Dear Family,
Sue was in a bad shape on 11/16 (Sunday) , the day before the 4th chemo. When I came home from church, I found her lying at the bottom of the stairs, vomited all over. She seemed fainted when she tried to walk up the stairs. Fortunately, she was not hurt in any way. Yet, my heart was aching to see her suffer like that. We asked a Chinese medicine doctor to check on Sue. He concluded that Sue was just too weak. He prescribed a few herb medicines to broil in water. Sue drank and fell asleep immediately. Praise God! She woke up next morning with a very stable condition. The blood work before the chemo also showed acceptable condition. Thus, we completed the chemo treatment smoothly.
What's next? Our doctor said that a latest study showed that chemo + Tarceva (the targeting drug we use) will not make the patient live longer. Thus, she would like to reconsider Sue's treatment plan. We will do a PET scan on 12/4. Then-
If the results is stable, the doctor will stop the chemo and put her back on Tarceva.
If the results is not good, she may stop the Trarceva and put her on other types of chemo or the clinical trial of PD- 1 (the new immune treatment, if Sue's cancer cell has the necessary PD-1 proteinexpression).
Thus, the future treatment plan is totally unknown for now, but Sue is doing pretty good after this chemo.
The doctor has also ordered radiation treatment to address Sue's bone pains. Sue has two tumor lumps: one is around the right side of the cervical vertebrae (top of the spine), which may have caused her neck pain and dizziness. The other is in the left side of scapula (肩胛骨) area, which may have caused her pain on the left shoulder and left upper-arm. There are also some active cancer areas in the pelvis on both sides. We will begin a low dosage radiation treatment for consecutive 5 days (12/1-5) to control the cancer in those areas.
Thus, please pray for (1) God's guidance in the direction of the future treatment. (2) Max effect of radiation in reducing Sue's neck, shoulder, and other bone pains with min side effects.
Despite all these unknowns and new challenges, we are experiencing joy and peace. (Strange, isn't it?) We pray together every night for ourselves and for the other suffering brothers and sisters. We gave thanks for all the prayers, food supplies, advises, financial supports, friendships and gifts we have received. We are not worthy, but we felt so blessed to be in this big family!
May God bless you and your family according to His promise-
... whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me. (Matthew 25:40)
Donald & Sue
