Looking Ahead

"The Plan"

During the past two months Mike has had a lot of time to rest and reflect.  Yesterday Mike had the energy and desire to head back to his office and put some of these reflections into action.  As a church planter, Mike is used to planning vision, direction and schedules for the months ahead.  Mike's diagnosis put an abrupt end to all of our schedules as he could no longer guarantee that he would be well enough to carry out "the plan".

It has been a good exercise for our family to throw away "the plan" and live in the moment.  We've had a good break from the responsibility of leading the church; however, Mike is getting restless and is ready to dive back in.  He headed into his office and within a couple of hours had spreadsheets and calenders scattered around his desk. He got on the phone and started bouncing ideas off of our volunteers and by lunch time he had come up with a flexible plan for the summer and fall. I didn't realize how much I had missed  hearing Mike buzz around his office. Optimistic and in faith, we are ready to tackle cycle 4 of chemo and hopefully be back to normal life in approximately one month.

 Daddy's Cheerleaders

Today we had a check up with our oncologist.  I was emphatic that I did not want to miss the appointment, so we decided to attempt the appointment with three kids in tow.  We squeezed our mini van into the only parking spot left and unloaded our troop of boys along with snacks and a bag of entertainment because you just never know how long the wait will be.  I was glad that I had conceded and allowed Mike to throw in the portable DVD player because the clinic was backed up and the wait was long.  Good old Thomas the tank engine got us through the wait in the small waiting room.  Even though it was work to bring the kids I'm glad they came.  They got to see where Daddy has been coming to get his medicine,  and they proudly took on the role of  helping daddy be brave.  "Daddy we are going to cheer you on", " Daddy you are so brave"  echoed down the hallway as we got shuffled from one clinic to the next, one waiting room to an even smaller exam room.  The children's chatter, observations and smiles brought light and joy to an otherwise dismal place.  Many patients and family members enjoyed getting smiles from the kids and recalling stories of their own families when their children were small.   I really like our doctor and I was glad that he was able to meet the whole family that he has been helping, not just another chart number. 

                                   

 The News

After over an hour of waiting, we finally met with Dr. Oja.  Since the nurse had already told us last week that Mike's tumor markers were down,  we didn't really receive any new news, just more explanations of what the numbers represent and what lies ahead.

All of the major tumor markers are down to normal. However the one, non-specific blood marker, (LD) is still slightly elevated.  When we started treatment Mike's LD was abnormally elevated.  The normal range for this blood marker is below 220. Mike's LD started at  600 and has come down to 238.  The doctor explained that this marker has a longer half life so it can linger in the blood for a longer time. He expects that after this next round of chemo it will be back to normal.  Mike goes for a full panel of blood tests on Sunday and then starts his next round of chemo on Monday.  The doctor said that the treatment is yielding the results that they expect to see. He said Mike is moving into the phase of treatment called : "cured with surveillance".  What that means, is that they view the cancer as cured and they will continue to monitor him closely with blood tests and CT scans at regular intervals (probably every 3 months initially).  Mike will go for a CT scan near the end of July to monitor the mass in his lymph node.  Dr Oja wasn't anticipating the need for surgery on this mass, but we won't know until the scan is complete.   His advice was to get back to normal life, accept that you are cured, and in the rare event that the cancer re-surfaces they will catch it early and treat it again.    My heart leaped when I heard the term "cured" - Great News!  

Looking Ahead.....

Believing that Mike is in fact cured, still requires faith. Once you've fought cancer you know that it may come back, and at some point we may have to do this all over again.  But for now, we couldn't have asked for better news and we  rejoice in that.  Throughout this up and down journey Mike has always hugged me firmly, looked me in the eye, and told me with assurance: "God will take care of us" - He has.

I asked Mike how he felt about finishing chemo and looking ahead to our normal life of work and family.  In one sense he will be relieved to leave the discomforts of chemo behind. In another sense, he will miss all the familiar faces and comradeship at the cancer clinic.  We are so thankful that the outcome of Mike's treatment is positive, but we don't  want to lose the understanding we have gained from our suffering, the empathy we have for those facing illness, and the urgency to make the most of every moment.  I think that the regular follow up tests will remind us that our life is not our own, but is a gift from God.

 

 For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, 

“plans to prosper you and not to harm you, 

plans to give you hope and a future. 

Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, 

and I will listen to you. 

You will seek me and find me 

when you seek me with all your heart.

Jeremiah 29:11-13

 

Looking ahead to the next step we trust that whatever God has planned for us, his plan will be good!