New Update 10/27

Hi Friends,

I was able to meet with both doctors last week to talk about further treatments. First I met with Dr. Smith the radiologist to see about radiating the area behind my ear again. We went over the risks involved and they seem pretty high. Then I saw Dr Fiorentino the Oncologist to see about more Chemo treatments. I asked him if it would really do that much good and he thought that there was a less then 5% Chance that the chemo will help anymore. I don't feel like 5% success rate is worth all the sickness that I go though on chemo. So I have decided that I am done with these two types of treatments and will look for alternative things. I have already ran across two alternative treatments that sound very promising.

For the last week I have been going to a man's house in Boise everyday to lay on what's called a Bio-mat(biomat.com). They have been having great success with shrinking tumors using this mat. The very first day that I layed on the mat we noticed some changes, not big changes but some never the less. Linda and I have ordered the Mat and it should be here next week.

Something else that has happened this week is an emergency run into the hospital on Monday. For the last couple of years I have been having issues with a stricture in my urinary tract so I haven't been able to eliminate completely. This last weekend the structure closed off and I was unable to go to the bathroom. I went to the hospital and had to go through a very painful procedure to open it back up. I ended up coming home with a catheter for several days. I will be pulling the catheter out tomorrow morning and then seeing the doctor tomorrow afternoon. Please pray that things will stay open.

Thank you all for continuing to pray for Linda and I. I now it how important pray is and how we are told to pray for one another.

We love you all

Doug

New Update as of Oct 15th

I went to the doctor today to get the results of the MRI I did last Friday. It was great news in that there are no tumors on or near the Brain area. That means that the issues I am having with the left side of my face are being caused by the tumor behind my left ear. We are going to check with the radiation doctor to see if there is any chance of doing radiation to this area again.

Now here comes the bad news. When we discussed doing more Chemo treatments the doctor said there is less than a 5% chance of the chemo doing any good, so that doesn't leave me with much hope of fighting the 4 tumors that grew the last 2 months. With only a 5% or less chance it seems senseless to go on with any more chemo treatments. We will be looking at different options in the next week or so, but things don't look too good at this point.

I will try and keep the blog updated as we go forward with new ideas and treatments.


Keep on praying for Linda and I, we love you guys and your constant prayers are a source of strength and hope for us.


God Bless,
Doug

New Update

I was to see the doctor on Tuesday to go over the MRI that I had done last Friday, but I was sick all day Monday and half the day on Tuesday. So I never made it into the doctor on Tuesday. I am rescheduled for this Friday at 10:30 I am also scheduled to restart chemo treatments next Monday.

Please continue to pray for Linda and I for the next few days. I am still not feeling all that well and things seem to be getting a little worse. I will update more this Friday after my appointment.

God Bless you all

Here is the scope

I had a PET/CT scan done last Friday (Oct 1st) and got the results today from the doctor. It looks like out of the 5 tumors that I have 4 of them have grown some. Most of them right at 1 cm of new growth. I also told him about some of the other things that had been going on. The left side of my face is acting weird when I try to suck on a straw or spit after rinsing my mouth out. Also I have been having some issues with my left eye. Things have gotten blurry and I can't seem to wink out of that eye. So the doctor wants me to get an MRI on my Brain. That is now scheduled for Friday late afternoon (5:45pm). All of these symptoms have to do with the brain however we are not ruling out the tumor behind my left ear lobe as causing these issues. We won't know if there are any new tumors on the brain until I see the doctor next week with the results of the MRI. The doctor talked about going back to the chemo treatments after the MRI is found to be clear.

All of your prayers mean so much to us. We know just how important it is to lift each other up in prayer. Please kept praying for Linda and I and for the results of the MRI to be clear of anything except a perfectly good brain.

"But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body." Philippians 3:20-21