Happy New Year to one and all! Well, here we are—It’s officially 2009 and questions are popping up on our voice mail like corks on bottles of bubbly at a New Year’s Eve party. Questions like: Is Christmas really over? (Yes!) Are we actually almost through the first decade of the new millennium? (Yes, can you believe it?) Has it really been a month since my last check-up? (Roger that!) And, What were the results?! Well, stay tuned, ladies and gentlemen. These questions and, possibly even more will be answered in the order in which they were received. But first, a word from our sponsor… Never mind. We don’t have a sponsor. Onto the questions!
I did have my scan on the 4th of December. All went well with that. I had a visit on the 8th with the surgeon who ordered the scan. From our point of view it was not an overly informative meeting. After spending well over $11,000 on the PET/CT scan (insurance covered this), the surgeon spent only a few minutes with us explaining the results and then giving me a very quick probe with the sigmoid scope. He merely said the scan results were “Pet positive,” meaning there was still a small area that glowed. His suggestion was to have more chemo and radiation, followed by surgery. I said, “The chemo nearly killed me.” He shrugged his shoulders and that was pretty much the end of the meeting.
It wasn’t the news we had been looking for but, still, we were encouraged by the brief glimpse we got of the tumor with the sigmoid scope. It definitely looked smaller to us. While we realize we are not doctors, we take hope where we can get it.
Two days later we had an appointment with a naturopath we’ve known for years. He’s had success with many different diseases, including cancer. The central treatment & philosophy for all of them has been diet and detoxing regimens. He spent several hours with us, carefully examining me, asking questions and studying the results from the PET/CT scan. He concluded that, overall, I was in good health considering what I had been through but my lymphatic system was still somewhat compromised from the chemo and radiation. He suggested some other supplements and regimens I could do to build it up and felt very hopeful that I could overcome any remaining cancer cells by further strengthening all areas of my immune system. This, of course, would be done through a 95% raw diet including fresh juice and veggies. The idea is to make my body as healthy as possible to fight off any viruses, toxins or cells that don’t belong. Exercise, being spiritually connected and balanced in every area of my life are important, too—just as they are for all of us.
Experiencing the degree of illness I had over the summer made our time with family this Christmas season especially meaningful. I was so grateful we were all able to be together, to enjoy living in the moment. And it was really fun seeing all the sights through the eyes of Cate (our foreign exchange student). We are abundantly blessed!
We pray that you, too, are highly favored and abundantly blessed in this New Year. We love and treasure your presence in our lives and, once again, thank you for all of your prayers and support.
With love,
Stowe
“Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight. This will bring health to your body and nourishment to your bones.” Proverbs 3: 5.6.8
