added, “And for your sakes, I’m glad I wasn’t there, for now you will really believe.” A pastor I heard recently pointed out that the disciples’ faith would have increased if Jesus had gone immediately and healed Lazarus. But, by waiting until the situation was even darker – even more challenging – their faith would be strengthened so much more. Jesus had delayed, not because He was not going to intervene. He delayed in order to grow the faith of his disciples. A faith they would need to sustain them through what was to come in their futures.

I can see the connection to our journey. God could have taken care of the cancer right away. And, let’s face it, that would have been amazing! But, as much as it pains me to say it, the situations that most define us in our lives are typically not the ones that resolve quickly and easily. They are the ones that stretch us – that keep us up at night – that require discipline and dedication to overcome. And, so it is with faith. Our faith grows when it is stretched – when we face days with no answers and nights full of doubts. As James tells us, “For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. So, let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing” (James 1:2 & 3).

And, so we continue in this marathon battle with cancer, strengthened by the evidence that God is working — both in Mike’s body and in our faith.

If you would like to pray for Mike, he is having an endoscopic ultrasound and biopsy of his esophagus (the date for this is still to be determined) and is meeting with the radiation doctor on April 23. The plan right now is for him to have the final dose of the chemo is currently taking on May 4. We continue to pray for a clean PET scan and to hear the words “NO Evidence of Disease anywhere in Mike’s body.”

Mike had his fourth treatment on this past Monday and all went well. He has regained almost all of the weight he lost at the beginning of this and is generally feeling well. The plan is to do a PET scan on April 10 and a meeting with the oncologist on April 13 to discuss next steps.

Sorry I am late posting. The past week has been busy! Mike had his 3rd round of chemo on March 2. It went well and he had no big side effects! The oncologist surprised and changed the plan. Originally, the plan was to do 6 rounds of this treatment and then scan to see how he responded. They have changed that and Mike will receive one more treatment on the 23rd and then the scan will occur! We are taking this as a good sign. Please continue to pray that the scan will show zero cancer.

Mike heads for his second round of the new chemo on Monday. He is fully recovered from the infection that had him hospitalized. Unfortunately, the side effect Mike most dreaded has occurred…. he has lost his hair. He broke down and shaved his head last week because the hair was coming out in clumps. Even though his beard hair is thinning, he refuses to touch it and is hoping to hold on to it as long as possible! 🙂

Please pray that this round of chemo goes more smoothly than the last and that there will be zero cancer cells left when this treatment is over.

Mike came home today!! Thank You, Jesus! The medicine yesterday drastically increased his white blood cell count. He is now well within the normal range. He is still very weak and will be on meds for two more weeks. But, he is healthy enough to recuperate at home! 😊

Thank you for your prayers! Please pray for continued healing.

Mike’s white blood cell count is a little higher. Today they gave him a shot to help it increase more. His spirits seem much better today. 🙂

Mike started running a fever Saturday. We are at the cancer center now. Since his white blood cell count is extremely low, they are going to admit him to the hospital. That way they can monitor him and give him IV antibiotics. Please pray he responds well and doesn’t have to stay in the hospital for long.

Mike started his new chemotherapy program on Monday (1/20). On Wednesday, he started feeling “yucky”. By Friday, he had a sore throat and muscle and joint pain so bad he was shaking. We ended up at the cancer center where they ran lots of tests. In the end, everything came back normal; but, Mike was put on an antibiotic as a precaution. Tonight, he spiked a fairly high fever. The doctor on call is not too worried since Mike just had lots of tests done – but wants us to keep a close eye on Mike’s symptoms.

Please pray that the fever will break quickly and that Mike will not have any other symptoms.

We met with both of Mike’s oncologists today. Neither one was overly concerned that he is not a radiation candidate at this time. They want to give Mike 2 more weeks for his hands and feet to heal some more. On January 20, he will start a new chemo regimen. This time he will only have one medication. The side effects are not supposed to be as bad as the last time. Yay!! Mike is hopeful he will keep his hair again. 🙂 At some point, there will be a PET scan and, most likely, another biopsy.

Thank you for your continued prayer. #ZeroforMike

This holiday season has been quite a time of emotions for us. Mike had his PET scan on December 6 and it showed some improvement and some stability. The spots on his liver are gone! One spot on his esophagus improved while one stayed the same. His lymph nodes were slightly larger but the doctors are attributing that change to inflammation. We were slightly discouraged as we were praying for the cancer to be gone. The oncologists, on the other hand, were pleased and referred Mike to radiology. That visit turned out to be interesting.

The radiologist was clearly opposed to radiation at the beginning of the visit. The more she talked with Mike, the more she second-guessed her decision. She was worried about the toxicity level of radiating the remaining sites but was amazed at how well Mike is doing. Based on his scans, she did not expect to hear that he is able to eat or that he has gained back almost all the weight he lost at the beginning of this. She also commented several times on how healthy he looks. At the end of the session, she decided to consult with our oncologist and told us she would be in touch in 1 – 2 weeks.

Two days later she called to let us know someone from her team would be scheduling a follow-up appointment and that we should get in touch with our oncologist. At this point, Mike sees the oncologist on Jan. 6 to discuss the next chemo treatment he will undergo and he returns to the radiologist in March. We will know more on the 6th but it appears that they need to kill more of the cancer before radiation will be safe. While it is not bad news, it certainly feels like a setback.

In all honesty, after the overwhelmingly positive results in October, I was prepared to hear the cancer was all but gone. I was prepared for radiation and for the end of this ordeal to be getting closer. I was not prepared for the results we got. The oncologist said this is what happens — the impact of chemo eventually levels off. But, to me, it was another “no” to the prayers I have been praying. I would like to say I was not shaken by it; but, the fact that it has taken me so long to update this blog reveals the truth — I was.

I shook my hands at the sky and asked why. My prayers went back and forth between frustration and trust. And, some days, I was silent. The reality is there are times that the pain is so great that words just won’t come. It seems futile to continue to ask for the same thing over and over again when you keep hitting a wall. And, expressing trust in God’s plan is daunting when the plan includes so much pain.

In Matthew, the story of Jesus’ encounter with a centurion is recorded. The centurion’s servant is paralyzed and “suffering terribly” (Matt. 8: 6). As the centurion tells Jesus about the situation he says, “Just say the word, and my servant will be healed” (Matt. 8:8). After talking about the man’s faith, Jesus responds, “Go! Let it be done just as you believed it would” (Matt. 8:13). Just like that – the servant is healed. In Jeremiah, the Lord says of Himself, “I am the Lord, the God of all mankind. Is there anything too hard for me?” (Jer. 32:27) Throughout the passage, it is clear that the answer to this rhetorical question is “no”. All power on Heaven and Earth resides in the hands of our God.

The challenging part of faith is recognizing that God is capable of changing our circumstance with a word and trusting His heart when He does not. We have seen glimpses of God’s heart these past few weeks. An unsigned card with Giant gift cards showed up on my desk. Later the same week, an unsigned card with cash showed up in my mailbox at work. My students’ families know Mike has been sick but do not know he has cancer. They got together and gave us gift cards for Christmas. I have been reunited with family who have sent us words of blessing and financial gifts as well. Signs of the heart of God – reminders that He is walking with us – reminders “that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him” (Romans 8:28).

So, while Mike’s treatment is heading in a way different from what we prayed – while we are learning how to trust as we wait – we know that we are not alone. Your love and your prayers have sustained us and have shown God’s heart to us. We are blessed because of you and thank God continually for you.

Please join us in prayer for ZERO – zero side effects from this next chemo treatment and zero spots lighting up on the next PET scan.