We have so much to be thankful for! * After many months of symptoms, in June Dick was diagnosed with Hodgkin's Lymphoma. In recent years, they have made great strides in treating this particular kind of cancer, and it is considered "curable". The treatments will be hard on his body, but the hope is that the cancer can be completely eradicated. * It is classified as stage 3B, which means the cancer is both above & below the diaphragm, but has not spread to any other organs, which is cause for rejoicing! The cancer is located in the lymph nodes in his neck, chest and abdomen. * His chief complaints are cyclical fevers, severe night sweats, itchy skin, weakness & fatigue, but he is not currently in any pain.
Today (July 12) Dick starts his chemo treatments. He will have a combination of 4 drugs (AADV, for those of you who are knowledgeable about such things), and they are starting him at 50%. After the first cycle they hope to increase it to 75% strength and maintain it at this level. Each "cycle" lasts a month, and consists of an infusion on the 1st and 15th days. After 2 cycles, they will do new PET scans to see how things are progressing. We assume Dick will have chemo for a total of 6 months, but things will be tweaked as he goes, balancing the effectiveness of the treatments with the toll it takes on his body.
Every. Single. Person. that Dick interacts with -- doctors, nurses, techs, volunteers -- he shares the Gospel with and hands them a small wordless book. He is excited about this "new opportunity" to touch lives in a meaningful way, and is eagerly looking forward to this coming year being his "best year yet". Pray with him that the seeds he is planting will result in eternal fruit!
