Journal entry by Ann Watson —
May 11, 2020
This week is a BIG one for Gregory: not only does he have a Brentuximab treatment, but he also has appointments at UAB's Proton Therapy Building to explore whether proton therapy could be part of his treatment arsenal. Although Brentuximab, which is a targeted therapy, seems to be working great and Greg is feeling well, we don't know at this point whether it represents a treatment that can keep Greg's lymphoma at bay long-term. The last time Greg used Brentuximab, he developed neuropathy that caused him to stop that treatment, and, after a healthy five years, his cancer eventually reoccurred in the same upper leg region. The proton therapy could be a good treatment for Greg because it is so precise: it can hit a diseased spot and knock it off without developing scar issue and without causing long term problems in the surrounding area. When you have recurrences in the same area, as Greg has had, the proton therapy precision can decrease lymphedema (remember, that's chronic swelling when the lymphatic system is damaged or overwhelmed in an area) and can also help make remission more durable. Our goal, of course, is to get Gregory back into a remission that lasts a LONG time. . . hopefully, into a healthy old age! Please pray for discernment about the use of proton therapy for Greg as you continue to pray for the effectiveness of Brentuximab in fighting Greg's lymphoma. We are SO grateful for your faithful prayers, as Gregory talks about so eloquently in the following letter.
From Gregory:
This letter will not be an update on my health, but rather, is a letter to those who have read prior Caringbridge posts. Keep in mind that I am not the wordsmith/sermon writer that my Aunt Ann is. I would like to express my deep thankfulness for the many prayers over the years. The Lord has taught me more and more about the power of prayer. I used to view prayer as a kindness, a southern courtesy, and I believed that little gravity was due to it. The past year, my small-minded, hard-hearted self has come to see that intercessory prayer is a powerful pleading to the Creator of the Universe on another's behalf instead of a gentle request for the unlikely. Those of you who have taken the time to read this far have pleaded on my behalf to our Creator and Lord more than I will ever know. And I now feel the gravity of prayer. For this, I am thankful. Your pleading has not gone unnoticed. Over this little endeavor of mine through the years, the times that I have been told I was being prayed over the most were the times that I was the most weary. And in this weariness, the little energy I had was spent toward healing, not toward thanking my prayer partners. So I formally apologize for all of you I never thanked personally.
I know many of you are tired of hearing bad news about me, so I thought I'd share something encouraging. This past recurrence in March (number 4 by my count) has made me more thankful than I've ever been. Leading up to treatment, I had fever (and the accompanying feverish dreams), weight loss, a limp, pain, constipation, nausea, and above-normal sleep needs. When I came home for Spring break, I opened the door to a family that loves me, a bed that is warm, the best medical care available, and the means to afford it. Furthermore, I was, in the most literal sense, nourished back to health by the constant feeding and doting of my mother. I was able to have deep and interesting conversations with my father every night. I had people (you) praying for me, and the presence and support of siblings that I know would do anything to make me feel better. Moreover, I have the privilege of being educated at a respectable university so that ultimately, Lord willing, I can honor my Creator through a job I enjoy. I have friends who are there for me. And most importantly, the Lord has taught me more about Himself through this process: this lesson being the greatest gift of all. In all honesty, I have felt much pain in my short life, but I count what the Lord has allowed me to see through this pain of much greater worth than whatever plans I would have made for myself. There is little to pity in my story. As unwise and short-sighted and hormone-driven as I am, the Lord has blessed me immensely. One of these blessings, interwoven with a curse, has been cancer. There is very little that is more poetic than cancer. The Lord has given me much time to ponder it, much time to feel it, and much time to see the threads of the great blanket of grace being thrust over my weak back.
All this is to say, thank you, thanks to all of you who continually allow my story to intertwine with your own in hopes of creating a stronger family of faith. Thank you for prayer requesting that God's Will be done and requesting relief throughout this process called lymphoma.
Blessings and thankfulness,
GS Morris
This week is a BIG one for Gregory: not only does he have a Brentuximab treatment, but he also has appointments at UAB's Proton Therapy Building to explore whether proton therapy could be part of his treatment arsenal. Although Brentuximab, which is a targeted therapy, seems to be working great and Greg is feeling well, we don't know at this point whether it represents a treatment that can keep Greg's lymphoma at bay long-term. The last time Greg used Brentuximab, he developed neuropathy that caused him to stop that treatment, and, after a healthy five years, his cancer eventually reoccurred in the same upper leg region. The proton therapy could be a good treatment for Greg because it is so precise: it can hit a diseased spot and knock it off without developing scar issue and without causing long term problems in the surrounding area. When you have recurrences in the same area, as Greg has had, the proton therapy precision can decrease lymphedema (remember, that's chronic swelling when the lymphatic system is damaged or overwhelmed in an area) and can also help make remission more durable. Our goal, of course, is to get Gregory back into a remission that lasts a LONG time. . . hopefully, into a healthy old age! Please pray for discernment about the use of proton therapy for Greg as you continue to pray for the effectiveness of Brentuximab in fighting Greg's lymphoma. We are SO grateful for your faithful prayers, as Gregory talks about so eloquently in the following letter.
From Gregory:
This letter will not be an update on my health, but rather, is a letter to those who have read prior Caringbridge posts. Keep in mind that I am not the wordsmith/sermon writer that my Aunt Ann is. I would like to express my deep thankfulness for the many prayers over the years. The Lord has taught me more and more about the power of prayer. I used to view prayer as a kindness, a southern courtesy, and I believed that little gravity was due to it. The past year, my small-minded, hard-hearted self has come to see that intercessory prayer is a powerful pleading to the Creator of the Universe on another's behalf instead of a gentle request for the unlikely. Those of you who have taken the time to read this far have pleaded on my behalf to our Creator and Lord more than I will ever know. And I now feel the gravity of prayer. For this, I am thankful. Your pleading has not gone unnoticed. Over this little endeavor of mine through the years, the times that I have been told I was being prayed over the most were the times that I was the most weary. And in this weariness, the little energy I had was spent toward healing, not toward thanking my prayer partners. So I formally apologize for all of you I never thanked personally.
I know many of you are tired of hearing bad news about me, so I thought I'd share something encouraging. This past recurrence in March (number 4 by my count) has made me more thankful than I've ever been. Leading up to treatment, I had fever (and the accompanying feverish dreams), weight loss, a limp, pain, constipation, nausea, and above-normal sleep needs. When I came home for Spring break, I opened the door to a family that loves me, a bed that is warm, the best medical care available, and the means to afford it. Furthermore, I was, in the most literal sense, nourished back to health by the constant feeding and doting of my mother. I was able to have deep and interesting conversations with my father every night. I had people (you) praying for me, and the presence and support of siblings that I know would do anything to make me feel better. Moreover, I have the privilege of being educated at a respectable university so that ultimately, Lord willing, I can honor my Creator through a job I enjoy. I have friends who are there for me. And most importantly, the Lord has taught me more about Himself through this process: this lesson being the greatest gift of all. In all honesty, I have felt much pain in my short life, but I count what the Lord has allowed me to see through this pain of much greater worth than whatever plans I would have made for myself. There is little to pity in my story. As unwise and short-sighted and hormone-driven as I am, the Lord has blessed me immensely. One of these blessings, interwoven with a curse, has been cancer. There is very little that is more poetic than cancer. The Lord has given me much time to ponder it, much time to feel it, and much time to see the threads of the great blanket of grace being thrust over my weak back.
All this is to say, thank you, thanks to all of you who continually allow my story to intertwine with your own in hopes of creating a stronger family of faith. Thank you for prayer requesting that God's Will be done and requesting relief throughout this process called lymphoma.
Blessings and thankfulness,
GS Morris
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