Well, the day Max came home from the hospital we found out that the cancer was back, this time in his pelvic bone. Actually, it had been back for awhile, but they had missed it on previous scans. Once they knew what they were looking for, they could go back and see it on scans from a few months before.
So...once again my dad is in the process of going through radiation and chemo to prepare him for surgery on December 13. I don't always know exactly what's happening, so I have just copied a letter my mom sent out a few weeks ago below. Thank you for your prayers!
From my mom:
In September, when Greg and I found out that the cancer had spread to his pelvic bone, we were told that they wanted to try chemo first. Pre-surgery chemo was the only way to find out if this treatment would work after surgery. The doctor didn't want to throw the chemo at him afterwards if it wasn't going to do any good. We were also informed that this chemo was our best hope. So our prayer has been that it would shrink the tumor. Yesterday we were informed that the tumor has grown "significantly" and that the cancer had spread into the surrounding soft tissue.
The surgeon immediately called for the same STS protocol that Greg went through last summer. In the next four hours, he met with his radiation doc and was marked up in preparation for treatment and was sent to the heart center for an echocardiogram. Thursday we meet with the oncologist. Because the chemo that is used for this protocol is very toxic to the heart there is some concern that he won't be able to tolerate it...he just finished the last of that particular chemo back in February. If he can tolerate the meds, he will receive chemo Thursday, Friday, and Saturday and then will begin 10 days of radiation starting Monday. If he can't have the chemo, then he will receive five weeks of radiation. Either way this treatment will be followed by three weeks of rest. During this time he will be restaged and the doctor will prepare for surgery. The surgeon is hoping that the STS will cause a rind around the cancer which will make it easier for him to remove all bad cells during surgery.
The surgeon is excellent but a man of VERY few words. We tried to press him yesterday about what to expect. We were told that it is a very intense surgery with the possibility of many complications. He said that, because of the growth, he might have to do some reconstruction and would definitely have to move muscle around to replace what he removes.
Needless to say, Greg and I are very scared and covet your prayers more than ever. We have several specific things that we will be praying for and would like to share them with you.
1. Prayers for all the doctors involved that they might make wise decisions and that they feel the prayers being said over them.
2. Prayers for the two of us that we are always led by God's spirit in the direction we should go and not just by the surgeons who always want to cut.
3. Prayers for our children. I am praying that God puts specific people in their lives that will help them through these trying times as I don't feel like I am 100% capable of helping them cope.
4. Prayers that the STS protocol works and that the surgeon is able to remove ALL of the cancer.
5. Prayers for his recovery from surgery. God worked miracles last time and He is more than able to do the same this time!!!
My husband is an amazing man and has been an inspiration to me during this entire ordeal. He is a boy after all and, in the past, has had the typical "boy attitude". He could make a stubbed toe look like the loss of a limb and the sniffles would find him on the couch demanding attention and complete access to the remote control. But he has endured constant pain, intense and long chemo treatments, and ever increasing bad news with a strength of spirit that has amazed me, inspired me, and made me love him more than I ever thought possible. Cancer is a beast and I detest it, but it has taught us all so much about the love of our Father, the love of our family, and the love of our church and friends. We are so thankful for every single prayer, email, text, card, and facebook shout out.
We love you with the love of the Lord!!
Rhonda and Greg
Catching up on reading blogs today. This saddens me and I will be praying for all the things that your Mom requested prayer for. Cancer is so hard to battle but many of us have done so and lived to tell about it. I am so glad to know that they feel the presence of the Lord and know him.
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