Chemo Continues

Hi

I am beginning to develop a chemo routine. It all starts off on a Monday with all three chemos, and then I feel sick for a week, receive one chemo on the next Monday, run greater risk of infection for two or three days (from the three chemotherapies), start to feel better and better (2nd week), receive one chemo again on the third Monday (same as 2nd week), and continue to feel better until I start all over with the three chemotherapy treatment. That is sort of becoming the structure of my life and I am finding other activities to fill in the downtime between everything. Lately I have been fairly busy though as my sister is home from college and we have been celebrating Christmas and doing things together as a family. But, my family is still going to go out sometime this week to go shopping and exchange a few gifts, as I was not up to this last week.

This past Monday, I was also able to get a port put in my chest. I tried getting one two months ago but the tumors in my chest were too big and closed off my blood vessels too much. Since then they have shrunken enough to allow the doctors to put the port in place. The port will allow me to receive my chemotherapy without receiving a new IV every time. The nurses can just put a needle into the metal port in my chest to administer the chemotherapy and other medicines. This will help protect the vessels in my arms from the many months of receiving medication.

Right now my white blood count is potentially very low, so I would appreciate prayer for protection from infections. I would also appreciate prayer for God to continue to shrink the tumors in my body. I am very excited that they are going away, they just need to continue to do so.

I hope you are all experiencing Christ’s love during this time,
Nathan

Good News!

Hi! I just got back from Kansas where I visited Kendra, her family and friends and had a good time. I’m now back in Iowa sitting on a hospital bed. I was feeling great until I got another I.V. put in me. The good news I learned from Dr. Hohl today (Monday) is that the tumors are shrinking and that I’m making “outstanding” progress. In six weeks, we will do another CT SCAN and then we will have a more accurate reading as to how much the tumors are shrinking. So for now, I’m continuing the same treatment plan as before which means I’m receiving my large chemo treatment today.
Remember to keep me in your prayers as I deal with nausea, fatigue and the possibility of my white blood cell count dropping over the next week. Pray that the tumors will continue to respond to the chemo and give thanks for the progress that has been made.
I hope you all have a wonderful Christmas and that you will experience God’s presence in a real way as we remember Jesus’ birth on Christmas Day. Thanks for your prayers!

Nathan

Signs Of Hope

Dear Friends, we would like to give you a quick update on Nathan. He had another Chemo treatment as well as a CT scan on Monday, Dec. 13. We meet with the dr. next Monday, the 20th, to hear the final results and to discuss the continuation of Nathan’s treatment plan. As you continue to pray for Nathan’s ongoing healing, also give thanks to God for the signs of hope we see. We are thankful the tumors are shrinking; that Nathan has not taken pain medication since Dec.1; that he is eating better – this week he ate a 6 inch steak and cheese sandwich at Subway!! We also give thanks to God because this week he feels good enough and was able to go to Hesston, Kansas – 8 hrs away – (today) to visit a special friend. Remember Monday’s meeting with the dr. in your prayers. If we stay with the same treatment plan, Nathan will possibly be getting his “big” chemo treatment on Monday as well. Thank you to all who are blanketing our family with prayers. Your prayers give us hope this Christmas season.

Tim & Carol

New Thoughts and Feelings

HI! :)

My 5th chemotherapy treatment is done and over with!!!! The journey continues, but this week is a good week since the chemotherapy I received Monday is one of my “easier” treatments. It is so “easy” that I got to the hospital at 9:30, reclined in one of the “chemo recliners”, got poked and an IV put in (still hate that part with a passion), and then my chemotherapy push, talked with my wonderful nurse, and I was back home by noon. The biggest side effects I face from this round are numbness in my fingers and feeling tired. I took a long nap this afternoon. I am also not in the hospital tonight, like last cycle at this time. I praise the Lord for that. I assume my white blood cells are very low right now, but I must have enough to keep a fever away. That is something I pray for everyday, and so far God has given me the grace to stay home. I would appreciate your prayers of protection from illness and infection as I have a low white blood cell count, which is a serious danger to me. Actually that is something that you can remember in prayer as long as I am receiving chemotherapy. Illness is a constant threat to me.

As to be expected, my diagnosis of cancer came as a complete shock to me. It blew me out of the water and completely took control of my life for the time being. And I didn’t actually believe that I had cancer. It just didn’t seem possible. In my life, only in dreams do bad things happen, and then I wake up. But each morning I wake up, I always wake up in my bed and still don’t have hair. I still go to the hospital and I still have cancer. It is only this week that I have actually begun to accept that I really, I mean really, have cancer. My life from here on out is going to be affected by cancer in one way or another. That is reality. In a way, accepting this plight is freeing. I have come to the place where I am now looking for meaning in life in my current situation instead of expecting to find meaning as I have found meaning for almost the past 23 years. This is a new adventure, and I am still searching, as this is very new for me. But, my once melancholy sit upon the couch is now beginning to change as I am searching for the joy that lies within cancer; the joy that lies within cancer, such a strange thought. As I discover the joys, I will share them with you. Today I experienced two. One was to be alive and able to talk with friends. I love friends. The second was being able to come before God with my arms open wide and fully dependent upon Him. Before this, I have never completely allowed myself to be fully, and I mean fully dependent on God. It is a wonderful feeling. I am sure that as each day goes by, I will continue to learn how to find the joys of having cancer.

Prayer request: That my body is able to make enough white blood cells to protect itself against bacteria, infection, and illness.

May the peace of God be with us all,
Nathan

2nd big chemo done

Hi everyone-

I am feeling well enough today to sit down at the computer and type a little bit. I came through my big chemo treatment relatively better than the last time. I ended up staying in the hospital an extra night, which helped to get my nausea under control, and while my stomach doesn’t feel the best right now I can actually keep some food down. Although there are still many foods that I can’t even stand the smell of yet. I eat cold cereal, oatmeal, cream of wheat, and ice cream shakes. Quite the diet if you ask me. Oh, and my parents are very good at juicing fruits and vegetables for me so that I can drink them instead of eating them. That helps out a lot.

There is a lot of down time right now for me as my main goal in life, at least as it seems to be, is to get healthy. Today I went for a 30 min. walk which was a lot of fun, but it wore me out. I am also working on finishing up a couple of classes from last semester. It is slow progress but I am working at it. That still leaves a lot of hours in the day.

I am still receiving so many chards, and know so many people are praying for me. I really appreciate all of your support as I struggle through this challenging chapter in my life. And I have faith that God is answering our many prayers as I am experiencing significantly less pain and the lump in my neck is getting smaller and smaller. Praise the Lord! One of the side effects of my big chemo treatment is a drop in my white blood count. I would really appreciate prayer to keep my white blood count up this weekend, as it will be around the time of my greatest chance for loosing too many white blood cells.

May God’s peace be with us all,
Nathan