New Year; New Challenges

Dear Friends and Family,

Can you believe it is 2014?  I still haven’t gotten used to 2013 and it is GONE!  Each year I am more and more convinced that at some point, some new genius will discover a new principle of physics that PROVES that time changes and speeds up; thus, whatever is the “norm” when we are younger, gains in momentum through the years.  

Once again, it has been too long since I wrote an update and things have changed a bit.  I think I felt like things were in flux and kept waiting for a resolution.  Although one still has not arrived  I should still keep all of you who are so faithfully praying for us, better informed.

The last blog update I did was in late Sept.  At that time, Dan  had 7 tumors in his brain treated with the stereotactic radiation.  We are very grateful for this procedure but somewhat concerned at the number of new tumors so rapidly popping up.

Because of the increase in number and quickness, the oncology-radiologist had us return in 2 months.  It is imperative to catch these tumors early, when they are tiny, so that this treatment can be effective with minimal collateral damage.

We returned to NY for 3 more weeks of glorious fall.  The weather cooperated and we very much enjoyed the extra time there.  I honestly cannot remember if our last kayak trip happened right before we made this quick trip home or right afterward.  But we had a great time enjoying the fellowship and the outdoors.  A big plus was having a huge, delicious breakfast at The Hedges on Blue Mt. Lake.  They let us put in from the lodge and we paddled down the lake to Eagle Lake and then just barely into Utowana Lake, far enough to see several sea planes take off and land.  They were giving folks from a conference center scenic rides around the Adirondacks. 

The ABC Ladies (and friends) ready for our Blue Mt. Lake Kayak Trip 

(that's my awesome kayak in the background :-) )

The Men needed to be represented too!

This was taken from the porch of the main lodge at The Hedges. They were kind enough to let us put in from their front beach.

That's me on the right, getting ready to paddle from Blue Mt. Lake into Eagle Lake, I think.  It was such a gorgeous day!

As we came into Utowana Lake from Eagle Lake, we came upon several sea planes taking customers for scenic rides.

We sat and watched them take off and land for a little while before returning to The Hedges and then back to Speculator.

A little taste of the color we were treated to on our trip.

After our kayak trip, a few of us had a bonfire on the lakeshore of one of our friend’s camp.  What a great day!

But it seems all good things have to come to an end and eventually we had to pack up and leave our little piece of “Paradise”.  It is always so sad to leave, even though we have a great home to come back to and good friends here.  We are so fortunate!!

After being home for 3 weeks, we had unpacked, only to repack for a trip to Florida to visit my mom.  She is too far away and we don’t get down there often enough!  We had a really good visit and tried to make the most of our short time there.  We got to visit friends on the way there and on the way home so that made the long trip more palatable.  

My mom's good friend, Ruth, with Dan in the John Knox Village Dining Room.

Mom and me on the other side of the table.

Out to Wendy's for chile and a "Frostie" for a light supper. Both of these ladies are 94. I think they are amazing!

Once home, it was back to reality and time for more tests and as it turns out, more radiation.  When Dan’s first MRI was done, they saw 2 tumors for sure and possibly a third. We were encouraged b/c we had been hoping that eventually the Avastin would curtail the growth of tumors in his brain.  While it is unusual for chemo to have that effect, Avastin had seemed to prevent it when he was on it two years earlier, so we were hoping it would again.  When they compared it to the HD MRI, however, it was not 3 but 8 tumors that had to be dealt with.  Needless to say, we were disappointed.  The radiation was scheduled for the following week.  

The day before his appointment, we got a call telling us that we would need to reschedule because the giant machine that is the source of treatment was “down”.  Always before, Dan could have all of the tumors dealt with in one day, but now, b/c of the number of them and b/c there would be such a big backlog of patients to be treated, they would have to break it up into two days.  

The first 4 tumors were treated on the following Tuesday and the second appointment was scheduled for early Friday morning.  On that day, a large winter storm was predicted.  We were very concerned his treatment would be delayed yet again.  We called the office and asked how we would know if we should come or not.  They assured us that if the county did not close the roads to traffic, THEY would be there, but we were to use our own judgment regarding our safety and to just let them know.  That relieved my anxiety somewhat…..but we both still wanted it all finished.

Thankfully, the storm was just beginning when we took off and we were able to get him in and out fast enough to get home before the roads got really bad.

I know this doesn't look like much to you Adirondackers out there, but for SW Ohio, this is a lot of snow!

Most folks here don't have a clue how to drive in snow and ice and while the D.O.T. has equipment, they don't have the same volume of equipment so clearing doesn't happen as fast or regularly, making for dicier driving.

His next MRI is scheduled for February 4th.  Please pray that the explosion of brain tumors will recede.

Meanwhile, we were blessed with wonderful holiday celebrations of Thanksgiving and Christmas with family and friends.  Our Thanksgiving included our family and our daughter-in-law’s parents.  We had a lovely, relaxed day together with lots of great food.  The grandkids are getting older and while I hate to see them growing up so fast, it does make dinner time more enjoyable :-)

The table is ready to set......

Although my granddaughters were unable to help me prepare the food this year, the cranberries still got cooked.  It just wasn't quite as much fun.

Christmas prep was greatly condensed by the late Thanksgiving and then additionally by my becoming ill for 4 days right after Thanksgiving with the worst stomach flu I have had in a very long while.  Thankfully, Dan only got a slight tinge of it!   It seems like we barely got the house dressed up for Christmas and it was OVER!

On the Sunday before Christmas, as we were getting ready for church, I happened to notice something on Dan’s back…..and went to look closer.  It was a fairly large tumor on the right side of his back about half way up.  I was shocked…..well, we were both surprised.   I wanted him to call the oncologist right away but he did not want to, insisting that we wait until after Christmas.  I did not necessarily “agree” but understood.  He already had his regular two week appointment with his oncologist set up and decided that was soon enough.

For us, Christmas included our church’s Christmas Cantata, visits from South Carolina friends, Dan’s extended family’s Christmas Gathering the Saturday before Christmas, our Bible Study’s Christmas Party at our home, the Christmas Eve Candlelight Service at our church, caroling at our son’s house with my brother, sister-in-law (who drove all the way from Iowa!)  and some friends from church, the whole family at our home for Christmas Dinner and presents, and another visit from NY friends.  Below are some photos from our Christmas Celebrations:

This group of cousins is now officially the most "senior" generation of the Rehme Clan.  We gathered in Indianapolis (at Chris and Brenda's home) the Saturday before Christmas.

Emma

Matthew

and Morgan all working hard at decorating Mimi's sugar cookies.  They hung in there and finished all of them for our traditional "punch and cookies" after opening presents on Christmas Day.

Jim, Alyca and Dan sitting down to Christmas Eve Brunch of apples, bacon, raisin bran muffins and cheese soufflé'.

Alyca insisted on taking a photo of the two of us in front of the tree.  I had not quite finished dinner prep, thus the apron.  The kids were MORE than ready for dinner b/c they knew presents were right after the meal :-)

One of our traditions is to have a gingerbread house.  It sits proudly on our hunt board from Thanksgiving until Christmas.

As soon as all of the "official" festivities are over, the gingerbread house is fair game.  The kids are ready to dig in and yes, they really do eat some of it......just not much.  It is pretty stale by this time :-) 

(Notice the BIG KID in the back)

On the morning of New Year’s Eve, we headed to the oncologist’s office.  I have to admit that I was pretty concerned.  I was worried that the tumor would be an indication that the Avastin was not effective enough and they would stop that treatment.  I thought we had already tried all of the other known kidney cancer treatments.  Well, I was right…….and I was wrong.

Dr. Crane was very surprised to see the tumor.  He always listens to Dan’s lungs and this tumor was right were he would be placing the stethoscope so it seemed it had popped up rather quickly.  As I imagined, he did take Dan off the Avastin, but said there were several other things we could try.  So Dan is now on a drug called “Votrient” (brand name) or pazopanib (generic).  It is an oral drug, which is great….doesn’t require an IV stick every two weeks….but our experience with oral chemo has not been good so that makes it harder to be hopeful.

Dan is still struggling with excessive back pain, trying to moderate it with powerful meds that he resists taking; and trying to figure out the source of stomach or esophagus pain.  Currently he is on 3 meds to help that with little results.  If this last med doesn’t help, he will soon be having a scope to SEE what is going on there. 

There is little to report on my medical issues.  The one extensive and expensive diagnostic tool the cardiologist wanted to use was rejected by my insurance company and I’m not sure what the next step is.  I meet with him again on Jan. 7th.  I have done very little in strenuous physical activity since that episode last April but was told I could begin exercising again, very slowly at first.

Because of Dan’s back issues, we cancelled our ski trip out west and  I am a bit embarrassed to say that skiing was pretty much my motivation to seriously exercise….so I have pretty much been a couch potato.  But now I’m FEELING that and am purposing to do better.  I promise to report on that in my next update so you all can hold me “accountable”  :-)

With each setback we are tempted to be  discouraged, but God is not only faithful, He is faithful to remind us of His faithfulness!  We remember the grim prognosis given to us 5  1/2 years ago of 3 to 6 months life expectancy and marvel at His mercy and power.  Each one of us is totally in His hands, and NOT relying on our own wisdom or skill  or the effectiveness of doctors or chemo.  If we are discouraged, it should be in our slowness of truly LEARNING this truth rather than in medical setbacks!

When I was catching up with friends via Facebook today, I saw a post from a former pastor’s wife that talked about goals for 2014.  I know she won’t mind if I co-opt her goals and make them mine as well.  This is what she posted:

(taken from Colossians 3:1-17)  My prayer for 2014 is that I will truly fix my mind on things above- and with His help, put off all the old sinful habits that creep into my life and bring dishonor to God. Then I want to put on that whole list of wonderful God-honoring traits- letting His peace rule in my heart, being thankful, letting God's Word fill my mind and heart- living in such a way that brings Him glory. God help me keep this resolution! 

So…that was the rest of 2013 and the opening of 2014 for the McCabes.  I am very grateful for the beginning of a new year, for God’s sustaining hand on Dan and me and for wonderful, faithful, PRAYING friends like you!   Love,  Jodee (and Dan)

SETTING NEW RECORDS

Last night we were privileged to watch our daughter, Megan, be inducted into The Wyoming High School Hall of Fame along with 3 other outstanding athletes.  Each inductee was introduced by someone meaningful to them in their pursuit of athletic achievement who spoke highly of them, not only as athletes but as people.  In those introductions, they highlighted the many achievements the inductee had accomplished and that, of course, usually included setting multiple records in various sports.  Those are awesome achievements that we can understand and respect and if they were ours, we could and would be proud of them.

But there are some records that we'd prefer NOT to own. Dan achieved one of those yesterday.

We returned to Ohio on Monday (Sept. 16) so that Dan could get his diagnostic tests completed and have the radiation for the 2 + possibly a third tumor in his brain that they discovered on his regular follow-up MRI in late August.  In order to plot out the radiation they need a high definition CT scan which they merge with the MRI.  Often, they find new, smaller tumors when they do that test.

Just before returning we got a call from Dr. Breneman's nurse explaining that he would like Dan to have an additional MRI; one that included "spectroscopy" (whatever that is), in addition to the high definitions CT scan.  That possible third tumor could have been one of the earlier tumors that did not respond to the radiation, or some damage from the radiation and this special MRI would help them determine if it needed to be re-treated or allowed to heal.

So Wed. morning we left the house at 6:20 a.m. in order to assure that we could be at the Medical Arts Building at U.C. by 7:30.  They did the MRI there.  It took over an hour.  Dan said it was the longest MRI he had ever had.  Then we headed north to University Pointe (West Chester) where he donned his mask and they did the high def CT scan.

Later that afternoon, Dr. Breneman called to tell us that that all indications were that the "possible third tumor" was a tumor that had not been effectively taken care of by the previous radiation and was larger.   In addition to that, the high def CT scan revealed 4 new small tumors that had not been visible 4 weeks earlier.  So all 7 tumors would be zapped on Friday.

We were pretty disappointed.  We were so hoping that the Avastin would diminish the brain metastasis and that soon he would no longer require radiation treatments.  But then we were reminded that God is THE ONE who is in control....not the doctors and not the drugs.

Friday morning at 7:30 a.m. we dropped Cocoa off at the vet's for her annual shots and grooming and headed back to University Pointe for Dan's radiation treatment.  They had warned him that treating so many spots would take close to 3 hours but he wanted to get it over with so I brought along my iPad and some needlepoint to work on.  A friend ended up meeting me for coffee for much of the waiting time and that really helped the time go faster for me.    Dan said that they gave him a short break after each 2 tumors so he could move a little.

After the treatment which did last just about 3 hours, we met with Dr. Warnick, the neurosurgeon who plots out the radiation along with Dr. Breneman, the oncology radiologist.  He explained what they did and why, noting that according to their count, Dan had just had his 49th brain tumor radiated and for his 22 years of practice, that was a NEW RECORD!  (yay?.....not so much.....)  But wait...maybe we really SHOULD be cheering.  After all, how many people have 49 brain tumors and survive, much less, get to joke about it?  In truth, we are so grateful for this procedure and still amazed by it!!  Not all that long ago, the only treatment that would have been available was whole head radiation and there is no way Dan could have survived, much less gotten by with no collateral damage!!

So after his virtual brain surgery, we called Meg, who was in between appointments, and arranged to meet her for lunch.  Then at 5:30 p.m. we gathered in the lobby of the high school and watched our daughter receive her honors.  (photos at the bottom)

It would be easy to focus on the negatives here...but when we look at where we have been over the last almost 6 years, there is mostly thanksgiving and praises.  Thanksgiving for loving and supportive family, for competent and caring doctors and other medical personnel; for amazingly loyal and committed friends, but mostly for a loving and merciful God who understands suffering and disappointment and chooses to walk through it all with each of us....not merely to comfort us, although He does do that, but to teach us and grow us in ways we never would have otherwise.

So now, after church on Sunday morning and getting to watch our grandson, Matthew, play a football game in the afternoon, we will pack up and head back to NY for our last 3 weeks.  It has gotten pretty chilly there but we are still hoping for a few days of Indian Summer for another kayak trip or two, along with some serious Hands and Feet competition, a couple of campfires and maybe even a few games of Dominos.

Once again we thank each of you for sharing this journey with us.  There is an old adage that says something like, "Many hands make light work."  I'd adjust that a little bit to say, "Many hearts make a lighter burden."   Thank you so much for sharing your hearts with us.    And please keep praying for us to be able to follow Paul's admonition in Philippians 4: 4-9

⁴ Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice. ⁵ Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; ⁶ do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. ⁷ And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

⁸ Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. ⁹ What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me—practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you.

Jodee and Dan

Below are a few photos of Megan's special evening.

The four new inductees:  Jill Westerfeld, Megan McCabe, Tim Marty and Ivan Fulton

Congratulatory bouquet from Mom and Dad

Meg with her proud brother, Tom (posed)

The "Keeping it REAL" brother-sister photo :-)

Proud Mom and Dad

Etched in Wyoming High School History 

Dear Friends and Family,

Wow!  The summer has come and GONE!  I’m still in amazement (sure to only increase!) at how fast the seasons are flying by these days!  Last you heard from us, it was early June and Dan had just had radiation on 10 small tumors in his brain.

Shortly after that, we saw his regular oncologist and he began Avastin treatments again.  [Avastin was the chemo that he was on for 2 years (2009 and 2010) which eventually suppressed the disease, giving him a remission.  After 2 years on that drug, it began to take a toll on his one good kidney and raised his blood pressure, so they had to take him off of it.]

There is no guarantee that Avastin will be as effective at suppressing the disease this time as it was the first time, but we are hopeful.  The side effects are minimal and Dan is able to enjoy a very good quality of life while taking this.  He receives it by IV once every 2 weeks.  The first time he was on this drug, it was through a clinical trial.  That meant that when we were in NY, he needed to come back to Cincinnati every 2 weeks to receive the treatment b/c of all the documentation that was required for the clinical trial.  Now that it has been approved for treatment for kidney cancer, he is able to receive it here in NY while we are here for the summer.  That has been a huge blessing!

SO....after the initial treatment of Avastin, we packed up our 3 grandchildren and headed to NY.  I’ll get into the summer goings-on later after I finish up the medical update.

In Aug., it was time for Dan’s regular whole body CT scan and bone scan to be done, as well as the MRI of his brain to check on the effectiveness of that last radiation treatment as well as for possible new tumors.  He also had finally gotten an appointment with a back specialist to see if there were anything that could be done to help relieve his back pain.  He went through a grueling two days of tests and doctor’s visits.  

The CT scan and bone scan showed no visible progression in the disease in the body (below the head), PRAISE GOD!  To be completely honest, I was hoping they would see improvement...a decrease, but the only things showing up right now are in the bones and I am just now remembering that the only way they can distinguish between healed or active spots is by seeing an increase in size.  So....there actually COULD be improvement that we cannot SEE.  

When they did the MRI of the brain, they found 2 new small tumors and one area that they have some questions about.  We are PRAISING GOD for only 2 new tumors!!  That is a WHOLE lot better than 10!!  Of course, when they do the high definition CT scan to merge with the MRI in order to plot out the exact locations, they often find one or two more...but even that would be a huge improvement!!  We are hoping that with more time on AVASTIN that even this will improve.

The back specialist said that surgery was not an option.  The cause of his pain is related to the compression fractures and the failed treatment he had several years ago.  As I understand it, the vertebrae are now tilted in such a way that they irritate a nerve causing it to be inflamed.  The back specialist sent Dan to a pain specialist who did an epidural.  The effectiveness can last anywhere from a few days to a year.  

He did get some relief but it seems to be ebbing away quickly.  He was also given some other medications to try for pain relief that hopefully will allow him to get by without taking narcotics, at least in the daytime, so he can continue to drive.  It might take a few weeks of trial and error to figure out the best combination, but we are hopeful.

We will be returning to Cincinnati in mid Sept. for the next radiation treatment.  

I think that covers all that we know right now.  Needless to say, we are so thankful for God’s mercy and grace that has been poured out for us.  There have been and still are, so many, many lessons we are learning along the way.  Lessons like the importance of “remembering”.  God instructed Israel to “REMEMBER” many times....for them to remember all the miraculous interventions he did throughout their history.  I used to wonder, “Why would he NEED to tell them that?  SURELY they would never forget!”  And yet in our own experience on this journey...with all the marvelous things God has done for us....we forget.  With many new challenges on this journey,  the emotions and fears can resurface and you would think we had never experienced God’s great mercy and love.  When that happens, one of the best things about having done this blog is that we can go back and reread what has happened and how amazingly God has provided over the last 6 years.  We then take those fearful thoughts captive ( 2 Corinthians 10:5).  

We continue to be exceedingly grateful for all the prayers and cards and emails...the LOVE that all of you give and give.  Thank you so much!

OK..I promised that I’d add the fun stuff at the end...so for those who are interested in a synopsis of our summer, here we go!

Tom and Karla were not able to join us in NY this summer and we missed having them, but we were blessed to have the grandchildren with us for a time.  They spent the night with us in Cincinnati before we drove here so that we could leave bright (well...OK...it was still pretty dark at 5:30 a.m.) and early the next day.   

We drove out here on a Wed.  The girls (Morgan and Emma) were going to Tapawingo that Sunday.  Morgan was going for one week;  Emma was staying for two.  Matthew stayed with Mimi and PopPop the whole 2 1/2 weeks!  He kept PopPop really busy!

Each morning we would go to camp.  Dan and I would attend chapel and Matthew would go to the children’s chapel (sort of like Vacation Bible School)  He was a bit unsure if he really wanted to go at first but once there he LOVED it!  As a matter of fact, the second week, he decided to go to “Chapter 2” as well.  That was the hour and half after the children’s program that was more recreation.  But after that, it was PopPop’s turn to entertain!  There was putt-putt and shuffleboard and tennis and arcade games....and then you started all over again!  Whew!! They came home late and HUNGRY!!

Morgan had a great time at Tapawingo.  She kinda wished she had signed up for 2 weeks but she had been unsure about what time demands would be for her club volleyball and they have to register for Tapawingo so early (like in November!) she was being careful.  Emma LOVED it, of course, and even got to celebrate her birthday there.  We made sure she got well celebrated at the cabin, too

My sister from Taiwan, Nancy, was able to be here for 4 weeks.   There was a lot going on and yet I still think she was able to get some rest and relaxation squeezed in.

The summer was full of more family and lots of friends visiting, WONDERFUL speakers at Camp of the Woods, reuniting with camp friends and our New York friends from neighborhood and church....and it even included a trip to the Upper Peninsula of Michigan for Family Camp with our Ohio Church Family.

We have yet to do our first kayak trip...NEED to get on that before the weather turns REALLY cold!  But we are so grateful the wonderful fellowship we have already had!

We are so thankful for the wonderful times we have had, the enjoyment of children, grandchildren, friends and extended family, the blessings of Tapawingo, Camp of the Woods, both of our "home" churches and Cedar Campus….blessings too numerous to count!!

Below are some snapshots of our summer blessings :-)

Morgan, just chillin' on the deck with Cocoa

Having fun fishing off the dock

  With all the windy days and rainy days, it was hard getting in a campfire, but somehow, we squeezed it in :-)  I know it doesn't look like much of a fire....but it was PERFECT for roasting marshmallows..really!  

Emma and Matthew had a blast jumping off the boat even though it was pretty chilly that day!

Sparklers made the campfire even more fun!

And of course, S'mores are a must...even amid the smoke!

Loons are one of our favorite sights (and sounds) on the lake

Two of my sisters, Nancy and Susan, relaxing on the deck.

Heading out onto Lake Pleasant one evening to watch the 4th of July Fireworks

Waiting patiently (or not so patiently) for the fireworks to begin.

Emma, our little gymnast.

 Cocoa loves the cabin too.

Enjoying Mimi's French Toast and Bacon Breakfast.

After chapel, it is time for Sticky Buns at The TeePee!

A balloon and cotton candy at Camp of the Wood's Monday night Carnival.  What more could a boy ask for?

Matthew greeting Morgan on her return from Tapawingo.  I think he might have missed his big sister a little.  :-)

This was a serious Dominos competition!

Mimi was teaching Morgan how to bake bread.  I think she's got the hang of it!

Morgan's efforts paid off.  They look pretty good, but they tasted even better.  YUM!

In our ever-continuing attempts to eat more "healthily", we celebrated sisters, Nancy's and Sue's 4th of July birthdays, brother Jim's 7th of July birthday and sister-in-law Alyca's July 22nd birthday with Black Bean Brownies.  They tasted a lot better than they sound and almost as good as they look.

Although Meg was on vacation up here, she couldn't take a break from training for The LOBSTERMAN Triathlon this Sept. 14th.  Here she is getting ready to swim across the lake and back with mom accompanying in a kayak to protect from boaters.

Another gorgeous evening at the lake.

This is Tibbits Auditorium where we spent most of our mornings praising God and hearing wonderful Bible Teachers.

Watching a sailing yacht go through the locks at Sault Ste. Marie.

Cedar Campus was the location for ECC's Family Camp in the upper peninsula of Michigan.

The sunrise view in front of our cabin at Family Camp this year.

ZAPPED!!

Dear Friends and Family,

As you know, the last high definition MRI and CT scans showed that Dan had 10 new tumors in his brain.  The oncology radiologist set up three appointments for stereotactic radiographic surgery (or "zapping the tumors" in lay terminology)  so that they could radiate all 10 without exhausting Dan or  causing too much pain for his back.  The procedure requires total stillness and that his head be encased in a form-fitted plastic mask and  literally bolted to the table.  With his back issues, they were not sure how long he could tolerate being immobilized.  

This past Tuesday, they did the first procedure and he did so well, they were able to do 5 of the 10 with only a little break in the middle to remove the tight mask from his face and let him move a little bit.  That appointment took 2 hours.  Dan was encouraged and felt he could do that again today.

This afternoon, he had the second appointment and they were able to complete the treatments to all of the other 5 tumors.  It seemed to be important to Dan to get it done in two sessions.  I told him if it were me, they'd only need one, b/c with my claustrophobia issues, they would have to put me to sleep, period!  I don't know how he does this while being conscious, but I suspect your prayers are playing into it quite a bit.  We praise God for helping Dan to get through this in only 2 sessions!  And I'm grateful for a friend who kept me company while I waited during both of those sessions!  Thanks, Jennifer!

Please keep praying for us.  We have a meeting with the primary oncologist early Tues. morning to decide what comes next in terms of chemo treatments.  We are both thinking Avastin but are not sure of the other choices just yet,  or even if there are any other choices.

We are still moving ahead with our "normal" plans for summer, holding them loosely, but remaining hopeful that we will still be able to spend much of the summer in upstate NY.

Thank you for praying for us…we FEEL it….and we are grateful!!  Jodee and Dan

SIX BECOMES TEN

Dear Friends and Family,

Tues. I was driving home from Florida…coming home from a trip visiting my sister and brother-in-law in GA, then stopping by in Haines City to watch Meg swim the open water leg of an IronMan Relay, and then on to spend a week with my mom in Pompano Beach when Dan called from the oncology radiologist's office.   Dan had stayed behind in order to have his brain MRI that is needed every 3 months.  When the doctor stepped out for a moment to take another look at some earlier scans, Dan called to let me know that this MRI had found 6 new tumors in his brain.  We had arranged for him to call me from the doctor's office to let me know what was going on so that if I had questions I could tell him and he could ask the doctor.  

I have to admit that I was taken aback some by this.  I had expected them to find more tumors.  The oral meds just did not seem to be able to suppress the cancer in the brain.  But he has never had that many at one time before.  He explained that they would be treating them just as before, with the stereotactic radiographic surgery, but that they would most likely need to do it 2 sessions b/c it would be difficult for Dan to be totally immobile long enough for them to treat all 6.  They would get started right away by sending him right then for a high definition CT scan, which they then merge with the MRI to create a holographic image of his brain which they use to plot out the exact paths for the radiation.

It was going to take awhile to process that information.  Dan was at home thinking about it and I was in the car, so I had lots of time to roll it around in my mind.  Both of us were wondering if we should be pressing for him to go back on Avastin, the chemo that he was on for 2 years that seemed to suppress the disease completely.  The only reason he had to stop taking it was b/c it was adversely affecting his one kidney.  But it took 2 years to build up that toxicity and he has been off of it now for 2 years.

I was feeling a bit unsettled and decided to just keep driving until I got home that night.  It isn't unusual for us to stop overnight on our way home from Mom's.  It is an 1,100 mile drive.  But sitting in a motel room just wasn't appealing to me at that point and I was holding up pretty well, so I just kept driving.  With the longer days, I didn't even have to deal with much darkness.  I arrived safely at about 10:15 p.m.

Yesterday Dan got to attend the Memorial Golf Tournament in Columbus with Megan.  Her marketing company does their web site so she was able to get tickets and a parking pass.  Plus one of her friends has relatives with a home on the course where they could rest and get some relief from sun or rain.  He told me that his radiology oncologist's office might be calling with the schedule for the treatment for his brain tumors and left me with his schedule so I could straighten out any conflicts.

When the gal called with the schedule, she said they were scheduling THREE treatments b/c there were 10 "iso centers". She really did not know the significance of that, but I was afraid I did.  I asked her if that meant that there were now 10 tumors and she could not tell me.  I suspect she realized that she had given me information that I had not had and should not have heard from her.  She told me that she would leave a message for the doctor to call me to answer my questions.

Awhile later, Dr. Brenneman called and yes, after the high definition CT scan and merging it with the MRI, they found 4 more tiny tumors that need to be treated.  He apologized for our finding out from the scheduling person. So our 6 tumor "event" has now become a 10 tumor event.

Dan seemed to take it in stride but I have to confess it shook me up a bit.  Both of us would love to find a way to stop this disease…all the while reminding ourselves that GOD KNOWS and He is still in control of ALL that touches our lives. It is one thing to know this but sometimes my emotions lag a bit behind my brain.

The 3 treatments are scheduled for June 4th, June 7th and June 11th.  In the midst of that, I'll be returning to the cardiologist for an echo cardiogram and a follow-up appointment.

Then last evening, after Dan returned from his golf outing, he showed me that he has hives all over. We are thinking it is most likely a reaction to his chemo.  He has a call in to the doctor this morning to find out what needs to happen about that.

So….you know what comes next….we need more prayer.  I feel stupid saying it, it is so obvious and yet I feel guilty for asking.  You all have been so generous and faithful with praying for us day in and day out for over 5 years!!  We know you each have health issues and hard things that touch the lives of your families, too.  But when the LORD brings us to mind, please pray for wisdom for our doctors and for HIS grace to fill us with faith and trust in His plan for us.

Thank you so much for sharing this "adventure" with us!  Jodee and Dan