It's been a long break...from writing in the blog. Months. I don't know what got into me but I was taken over by so many things and just lost the urge to write. But I am convinced I must document this journey..because it is turning out to be a REAL miracle. It is my way to be a living breathing feeling WITNESS to our LORDs healing grace!!
Ernie got back to oral chemo after 3 months of being on a long break. His CT scan in June 2013 showed an increase in size of one tumor, not very significant but an increase nonetheless. Dr Charity introduced us to a new chemo pill targeted precisely for non-small cell lung carcinoma for this new round of medication. Everything remained stable during the past 3 months of no drugs except this one tumor that grew. She says that is an indication that cancer is active.
After around 5 days of taking daily 50mg of Afatinib, horrible mouth sores appeared - countless sores covered his mouth and tongue, he could hardly eat or talk...he was in terrible pain. To make matters worse, he was bleeding in the nose quite profusely - something that caused me to panic wanting to rush him to the hospital. These were all side effects from the new drug - truly this is the classic "damn if you do and damn if you don't" dilemma that faces those that battle this vicious enemy! Our doctor calmed me down saying that these side effects are not life threatening. Low white blood count - rendering your immune system helpless to any attack - can KILL cancer patients. Often the treatment can be more deadly than the disease. All Ernie's blood counts were normal and there were no other side effects except the sores and the occasional bleeding.
Another doctor - Dr Ivan, gave us a solution - he called it a "drug holiday (no pill) every third day. But first Ernie had to stop the drugs for a week just to recover and get himself up to speed again.
The lower dosage was a lot more tolerable - not sore-free, but much more tolerable!!
PET scan evaluation after 3 month of this new drug was scheduled end September. I was praying during daily masses, storming the heavens for very good excellent results...but the LORD surpassed it all!! PET scan covered his brain, esophagus, liver, kidneys, lungs. bones and all the organs and I could hardly believe my eyes!! At the end of the long report - summary says "NO EVIDENCE OF MALIGNANT DISEASE!!" - anywhere!! Ernie is HEALED!!
Words are not enough to describe our joy and happiness! How does a stage 4 lung CA patient (many would be lying on their death beds if not gone back home to the LORD) reverse the disease and get a report from the most expensive cancer scan ever invented yet- showing no cancer activity?? How does invasive cancer strong enough to travel from the lungs to the pubic bone...get stopped and weakened if not altogether annihilated?? How?
Dr Charity was stunned! We asked, have you ever had a patient that recovered so well like this? In the history of your carreer? And she said..."Ikaw pa lang!!"
We are not naïve...we know there are still weakened cancer cells lurking the in nooks and crannies of his system. And are likewise lurking in our system too!! (we all have cancer cells). So vigilance continues...the battle continues. Our immune system (God's protection) can be strengthened enough to keep cancer dormant for many many many years! Our bodies can heal itself! That's what I described in many blog entries in the past. That is what I believe.It is called FAITH.
Only the LORD has the answers. And we put our whole trust in HIM and claim our VICTORY in HIS name!
Olive
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