A huddle and a break...

Trust in the Lord with all your heart,
And lean not on your own understanding;
In all your ways acknowledge Him,
And He shall direct your paths.

Proverbs 3:5-6

We met with Marc's doctor this morning and went over his labs and CT scan results. We were fortunate to have our dear friend, Elo, with us to help with technical questions (see: http://griffithzoo.blogspot.com/2009/03/gift-of-knowledge.html). The four of us huddled for an hour, discussing the following results:

• His tumor marker is increasing, showing that the cancer is active.
• His CT scan did show a small progression. It is a bit larger and thicker than his CT scan in June.
• While the tumor is growing, it is not fast growing at this point. This will allow for Marc to rest before he resumes treatment.
• The chemotherapy treatment that he was taking previously is no longer effective.

So, what to do? For the next three to five weeks, Marc will get a break from treatment to allow his body to recover from the last nine rounds. From there, we are not sure. We are considering several options and will be getting more opinions. There is a second line of chemotherapy that is an option, there is a clinical trial that is a possibility, we will meet with a surgeon, and possibly make a trip to Seattle to the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center. Each option has potential, but also risks. We will need a lot of wisdom in the next few weeks to determine what is the best course of treatment. Ultimately, this is Marc's decision.

As always, we would appreciate your prayers. We are both committed to figuring this thing out and leaving no stone unturned; however, with that comes a lot of appointments, reading, thinking, and discussing. I anticipate this could be mentally and physically gruelling for our family. Also, it will mean more logistics with the kids and farm. We would ask that you help us pray for direction, the stamina needed to get through this next stage, and a support system that won't be overly burdened.

Lastly, I want to thank Elo again for spending her morning with us. What a blessing to have a friend that is a doctor come to our appointment with us! She had great questions, gave us confidence, and encouraged us on a very difficult day. And, a big thanks to Melanie for watching Elo's kids, so that she could get away with us. It is truly taking a huge community of family and friends to get us through this. We remain humbled and amazed by God's great provision in our lives during this time.

With love and gratitude...