March 13, 2010

No plans of surgery to remove the tumor yet. While we know that the road ahead will still be rough going, we are rejoicing over each bit of progress. No swelling in his hands this time, and his appetite has been good. He went to church last Sunday and assisted in the blessing of his new little nephew, Noah. Our family was all there and it was a happy time! (We won't dwell on the part when he had to leave the meeting and throw up in bushes...:)
Derek is dealing with some difficult side effects (this time the mouth/digestive sores have revisited, along with pain on his feet), but he quietly deals with the discomfort and carries on the best he can. We have found that the hardest "side effects" are the emotional ones: watching friends go to school, train for marathons, etc. and not be able to join them. For those of us who are older, a year goes by too quickly, but for a 21 year old, the road can be long and lonely.
We are so grateful for your sacrifices: visits, temple attendance/prayer, and your own individual and family prayers. They are making a difference, not only in Derek's health, but in our entire family's emotional well-being .

March 5, 2010

Good news: The latest MRI, PC and bone scans show that the cancer in Derek's lungs is gone. His bones and heart look good, and the tumor has gone from 7.5 cm down to 2.0cm. They can now surgically remove the tumor and are planning on that soon. We were expecting radiation along with chemo, but I'm excited to report, no radiation! They will continue chemo treatments for the rest of the 14 weeks just to make sure the cancer is completely gone.
We thank you for your prayers. We continue to rely on them.

March 1, 2010

This past week seemed better for all of us. Derek seems to have weathered this last chemo go-around better this time. Either that, or he's just putting on a brave face. At least no major side effects that are visible. He went to the Institute fireside Sunday, and has felt like getting out whenever he has the chance. Tomorrow he and his Dad will go back to PCMC/Huntsman and have some tests taken: MRI, CT, bone scan, EKG. It will be interesting to see the results. This will be the first time since they first discovered the tumor. All in all, we are all doing well. Thank you for your concern for our welfare!

Feb 20, 2010

Derek just arrived home this afternoon from a week long session at PCMC (4 down, 10 to go). He is doing fairly well. The swelling in his hands has gone down, and he is able to eat. He lost 13 lbs., but gained 4 back, so Mom is loading his food with extra calories to keep up the momentum. (Cream for Derek, skim milk for the rest of us). A few days after being at the hospital, he was told that he was switching rooms. They had lots of patients coming in who were higher priority. Since they only had 30 rooms left for 35 new patients, Derek was moved to what the nurses called the "projects", one of the exam rooms in a doctor's office. He didn't care. He made friends with a girl next door who was battling leukemia, and whose treatments were much harder than his.
The hardest part of this 5 day treatment is that the chemo drugs cause hallucinations, so Derek just sleeps most of the time. Dad was worried about him, so one night he just slept in a chair in Derek's room. That was a hard night, so the next night he decided to trust that Derek would be taken care of.
People ask us when we will know when the cancer is gone, and when they will do more tests to know the condition of the tumor. We were told that they would do more tests on that within the month. When he goes in again, they will do an EKG to check his heart.  We will know more then.

February 17, 2010

Thanks to all of you who included Derek in your last fast. He was able to attend sacrament meeting this past Sunday.
Dave took him to PCMC yesterday where he began his 4th chemo treatment. They'll be back on Monday or Tuesday. We're praying that he doesn't experience the side effects that happened as a result of last treatment. His hands are much better, and the mouth/digestive tract sores are healing. We don't want to go through that again! (It could be worse, I know, but we want the best).
Another tender mercy: since Derek was sent home last week to "heal" (no chemo treatment), his blood count went as high as it's ever been. During this time, members of our family had the flu. If Derek had had the chemo treatment as scheduled, this flu would have come at the time when his immunity was zero.
Our hearts go out to Eric Gray, who is going through another kind of cancer. He's only 16, and a great kid.

February 11, 2010

Dad took Derek to PCMC on Monday to test whether his kidneys had suffered any damage. The test came back favorable-they look fine. After the test, Derek met with the oncologist to begin the next chemo treatment. (This would be 5 days) After looking him over, Dr. Wright decided to postpone this treatment for another week to give his body a chance to heal. His hands have been swollen (Derek says they feel burned from the inside) so that he can't use them much. Also, his mouth and throat are covered with mouth sores, and throughout his digestive system, making it difficult to eat. They returned home on Wednesday and he has been feeling a little better each day.
On the bright side, his immunity level is high right now. He is able to attend CHS ball games and watch Alan play. As usual, Derek is upbeat. When he feels the mood in our home getting too somber, he gets us all laughing again. He doesn't like Mom and Dad to worry. Thanks for the empathy you show us and for your faith and prayers.

February 6, 2010

Thank you for the comments you leave on this blog, and for the concern you express when we meet. Thanks, especially, for the faith you are exercising through prayers and temple visits.
We would appreciate it if you would add Derek to your fasting again this Sunday.
His hands have swollen so much that they are painful to the touch, and he can't bend his fingers. His mouth and throat are also full of sores, making it painful to swallow. Derek goes up for another treatment on Tuesday. We're not sure we want him to go through another treatment while he is dealing with these side effects. Thank you all for standing by us!

Thanks to Derek's mission for sending him such a meaningful gift! (The missionaries in his Australian mission all wrote personal messages, and Pres. and Sis. Lee compiled it into a book). Derek spent hours pouring over the pages and reliving memories of the wonderful people he served with for two years. President and Sister Lee, if you are reading this, please know that we are so grateful for your continued concern for Derek. It amazes us that, even though he was released from his mission, he was not released from your hearts. You continue to make a huge impact on his life.