Visit to the Oncologist May 16

Hello everyone on this beautiful Friday evening.

I will get right to the point since I know you signed on to see how the doctor appointment went and not to listen to me ramble on.

Our appointment was at 1:45. We waited in the inside office for a really long time. When the doctor came in, he apologized for being late. He had been on the phone for 1/2 hour trying to get in touch with an oncologist at the IU Med. Center in Indianapolis that only works with Brock's type of cancer. Being Friday afternoon, he wasn't able to reach him.

Our doctor explained what we already knew. This cancer is very rarely caught this early. He said it was a very small tumor. There is nothing in the textbooks regarding ampullary cancer. The 4 types of cancer that I previously mentioned, ampullary, pancreatic, duodenum, and bile duct are all lumped together. Ampullary is the only one that has an actual cure rate. Cure is not a word you hear very often when it comes to cancer.

So with the data available, or I should say not available, he was not sure how to proceed. He weighed out the options either way, he said the chemo would be "a piece of cake", no nausea, no hair loss or stress on the heart. On the other hand, there is no reason to do chemo if it's not necessary. He asked us what the radiologist and the surgeon have said, and that he will confer with them. He said to give him a couple of weeks to work on it. We have another appointment with him on May 30.

Then at 6:15 this evening, the phone rings and it's the oncologist himself. I've just never heard of a personal phone call like this! He said he had spoken to one of the doctors at the IU Med. Center and his consensus is that, "there would be no benefit to chemotherapy." He said he wanted us to know what he found out and he would see us on the 30th. He said they will be having a conference on it. (I think he might have meant a conference call.)

Brock said maybe he'll go down in the medical journals. :) Leave it to Brock, huh?

So it's still a wait and see scenario. We are just trying to digest all of this.
More and more, we are starting to believe this just might be a miracle. This doctor just couldn't believe Brock only had symptoms for 2 weeks before diagnosis. He said people with cancer in the digestive tract usually go months and months before a diagnosis is made.

Thanks to all our doctors for the swift movement on every aspect of this entire journey. That alone saved Brock's life.

Brock's blood pressure is down to normal and heart rate too. Bill is doing very well on his first full day after his heart bypass surgery. Prayer works.

I don't know when I will write again. I'll feel lost without writing to you all. I'm sure I will update you sometime next week.

All the Glory to God!
Our God is an AWESOME God!

Love to all,
Chris