Hello Family and Friends,
Thank you all for your continued prayers and support for our family during Brian's battle with melanoma. He recently returned to teaching, and we pray diligently for his body to continue to heal and be cancer-free. We also pray for all those battling cancer or other illnesses; and we pray daily for all of you, who have been a vital part of our journey. We are so blessed to have such a caring support system, and we appreciate you storming Heaven with prayers on our behalf.
With that in mind, I am requesting your participation in a Novena of Prayer in the days leading up to Brian's next set of scans. Our family will begin a Novena today, Saturday, May 5th through Sunday, May 13th.
FYI if you aren't aware of what a novena is...In the Catholic Church, a novena is a devotion consisting of prayer for nine straight days, in which the faithful ask God for special graces. These prayers may be simply a recitation of the Rosary, or small prayers throughout the day. There are varying beliefs about the use of a novena; we hope this will help us keep our focus on our God and on our love instead of being distracted by the seriousness of these next scans.
Brian will have a CT scan and an MRI of the brain on Monday, May 14th. This will provide us with information on how his body has responded to his January brain surgery, his February abdominal surgery, and his recent chemo treatments. Brian's type of melanoma is considered to have a very strong DNA makeup, and it has spread like wildfire in the recent months. Although his extensive surgery completely removed all melanoma, he already has a new one growing on his back, as of April. We will be scheduling this to be removed immediately after school is out, and are hoping this is the only sign of any disease.
I am leery about the testing falling where it is in mid-May. May 18, 2005, brought devastating news that the recently discovered melanoma in Brian’s leg had possibly spread to the liver. This day sparked off a horrific ride for a few weeks in coming to terms with what we might be facing. The year took a full circle (during which time Brian did two rounds of an awful chemo, had leg surgery, did 6 weeks of surgery, and my mom died). Fast forward to May 17, 2006. Brian had been considered NED (no evidence of disease) for nearly 5 months when we went for a routine set of scans. This day was the start of a new nightmare that brought a greater sense of reality to the strength of the beast. Again, the year took a full spin (during which time we discovered that Brian’s disease had spread to the abdomen; he had a few minor surgeries; then four rounds of chemo that nearly killed him; only to discover that the melanoma had spread to various organs; then the icing on the cake was the discovery of a brain metastases; followed by 20+ days in the hospital and extensive surgery to try to rid his body of this unwanted nuisance; and wrapping this year up with a few rounds of chemo and a drain that is still outputting pancreatic fluid and starting a new infection as of this week). Whew!
So May 18, then May 17…now Brian has a set of scans on May 14? You’ve got to be kidding! I was sharing my superstition with a neighbor friend. It is funny how we sometimes end up in conversations with people that touch our lives in a special way. I was commenting on the fact that I was worried about another set of May scans…that hopefully the third time was the charm.
He said…don’t be relying on superstition now, after you’ve been so faithful. Since then, I have had a renewed sense of belief; a renewed sense of God’s healing hand; a renewed sense of peace.
We are indeed witnesses to the power of prayer in bringing us so much, including healing, comfort, strength, and guidance. If we were sticking with luck, we would have given up long ago, as we clearly have the odds stacked against us. But faith is another story…faith brings about the reminder that God is on our side, that God loves us, and that all things are possible through Him!
We serve an awesome God! Thank you in advance for your continued prayers for our family.
On another note, May is Melanoma Awareness Month, and the first Monday of the month is actually Melanoma Monday. Please take time to check your body for new spots, check old ones for changes, and make an appointment with a dermatologist to check concerns.
Love and Prayers,
Jenni
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1 comment:
Just wanted to let you know we're praying for you, and hope the upcoming tests have the best possible outcome. I get so tired of constantly waiting for tests, and then waiting for results...I know you feel the same way. My husband commented that inventory time at his store seems to be bad for us -- last year I was diagnosed with AML and this year we found out I had a type that basically no one survives. I know it's easy to become superstitious about that sort of thing, but God is ultimately in charge, and He knows what He's doing.
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