Yesterday, February 4, 2009, we spent 9 hours at the University Hospital. We took care of the check-in process at 6:30 and Lois started drinking the “glow juice” for the CT Scan about 6:45. By 8:30 the CT Scan was done and we began waiting to get blood drawn (they use Lois’ port) for the lab work. We met with Dr. Halfdanarson , the attending Oncologist we have been working with since June, and learned the CT Scan didn’t reveal much to him. The radiology team will look at the scan and finalize a report within the next 3-4 weeks and could come to a different conclusion.

Lois’ CEA number went up again. (CEA stands for Carcinoembryonic Antigen and is a type of protein molecule that can be found in many different cells of the body, but is typically associated with certain cancers.) The CEA number has gone from 4.8 in November, to 7.9 on December 24, 10.1 on January 21, and yesterday was 15.1. This indicates that cancer is growing somewhere – the logical conclusion is the liver – but we don’t know for sure.

We made no changes in the Chemo “cocktail.” There just isn’t enough data to make decisions. The Infusion Center was busy and we didn’t get the drips started until almost noon. Lois had her “fanny pack pump” hooked up and we left about 3:30 to drive home. Lois is tired and the neuropathy in her hands and feet is there all the time; she has the “chemo cold” – lots of sinus drainage, but those continue to be the extent of her reactions to the drugs. We are very thankful for this and recognize God’s generous gift of grace in this area.

Dr. Halfdanarson placed Lois in a new study which involves taking some of the frozen tissue from the tumor they removed last May and sending it to a lab in California. They grow cultures and then test different Chemo drugs to determine reactions and efficacy. We should start seeing information from that study in 6-8 weeks and may make adjustments to the Chemo “cocktail” based on that data.

The Oncology team and Infusion Center staff assure us we are doing everything possible to try to stay ahead of the cancer. Living in the ambiguity of knowing that cancer is on the move in Lois’ body but not being able to do anything about it –yet – is difficult. “But we trust in you, O Lord; we say, ‘You are our God.’ Our times are in your hands . . . “ (Ps 31:14-15)

Thanks for your continued love and prayer.

On January 21, 2009, her birthday, Lois received Chemo Infusion #15. The IV drips and “fanny pack” pump delivered the drugs without any surprises. Lois continues to deal with the “chemo cold,” continuously dripping sinuses and a cough, and the neuropathy in her hands and feet but those are slight inconveniences compared to the side effects others experience.

The blood work on Wednesday did show an increase in the CEA number. (CEA stands for Carcinoembryonic Antigen and is a type of protein molecule that can be found in many different cells of the body, but is typically associated with certain cancers.) The CEA number has gone from 4.8 in November, to 7.9 on December 24 and is now 10.1. The result of this finding is that the next full exam, CT Scan, lab work, and consultation has been moved up a month to February 4. Hopefully we’ll find out what this means. Conventional wisdom indicates that something is changing with the tumors or in some lymph nodes.

Thanks for praying!

We drove to Iowa City late in the afternoon on Tuesday. The weather forecast was for more snow that night and we didn’t want to try to drive that distance in order to be at the University Hospital at 7:30! We woke Wed to 2 inches of snow on top of a skim of ice. The trip from the hotel to the hospital was interesting. . .

Lois drank the first installment of “glow juice” for the CT Scan at 7:30 and the second at 8:20. By 8:45 we were in the Oncology clinic waiting for her labs to be drawn. Then it was the wait for the CT Scan to be “read” and the lab work to be completed.

When we compared the CT Scan from 8 weeks ago to the new one, there were some slight but seemingly insignificant changes. The lab work indicated the CEA count had moved from 4.8 four weeks ago, to 7.9. However the Drs indicated this happens sometimes during a treatment regimen and they didn’t seem too concerned.

At the last testing and consultation the end of October, it was decided to change the Chemo “cocktail” by subtracting the Oxaliplatin and the bolus of 5FU. Now the Drs. have added the bolus of 5FU back to the “cocktail” for the next four Chemo infusions. That bolos has never resulted in any side effects that we know of and is a relatively quick (3 minute) injection at the end of the three hour drips of Leucovorine and Avastin. Lois continues to have the 5FU pump for 46 hours. Home health care comes to the Infusion unit to “hook” her up and also seems to arrive at our house on time to “unhook” the pump. Or, as we jokingly refer to this, Lois is ported and deported every two weeks!

Thanks for your partnership in prayer.

Have a great celebration of Christ’s birth!

Today Lois received Chemo Infusion number eleven. The first thing that happens when we arrive at the UIHC (University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics) is lab work. An RN accesses the port in Lois’ upper right chest and draws blood. She is weighed, her blood pressure is taken and they update her general condition during the past two weeks. All this data is used to prepare and adjust the amounts of Chemo drugs and the length of time required to infuse them into Lois’ system.

The Lab work on the blood is especially important as it produces a report which covers thirty different items. One of the blood reports the oncology team is specifically interested in is the CEA number. CEA stands for Carcinoembryonic Antigen and is a type of protein molecule that can be found in many different cells of the body, but is typically associated with certain cancers. Lois’ CEA level was as high as 20 just a few months ago but in the past two weeks it fell to 4.8. That is within “normal” range!

Both the oncologists we saw were very pleased with that number – and so are we. This is a definitive answer to prayer. Not only have the tumors stopped growing, they are no longer throwing off carcinogens which show up in this CEA marker!

Lois continues to respond to Chemo without any major side effects – something that amazes the medical staff who attend to her every two weeks.  We are scheduled for another Chemo infusion on Dec 10 and then on Dec 24 (that’s right, Christmas Eve!) we are scheduled for a major round of testing including a CT Scan and Oncology Team evaluation.

We are reminded that surgery to remove the tumors is still not an option and that we face Chemo infusions every two weeks for the foreseeable future. However, we are confident that God is using the wisdom of the medical community to accomplish His will in and through Lois and our whole family.

We ask you to rejoice with us regarding this good report even as you continue to pray.

We continue to be amazed at God’s grace! He is answering prayer daily as we see Lois experiencing such a wonderful measure of health and strength in spite of the cancer and chemo drugs.

What a testimony to God’s faithfulness as each time we arrive at the Infusion Center, the nurses and medical techs marvel at how Lois’ body is responding to all the chemo drugs. The expected reactions and side effects are so light that it really is a miracle.

What else should we expect? God is working out his will in our lives no matter what. With cancer or without cancer we are committed to lives of humble obedience, waiting on His direction in all things. In all of this we are reminded of 1 Corinthians 1:7-9 from The Message:

Just think-you don’t need a thing, you’ve got it all! All God’s gifts are right in front of you as you wait expectantly for our Master Jesus to arrive on the scene for the Finale. And not only that, but God himself is right alongside to keep you steady and on track until things are all wrapped up by Jesus. God, who got you started in this spiritual adventure, shares with us the life of his Son and our Master Jesus. He will never give up on you. Never forget that.

We had a great time in Colorado and arrived home on Monday evening so we could spend one night in our own bed. Tuesday, Oct 28, we drove to Iowa City to stay the night since we needed to be at the hospital by 6:30 am on Wednesday. This was the appointment for the once-every-eight-weeks check-up, evaluation, and consultation as well as Chemo Infusion #9.

All the results of the lab work were encouraging.  Although Lois’ hemoglobin is on the low side of normal, the Dr wasn’t concerned. The CT Scan showed the tumors in the liver looked the same as they did the first week of September – when she had the last Scan. The tumors have not grown but have not shrunk. The biggest one in the liver looks black which they say is a good sign. The spot on the lung has not changed.

Based on all this, the Oncology team decided to change the “chemo cocktail” for the next four infusions. The Oxaliplatin is being subtracted and “put back in the arsenal” so they can use it again if the tumors begin growing. This is the drug which has caused Lois to be extremely sensitive to cold – especially touching cold items and eating/drinking cold food. It has also been the source of the slight neuropathy she has experienced in her hands and feet. We are especially thankful that Lois can be off this during the cold months!

We will continue to travel to the University Hospital every two weeks for infusions of Avastin and Leucovorine. Since Lois is no longer on the Oxaliplatin they were able to double the dose of Leucovorine. Lois will also continue the “fanny pack pump” infusion of Fluorouracil, which is also called 5FU, which is started at the hospital after the other infusions are done and then runs for 46 hours at which time a home-health nurse comes to our house to disconnect. (We joking say that Lois is “deported” every two weeks!)

Both of us are confident that God is working miracles. Every day is a miracle! The results of this Scan and the accompany lab work continue to increase our hope for the future. We were hoping the tumors would shrink but know that God is in control.

Many thanks for praying for Lois and me and our whole family.  We continue to be overwhelmed by your friendship.

On Wednesday, October 15, Lois received the eighth infusion of Chemo drugs. We received another miracle in the continuous flow of answered prayer as there were no unusual reactions.

The cooler weather is causing some challenges with the extreme sensitivity to cold that comes with one of the drugs but Lois is coping. In fact, she is doing so well that we are leaving after church tomorrow, Oct 19, and will have supper with her brother and his wife in Omaha. We will then travel on to Colorado and spend Tuesday evening and Wednesday with my Aunt Harriet in Montrose before driving to Colorado Springs where I will attend the CareGivers Forum and Lois will spend the days with her sister, Beth. We’ll arrive back home on Monday night, October 27.

On Wednesday, October 29 we begin the day of tests, evaluations and consultations at 7 a.m. in Iowa City. We are trusting the Lord to give the doctors continued wisdom in planning further treatments.

Thanks for praying!

Lois and I feel as if we are living in a miracle. That was confirmed again on Wednesday, Oct 1, when Lois had Chemo infusion #7 and, as in the past, she experienced no serious reactions! That is a miracle!

At one point, as the infusion was taking place on Wednesday afternoon, there were four nurses standing at the door mostly incredulous that Lois is holding up so well. All the medical professionals are smiling when they see us and comment often about Lois’ positive attitude, increasing strength, and capacity for dealing with the slight neuropathy she does experience in her hands and feet.

We repeatedly give God credit for the miracle we are living.  What a privilege to represent Him to people who become so jaded with suffering and death.

We also rejoice in the miracle of new life. Natalie Jean was born September 25th to our daughter Kari and Jeremy Hamilton. She joins her big sister, Sarah who just turned two a few weeks ago. Natalie weighed 6 lbs 8 oz and was 20 inches long. On September 30 she was already back to her birth weight! Kari was able to deliver naturally even though they induced labor. Everyone came home on Saturday, Sept 27.

Yesterday, September 17, we had Chemo infusion number six. Everything went very well. Lois’ blood pressure is down – that’s a definite answer to prayer. The Dr still wants to see the BP closer to “normal” but we were all relived to know that prayer (and the medication) is working.

Lois had no discernable side effects to the infusion. She does get an IV bag of minerals (we laughingly call them her “rocks”) and she eats two Tums every hour to boost her calcium. At least once per hour (the infusion takes a little over four hours) Lois grabs the “tree” holding all the bags of fluids and drugs and goes for a walk. The Drs and nurses are amazed that she isn’t experiencing side effects. It’s another opportunity to give God credit.

On the way home (an hour and 45 min drive) we stopped to see my Mom, Clarice, who is doing better than we expected at the Manor House Care Center in Sigourney, IA. Lois kept moving once we arrived home and is doing well this morning.

We respond with a personalization of Philippians 1:18-21 from the Message:

“So how are we to respond? We’ve decided that we really don’t care about the cancer; whether mixed, bad, or indifferent. Every time the subject comes up, Christ is proclaimed, so we just cheerfully go on!

And we’re going to keep that celebration going because we know how it’s going to turn out. Through your faithful prayers and the generous response of the Spirit of Jesus Christ, everything he wants to do in and through Lois will be done. We can hardly wait to continue on this course. We don’t expect to be embarrassed in the least. On the contrary, everything happening to Lois in this cancer journey only serves to make Christ more accurately known, regardless of whether she lives or dies. Cancer hasn’t defeated us! Alive, she’s Christ’s messenger; dead, she’s his bounty. Life versus even more life! We can’t lose.”

Thanks for praying for and with us!

“And our hope for you is firm, because we know that just as you share in our sufferings, so also you share in our comfort.” 2 Corinthians 1:7

Wednesday, September 3, started off with lab work and then a 90 minute wait for the CT scan. Unlike many of the patients around us, Lois didn’t struggle with drinking the “glow juice” but the area was crowded and we ended up sitting on a window ledge for a long time. At 11 am we found a cafeteria serving baked potatoes with all the fixins’ and Lois was relieved to be able to eat something.

“Hurry up and wait” seemed to be the word for the day as we waited in the oncology clinic for another 90 minutes.  Both Drs. Iyengar and Halfdanarson walked into the exam room at different times and started with similar words: “Finally we have some good news!”

The CT scan showed the tumors have not grown and some of them even look smaller.  It shows the liver is smaller and in the physical exam it definitely feels softer. That, combined with best numbers yet on the lab work, is evidence that the cancer is no longer increasing.  For us – and you – it is evidence of answered prayer!

Once again, a suspicious spot showed up in the lower lobe of the right lung but even if it is cancer, the chemo treatments should be attacking it as effectively as the cancer in the liver and the Drs. are not overly concerned.  If the spot is still visible when the next CT scan is done, there will be more discussion about what to do.

The Oncology Drs. sent us right to the Infusion center for another round of Chemo. For the next four infusions there will be no change in the Chemo cocktail.  The infusion process took until 5:30 pm and Lois had no reactions this time. Another answer to prayer!

We waited to leave the Infusion Center until everyone was comfortable and Lois was all hooked up to the fanny pack chemo pump which will continue to push drugs into her system for 46 hours.

Going to Iowa City will remain on our calendar every-other week for the foreseeable future.  On October 29 Lois will have another marathon day of testing and the combination of Chemo drugs will be re-evaluated.

Because you have so wonderfully shared in the tough news we have dealt with since May, we wanted you to also share in our comfort. God is in control. We don’t know what will happen tomorrow but we rejoice in His presence and help today.  Again, thanks for praying!