Journal entry by Lindsey Bolline —
Adam finally turned a corner with his pain level 🙌 and was able to return to school for a couple days and even pushed through to dress out with the baseball team for their last regular game of the season. It was good to see him supporting his buddies and I’m sure it was good for his morale as well.
After what feels like a million delays, praise the Lord that Adam’s incision finally closed enough and he finally has approval to start radiation on Tuesday!! They decided he was a candidate for the adult melanoma protocol. It’s hard to wrap my mind around it but somehow for him a short intense course of just 5 treatments every other day at a very high dose is more aggressive than 4-6 weeks every day at a lower dose. I’m trusting that the experts know what’s best for Adam but my mom brain doesn’t feel completely understand because it’s so different than the radiation courses we are used to hearing. The radiation oncologist says that the cancer is likely in numerous lymph nodes already so he will be powerfully radiating the full node bed of his entire head and neck on the right side from the back of his head, in front of his jaw, all the way to just before his spine and then down into his clavicle area. MDAnderson has one of the most powerful machines in the country so that’s reassuring to know.
Then Thursday will be a super busy day because Adam will meet with his oncologist, get a lot of labs run, and most important he will have Keytruda (immunotherapy) infusion round Number 2, as well as radiation number 2. We will feel better having more immunotherapy on board seeking out this awful disease.
Prayer Requests:
- Praying that Adam will conquer this enemy and live a long healthy life.
- That these treatments will aggressively find and destroy every melanoma cell in his body. That not even the most microscopic tumor cell can hide from them. That the cancer has not spread beyond the lymph nodes. That the nodules in his lung are not melanoma but if they are they will respond to the keytruda. That he keytruda will be an affective treatment for him.
- Protection of Adam’s endocrine system from effects of the immunotherapy.
- That Adam’s healthy tissues will not be destroyed, only the cancer cells.
- That Adam’s salivary glands, teeth, roots and jaw bone will somehow be spared from the harmful side of this powerful radiation. That he won’t suffer from permanent dry mouth. These are all huge for his dental future.
- That Adam will stay healthy physically and emotionally. That Adam will not experience extreme fatigue that is common with intense radiation.
- That he won’t have skin damage. That his scar will continue to heal up. That he won’t have much permanent hair loss.
1 Peter 5:8
Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.
Revelation 19:11
And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he does judge and make war.
Revelation 3:21
Everyone who wins the victory will sit with me on my throne, just as I won the victory and sat with my Father on his throne.
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