Treatment Update
Family and Friends,
As per our last blog post, we were hoping to be home in Huntsville for our next several treatments. Unfortunately, we ran into a few scheduling snags as well as some treatment complications which led to us keeping treatments in Houston. Until now, the treatment has gone great without any significant side effects which has been a tremendous blessing. My liver enzymes did begin to creep up following my 5th chemo treatment, and by the time they were checked before my 6th, they were high enough to alter treatment. They reached a threshold number of 3 times the normal level which meant the team had to hold my Nivolumab, which likely was turning my immune system to attack my liver and not solely the cancer. For our medically-minded readers, ALT/AST 153/93. Additionally, they held my Oxaliplatin chemo, which can itself be damaging to the liver, to try to help things calm down. They have also put me on steroids for a month to try to calm down my immune system from injuring my liver. For treatment 7 tomorrow morning, we are waiting to see what my liver numbers are to decide how to proceed. I am still on a steroid taper to calm my immune system, so I will not be getting Nivolumab (although we hope to add it back at a later date). But, if my liver numbers are improved sufficiently, I will receive my usual chemo of both 5FU and Oxaliplatin. We are praying for improved liver numbers because the dual therapy is much better against the cancer than just the 5FU I received last treatment. We are still on schedule for a CT scan November 22nd with the results given at an appointment the next day. This CT scan will help them to monitor the efficacy of the treatment, and will help determine when is an appropriate time to start radiation.
We feel as though it would be easy to resort to anxiety during each unknown that comes our way, and we certainly feel its pressure. But praise God we have been given enough grace for each day to trust in Him. Philippians 4:6-7 tells us this; “do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” So, we continue to bring our needs before our Father who knows them before we ask, and trust him to supply peace in portion greater than any weight of anxiety we might face tonight, tomorrow, or next week.
These are the verses that we read together on our initial flight out to MD Anderson when I was first diagnosed in July. Then again, this past Sunday a dear friend/pastor of ours preached on these verses, and it was such a timely reminder.
We ask that you will all continue to pray for us during this time. Please pray that my liver numbers improve and that we can continue the full treatment tomorrow and that things may continue to go well as we go forward.
May the grace and peace of our Lord Jesus be upon you,
-Sawyer and Amy
