September 7, 2010: Kevin is doing well and was even able to return to work last week; however, we have faced some complications and would appreciate your prayers again.
Let me start off by saying the Oncologist told us last week that Kevin is doing so much better than he even hoped for. I know this is from the prayers of my brothers and sister all over the world and because we serve a God that still does miracles. I have discovered that being told you have stage IV colon cancer is not a death sentence but rather an invitation to see what a mighty God we serve and to feel the greatness of His love.
Okay...back to my prayer request...last Tues. was Kevin’s 7th round of chemo and he is having some compilations. He cannot continue taking the Oxaliplatin as there is a high toxicity of this drug in his blood marrow and it is killing his blood platelets. The doc has switched him to a different chemo regimen called Folfiri. It contains a new chemo called Irinotecan and it makes him feel a lot worse than the other chemo did. It is also killing his blood platelets.
Kevin now has to go to Tulsa everyday for 10 days to get a shot of Neumega to help stimulate his production of blood platelets. He was on a 5 day regimen of Neumega a couple of weeks ago but as soon as he took his chemo...his blood platelets dropped again.
Today he has to see another doctor because this weekend he had two very painful episodes where he was double over in pain in the top part of his stomach. They are going to run some tests to see what is causing these episodes, so again your prayers are very much needed and appreciated.
Will keep you updated. God is good and I know Kevin will be fine...but need to spend some time in God’s high tower while He fights this battle for us!
Sept 8: Going back to the Cancer Treatment Center for more tests. They are doing a CT scan and other tests.
Sept 9: Test results back. All good! EKG was good. Scans of liver, gall bladder, and other organs all good! His gall bladder was a little enlarged, but it was not inflamed, so doc said he wants to just watch him. If he has another attack, we are to contact them right away...but I do not think there will be another one. I believe God has already taken care of it.
By the way, the internal medicine doctor said his liver looked good. It had shrunk in size and density. It was a CT scan so he couldn't tell us if the cancer was completely gone, but he said what he could see looked good. Thank you for your prayers!
Sept 15: Kevin is getting his 8th round of chemo today and for the first time I am not with him. (I have some medical issues that now that Kevin is better...I need to tend to...so saving up some leave time at work.)
He called me though and said his CEA (tumor markers) were down to 48!!! His blood platelets were up so they are giving a full dose of chemo; however, his red blood cell count is down, so he gets to go through the 10 day Neumega shot routine again.
It blew him up like a water balloon last time so he is definitely not looking forward to it. However they are going to let him take lasix and may be even teach me to give it to him at home, so he better be very nice to me :-)
Thank you for the prayers! 8 down 4 more to go!
September 22: Oncologist called today. He finally got a chance to review Kevin's liver scans. He was very pleased! Said his liver weighs significantly less than in May. A sure sign the tumors are dissolving in his liver! We give God all the praise and glory!
Neumega shots starting to cause Kevin to swell again...even with the Lasix...so appreciate your continuing prayers.
October 2:
Kevin is doing really well on his “off weeks” (he gets chemo every other week), but his chemo weeks are getting harder on him. This last Tues was round 9 and it made him very fatigued and nauseous. He also has to have 10 more days of Neumaga shots which are continuing to make him swell up like a balloon and making him pretty miserable.
Doc said that he will keep him on the shots until he finishes all 12 rounds. CEA was down to 45. Best news is that the doctor talked more with Kevin about his liver scan and stated that Kevin’s liver look “normal”. How exciting is that!
Now I’m asking you for prayer for me too. I went to the doctor last Monday and she set me up for surgery on the 12th. I have had 2 fibroid tumors for a long time and was told 5 years ago I needed a hysterectomy, but I’m a coward when it comes to surgery and I have been putting it off and living with the symptoms all these years.
The symptoms got worse in July and I told my doctor that after Kevin got through chemo I would check into getting something done. However, the aggravating tumors are going through a serious growth spurt and causing all kinds of problems...so I guess I going to have to face my fears and get it took care of...now...not later...according to my doctor.
So your prayers are very much appreciated and desired on the 12th. Also, if you try to contact me, I’ll be out of pocket for a couple of days around that date.
I want to share something else with you. 2010 will go down in my memory book as the hardest most precious year of my life. I have faced many things this year...but through it all I have grown closer to my Lord and Saviour.
He has shown me time and time again how much He loves me...through the precious people I have met through this site, through amazing the doctors with Kevin’s progress, through everyday little things that lets me know I am on His.
Through it all, I have learned to trust in Jesus and stand upon His Word. I’ve learned that He is with me on the mountain and in the valley. I’ve learned the best way to stand is on my knees. Most of all...I have learned that living life wrapped up in Jesus is the best way to live life to the fullest!
Oct 15:
Surgery went well. Thank you for the prayers! Kevin continues to improve daily. He decided to postpone 10th round of chemo until next week, so he could take care of me this week.
Oct 21:
Recovering nicely...still sore...but off of pain meds now :-)
Kevin went to Oncologist Tues. He had to go through one more folfiri chemo treatment, but since his tumor makers are staying the same and rising a little, Doc is going to stop chemo and do a Pet scan in 2 weeks, but he did tell him he felt confident now of his recovery, so Kevin could get a magazine subscription if he wanted. I think he has finally figured out what we have known all along...that God is not finished with Kevin yet :-)
Your Sister in Christ,
Vickey
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