This week, our journey in life is at a crossroad that we knew was coming. This week has been in our crosshairs since mid-August when Suzanne’s cancer treatment plan was discussed and implemented. This week, the success of Suzanne’s treatments will be revealed. I would like to share with you how we got to this week and how prayers have been answered.

August 1st we met a Dr in Gibson City who told Suzanne that she had a large mass in her throat which started a three-day process of discovery that ended in a cancer diagnosis.

August 7th was her first PET scan to determine the size and scope of the cancer

August 13th was our first meeting with the Oncology team that would handle her case. At that time they laid out the timeline for treatments and diagnosis which included: Central line port placement, 7 weeks of daily radiation treatments, 7 weekly chemotherapy treatments, daily CT scans to monitor the process. This then would be followed up by a CT scan at six weeks and then another PET scan 6 weeks after that.

August 31st Suzanne started her seven-week treatment plan of radiation and chemotherapy. Remarkably and to the doctor’s amazement, she experienced little to minor side effects throughout the process. The side effects that we were prepared for include:

• First and foremost, throat pain which will make it hard to swallow; God stepped in and delayed the pain well after what was expected.
• Fatigue that will make it hard to function; God stepped in and gave her the strength to walk every day to treatments and continue with life’s daily chores after returning home
• Skin reactions will cause dry, flaking, and sunburn type pain; God stepped in and gave her complete relief.
• Loss of taste will most definitely occur; God stepped in and has provided her with very minimal loss of taste.
• Inability to swallow as the throat undergoes complete destruction; God stepped in and from all tests that have been performed to date, no impairment has been seen.

November & December brought some challenges. Infection in her throat increased the pain to the point that a feeding tube was placed to give her some comfort. Although difficulties were encountered in the beginning, With Gods help she is now regaining her weight and strength that was lost during that period.

This brings us to next Wednesday, January 13th, five months to the day that her treatment plan was discussed. On tap for that day, another PET scan to determine the size and scope of the cancer.

So many prayers have been answered during this Journey; comfort, companionship, symptom relief, mental well being. But now for the big ask, the huge and prayerful request to God that the cancer is gone.

Today, a number of friends and family joined us at our local church and in their homes to pray and ask God to find it in his will to grant Suzanne this one more request, to be free from cancer. We know that there is a long journey ahead for recovery and accept that path. But recovery is part of the human healing process. We are relying on God’s hand of healing to touch her in such a way, that recovery is possible in the future that lies ahead.

Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord.
James 5:14