Why This Blog?

I've set up this blog for two reasons. 

First, I know that many people are praying for me and my family and want to know how their prayers are being answered and how they can pray for current requests and needs.  My first sermon after my initial diagnosis of esophageal cancer was titled "How You Can Pray for Me, Yourself, and Every Christian" (you can listen to it if you like at our church website, faithbibleoakridge.com, where you probably found this blog).  It was all about big-picture stuff, and still in effect, but now that all the initial scans have been done and treatment has begun, people want to know what's going on and how they can pray for me now.  How thankful I am for that - more than I will be able to express. 

This is where I hope to keep readers and pray-ers updated on what's going on with my condition and treatment.  I don't want to constantly pester everyone who may have happened to end up on my emailing list somehow, so this is where I'll feel more free to unload a lot of specific details.  After all, you came here, and once again I'll be thankful for every time you do, but the blog puts you in charge of how often and much you hear from me concerning my cancer and treatment. 

Second, since word of my diagnosis has spread through social media and other more primitive grapevines, I've been contacted by many people who are not on my emailing list.  Old friends not seen for years, friends from other Free Churches in the southeast, even strangers who somehow heard about it and sent an email through the church website.  I've been told of churches I've never heard of praying for me.  One of our members here at FBF said that I would be astonished if I knew how many people were praying for me.  I'm sure that's true, and it makes me tear up to think of it.  

So this will be a place where people I don't normally email can stay up to date on things.  I'll tell the folks who have contacted me and those who will where they can find this blog.  Once again, I'll feel better about referring them here than I would about barraging everybody who has had a kind word for me with emails weeks and months on end.

Please don't think I don't welcome your emails, calls, notes, and other encouragements - I treasure them.  I just don't want to presumptuous about anyone's time and email box.  Hence the blog. 

Chemo has started in earnest.  I had my first intravenous treatment yesterday - four and a half hours worth.  Thanks again, Sis (Sandy A.) for taking me (they don't want me driving home after treatment).  Two hours of Oxaliplatin, and about two more of Herceptin.  Herceptin is the one that is generally effective with cancers that overexpress the HER2 protein, which is not normally present in esophageal cancers but is in mine.  I think I have it right that Herceptin can be taken for much longer than most of the other chemotherapies, and may raise the ceiling on what can be done in my case chemotherapy-wise. 

I also am taking a third "medicine," Capecitabine, by mouth twice a day.  That the esophageal tumor has not prevented normal eating and drinking is what allows me to take this orally instead of having a port installed.  So I'm glad for that.  But what about this?  The pharmacist tells me to wash my hands immediately if one of these pills breaks in my hand or if I shake a broken pill out of the bottle into my hand.  And yet I am to swallow four of these things in the morning and four more in the evening.  Talk about counterintuitive!  I guess this is why he who has himself for a doctor has a fool for a patient. 

Anyway, I had asked for prayer for manageable side-effects, and so far so good.  I've taken prescribed anti-nausea medicines a couple of times out of caution when feeling the tiniest bit queasy (the pharmacist warned that it's a lot easier to stay ahead of it than catch up with it), and have a very strange touch and taste sensitivity to cold or even cool things.  These side-effects are from the intravenous treatment, and should largely pass after 4-5 days.  So it's early, but my side-effects so far have not been bad at all.  Thanks for your prayers that such would remain the case going forward. 

I'm on a 21-day rotation.  Day One is the intravenous, I take the oral medication Days 1-14, then a week off before the next round.  I see the oncologist again on Monday just to troubleshoot how I'm handling the chemo and make any adjustments necessary.  I won't need a driver for that.  I don't know how soon I'll be tested to see what the effect of the treatment has been, but I'm told that Dr. Devore tests his patients often.  Will, the fellow who runs the CT scans, says we're going to be best friends. 

Thanks again for your prayers.