The Results Are In...

James got his CT scan results today - great news to report, friends. (But you're not that surprised after the blood count thing, are you?)

The doctor came in and got right to the results - markedly better than James's first scan at their office. The tumors are shrinking AND his right middle lobe (which has been collapsed since at least July) is starting to reinflate.  (Did you know your lungs could do that?!)  The tumors have shrunk significantly enough to require the radiation team to reduce the treatment field. (Think of it as a finer beam to hone in on a smaller object.)

Needless to say, we are thrilled, elated, excited, joyful. 

We are so thankful to know that chemo is working - and not just on James's hair follicles and white blood cells. Perhaps a little-known fact about cancer treatment is that treatment protocols are standardized which means that doctors "cannot" change course mid-stream.  That is, if doctors felt strongly that the chemo & radiation treatment were not working, there would be nothing to do but see it to the bitter end, wait 2 months, and then start over with a different regimen. Ouch. Nothing quite like how it must feel to "flunk" chemo.  

SO - thankfully this is not the case for James. We are blessed to see early results and wait to see what else God will do. 

Please continue to pray for his general health, complete healing (without surgery would be spectacular, as long as you're asking what we want), and perseverance to see this to the end. James is beginning to tire easily and his throat/swallowing is becoming increasingly painful due to daily radiation-to-the-trachea treatments. =)  (Another little-known fact about cancer...it is quite common for people to drop out before their scheduled treatments are over. Though we have no plans of being radiation drop-outs, I share that to say that apparently enduring to the finish can be challenging.) 

James has 11 more radiation treatments and 6 more days of chemo. He should be done with this intense treatment phase November 17th. 

Thanks for continuing to stand with us! Your love and support continue to be so encouraging. We don't always have the time mental energy to respond to all the emails and blog-comments, so please know that you all mean so much. Thank you. 

Astonishing Results

Just the other day I was thinking about how cool it would be if James and I could map out where in the world we have people praying for us. We'd put a little dot where we know at least one person praying for James's healing. It would be quite a map, just in the US alone - from Wisconsin to Texas, from Hawaii to Seattle to Boston. (And everywhere in between.) But it wouldn't stop there, as we have people petitioning in Costa Rica, the UK, Sweden, South Africa, Bangladesh, Shangri-la, New Zealand, and even East Timor. (Real quick - do you know where all those places are?)

So, by way of encouragement, so that you all will keep praying, some news. One thing you might not know about chemotherapy is, well, do you know how it works? Do you know why your hair falls out and your mouth gets sores, and your blood count goes down? Half-point if you said "because chemo is poison." That's what my answer would have been about 2 months ago, so we should all get at least partial credit for being partially intelligent. :) In fact, chemo works by targeting cells in your body that reproduce quickly...which of course includes cancer cells, but also hair follicles, red & white blood cells, the lining of your mouth, et cetera. (And by "target" we mean "poisons to death," hence the partial credit.)

Last week James's white blood cell count was getting pretty low. So low, in fact, that the nurse had to clarify with the doctor that it was still OK for James to receive his full dose of chemotherapy. (It's already low, and then we're going to give you something to kill off even more...I'd ask permission too.) 

But then we asked you all to pray, and pray you did. I think it's only fair to say the best outcome in my mind was that James's numbers wouldn't drop any lower, that he wouldn't get sick in the meantime, and that his numbers would be high enough to do his last round of chemo in two weeks.

Special shout out to any of you who prayed that God would do yet more, even increasing his white blood cell count. (Did any of you pray that audaciously?! If so, bless you!)

Today when James went in for labs the nurse came back absolutely shocked. Just dumbfounded. So amazed she had to comment. James's white blood cell count is now up to 5.5. That is not only significantly higher than last Monday's 3.3, but is even well above a healthy, normal person's (4.5 counts as "normal"). How does that even happen after a week of being pounded with cell-destroying poison?!

Friends, God is healing James, and those of us praying aren't just blessed to see it, but actually are part of this whole story in a rich, glorious way. So, thank you. Thank you for being part of our story. 

Also by way of update - James had a CT scan this morning and will get the results (most likely) on Wednesday. They need to check to see whether there has been shrinkage, or whether there are any new tumors. One doctor said he expects to see things "stable." James's cough and heart rate have become somewhat suddenly and significantly better in the last week, so personally we'll be surprised with "stable," but I guess we'll see. 

In the meantime, we continue to hope in our great and amazing God who hears and responds to the prayers of his children. 

Superman Rocks the Exam

Yesterday we had the pleasure of meeting with James's oncologist, Dr. Gupta. After his traditional "ni-hao" greeting and questions to James about whether or not he is causing enough trouble (extra points for being extra troublesome), and James's ribbing about "feeling abandoned" by Dr. Gupta (who was a good hour behind schedule), we got down to actually discussing James's condition. The highlights...

*James is officially released from worrying about his weight loss. Were James not eating, or it was closer to 15 pounds (rather than 5) that he were losing, we could have cause to worry. Not necessary in James's case. At least for now. Yeah!

*Even with the weight loss, James is still encouraged to exercise as much as he wants. "Do whatever you enjoy. Exercise is a great choice," was the doctor's viewpoint.

*James (and we) should not be too concerned about James's low white blood cell count. Dr. Gupta was even OK with James going to the Indianapolis Carrier Monkey Children's Museum. (Praying that James stays free from illness is still a wonderful way to pray though!)

Going forward, Dr. Gupta's hope is that James will be able to tolerate a third round of chemo (mid-November) as he finishes up his radiation. "I would prefer to be a bit greedy." He believes that the third round will give James the best chance at cure/recovery/remission. We can ask that James's blood work comes back (at that time) to qualify him for that last round.

Dr. Gupta also hopes that through a combination of radiation & chemo James's tumors will at least shrink enough to qualify him for surgery. Given his age and his overall great health ("You are Superman, after all, James"), James would return to the surgeon who did his biopsy & port placement to have the portion of lung that is collapsed together with lymph nodes removed.  Surgery in effect "cures" James, so this is great news to have this as a possibility. (Certainly the radiation & chemo could destroy the cancer so that surgery is not necessary...or it could do next to nothing & we in effect start over with a different chemo drug.)

All in all, nothing bad to report (just a bit of cancer, as we like to say), and lots to be encouraged about. Without a doubt, we are experiencing the power of prayer in our lives. We know that there are literally hundreds of people praying for us all around the world. As a result, James is very nearly symptom free of chemo, and this week his cough has become remarkably better. We no longer feel overwhelmed, and I no longer need 4 cups of coffee (and a nap!) to make it through the day. So much to be thankful for as we see His grace pour into our lives, many times through you all...and certainly through the many prayers being offered on our behalf. We will all have quite the story to tell one day! Thanks for being a part of this - you're awesome!

Round Two

James starts his second week/second round of chemo today. During blood work they found that his white blood cell count is a little lower than they'd like. Thankfully, James is still able to get full doses of treatment. Though we do need to ask that James would stay healthy. Infection is everywhere, so we find comfort in knowing that God is sovereign over the big picture events of our lives....down to the smallest micro-organisms and cells. Ask too that James will stop losing weight. As they say in China, he is eating like a cow (i.e., all.the.time. In large amounts. All the high calories he wants!), but continues to lose. (Sigh. Try not to be jealous, dear reader.)

James is scheduled for his CT scan next Monday - we look forward with anticipation to the results, as it will help doctors gauge how well the tumors are responding to treatment. Those results will also determine how much more radiation James needs. (After next Monday it could be two and a half more weeks...or four.) We're also looking forward to the CT because it will be the first "sure thing" since we've started treatment. Since diagnosis, the doctors and nurses are following protocol with a big question mark over the situation. Perhaps surprisingly, you don't always get answers - any answers - because no one actually knows. It's very strange. No one knows how long it's going to take, no one knows how you're going to feel, no one knows if a condition might arise that will complicate your health terribly, no one knows if you're on the right drugs....no one knows if you're even going to get well. (Certainly no one will tell you "If this doesn't work, we start all over." Or maybe that doesn't happen. Who knows? No one knows!) 

So you show up, and give it to God. And sometimes, especially if you are fortunate enough to be getting treated for cancer in America, you even get a free doughnut. :)

James from his "office," post doughnut. You can see that the nurses have accessed his port and "plugged him in" for his infusion for the day. 

Free from Shedding!

James started...shedding. So, we took him to the best barber in town.

BEFORE

DURING

AFTER

(We had some great shots of James...that I now can't upload, so you get this sunny one from chemo.)

Something to be thankful for - having a shaved head actually makes it easier for James to sleep. His head hurt quite a lot before. This helps. Who knew?! And now, when he tells people he has cancer, he is just that much more convincing! (He really hasn't been looking the part...)

An Uneventful Week Just Passed...

Well, as you probably noticed, the best way for me to make sure I don't update in a timely manner is to say in a previous post that I will. 

Thankfully, this last week passed fairly uneventfully. James finished his first round of chemo and has continued on with radiation. This week he'll continue with radiation which is relatively easy. It shouldn't cause any new symptoms, it's painless, and helps kill cancer. And their waiting room has free Seattle's Best coffee. 

We cannot say enough good about the radiation team. (I promise it's not just the free caffeine talking!) When people come in daily to be "zapped" for 5 minutes or so, you'd think it would be pretty easy to be really mindless about what you're doing. (I mean, not to be crass, but how much attention do you pay to things you put in the microwave on a regular basis?) Instead of just going about their work, however, they are actually paying attention to James and noting if there is any change in his condition from one day to the next. 

Because of their attentiveness, James has gotten on some meds that are helping manage his symptoms, and that has obviously helped him pass through this last week fairly easily.  He's now on a daily dose of steroids to help control his cough; it works better than the cough syrup he was on, and also keeps him lucid. (Bonus!) He has developed mouth sores, a common side effect of chemo, so he now washes his mouth with this weird chemical solution that - of all things - is banana flavored. His tastes have changed too, but he is eating quite a lot - we both feel like it is a lot more than normal. (And chemo has not taken away his ability to eat really spicy foods either!) Unfortunately, he is gradually losing weight, though no one has gotten concerned about this yet. James also tires easily, which is strange for me to see. He is not nauseated nor is he losing his hair, two side effects we were expecting/dreading. James is continuing to exercise a lot too, which is fabulous (and somewhat surprising to his doctors). So, as far as cancer treatment goes, James is really holding up very well. 

Next week we'll start the second round of chemo and will move closer to the awaited half-way mark with radiation where James's cancer gets checked via CT for shrinkage/obliteration. In the meantime, we are just trying to be faithful as we walk this path. We complain less and are more cheery more often, but we get tired. We get annoyed when mentioning a symptom to the doctor means we get home 4 hours later than we planned. We find it just really weird to need medicine every day. And it's a pain to go to the doctor every day (every. day.) (No, seriously. Eeeeeevery day.), and to know we're not even half way yet. Nor do we even have confidence that any of this is actually working. That's strange, right? 

So, we need your prayers. We do have confidence that God is at work, no matter what the tumors are or are not doing. We continue to be at peace with whatever God has for us. And our hearts continue to grow in "being still" - which for us has a lot to do with just being OK with where God has us for this season. We are thankful for the care James is getting - through doctors and through you all, who continue to pray, email, and send cards and meals. Thank you so much for your faithfulness. You lighten our load, remind us we are loved, and strengthen us to keep on going. We couldn't ask for anything more! Have a great week, and we will do the same. And who knows - you might even get an extra blog post to surprise you. =)

The Verdict Is...

...only one life-threatening condition at this time. Just cancer, no pulmonary embolism. Yeah! 

I am sure we will see Dr. Gupta, the oncologist, tomorrow, where he will tell me that James just needed some extra attention over the weekend. =) 

James is asleep. In his bed. At home. No weird Cold Stone smell. Things to be thankful for. 

I will try to keep posting this week. With just one day of chemo and the other days 15 minute radiation appointments, there might not be much to report. Though we are looking forward to a lighter week. Just keep asking for health and healing. 

Thanks, all.

Sunday Update

Guess what? I'm sitting on a little stool in a too-cold room in...the ER (which, oddly, smells to me like Cold Stone Creamery. Is it the smell of AC or do they use the same disinfectant? Or, is there a secret stash of waffle cones and Oreo crumbs in the box we mark "linens only"?!). James is lying in the bed nearby with a too-high heart rate, a severe headache, aaaand...a cough. 

Chemo and radiation went GREAT this week. They really did! James had very few symptoms, other than a few annoying weird ones (like 72 hours of non-stop hiccups). He has been able to walk & even sometimes jog on the treadmill where he found symptom relief. He is eating great. (By the end of the week he was down a pound, though. Indicative of too much exercise, we think.) His oncologist called him Superman, and criticized him only for not giving the nurses enough grief. If we needed cause for a bit of optimism, by the end of the week James was able to sleep on his right side (where his tumors are), which doctors agreed was "a positive sign."

By Friday night though, he was unable to sleep. He spent most of yesterday bumming around, feeling not-so-great but not wanting to nap in case that would trigger another night of sleeplessness. Today, sadly, James has described as "hell." He has had horrendous head and neck pain (where even resting his head on a pillow hurts) and an unstoppable cough that has left him shaking, gasping for air. 

I was finally able to get him to agree to taking a Vicodin late this afternoon, before heading to the ER. And so, of course now, James feels much better and is actually sleeping soundly. The first rest he has had in a while. Before nodding off, he asked me how much pain medicine he has had today and looked incredulous when I said I offered it hourly but that he kept denying both pain and pain meds. He was so dumbfounded that I had to tell him a second time how today went. Just before falling asleep he said, "What an idiot (to refuse pain meds)." 

Now, sadly, since we are in an ER, we are captives until they check for pulmonary embolism. Apparently when you mix "recent" air travel with lung cancer, this is what could be threatening your life. Fun times! 

Thanks, as always, for the continued prayers. You all are fabulous! James has one last chemo treatment tomorrow (a six-hour infusion) before a two week break from chemo. His radiation will continue daily for the next several weeks. 

Have a great night and a good week!

love,

~kristen

And we laughed...

A grandma, a black woman, and a Chinese guy walk into a waiting room...

Almost the start to a really good joke, no? (Never mind the white girl who's busy spilling her coffee on the hospital couch. She's just there for comedic effect...) 

Such was our life yesterday (Friday) as we waited for James's radiation appointment. When James started coughing (somewhat violently, though admittedly we are both getting a little immune to its severity), the black woman started audibly calling on Jesus. James's cough subsided and then the four of us ended up having a rather lovely conversation about God, cancer, and life when those things intersect. We were the only ones in the waiting room, and what happened there among us is probably difficult to understand for those who are not Christians. But, we rejoiced. We exalted God and what He is able to do in the midst of our greatest trials. We brought to mind how He graciously speaks to us in the midst of our deepest fears. We praised His almighty power to heal. We expressed gratitude for what He is already doing, and reminded each other of the peace we have as His children who have already been rescued, redeemed, and bought for eternity. We laughed. We, through faith, turned a depressing, sad little corner of the world and filled it with joy, hope, and love. 

It was, by far, the nicest time I've ever spent in a waiting room. I can only hope to enjoy more like it. Altogether not the worst way to spend a Friday.