Journal entry by Steve Proffitt —
Well....here we are again. We have been home since October 1st....and trying to figure out how to handle some of the things that were either handled for us or our life back home:
-cook our own meals on a schedule
-follow up on treatments we can do at home or need to find somewhere to do them.
-learning to inject my own killer cells and vaccines.
-get back to being present at Potter's House.
-We had a wedding weekend every weekend since we have been home.
-a beautiful new baby grandson, Meyer Proffitt (number 10).
-Berna's dad is recovering from a stroke he suffered while we were in Mexico. I can't imagine how hard that was for Berna as the two main men in her life were struggling for their health. NOTE: He is now walking and eating some foods, but still unable to speak. Praying for continued healing and a miracle.
Overall, things are going pretty well. Here is an update on our health, treatments and personal life.
As mentioned above. I had previously scheduled weddings to officiate on October 4, 10 and 24. We are so glad we were able to officiate as promised. These are fantastic couples that Berna and I have invested countless hours in preparing for their lifetime of marriage and wouldn't have missed those weddings if they had to prop me up! But thankful that we had a great time sharing the day with them and their families.
In between weddings....we had a lot of personal things to get going. As I told you before we left for Mexico I had a good friend provide us with a hyperbaric oxygen chamber to use as long as we needed it. What a blessing that was. Then we realized that the hyperthermal treatments would be more of a problem as far as continuing once we got back home. It is not an FDA approved treatment so my cancer center and oncologist here could not continue those treatments. My doctor (Dr. Henriquez) in Mexico suggested I look into a "far enfared" sauna that would come as close to this treatment as possible. We started looking on line and we looking at a stand up unit....like a wooden sauna.....but still were not sure where we would put it in our house...much less pay for it. I posted this concern on our caring bridge site on September 30th.
That was on September 30.
On October we left Mexico to get across the border for an early flight home on October 1.
While waiting in the airport for our flight to head home.....we both received a text message from a former student of Potter's House. She was a student that became like a daughter to us while in college and she has now moved on in her life and teaches at Belmont University in Nashville. So proud of not only her accomplishments academically, but for the Godly heart she developed while in college and now is passing on to her students. God is so good.
Anyway....she sends us both a message that she had seen our post and need for a sauna. Here is a small piece of that message:
Now I don't know about you.....but that is not a coincidence...in fact that word no longer exists in my vocabulary.
So now we have a way to do hyperthermal treatments AND hyperbaric oxygen at home we are all set and have started these already.
We are still working on finding the right place to replicate the IV Vitamin C....but think we have a handle on it today.
So we continue to see our oncologist at KU Cancer Center in Kansas City. He has agreed to give us more time to see how these treatments are working. My last labs in KU did show the light chain "Lambda" had increased to 105. My oncologist here was not totally surprised but is continuing to give us room to work with this integratively. I will return for labs again in November and see where things are at that point. We feel like we need a few more months to see how things are working....then make next decisions from there.
We appreciate your prayers, comments and support in every way. The way our kids and grandkids have stepped up to help us where needed is an incredible blessing. We are so blessed! The way that our Potter's House staff have picked up the slack and kept the ministry not only going...but thriving!
We are continuing to heal.....continuing to serve.....and continuing to believe that in ALL OF THIS God will use it all for His Glory!
-cook our own meals on a schedule
-follow up on treatments we can do at home or need to find somewhere to do them.
-learning to inject my own killer cells and vaccines.
-get back to being present at Potter's House.
-We had a wedding weekend every weekend since we have been home.
-a beautiful new baby grandson, Meyer Proffitt (number 10).
-Berna's dad is recovering from a stroke he suffered while we were in Mexico. I can't imagine how hard that was for Berna as the two main men in her life were struggling for their health. NOTE: He is now walking and eating some foods, but still unable to speak. Praying for continued healing and a miracle.
Overall, things are going pretty well. Here is an update on our health, treatments and personal life.
As mentioned above. I had previously scheduled weddings to officiate on October 4, 10 and 24. We are so glad we were able to officiate as promised. These are fantastic couples that Berna and I have invested countless hours in preparing for their lifetime of marriage and wouldn't have missed those weddings if they had to prop me up! But thankful that we had a great time sharing the day with them and their families.
In between weddings....we had a lot of personal things to get going. As I told you before we left for Mexico I had a good friend provide us with a hyperbaric oxygen chamber to use as long as we needed it. What a blessing that was. Then we realized that the hyperthermal treatments would be more of a problem as far as continuing once we got back home. It is not an FDA approved treatment so my cancer center and oncologist here could not continue those treatments. My doctor (Dr. Henriquez) in Mexico suggested I look into a "far enfared" sauna that would come as close to this treatment as possible. We started looking on line and we looking at a stand up unit....like a wooden sauna.....but still were not sure where we would put it in our house...much less pay for it. I posted this concern on our caring bridge site on September 30th.
That was on September 30.
On October we left Mexico to get across the border for an early flight home on October 1.
While waiting in the airport for our flight to head home.....we both received a text message from a former student of Potter's House. She was a student that became like a daughter to us while in college and she has now moved on in her life and teaches at Belmont University in Nashville. So proud of not only her accomplishments academically, but for the Godly heart she developed while in college and now is passing on to her students. God is so good.
Anyway....she sends us both a message that she had seen our post and need for a sauna. Here is a small piece of that message:
"Hi Steve and Berna! I just read your latest Caring Bridge journal and I have a Sunlighten infrared on hold for you-All I need is your address and I will have it shipped to you today!"
Now that in itself was amazing....but honestly it sounded like she was donating hers. We told her we couldn't take it....but then she was more clear.....that she wasn't sending hers....she was having a new one sent to our house. Now I don't know about you.....but that is not a coincidence...in fact that word no longer exists in my vocabulary.
So now we have a way to do hyperthermal treatments AND hyperbaric oxygen at home we are all set and have started these already.
We are still working on finding the right place to replicate the IV Vitamin C....but think we have a handle on it today.
So we continue to see our oncologist at KU Cancer Center in Kansas City. He has agreed to give us more time to see how these treatments are working. My last labs in KU did show the light chain "Lambda" had increased to 105. My oncologist here was not totally surprised but is continuing to give us room to work with this integratively. I will return for labs again in November and see where things are at that point. We feel like we need a few more months to see how things are working....then make next decisions from there.
We appreciate your prayers, comments and support in every way. The way our kids and grandkids have stepped up to help us where needed is an incredible blessing. We are so blessed! The way that our Potter's House staff have picked up the slack and kept the ministry not only going...but thriving!
We are continuing to heal.....continuing to serve.....and continuing to believe that in ALL OF THIS God will use it all for His Glory!
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