Treatments Begin
Greetings,
Nathan continues to make good progress from his surgery. Short-term memory loss and reading continue to be Nathan’s biggest challenges although he is making good progress in these areas each day. Yesterday was the beginning of another long series of doctor and hospital visits and the start of chemo treatments for Nathan. Nathan had another brain MRI along with a full spinal column MRI yesterday to determine the extent of the cancer in the brain/spinal column area. The good news is that no other cancer was detected other than the tumor area that was removed. The other good news is that the doctors now have a treatment protocol to follow that has been used successfully with other patients with rhabdomyosarcoma tumors in the brain. The plan begins with chemo injections into the spinal fluid and is then followed with a series of chemo treatments given through IV that have a good track record of attacking cancer in the brain. Following these series of chemo treatments, the plan calls for radiation treatments to the tumor area. The protocol will be about an eight-month treatment plan. The chemo injections into the spinal fluid fortunately do not make Nathan as sick. We will try to keep you up-to-date on Nathan’s treatment as we go along. From our experience over the last nine months, we know a little more what to expect and perhaps what we need to do for our own self-care. However, there are always surprises and we know there will be some long days ahead as we move into this treatment plan. Pray for Nathan and us that we will have peace in the midst of the storm, that the cancer in Nathan’s body will eradicated and that Nathan’s body will be able to handle the aggressive chemo treatments that are coming up. Remember the doctors and nurses in your prayers also. They work with so much pain and brokenness every day. We have found Nathan’s medical caregivers to be persons of warmth and compassion along with being very skillful in what they do. Blessings to you all. God is present!
Tim & Carol
Nathan continues to make good progress from his surgery. Short-term memory loss and reading continue to be Nathan’s biggest challenges although he is making good progress in these areas each day. Yesterday was the beginning of another long series of doctor and hospital visits and the start of chemo treatments for Nathan. Nathan had another brain MRI along with a full spinal column MRI yesterday to determine the extent of the cancer in the brain/spinal column area. The good news is that no other cancer was detected other than the tumor area that was removed. The other good news is that the doctors now have a treatment protocol to follow that has been used successfully with other patients with rhabdomyosarcoma tumors in the brain. The plan begins with chemo injections into the spinal fluid and is then followed with a series of chemo treatments given through IV that have a good track record of attacking cancer in the brain. Following these series of chemo treatments, the plan calls for radiation treatments to the tumor area. The protocol will be about an eight-month treatment plan. The chemo injections into the spinal fluid fortunately do not make Nathan as sick. We will try to keep you up-to-date on Nathan’s treatment as we go along. From our experience over the last nine months, we know a little more what to expect and perhaps what we need to do for our own self-care. However, there are always surprises and we know there will be some long days ahead as we move into this treatment plan. Pray for Nathan and us that we will have peace in the midst of the storm, that the cancer in Nathan’s body will eradicated and that Nathan’s body will be able to handle the aggressive chemo treatments that are coming up. Remember the doctors and nurses in your prayers also. They work with so much pain and brokenness every day. We have found Nathan’s medical caregivers to be persons of warmth and compassion along with being very skillful in what they do. Blessings to you all. God is present!
Tim & Carol
posted by Nathan's Blog... at 7:20 PM
2 Comments:
Nathan: This morning in devotions we read Psalms 138 and immediately my thoughts turned to you. Especially beginning with vs. 7 "Though I am surrounded by troubles, you will bring me safely through them. You will clench your fist against my angry enemies. Your power will save me. The Lord will work out his plans for my life--for your lovingkindness, Lord, continues forever. Don't abandon me--for you made me.
The last week or so for you must be a downer, as it was for all of us, but God is still God. Live one day at a time. We are praying for you many times during the day. You have come this far, you can make it.
We love you and we care, Rog & Joanne
Our love, support and prayers come to you from Kansas. Nathan, Carol and Tim, we just want to send you all the love we can muster. We want you to know that as the praises went through our church from the "all clear" email on one day, our love to Iowa doubled with the next one with the news of the detection and surgery. We continue to include you in our prayers daily....we have an awesome Church, that knows our AWESOM GOD. We know the work he can do, and has done in your lives.
We know that each child he creates is purposeful, and torrently loved and cherished.
If we could take on one day, or two, of your suffering, we would do that. If God wanted us to do more, we would. Our message in church 2 weeks ago spoke to how sin creates crisis. How we are so self destructive, that we do the sin, and create the crisis and the consequences. This, Nathan, Carol, Tim, is not that circumstance. This crisis is from another. There is a war waging in the heavens for your precious son. There is an army across America sending their support for you through prayer. There are doctors being blessed by these prayers.
It was so good to see you again, Tim, and Carol, so good to meet you at Vanessa's wedding.
Love from Kansas..Su Lynn, family & SouthWoods Christian Church
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