Thanks-giving

Gobble Gobble! I finally remembered where our blog was, so I'm here to "post" again. Actually, I've just been slack/busy/waiting for new developments. There is still not much news to report, but I wanted to share a few things we are thankful for, as well as a brief medical update (which is at the end). I hope you all had a great Thanksgiving. How about you folks overseas? Did you do the whole Thanksgiving occasion?

Dee Dee and I have been married for almost twenty years. I am thankful for a godly wife, who loves our Lord, trusts His word, and lives it daily. I am thankful that she is still so good-looking, and that she somehow still thinks I'm okay as well. We are thankful for six great kids. Caleb turns 15 in a couple of days! They are all healthy and well, and we usually want to keep them (grin). We are thankful for a church where God's word is faithfully taught, where the people truly care for one another, and where our gifts are given opportunity to be used. We are thankful for extended family, that despite the normal peaks and valleys of lifelong relationships, are still strong, and in many ways more enjoyable than ever. We are thankful for many friends, who care enough to read stuff like this, to write, to pray, to cook, to love us after the manner of Christ, with grace and mercy. We are thankful for a great practice, with an understanding partner and his wife who care for us as we go through this; and with amazing patients who not only understand when I have to cancel, but many of whom are reading this blog and praying for us as well. We are above all, thankful for a God who is alive and well, active and strong; who is trustworthy; who is faithful to forgive; who never forsakes us even when we turn from him to chase our own idols.

We can just look back and see His providence and protection in so many ways! For example, God used Julius Erving (the basketball player) and J.I. Packer (the theologian) to bring Dee Dee and I together. Amazing! The list of health care issues that we have been through, and delivered from, is surprisingly long. It would take far too long to record them all, and to be honest I started to write some of them, but it just felt wrong. Suffice it to say, we have often been on the receiving end of the medical field!

On to the medicine. Dee Dee has the endoscopic ultrasound scheduled at Duke for this coming Friday, 12/01. Just getting this thing scheduled has been a royal pain, but it is finally almost here. She then has follow-up with Dr. Bendell on Monday the 4th. At that point, there will be no more medical testing or investigating to do; we will have all the information. It will only remain for us to decide. Neither of us wants her to have the stomach surgery, but we will if she needs it. The medical and scientific arguments espoused by both camps (Duke - do surgery; Mayo - no surgery) make remarkable sense.

Mayo says the cancer will never leave her stomach, and will never shorten her life. It will significantly inconvenience her life, but that is all. Duke says that may be true, and the science makes sense, but no one can guarantee that it will not spread. If Dee Dee is that ultra-rare patient (that Mayo says does not exist), then we will regret the decision not to do surgery. Once it has spread to another organ, it is treatable, but not curable. If we do the stomach surgery, then all agree it will be permanently cured. As Dee Dee puts it, Duke is "selling" life insurance.

However, the premium for this insurance is awfully high. Her weight would immediately drop to 90 pounds or less. She may need to be tube-fed for a period of weeks. It could take as much as a year for her weight to recover. It would take about the same length of time for her energy and strength to recover. She would run the risk of significant bone-density problems as a senior citizen because of the extended time of weight loss. It would make the normal living of life for her difficult for a season (homeschooling, teaching, mentoring, etc.). This is all separate from the other issue, the potential for the lifelong digestive problems. So again, we'll do it if she needs it, but man she really needs to need it! I don't think we will do it just out of fear, or from a sense of "What if...."

Certainly, we will not do surgery without another institution concurring with Duke. I have already talked a fair bit with Johns-Hopkins, and they approach this condition from a team format. One doc gathers all the info, then presents the case to an oncology board. They discuss it for an hour or two, then vote. Majority wins. Bottom line, they go about 60% of patients with surgery, and about 40% surveillance; a poor tie-breaker. Sloan-Kettering is very difficult, and will not talk with me on the phone. So, if we decide to go for another opinion, it will be to M.D. Anderson in Houston, TX. This is a great cancer clinic, and is the one our Aunt Jackie received care from during her battle with terminal cancer. We have not decided yet whether to go for another opinion or not. On many of the issues we have faced, I have decided for her/us. This issue is really one that gets to Dee Dee's peace of mind, so I am following her on this one.

Thank you all for persevering in prayer on our behalf. I'll try to write more regularly. Ya'll are great, and I thank God for each of you!

Tony

Oh, also I thank God for turkey and for oyster dressing. And for pecan pie. And naps. He didn't have to let us have any of those, ya know?