New Developement

Aaron continues to struggle with nausea and vomiting. In fact, it has gotten much worse. Today he has had trouble keeping anything, including meds, down. This is having a very adverse affect on his throat which is still raw and healing. After speaking with the medical oncologist, she agreed that further tests need to be done to try to figure out why this is going on. She said this was not where he should be at this point. We have an appointment on next Thursday with her, but hopefully there will be something scheduled before then to try to pinpoint this problem. Please pray that they can find the cause and deal with it. This is a real setback for him and he is very discouraged. We need wisdom and answers! Please pray.

HOT OF THE PRESS!!!

After a blitzkrieg of fact gathering concerning the recommended surgery, Aaron and his surgeon have decided to put off removal of lymph nodes until after CT scan on June 30th. Surgery has been re-scheduled for July 9th. Hopefully by this time the side effects of treatment will have tapered off a good deal. It is obvious that the radiation is still at work, as he continues to throw up bloody tissue and is still in a lot of pain. Also, the lymph node may continue to shrink in size which "may" remove the need for surgery.

We are grateful to our drs.(Nabell, Meredith, Monagan, Free, and Magnuson) for their time, expertise, and personal care and involvement in helping us make good decisions. We are blessed.

more good news/bad news

Well, we saw several drs. on Tuesday. They did not scope or do any kind of scan, but by just looking with the naked eye at Aaron's throat Dr. said he SAW no sign of tumor and it APPEARS to be gone. A CT scan is scheduled for June 30 to give a more detailed and complete picture. We are so thankful and are anxious for the CT scan to confirm that the cancer is gone. However, we were surprised and disheartened when Dr. Magnasun recommended surgery for the removal of several lymph nodes! (We have been so excited as the swollen node has continued to disappear.) Although we have scheduled surgery for Friday, we continue to gather info on this recommendation and are speaking with our other drs. to ascertain the most appropriate and prudent course of action. Please pray for wisdom on this front.

Otherwise, Aaron is continuing to swallow more and more FOOD!! He has actually eaten a few bites of pizza, eggs, ice cream, watermelon, and salad. While he is still getting most nutrition through the tube, he is definitely improving. The plan is to remove the feeding tube during surgery on Friday, so he will be transitioning this week to be able to take in more by mouth. He is still dealing with nausea and vomitting although it has improved some.

My Dad is at home and dealing with effects of chemo. He will go back on the 21st for another treatment.

We are thankful for many things, not the least of which is the love and support of so many. To our precious family of Grace Fellowship: we love you and couldn't make it without you!!!

Good Days

We are so very thankful for several things tonight. First, we have been praying specifically for Aaron's lymph node to shrink and it has definitely gone down a lot!! We continue to pray that by the drs. visit on June 3, it will be gone completely. Also, in general, he has felt much better in the last few days. The nausea and vomitting have abated for the most part. He was up and about all day yesterday, and we were most grateful to be able to go to church today! He actually ate a little ice cream this afternoon. Although his taste buds are "waking up" , it is still hurts to swallow much more than clear liquids. He is really looking forward to eating again and anxious to be rid of the feeding tube.
Pray this will happen sooner than later. We look foward to continued improvement this week and praise God for His faithfulness and the blessings of this day.

My Dad has been able to continue chemo treatments. He will have a full strength treatment next week, and will be able to go home for 3 weeks before having the next one.

Waiting

Today we woke up with high hopes of going to church together.( It has been three weeks and 2 days since his last treatment.) However, to our great disappointment he woke up very nauseated again!! The nausea and vomiting have gotten worse since treatments ended. This is NOT what we were expecting at this point! It seems like we are moving backwards. There ARE some positives, however: his voice continues to get stronger, his neck is completely healed, he IS swallowing liquids and an occasional poached egg, and has some good moments when nausea-free. The pain is still strong, but manageable. The feeding tube is working well and is the mainstay for nutrition and calories.
Truthfully, we are all discouraged....and waiting for the big "turn around". In reading Psalm 139 this morning, I was thankful to be reminded that we are "hemmed in" by HIS Presence. It is a day for remembering and clinging to Truth. Please pray for Aaron's complete healing and recovery and that even though we grow weary, we will "worship in the waiting".

News from Tulsa: my Dad had a second chemo treatment last week. He is feeling tired but otherwise doing well. He will receive another treatment on Wed.

Many thanks for your love and prayers.

How Great is Our God!

Amen!

A quick update

Our drs. visit on Monday was informative. The lab results showed all counts(except hemoglobin) were up and in normal ranges. The low hemoglobin accounts for the edema. We are walking to try to get swelling down. Dr. Nabell seemed pleased with Aaron's progress. Please continue to pray for pain management and nausea. Our next trip to UAB is June 3, when we will see Dr. Meredith, the radiation oncologist and Dr. Magnuson, surgeon.

My Dad's bone scan showed no cancer in bones! He will begin a low dose of chemo tomorrow for cancerous nodules on lungs. They will be keeping a close eye on his kidney to decide whether or not he can tolerate a higher dosage. Please pray for the cancer to respond to treatment.

Thanks again for your prayers!