Brief Medical Update

This update had to be brief because not much has changed since the last one. But, this is a very important week for us so I thought it warranted an update. I have been recovering slowly from my November stem cell transplant and chemotherapy that went with it. I am gaining strength to walk a little more each day, do some strength and edema exercises, and get out a little more. I have not noticed any cancer symptoms returning and am thanking God for that. The edema does not seem to be getting much better at all and is still a concern. It limits what I can do and how long I can stay up or sit up. That is why this week is a turning point. First, I will see my local oncologist on Wednesday to get an update from him. This will be my fist visit there since the transplant. Then on Friday I will go to Stanford for a PET scan to make sure there is no recurrence of lymphoma. We are fairly confident and hopeful for a good outcome there, but I’d be lying if I said that I am not a little nervous. Then later Friday afternoon we see the edema specialist to hopefully begin a treatment program that will deal with that issue. So my big prayer requests here are for a clear PET scan and some relief (healing) from the edema.

After the appointments at Stanford our plans are to head down to Scotts Valley on Saturday and spend a few days there. We plan to attend Gateway Bible Church on Sunday  and see our ministry partners there. We will then go back to Stanford on Thursday March 8th to get the results of the scan from our transplant doctor. This should help us get some more clarity for our future plans, but, even in the best case scenario, I will still be on disability status and in treatment protocol. We really cannot make any long term plans until my case is reviewed in January 2019. Nevertheless our prayer is for continued improvement so that we begin to be more involved in ministry and connection as 2018 progresses. Even though we will not receive a salary from the mission in 2018, we will still be active as missionaries  there with our account support funds used for ministry expenses and costs of moving from Guam. We appreciate your prayers and support for us and our ministry, and your encouragement for us as we continue to trust God for what He has for us in the future.