Today was one long day! I arrived at Siteman at 8:45 am. Lab work was supposed to be at 9. I didn't get drawn till 9:40. During the wait I had a great conversation with an older couple. At 9:55 I went upstairs to see Dr. Linette. I was told to go ahead and get my radiation then return. At 10 I received my radiation then waited to see Dr. Simpson. After seeing Dr. Simpson I proceeded to the 6th floor to wait. Wait. Wait. Finally I was told by the nurse to go ahead & get some lunch it might be a while. I finally was seen at 1:45. Dr. Linette answered all my questions fully. He also said he would continue to be my oncologist if I decided to stop treatment. He did advise against it which is no surprise to me. He did have some good reasoning. I left Siteman at 2:20pm. Whew! I am tired. I did not sleep well last night. I really hope to sleep better tonight.
Please be praying for divine wisdom. We are planning on seeing a nutrionist this Friday evening. We also might consult another nutritionist from Utah who works closely with brain cancer patients.
kate
7 comments:
Praying for wisdom for you guys!
Isn't it a blessing that He promises to give it when we lack?
Sweet Kate -
You looked weary today in carpool line and now I understand why. We will continue to pray for you and Dave to have great wisdom as you seek God's will regarding your treatment. We appreciate y'all's honesty and understand your fears regarding the current treatment and will pray for peace regarding future decisions. I am glad your doctor's appt went well today. I pray that your sleep tonight will be deep, peaceful and that you and Dave will wake up rested and ready to face another day. We love you both. Thanks to Dave for sharing in the blog about "wasting your cancer" - that approach can apply to so many areas in our lives. God bless your sweet family during this stressful time -
Cindy VH
My Dear Kate and Dave
God has really put it on my heart that you two have been struggling BEYOND just the "cancer". I have had Solomon's words on my mind all week and now I understand why. "There is a time for everything..." and the time now is to be "not wasting your cancer..." as you said Dave. Thank you for sharing so openly yesterday about your fears and concerns and for sharing the devotional and what SPECIFICALLY to be praying for.
We love you
Marnie and Andy
Wow John Piper gives me a knock upside the head every time I read/hear him. Wow is all I can say! No wonder the Sheetzs' moved to MN to go to his church.
Still praying on your behalf, Emily & Grant
Kate-
I completely agree with you that many cancers (and other diseases) can be prevented by having a healthy lifestyle. It is not clear that this would prevent your type of brain tumor, but it might.
The question, though, is what to do with the mutations in your DNA now that you have cancer. Nutrition is not going to make the cancer go away. I will continue to pray for wisdom for you and Dave.
Love,
Nancy
We are still praying for you regularly. I took up the idea of another friend who printed a picture of the ones being prayed for. The picture is moved to different areas around the house so as to keep your family fresh in our minds. It's kind of become a game for Sarah - "I found the Snodgrass'" she tells me proudly. Know that we will be praying for wisdom. I also pray that the nutritionists that you speak with will also be full of wisdom. As a caution (from personal experience) there can be more opinion than fact presented. I know though, that Dave and you investigate what you are told. It can be a burden all its own to sift through information. I pray that what is necessary and true stand out far beyond the rest. I also pray for peace - whatever decision you make.
"Whom have I in heaven but you? And earth has nothing I desire besides you. My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever. Psalm 73:25-26"
Tabatha
I fully understand your fears and hestiation about chemo...the short- and long- term side effects are daunting and devastating. Yes, as you said before, Kate, you are, in fact, taking "poison" into your body. Yet remember that the discovery and manufacture of drugs used to treat cancer were overseen by God...the same God that guided the hand of your surgeon now guides the hands of your oncologists. Hurray for the nutrition information and healthy lifestyle changes you all are making. But, as one blogger has already said, good nutrition alone won't cure you. Yes, the drugs are harmful to rapidly dividing cells...that's why your hair falls out and you have GI upset (hair and GI cells also rapidly divide). Yes, the bone marrow can be supressed...that's why your doctors are so cautious about constant bloodwork to monitor your CBC's (white and red counts). If changes and trends are noted in your blood profile, they'll adjust or discontinue the protocol. Guess what? God doesn't HAVE to use chemo to cure you. God doesn't HAVE to use radiation to cure you. God doesn't HAVE to use ANYTHING to cure you...HE could if he willed just, "snap," cure you in a word. A breath from his mouth and all traces of the tumor would be gone. Yet these medical modes are available...perhaps drugs WILL be the way He chooses to move. The trouble is that WE don't know...
Thus, we pray for wisdom, and YOU two pray for wisdom. We'll join your prayers as you decide what to do. It's kind of a biggie. But NOTHING is impossible for God, and this brain tumor is a gnat on his periscope.
We love you! Jobacks
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