Alex’s Story

Site created on January 10, 2020

Welcome to our CaringBridge website. We are using it to keep family and friends updated in one place. We appreciate your support and words of hope and encouragement. 

Alex is learning to suffer well.  He would never have asked for this type of trial, but in some ways, he has learned how to rejoice in this hardship called cancer.  He was first diagnosed with brain cancer of the right frontal lobe in 2011, while Bex was eight months pregnant with their baby boy.  Through the phenomenal neurosurgeon and staff at City of Hope, the prayers and love of brothers and sisters in Christ, and the amazing grace of God, he made it through that first round of brain cancer.  He absolutely loves his new life in Christ, his purpose for the Kingdom, enjoying coffee with Bex, and seeing his kiddos (Bethany, Abby, and CJ) grow up.  

This last Thanksgiving of 2019 however, after a routine MRI, his neurosurgeon shared some tough news - cancer is back.  Though it felt like a punch in the gut, they've been experiencing the peace that surpasses all understanding.  It has been more and more clear that God is in this and using it for His purposes.  And only by God's grace, Alex has been able to say from the bottom of his heart (just as he truly believed eight years ago)... "God is GOOD, He is ALWAYS GOOD. He hasn't changed."

We appreciate your support, your prayers, and your words of encouragement more than you know.   And Alex's greatest hope is that through this, those around Him would see the amazing love of God - that friends would come to have Jesus and that brothers and sisters would be revived in their faith.  

Newest Update

from last Friday

Journal entry by Rebecca Liu —

I was supposed to send this out earlier, but life has been full! 

This past Friday we visited the oncologist , after their tumor board meeting. None of the tumor board (and this includes neurosurgeons, radiologists, oncologists etc) believe Alex needed to have immediate surgery. Since there was no significant change in the tumor they agreed on a couple options going forward:
1. Watch and wait - MRI in 2-3 months and take a look at that time to see if there are any developments. 
2. Clinical Trial drug - there is a targeted agent that is currently in phase 3 of clinical trials that would target the mutation that Alex specifically has. This is not chemotherapy. However, being in phase 3, he could also receive a placebo. 
3. Surgery - could be scheduled at any time, depending on how the tumor grows. 

At this time after thinking and praying, we decided not to have surgery or the clinical trial drug and watch and wait. 

We are learning what this means. 

In the beginning, I  was naively leaning towards surgery because I wanted a “quick fix”. Let’s just get this tumor out and move on with our lives! However, we’ve learned that is not the journey God has us on! As I was talking with a sister today, this “detour” is now the main road. This is a new norm, living with cancer. An everyday reminder. A thorn in the side that God has not taken away.  That every 2-3 months something can drastically change.  But that also means a necessity to cling that much more onto Him. A closer walk with Jesus. And for that, I am slowly growing more grateful for 😊
Read More of the journal titled "from last Friday"
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