Last update for 2009

Well another year has gone by and oh what a year it has been. Looking back over the year we are amazed at how the Lord has gone before us each and every day.

After feeling so bad during the month of December '08, we found out the first week of January I had a brain tumor. That meant surgery and so on January 27th I had surgery to remove the tumor. The doctor told me the morning of surgery I probably had about 4 to 6 weeks to live if we didn't get it removed right away. I was shocked to hear him say that because no one else had given me this kind of news. The surgery was successful and I was out of the hospital in a record 2 days. He was amazed I was doing so well. I know it was the prayers of my family and friends that boosted my recovery.

After recovering from surgery during the month of February I started Radiation in March. I had 14 treatments to my head (brain).

Also we lost our granddaughter Isabel Anne in February do to some complications. She was only 11 months old. We miss her more than words can tell.

Once I was through with the radiation I was on to chemotherapy starting in April and I have been doing chemo ever since. Pretty much chemo happens every other week.

I was able to take 3 weeks off for Christmas and News Years. I will be back to MSTI Nampa on January 5th to start again. I also will start some radiation on a tumor under my right posterior shoulder blade on January 11th. We will be doing somewhere between 12 and 15 treatments. The treatments are every day with the weekends off.

I am very happy to still be alive and having made it through 2009. I pretty much have to take one day at a time. I am so thankful for those of you who have prayed me through this past year.

It means all the world to Linda and I that you all have stood by us this past year.

I look forward to the coming year and hope and pray I can still maintain my health for another year.

I wish all of you a very Happy New Year! I pray each day you will be brought closer to our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. He alone is worthy of all our praise.

Please continue to lift Linda and I up in prayer as we enter a new year.

God bless you and we love each and everyone of you.

Doug

PET/CT Scan results-December 15th,2009

The results from the scan are overall very good. Dr Fiorentino is very pleased with the results and stated we are in uncharted waters as someone with Stage IV metastasis colon/rectal cancer does not continue to do this well or live 5+ with the disease. Praise God as He goes before us!

The nodule in the left upper lung is larger in size, but no increase in activity. The module in the left lower lung is smaller and a decrease in activity. PTL!

The nodule in the lymph node behind the ear has remained the same size, but there is a decrease in activity. PTL!

There is no evidence of new activity in the neck, chest, abdomen, or pelvis. PTL!

There is a slight increase in activity within the posterior right 6th rib. I have been experiencing pain in this area and we decided to consult with Dr. Smith, the Radiation Oncologist to develop a treatment plan to radiate this area to freeze/stop the cancer growth. I meet with him tomorrow, Wednesday, December 16, 2009. These treatments won't begin until January 2010. Also, my next chemo appointment is not until January 5. 2010, so I get a little break!

We are so thankful for each and every one of you who has joined with us in prayer before our Lord Jesus Christ.

We continue to praise the Lord for you and your faithfulness and how He continues to go before us.

Blessings to you,
Doug

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Update for December 12th

Its snowing out right now so it's a good time to sit down and update the blog.

I had a PET/CT scan done at the hospital yesterday. Everything went as planned. I was at the hospital at 8:00 a.m. and was done about 10:00 a.m. Linda took a vacation day from work and we spent the rest of the day running around doing some errands and shopping.

We will get the results next Tuesday, December 15th when I see the doctor. I will update the blog with the results as soon as I can.

I hope everyone is approaching the Christmas season with wonder at how the baby Jesus was born into this world and became a man. He came to die for us, to remove the curse of sin. Oh worship the birthday of the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. Remember the reason for this season. It is the birthday of Jesus.

I am humbled to know that Jesus did it all for me and you.

Update Dec 1

Hello Everyone,

It's time for an update. I hope that everyone had wonderful Thanksgiving. We went to my cousins house for the meal and games. There were 56 of us there. We had a wonderful time with all my relatives. These are the kinds of memories that we need to be making.

Linda and I also volunteered at the Festival of Trees. We helped with the Santa Claus booth. HP sponsored the volunteers and all the printers, paper, and cartridges to print the photos of kids sitting on Santa's lap. This is the second year we have done this and it is also a lot of fun.

Friday, Linda and I headed to the cabin for a few days. We came back on Monday afternoon. Tuesday was Chemo day and I was able to receive treatment. My blood count was at 3500 or 3.5 which ever way you want to label them. I have a PET/CT Scan scheduled for Friday Dec. 11th.
We should be able to see what's going on with the cancer when we get the results back on the 14th.

Well, Christmas is really gearing up and I hope you are ready for the coming birthday of our Lord. I haven't even got my lights up yet. Oh well they will get done in time.

God Bless all of you for praying for Linda and I. Keep up the prayers because I know they are working.

Maranatha,

God Bless

Hello Everyone,

Not much to update you on right now. I was able to get my treatment this week. My blood counts were at 4.2 or 4200 and that is high enough to get the chemo junk.

The biggest news this week is that Linda brought home a 2 1/2 year old black lab. She thought that I needed some company and something to do while I wasn't working. She is a good dog with lots of energy. She loves to ride in the car or pickup. Here are some pictures I took.

Well that's about all for now. I hope everyone will have a wonderful Thanksgiving with lots of family, food, and fun. Keep up those wonderful prayers for Linda and I. There are many days where it is easy to get down. Thank you all for praying.

God Bless

Hello everyone,

Linda and I are at the cabin in Cascade sitting in front of a nice big roaring fire. The sun is shining but it is still not above 40 degrees outside. We were hoping to get our chimney cleaned while we were here but for different reasons that didn't happen (yet). We will be coming home on Wednesday night because I have a vitamin C IV on Thursday afternoon, and Linda has some other obligations on Thursday. It's always nice to get out of the valley for a few days, it refreshes the spirit. Since Linda can work from up here it makes it really nice to come during the week.

I hope everyone is doing well. Thanksgiving is just around the corner. I hope you will take some time to reflect on things as well as counting your many thanksgivings (blessings). God is so good, He is my rock and I thank Him for the many blessings in my life (this includes all of you who are continuing to pray for Linda and I). We love you all.

God Bless

Time to Update the blog

Hi all,
I was able to receive chemo treatment yesterday. My blood counts were plenty high enough which was great news. Nothing much to report there, everything went as planned. It does take most of the day which means just sitting around waiting to get done. I have found that its just to hard to read a book with all the noise and things going on around you. I pretty much have resorted to doing word puzzles, this seems to make the time pass a little faster.

I will try and get in for a vitamin C IV next week at Optimal Health Medical Institute in Boise. I am still doing several other alternative things to help out also.

I guess that's about it for now. God bless all of you who are continuing to pray for Linda and I.
I know with out these prayers going up things would not be going as good as they are.

Thank You Again

The One True God of Creation

"The Christian faith is, thus not merely one religion among many. It is the true revelation of the one true God of creation, the record of His provision of forgiveness and salvation. All human religions betray their humanistic origin by their humanly attainable standards, whereas God's way of salvation is by His grace, received only by faith. "Not by works of righteousness which we have done. bu according to his mercy he saved us....That being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life".

The Bible, the true Word of God, gives the only account of the creation of the universe. then reports the only resurrection from the dead, and finally uniquely reveals God's grace in providing salvation by faith apart form works, recognizing the impossibility of attaining God's perfect standard by human effort. The Lord Jesus Christ, our creator and Redeemer, gives eternal life to all who trust their souls to Him."

Henry Morris, The God Who is Real, pgs. 100-101

Oct 29th update

Time for an update. This is my off week from chemo so not much going on this week. I am having some issues with the area around the wisdom tooth that I had pulled several weeks ago. I will see the dentist on Saturday morning about that.

My over all mental outlook has been some what of a roller coaster ride lately. Up one day and down another day, but I know that the Lord is with me all the way. I know how important it is to keep a good positive attitude.

I am pretty much staying out of the public so as not to catch the flu. I know that it has hit pretty hard around here. I hope to avoid it if I can, but that means hanging around the house most of the time. I hope that you are all staying healthy, it seems that things are starting much earlier this year.

Well that's about it for now. God bless all of you who have been praying for Linda and I and please don't stop. It is so important to have people surround you in prayer and I really appreciate all of you hold Linda and I up daily.

"Therefore, since we have been made right in God's sight by faith, we have peace with God because of what Jesus Christ our Lord has done for Us. Because of our faith, Christ has brought us into this place of undeserved privilege where we now stand, and we confidently and joyfully look forward to sharing God's glory." Romans 5:1,2

New Update 10/21

Well another Chemo treatment is over. Yesterday I went in at 8:30 and got done about 2:30. I did not see the doctor yesterday because he was home sick. Everything went pretty well, its just so hard to set there for so many hours. I pray that we are still on the right track in hitting these tumors. I know that it is in God's hands.

Please continue to pray for Linda and I we are believing that God has a miracle for us up ahead. We must keep on believing in our awesome Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

"And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God's love. Neither death nor life, neither angels no demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow-not even the power of hell can separate us from God's love. No power in the sky above or in the earth below-indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord." Romans 8:38-39

God Bless all of you prayer warriors

Update for October 12th

It's time to update the blog. This is my off week from chemo so there isn't much to update. I do have a Vitamin C IV on Thursday, but that is pretty much it for this week. I really look forward to these "off weeks"; they really help me in regaining some strength and mental stability. Chemo is so hard on the body.

I appreciate so much all of your prayers for Linda and I. Please don't stop praying because I know that God is working through them. God answers all our prayers (not always the way we want), but He does answer. He loves us so much that He can't take His eyes off of us.

1 John 4:9 "God showed how ;much He loved us by sending His one and only Son into the world so that we might have eternal life through Him. This is real love-not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins."

1 John 3:2 "........ He has not yet shown us what we will be like when Christ appears. But we do know that we will be like Him, for we will see Him as He really is."

God Bless and We Love You

Update for Oct 7th

I was able to receive my chemotherapy treatment on Tuesday. All my blood counts were up and OK to go ahead. We are talking about some changes in my treatments since I have been going to MSTI Nampa since March for radiation and chemo. I am growing weary of going every two weeks. We will probably wait until after my next PET/CT scan to make any changes. The doctor was talking about the end of October or the first of November for the scan. This treatment seemed a bit harder then the others. I came home and laid down for a while. Then I went to bed early. After a good nights sleep I felt much better. Thank you all for continuing to pray for my healing from this cancer.

I have a vitamin C IV scheduled for next Thursday.

Please continue to pray for Linda and I as we battle on.

I hope you are all surviving the cold that we are having.

God Bless

Update for Sept 29th

Linda and I came home from Cascade last night (got home at 7:00). It was so nice up there the mosquito's were gone and I only saw a few bees. Things are starting to cool down at night in Cascade but the days were beautiful.

I don't have much going on as far as treatments this week. This is my off week from treatments. I will try and get another vitamin C IV but that should be about it until next Tuesday (chemo day).

Thank you again for all your prayers as we continue on this path. Please continue to pray that the Chemo will do the trick and continue to shrink the tumors.

I HATE CANCER!

God Bless all of you,

Doug

Update for Sept 23rd

Well I was able to receive my chemo treatment yesterday. All my blood counts were up high enough. Getting treatments of these drugs is no fun, it takes all day and makes you feel tried and worn out. I am using several alternative methods to help with keeping my imune system and energy up.

Linda and I are headed to the cabin in Cascade tommorw afternoon and we will be back next Monday night.

I hope everything is going good for all of you. I appreiate all your prayers for Linda and I. Please continue to pray as we battle on.

God Bless

Doug

update for Sept 21st

I had an extra week off from chemo to get some dental work done. I am still having some pain in my jaw area from the tooth that we pulled. I can't say that it was a very fun week. I also went in for a vitamin C IV last Thursday. He used a small needle and it was going very slow. We changed to a larger needle and I was done within 20 minutes, however taking the vitamin C and B so fast made me a little sick.

I will be back on a chemo treatment schedule starting tomorrow (Tuesday). Please pray that my blood counts are up to normal and everything is a go for the treatment. It all starts around 8:30 and goes well into the afternoon, until about 3:00. I still come home with the fusion ball attached for a constant flow of the chemo drug 5FU for 48 hours. Then I go in 48 hours later to have the ball removed. He has droped my dose back 25% so I don't seem to get as much naseua as before.

Linda and I are also talking about going to the cabin this weekend so I am looking forward to that. It's always a great get away for us and now that the weather is starting to cool down it is very pleasant up in the mountains.

I hope everyone had a great summer and are well into the fall routine of work and school.

God is good.

Doug

Update for Sept 16th

Well I made it to the Dentist yesterday to have my lower left wisdom tooth pulled. I was there for an hour and a half. The Dentist had to break my tooth in half to get it out. I was in a lot of pain last night but am much better today. I needed to get this done this week so I can heal up before I start Chemo again next Tuesday. Going to the Dentist two days in a row is completely out of my comfort zone but it had to be done.

I will also have a vitamin C IV tomorrow at Optimal Health in Boise.

Thank you for all your prayers. Please continue to pray for Linda and I as we go forward.

God Bless

Doug

Update for Sept 15th

Here is a quick update on what's going on. I was given an extra week off of Chemo to take care of some dental work that needed to be done. I went to the dentist yesterday and had a tooth filled that had a pretty big hole in it. I have also been having some pain in the left side of my teeth and jaw. I still have my bottom wisdom teeth and the one on the left has a large cavity in it. We talked about pulling that tooth. However the Dentist wanted to talk to Dr Fiorentino (my Oncologist) first to see if he approved. Dr Fiorentino wanted me to first get a blood panel to see if my blood counts were high enough. So after the Dentist appointment I went to MSTI in Nampa to get my blood drawn. My blood counts were fine and Dr Fiorentino gave me the OK to go ahead with the Dentist. I am now waiting for a call back from the Dentist to get an appointment. I need to get this done this week since I have an extra week off from chemo. The Dentist is not my favorite place to go but it is what it is.

Please continue to pray for Linda and I as we continue this journey.

Thank You and God Bless

Doug

New Update

Linda and I will be headed home from the cabin today (Tuesday). We have been here since last Thursday night.

I celebrated my 53rd birthday on Sunday. We had a big pot luck with some of my family that were here camping out in Cascade. There were about 50 of us. I received many happy birthday wishes along with several cards. It was a great weekend. I am so thankful for my family who always continues to pray for Linda and I.

I think that after all I've been through this birthday was a real milestone. It was just several months ago that I wondered if I would make it to my birthday, but God is so good to keep me going.

I hope all of you had a great Labor Day weekend and are ready to head into fall.

God Bless

Doug

Test Results for PET/MRI

I just wanted to let you know about the great test results I got this week from the PET/MRI scans.

There are no new tumors to report.
The four tumors we are following have shrink considerable in size.
The MRI of my head came out without any new activity.

I was thinking that I may get a Chemo vacation but the Doctor thinks since we have the tumors backed up against the ropes that we should continue the treatments as long as I can handle it. He thinks this is the best way to maybe see a “total response” of the tumors to shrink even more.

All in all this was fantastic news and we are praising the Lord for His answers to prayer. I know that it is because of faithful saints like you and the prayers of all of you who are lifting us up in constant prayer.

Once again thank you so much for all your prayers on behalf of Linda and I.

God Bless

Doug

Recent Tests at St Lukes Hospital

Thank you all for praying me through my PET/CT and MRI yesterday. Everything went without a hitch. In fact the MRI department was not busy and I was able to go right into that test without any waiting time. We arrived at the hospital at 8:15 and left at 11:00. I will find out the results next Tuesday when I meet with the Dr's. Please continue to pray that these test results are favorable and I can take some time off from the chemo treatments.

I am going in today for another vitamin C IV. I will be getting 75 gr. of vitamin C and some vitamin B.

I hope you are all having a great summer.

God Bless

Doug

PS "I say to you that if two of you agree on earth concerning anything that they ask, it will be done for them by My Father in heaven." Matthew 19:19-20

Pictures from Cascade Idaho

Here are some pictures from our Cabin in Cascade Idaho.

Hello from Cascade Idaho

Linda and I have spent the last several days at our cabin in Cascade. It's great to get out of the Treasure Valley where the air is really clean and sky is an awesome blue. We will be coming home today (Monday) sometime. I have always loved the mountains and our cabin is a perfect get away. I have some pictures but will have to wait until we get home to post them.

I will be having a PET/CT, and MRI on Wednesday of this week. Please pray that the tests go off without a hitch. Please pray that we have good results. I started chemo in April and haven't had any tests since then so we need to see where things are at.

I will update you later this week on how the tests went.

Thank you all for continuing to pray for Linda and I. You guys are so awesome about lifting us up in prayer.

God bless

Doug

I Got My Chemo Treatment

I went in to the chemo suite today to see about receiving a treatment. To our amazement my blood counts were up in the normal range. My blood count was 600 last week and it was 3200 this week the cut off point for treatment is 1000. Praise the Lord that was a real answer to prayer. The Doctor also decided to reduce my chemo by 25%.

Thank you all for praying my blood counts up. Without all of you praying it wouldn't have happened.

So now next on the list will be a PET/CT Scan and an MRI on my head. Those appointments are set for next Wednesday, August 26th at St Lukes' in Meridian.

Please pray that all will go good with both scans.

Once again thank you all for praying that my blood counts would go up.

We look forward to good results from my scans next week.

God Bless

Doug

New update for August 11th

I went in for my chemo treatment this morning and found that my blood counts were still too low. Last week my count was 900 and this week it was 600. The level in which you can recieve treatment is 1000. So you can see that my blood counts went down even lower then last week. Everything wil have to be moved out another week. The PET/CT and MRI will now be the 26th of August instead of the 19th.

While I love having another week off of chemo I know that we must keep after the tumors. Please pray that my blood counts will come back up to a level that I can receive treatment.

I know that God has something is store for me this week. I can't wait to find out what it is?

God Bless you all for praying for Linda and I.

Doug

Time to Update the blog

Well it’s time to update the blog site. I will be going in tomorrow morning to see about receiving my chemo treatment. Last week my blood counts were too low. Please pray that my blood counts will be up to where I can take the treatment. I also have a date for the PET/CT scan and the MRI of my head. The date is August 19th. Then I will see the doctor the next week to go over the results. If everything is going in the right direction then I may be able to take a “treatment vacation”. Please pray that the test results will be favorable and that everything is going good.

A couple of weeks ago our Pastor read us this verse: “no one can say that Jesus is Lord except by the Holy Spirit” 1 Corinthians 12:3 Then he had us repeat it several times.
Jesus is Lord, Jesus is Lord, Jesus is Lord.
How neat is that? I thought it was really cool. Jesus is Lord and he is coming back soon.

New Update

Hello Everyone,

I went in to get my Chemo Treatment this morning and my blood counts were too low to receive treatment. We are pushing out one week. I will go back in next week (Tuesday) to see about getting treated. We also talked about the PET/CT and MRI to be done in the middle of the month. They are working on the schedule right now. The Dr. is hoping for good results so that I may have a "treatment holiday" as they call it. I am ready for some additional time off. Pray that the results are good and that the treatments are doing what we want them to do.

I love you all and hope that the summer is going good. I can't believe that school will be starting pretty soon.

Please continue to pray for Linda and I as we continue on this long journey. I have complete confidence that the Lord will heal me completely. Please continue to pray for a total healing of my body.

Have a great week

Love,

Doug

Don’t you realize that in a race everyone runs, but only one person gets the prize? So run to win!
1Corinthian 9:24

New update

Hello everyone,

Things are going good with me. I do have a bit of a sore throat that I hope that I can get rid of this week. Linda and I had a wonderful time at a family BBQ last weekend. It is so good to connect with family and friends that you know have been praying for you.

This is my off week from chemo so I expect to be feeling pretty good by the end of the week. Many of you have asked me just how long my chemo will go and at this point I can’t say. Dr. Fiorentino, my oncologist said we will go until I say, enough I can’t take anymore. I know we will be doing a MRI of my brain and a PET/CT scan of my body in August so we may be able to see where we are at. I know the tumor behind my left ear has gone down. It is less than a quarter the size it was when we started chemo. My hair has still not grown back, so I have to watch myself out in the sun.

God is so good! God is so gracious!

I thank Him for all your prayers.

Doug

PS There is a link to make comments at the bottom of the posting. I would love to hear from you if you feel lead to comment.

latest blog update

Here is the latest blog update: I hope everyone is beating the hot weather we are having; looks like the heat is going to stay around for a while. Linda and I went to the Hawks game last night and it was quite warm but we really enjoyed it.

I went for a Vitamin C IV last week and will be going in tomorrow morning for my Chemo Treatment. If my blood counts look good then I will take the treatment; otherwise we will push the treatment out a week. All in all things are going pretty good. I still fight the nausea and the tiredness, but I guess that is part of the side effects of the Chemo. We will be doing a PET/CT Scan sometime in August to see if we have made any progress.

Please continue to keep me in your prayers. I know that they are being answered daily. Linda and I are very grateful for family and friends that continue to lift us up in prayer.

Be gracious to me, O God, be gracious to me, For my soul takes refuge in You; And in the shadow of Your wings I will take refuge Until destruction passes by. Psalms 57:1

Update July 8 2009

Our time at the cabin was wonderful last week. Except for the mosquitoes. The weather was perfect and those of the family that made it up made it an exceptional time of fun and fellowship.
I can't wait to go back.

I went for treatment yesterday and my blood counts were OK to receive the treatment. We did talk some about the future. I will have a PET Scan in August to see where we are at. Except for some Nausea and tiredness I seem to be doing OK.

I continue to ask for your prays during this time. I know that pray can move mountains because I've seen it happen time and time again in my life. I continue to ask for a complete healing from cancer.

Thank you all again for keeping Linda and I in your prayers.

I ran across this verse this morning. I would like to share it with you.

Rev. 19:1 After these things I heard, as it were a loud voice of a great multitude in heaven, saying, Hallelujah! Salvation and glory and power belong to our God.

And to that I say AMEN

We Love You All

God Bless You

Vacation in Cascade

Hello Everyone,

This blog is coming to you from our cabin in Cascade. We drove up yesterday and will spend the rest of the week and the July 4th holiday here. Linda is taking some vacation time. The weather is beautiful not a cloud in the sky. We just love it up here. There is a little work to be done but we will try and squeeze in some rest and relaxation.

This is my week off from Chemo treatments so I hope to gain some energy back. My next treatment will be next week on Tuesday.
Once again I thank you all for your prayers during this time. Linda and I are so blessed to have so many people surrounding us in prayer. God is good and His will is our goal.

I hope each of you have a wonderful 4th of July holiday. We have a wonderful country and we need to thank God for it. Also remember those who are serveing our country and away from there families.

God Bless each and everyone of you.

Doug

PS Here are the verses from my devotions this morning.

"Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle,and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke fits perfectly, and the burden I give you is Light."
Matthew 11:29-30 NLT

June 24th Update

We have a praise today! Doug's blood counts were up and he was able to have his chemotherapy treatment. He is pretty tired tonight and trying to rest. The treatment went well. He was alone until his dad came to sit with him. I haven't been able to go the last two treatments and it is always nice to have someone keep Doug company. Well at least it makes me feel better and I know he likes it too. It can be a very long lonely day in the chemo suite even though it is bustling with nurses and doctors taking care of you.

Thank you once again for your prayers and support as Doug travels this path the Lord has before him. We know God is faithful and never leaves us or abandoned us.

May each of you have a wonderful week. We will hopefully be heading to our cabin in Cascade for the 4th of July. I have the week off for vacation and will enjoy being in the mountains.

Blessings to each one of you!

Linda

June 23rd

I hope everyone had a wonderful Father’s Day. We got together with family at the park to celebrate and it was great. The weather could have been nicer, but we still had fun.

I was able to get another Vitamin C IV last Thursday. My Chemo appointment is Wednesday this week. We will be checking blood counts to see if they are high enough to receive treatment.

Linda is off from work all next week so we are planning to go to the cabin for the 4th of July week. It should be a lot of fun and we are looking forward to spending time in the mountains.

I hope everyone is having a great summer so far.

Please continue to pray for Linda and me as we battle this cancer.

"Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name; you are Mine!
"When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; And through the rivers, they will not overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be scorched, Nor will the flame burn you.
"For I am the LORD your God, The Holy One of Israel, your Savior; Is 43:1-3

Update - June 10th

Hello fellow bloggers,

Even though my blood counts were borderline, I was able to receive my chemo treatment yesterday (Tuesday). Dr. Fiorentino decided I could go ahead with them this week and discussed if the counts don’t continue to stay high enough we may look at different schedules. One would be to stay every two weeks and reducing the drugs by 25%; the other schedule may be to push the treatments to every 3 weeks to get an extra week of rest. I will update you on the schedule we go with as time progresses. I am scheduled to see Dr. Fiorentino in two weeks and we will know more then.

Please pray that my blood counts are high enough to get treatments. The tumor behind my ear does seem to be going down. I asked the doctor if he thought that there was a chance that these tumors could be completely gone with these treatments and he said there was a chance.

I am still hoping and praying for a complete remission of any tumors in my body. I know God heals today using a variety of methods. Sometimes He chooses to heal instantly and sometimes He chooses to heal through medication, or sometimes He chooses to use Doctors. But He always wants to hear from us through our prayers.

I know each one of my surgeries I went through I recovered much quicker because of the prayers of loved ones. With my brain surgery I was out of the hospital in 48 hours, walking and eating good. The Doctor was pretty much shocked that I could be going home in that short of time. I know it was all because of the faithful prayers of everyone.

Thank you so much for continuing to pray for Linda, my family and myself during these times. I love you all.

God Bless You,

Doug

No Chemo this week

I went to get my Chemo yesterday and we found that my blood counts were too low to get the treatment. Last time my count was at 3.2 and this time it was at 2.3. Dr said it was much too low to get treatment, so we are going to push it out a week. We will go in next Tuesday to see if my blood count has come up. While I really love to have the extra week of rest I hope that we can still get after the cancer and not start to shrink back from treatments. Don't get me wrong, I absolutely hate going in for treatments. It is the necessary evil. I feel like I need to continue as long as the tumors seem to be shrinking.

Please pray that my blood counts will come up and I can continue these treatments. I place everything in God's hands and know that He is watching over me. Thank you all for your continual prayers for Linda and I.

"I will give you back your health and heal your wounds, days the Lord" Jeremiah 30:17 NLT

Blog Update- May 29th:

Our stay in Cascade was wonderful. We had a great time with some work and rest. Family came and went throughout the long weekend and we really enjoyed our time with them. We are blessed with a great family.

I had a Vitamin C/B IV on Wednesday and it went really well.

My next Chemo will be on Tuesday, June 2nd. Please continue to pray that the side effects will be minimal and that the tumors will continue to shrink.

As I end I want to share these verses with you that mean a great deal to me.
Therefore, since we have been made right in God's sight by faith, we have peace with God because of what Jesus Christ our Lord has done for us. Because of our faith, Christ has brought us into this place of highest privilege where we now stand, and we confidently and joyfully look forward to sharing God's glory. Romans 5:1-2 NLT

God Bless You,
Doug

Update - May 22nd

Blog Update:
I wasn’t able to take my Vitamin C/B treatment on Friday due to being sick. I have rescheduled the treatment for May 27th.

We have had a very busy week. I had my Chemo treatment on Monday instead of Tuesday because of scheduling issues. Our air conditioning was not working so we had to call someone out to look at it. The worst case scenario happened. We will need to replace the whole unit. It also was decided because of the furnace being 17 years old we would go ahead and replace that too. This was a sticker shock because of the total cost. We are also redoing our bathrooms, so I guess we will be spending a lot of money this month.

All in all I have been feeling pretty good lately. I have been taking something called “Carnivora”, which is made from the Venus Fly trap and is to protect the healthy cells from the damage caused by chemo. So maybe it’s helping some with side effects.

Linda and I have taken a few days off and are headed to our cabin in Cascade. We are looking forward to some R and R in the mountains. I am including pictures of our cabin from the winter and early fall, so you will see where we are at this long holiday weekend.

I want to share this scripture with you that was given to me by a dear family member. It so blessed me, I hope you will also be blessed. Thank you Toni!

“I will give you back your health and heal your wounds, says the Lord.” Jeremiah 30:17a NLT

I really feel blessed with all the prayers that are going up for Linda and me. I just ask that you continue to pray for us because prayer is the one offensive weapon we have.

I love you all and pray for God’s blessing for you.

God Bless,
Doug

Update - May 13th

Well updating the blog is long over due I know and I am sorry that I haven’t put any news out on the blog.

I have now completed 3 rounds of chemo and things are going as good as could be expected. I am still experiencing lots of tiredness and nausea. I still don’t have any hair, so it’s time to declare that bald is beautiful.

I will be going in for another Vitamin C/B-6/12/Complex- IV on Friday morning. This will be my second round.

My next chemo will be on Monday, May 18th instead of Tuesday because of scheduling issues. We will be headed to our cabin next Thursday for a little vacation HORRAY!

A friend recently sent me this paraphrase of Psalm 91 and I would like to share it with you. (Thank you Wendy!)

God bless all of you who are praying for Linda, my family, and me. I know just how important prayer is.

I love you all and pray that God will bless you with His mercy and grace.

PSALM 91 (paraphrased)
Because I live within the shadow of the Almighty, I can rest sheltered by the God who is above all gods.

This I declare: "You alone are my refuge, my place of safety. You are my GOD and I trust You! You rescue me from every trap and protect me from the fatal plague! You shield me under Your wings! You shelter me with Your feathers! Your faithful promises are my armor and protection! Now I don't need to be afraid of the dark anymore, nor fear the dangers of the day, nor dread the plagues of darkness, nor disasters in the morning!

"Though a thousand fall at my side, though ten thousand are dying around me, these evils will not touch me. I will see it with my eyes. I will see how the wicked are punished but I will not share it. For Jehovah is my refuge!
I choose the God above all gods to shelter me. How then can evil overtake me or any plagues come near? For He orders His angels to protect me wherever I go.

They will steady me with their hands to keep me from stumbling against the rocks on the trail. I can safely meet my spiritual enemies, yes; even trample them beneath my feet!"

This the Lord declares: Because you love Me, I will rescue you. I will protect you because you trust in My name. When you call on Me I will answer. I will be with you in trouble and rescue you and honor you. I will satisfy you with a full life and give you My salvation."

Update April 27th

I have completed my second round of Chemo and have been fighting the side effects of mostly nausea and tiredness.

Since our last update I had a PET/CT Scan done and we went over those results with Dr. Fiorentino. We now have a new base line to compare once I have been on Chemo for several treatments. We will probably take another PET Scan in about 3 months to see what is happening with the tumors. The scan showed increased activity in the lymph node behind my left ear and in the lungs. There is a new area of activity on the 6th rib on the right-hand side in the back under my shoulder blade. This area had been bothering me quite a bit and now it makes sense. But with that being said, I am not bothered as much with it anymore since beginning the chemo treatments. The activity in the lymph node in the left groin area was not visible. We have seen the size of the lymph node behind my left ear go down and Dr. Fiorentino was very pleased to see this in such a short time. Thank you Lord!

I am also going to be undergoing Vitamin C IV therapy from Dr. Sutherlin to oxygenate the body, which we know inhibits cancer cell growth. I am scheduled for the Vitamin C IV this Thursday. I have also just ordered up a product called Carnivora. If you want to know about this product you can google it on the internet and read about it.

All in all my emotions are up and down, some days are better then other days. I just ask that you would continue to pray for me and my family as we climb this mountain. I put all my trust and faith in my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. My future is in His hands.

April 16th Update

Dear Family & Friends:

This week you are getting an update from my perspective as Doug asked me to share with you my thoughts on how things are going.

We hope you had a blessed Resurrection Sunday celebrating our Risen Lord! Doug was able to go to church on Sunday with us and we had a wonderful time worshipping our Lord and His victory over sin and death. We were also able to spend time with my brother John and his family. Later in the day the Emry family was together and we enjoyed great food, fellowship, and the sunshine.

It is 9 days and counting since Doug's chemo treatment and has been pretty hard on him. He suffers with nausea, vomiting, dizziness, and fatigue. It is to be expected, but even then it is hard. He is getting stronger each day and we are very thankful. On Wednesday we met with Dr. Ralph Sutherlin at Optimal Health Clinic in Boise and were able to learn of some additional therapies Doug can undergo while having chemo to help his body stay strong and prevent damage to the healthy cells. Our visit with Dr. Sutherlin was very hopeful and encouraging. He is all about treating the whole person, body, mind, and spirit. Doug is going to join a "Quality of Life Study" for AMARC who are the distributors of a product called "Poly-MVA". Poly-MVA is a formula that protects healthy cells while the body undergoes radiation or chemotherapy and also replaces critical nutrients that are depleted from the therapies. This product had been mentioned to us before and Dr. Sutherlin was in favor of using it too as he has been encouraged by the results for cancer patients. Doug is also going to be undergoing Vitamin C IV therapy from Dr. Sutherlin to oxygenate the body, which we know inhibits cancer cell growth. Doug will start by having 1 Vitamin C treatment on the week in-between his chemo treatments. We also have to order the Poly-MVA and enroll him as a member of the study. I need to get all of his diagnosis from Dr. Fiorentino for him to be able to participate. Tomorrow Doug is going to have another PET scan at St. Luke's Meridian so we can get a new baseline in order to monitor any changes since the one in January and also any changes from the chemo treatments. We both have seen the swelling in the left lymph node behind his ear go down and know this is a very good sign the tumor is shrinking.

Please pray specifically for Doug tomorrow during his PET scan which is at 7:30 a.m. that he will not have any nausea, vomiting, coughing, or anxiety as the scan is performed. He needs to be able to lie completely still and this can be challenge when one is not feeling good. Please pray too for him to regain his strength, for the chemo treatments to kill the cancer, but not do any harm to the rest of his body....and for Doug not to lose hope. This round of treatments has been much harder for him and he has been discouraged at times as this is his 4th round of chemo.

We will get the results of the PET scan on Tuesday, April 21st when we meet with Dr. Fiorentino before Doug's 2nd chemo treatment. We are asking the Lord for great results! We will update the blog next week.

Thank you once again for your faithfulness for going boldly before the Lord on Doug's behalf and our family. Words are really inadequate to express our thanks and appreciation. We know Doug has done so well and the Lord has sustained him due to your prayers and faithfulness.

Blessing to each one of you! May you find comfort, hope, and peace in the arms of our Lord! Isaiah 41:10

Linda

April 9th Update

It is time to update the blog for the week. I started the chemotherapy Tuesday. We arrived at Nampa Mountain State Tumor Institute (MSTI) at 8:45 a.m. to do lab work, to see the doctor at 9:00 a.m. and then on to the chemo suite to start the treatments. It is an all day affair and we finally left MSTI at about 3:15 p.m. in the afternoon. I also came home wearing a fusion ball with a chemo drug called 5FU that will be a continually pumping for 48 hours. I go in on Thursday to have it removed. As you can see, this ends up being a long and boring day; nothing to do but sit and read or get on the computer.

The major side effects so far have been tiredness, nausea, constipation, and some dizziness. They did give me some medications to combat the side effects so all in all things are going pretty good.

I trust each of you will celebrate Resurrection Sunday this weekend. This is the single most important event in Christianity! Without the Resurrection we would have no Savior, no Salvation, no victory over death, no hope of Christ’s return for His Church, and no hope of eternity in heaven as God’s children. Without the Resurrection of Jesus Christ Christianity would have fallen by the way side a long time ago.

I want to encourage everyone to celebrate the victory Jesus had over death.

HE HAS RISEN, HE HAS RISEN INDEED!

Blessings to each of you,
Doug

April 2nd Update

Well another week has almost passed. I don’t have any new news, just a trip to the dentist to fix a broken tooth. I have been in contact with a Dr. Sutherland in Boise who runs Optimal Health Clinic. Dr Sutherland’s clinic uses alternative methods to help people who are going through cancer, cancer treatments and other diseases. I hope to meet with him in the near future to discuss any help he can give me with my treatments. He also has an Herbalist that I would like to meet with.

I am still having some headaches and dizziness, but over all am beginning to feel better. I think pushing out the start of chemo treatments was a good idea.

Chemo treatments will start next Tuesday April 7th and as you would suspect I am not looking forward to starting at all. I know from past experience just how difficult this will be, but I am fully trusting in the Lord to heal me or walk with me through this time.

I ask that you would pray for Linda and me as we start these treatments. Pray specifically for the chemo drugs to kill the cancer in my body and not damage the good healthy cells; for the side effects to be at a minimum or even not at all; for Dr. Fiorentino to have the wisdom, discernment, and guidance to administer the best treatment possible for me.

I love you all and each of you need to know just how much it means to Linda, my family, and I that you all are praying for us.

Psalm 71:14 But as for me I will always have hope and I will praise You more and more.

God Bless You All

Update for March 26th

As I promised I am updating the blog weekly.

I was set up to begin chemotherapy this last Tuesday, March 24th only 2 weeks after finishing radiation. My Oncologist recommended waiting a month. After not bouncing back as quick as I had hoped for I called MSTI Nampa and pushed the start of Chemotherapy out 2 more weeks. I will begin Chemotherapy on April 7th. We will be doing what’s called “Full Fury” which will include the drugs 5FU, Lucovorin and Irinotecan. You can Google the last drug name and find out more about the drugs and side effects.

I hope over the next 2 weeks to regain my strength before starting the Chemo Treatments. Please continue to pray for my family and me as we get ready to take the next step in my battle against cancer. It means so much to us to know just how many people are lifting us up in prayer. We thank every one of you for your continual prayers for us.

God Bless

March 18th 2009

Not much to update this week. It has been 13 days since my last radiation treatment and I am still feeling tired and out of energy. I really thought by now I would be seeing a big improvement in my energy level. I am scheduled to begin chemo treatments next Tuesday but may take the option to push it out two more weeks and begin sometime in April.
We have been struck by some sickness around the house. I seemed to have caught a cold (or more like the cold has caught me.) I hope with the spring weather upon us that I can begin to get out more in the coming days.

Please continue to pray for Linda, my family and me. I know that we will have some very rough days ahead with the chemo treatments. Having gone through chemo before (3 times) I kinda know what to expect.

Thank you all for your ongoing prayers for us. This is my prayer for all of you.


"that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you a spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of Him.
I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you will know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints,
and what is the surpassing greatness of His power toward us who believe. These are in accordance with the working of the strength of His might
which He brought about in Christ, when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places,
far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come."

Ephesians 1:17-21

God Bless You All

March 9th 2009

New Update:

I completed my radiation treatment as of last Thursday. The last 2 days of radiation all of my hair fell out. I never really wondered what I might look like as a bald man but now I know; only a face that a mother could love.

Linda and I met with the Chemotherapy Oncologist, Dr. Fiorentino, on Friday to go over the next steps in my battle with Cancer. He thought with all that I have been through (Surgery, Radiation) we should wait a month before starting any chemotherapy. I wondered about waiting a month because of the possible growth of the tumors. Because of my concerns and hesitation to push out treatments for a month we set up a tentative appointment to begin chemo in two weeks. At that time we will evaluate my physical strength and if needed postpone the chemotherapy treatments for an additional two weeks. Dr. Fiorentino told us that I need to be at full strength before beginning any chemotherapy.
Linda and I have made our way up to the Cabin in Cascade this week. I hope to get some much needed rest and renewed strength. Please continue to pray for me and my family as our God continues to hold us in His loving arms. I know that God is in control and I look for His leading everyday in my life.

Update for March 4th 2009

I wanted to make just a quick update to the blog site since I said I would try and post at least once a week with new information.

I completed 12 full brain radiation treatments yesterday (Tuesday) and now will have two more booster radiation treatments to just the area where to tumor was located on the right side of the brain. I will be all done with the radiation treatments on Thursday (PTL).

My next appointment is scheduled with the chemotherapy oncologist on Friday afternoon to go over what the next steps will be for chemotherapy, which will probably start next week.

I will post information sometime after Friday’s appointment about what lies ahead.

Again, I thank all of you for your many prayers and thoughts. I know that God is in control and He is guiding me through this process with His loving arms wrapped around me and my family.

Please continue to pray that the next steps will be able to shrink the remaining tumors.

Trusting in Him with all my heart,

Doug

February 23rd Update

I just wanted to give a quick update for this week. After 5 days of radiation treatments last week I was getting pretty sick. I was experiencing a lot of nausea, vomiting, and headaches. My doctor was gone on Friday, February 20th, but the nurses set me up to see one of the PA’s and they were able to get me back on Dexamethasone. It is a steroid and helps to reduce swelling of the brain, which has been causing the headaches and nausea. However, there are other side effects to the steroid that have raised its ugly head so it’s somewhat of a catch 22. Today will be my 8th treatment out of 14. Since my doctor is on vacation I will be seeing another doctor tomorrow to go over my progress.

I continue to thank and praise the Lord for all the prayers and thoughts you have been saturating me with. I know your faithful prayers are going to see me through this ordeal.

February 17, 2009

Today was my second radiation treatment. Linda was able to go along and take some pictures of me on the table. If you are wondering who that masked man is. The mask is to hold my head still and in the perfect position to have the radiation do it's thing. Pictures are worth a thousand words. 2 down and 12 more to go.

February 14th

Last week I went in to MSTI Nampa to be fitted for a mask that will hold my head in place when doing radiation treatments. These treatments will begin on Monday, February 16th. I will be having 14 treatments 5 days a week for about 3 weeks; 12 of these are full brain radiation treatments and 2 will be just to the area of where the tumor was removed. Please continue to pray for Linda and I as we go through this next step. There are some side effects to the radiation treatments. We won’t know until we get started just how they may affect me, so I will keep things updated on the blog as we go.

February 10, 2009

When I went to the doctor last Friday we asked if we could get a picture of the MRI that showed the mass in the brain. The Nurse Practitioner who took out my staples printed out some of the MRI so I could post them here. Oh and she also was in surgery with Dr. Manning and said that I had the best looking brain that she had ever seen. I was quite proud of my "good looking brain".

Feb 7th 2009

No more staples. Yesterday I went to the doctor and we removed the rest of the staples (20). I also met this week with the radiation oncologist Dr Stephen Smith (Nampa MSTI). We will be doing 14 full brain radiation scans starting February 17th. They are to be done everyday (except weekends) for the 14 days. There are side effects to the radiation treatments, but I know that with much prayer they will be minimal. By doing radiation to the head it will cut the chance of recurrences of any tumor growth in the brain area.

Words cannot express how blessed I am to know that so many people have been praying for me. I know that beyond any doubt it has made all the difference in my recovery from surgery. Once again, I thank all of you who are praying for me and my family during this time. Please continue to pray as we go through the next phase of this battle to rid my body of cancer. God is the healer and I trust in Him.

February 2,2009

After 6 days from surgery I went to the doctor today to have the staples (40) removed from my head. He decided to remove only half of them now and the other half on Friday. So I am still sporting half the staples for a few more days. The doctor also talked about doing some radiation to my head area. This would eliminate any left over cancer cells and the reoccurrence of any tumor coming back to this area. I will have more to come on this in the near future, as the appointments are made to begin the radiation treatments.

“Blessed be the Lord, Because He has heard the voice of my supplications! The Lord is my strength and my shield: My heart trusted in Him, and I am helped: Therefore my heart greatly rejoices. And with my song I will praise Him.” Psalm 28:6-7

It's a Miracle

In less than 48 hours after removing a tumor larger than a golf ball from my brain I was released from the hospital to come home for recuperation. It is never protocol to release a patient directly from ICU and especially after brain surgery to remove a large cancerous mass that was so deeply embedded in the brain.

On Wednesday morning Dr. Manning had cancelled a second CT scan of my brain due to the one right after surgery looking so good and ordered the post-op MRI. If these results were good I was to be released from ICU to go to the 5 East Surgery Wing. We were told the MRI results were great and as soon as a room would be ready I could leave ICU to continue my hospital stay for recovery. Due to the fact no rooms were available I stayed another night in ICU.

When Dr. Manning came into my room on Thursday afternoon to check on my progress and do further neurological tests he stated, “I can’t argue with the evidence in front of me. You look great, are doing great, up walking, eating, and the MRI results were pristine! I have never sent a patient home in 48 hours after this type of surgery, but you can go home.”

I want to thank everyone who have so diligently prayed, gathered, and supported me and my family during this time. I felt the presence of God before, during, and after my surgery.

I humbly ask you to continue to pray for my recovery, the doctors/nurses involved in my care, and for the upcoming procedures I will be going through.

I am resting well, slow, and steady.

January 27th Surgery Update

The morning started off a little tense as, I (Linda) forgot my cell phone as we had left for the hospital. This caused us to have to turn around and go back to the house. Tensions we high to begin with and this added a little stress. I told Doug that I forgot the phone so he could be angry at me and I would be his focus so he would not be consumed by thoughts of the upcoming surgery. He laughed, tensions eased up and he told me, “Well there goes Toni’s prayer for a safe, calm and uneventful ride to the hospital”, as he grabbed the handle when I turned the corner. Okay, so I was in a little bit of a hurry.

Doug’s surgery went really well. As I have stated before we continue to see the Lord go before us as Dr. Manning shared before surgery if we did not find the tumor when we did and remove it, Doug would have only had two weeks to a month to live. So what we thought was a bad head cold and sinus infection was the Lord going before Doug to have a CT scan and MRI done to locate the brain mass.

Overall the surgery took about 4 hours with an hour + before and after for pre-op and recovery. The 18 faithful stayed the course and we were all there to hear Dr. Manning tell us that Doug was doing great and as he left him in the recovery room he was awake, able to count fingers, wiggle his toes, and carry on a conversation. Dr. Manning told us the tumor was larger than we had originally thought and it was also embedded as deep as it could within the brain. From what the doctor indicated it was bigger than a golf ball, but smaller than a tennis ball. Doug was then sent up ICU to spend the night.

Thank you so much for all of your prayers and support.

Linda

January 26th Update-Thankfulness

Doug and I are so thankful for the support and love that has been shown to us by family and friends through this trying time. We want to share with you our experience.

On Monday night our family received a wonderful blessing from our church family. The pastor, elders, and friends joined Doug and I along with Doug's parents Don and Louise, and our two sons who live in Idaho, Matthew and Adam, our daughter-in-law Kari, and our granddaughter Isabel to pray for Doug's upcoming surgery. To be able to express in words our appreciation, love, and gratitude is beyond words. We were and still are so overwhelmed by this action. It just demonstrated how the Lord continues to go before us preparing the way, bringing fellow believers alongside us to support us and lift us up when we feel like everything is crashing in on us.

On Tuesday morning as Doug was in pre-op before his surgery his nurse, Kim a believer in our Lord asked him if he would like a Chaplin to come and pray with us. Doug told Kim that he didn't need a Chaplin to come pray with him because his church family came and prayed with us the night before and he could feel the Lord's covering and we were girded up in the Armor of the Lord.

Another demonstration of the Lord going before us was the day of surgery. Doug’s support team in the Surgery Waiting Room counted 18 strong with many others throughout the world praying for him due to the prayer chains he has been put on. We are always so humbled to know that individuals who don’t even know us personally come along side us to go before the throne of God on our behalf. Hebrews 4:16

As we continue to travel along this journey the Lord has gone before us, we see how He is taking care of us, and bringing people to support and love us.

What an awesome God we serve!

Linda

Taste My Jesus

TASTE MY JESUS At the University of Chicago Divinity School each year they have what is called "Baptist Day." On this day each one is to bring a lunch to be eaten outdoors in a grassy picnic area. Every "Baptist Day" the school would invite one of the greatest minds to lecture in the theological education center. . One year they invited Dr. Paul Tillich. Dr.Tillich spoke for two and one-half hours proving that the resurrection of Jesus was false. He quoted scholar after scholar and book after book. He concluded that since there was no such thing as the historical resurrection the religious tradition of the church was groundless, emotional mumbo-jumbo, because it was based on a relationship with a risen Jesus, who, in fact never rose from the dead in any literal sense. He then asked if there were any questions. After about 30 sec onds, an old, dark skinned preacher with a head of short-cropped, woolly white hair stood up in the back of the auditorium. "Docta Tillich, I got one question," he said as all eyes turned toward him. He reached into his sack lunch and pulled out an apple and began eating it. "Docta Tillich.. CRUNCH, MUNCH "My question is a simple question,... CRUNCH, MUNCH... "Now, I ain't never read them books you read..CRUNCH, MUNCH.." and I can't recite the Scriptures in the original Greek...CRUNCH, MUNCH ..." I don't know nothin' about Niebuhr and Heidegger...CRUNCH, MUNCH... He finished the apple. "All I wanna know is: This apple I just ate, . . . . . . was it bitter or sweet? Dr Tillich paused for a moment and answered in exemplary scholarly fashion: "I cannot possibly answer that question, for I haven't tasted your apple." The white-haired preacher dropped the core of his apple into his crumpled paper bag, looked up at Dr. Tillich and said calmly, "Neither have you tasted my Jesus." The 1,000 plus in attendance could not contain themselves. The auditorium erupted with applause and cheers. Dr. Tillich thanked his audience and promptly left the platform. Have you tasted Jesus? Please pass this on Saints! Jesus has risen... and He's coming back one day... "Taste and see that the LORD is good; blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him. If you have, rejoice in the hope of the resurrection that your faith in Him brings." Psalm 34:8! (PLEASE taste my Jesus!!! He leaves a sweet taste you cannot forget!)

January 22nd Update

Yesterday we went to St. Luke's Meridian hospital for two MRI's; one on the brain, and the other one on the spine. The MRI on the spine was to rule out any metastases on the spine. We received a phone call around 4:00 p.m. from Dr. Manning with the results. The MRI of the spine was clear of any cancer. The MRI of the brain showed metastases from the colon/rectal cancer. The MRI also showed it is located more toward the back of the brain rather than the right temporal area. The MRI also showed swelling of the tumor and this has been causing the excruciating pain and sleepless nights. Dr. Manning prescribed a steroid to address the swelling and I am expected to feel much better within 48 hours. I am definitely looking forward to feeling better and getting some much needed rest.

While we were also at the hospital, we saw the Lord going before us as I was supposed to go down to St. Luke's Boise for my pre-op; but the young lady registering me asked if I would like to have her check to see if all of it could be done in Meridian to save us an additional trip. It was and we are very thankful that the blood work, EKG, EEG, and chest x-ray were all completed at St. Luke's Meridian for the pre-op.

At the tomb of Lazarus, before He raised His friend from the dead, Jesus proclaimed: “I am the Resurrection and the Life; he who believes in Me shall live even if he dies, and everyone who lives and believes in Me shall never die.” John 11:25-26

January 20th - PET Scan Update

Today we met with Dr. Fiorentino, the oncologist to go over the PET scan results. The news was not what we were hoping to hear.

The PET scan showed the expected activity in the lymph node behind the left ear, but what we did not expect were other areas of activity. What do we mean by activity; a PET scan is done by injecting a radioactive glucose substance in the body. Cancer cells feed on sugar, so when there is cancer those areas light up showing activity due to the fast growing cells. The activity was found in the lymph node behind the left ear, both right and left lungs, and the lymph node in the left groin area.

The plan of attack is to have the surgery to remove the lesion on the right side of my brain. Then after a short recovery from the surgery we will attack the cancer cells in the rest of my body with a systemic chemotherapy regiment. I already have a tentative date for my first chemotherapy treatment on Tuesday, February 10th.

Tomorrow morning, on January 21st I will be having two MRI's done at St. Luke's Meridian Hospital; one on my brain and the other one on my spine in preparation for the upcoming surgery on the 27th. In the afternoon I will also be going to St. Luke's Boise to have my pre-op conducted for the surgery.

Thank you to each one of you for your prayers and support for my family and I. We are so appreciative and are continually reminded that we serve a great God and know He is in control and His plan is perfect. We are continually reminded and encouraged that our faith and hope is in the Lord Jesus Christ.

Janurary 18

As I lay in bed yesterday morning, a verse kept coming to mind. I would like to share the verse.
2 Timothy 1:12b "I am not ashamed, for I know whom I have believed and am persuaded that He is able to keep what I have committed to Him until that Day."

I have committed my life to the Lord and know that He is able to keep me in the palm of His hand until that day that I stand before Him. My salvation is secure in the Lord and He is faithful to keep me to the very end.

I hope these words are a great encouragement to youh if you have made Jesus the Lord and Savior of your life. I know that they are to me.

January 16, 2008

While yesterday was busy with setting up appointments and getting the films from my scans (MRI and CT) to take to the doctor, today was busy making those appointments. I had the PET Scan this morning and everything went ok. Because of my recent weight loss the Scan was shorter than any one that I have had before (only 20 minutes instead of 40). While doing a PET Scan you must lie perfectly still on a table so I was thankful for the shortened scan time.

Later this afternoon we met with the Neurological Surgeon Dr Manning. He did do some simple tests on me and after reading the reports from my MRI it confirmed that I do have a mass on the right side of my head or brain. We started the ball rolling to get a surgery date with some more or extra tests to be done next week. I will be very busy next week with getting ready for the surgery date of January 27th. Dr. Manning told us today the surgery will take several hours to complete. The extra tests to be done are 2 more MRI's, a vision test, and a pre-op with a fitting for a cage which will be used during surgery to hold my head in place. I also have an appointment with my oncologist on Tuesday morning. Hopefully we can get more questions answered.

Please continue to pray for Linda myself and my family for this upcoming surgery. We will need all the prayers we could get. God is very much in control and we are giving it all up to Him in faith.

Dec 2008

Starting in early December I thought I was coming down with a bad head cold. I was dizzy and my head was pounding with ringing in my ears. I also had had a lump behind my left ear since October which was not going down. I told my oncologist and he sent me to get a biopsy.

On December 24th I went to the hospital to have the biopsy done; the results came back as carcinoma. I also was feeling so bad that I had to cancel two scheduled PET scans because I didn't think I could lie on the table for 45 minutes without moving. If you want to know more about PET scan you can Google it and find a lot of information.

I continued to feel horrible and after several trips and phone calls to Nampa's Quick Care I was referred to an Ear, Nose, and Throat (ENT) specialist. On Wednesday, January 14, 2009 the ENT doctor wanted me to get a CT scan of my face/sinuses done, so back over to the hospital I went for a CT scan of my face. Then back to the doctor with the results. Before I could get back to the doctor the radiologist had called to say that I needed an MRI of my head because he saw what seemed to be an inner cranial mass. So the MRI was setup for the same day and back to the hospital I went.

I have been setup with another PET scan for this Friday, January 16, 2009. Later in the afternoon I will meet with a neurosurgeon to discuss the CT and MRI results and what he recommends and my options. I will then follow-up with my oncologist on Tuesday, January 20, 2009 to review the PET scan results and discuss the outcome of the neurosurgeon visit, CT/PET scans and MRI results.

Cancer History

Because of my recent changes in the battle against cancer it seemed best (and requested by my brother Ron) to put together a blog site with the most accurate and up-to-date information. I will try and keep this information updated as things progress. As most of you know I was diagnosed with colon/rectal cancer in 2004. After having 10 inches of my colon and all of my rectum removed (leaving me with an ostomy) I went through several rounds of chemo. In 2006 after doing a PET/CT Scan we discovered that the rectal cancer had gotten into my lungs. I had spots removed from both my right and left lungs in 2006. I also went through more chemo that year. Then again in early 2008 we found another spot on my right lung that was removed on April 9, 2008. My next post will be starting with information in Dec. 2008 so look for the post entitled Dec 2008.