The verdict is in...

This week was somewhat of a roller coaster.  Cooper had a cold, Abby played in the district golf tournament, and Tim spent three days at MD for doctors’ appointments.  We left at 4:30 Monday morning to get to the medical center for blood work, an MRI, and an appointment with his rectal surgeon. When we finally headed home we were both a little thrown off  his surgeon recommended consulting with his oncologist and a radiation oncologist about going on preoperative radiation and chemo to see how his body responded.  If he did well - meaning the cancer in the lungs didn’t grow and nothing returned in the liver - then he would be a candidate for surgery to remove the rectal tumor.  However, he was very upfront that it would be a major surgery that might alter his everyday functions.  We didn’t know what to think and decided to pray and wait.

We didn’t have to wait long. When he saw his medical oncologist on Thursday, he learned that all of the doctors had consulted and decided at this time going off of the chemo he is on right now is too great a risk for growth in the lungs and regrowth in the liver.  So the verdict is .... he continues on chemo every other week. They will be adding back in another drug next week now that his liver incision has completely healed. Praise the Lord! For now they seem to have found a combination of anticipatory drugs that are keeping the side effects well under controlled.  The biggest thing he seems to deal with is that he gets tired really easy. But we are blessed that he is able to be home and rest as he needs to.

For now we pray that his body can tolerate chemo for the long term and adjust to our new normal. We are blessed and thankful for an amazing support system and the many people who are praying with us.