We had a long day of scans and appointments at Mayo on Friday and the news continues to be good🙌🏼 The brain MRI was clear, so if there was a brain metastasis, it is now gone! Mike’s bloodwork is a little “wonky” but Dr. Molina is not concerned by any of the numbers, so neither are we. Lastly His CT scan continues to show improvement. All the tumors are changing from solid to ground glass opacities, which is absolutely amazing. They didn’t measure the tumors this time but even to our untrained eyes we could see how they all look smaller and more “faded looking”! It sounds like they are fast tracking Blu-667, so it should be approved in the next month. Thank you for all the thoughts and prayers, we appreciate them so much!
I can see how this journey has changed us for the better, and although we are human and still have a lot of room to grow and improve, I am thankful for everyday we have with each other and our family to continue to learn the lessons the Lord is teaching us. I love a quote from the book The Last Arrow 💜 “The journey into our best future always passes through the furnace. The fire both forges us into who we must become and frees us to live the lives for which we were created”. So even though it’s not always easy to go through hard times, we need to remember that God is forging us into a better version of ourselves.
So as Christmas approaches let’s all be the best version of ourselves and remember that Jesus really IS the reason for the season!!!
God bless,
Paula
Sunday, December 8, 2019
Friday, November 22, 2019
Living life between scans
Sorry we haven’t blogged since last scans, we have been just trying to live life like “normal people”. Mike has been working part-time at the dealership and basketball season had started so we have been going to Jackson’s Wartburg games, and are proud to say he is doing well and starting as a freshman and playing lots of minutes. We love to watch him compete! Other routine things like scooping dog poop😬, getting ready for winter and Christmas and spending time with family have kept us busy as well. We just celebrated Thanksgiving with our family and even had family pictures taken so that was fun!
Mike has good and bad days with the Blu side effects like neuropathy, stomach issues, dryness causing cracked skin in his fingers and an almost constant sore throat, but he enjoys the good days and gets through the bad. He had has maintained his weight the last month or so, and he says he is in a really good place mentally, so that is good!
Mikes next Mayo appointments, including a CT scan are scheduled for December 6th. We are praying for continued shrinkage of the tumors and would love extra prayers from all of you! I have been reading a little book called God’s Creative Power for Healing by Charles Capps given to us years ago by our friends the Weinands. The book basically is telling us that our body believes everything we tell it and it has lots of scripture to back that up. He says: “Your words create images, and eventually you will live out the reality of that image. Every time you speak your faith, it creates a stronger image inside of you. If it is healing you desire, the healing image created by God‘s word and your continual affirmation and agreement with it. Eventually that image will be perfected by the word of God and you will begin to see yourself well. When the word is engrafted into you, it infuses its life into you.” Read Mark 11:23&24. Lung cancer is “our mountain” and we say to this mountain “ be taken up and thrown into the sea”!!!
We will post the good results after Mikes appointment December 6th. Thank you all for your kind words and prayers! God Bless you all
Be Blessed,
Paula
Mike has good and bad days with the Blu side effects like neuropathy, stomach issues, dryness causing cracked skin in his fingers and an almost constant sore throat, but he enjoys the good days and gets through the bad. He had has maintained his weight the last month or so, and he says he is in a really good place mentally, so that is good!
Mikes next Mayo appointments, including a CT scan are scheduled for December 6th. We are praying for continued shrinkage of the tumors and would love extra prayers from all of you! I have been reading a little book called God’s Creative Power for Healing by Charles Capps given to us years ago by our friends the Weinands. The book basically is telling us that our body believes everything we tell it and it has lots of scripture to back that up. He says: “Your words create images, and eventually you will live out the reality of that image. Every time you speak your faith, it creates a stronger image inside of you. If it is healing you desire, the healing image created by God‘s word and your continual affirmation and agreement with it. Eventually that image will be perfected by the word of God and you will begin to see yourself well. When the word is engrafted into you, it infuses its life into you.” Read Mark 11:23&24. Lung cancer is “our mountain” and we say to this mountain “ be taken up and thrown into the sea”!!!
We will post the good results after Mikes appointment December 6th. Thank you all for your kind words and prayers! God Bless you all
Be Blessed,
Paula
Thursday, October 10, 2019
Fear is a liar
Long couple days at Mayo, but finally on our way home with big smiles on our faces! All three of the tumors that have been growing in Mike’s lungs have shrunk, and one of them shrunk a whole centimeter...can I get an AMEN!?! They call this a “partial response”, but it is great news! They did not do a brain MRI this time, but we are believing that the small spot in there will be gone when they do one in the future. The CT scan did show what looked like a blood clot in a vein in Mike’s abdomen, so he had to have an ultrasound and it was determined to be just an “artifact” of the contrast dye they used for the CT scan.
As we drive the backroads home to Charles City, we were talking about how fear is so crippling (Mike’s heart rate was 103 bpm when the nurse checked it while waiting for the Dr./CT results and it’s usually in the 60’s) and even though we put our trust in the Lord, fear/doubt just sneaks in and you have to tell yourself to give it to God. We are listening to Zach Williams and his song Fear is a Liar came on and the words are so true and we need to remember them! The chorus:
Fear he is a liar
He will take your breath
Stop you in your steps
Fear is a liar
He will rob your rest
Steal your happiness
Cast your fear in the fire
Cause he is a liar
Thank you prayer posse, we can never tell you how much it means to us!
Just Breathe,
Paula
P.S. Mike is going to be bogging in the next few days
As we drive the backroads home to Charles City, we were talking about how fear is so crippling (Mike’s heart rate was 103 bpm when the nurse checked it while waiting for the Dr./CT results and it’s usually in the 60’s) and even though we put our trust in the Lord, fear/doubt just sneaks in and you have to tell yourself to give it to God. We are listening to Zach Williams and his song Fear is a Liar came on and the words are so true and we need to remember them! The chorus:
Fear he is a liar
He will take your breath
Stop you in your steps
Fear is a liar
He will rob your rest
Steal your happiness
Cast your fear in the fire
Cause he is a liar
Thank you prayer posse, we can never tell you how much it means to us!
Just Breathe,
Paula
P.S. Mike is going to be bogging in the next few days
Tuesday, October 8, 2019
Scans this week🙏🏼
We were scheduled to go to Rochester for a 6am PET scan this Thursday October 10th, but we got it switched to a CT scan, for a number of reasons, a CT is way shorter and easier on Mike, it is a lot less radiation than a PET, and a CT measures the exact size of the lung tumors better than a PET. We suggested a CT and Dr. Molina agreed that he would rather look at a CT instead to be able to determine how much the tumors have shrunk!!!🙏🏼🙌🏼🙌🏼 Mike will also have blood drawn Thursday am and then meet Dr. Mansfield who is heading up the clinical trial of Blu-667 to get the bloodwork and CT results. We are believing that the tumors have gotten significantly smaller or disappeared, and would love extra prayers in believing this with us!
Our daughter Julia and her kids Finley and Bear visited from South Dakota over the weekend while her hubby attended a conference and Jackson came home as well so all the activity helped keep the “SCANXIETY” down. We do trust in God and his perfect timing and try not to think too much about the scans but we are human and a little bit of anxiety about scans is just something that comes with the territory.
There are so many great quotes from Erwin McManus’s book The Last Arrow but this one seems so appropriate: “What is your proof of life? What are you doing right now that proves to the world, or at least those in your world, that you are fully alive? I have found that life can be incredibly elusive because it exists just on the other side of existence. Most of us are not choosing between life and death; we are choosing between existence and death. We actually never choose to live. We are so afraid of death and it’s relatives, such as failure and disappointment and injury, that we actually never choose to live. For all of us, death comes to soon. It comes along before we’ve taken our final breaths. It’s only when we realize we are terminal that we start treating time with the respect it deserves.”
We are still works in progress and learning every day to treat time with the respect it deserves and to be truly alive! We are all terminal, nobody lives forever, and we are learning to make the most with the days we are given, with the people we love and who love us back. Thank you, in advance for your prayers!
Just Breathe,
Paula
Our daughter Julia and her kids Finley and Bear visited from South Dakota over the weekend while her hubby attended a conference and Jackson came home as well so all the activity helped keep the “SCANXIETY” down. We do trust in God and his perfect timing and try not to think too much about the scans but we are human and a little bit of anxiety about scans is just something that comes with the territory.
There are so many great quotes from Erwin McManus’s book The Last Arrow but this one seems so appropriate: “What is your proof of life? What are you doing right now that proves to the world, or at least those in your world, that you are fully alive? I have found that life can be incredibly elusive because it exists just on the other side of existence. Most of us are not choosing between life and death; we are choosing between existence and death. We actually never choose to live. We are so afraid of death and it’s relatives, such as failure and disappointment and injury, that we actually never choose to live. For all of us, death comes to soon. It comes along before we’ve taken our final breaths. It’s only when we realize we are terminal that we start treating time with the respect it deserves.”
We are still works in progress and learning every day to treat time with the respect it deserves and to be truly alive! We are all terminal, nobody lives forever, and we are learning to make the most with the days we are given, with the people we love and who love us back. Thank you, in advance for your prayers!
Just Breathe,
Paula
Friday, September 27, 2019
Normal week
Hi all, there’s not a lot to report because we have the week off from Mayo. Although it’s not that far to Rochester it usually takes the whole day so a full week at home has been awesome🙌🏼 We took Jackson and Lindsey out for lunch and to coffee midweek, had fun with the grandkids, Mike has worked more at the dealership and we've been getting ready for fall/winter by putting planters away, putting out pumpkins and mums, blowing leaves and putting some patio furniture away. Some days Mike thinks the neuropathy is getting better and other days it seems the same or worse. We go back for bloodwork, and oncology appointment at 7 am Monday and are praying the liver enzymes have stabilized or gone down. This has been a very normal week and normal is perfect!
Mike just finished Erwin McManus’s book The Last Arrow and now I am reading it. It is about saving nothing for the next life... because we only have this one life. We highly recommend the book and the lesson it teaches!
Until next week,
Just Breathe,
Paula
Mike just finished Erwin McManus’s book The Last Arrow and now I am reading it. It is about saving nothing for the next life... because we only have this one life. We highly recommend the book and the lesson it teaches!
Until next week,
Just Breathe,
Paula
Friday, September 20, 2019
Trusting the Word not the “wind”
Monday at Mayo was supposed to be pretty short, just a blood draw, then take Blu in front of the nurses, then meet with the oncologist an hour later, but since Mike has neuropathy in his hands and feet they wanted him to wait to take the drug until after he talked with Dr. Molina. We walked around Rochester a little and then met with the doctor around noon. Mikes bloodwork is still good but his liver enzymes are rising a little every time so we just need to keep a close eye on that. After an examination we, along with the doctor decided for a Mike to stay on the trial, but if the neuropathy gets worse he will need to go off of it for a week and then start back up at a smaller dosage, per protocol. We had to go back to the chemo area where they did another ECG, then wait for his next months supply of Blu-667 to be brought from the pharmacy. Finally at about 2:30 pm and 20 hours of fasting Mike took his trial drug and we were off to lunch, but... we had to wait another hour because of the “empty stomach” directions. Now we only have to go to Mayo every two weeks, so that will be nice. The neuropathy doesn’t seem to be getting any worse, so we are thankful for that.
On the way to Rochester on Monday we listened to Elevation church and Pastor Furtick’s sermon was titled Word vs. Wind (trusting God’s timing). Ecclesiastes 11:4 Whoever watches the wind will not plant; whoever looks at the clouds will not reap, and Matthew 1422-32...He preached about the disciples being in the boat and seeing Jesus walking on the water thinking he was a ghost. When Peter asked him to call him to walk on the water, he didn’t get afraid until he “saw the wind”. Basically his message was to keep our mind/eyes on Gods word and not on the “wind” or our problems! Human nature is to focus on what’s in front of us, but we really need to just trust God, his word and his timing. Good lesson for us! Have a great week!
Just Breathe,
Paula
On the way to Rochester on Monday we listened to Elevation church and Pastor Furtick’s sermon was titled Word vs. Wind (trusting God’s timing). Ecclesiastes 11:4 Whoever watches the wind will not plant; whoever looks at the clouds will not reap, and Matthew 1422-32...He preached about the disciples being in the boat and seeing Jesus walking on the water thinking he was a ghost. When Peter asked him to call him to walk on the water, he didn’t get afraid until he “saw the wind”. Basically his message was to keep our mind/eyes on Gods word and not on the “wind” or our problems! Human nature is to focus on what’s in front of us, but we really need to just trust God, his word and his timing. Good lesson for us! Have a great week!
Just Breathe,
Paula
Saturday, September 14, 2019
Never take normal for granted
I love this time of year, when the leaves start to change, the temperature cools a bit, football is in full gear and basketball is just around the corner😉, and cozy sweaters and sweatshirts get pulled out of the closet. Don’t get me wrong I love, love, love summer, but change is nice and living in Iowa with the four seasons is great. I like change (just ask Mike or my kids, I move things all the time, including furniture, decorations, clothes, everything), but I also like “normal” and I don’t like when my normal is suddenly taken away from me! The normal things that we take for granted are changing some for Mike, things like taste (can’t taste much), sunshine (too bright), normal feeling hands and feet (tingling, and painful neuropathy), among some other things. These aren’t huge issues but they aren’t normal either, so just today Dr. Molina reduced Mikes clinical trial drug in half to see if these issues resolve...back to “normal”... our “new normal” anyway.
I have a lot of songs on repeat lately, and not just Need to Breathe although they will always be my favorite... my “normal band”. I love Zach Williams song Fear is a Liar, Jenn Johnson/Bethel music’s song Goodness of God, and Michael W. Smiths song Surrounded (fight my battles) and I loudly sing along.........”this is how I fight my battles, it may look like I’m surrounded but.....I’m surrounded by YOU”!!!!
As we live our new normal life we want to encourage everyone to embrace normal...it’s the normal stuff that fill the highs and lows of life and make up most of our days. Sometimes in the highs of life we just cruise along and forget to really rely on God and in the lows we get down on our knees and plead with Him to answer our prayers, but He is always faithful, He does know what He is doing even if at times it doesn’t seem like it. So.......” with every breath that we are able we should sing of the goodness of God”!!!
Just Breathe,
Paula
I have a lot of songs on repeat lately, and not just Need to Breathe although they will always be my favorite... my “normal band”. I love Zach Williams song Fear is a Liar, Jenn Johnson/Bethel music’s song Goodness of God, and Michael W. Smiths song Surrounded (fight my battles) and I loudly sing along.........”this is how I fight my battles, it may look like I’m surrounded but.....I’m surrounded by YOU”!!!!
As we live our new normal life we want to encourage everyone to embrace normal...it’s the normal stuff that fill the highs and lows of life and make up most of our days. Sometimes in the highs of life we just cruise along and forget to really rely on God and in the lows we get down on our knees and plead with Him to answer our prayers, but He is always faithful, He does know what He is doing even if at times it doesn’t seem like it. So.......” with every breath that we are able we should sing of the goodness of God”!!!
Just Breathe,
Paula
Wednesday, September 4, 2019
No more denial
We have been in denial. Denial that Mike has Lung Cancer, because he has looked and felt healthy since his first lung surgery\thoracotomy over 18 years ago, and even though we have known that the tumors have been slowly growing the last 4 years, we were still in a bit of denial, hoping and praying that they would just “behave” and go away. When Mikes PET scan lit up and the brain MRI showed a small metastasis there was no more denial. He has now been on the clinical trial for 17 days and is doing well. The worst side effect is some neuropathy in his hands, which isn’t a common side effect so if it gets worse they will have to cut his dosage. We are treating the visits to Rochester as day dates and are going for coffee, out to lunch and on walks in between appointments, which helps mentally.
We’ve also been in denial that our last child would be moving out and off to college, leaving us empty nesters. Jackson was just 1year old when Mike was first diagnosed with Lung Cancer, and now he is a 19 year old Wartburg College freshman. We know he is in the right place and are so happy for him, but it is hard on us because he brought a lot of joy and laughter to our home, and.....time just went too fast!
James 1:12 Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him.
Just Breathe,
Paula
We’ve also been in denial that our last child would be moving out and off to college, leaving us empty nesters. Jackson was just 1year old when Mike was first diagnosed with Lung Cancer, and now he is a 19 year old Wartburg College freshman. We know he is in the right place and are so happy for him, but it is hard on us because he brought a lot of joy and laughter to our home, and.....time just went too fast!
James 1:12 Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him.
Just Breathe,
Paula
Wednesday, August 28, 2019
Mayo, tattoo’s, and slowing down
Today is day 10 of Blu-667, and Mike is doing well, besides tingling in his finger tips, and being somewhat dizzy, and fatigued, and only weighing 149 pounds!😬 Yesterday at Mayo was just blood work and a meeting with the oncologist. A few things like neutrophils, and lymphocytes were low but they said that was expected and not to worry. Next weeks appointments will include 2 or3 more ECG’s, double the blood draws and more visits with doctors.
Julia and her kids are staying with us for the week, so they came to Rochester along with Jackson. Mike and Jackson then drove to Minneapolis, and Jack got an awesome tattoo that he has wanted for quite awhile to honor his dad and best friend🥰😭. It is a Stuart Scott quote about cancer, and although Stuart died it is a great reminder of how to live.
In my book: It’s not Supposed to be this Way, Lysa talks about slowing down... getting so quite that God’s voice is the loudest voice in your life. We can’t “quit life” when things get hard, but we can cut out things that aren’t as important. Mike has worked hard in the car business for close to 40 years, and is now blessed with great family and employees so he can slow down. I have always been one to like my alone/quite time but Mike is learning to enjoy it. He has been reading more, sitting a little more, walking more, mowing the lawn and doing yard work, and enjoying family, and it is great for his body, mind and soul. In her book Lysa says when you live slow for a season, the 🌞 and the Son have access to the parts of you that you normally cover up with not only clothes but everyday put-ons. It’s not always easy to be exposed, to be vulnerable, to let the world into our lives, but when we do we see that most people really do care and will pray and help if they can.
James 1:2-4 Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.
Just Breathe,
Paula
Julia and her kids are staying with us for the week, so they came to Rochester along with Jackson. Mike and Jackson then drove to Minneapolis, and Jack got an awesome tattoo that he has wanted for quite awhile to honor his dad and best friend🥰😭. It is a Stuart Scott quote about cancer, and although Stuart died it is a great reminder of how to live.
In my book: It’s not Supposed to be this Way, Lysa talks about slowing down... getting so quite that God’s voice is the loudest voice in your life. We can’t “quit life” when things get hard, but we can cut out things that aren’t as important. Mike has worked hard in the car business for close to 40 years, and is now blessed with great family and employees so he can slow down. I have always been one to like my alone/quite time but Mike is learning to enjoy it. He has been reading more, sitting a little more, walking more, mowing the lawn and doing yard work, and enjoying family, and it is great for his body, mind and soul. In her book Lysa says when you live slow for a season, the 🌞 and the Son have access to the parts of you that you normally cover up with not only clothes but everyday put-ons. It’s not always easy to be exposed, to be vulnerable, to let the world into our lives, but when we do we see that most people really do care and will pray and help if they can.
James 1:2-4 Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.
Just Breathe,
Paula
Sunday, August 18, 2019
Clinical Trial...
The books I usually read have to do with cancer prevention and healing, healthy living, and more cancer stuff but this week I started Lysa Terkeurst’s book “It’s Not Supposed To Be This Way” and this paragraph in it is so appropriate right now: “When His timing seems questionable, His lack of intervention seems hurtful, and His promises seem doubtful, I get afraid. I get confused. And left alone with those feelings, I can’t help but feel disappointed that God isn’t doing what I assume a good God should do.” We have had our ups and downs of trusting God in this season and often we feel like He is not listening! I want to throw a tantrum and tell Him what to do and when to do it, but then I settle down and realize that God always knows what He is doing and why and with perfect timing. So with lots of prayer, research, talking with each other, family and our medical team we have decided to start the phase 1 clinical trial of Blu-667. This drug has only been in trial for about 18 months so doesn’t have any long term data. Mike will be a guinea pig, but the doctors have told us they are seeing very good results for RET mutation lung cancer.
Stress is a bad thing and since the CT, PET and Brain MRI results a couple of weeks ago we have definitely been stressed. We have cried, had too many sleepless nights, I got a massive cold sore, and Mike had a 4+ hour migraine headache which he hasn’t had for over 10 years, and even though we knew that the tiny brain met couldn’t cause the migraine, thoughts go through your head creating more stress. Adding to the stress is that our “baby boy” moves out soon and heads to college, leaving us empty nesters after having kids in the house for the past 35 years.😫😢 It’s not always easy to release things, and trust in the Lord to handle things, but we are learning.
We enjoyed a beautiful day at Rice Lake Golf Club with Jim, Nathan and Jordan Molstead today and then headed up to Rochester. Mike has bloodwork at 7:20 am then an EKG and after that a consult with his oncologist before beginning the clinical trial. More appointments Tuesday before heading home. Prayers for healing and no side effects would be greatly appreciated!
Be blessed,
Paula
Stress is a bad thing and since the CT, PET and Brain MRI results a couple of weeks ago we have definitely been stressed. We have cried, had too many sleepless nights, I got a massive cold sore, and Mike had a 4+ hour migraine headache which he hasn’t had for over 10 years, and even though we knew that the tiny brain met couldn’t cause the migraine, thoughts go through your head creating more stress. Adding to the stress is that our “baby boy” moves out soon and heads to college, leaving us empty nesters after having kids in the house for the past 35 years.😫😢 It’s not always easy to release things, and trust in the Lord to handle things, but we are learning.
We enjoyed a beautiful day at Rice Lake Golf Club with Jim, Nathan and Jordan Molstead today and then headed up to Rochester. Mike has bloodwork at 7:20 am then an EKG and after that a consult with his oncologist before beginning the clinical trial. More appointments Tuesday before heading home. Prayers for healing and no side effects would be greatly appreciated!
Be blessed,
Paula
Tuesday, August 6, 2019
Results
The good news is that Mikes bloodwork was perfect but the bad news is that 3 tumors in his right lung lit up on his PET scan showing that they are active and growing, and the brain MRI showed a TINY spot that is most likely a metastasis but is inconclusive. We were completely shocked because Mike feels great and doesn’t have any symptoms. Even though the results weren’t what we had prayed for, we are happy that the PET only lit up in the lung and nowhere else! There is a clinical trial called Blu-667 (it doesn’t have a proper name yet), that they want Mike to enroll in, that will require us to go to Mayo once a week for bloodwork, and other testing, so we are reading the thick binder about it and will decide very soon if that is the route we want to go.
We so appreciate all the prayers and kind words on Facebook! Like I said I don’t share much but when you get so many responses and words of encouragement you realize that people really do care and all the nice messages and extra prayers helped to lift us up. We don't understand why an athletic, life long non-smoker would get lung cancer before the age of 40, but we do know that God is in control and HE knows. We will continue to live life to the fullest and trust in Him!
I will let you know what decide about Blu-667 after we read all the paperwork
Be blessed,
Paula
We so appreciate all the prayers and kind words on Facebook! Like I said I don’t share much but when you get so many responses and words of encouragement you realize that people really do care and all the nice messages and extra prayers helped to lift us up. We don't understand why an athletic, life long non-smoker would get lung cancer before the age of 40, but we do know that God is in control and HE knows. We will continue to live life to the fullest and trust in Him!
I will let you know what decide about Blu-667 after we read all the paperwork
Be blessed,
Paula
Monday, August 5, 2019
Reality
Cancer has been our reality for the past 18 plus years. We go through times not thinking about it as much as others but it’s always in our thoughts, our payers, our conscious and sub-conscious. We just spent four great days in Chicago with Jackson and Lindsey visiting Jared and Kelly, and when you are busy you can kind of put the thoughts of cancer out of your mind temporarily but it’s never totally gone.
Reality is kicking in full force because we are at Mayo today. You would think that coming here all these years would make it easier, but it doesn’t! We hate it... wheelchairs, bald heads, masks, and just very sick looking people everywhere you look...REALITY! Mike had bloodwork this morning and is now in getting a brain MRI, and later has a PET scan to rule out any metastasis. The lung cancer tumor board is recommending a clinical trial but he has to have all these tests before he can be a candidate. We absolutely hate the fact that he has had well over 30 CT scans which equals anywhere between 100-800 chest x-rays each time. This will be his second PET which equals way more radiation than that. We are hoping to get out of here by 6pm to drive back home, sleep 🙏🏼, and drive back up to Rochester in the morning to meet with the radiation oncologist and the medical thoracic oncologist (separately) to discuss results and options..... REALITY!!!
Prayers would be appreciated for clear brain MRI and that the PET doesn’t light up at all!!! We are not scared and have faith that God is working in a mighty way to heal Mike and that we are on the right path.
I will post results tomorrow... in the meantime love on your family and enjoy life!
Eat, pray, breathe,
Paula
Reality is kicking in full force because we are at Mayo today. You would think that coming here all these years would make it easier, but it doesn’t! We hate it... wheelchairs, bald heads, masks, and just very sick looking people everywhere you look...REALITY! Mike had bloodwork this morning and is now in getting a brain MRI, and later has a PET scan to rule out any metastasis. The lung cancer tumor board is recommending a clinical trial but he has to have all these tests before he can be a candidate. We absolutely hate the fact that he has had well over 30 CT scans which equals anywhere between 100-800 chest x-rays each time. This will be his second PET which equals way more radiation than that. We are hoping to get out of here by 6pm to drive back home, sleep 🙏🏼, and drive back up to Rochester in the morning to meet with the radiation oncologist and the medical thoracic oncologist (separately) to discuss results and options..... REALITY!!!
Prayers would be appreciated for clear brain MRI and that the PET doesn’t light up at all!!! We are not scared and have faith that God is working in a mighty way to heal Mike and that we are on the right path.
I will post results tomorrow... in the meantime love on your family and enjoy life!
Eat, pray, breathe,
Paula
Thursday, June 13, 2019
Scanxiety...
I don’t think it’s in the dictionary, but anyone who has cancer or knows someone who does, knows that scanxiety is a very real thing! As the name implies it is the anxiety/nervousness that happens before any scans. A CT scan has been set up for Mike this Monday at 2:45 but unlike every other time where we meet with a variety of doctors afterwards to find out the results, we will not. His scan will be compared to all other scans since 2001 and the lung tumor board will then discuss Mike and then we will meet with them at a later date. I think this causes more scanxiety because waiting, while it may be a virtue is not easy! We will trust God and give it to Him as much as we can, but we are human and that is easier said than done! So if you all could say a prayer for no growth of the “nodules” in Mikes lungs and for peace we would really appreciate it!
I do apologize it has taken me so long to blog anything. I planned on writing something weekly or at least once a month but then I start thinking that people are busy and probably won’t care that much what is going on in our world but I realize I can write and whoever wants to read what is going on will read and those who don’t- won’t. So.... thank you for reading and thanks for the prayers! I will let you all know when we hear something back from Mayo and what they think we should do next, but in the meantime I am believing in no growth!!!
Be blessed,
Paula
I do apologize it has taken me so long to blog anything. I planned on writing something weekly or at least once a month but then I start thinking that people are busy and probably won’t care that much what is going on in our world but I realize I can write and whoever wants to read what is going on will read and those who don’t- won’t. So.... thank you for reading and thanks for the prayers! I will let you all know when we hear something back from Mayo and what they think we should do next, but in the meantime I am believing in no growth!!!
Be blessed,
Paula
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