Thank you all for your prayers for my dear wife.  I haven’t update lately, so here’s the latest.

We went to MUSC in Charleston a couple of weeks ago for follow up, some 12 weeks after completion of chemotherapy and radiation.  Jan’s exam looked very good.  Nothing going on in her tongue or throat except some generalized edema.  Healthy looking cells, unlike the scary white ones we saw back in December.

‘Hallelujah, thine the Glory,’ as the song goes!

She also had a PET scan.  It took a couple of weeks for the final reading and review by the tumor board at MUSC.  But the results were pretty good.  The left side of her neck was clear (that’s where the original malignant nodes were found).  The right side of her neck was clear except for one lymph node which was unchanged, and which did not ‘light up’ as if it were malignant.

On the base of her tongue there was some PET scan activity,  but there are a few options.  The tumor board felt that she should have another thorough scope under anesthesia to see if any areas needed to be biopsied.  However, they also felt it could have been a scratch or other area of non-malignant inflammation.  She has been eating pretty aggressively, so that’s a thought.  Likewise, she had a very pronounced inflammatory response to her radiation, so in my simple opinion, it may still be ‘cooling off.’

On the positive side, there were no distant areas of concern; that is, lung, liver, etc. all looked good.  And, she’s swallowing better and feeling better every day.  No obvious masses in her throat or on her tongue.

So, as with all cancer follow-up, it’s one more ‘wait and see.’  Wait on the scan, wait on the exam, wait on the biopsy, wait, wait, worry, worry, pray, pray, pray!

It’s hard to imagine that much is going on considering how active she has been and how healthy she feels.  But we must be cautious.

Also, if all goes well she can cut back her blood-thinner (Lovenox) at the end of this month and take it only once daily.  That will be fantastic!

As I write, she’s in West Virginia visiting family.  Before she left she had an excellent work-out in the gym.  Last week she taught VBS.  And every day she says to me, ‘don’t worry, I feel fine!’

Worry is my cardinal sin.  I’m learning, by increments, to battle it.  Just last night I was talking to a patient about not letting bad thoughts control her with anxiety.  (I feel qualified to address that topic!)  And today, the verse that came to mind was this:

I thank my God every time I remember you. In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.  Philippians 1: 3-6

Of course, Paul isn’t specifically referring to physical healing, but I believe that God began a work of healing in Jan and will see it through.

So we’ll keep everyone posted!  Please continue in your prayers for my darling.  And for me, so that I will be lifted up in hope, not weighted down with anxiety.

God bless you all for your love and intercession!

Edwin

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