Journal entry by Travis Jenkins —
Good evening prayer warriors!
I wanted to try to hold up my end of the bargain from the post earlier in the week. If you got time to read that one already, I mentioned that we were awaiting a virtual appointment with Dr. Poklepovic to review the CT scan results from the scan that Greg had on Wednesday of last week, and I promised results so here goes.
Greg's Chest CT scan last week showed that what was previously 4 tumors is now 3! One of the tumors has completely disappeared in comparison with his previous scans. The other three tumors in his chest continued to decrease in size, which is a sign that the immunotherapy is still working as it is supposed to. I can say that I personally was optimistic due to the colitis issues Greg has been having which to me indicated that the immunotherapy was still working in full effect.
The colitis still continues to be an issue, but is fairly controlled with high doses of steroids. Our hope is that the steroids will be able to be tapered down in a few weeks and the colitis will remain tamed. Dr. Poklepovic also had to make some other minor adjustments in Greg's medications for blood pressure, likely due to the prolonged, high-dose steroids. Hopefully that will normalize as well as the steroids taper. In the midst of the Coronavirus outbreak, one of the Brain MRIs had to be postponed to make sure no new spots have shown up in his brain. We hope to have that scheduled soon just for peace of mind.
All of the praise goes to God. If you have ever questioned the power of prayer, use Greg's story as validation to the power of prayer. As a family, we continue to put FAITH OVER FEAR to get through the trying days.
Please give praise for the healing God has done with Greg to this point, and continue prayers for further healing.
I would also ask that you say a prayer for mom....For any of you that know her, know that she is a social butterfly to put it lightly that has an unending love for her family and friends. The coronavirus outbreak has them pretty much on lockdown, so nothing gets brought home to Greg (his immune system is handling enough right now). Needless to say, mom is ready to get out of the house for more than a short car ride and have the opportunity to spend time with her family and friends again.
As I sat down to author this post tonight, I took a moment to read back from the beginning and relive the journey that we have been on as family over the last 15 months. I was overwhelmed by the opportunity to recollect on the outpouring support that we have received and continue to see. With nearly 31,000 visits to read Greg's story, I am certain that many lives have been touched...and the journey isn't over. We, as a family, are giving all the Praise to God for the news received today, but continue to pray for further healing. Please continue to pray without ceasing and always let your faith be bigger than your fear.
Stay well.
- Travis -
I wanted to try to hold up my end of the bargain from the post earlier in the week. If you got time to read that one already, I mentioned that we were awaiting a virtual appointment with Dr. Poklepovic to review the CT scan results from the scan that Greg had on Wednesday of last week, and I promised results so here goes.
Greg's Chest CT scan last week showed that what was previously 4 tumors is now 3! One of the tumors has completely disappeared in comparison with his previous scans. The other three tumors in his chest continued to decrease in size, which is a sign that the immunotherapy is still working as it is supposed to. I can say that I personally was optimistic due to the colitis issues Greg has been having which to me indicated that the immunotherapy was still working in full effect.
The colitis still continues to be an issue, but is fairly controlled with high doses of steroids. Our hope is that the steroids will be able to be tapered down in a few weeks and the colitis will remain tamed. Dr. Poklepovic also had to make some other minor adjustments in Greg's medications for blood pressure, likely due to the prolonged, high-dose steroids. Hopefully that will normalize as well as the steroids taper. In the midst of the Coronavirus outbreak, one of the Brain MRIs had to be postponed to make sure no new spots have shown up in his brain. We hope to have that scheduled soon just for peace of mind.
All of the praise goes to God. If you have ever questioned the power of prayer, use Greg's story as validation to the power of prayer. As a family, we continue to put FAITH OVER FEAR to get through the trying days.
Please give praise for the healing God has done with Greg to this point, and continue prayers for further healing.
I would also ask that you say a prayer for mom....For any of you that know her, know that she is a social butterfly to put it lightly that has an unending love for her family and friends. The coronavirus outbreak has them pretty much on lockdown, so nothing gets brought home to Greg (his immune system is handling enough right now). Needless to say, mom is ready to get out of the house for more than a short car ride and have the opportunity to spend time with her family and friends again.
As I sat down to author this post tonight, I took a moment to read back from the beginning and relive the journey that we have been on as family over the last 15 months. I was overwhelmed by the opportunity to recollect on the outpouring support that we have received and continue to see. With nearly 31,000 visits to read Greg's story, I am certain that many lives have been touched...and the journey isn't over. We, as a family, are giving all the Praise to God for the news received today, but continue to pray for further healing. Please continue to pray without ceasing and always let your faith be bigger than your fear.
Stay well.
- Travis -
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