“Pastor’s Ponderings”
“Betty’s Update”
I gave the church an update on my wife after the May 30 a.m. service. My article is from a Facebook post I made that afternoon.
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This is a lengthy post. I was originally going to post Betty’s entire ordeal dating back to March 9, but I am going to pick up with her admission to Harris Downtown on Saturday, May 22. She was, again, having a lot of back pain, and we assumed it was still problems with her surgery on her gall bladder which was removed on March 31. The doctors said all her numbers were looking good and that this pain had nothing to do with the gall bladder surgery.
An MRI was ordered, the results were studied, and an oncologist visited my wife on May 23. He made an “incidental” finding (when doctors find something they were not looking for) including what he called “abnormalities”, compression fractures in the spine, and innumerable lesions in the bone marrow. The oncologist immediately suspected multiple myeloma (a blood cancer). He ordered several specific blood tests, and they all confirmed that diagnosis.
We travelled to his office Thursday, May 27, and felt dread as we sat down with him. His first words were, “This would be a terrible diagnosis ten years ago.” He spent the next 20 minutes speaking in a clear, firm tone, and we left his office hopeful. He ordered a bone marrow biopsy to confirm the diagnosis and prepare for a course of action.
The biopsy was to take place Wednesday, June 2, but we had a health insurance glitch and have put in a request as a new patient at Texas Oncology Southwest because our insurance works with them. We received a call from a Texas Oncology representative about 4:00 p.m. Saturday afternoon, and she said Betty’s case would be seen by a physician as soon as they walk in the office Tuesday morning. I commend Texas Oncology for the swift action in this matter, especially since it is Memorial Day weekend.
Going back to our first oncologist, here is the timeline he gave us. Once confirmed, treatment begins immediately. This will include 2-3 months of chemo in the form of pills, injections, and steroids. If results are favorable (and he fully expected them to be), Betty will have a stem cell transplant using her own bone marrow. He believed this would put the multiple myeloma into remission.
She would be monitored with maintenance for several years, and he fully expected her to live a normal life. There are still a lot of “ifs” in this picture painted by the oncologist.
The advances in the last 5-6 years with multiple myeloma have completely changed the treatments and life expectancy. Online you might see that about 50% live past the five-year mark. These statistics are based on studies before 2015 when two new drugs were introduced that completely changed the survival rate.
We enter this with confidence in the ability of the medicines and treatments to heal Betty’s body and in the ability of our God to see us through any difficulties we will face. I have faith in my God. But faith is NOT belief without proof, it is trust without reservation, and I trust my God without reservation.
I appreciate any prayers you may lift on behalf of my wife and me. Please do not think that I am emotionless in this post, but we had our cry on May 23, with a slight follow up on the 27. But when we stopped, we said, “Let’s get up now and take this head on.” We will have many ups and downs, but we are truly upbeat about this situation, and I am thankful we have a great group of Facebook friends who truly cares for us.
Thank you for reading this lengthy post, and let’s get up now and take this head on!
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As you know, a large part of this newsletter is completed by Betty. She continues to work from home when she can and has even come to the office a couple of times.
If you see something left out of this newsletter, whether that be an announcement or an acknowledgement, please call the office so we can include it next month. Thanks for your understanding!
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I have asked from the beginning for you to pray for me and my family in five areas. Thank you for doing so, and please continue to plead with God that I would have:
1) Courage
2) Wisdom
3) Strength
4) Victory
5) Vision