Living with Stage IV Colon Cancer

April 11, 2010: Home Health nurse came yesterday. She had papers the hospital had faxed to her. One was the Oncologist report. She let me read it. It says Kevin has stage IV Colon Cancer and that it was inoperative and incurable and something about life expectancy is 2+ years. Totally blew me away. They didn't tell us anything like that in the hospital.

I never even thought to ask what stage his cancer was and would not have know what it meant even if they had told me. Today I have done a little research on the internet regarding stage IV colon cancer and what I read made my heart hurt again and scared me so I stopped reading and started reading what you wonderful people have sent me since the beginning of this nightmare.

I am very thankful for all the scriptures, encouraging emails, and beautiful cards, you...my brothers and sisters in Christ...have sent me. You reminded me God is in control and He is still in the miracle working business.

April 14: Kevin is improving daily. Home health nurses say his open wounds look very good and are starting to close. He is gaining strength and his appetite is better.

I had a case manager from my insurance call me yesterday. She was very nice and supportive. She said they would like to set Kevin up an appointment for an evaluation at MD Anderson Hospital in Houston as his cancer is so advanced. Do any of you know anything about this hospital? I want Kevin to have the best care possible, but it would be an expensive trip down there so we told her we would need to think about it. Please help us pray about it.

I stay encouraged and keep my eyes on Jesus most of the time. Then there are times when I get scared such as yesterday after the case manager's call and all I can do is cry and beg God not to take Kevin away from me.

I had an abusive first marriage and then God sent Kevin into my life almost 13 years ago. You've heard of love at first sight? Well it was that and more with Kevin. We met in September 1997 and were married April 1998. It has been a wonderful 12 years!

Kevin tells me every day how much he loves me and treats me like I'm made of gold or something. If you have a marriage like that...do not take it for granted! I had never experienced this toe-curling all-consuming love like I have with Kevin, so I have never took for granted how blessed I am to have someone like him. I have daily thanked God for putting such a wonderful Christian man in my life.

So...brothers and sisters...we need a very special miracle and one God is so able to give. With all of us praying, I know God is just and merciful and will answer our prayers and let me grow old with the man that all my dreams are made of.

April 16: Went to the see the surgeon today. He took out Kevin's drain bag and looked at his other two open wounds and said they looked exceptional well!

He said that he will have to keep him on the wound vac till he puts him back together again. Well, last time we talked to the surgeon, he said it would probably be at least 6 months till he reconnected his colon, so I thought I had to have misunderstood him. I asked him when he thought he would be able to reconnect him and he said probably June or July. Yeah!

We feel really encouraged today. Thank you for all the VERY encouraging emails and cards....especially your cancer-survivor testimonies. This scripture has been so real to me today:

And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:7

April 19: Got to go to church this weekend for the first time in over 6 weeks. We sit in a little alcove outside the pastor's study as there was a couch in there for Kevin to lie down on when he got too tired to sit.

We were both so happy to finally be in church, we cried the whole time :-) (Another thing not to take for granted...the strength and health to go to church.)

Kevin is doing better every day! He has days when he doesn't sleep very well and is pretty weak the next day, but overall is gaining strength daily.

He is still losing weight though. Every time he steps on the scale he's lost a couple more pounds. He has a good appetite and is eating well. I asked the doctor about and he said it would even out after awhile. I hope so. He can't wear any of his pants he wore before he went to the hospital. Have had to buy some smaller clothes, but don't want to buy much as I hope he will start gaining some of his weight back soon...so I have to wash his new clothes often :-)

Thank you for your prayers. They are soooo appreciated!

April 22: Kevin gained 3 pounds! He is improving daily. We even went to church last night and got to sit out in the sanctuary. It was so wonderful to worship and praise our Lord with some of our brothers and sisters in Christ. God is in control and working miracles!

Even his home health nurses are amazed at the rate his open wounds are healing. Monday his big wound was 5cm deep...Wednesday it was 4 cm deep! Praising Him through our storm!

We are going to Cancer Treatment Centers of America in Tulsa tomorrow for our first day of evaluations and appointments. Will let you know how it goes. Keep us in prayer. We know God's ways are so much greater than man's ways, but are a little apprehensive on what we will hear.

April 28: Just a quick note before I head off to work. Our first round of evaluations at the Cancer Treatment Center yesterday went very well. I was very impressed with the place and the people we seen. They were very positive and upbeat. They said they treat the person not the cancer. Nice change!

They are going to do more testing Thursday. One is a PET scan that will tell if Kevin's cancer has spread anywhere else besides his liver...so please say a prayer for us that all is well :-)

We then meet with the main Oncologist Friday to discuss all the results and what treatment plan we want to follow.

Thank you for your prayers and encouragement. I know I sound like a stuck record with that statement, but only God knows how much your prayer, cards, and emails have encouraged and touched Kevin and I. Thank you...from the bottom of my heart...thank you!

April 30: Well we received good news and bad news from the Oncologist. Good news is that the cancer has not spread beyond his liver. Praise God!

The bad news is that the cancer is a lot worse in the liver than they originally thought. The Oncologist wants to start chemo as soon as possible. Kevin said he thought he couldn't start the chemo with him on the wound vac and anyway his surgeon had moved up the reconnecting date to June now. The Oncologist said he might not be around in June if they didn't do something now.

Pretty harsh...huh? Didn't think we could handle more bad news and at first it did scare and discouraged us...but then all the wonderful promises of God that you guys have been sending us started flooding our minds and washed the fear and doubt away.

We remember Who is in control of this situation...Who holds us in the palms of His hands. All is well. Kevin will not have the reconnecting surgery in June now...maybe sometime this fall...but that is okay. God has a reason for everything and He has a plan for Kevin and me.

May 3: Kevin seen his surgeon today. He said his wound looks great and may close in about 6 weeks. Yeah!

He also release him to drive and do my little "Honey-Do" chores. Yeah! :-)

Enjoying our daily walk with Jesus!

May 9: Happy Mother's Day everyone! My husband surprised me with a beautiful card on the refrigerator this morning :-) Made me cry!

Sorry about not updating this week, it has been quite a week. Our water went off Tuesday and they didn't get it working until Saturday morning, so every night Kevin and I went to my mom's house and took showers and hauled water back to our house for the essentials like "flushing the toilets"...was very rough week...will never take running water for granted again :-)

Kevin is doing amazing! His home health nurses said they have never seen a wound heal at the speed Kevin's is. One of them told Kevin he was the best healer they had seen...Kevin told them...No, he just knew the best "Healer".

Kevin is also getting so much stronger. He even drove himself to the Cancer Treatment Center Thursday which is a 128 mile round trip. I was kind of nervous and made him call me when he left our house, in the middle of his trip, and when he got there...same going home. He did just fine :-)

We go back tomorrow to get everything started with his chemo. They will be putting a port in someday this week. The surgeon said it will be an outpatient surgery, but they still have to put him to sleep. So glad he is stronger.

Thank you for all the encouraging emails this week! We are really feeling blessed to belong to such a great family of God.

Your Sister in Christ,

Vickey Boatright

Next Page: Getting started on chemo and learning to walk in failth.

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