Monday, March 20, 2006

Well...I still don't have internet; we thought it was router instead it is the modem. We are trying to get it fixed.

Anyway, we got the results of the CT/PET scan today. There has been significant improvement in Rex' health. I have a copy of the results, so that I can give you the details.

The original CT/PET scan revealed to us that Rex had an 8 cm mass at the base of his esophagus leading into his stomach, several lymph nodes showing cancerous activity, an area in the spleen showing possible cancerous activity, and the adrenal gland on his kidney showing activity.

Now, for the current scan:

This CT part of the scan doesn't register a mass in the esophagus at all! The PET part of the scan shows that the SUV (sugar uptake value) has marked decrease. The SUV value on the first scan was an 18 and has decreased to a 3.1 -- so there is no mass to be seen but there are still cancer cells in there.

The lesion in the spleen has SUV values that have decreased from a range of 3.6 - 7.3 to a range of 1.7 - 3.5 -- if I understand this correctly, there is less cancer activity i.e. less cancer cells in the spleen -- again that is improvement.

There are two lymph nodes that have not changed in size, but again there was a mild decrease in sugar uptake on this exam compared to the prior exam. These two lymph nodes are located near the esophagus.

There is another lymph node that shows marked decrease in size and activity on this PET scan.
The lungs are clear; the liver and kidneys show no activity; no activity in the bones was seen.
Overall, we got a great report! This battle is not over yet, but great strides have been made toward eradicating this cancer.

Our next step is to meet with the surgeon. We really aren't sure what the next step will be. If there is no "mass" in the esophagus, it seems unnecessary to remove it. The spleen and adrenal gland may be what they want to remove. The Dr. was noncommittal about what to do next, so he wants us to see the surgeon here first, then the surgeon at Baptist before we take the next step. We asked if the Dr. would maybe want to do some more chemo before considering surgery. He wants us to talk to the surgeons first.

Thank you thank you thank you for all the prayers that you have lifted up on our behalf, particularly on Rex' behalf. God answers prayer! This is definite proof of that.

God's wisdom is just as important now as it was when Rex was first diagnosed. They weren't expecting this much improvement show it gives leeway in what to do next. I still would very much like to see surgery out of the picture, however, the invasive removal of the esophagus was really the dread in my heart. The removal of the spleen and adrenal gland doesn't seem to entail as much in surgery. We won't know more until we meet with the surgeons. Our appointment witht the surgeon here in Hickory is currrently scheduled for March 30th, but Dr. Tate's office wants us to meet with him sooner. So, they are trying to get us scheduled sooner.
Rex and I are very thankful to God for his love for us; he has certainly extended mercy and grace to us through all of this. We are just so very appreciative of that.

There have been some that have said, "Why Rex?" and even "Why not me instead of Rex?" Please understand that Rex and I fully believe that God is refining us, purifying us, and growing us for His glory. We are honored to be considered worthy or faithful or strong enough to carry this torch. It doesn't mean that it's not painful, and it certainly doesn't mean that it's easy to bear, and it doesn't mean that at times I don't want to bear it. What it does mean is that God wants to use this in the lives of us and others to draw people closer to the only hope we have in life and that hope is Jesus Christ.

There is deep maturity that can take place in our lives when these storms are harsh and when they are hard. Rex recently talked about the study of plant growth, and that the most growth takes place not when the rains are light and easy, but rather when the winds are the strongest and storms are harsh. That is a very good way to look at the storm we are going through. Whenever you encounter things in life that are difficult, you will have a response to it. You will either allow it to refine you, give you more character, make you a stronger person, and make you more like Christ or you will respond in anger, think it is unfair and refuse to "grow up." We have chosen to allow God to work in our lives and make us stronger, deepen our character and to mold us into usable vessels for Him.

We love you. Continue to pray for God's wisdom and guidance in our lives.

Donna Meadows