Plans Changed, a.k.a. Really Good News!
The plans were changed again yesterday, but it’s great news for the first time in a while!! Bottom line, Mike’s getting discharged from this stay today!!
Chemotherapy vs. Radiation
Because our archives were lost due to the PostHope site going defunct, you might night remember Mike’s original diagnosis. To avoid too much unnecessary technical information, let me just bottom line it for you . . . There are two major types of testicular cancer. One type is a mixed germ cell with lots of different types of cells and one time is what’s described in medical terms as pure, meaning it’s just one type of cell. Mike has the pure type. This is important because Mike’s type generally responds to chemotherapy alone, without the need for additional treatment by radiation or surgery.
So, this weekend a urology oncologist just happened to be on hospital rotation (we know Who is behind that!). Dr. Harrison actually trained Mike’s current medical oncologist at Duke. He explained that it doesn’t make very much sense to treat Mike’s spine alone with radiation, when the chemotherapy will likely target all the cancer in his body due to the specific type of cancer he has. So, he suggested we just go ahead and start his chemotherapy now, while he’s inpatient. He got his first dose yesterday!!
And, he gets to be discharged today. It seemed to go well with no major reactions, and so far no nausea. He will return on October 21st to receive his second dose for this cycle outpatient. Radiation is still an option later, should he need it to clean up anything leftover in his spine, but this doctor is pretty hopeful that the preparatory chemo, followed by the High Dose Chemotherapy/Stem Cell Transplant (HDCT/ST) will wipe out what’s remaining, including the mets to his spine.
Praise the Lord With Us!
We’re thankful for a win, finally! We’re grateful for the team at Duke who are all obviously talking with one another and working together to find the best possible treatment for Mike with the most successful possible outcome. Every doctor, PA, or nurse that comes in the room knows his case history, has read all the other physician’s and nurse’s notes, and have talked with one another before they walk in the room. This is a far cry from the experience we had at our choice for the first second opinion, you know, the one that has the initials “CC.”
Rejoice with us, won’t you? When you go to church today, give a praise update to your church families. And please continue to pray with us! Since we are doing chemo again, we specifically ask that you pray for no gut inflammation and an excellent response to the medications with no lasting damage to any organs or major body systems. Pray that the literal poison they are putting into his veins kills the bad cells and that the good cells are protected from harm.
I also what to thank those of you who reached out to me letting me know you were praying for me, personally. My faith has been shaken through this trial like never before, and if it weren’t for so many of you filling the empty spaces with intercessory prayers on my behalf, I don’t know where I’d be emotionally or spiritually. Thank you isn’t strong enough gratitude, but it’s the only words we have in the English language. The Lord brought me to 1 Corinthians chapters 1-2 this week and reminded me that his strength is made perfect in my weakness. I promise to continue to be openly weak to our dear prayer partners who read these updates, and I pray that through my desperate weaknesses, you see God’s strength and glory. Thanks so much for praying. For all of it.
