An amazing God and amazing results!

Flashback to August:  Dad was starting chemotherapy with the goal of stopping the progression of the cancer and preserving quality of life.  If he was really, really fortunate, the chemo might shrink the tumors a little bit.  But stopping the growth would be a big win - everything else would be icing on the cake.

Fast-forward to today:  Dad has icing on his cake, sprinkles, and two scoops of raisin rum ice cream on the side!  The results of last week's PET scan are in.  After six rounds of chemo, he is "significantly better."  The spots have shrunk, and what remains is "less intense," doctor-speak for saying that the cancer is less biologically active.  Praise the Lord!!

Dad has elected to continue with a maintenance treatment - a single-drug treatment for two consecutive weeks followed by a rest week.  At the end of four rounds, they will evaluate his progress and discuss next steps.

We know this amazing result is a gift from our amazing God.  Thank you for faithfully lifting Dad in your prayers and please join us in thanking and praising him for today's news.  We are blessed as a family by your ongoing love and support.  Thank you!

Kick off six...

Today marked the start of Dad's sixth and final round of this chemo regimen!  This was the last two-medicine treatment; a single-med treatment next week will wrap it up.  Dad will have a PET scan after that to evaluate the effectiveness of treatment and then will talk with the doctor about his next treatment options.  The doctors are very pleased with Dad's progress to date and with how well he's tolerated the chemotherapy. 

We are thankful for how the Lord has blessed Dad both physically and spiritually throughout this.  We're thankful for his tolerance of the chemotherapy and that he's been able to eat and maintain his weight, a key indicator of success.  Above all, we're thankful that the Lord has walked with us on the first part of this journey and that we have the blessed confidence we'll never walk alone.  Please continue to hold Dad and Mom in prayer as they wrap-up the initial round of treatment and explore the next steps.

Dad getting therapy and an awesome food truck cheese steak!  (Still waiting on the tuna salad verdict...)