Nathan's Blog

last scans

2010-11-27T11:22:00.002-06:00

We have much to give thanks for during this Thanksgiving season! Thanks to so many of you for your prayers for Nathan through the past years. We are also so thankful that Nathan’s scans and brain MRI at the end of October showed no detectable growing cancer cells! Nathan has continued to work towards his masters in social work degree this fall.

I also just recently met with my neurologist, and she said my brain is looking wonderful. The last time I had an EEG (January), my neurologist told me I had four seizures within my brain even though my physical body did not react to them. I had a second EEG this past summer. During the meeting I had with my neurologist in November, she said that that EEG showed NO seizures in my brain. She said, you have come a long way. Once again, thanks for your prayers.

Please continue to pray for healing in my brain and freedom from seizures.

Nathan, Karla, Tim, and Carol (Carol wrote the first paragraph)

Planed scans

2010-05-19T09:57:00.001-05:00

This past Monday the 3rd of May, I had a scheduled MRI and CT scan. Neither of them came back showing anything for the doctors to be concerned about. This is great news! My next scheduled scans will be in six months, which means that once again after having a regrowth of cancer in my lung, the time frame of having scans is growing further apart.

In addition, I just finished my second semester of school this past week, turning in one of my final papers on Friday the 14th of May. It feels good to continue to move on in school and now I am looking for an internship for this coming school year 2010-2011. I have interviewed at the hospital and a non-profit agency called United Action for Youth (UAY).

My wife and I have also just moved into a house in Iowa City. We have been living here for just over a month now. The house was built in 1935, and while it’s in good condition, as with any house, there are always repairs that need to happen. I am currently working on the gutters in order to keep the water flowing in the right direction and not dropping small bits of water on our heads when raining. :)

May God continue to bless all of us, and I also want to continue to thank you all for your prayers as I continue to walk on the journey of having had cancer.

With peace,
Nathan

Seizures

2010-01-11T18:35:00.001-06:00

This past couple of days, I have been going to the doctors for looking into my seizures that I have been having recently. I had seizures on three consecutive nights a little over one week ago, but since then I have received a new seizure medication. It has been working great right now.

This past Friday, the 8th, I went to visit a neurologist. They changed the medication I was taking to a complimentary drug and set me up for an EEG. Today, the 11th, I received my first EEG and the technician was surprised by the results. According to her findings, I am having a mini seizure in my brain every 10 to 15 seconds. This is really often, and so she called a neurologist into view it and look at the results. He asked Karla and a number of questions about how I acted during the day. It was decided that I would to have a routine visit with another neurologist to determine what will happen in this case.

I would appreciate your prayers as I will be meeting with another neurologist sometime soon.

Nathan

Another scan

2009-12-02T11:07:00.000-06:00

This past Monday the 30th of November, I had a scheduled MRI and CT scan at the University of Iowa. The scans went as they always have. Following the scans, we met with my oncologist to understand what the scans were showing. He simply said, there is nothing that I can see that is abnormal. This is great news as yesterday, the 1st of December is my birthday. What a great birthday gift from God! Thank you for all of your prayers as I continue to walk through my life as a cancer survivor.

Just to update you if you do not know what is currently keeping me busy. This past August, I was accepted into the School of Social work program of the University of Iowa. I only have one more week, and then I will have completed my first semester as a graduate student. Oh . . . and also, I was married on the 15th of August, her name is Karla Stoltzfus.

peace,
Nathan

A Smile

2009-08-03T21:51:00.002-05:00

My oncologist gave me great news today (8/3/09) saying the scans I had this past Wednesday did not show anything he is concerned about. This is great news. My next scheduled scans will be during the end of November. It feels great to be able to share this news with you.

This great report is even greater as I will be marrying Karla Stoltzfus. My family, Karla, and friends celebrated today as this adds to the many days I have been cancer free. I will be getting married on the 15th of August.

Thanks for your prayers. I really appreciate them,
Nathan

Wonderful news

2009-04-07T21:30:00.001-05:00

This past Monday (4/6/09), I went to receive the results of my MRI last Thursday and my neck CT scan last Friday from the oncology department. The nurse would not give me the results without the doctor looking at the results first. While I did not have a scheduled appointment with my oncologist, he met with me anyways after analyzing the scans.

As my doctor walked into the exam room, the first thing he said was “After reviewing the exams, I have found nothing to be concerned about.” As these words came out of his mouth, there was a feeling of peace that grew in my body as the fears of more treatment were lifted away. We were informed that the neck CT scan did not show any concerns to reveal cancer. We were also told the MRI scan showed that the small spot in my right frontal lob most likely was a cell that had burst, which would have been a side effect from receiving radiation therapy three years ago. More simply put, the doctor could not find anything to be worried about. But, he did say the inside of my body looks “very abnormal.” We all laughed after hearing this great insight :).

Once again, I thank you for your many prayers as my family, friends, and I have had to experience the anxiety of more scans. May God bless you in your lives as well. And I have the faith God will continue to bless us all.

Let us all give praise to God,
Nathan

PET scan results

2009-03-30T21:18:00.000-05:00

Today (3/30/09) my oncologist informed me that the radiologists could not find anything to be concerned about from the results of my PET scan. This is great news . My doctor also informed me that I will not be receiving and MRA, but rather another MRI of my brain and a CT scan of my chest and longs.

This is a continued update on that small spot which was found in the right frontal lob of my brain. And it is great news to hear there are not signs of cancer throughout the rest of my body. I want to thank you all for your prayers.

May God’s peace and love continue to be with all of us,
Nathan

More info

2009-03-23T21:44:00.000-05:00

After meeting this Monday afternoon with my doctor, I now have more of a plan as far as finding out more about the white spot in my brain. My doctor is not 100% sure this spot is cancer growth. After all, it is hard to truly know what the image is without further tests. The spot is less than half of a centimeter and could have been missed on previous scans since the pictures are taken every half of a centimeter.

In order to find out what this spot is, during this week I will be having a PET scan of my body. The PET scan reveals differences between cells and with dye highlights abnormal cells such as cancer. I will also be receiving and MRA. The MRA is a scan which can identify if this spot in my brain is from a small stroke. One of the side effects of having brain radiation can be a higher chance of having a stroke. This could have happened almost a year ago when I had stroke like symptoms which was thought to be a mini seizure. The MRA will also be able to determine if the spot has changed sizes in the past couple of weeks.

As I mention earlier, the reason for these scans is to beg a better understanding of this spot in my brain. I also want to thank you for your prayers. While we don’t know exactly what the spot in my brain is, my doctor said it won’t take very long to figure it out with the scans I will be having.

May God continue to fill us with peace and love,
Nathan

New Meditations

2009-03-21T11:46:00.002-05:00

I have had so many brain scans, CT scans, etc. that I have lost count of the number of times I have received scans. I remember the first X-ray of my chest when I was in Goshen; and I also remember my first CT scan which was also in Goshen. That was around four years ago. These first scans portrayed a treatment plan that was horrible.

Since then, I have received many other scans to monitor how the cancer inside my body was functioning. With great joy, these scans showed that the cancer cells were shrinking and losing their ability to grow. After being free from cancer growth for two and a half years, a six month CT scan (fall of 2007) showed an abnormality in my lung; it was a new cancer growth. This was removed easily by outpatient surgery. Unfortunately, my last MRI (3/2/07) showed an abnormal growth in my bran’s right frontal lobe. While a scan in its self can not diagnose a problem, with my history of cancer, it is likely a new sarcoma (cancer) growth is in my brain. In addition, while I received my scan a couple of weeks ago, I just found out the results this past Wednesday. For a couple of unfortunate reasons within the hospital staff, the new growth was not shared with me or my primary doctor until this date. While two weeks does not see to be a long time, with how fast the cancer has grown in my body, I pray this is not a big deal.

After talking with my doctor, I had a CT scan of my upper body on Friday (3/20/09). The purpose of this scan was to make sure that there are no other abnormal changes in the rest of my body. I will be meeting with my doctor this coming Monday (3/23/09) to discus more about what needs to be done.

While talking with my doctor on the phone, he said “this is very treatable.” This is a quote that I want to keep going through my head as I am the one who is emotionally dealing with it. I also want you all to keep it in your minds as I have come to understand you all have emotional connections to me and my story.

May God continue to bless us as God has been doing for more than four years. May God be a rock that holds us down when everything is going wonderfully and keeps us up when we are falling down. A would appreciate your prayers as once again I have to deal with a known aspect of my life that is still left unknown.

With peace and love,
Nathan

Lung CT scan

2009-02-26T16:55:00.000-06:00

Just this past Monday (2/23) I had a CT scan of my lungs, and the doctor could not find any new growth. This is great news for me as six months ago; I had to have lung surgery to remove cancerous growth. It is always something to have to go into the hospital again for tests. I am always thankful when the results of the test are positive . . . and so is my family, friends, and many other people who know my story.

My next scan is an MRI of my brain and will be next Monday (3/2). Thanks for remembering me in your prayers about this last scan. And if you could remember to pray for the MRI that I will be having on Monday, I would appreciate it.

With peace,
Nathan

CT scan . . . I lost count how many :)

2008-11-19T16:53:00.001-06:00

As you know, Nathan had a CT scan of his lung and abdomen on Monday. The doctor said the scans looked good. However, the next sentence was, there is a two millimeter "something" that was detected in the same area of the lung. It is too early to know what this "something" is. So in three months, Nathan is scheduled for another scan of his lungs. If it does increase in size in the next three months, they will plan to remove it like they did the last one. The doctor seemed to be encouraged that everything looked good except for this one tiny little "something". So we will take this as good news, but along with good news there are always the lingering ongoing concerns. Pray for Nathan's ongoing healing and pray for our ability to live hopefully on this long journey with cancer. Pray we may rejoice in the signs of hope and not let the "little somethings" cloud our perspective. Pray that we may live in hope and not fear. Thank you for your ongoing support and prayers.

Tim, Carol and Nathan

good news

2008-10-13T22:27:00.000-05:00

We received great news at the visit with the oncologist today. He did not recommend any further treatment for Nathan at this time. Nathan will have scans again in November to watch for any further nodules. The doctor left the room saying he thinks Nathan will do great. :) We were excited to hear this. Nathan said, "It's too good to be true". We humbly thank God for this news today.
Tim, Carol, & Nathan

biopsy results

2008-10-09T15:50:00.001-05:00

Greetings All,

We received word today from the doctor's office that the growth removed from Nathan's right lung was the Rhabdomyosarcoma cancer. This was not the news we wanted to hear. We have an appointment with Nathan's oncologist on Monday to discuss the findings and plan for the strategy ahead. We don't know what kind of treatment plan this will mean if any. Hopefully they will say that with the removal of this growth, they were able to get all the cancer and we will just have to keep a close eye on the lung area for awhile. We will know more after our appointment on Monday. Needless to say this is a disappointment. Being two and a half years post treatment, we were starting to feel as though we had this thing licked. Hopefully this was just a single occurrence and no more tumors will start to grow. Cancer is so unpredictable and seems to have a mind of its own which adds to the stress of living with this monster. The doctor still gives us hope that this cancer is curable. We know we are all in God's hands. Keep Nathan and us in your prayers as I am sure you are already. Blessings to you all,

Tim, Carol and Nathan

Surgery Went Well

2008-10-01T11:17:00.000-05:00

Greetings All,

We want to give you an update on Nathan’s surgery yesterday (Tuesday, September 30). We praise God because everything went well. The surgeon was able to remove the nodule in the lung with 3 small incisions called thoracoscopy surgery. This was a much less invasive surgery and the recovery time is much faster. Nathan was even able to come home with us last night. We give thanks to God that the nodule came out easily! The nodule was sent to pathology for testing so we won’t know the pathology report for several more days. On Monday we also learned that the CT of the abdomen and pelvis that was taken on Friday did not show any new growth of cancer tumors. For this we are very thankful. Thanks for remembering Nathan and our family in your prayers.

Tim, Carol and Nathan

Lung Surgery

2008-09-29T20:08:00.000-05:00

I am scheduled to have lung surgery, to remove the nodule, on September the 30th. Today I meet with the surgeon’s nurse, anesthetist, and my cancer doctor. Even though I had to meet with all of these people, I have good news to share :) The good news is that the MRI of my brain, CT scan, and bone marrow biopsy show nothing for the doctors to be concerned about. This means that they are focusing on this one nodule on my right lung. My prayer is this surgery can be accomplished with three inserts into my body. If it can be done in this way, it is more likely that I will be able to leave the hospital the same day of surgery. And I would appreciate your prayers as well.

peace,
Nathan

Chest Scan

2008-09-23T20:39:00.000-05:00

Greetings All,

Nathan’s chest Scan was today, Monday, September 22, 2008. The results revealed that the nodule in the right lung has doubled in size since his last Scans in June. The doctor is recommending removing this growth surgically since it is not possible to know whether it is a fungus or part of the cancer that has started to grow. The doctor did a bone marrow biopsy today and has scheduled a brain MRI for tomorrow (Tuesday) and a pelvis/abdomen Scan for Friday. These are all precautionary measures to make sure the disease is not in these areas. Following these tests, the plan is to have the mass growing in the right lung removed. Needless to say, this was disappointing news for us. We hope the nodule growing in the right lung is a fungus, however, if it is the recurrence of the cancer, removing it now can prevent it from spreading. Thank you for keeping Nathan and us in your prayers.

Tim, Carol & Nathan

ohhhhh

2008-07-17T18:34:00.001-05:00

It has been less than six months since, and I am writing again :). The results I shared with you came from the CT scan’s preliminary reading. Today as I was leaving work, I listened to a voice mail from my phone. My doctor’s nurse left a message for me to call her. While this is not the first time that she has left a message, I thought I would give her a call back right away. Unfortunately, she told me that after the CT scan was read more carefully, there was a small abnormality on one of my lungs. My mom asked me which lung when I told her about the call, and I don’t remember . . . While I have been told that different scans of different people can show different abnormalities, this is a little bit of a punch to the good news I shared with you a couple of weeks ago. But, I have had bigger punches over the last several years, and it is through all of you that I was able to keep going. I am going to be scheduled for another CT scan in three months, and would appreciate your prayers as I continue to pray for my health.

May there be peace through this time of waiting,
Nathan

6 months ago . . .

2008-07-05T16:40:00.001-05:00

It was around six months ago that I updated my bolg. In some ways that is a very long time ago, but that also means nothing major has happened. (I think I have written this before :). But, I have great news to share with all of you. On June 23rd, I had another MRI and CT scan, and the results did not show anything for my cancer doctor to be concerned about. And yet as my parents and I heard this great news, there is still a hesitation to celebrate the same way we did after finished my first round of chemo a couple of years ago. Not to say we did not celebrate, we just did not celebrate by having a large ice cream social like we did then. And, by writing this to you all, is also a great way to celebrate these last scan results. My nest scans are scheduled to be in another six months.

I am still working at the University of Iowa Hospital and Clinics in Iowa City as a psychiatric nursing assistant. And for now I am still enjoying my work. I have many different stories from this job, but that would fill another bolg spot, which I am not planning one creating. Other than that, I am continuing to spend time with family and friends as I continue along God’s journey for my life.

May God bless you all, and one again, thanks for your prayers,
Nathan

Good News

2007-12-23T23:54:00.000-06:00

Hello with a blessing from God!

This past Monday (12/17/07), I had my scheduled MRI and CT scans. Once again it was a long day of waiting and waiting. But, the good news was worth the wait. In the late afternoon, my doctors came in to let me know that there is nothing that the scans could show for them to be concerned about. This is great news! And what is even better, my last treatment was almost two years ago. With the type of cancer I had, this is a really good sign! It is a wonderful Christmas gift from God!

Today’s sermon was on finding God even in the challenging times of our lives. Going though the treatment was a very challenging part of my life. But, even though it has been a major challenge, during the treatment and now, I have felt very blessed by God. And I thank God for each and every new breath that I can breath. For, it is through God’s grace that I am able to find peace within the pain, and through God I am healed.

I wish you all a Merry Christmas, may we all find peace in every aspect of life,
Nathan

Employment Update

2007-10-31T21:21:00.000-05:00

For the last few weeks, I have been going through nursing assistant orientation at the University of Iowa Hospital. My position will be working within one of the psychiatric units at the Hospital. I still am planning on doing more with social work, but decided this new job would assist me in preparation for future social work positions. My orientation is fulltime, and it is creating me to be busier that I am used to being. It feels like I am back in school as I learn new concepts related to nursing rather than social work. What I am learning though is good information to know. For the most part I will be in charge of taking vitals, patient supervision, engaging in conversation, and assisting the nurses of this unit. While I am currently fulltime for this orientation, I will only have a part time nursing assistant position and will continue to work for Social Services as well.

After what I have been through, a few people continue to ask me how I am feeling. And as for now, I am feeling really well. My next MRI and CT scans will be in the middle of December. Once I begin working in the psychiatric unit, I will be putting in some night time hours. I have never had to word during the night, so if you could remember me in your prayers as I attempt to work at a different hour than I am used to.

with peace,
Nathan

Fifth MRI and CT scan

2007-08-21T20:41:00.000-05:00

This past Monday (8/20), I had my follow up MRI and CT scans. While these tests can be a bit nerve racking, I felt fairly relaxed. And fortunately my doctors did not see anything to be concerned about. In addition to receiving great results from my scans, I also had a job interview in the Social Service department at the University Hospital. I am now a Social Service Assistant. My work includes delivering Medicare rights for patients who are going to be discharged. This will involve visiting with many different patients and getting to know the layout of the University Hospital building. This will not provide many hours, but I am still very excited to have this position. It is a way to get into the hospital setting and I will begin to look for a job to add to this one. I am thankful this temp job is related to social work. I am actually excited to have this job.

I want to thank all of you who are still praying for me. Prayer is one of the powerful forces which enables me to feel more relaxed as I go through these exams. My next scans will be in December. I also would appreciate prayer for protection against having seizures. I haven’t had one since July 16, but I would like to keep it that way.

in peace
Nathan

Camp/Madison/Seizure

2007-07-16T21:21:00.000-05:00

My last day of being an assistant program director at Crooked Creek Christian Camp was this past Friday the 13th. The four weeks of camp that I worked with all went well. There were a few challenges that occurred, but the overall camp for the children this summer went very well. We all had a great time swimming, playing games, eating, worshiping God, and discovering the gifts that God has given each one of us. While it is nice to have a break from camp after the week is done, I still would enjoy having a few more this summer. There is a lot of positive energy that is involved in the camp atmosphere that I will miss.

The following day, Saturday the 14th, I took off with a new friend to Madison, Wisconsin. We were both going to the yearly reunion hosted by a person who works spiritually with our health. The reunion went very well and it was good to get to know other people who are receiving care for different medical challenges that they are experiencing in their lives.

In addition to participating in the reunion, I was also able to explore a little bit of the downtown of Madison. There were a couple of places we ate at and a few shops we stopped by. I also enjoyed being able to walk to the lake that is close to downtown Madison.

Our trip back home to Iowa happened on Sunday the 15th. But, this trip was unfortunately not as simple as it was supposed to be. Even before we had left Madison, I had a seizure in the car. The driver quickly called the EMTs and an ambulance was quickly by my side. The nurse practitioner evaluated me while I was in the car and instead of sending me to the hospital in Madison, sent us on our way to meet my parents close to Davenport. After meeting up with my parents, I quickly went to the University Hospital in Iowa City to receive a check out from my doctor. My doctor checked me out and decided that I did not need an MRI. Rather, he prescribed more of the anti-seizure medication in hope of decreasing the chances of having future seizures. I am thankful that I did not have to receive an MRI today.

If you feel like praying for me, I would appreciate it. I continue to ask for prayers in remaining cancer free. But, I also would appreciate prayers for protection against having seizures and for my next MRI and CT scans that will be happening in August. Through God, amazing things can happen!

peace,
Nathan

¡Graduation!

2007-06-23T12:33:00.000-05:00

After the fear and great news, after having my recent seizure, I once again have the reason to celebrate! Yesterday, April 29, I was a part of the 109 graduating class from Goshen College. My major is Social Work and I plan on finding a job with this major over the summer. But, before I start this job, I will be an Assistant Program Director at Crooked Creek Christian Camp. I am really looking forward to this experience as I have been involved with this camp for many summers since fourth grade.

While I am looking forward to being back in Iowa and working at CCCC, I will also miss hanging out with my Goshen friends and my roommate Will. I have developed a number of great relationships this past school year that I am not looking forward to leaving be hind. It will be hard as I will not be able to spend as much time with many of my friends who are not leaving Goshen. But, as my Mom has told me, while it is always fun to create relationships, there are often challenges when our situations change. So as I leave Goshen, I am both excited and saddened.

It almost seems that when good events come into our lives, it can cause a number of challenges to face as well. We just need to remember to stay connected to God so that our changes can come out to be a blessing to all those around us.

With peace, sorrow, and joy
Nathan

P.S. I wrote this after my graduation and I am now working at CCCC as an assistant program director and it is going well.

Good News

2007-04-23T10:41:00.000-05:00

Hello

The Easter weekend hit me and my family very hard as I had a seizer Sunday morning. I was at my Dad’s parents in Claridon, Ohio and rushed to the hospital by ambulance to the Burton, hospital. After hearing the news my parents were able to find a private plane to fly me back to Iowa so that I could see my doctors from the U of I Hospital on Monday. This whole event of having another seizer was very unnerving for my family and I felt fortunate that my sister and aunt were in the hospital with me as the Burton doctor gave me a brief overview to make sure that I had not broken anything during my seizer, which lasted for one minute. Fortunately, I did not have any immediate injuries and was able to go back to my grandparent’s house by the early afternoon. I also need to thank one of my uncles for driving me to the airport in Cleveland. The amazing part is that the plane ride back home only took two hours.

After receiving the MRI and CT scans on Monday the 9th I received great news from my U of I doctors. They could find nothing to be concerned about in my brain! Rather than having a problem once again with cancer, I was told that it could have been stress, lack of sleep, or a number of other changes that cause seizers. I was told that anyone can have a seizer if they are put under the right circumstance. It is just that I am now more likely to have a seizer than other people because of the treatments I have received. This is great news!

I am currently finishing up my school work and will actually be graduating from Goshen in a little over one week! This is also very exciting and I consider it to be a great accomplishment!

Once again, I thank everyone who is praying for me, thinking of me, and continuing to stay in contact through the blog. I know I have not kept it that up to date, but that only means that I have not been facing a lot of health issues lately.

With peace and comfort,
Nathan

A Birthday!

2007-01-22T09:14:00.000-06:00

There are many things in life that jump up and surprise us. This past Friday the 19th my parents called me and wished me a happy birthday. While I was confused for one second, since December 1st is my birthday, I quickly realized that I had been in the hospital at this time last year. This phone call was a joyful phone call as it was the one year celebration of getting my stem cell transplant. And on the stem cell transplant floor, this is known as a birth of new life!

I am now finishing my last semester before I graduate. I still have my internship and also two social work classes. I am getting excited about being able to graduate at the end of April. While I am busy writing papers for my classes I have also chosen to be apart of an indoor soccer team and play every Thursday night. As I have been playing soccer ever since the 1st grade it feels great to be able to kick the ball around even though I am not in any type of shape after sitting out for two years.

I also want to thank all of you for praying for me and I hope your prayers for me extend to praying for other people as well. Prayer is a gift and connection with God that is good for everyone.

Nathan

Good Results

2006-12-18T23:03:00.000-06:00

I had my CT and MRI scans today. Once again it took all day to have all the tests and hear the results from my doctors. I relaxed while getting my scans and almost fell a sleep a couple of times while waiting. Both of my doctors were pleased with the results and the doctor in charge of overseeing my care said to me “you’re doing outstanding.” To hear the great news was great for me, my family, friends, and I hope you! Last year at this time I was in the hospital because of my low blood counts and was discharged right before Christmas day. And as we heard the great news today we believe it is a great Christmas gift from God! This news lifts my fear and will bring a great Christmas break. I know I am surrounded by gifts from God as you all pray for me. And I hope you all have a great Christmas as well.

I give thanks to God,
Nathan

More Scans

2006-12-12T21:59:00.000-06:00

It has been almost four months since I have had a MRI or CT scan. And on December the 18 I will be back at the University of Iowa Hospital for these two scans. I am feeling great, this is just one of the planned tests that I will be getting for the next few years. I would appreciate your prayers as I go through this nerve racking time, and that I will remain cancer free!

I have finished my finals and came back to my parents house in Iowa for Christmas break. I had my last final exam on Wednesday and came home Thursday. It feels great to be done with this semester because that means I only have one more. While I really enjoy going to school, I am also looking forward to being done as well.

This past weekend our church gave their almost yearly dinner theater. I was involved with helping to serve food and I also was able to go to the dinner theater one night since I was not able to go to the rehearsal. All the dramas and singing went really well, and the food, as always, was wonderful. If you have never been to one of these you should go sometime, for not only is it very entertaining, but it is also Washington Mennonite’s fundraiser for missions.

I pray that we can all experience peace this coming week!
Nathan

It has been a while . . .

2006-11-11T15:21:00.000-06:00

Hi everyone who is still looking at my blog. It has been a long time since I have last written anything on the blog! I am doing well. One of the things that I have noticed is that school hasn’t changed, but I am getting more used to being a student. And I was happy with how my first test went. As I think about it that was a long time ago. I think I need to do a bit better of a job keeping my blog up to date.

After I went through around two years of treatment, I wrote a list of things that I have learned. And I think I am going to post them on this blog:

1. God will never leave me/us.
2. When we keep our eyes on God, God’s power will help us accomplish more than we can even think possible.
3. It is important to love yourself as God loves you.
4. It is important to spend time with others/to love them as God loves us.
5. Doctors are important, but God is more important.
6. Even sick people have a meaning on Earth.
7. It is important to find joy when you are sick.
8. Prayer is a powerful connection we have with God.
9. My story has affected more people than only me. And I want to take this time to hear how it has positively affected you. (Don’t forget this Nathan)

And I have not stopped writing what I am currently learning as well. This is what I have learned since the end of the 2006 summer:

1. God’s Holy Spirit is involved in our lives and can protect us from all evil.
2. The true complement of a sermon is not “that was a good sermon;” but rather a person’s actions of following the sermon.
3. Today (11/5/06) during the sermon at East Goshen, it became relevant to me that “Death is only a fear we have between the present and the future.”

Well, as I said, everything is going well for me. I enjoy the church I go to, am feeling better about being a student again and feeling great. I also really enjoy my internship with LaCasa. Most of my internship involves working with different neighborhood associations in Goshen, working with low income clients, running children’s activities at Arbor Ridge (LaCasa rental unit), and doing lots of small jobs as well.

Even though I have been done with treatment for a little while now, I still see God at work in my life and people’s lives around me. And I hope you do as well. I am going to end this Blog with a statement that was given to me on a pillow from Maria Davis.

Prayer Changes Everything,
Nathan

College

2006-09-20T09:19:00.000-05:00

I am starting to get back into the swing of studying. It is different to have to study for tests and complete papers. I sometimes greet having to study, but as I said, I am still getting used to being back in school. My first test is this Friday. It is for my Jesus and the Gospels class. As I have said before, it is interesting to have to study without being able to read well.

My internship is going well though. I am experiencing a lot of new ways people live and learning how to work with them in their situations. It takes a lot of work and being respectful with my language. It is easy to tell people what to do, but when you are changing their lives, the most peaceful way that it can be done is important.

Once again, I ask for prayers of health as I am working with many people and spending time with a lot of college students. I am currently healthy, and staying healthy is one of my prayers. The healthier I can be the better everything will go for me as I am in college.

Love,
Nathan

Back to Goshen College

2006-08-29T21:01:00.000-05:00

I have begun to take the next step towards finishing what I had started before having to go home for almost two years. I once again am living in Goshen and planning on finishing my undergraduate degree in social work. When I first thought about coming back, I thought about how many people I just wouldn’t know. But, as I get closer to taking classes, I am realizing that I know more people around here than I thought I would. And that is great. My first class, Jesus and the Gospels, will be tomorrow at one. I will also be starting my internship this coming Thursday morning. My internship is at La Casa and I believe I will be working with low income housing situations. I am looking forward to be working as a social worker again. I am also living in a brand new house with William Leichty. It is a nice place to be living. I went into the dorms today and it just felt so good that I wasn’t living on campus!

Now that I am back in the swing of being around more young people, I once again feel the need to remain as healthy as possible. That is apart of my prayers every night. And now that I have a difficulty with reading, it is a bit scary to start taking classes again. I would appreciate your prayers for me as I work with this difficulty. I need to have a lot of peace, understanding, and patience as I go through this struggle.

With peace,
Nathan

Large Smiles

2006-08-07T21:42:00.000-05:00

This past week I had a headache, and anymore a headache is a scary thing for me to have. But today I received great news that my headache did not come from cancer in my brain! Rather, my MRI and CT scan showed that there was nothing to be concerned about. When my parents and I heard this our faces were full of smiles! This means that I have gone six months without having any cancer return to my body. My body is healthy! I must give thanks to God for the past six months of great health.

This coming Wednesday (8/9/06) I will be going back to the hospital for my neuropsyche tests. From this test, the doctors will be able to tell the college what help I need with my reading disability. When I first had my head surgery, I could barely remember how to read, and people’s names were far from my brain. While my reading has improved and I can remember more names, they both still aren’t as good as they were.

I will also be getting my port taken out of my chest this coming Monday (8/14/06). While I have gotten used to having my port, it will be nice not to have it in me anymore.

Right now I am at peace,
Nathan

Celebration

2006-07-29T12:05:00.000-05:00

It has been over six months since I have received my last chemotherapy, and that is reason to celebrate! One of the things I have learned about is the importance of celebrating how God is working in our lives. Therefore, as God has been working in my life, I feel the need to celebrate that. My family is planning on having a celebration Sunday (7/30/06) night at 6:00 at Washington Mennonite Church. We will have a thanksgiving service and homemade ice cream. Ultimately, we are going to celebrate and you are invited to come. If you can’t make it, help me give thanks by thanking God for his work in my life.

Additionally, my family just got back from vacation. Our final destination was Maine, but we also stopped to see my Dad’s family who live in Ohio on the way to Maine, and on the way back home. The most fun part of being in Maine for me was catching lobsters from the ocean. I also discovered that eating lobsters is a lot of work, but they do taste great. It was also a lot of fun to spend time with my Grandparents and other relatives who live in Ohio. We don’t get to see them very often, so it is always nice when we can. And it just hit me that in New Hampshire I saw a relative for the first time as one of my cousins had a baby fairly recently.

I also will be going back to the hospital soon for more tests. The seventh of August I will be receiving an MRI and a CT scan. These are the tests to see how the inside of my body is doing. So I would appreciate your prayers as I go through this. God is at work in my life, and I know God will continue to always be with me. I will then also be going back to the hospital the ninth of August for my neurological work. This will help me know what I will need to help me make it through college with a fair amount of help for my new reading disability. Well, I guess it is almost a year now that I haven’t been able to read well, but it still feels new to me.

May Christ be with us all as we walk through life
Nathan

Update

2006-07-05T15:07:00.000-05:00

As I looked at my blog lately, I realized that it has been awhile since I put anything on. I thought it would be good to fill you who are reading this in a little bit on my life. One of the things that I have been doing is speaking.

Today I helped my dad give the sermon and everything went well. We talked about our dealing with losses with the love of God in us and a positive attitude. Everything went well and a number of people said they got a lot from what we talked about. That is what is important.

Additionally, I have just taken some cognitive rehabilitation to help prepare me to go back to college. I have to do a bit of reading in preparation to go back to college. The doctor can then assess my abilities and then make a recommendation to Goshen about what I need to work with my new reading disabilities. I am not too worried about going back to school, but it will be a challenge.

My last blood work was in the low normal range, so that is going well. I still don’t have all of my hair back but that is ok with me. Over all, I am doing really well as I keep busy painting and spending time with my family and friends.

Nathan

Crooked Creek Christian Camp

2006-06-09T13:32:00.000-05:00

This past week I have been the Pastor at CCCC summer staff orientation. I talked about our relationship with God the creator of everything. From what I heard everything went well, and I know God was with me as I went through this. I received compliments from the summer staff and I give thanks to God for helping me! I think everything went well as well. I find it very tiring to give a number of speeches in one week, and while I enjoyed my time there, I am excited to be painting again. Painting doesn’t take as much brain work :)

Additionally, I re-learned how week I still am. I did some games that involved running and the next day my legs were exhausted. But, I did enjoy getting to know the summer staff that will be working with the campers for the next four to five weeks. My prayers will continue to be with them while they are at camp.

With peace,
Nathan

Bone Scan Results

2006-05-22T22:04:00.000-05:00

I spent pretty much all day today in the hospital setting to learn that there is nothing to worry about in my bones. The bone scan came back showing no cancer, which energizes me. I will be having scans again in August before I return to Goshen College. I thank you all for your prayers and I know God is filling me with health.

Nathan

P.S. If I was ever going to work in the hospital, I would choose to give bone scans to other people because it is so much fun to see the bones come forth on the computer :)

More Peace

2006-05-15T22:45:00.000-05:00

I had my scheduled doctors appointment today filled with a CT scan, MRI, and a visit with my doctors. And once again my doctors are pleased with how I am doing. This means that my dead cancer cells have either shrunk or at least stayed the same size. Believe it or not, I don’t have to always wear my mask now (I might still wean away from it though). In addition, my blood counts have been on the rise, still not normal, but are higher than they have been since my stem cell transplant! There is always a catch though, as my dad says every time I go in for new scans. The doctors have noticed that there is a new growth on my left hip bone that showed up first in my first scan after my stem cell transplant but has grown a bit since then. They are not worried about it being cancerous, but they do want me to have a bone scan next week just to get a better picture of the growth and to see if there are any other growths that are still unseen.

Once again, I want to thank you all for your many prayers and staying with me through this experience. During the joyful and painful times of this journey, I am learning a lot about my relationship with God and I hope you all are learning a lot as well.

Love,
Nathan

Biking

2006-05-09T20:26:00.000-05:00

The free time I have been experiencing away from making weekly visits to the hospital is fabulous. The next time I will be going to the hospital for scans is May 15th. And painting has been going well for me too. Today it was raining in the morning and since I have a sore throat (no fever) I decided to stay home and rest. I am not sure if my friends started working this afternoon or not.

The latest thing I have started is biking. I got a used bike from a friend and have been working on getting it fixed up. Right now I am working on cleaning the spokes and pedal. This past Sunday I went riding for 15 miles, which is quite a bit for me yet. But, it was a lot of fun and to my surprise I wasn’t even very sore the next day.

If you would all continue to pray for my white cells, I would appreciate it! I would also appreciate you to pray for continued health.

Nathan

Painting

2006-04-25T13:15:00.000-05:00

That is right; I am now a painter once again. I am not sure if I told you all this but I had been painting the musical backdrop at Iowa Mennonite School. The musical is Cinderella and from what I heard while painting should be wonderful. I have also begun to paint with Gerry Klophenstien who I have painted with before. Painting houses is my summer job and it is always nice to be outside during the wonderful summer days! It also makes me tired tough as it is a lot of work. We just finished one house yesterday, and that felt great.

Blessings to you all,
Nathan

I Must Be Serious

2006-04-14T16:37:00.000-05:00

I had another doctor appointment (scheduled) this past Monday, and before I knew it was Friday already. So here I am again writing on the blog. It went well except for my blood cells. They are still below normal, but the doctors feel I am still doing well. You can pray that my white count come up to a normal amount. Other than my blood cells I have been feeling healthy. And for those who haven’t seen me, my hair is even growing back: well except for the front. That’s right, I am going bald at 24 :) I hope it all grows back.

I also have been spending quite a bit of time at Iowa Mennonite School. They are putting on a drama and I am helping to prepare the background scenes for them. There are a lot of different colors.

Even though I am doing well, I still really appreciate all of your prayers. They are very important to every day that I am alive.

Nathan

Yesterday

2006-04-04T22:35:00.000-05:00

My parents and I are thankful that life has been relatively restful since getting back home; that is until last night. According to my mother, she heard loud noises coming from my room. With a bit of worry, she groped her way through the dark into my room. And to her surprise I was not in my bed. Rather, as she told me, I was no where to be found. Then she felt a cold breeze blowing through the room. She approached the window to see me dancing in nothing but my shorts on top of the roof.

Lately I have had the feeling that my blog has become quite boring, so this story is to jazz it up a bit. I have to keep everyone interested :) I have never sleep walked in my life, and I don’t plan on it either. If nothing else, you will either think I am really stupid or you will smile. I hope you are all smiling. I don’t think my dad is smiling :) My mom and I are laughing out loud. I guess that tells you how well I am feeling right now.

Back to what is actually happening to me . . . I shared what I have learned during the past two years of treatment at Wayland Mennonite Church. Some of the things that I have learned include:

1.Having cancer is not a punishment from God for anything that I have done or not done.
2.Going through hard and easy times in life is a learning experience. During life, we are to learn about God, ourselves, and our relationships with others.
3.Even those who are sick have a purpose in life.
4.Doctors are important, but God is the most important part of my life. As I have been going through this experience, I have really enjoyed my connection with God and the many prayers all of you have been praying. I know God is present in my life and I trust Him.

These are a few of the things that I have been thinking about lately. They are lessons that have been brought to me as I have been learning from the last two years of killing cancer. This experience has really influenced my life, and I am thankful for what I have learned.

Once again, I want to thank you all for your prayers as my reading and word recognition continues to improve. I am also excited and thrilled with my physical health.

Love,
Nathan

Neuro Psyche Exam

2006-03-26T21:30:00.000-06:00

This past Friday, I spent around three and a half hours in the hospital, but this time I was assessed by a neuro psyche doctor. The focus of the visit was to test my ability to read and word finding since my brain was effected when I had brain surgery. The tests involved repeating numbers, letters, and reading. It wasn’t difficult because I have been living with these challenges for the past six months. Once I was done with the test, the doctor told me that I have moderate problems with word recall and reading. The most interesting thing that I learned during this time was that different parts of the brain run eye site and another part runs one’s ability to write. Since the part of my brain that is involved with writing was not damaged I can still write even though my reading is very slow. I read approximately two short sentences in a minute, but I can still write you blogs :) The doctor is confident that my brain will continue to regain my reading and word recognition skills. In addition, I will receive therapy to help me improve.

While my reading isn’t the best right now, I am still very thankful that God has given me the ability to recover from the stem cell transplant with as much energy as I have right now. I can actually run up the stairs right now which is something new.

Nathan

Guardedly Excited

2006-03-13T21:28:00.000-06:00

I received the results today about my CT and MRI scans from last Wednesday. It was good news to hear the results. My doctor went over my scans explaining how all the remaining tumor cells in my chest, abdomen and brain seem to be necrotic. She explained to me how they look dead and have not gotten any bigger and even better some have decreased in size. Additionally, the fungal area in my right lung has decreased in size. My blood work also came back at a similar level as I have had since leaving the hospital.

While I received a lot of good news, the CT scan did reveal three tiny lesions in my liver. The doctors felt that it is not something to be alarmed about but needs to be watched. My next visit with my doctors will be in a month and my next scans will be in three months.

From the medical standpoint my main doctor feels that I am doing very well. But, I believe there is more to healing than just medical treatment, so I would still appreciate prayer. I am going to continue to pray that cancer cells will not flair up, the lesions in my liver don’t cause problems, and my blood cell levels continue to increase. I also need to remain free from infections, viruses and fungi as I am still recovering from my stem cell transplant.

Love,
Nathan

Scans Tomarrow

2006-03-07T13:54:00.000-06:00

I am still feeling great and my blood counts are still looking ok, but not up to the normal level yet. Tomorrow is a big day for me. I will be going to the hospital to get CT scans and MRI scans. This is the first exam I have had since being out of the hospital, and it is a bit scary for me. I pray that there is no new growth within my body. That would be a wonderful gift from God!

I have had a number of friends ask me what I do during my days living at home. Well when I wake up I eat breakfast and then usually spend some time praying. After that I often clean out the dishwasher and then load it back up. In the afternoon I often read with the hope of improving my reading ability since by brain surgery. I also watch a movie every once in a while and I have been painting at our church as we are redoing the inside. I also spend some time in town to use the wireless internet. I also spend some time during the afternoon to walk and am really looking forward to warmer weather. Even though I am not going to school or have a job, I am still able to enjoy my days which I am thankful for.

Take care,
Nathan

40 days since transplant

2006-02-28T19:33:00.000-06:00

I am still doing well and in fact I continue to gain more and more strength. Tomorrow I will be going in to the Washington hospital to get my blood tested so they can send my blood results to my doctors in Iowa City. Today I also went to the Parents as Teachers office to print off information handouts. It is an easy job unless the copy machine doesn’t work. It was eating all the papers and causing me all sorts of problems as I tried to make copies. One thing that I am praying for is that my blood cells continue to increase because I would prefer not to get another blood transfusion. The doctors told me not to expect the blood counts to be in the normal range for 1-2 months.

Nathan

p.s. It has been a joy to hear Nathan playing the guitar again and I am thanking God for that progress. Thanks for your many prayers. We need to continue to trust God as we face the uncertainties of Nathan’s future health. Carol

Recovering

2006-02-20T20:34:00.000-06:00

I made another trip to the hospital today and was pleased to hear my doctors are still very impressed with my progress of recovery. My blood work came back looking well, although it is still below normal. And I haven’t have to have a blood transfusion since I have left the bone marrow transplant floor. I am happy about that. My doctors also said that I don’t need to come back to the hospital for another three weeks. I am thankful that God has given me the strength to be as healthy as I am right now. For now I am spending my time at home and with family and friends. I hope you are all doing well!

Take care,
Nathan

Enjoying Home!

2006-02-16T20:06:00.000-06:00

I played the guitar for the first time in a long time, and it was a lot of fun even though it made my left fingers sore. I also had a hospital visit this past Monday with my cancer doctors. It was also fun to see a couple of my nurses from when I was in the bone marrow transplant unit. But, I didn’t get any new details about what is coming up and my blood cells are all about the same as they were from my last test. The next time I will be going to the hospital will be this coming Monday to visit with the doctors again, and I pray my blood cells take a jump in their numbers. Other than that I have been healthy since leaving the hospital. My eating is slowly increasing and I am drinking plenty of liquids. Right now my biggest fear is that the cancer will grow back, and I hate that part of my thoughts. It is often a part of my prayers.

Take Care,
Nathan

Our Farm House

2006-02-10T13:14:00.000-06:00

Hello-

Unfortunately this is probably my last day here at the Davis’ house. But, that means my house is being finished and is looking more ready to move into again. Right now there are a number of people from my church there helping my parents clean and move our furniture back to where it belongs.

I also thought it would be good to tell you all that I am all finished with my IV nutrition. That wasn’t much fun, kind of like being at the hospital, and I only had to take it for one night. The important thing is that I drink eight glasses of liquids a day and eat and that is what I need to keep me from sucking vitamins into my blood vessels. It was nice to be done with that.

Right now I am in the recovery state and I pray that my body continues to recover with no more cancer ever!

Nathan

Back Home!

2006-02-06T20:46:00.000-06:00

Back Home! Well, at least back out of the hospital. Right now I am hanging out at Craig and Jane Davis’ house as my house is currently being redone. We are refinishing our downstairs original hardwood floors. And it is beautiful, but, a bit inconvenient. Luckily we have great friends who are willing to give us help as our house has all the downstairs furniture stored in our garage. I will be home soon though. Right now I am also taking IV nutrition at home. It is to help me get enough fluids and calories in me because my daily eating is still less than perfect. One prayer that I would like is to be done with the nuisance of preparing for the nightly IV’s. I also need more prayers for the health of my body. My blood cells need to continue to grow so that I can be more resistant to becoming sick, which is another prayer concern. But today I am completely thrilled to be back out of the hospital. Thanks for all your prayers.

Love,
Nathan

Homeward Bound

2006-02-05T22:45:00.000-06:00

Today is day 17 after transplant. We are thankful that it seems Nathan will be able to go home tomorrow. He will probably need I.V. nutrition at home until he drinks more fluids. He will need to take precautions for 3 months e.g. wearing a mask when he is around crowds of people, refraining from vacuuming, dusting, and gardening. Oh well, maybe we can get him to wash dishes.  Tomorrow will be exactly four weeks when Nathan came into the bone marrow transplant unit. He has been through an awful lot during these four weeks and we are grateful for the progress he has made. Continue to remember Nathan and us as we make the transition from hospital to home.

Tim & Carol

Great News

2006-02-02T17:54:00.000-06:00

My white counts are at 5.2. My dad came up around noon today. I slept a little past nine this morning and then a little bit in the afternoon. After my walk today, I got a nose bleed and had to stop the bleeding and they gave me more platelets. But, even more interesting early this morning, well late for most of you, I found out that the doctors are planning on sending me home on Monday! As I have said, “I am ready to be out of the hospital.” Right now I realize my prayer concerns are to remain healthy while in the hospital and to maintain a great quality of health when I leave the hospital. I will need to be especially careful for the first three months after leaving the hospital. The doctors want to wean me off of nutritional IV, which means I need to continue to learn to eat normal food. Right now each day is getting a little bit better. Remember me in prayer as I prepare to go back home.

Love,
Nathan

White Cells Count at 1.1

2006-01-31T16:42:00.000-06:00

The first thing I heard in the morning was a whisper from my nurse that my white cells were all the way from .3 to 1.1. It is a huge jump for me! The doctors are telling me that I am making great progress on my recovery from the heavy dose of chemo. One thing I can use more prayer for is improvement in my ability to eat food. Right now I am stuck to IV nutrition and yogurt.

With more energy,
Nathan

Nathan Keeps making progress

2006-01-30T21:38:00.000-06:00

Today, I think Nathan would say he is feeling stronger. He continues to have throat and stomach pain but his mouth feels better. He ate yogurt and a few bites of a pancake and chocolate pudding. He had a CT scan of the chest and head to check out the status of the lung fungus. The scans looked good – the fungus area may be slightly smaller. His white count stayed at 0.3 today and he received blood and platelets again. One of the nurses said once his white count hits 1.0 then they start thinking about him going home. Nathan went for a little walk around 9 PM. He was going to write something on this blog but is too tired so I will just post this update on Nathan’s day.

Carol

God's Healing Rain

2006-01-29T11:44:00.000-06:00

This is Sunday morning. Today was my turn to be with Nathan on Sunday morning. We had our own little worship service in his room. No, I didn’t preach a sermon. We read from Colossians 1:9-21 and Psalm 34:1-8 and then watched the “Healing Rain” CD by Michael W. Smith. The rain we had last night reminded me of God’s healing rain. Some of the lyrics are especially meaningful to us during this time of Nathan’s treatment. “Healing rain, it comes with fire, so let it fall, and take us higher, healing rain, I’m not afraid, to be washed, in heaven’s rain, lift your heads, let us return, to the mercy seat, where time began, and in your eyes, I see the pain, come soak this dry heart, with healing rain, and only you, the Son of Man, can take a leper, and let him stand, so lift your hands, they can be held, by someone greater, the Great I Am, healing rain, it comes with fire, so let it fall, and take us higher, healing rain I’m not afraid, to be washed in heaven’s rain, to be washed in heaven’s rain, healing rain, is falling down, healing rain, is falling down, I’m not afraid, I’m not afraid.” I am coming to see healing as being much bigger than “cure”. Healing may or may not include cure. We pray for Nathan’s cure. However, one thing we know is that God’s healing rain comes down upon us to soak our dryness, to heal our brokenness, to quiet our fears, to heal our pain, to surround us with God’s love and care, and to give us peace. We are also surrounded by the love and care of many people. We rejoice this morning that Nathan’s white blood cell count has climbed to 0.3. H still is running a fever which is expected with his counts so low. He was going to add to the blog but he was too tired and decided to lay down and sleep instead. Perhaps he will feel like writing something later. Thanks for your continued prayers and may you know God’s healing rain falling down upon you today.

Tim

White Cells Begin to Climb

2006-01-27T12:16:00.000-06:00

Early this morning my nurse leaned down to tell me that my white blood cells had grown for the first time since receiving my stem cells. I have also been maintaining a more of a stable fever. While it isn’t good to have a fever it is better to have a low grade one rather than a high one. Starting yesterday, I have begun the process off feeling better.

Thanks for your prayers,
Nathan

PS: It is so good to see Nathan’s white blood count begin to rise. It is at 0.2 today, the first sign that the bone marrow is beginning to make good cells once again. This is important for Nathan’s healing of the sores in his mouth, throat and stomach. Nathan also ate yogurt last night, the first time he ate anything for five days. He also ate yogurt for breakfast this morning. These are all positive signs that Nathan’s body is beginning to heal following his chemotherapy. The sun is shinning bright in our window this morning, reminding us of God’s love that surrounds us here in the hospital.

Tim

Keeping on Waiting

2006-01-26T10:43:00.000-06:00

Today is day seven since Nathan’s stem cell transplant. There is really nothing new to report. A positive sign is that Nathan’s fever didn’t spike during the night as it had the past several nights. He continues to have a low grade fever along with the other symptoms he has experienced for the past week. We are hoping that by Sunday or Monday we will see the white counts start coming back up. It takes about 10 to 12 days before the bone marrow starts making white blood cells following a transplant. The only thing we can do is wait and ride through this time the best we can. The biggest change today is that Nathan was moved to another room for the day. They had to turn the water off in Nathan’s room so they could fix a drain problem in the room below his. We should be back in his room by late afternoon. I have no further updates to add at this point. Thanks for your ongoing prayers.

Tim

A Day on the Bone Marrow Unit

2006-01-24T19:28:00.000-06:00

A day in Nathan’s life on the bone marrow unit: Nights are always interrupted (important interruptions) with taking vitals, and keeping his antibiotics, pain meds and IV fluids flowing. The doctor makes her rounds around 9AM. Things are pretty much the same for Nathan this morning – pain in the GI track and stomach, fever, and low energy. There are no new developments that are cause for concern which is good. By 10AM we read through Nathan’s emails and then it is time for another nap. Around 1:30 we opened and read the cards that came in the mail. This afternoon several persons stopped in for brief visits. Nathan opened one of his gifts from the “sunshine” box – a video with Will Ferrell and Robert Duvall “Kicking & Screaming”. The floor doctor makes her rounds around 3:30 PM – she feels Nathan is doing well, the symptoms he is experiencing are normal and to be expected. He was given more pain meds, antibiotics, nutritional fluids and blood platelets. Around 5 PM we went for a little walk up and down the bone marrow unit hall. Nathan takes a lot of short little naps through out the day. Last evening Carol and Nathan put together a puzzle. Some time during the day we work in a movie on the DVD if he feels up to it – yesterday we watched “Lilies of the Fields” with Sidney Poitier. By 9:30 PM, Nathan is usually ready to go to sleep for the night. Carol and I spend our time reading, keeping up on Nathan’s care needs, doing cross-word puzzles and taking naps ourselves. It is also good opportunity to check our own email. That is pretty much our day. We don’t see it as a boring place to be. Instead, we see it as the place we need to be at this time in Nathan’s treatment plan – a place of care and compassion. It’s difficult to patiently wait for Nathan’s bone marrow to kick in and start making good blood cells again to wait for Nathan’s body to heal and become strong again. But we know Nathan is being held in God’s loving arms. Thanks for your ongoing prayers and concern. We may not get a daily update written but will try to keep you posted frequently on Nathan’s progress.

Tim & Carol

Monday update

2006-01-23T21:51:00.000-06:00

Hello from Nathan and family on 1/23/06. Just a quick update – the doctor reported that Nathan’s blood cultures showed a bacteria so he has been started on a high powered antibiotic. She thinks that is what is causing the fever. This evening, he’s had only a low grade fever which is an improvement from yesterday. Nathan also had a scan of his chest and head today. We were thankful to hear that the fungus in the lung has stayed about the same size – it could have increased in size since his white count is very low. He continues on morphine and I.V. nutrition due to his sore mouth, esophagus, and stomach. That probably won’t heal until his stem cells start producing blood cells. The present he opened today from his sunshine box, was a puzzle. He and mom put it together.  So, thanks for your continued prayers for strength and healing. Tim and Carol

Sleepy Sunday Update

2006-01-22T16:05:00.000-06:00

Hello again, Today Nathan is very sleepy – he talks a few minutes and then drifts off to sleep. The doctor attributes that to the morphine. Nathan started running a 101 degree temp in the night. So, he has had and will have a variety of tests to see if the cause can be determined. Thank you so much for all your prayers. Pray nothing life threatening will develop and whatever is causing the fever can be controlled. The doctor said they might give Nathan white blood cells tomorrow and will do a scan of his chest to see how the fungal area looks in the lung. This next week will probably be when Nathan feels the worst. We have been carried by your prayers. Tim and Carol

Post Stem Cell Transplant

2006-01-21T17:29:00.000-06:00

You may be wondering how Nathan is doing. There’s not much new to report. He handled receiving his stem cell transplant well. The roughest thing the last couple days has been pain from his throat to his stomach. He’s taking morphine for that pain. So, you can pray for the lining of his gastrointestinal system to heal quickly. He also receives I.V. nutrition but can eat anything by mouth that he can tolerate. Mainly he eats yogurt, a milk shake, or tapioca pudding. He continues to walk in the hall about 15 minutes each day and takes frequent naps. His blood counts are checked each day – today he received platelets to prevent bleeding. They are giving him antibiotics and anti-viral meds to prevent illnesses. Cards, gifts, and his computer helps pass some time – e-mails, music, and watching DVDs.

Tim and Carol

Stem Cell Transplant

2006-01-19T12:23:00.000-06:00

Today is the day that I will be receiving my stem cells back into my body. I have heard from a few of the nurses that today at 2pm will be an important recovery date; a recovery back to health once again. I found out today that I will be actually receiving two stem cell transplants, which means I will be receiving a second round of stem cells tomorrow morning. I am excited about the re-growth of my body and ask you to pray for a quick and healthy re-growth.

Love,
Nathan

PS: I want to add a ps to Nathan's blog to let you know that his stem cell transplant went well today. As Nathan mentioned above, he will get the second half tomorrow. The Transplant Unit refers to this day as Nathan's second birthday since the stem cells are meant to give him life again. We told Nathan that this is actually his third birthday, his baptism being his second one. He agreed. The room smells like creamed corn from the preservative that is put into the stem cells before they were frozen. Nathan's body emits this smell. Thank you all for your many prayers. We now wait for the bone marrow to begin making new cells. Twelve days is the record of recovery here on the unit. It takes about two weeks for the bone marrow to kick in. We see the stem cells as the opportunity for new life to be given to Nathan's body. Pray with us toward this end.

Tim and Carol

Chemo is Finished

2006-01-17T11:30:00.000-06:00

Greetings from Nathan’s hospital room in the bone marrow transplant unit. Today is day nine which means the eight days of high dose chemo are over (yeah!). Today and tomorrow are (much needed) rest days for Nathan as he has been hit pretty hard with the chemo. His white blood cell count is at 0.3. The staff here is really good at staying on top of Nathan’s pain and nausea control due to chemo. So far he has continued to have a decent appetite and is able to keep his food down. He is pretty exhausted and sleeps a lot, however, yesterday Nathan and Carol put together a small puzzle and went for a 15 minute walk. We did some decorating in Nathan’s room – his bulletin board is full with pictures of grandparents, family and friends and we found a way to hang this prayer quilt on the wall beside his bed. It adds a warm and caring touch to the room. The nurses and staff marvel at the love and care from so many people that went into making this quilt. Again we are reminded by this quilt of all the prayers that surround Nathan and our family during this difficult time. Thank you!! Washington Mennonite Church put together a “sunshine” box for Nathan. So he has a small gift to open each day to be reminded of the love and care from our church family in Washington. We are truly blessed by the love and care from family, church and friends that surround and hold us up at this time. The doctors say everything is going as scheduled and looks good. The doctors, nurses and staff on the unit here are great. Continue to remember them in your prayers. Continue to pray that the chemo will destroy all the little microscopic cancer cells that linger in Nathan’s body and that his organs will not be damaged by the high doses of chemo he has received. Pray that Nathan will have the strength he needs for each day and that he will not get any life threatening illness during this time when his white cell count is so low. Thursday is stem cell transplant day. This is really a simple procedure of receiving his own stem cells back through IV. However, it is a big day in that it marks the day from which we wait for Nathan’s bone marrow to begin making white blood cells, platelets, hemoglobin and all the other necessary blood cells we need for survival. May the love and peace of God surround you this day as we are also held in God’s love here in the hospital. Thanks for your prayers.

Tim Detweiler

In the Bone Marrow Unit

2006-01-11T22:34:00.000-06:00

Greetings,
I am writing to let you know that Nathan is now in the Blood and Marrow Transplant Unit at UIHC. He was admitted on Monday. His treatment begins with eight days of aggressive chemotherapy and then his stem cell transplant. We were told to expect about a four week stay. The chemo will destroy the bone marrow and the stem cells will hopefully rejuvenate it following the eight days of chemo. So far Nathan is receiving the chemo as well as can be expected. His sickest days will come the weeks after chemo. The biggest side effect he is experiencing now is some nausea and tiredness. The chemo he is receiving now requires that he showers four times a day. The body excretes it through the skin and it is important to keep it washed off. He is able to get out and walk up and down the hall here in the unit, which he tries to do twice a day. During the chemo phase of Nathan’s treatment, Carol and I are taking turns staying up over night with Nathan. Prayer Requests: Pray that the chemo will destroy all the cancer that lingers in Nathan’s body and that Nathan’s body organs will be protected and not damaged by the chemo. Pray for protection from life threatening illnesses during this time. Pray that Nathan will have the strength he needs for each day. Pray for the doctors/nurses/staff that work here on the bone marrow unit. Pray for Carol and I as we journey with Nathan during this time (also remember Caleb & Erika). Erika started school at Eastern Mennonite University in January. Jane Davis gave us some chalk that was blessed for use during Epiphany. We wrote a blessing with this chalk above Nathan’s hospital room door – “Peace be with this house (room) and all who live (and enter) here. Blessed be the name of the Lord.” We wish you God’s peace and blessing in your household as well. Thank you for your prayers and supportive care.

Tim & Carol

PET Scan

2006-01-04T19:17:00.000-06:00

PET Scan

I spent all day yesterday in the hospital once again, but this time it was for tests before I go into the hospital for my last scheduled chemotherapy treatment. The first thing I did was to receive a pet scan of my whole body. This test was to see if there were any remaining cancer cells still growing. Fortunately they did not find any active/growing cancer cells anywhere in my body. That is a very good thing because the fewer cancer cells that I have is the best for starting the new chemo. But, the doctors did discover a fungus growing on the backside of my right lung. This is a fungus that is dangerous when someone does not have a strong immune system. That will be my case in a little over a week away as I am starting with the new chemo on Monday the 9th. They have begun by fighting the fungus with antifungal medication and everything should work out well, but this does increase the risks for problems during the treatment. I also received an EKG.

As I think about my month long stay in the hospital starting just next week, there are a lot of prayers that enter my mind. I am hoping that staying in the hospital for a long time won’t be too bad, and I hope I can remain as healthy as possible the whole time through. I also am praying for protection for my body organs against the strong chemotherapies, from life threatening illness, and low blood counts. And ultimately, I am praying for complete healing from rhabdomyosarcoma.

With love,
Nathan

MRI Results

2005-12-28T14:12:00.000-06:00

During the middle of last week, I noticed that my eyes were seeing double vision at long distances. The last time I experienced vision problems, the tumor in my brain had grown large enough to affect my eyes with pain. Therefore, we called my oncologist to ask him about the double vision. To be safe he had me come up to the hospital the next day for an MRI (Brain scan). Fortunately, the MRI showed that the “dead” tumor cells have shrunk since my last MRI, which was very exciting for my whole family. Additionally, during that day the double vision went away, which is also very relieving because even simply sitting around on the couch is frustrating when you see two of everything just a ways away from your eyes. It feels good to be seeing normal again. The doctors only concern was a small abnormality at the base of my brain. He doesn’t believe it is cancer, but possibly a side effect from receiving radiation.

Love,
Nathan

MRI

2005-12-22T19:59:00.000-06:00

I got home from the hospital yesterday but during the evening I noticed that I began to see double vision when looking into the distance. I also still have the chance of getting my fever back, so keep that in your prayers. In order to check out my double vision, I will be going to the hospital tomorrow morning for an MRI. I am praying that the tumor in my brain is not re-growing and causing visual problems.

I hope you all have a great Christmas!
Nathan

Fever again . . .

2005-12-17T18:27:00.000-06:00

Some quick but unfortunate news; I had been recovering at home with my fever but today the fever kept rising and I ended up having to come to the hospital once again. My doctor who let me stay home decided that I would probably recover quicker if I had some IV antibiotics as well as the oral ones he gave me. My goal then is to stay here for as little time as possible. I need prayers for more white blood cells to develop so that my fever can once again return to normal. Until I go home, I will be sucking down Tylenol to help my fevers stay lower. My other challenge is stomach pain which is most likely from receiving the chemotherapy I had. It is rather uncomfortable.

Love,
Nathan

Old Chemo Memories

2005-12-12T10:24:00.000-06:00

The last two chemotherapy treatments that I have undergone have brought back a lot memories of my previous chemotherapies. After this treatment this past week, I began to remember the stomach aches, physical, and mental challenges of receiving chemotherapy. I walked out of the hospital this past week fairly fatigued and with a discomforted stomach. Both of those can be very tiring. But, I still walked away from the hospital and I still have a lot of trust in health once again!

Right now my biggest prayer concern is to stay out of the hospital until my next scheduled treatment. That means my white blood cells need to stay high enough for me to remain fever free.

One additional and yet positive effect, if you don’t want to shave your face chemotherapy is a great bonus :)

Nathan

More Chemo

2005-12-05T18:26:00.000-06:00

I was checked back into the hospital today to receive another round of chemotherapy. My blood work came back showing that I was healthy enough to receive another week of chemotherapy. Once again I would appreciate your prayers for physical and mental strength as well as for protection for my healthy cells as the chemotherapy really doesn’t see much difference between any cells that grows quickly. Over all, I continue to need God’s strength and protection.

I additionally want to tell you all that I had a wonderful birthday celebration last weekend. I spent some time with close friends as well as with my family.

Love,
Nathan

Hospital Naps

2005-11-28T19:16:00.000-06:00

I always ask my dad what time we are going to leave the hospital. Today he guessed one pm. Instead it was five pm when we walked out of the hospital. I must say that I am exhausted right now after being in the hospital for around six hours. But, I also received some great news today. First of all I had a MRI (brain scan), which showed that my brain cancer has not changed since my last MRI on October 5th. This is very wonderful news as I have been having headaches recently, which can be an indication of a growing brain tumor. I am very happy that that is not the case! Additionally, during the long waiting hours in the hospital, which included a rest time for me, I also found out that my blood cells, except for my hemoglobin, are improving in strength. This means that most likely I will be going back to the hospital again on December fifth for another weeklong chemo treatment that I had almost a month ago. This is both good news and not so great news as I don’t like spending time in the hospital receiving treatments of any sort. So, other than continued health I need prayers for more strength as I am going through the chemotherapy treatment that wipes me out and makes me rather tired. That is the latest news that I have.

Love,
Nathan

Stronger Blood

2005-11-26T18:58:00.000-06:00

I don’t have a lot to say on this blog, but I thought it would be good to tell you that I found out on Friday that my white blood cells are normal again. It feels good to be able to be at home for a while again before going back to the hospital. Additionally, the blood test on Friday showed that my platelets and hemoglobin were rising saving me from another blood transfusion. On Monday I will find out when I will be going back. Here in Washington, it was warm enough to go for a walk so my mom and I enjoyed the nice weather.

Thanks for your prayers,
Nathan

White Blood

2005-11-23T21:43:00.000-06:00

I am home again, and it is a nice change from being in the hospital for almost a week again. I was in the hospital because of having fevers and a low white blood cell count. I also had a few other blood problems as the chemo hits the whole body with a lot of power. My white blood cells were less than a 1,000, which is still low, but the doctors still let me leave the hospital and it feels great. I still need to avoid people who are sick. I will be going to the hospital Friday. The doctors want to test my blood counts to see how I am doing out of the hospital. Thanks for all of your prayers. I am excited to be at home for Thanksgiving and I hope that you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving as well.

Love,
Nathan

Getting Out

2005-11-21T21:20:00.000-06:00

I want to get out of the hospital as soon as possible. But, in order for that to happen I need more white blood cells. I currently have .2 and need to start getting closer to 1,000 white blood cells to go home. So, I would appreciate your prayers to speed up my white blood cells in my blood.

Nathan

Back to the Hospital

2005-11-17T23:14:00.000-06:00

I am once again back in the hospital. And it is quite a bit sooner and longer than I would like. I found out today than I had a fever by dad checking my temperature about every hour and that it continued to increase. Then at 5:00 pm my temperature was up to 100.8 degrees which while receiving chemotherapy means that my white blood cells are going down. So, I had to come back up to the hospital for IV antibiotics to protect my body from any infections that I might receive while having no white blood cell protection. This also means that today was a hard day for me since I could not take Tylenol to relieve my pain. Additionally, a prayer concern is that my white blood cells and other injured important body parts continue to recover and grow as quickly as possible. And that I won’t get a life threatening infection.

Nathan

Back Home

2005-11-12T15:17:00.000-06:00

As I recall my expectations for going back to the hospital for more chemotherapy, I remember feeling very discomforted because of my last chemotherapy experiences. And, while I am still discouraged to ever have to receive chemotherapy, my last week of chemotherapy was not near as bad as I was expecting. And yet, I don’t quite know how to express how easy the treatments this time were. I received my normal anti-nausea medicines and all the other precautionary drugs like during my last treatment, but something was different this time. Part of the difference probably came from receiving different chemotherapies, but I also have a strong faith that God played a significant if not very major role in how I felt. Ultimately, I have to put God’s healing touch as the reason for my feelings of less fatigue and nausea during this chemotherapy treatment. And that is where I stop for today; by simply saying that our God is incredible!

Nathan

Health

2005-11-07T11:58:00.000-06:00

Today is Monday the 7th, which means that I unfortunately am headed back to the hospital for a week of more chemotherapy. I simply want to use this blog as a way to share a couple of prayer concerns. First of all, I would like you to pray for me to have as much strength as possible since the chemotherapy will wipe away my physical strength. I would also appreciate it if you would pray for safety for the rest of my body, as the chemotherapy tends to be destructive on everything that wants to grow. I also need strength mentally as the chemo not only affects my physical body but my mental processes as well. When it comes down to the bottom, ultimately I need God to heal me. The chemotherapy has its role, but God is the ultimate source of health that I need.

Love,
Nathan

More Chemotherapy

2005-11-01T10:11:00.000-06:00

Frustrated and yet relieved is how I am feeling right now, and all for the same reason. I had my meeting today with my cancer doctors and found out that I will be staring my chemotherapy this coming Monday, the 7th of November. The frustrating part is I know a lot about how I will physically be feeling and the relieving part is that I want to be done with all the treatments as soon as possible. The combination makes it a hard date to be happy with. I will be starting the chemotherapy with Ifosfamide which is a chemo strong enough to penetrate through my brain blood barrier. That is strong stuff! I will receive this for three to five days in a row and then have some time to recover before receiving more chemotherapy that will require me to stay in the hospital for around a month. Prayer is also important during this time as there are a number of risks involved with receiving Ifosfomide. I would appreciate it if you could pray for me to have emotional energy, protected health and that my blood rejuvenates quickly. As I start chemotherapy again, I will really appreciate all of your prayers.

Additionally, right now is the physically best that I have felt in right around one year. It feels great to be able to enjoy how I am feeling.

Love,
Nathan

Radiation Finished

2005-10-26T18:15:00.000-05:00

I stepped out of the hospital today with a plastic helmet in my hand. The nurses that give me radiation gave it to me as today was my last day to receive radiation. And it feels good to be done. I am actually feeling stronger right now than when I started receiving radiation, which feels great. As I have said before, receiving radiation feels a lot different than chemotherapy. As a total, I received 31 days of radiation. They started targeting my cancer tumor and then moved to my whole brain for the last nine treatments. Right now I am looking at two to three week break from receiving treatments, so I have to find things to do to stay busy. My next trip to the hospital will be this coming Monday when I go to see my chemo doctors once again. Please remember to pray for God’s wisdom as my they determine my next chemotherapy. I also want to once again thank you all for the many prayers you continuously send to God. I really appreciate them all.

I also want to thank everyone who was involved with my fundraiser on October 15th. I should have put this on the blog earlier, but now is the time. I enjoyed the time very much and the money that was raised will help me out a lot. Thank you very much for your generosity.

With love,
Nathan

More Treatment

2005-10-17T22:20:00.000-05:00

The last couple of days have been very busy for me. On Friday I learned that I will be receiving radiation for nine more days. Since radiation is working to shrink the tumor, they want to maximize the treatment by using radiation throughout my whole brain. This increases the risks for short-term memory loss and greater fatigue. So, losing as little short-term memory as possible is an important prayer request for me. The therapy is still easy, just a bit more risky since it involves the whole brain.

Then on Saturday I attended the fund-raiser that was organized by my close friends. It was a lot of fun and I think I was the one who benefited the most. I got to see so many friends and my job was to talk with them. It was quite easy and a lot of fun. I also realized how many people are praying for me as there were around 900 people who came. And then I also realized there are even more people than that praying for me as I know I have many friends around the world all remembering my struggles and lifting me up to the Lord in prayer. It is really amazing!

Sunday I went to church :)

Then today I had another radiation treatment at two o’clock and then met with my cancer doctors after receiving my radiation. My doctor let me know that I have been quite a challenge lately and to stop being such a difficult cancer patient. Then she smiled. But the truth is that I have been difficult. My brain cancer has really tangled everything up. I wasn’t supposed to receive radiation before my bone marrow transplant. But, today I learned that a couple weeks after finishing my radiation therapy, I will then begin the bone marrow transplant. I am not looking forward to it at all as it will be very exhausting, but I also know that I need it to survive. The radiation won’t get everything and the chemotherapy with the radiation is the best treatment that the doctors can give me. So, this is another prayer request. I need God’s support to help me through the closest thing to hell as I know on earth.

I know this is a long blog page, but I guess I had a lot to write.

Nathan

MRI Report

2005-10-07T17:28:00.000-05:00

Today the doctor showed me a picture of my brain MRI SCAN. It was rather good looking, except for the cancer tumor that is growing in it. But, in the good news, the rhabdomyocarcoma tumor is smaller than when I started to receive radiation. That is very good news and I am looking forward to when it is completely gone! Receiving radiation is the easiest treatment for cancer that I have ever had, although it isn’t fun to go to the hospital every day for the therapy. The cancer is still in its spot, so I will still appreciate more prayers for it’s reduction. I will continue to get radiation treatments until October 21 and then begin chemotherapy treatment soon after. So, if you would pray for me to have plenty or as much strength as possible during these weeks, I would appreciate that as well. Except for losing my hair and being tired, I am feeling pretty good. Thanks for your ongoing prayer support.

With love,
Nathan

FUNDRAISER ITEMS FOR SALE

2005-10-03T15:12:00.000-05:00

FUNDRAISER ITEMS FOR SALE

BASKETS - Each basket listed below has a theme and will be sold by “silent auction” on display in the foyer. The auction will end promptly at 6:45 pm.

Baby, Broncos Football, Candles,
Car Care, Chocolate Lover’s, Coffee Lover’s,
Curves Fitness, Dessert of the Month,
Fall Bulbs, Flowers, Gift Certificate, Girls’ Night Out,
Golf, Goshen College, Grandma’s Church Bag,
Hawkeye Tailgate, Labor (8 guys for 4 hours),
Meat Basket, Meat(2), Movie (3), Nurse’s Basket,
Reader’s, Relaxation, School Supply Backpack,
Scrapbook/Cardmaking,
SPA Basket from 4JPE !!!,
Sugar Overload!, Teacher’s Basket.

LIVE AUCTION - These items will be auctioned in the “live ring” by Yoder Auction Service with auction periods of 20 minutes each at 5 PM, 6 PM, and 6:45 PM.

Beef - Corn fed/frozen
Brunch for 8 on Saturday AM - Karen/Mike Bates
Christmas Brunch for 8 - Lisa/Dave Yoder
Coffee Table - Karla/Faye Schlabaugh
Mayberry Meal for 8@Aunt Bee’s House-Susan See/Becky Widmer
Dinner for 8 - Carolyn/Atlee Yoder, Jane/John Schlabaugh
Dinner for 8 at Grandma’s - Phyllis Litwiller
Firewood
Furniture
Gravel - 10 tons
Hawkeye Basket with autographed ball by Steve Alford, etc.
Hawkeye Football tickets
Lunch for 10 and Garden Tour - Anna Geyer
Mexican Dinner for 6 at Lake McBride - Ann/Steve Valenta
Mexican Dinner for 8 - Marta/Ramiro Hernandez
Night in Italy for 4 - Jill Widmer/Karenza Kroeker
Pies
Quilted Wall Hangings
Wall Hangings
Wooden Stools - John Ramsey

Radiation Treatment Continues

2005-09-25T20:50:00.000-05:00

Last we wrote, Nathan was still in the hospital. He was released Wednesday afternoon, 9/21. Stem cells were harvested on Mon, Tues, Wed. – a five hour process each day. Close to 2 million cells were harvested. They wanted to try to get more Thurs and Fri but his platelet count was too low, so they have decided they have enough. Originally they wanted 3 million cells. Nathan is feeling really tired and weak. Friday, the radiation oncologist said the plan is for 4 more weeks of radiation - Monday through Friday - unless the plan changes. Pray for Nathan to have renewed strength, to rebuild platelets, and for the radiation to be effective on the brain tumor. The plan is to begin chemotherapy treatment sometime following the four-week radiation treatments. Thank you for your ongoing prayer support which enables us to face the journey ahead with God’s help and strength. Without God’s help and the support of family, friends and the church community the journey ahead would seem too overwhelming. May God bless you all,

Tim & Carol

More Radiation Treatment

2005-09-20T22:55:00.000-05:00

Greetings all,
Once again we are writing for Nathan since he is in the hospital and doesn't have easy access to a computer. With the return of Nathan’s brain tumor which resulted in his hospitalization on Thursday, Sept. 15 the treatment plan has changed somewhat. On Friday, the doctors determined it would be best to treat the tumor area with radiation instead of more surgery. He has received radiation treatment everyday since last Friday and will continue to get a radiation treatment everyday through Friday of this week. Following this week, he will continue with the radiation treatments five days a week for the next four weeks. The doctors are also harvesting Nathan’s stem cells from his blood in preparation for chemo and bone marrow transplant down the road – we are not sure when that will happen yet. The harvesting of stem cells began on Monday and will hopefully be finished tomorrow (Wednesday). At the end of his radiation treatments, they will do another full body MRI to see where things are at and to determine the next steps. Continue to pray that the radiation treatments will shrink the tumor and destroy the cancer cells. Pray that God will give Nathan strength throughout this process. It makes him very tired. Continue to pray for the doctors and medical staff at the university hospital and remember us in your prayers also. If things go well, Nathan may get to come home tomorrow (Wednesday) following his stem cell collection and radiation treatment. Thank you for your prayers and support.

Tim & Carol

Life At the University

2005-09-16T20:28:00.000-05:00

Well, here I am again enjoying my life at the University Hospital. After telling one of my doctors yesterday about my headache she decided it would be smart if I stayed in the hospital over night. I am now stuck up here for at least three to four days. The shorter the better! Today I received my first radiation which was quite a bit of a surprise. As I was receiving the MRI, my parents were able to look at the results as they were developing. Then 30 minutes later I was on the MRI table receiving my first round of radiation. It was a very unpainful event, but as the radiation continues, I will continue to feel more fatigue throughout my body. Not something I am really looking forward to, but I suppose it will happen. Right now my biggest prayer concern is finding activities to keep myself busy while I am stuck in the hospital and that the radiation can be effective in treating the rhabdomysarcoma. In addition, continue to pray that my stem cells will continue to multiply.

With Peace,
Nathan

Treatment Begins (again)

2005-09-14T21:46:00.000-05:00

This last Monday was a very busy day. I met with more doctors than I remember meeting with ever before. We started off not knowing if I should be going up, but as it turned out it was well worth the visit. I met with one of the doctors from the bone marrow transplant unit, a person who will be taking out my stem cells, and I was able to see the bone marrow transplant center. In addition, I even was able to see my traditional doctors. In other words, my insurance company has decided to allow me to receive the bone marrow treatment. This means I will start receiving an injection to increase the stem cells in my blood vessels. And, starting Monday I will begin to give my stem cells out to be frozen and saved for when I need it again. A major down side in the whole harvesting process is the time it takes for the stem cells to be extracted from my blood. It is a whopping four to five hours every day. I hope it can last as short as possible. I would appreciate it if you could remember that in your prayers as I will begin it next week.

With Love,
Nathan

FUNDRAISER INFORMATION

2005-09-13T14:42:00.000-05:00

A fundraiser is being organized for Nathan Detweiler on Saturday, October 15, 2005, from 4:30 - 7:30 pm at Iowa Mennonite School, 1421 540th Street SW, Kalona, Iowa. A meal and silent auction are planned.

If you are interested in participating in any way please contact Becky Widmer (jbwidmer@hotmail.com / 319-653-4714) or Jane Davis (cjtmkd@yahoo.com /319-653-7092) and we will be happy to include you in this event!

Fundraiser Details:

NATHAN DETWEILER BENEFIT SUPPER- A fundraiser will be held at Iowa Mennonite School on Saturday, October 15, 2005, to help defray medical expenses of Nathan Detweiler, son of Tim and Carol Detweiler. A turkey steak supper will begin at 4:30 PM with an auction of donated items running concurrently. Cash donations and items for the silent auction may be sent to Washington Mennonite Church, 815 East Polk, Washington, Iowa, 52353, or dropped off at Federation Banks in Washington, Wellman, Brighton, or Richland, Iowa. Call Myron Graber at 319-653-1674, Larry Pickard at 319-656-2145, or Craig Davis at 319-653-7092 for details, for pick up of items, or for more information.

Little Information

2005-09-08T20:50:00.000-05:00

I had another doctor visit on Tuesday, but like the last visit I didn’t learn a lot of new information. My last two doctor appointments seemed to be more for the doctors to check out my recovery from my brain surgery. While that is important, it is harder to wait around three hours every time I go to the hospital. And, I don’t have to wait three hours every time, but at times it seems more common than I feel it should be. What we are waiting on now is for my insurance company to give me the “ok” to receive the bone marrow transplant. I had a dentist appointment today to fulfill one of the last requirements for my insurance health care provider. As I become healthier I want my bone marrow transplant to start as soon as possible so that I am not completely back to normal before falling down again from more chemotherapy. If you could continue to remember me in your prayers as I am preparing to harvest my stem cells.

With love,

Nathan

Stem Cells

2005-08-31T13:29:00.000-05:00

Well, this time it is me, Nathan Detweiler, who is writing the newest blog. This is the first time I have felt like writhing in a long time! I also have my mom helping me out, so it should be readable.

The most recent information is that all my tests have come back showing the doctors that my body is healthy enough to receive a bone marrow transplant. On Monday I found out that my bone marrow does not have any cancer cells in it, which is a very good thing! Additionally, my dad, mom, and I had an informal meeting about bone marrow transplants with a doctor friend. It really helped me and my family to develop a better understanding of what it will be like to go through this painful future. I am now feeling more confident about it than before.

I have also begun to take speech therapy, which is going well. It is mind baffling to me that I have to once again take my least favorite class in grade school: reading! How ironic is that? But, it is going well, and I am enjoying my slow progress of being able to read once again. Right now I can read children’s books for the most part and am enjoying it. As I am learning more about the brain, I am realizing how truly powerful it really is. An additional prayer concern for me is to increase the stem cells in my bone marrow so that my harvesting time can be shorter.

Nathan

More Tests & Treatments

2005-08-22T23:40:00.000-05:00

Nathan had his third and probably last chemo injection into his spinal fluid today. Plans are now being made to move into the next phase of treatment. Nathan had several tests today to determine whether or not his lungs and heart were in good enough health to handle a bone marrow transplant. Everything checked out good. We are in the stage of treatment now that requires waiting and decision-making. The doctors are putting together the plan they think is best for Nathan and will then summit it to our insurance company for their approval. One of the surprises in this phase of Nathan’s treatment is how much the insurance company gets involved in determining a treatment plan, especially when bone marrow transplants are part of the treatment protocol. Nathan goes in tomorrow for a bone marrow biopsy to make sure his bone marrow is cancer free. The plan calls for harvesting Nathan’s own bone marrow so it can be used for his transplants when the time comes that it is needed. Pray that we may have patience during this time of waiting for a treatment plan to be finalized and accepted by insurance. Pray that we will be at peace about the treatment plan for Nathan (The proposed plan will be aggressive with lots of hospital time). Nathan’s reading is improving and his memory loss is not as severe. We rejoice with this. His work ethic and ability to focus is a real plus. Pray that these areas will continue to improve for Nathan (reading and memory). We continue to trust in God’s loving presence for Nathan’s healing and to give us the strength we need for the journey ahead. Thanks for your love, prayers and support.

Tim & Carol

Treatments Begin

2005-08-16T19:20:00.000-05:00

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

The Journey Continues

2005-08-11T23:50:00.000-05:00

Greetings All,

Many of you have been wondering about where things are at with Nathan following the removal of his brain tumor last Thursday. We met with the radiologist and with Nathan’s oncologist this afternoon. Because of the nature of Nathan’s cancer and the location in the brain, the doctors are putting together a treatment plan that will be rather aggressive. It will likely involve another 8 more months of treatment including an aggressive chemo treatment, radiation and bone marrow transplant. The chemo with this plan will require Nathan to be hospitalized more often (approx. 5 days every 4 weeks). Nathan will also begin occupational and speech therapy to help with the short-term memory loss and reading challenges caused from this surgery. The next eight months will likely be a long and difficult journey for Nathan and for us. We are so very grateful for the progress Nathan continues to make each day. We believe that with time, therapy and especially with God’s help, Nathan will continue to make good progress in his recovery from surgery. When Nathan was diagnosed with rhabdomyosarcoma in Oct. ’04, I knew we were in for a long and difficult journey ahead. I did not know then how long and how difficult it would be. As we prepare ourselves to begin all over again with another aggressive treatment plan for Nathan, I still do not know how long and how difficult the journey ahead will be for Nathan and for us. However, I do know that we do not walk this journey alone. God walks this journey with us and will continue to give us the wisdom, strength and courage we need to face what lies ahead. God has also blessed us with a wonderful supportive family, church family and friends that extend around the world. We are so grateful to you all who hold Nathan and us up in your prayers. God bless you all,

Tim & Carol

Good To Have Nathan Home

2005-08-09T20:10:00.000-05:00

Greetings,

Today was a very good day in that we were able to bring Nathan home from the hospital. Nathan was discharged this morning and we got home around noon. It was nice to relax around home this afternoon instead of being at the hospital. Nathan continues to make good progress from his surgery. We will be meeting with the radiologist on Thursday and also Nathan’s oncologist probably on Monday to talk through a treatment plan for Nathan. Nathan will also be receiving speech and occupational therapy to help with complications from his surgery. While we know that Nathan’s recovery and treatment plan will be ongoing for the time being, we rejoice and praise God for the progress he has made since last Thursday, the day of his surgery. Pray that Nathan’s strength will increase each day, and that God will give the doctors wisdom in putting together a treatment plan. Thanks for keeping us in your prayers.

Tim & Carol

Monday's Progress

2005-08-08T23:05:00.000-05:00

Greetings,
This is Monday night and it is good to report that Nathan had a good day today. Nathan’s recovery from surgery is coming along really well. So well in fact that he will be able to come home tomorrow, (on Tuesday, 8/9). Today he was able to enter into conversation more with people, asking questions and contributing to the conversation. He was also smiling more which is always a good sign. Nathan still struggles with short-term memory loss and with reading. We trust this will improve with time and with therapy. His balance and walking is good. For these improvements, we rejoice. The pathology report from the brain tumor biopsy came back positive for rhabdomyosarcoma. We meet with the radiologist on Thursday to discuss Nathan’s treatment plan, which will likely consist of radiation and chemo. Pray that we may know God's wisdom in all of the decissions that lie ahead. Thanks for keeping Nathan, us, and the doctors in your prayers. We continue to trust in God’s healing presence for Nathan’s healing. Your ongoing support is an encouragement to us and to Nathan. Thanks

Tim & Carol

Seeing Progress

2005-08-07T22:51:00.000-05:00

Greetings,

Just to give an update on Nathan – Sunday PM. We are thankful for the bits of progress we see each day. Today more tubes and cords were taken off and out of Nathan which he was glad about. He even walked to the bathroom with Tim’s help. This afternoon he was awake more and participated in a conversation with a couple visitors with a few sentences. Usually he has just one-word responses to questions. He is still trying to sort out lots of things, like where he is at and what has happened. He did remember this afternoon that he was camp pastor at Crooked Creek Christian Camp for 5th/6th graders this summer. I prayed for a smile from him today and was excited to see a small one as we were ready to leave this evening. Thanks for your caring and continued prayers.

Carol & Tim

Saturday AM Update

2005-08-06T11:28:00.000-05:00

Greetings All,
Nathan seems to have had a good night last night and is resting well. His vital signs are good and he is off all the IVs and oxygen. His progress is good enough to move him out of SICU and will be transfered to one of the nursing floors early afternoon. For this we praise God. Carol and I are still feeling rather numb and emotionally exhausted from the past two days. Our concerns are focused on the long term effects Nathan's surgery may have on his mental/emotional status. Keep us in your prayers that we may have strength to face the days ahead and peace knowing that Nathan is in deed in God's healing hands. Pray that Nathan will continue to recover from his surgery and that he will be able to recover without undo complications to the brain. The plan for now is for Nathan to begin radiation treatment on Thursday, 8/11. However, we are still waiting for the pathology report to come back. Thanks for your prayers. God's peace be with you all and with Nathan and us.

Tim and Carol

Friday Morning Update

2005-08-05T09:23:00.000-05:00

Greetings all,
We are thankful to report that Nathan continues to make good progress from his emergency surgery yesterday to remove a tumor in his brain. He will be in the Surgical Intensive Care Unit throughout the day and night, however, they have already been able to remove him from the respirator and he is drinking fluids and responding to commands. His motor skills seem to be functioning and he is able to make verbal responses. For this we are so deeply grateful and thankful to God for his mercy and loving presence, and we are so thankful to have such a supportive group of caring, loving and praying group of family and friends. Thanks for your love, support and prayers!! We met with the neurosurgeon this morning. While Nathan's surgery yestrday was necessary lifesaving surgery, it was also a setback in terms of Nathan needing to go through two surgerys in one day and in terms of when they will be able to start radiation and chemo treatment to the brain. As was explained to us, if nothing is done from this point on, the tumor will start growing again. There are normally microscopic cells present that could start growing. We ask that you pray for Nathan in the following ways: 1) That Nathan will continue to recover well from his surgery; 2) That no infection will set in; 3) That the damage to the brain area during the removal of the tumor will not have severe side effects for Nathan; 4) That the doctors will know what the best kind of treatment plan is needed for Nathan. Thanks!

Tim & Carol

Tumor Removed

2005-08-04T20:37:00.000-05:00

What a day we have had. Following Nathan's biopsy today, he had significant bleeding which resulted in Nathan needing to go in for a second surgery to remove the blood clot and stop the bleeding. When the surgeons opened the top of Nathan's head they discovered a tumor the size of the surgeons fist which they were able to remove. The surgeon described this as a life saving surgery!!!! At the present Nathan is in the SCIU. Please continue to remeber Nathan in your prayers and pray that there will be no infection or other complications. Thank you so much for your prayers. We will keep you posted.
Tim and Carol

Update on Nathan

2005-08-04T13:10:00.000-05:00

Just a quick update to let you know Nathan came through surgery ok and the doctor was able to get a biopsy sample of the tumor in Nathan's brain. Now we wait for the pathology report which we hope to have in the next day or two. Some specific prayer requests are:
•That the biopsy does not cause hemorrhaging in the brain.
•That the pain caused by swelling and hemorrhaging would subside.
We will keep you posted concerning the pathology report, treatment plan and on Nathan’s progress. Thank you for your prayers.

Nathan is hospitalized once again

2005-08-03T09:13:00.000-05:00

Greetings,
Since Nathan’s last entry, there have been some significant changes. On Tuesday morning, 8/2, we took Nathan to the cancer clinic because he was experiencing severe headaches. His doctor ordered another MRI of the brain which revealed that the mass (tumor) in Nathan’s brain had grown significantly from the MRI taken on Monday, 7/25. The neurosurgeons who reviewed the comparison of Nathan’s MRIs and Nathan’s doctor said a biopsy was necessary ASAP to determine the nature of the tumor, whether or not it was cancerous, and thus determining what treatment needed to get rid of the tumor. The biopsy is scheduled for Thursday morning of this week. However, if the tumor continues to grow as rapidly as it has, Nathan may need emergency surgery to relieve the pressure in the brain and for them to remove as much of the tumor as possible. A biopsy would then be taken from the part that is removed. Nathan is in the hospital so they can monitor things closely and for pain control. We ask that you remember Nathan in your prayers, along with the neurosurgeons as they take a biopsy of the tumor growing in Nathan’s brain. The risks seem higher when the doctors start talking about brain surgery. Our prayer is that if Nathan does need surgery to the brain area that God will guide the surgeon’s hands to remove only what is needed without causing damage to the brain. We know that Nathan is in God’s hands and that God is in control of Nathan’s ongoing healing. We find comfort in this trust and are confident that whatever the outcome, God is present with Nathan, us, and the doctors. Thanks for your ongoing prayer support.
Tim & Carol Detweiler

Nothing New

2005-08-01T22:48:00.000-05:00

I had another visit today and didn’t find out anything new. I am getting over my headaches from the spinal tap but they still haven’t found anything wrong with my brain fluid. Which is good because it leaves open the possibilities, but it also means more tests. I will be meeting with a brain surgeon sometime soon and will be having another MRI this coming Monday (8/8). I am becoming impatient with the whole process, but better safe than sorry. I am not sure what else to write right now as I await finding out whether the mysterious mass in my left frontal lobe is cancerous, and infection, or simply a random seizure. I am praying for something that is not serious to my health. I would appreciate your prayers as well.

With as much peace as I have,
Nathan

Unexpected News

2005-07-28T12:15:00.000-05:00

Life was great! And while life is still good, it is now once again a bit more complicated for me. This past Friday (7/22) I had a very unexpected seizure at Marv and Lee Smucker’s home in Wichita, Kansas that sent me to the emergency room. After a CT scan and a MRI of my brain, they discovered a two by six centimeter “something” located in the frontal lobe of my brain. With my recent history involving cancer, the doctors are suspecting this to be cancer as well. This really wasn’t on my to do list for my future plans, but such is life . . . unexpected. Monday I had a spinal tap followed by another on Wednesday because the one on Monday came back showing no abnormalities. It would be nice if I had a bit more of a warning system in life so that tumors wouldn’t just spring up in my body out of nowhere.

Once again, I am in need of prayers so that the doctors can effectively diagnose and take care of whatever is in my head.

Struggling for Peace,
Nathan