Quote for October

A Prayer for the Ephesians Eph. 3:14-21

For this reason I kneel before the Father, from whom His whole family in heaven derives its name. I pray that out of His glorious riches He may strengthen you with power through His Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge--that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.


Now to Him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us, to Him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen!


Thursday, April 18, 2013

We Need an Update! Really Good news!

Well, looking back at last month's post I see I need to let you know I am fine. I had to adjust to being on a lower dose of medication, and then get back to "normal".  So I'm sick in the morning a few days a week, but I do very well during the week after my long-acting shot while the Octreotide is at a high level in my blood.

The good news comes from my meeting with Dr. Imagawa, my surgeon, regarding my MRI. The scan, as usual, didn't show any sign of my tumor. It is not any larger than 3 mm, so it still cannot be seen. I asked the doctor if there is any way to know if I still have just one tumor or if they are like tiny grains of salt across my liver. He said there is no way to know when the tumors remain tiny.

The good news is that the tumor has grown so slowly for the last 4 years that Dr. Imagawa doesn't think it will be the cause of my death! He said I will still be sick, but I won't die from the oncology of carcinoid cancer. He said I will live long enough to die of something else.

This caused me to chuckle because I have spent five years wondering if I have five more years or 10 more years. Now I don't have to think about that, and I'm glad I already have been following the advice of my cardiologist since my recent female ancestors have had heart disease.

I asked him about a case like Dennis Woods who was pretty well the first six years he had carcinoid cancer, but during the next 7 years his liver filled with tumors. His liver is failing and he has brain damage from  the ammonia produced by his liver. The doctor interrupted me and said that I won't do that. That was what I needed to hear!

If my tumor gets large enough to be seen, the good doctor will take it out.

Regarding the phrase saying I will not die of the oncology of carcinoid cancer: he means that I still have carcinoid syndrome. That means my tumors are busy pouring chemicals into my bloodstream: that's why I am sick. The serotonin overload affects the heart, and the leading cause of death of carcinoid patients is actually cardiac insufficiency. That is why I already have a cardiologist watching my heart valves with an echocardiogram

 I feel like I am in good hands. Now I no longer feel like there is a giant pan lid over my head ready to clamp down on my life and confine me until I die. I feel more like a normal person.

Thank you, Father for your grace!

Love,
Sharon