As many of you may know I started a down a rough path with my health starting on January 9, 2011 when I fractured a vertebra (T12) in my spine. A lot of people have expressed concern and many have the same questions I have wrestled with over the past several weeks. I hope the information below will answer some of the questions you may have and fill in some of the details that Janet and I may not have had time to tell you before now.
The fractured vertebra occurred when I was simply lifting a 12-pack of soft drinks out of a grocery cart. Obviously, lifting a 12-pack of soft drinks out of a grocery cart is not something that should cause a serious fracture to a vertebra in the spine. In order to determine why this fracture occurred I have spent the last few weeks visiting several doctors and undergoing numerous X-rays, MRI scans, CT scans, Bone scans, blood tests and ultimately a bone biopsy of the fracture in my back. What we learned on this past Monday (03/28/11) is that I have a cancerous tumor in my spine which caused the weakness in the bone that resulted in the fractured vertebra. There are still a lot of questions but all we know for sure is that the cancer in my spine is a secondary cancer because the bone biopsy showed the specific type of cancer cells did not originate in the spine.
This past week included my first visit with an amazing Oncologist who immediately referred me to a Radiation Oncologist. I have now completed two of ten radiation treatments for the cancer in my spine. These radiation treatments will continue every week day until the remaining eight treatments are completed. The goals for the radiation treatment are to kill the cancer cells in the spine, reduce the pain, and hopefully give the fracture an opportunity to heal. I will continue to wear my steel-reinforced back brace for several more months to stabilize the spine to give it the best opportunity to heal. There is still the possibility that some type of corrective spinal surgery may be required to restore the bone fragment that is pressing into my spinal column back to it's proper location or even some surgery to reinforce the spine around the broken vertebra if it does not heal properly. It is still too early to tell whether either or both of these procedures will be required.
In the next couple of weeks I will begin doing more focused diagnostic testing to determine the primary source of the cancer. The only thing we know for sure at this time is the primary cancer source is not in the spine but rather in some gland somewhere else in the body. This could be kidney, liver, lungs, prostate, or any of the other numerous glands in the body. The good news is that none of the previous MRI, CT or Bone scans have found any significant abnormalities so our hope is that the primary source of the cancer is still small enough to be effectively treated.
I want all of you to know that Janet and I are standing firm in our faith of God. I know that many of you have covered me in prayer during this period of time and I want to say thank you from the bottom of my heart. I can honestly tell you that I have physically felt the power your prayers have brought as the Holy Spirit has provided me the strength to face this challenge with peace. I would ask that as you continue to pray for healing that you also pray that my trust in God will be strengthened and that I may retain the same measure of peace and joy that God provided to me before hitting this "rough place". I recently came across a scripture that has now taken on whole new meaning as I face an "unfamiliar path" which I cannot see where it will lead. I have chosen to trust in God who gives me great hope and confidence.
I will lead the blind by ways they have not known,
along unfamiliar paths I will guide them;
I will turn the darkness into light before them
and make the rough places smooth.
These are the things I will do;
I will not forsake them.
Isaiah 42:16
I can tell you God is already fulfilling this promise by demonstrating His presence in many small and even some big ways each and every day. I want to share with you one specific example that so clearly showed me how God is making "the rough places smooth." The Neurosurgeon that I had been seeing referred me to an amazing Oncologist that will be my primary medical professional overseeing my cancer treatment. We knew absolutely nothing about this Oncologist when we were referred to her but just before our first visit Janet found two people at The Hills Church office where she works that had personally been treated or had spouses that had been treated by this same Oncologist and they both had great trust and respect for this doctor because of her great medical care and because she is a faithful Christian. Finding the right doctor is always a source of concern so being referred to this specific Oncologist was clearly an answer to prayer in and of itself. At the end of our first visit with the Oncologist she rolled her stool over in front of the chairs where Janet and I were sitting, grabbed both of our hands in hers and ask if she could pray with us. Of course we said yes and she began to praise God as the source of all healing and asked Him to provide her with the wisdom to quickly identify the source of the cancer and to guide her through developing the right treatment plan. Wow, it is an amazing thing when God allows you to be touched by his awesome power in very real and tangible way. I left this first appointment with an Oncologist which could have been an event filled with fear and uncertainty but instead I was filled with peace and joy and left praising and thanking God for so clearly demonstrating His presence in this challenge. God is guiding me "along unfamiliar paths" and turning "the darkness into light" and He is making "the rough places smooth" and I trust that he "will not forsake" me as I continue on this journey.
Thank you for you care and concern. Please continue to pray!
