28th Treatment at the Block Center

Sunny greetings to all! We rejoice in this beautiful summer weather.

Friday, we met with Jen who was quite patient with all of our questions (Thank you, Lord). We really appreciate the wonderful staff at the Block Center. So join with us on the learning curve of this new drug, Kadcyla, as Cathy received her fifth treatment.

Concerning the blood platelet count, the threshold for Kadcyla is 80,000. Since Cathy's platelets were at 85,000 they administered the normal dose at the usual time of 45 minutes. Now they have a history of the rate that Cathy's body replenishes her platelets. On August 16th they were 71,000 and rose to 85,000 on August 21st. This will be a good reference point.

In questioning the white blood cell count, the Block Center focuses on a white blood cell listed as "Neuts Absolute" on the lab report. This time it was low and Jen strongly suggested that Cathy return to the Neulasta shot. This will boost the "neutrophils" and help her body fight off any infection. Jen also said that Neulasta is Cathy's insurance policy for good health on her upcoming trip.

We also inquired about the rising numbers on Cathy's liver enzymes. Jen referred to a report that 98% of the patients on Kadcyla saw an increase in their AST enzyme and 82% experienced an increase in their ALT enzyme. She then pointed out that Cathy's bilirubin number was normal which reflects good overall function of the liver!! Based on these numbers, Jen concluded that the drug is causing irritation and inflammation in the liver but it continues to function well.

As noted earlier, Cathy and Mike have been blessed with a trip to Colorado and Montana. Lord willing, they will leave on September 19th and return on September 29th.

Please continue to pray for the effectiveness of Kadcyla directly on the cancer cells while minimizing the toxic effects on the rest of Cathy's body. Pray also that Cathy and Mike will be refreshed on their upcoming vacation and that all the planning details will fall into place.

Gratefully,
Lori  

"Come let us sing for joy to the lord; let us shout aloud to the Rock of our salvation.
Let us come before him with thanksgiving and extol him with music and song.
For the Lord is a great God , the great King above all gods.
In his hands are the depths of the earth, and the mountain peaks belong to him.
The sea is his for he made it, and his hands formed the dry land.
Come, let us bow down in worship, let us kneel before the Lord our Maker;
for he is our God and we are the people of his pasture,
the flock under his care."    Psalm 95: 1 -7

Thrombocytopenia!

Yes, that is our word for today - thrombocytopenia. This means that Cathy has a low blood platelet count which has delayed our trip to the Block Center. She originally thought it was low white blood cells but they are fine, which is good news because she will not need the Neulasta shot in the future.

We normally have 150,000 to 450,000 platelets per milliliter of blood. Last Friday when Cathy had her blood drawn it was at 71,000. She waited 72 hours and repeated the test. Yesterday, it had only increased to 79,000. Our platelets live for ten days, the body continually renews the supply by producing new ones in the bone marrow. Per the Block Center, there is little that Cathy can do except wait.

The Block Center has rescheduled her appointment for Friday, August 23rd. They will run another blood test the day before. Please pray for restoration of her platelets and, if necessary, direction for a new treatment plan.  

Gratefully,
Lori

Wastelands

Author: Elisabeth Elliot

There are dry, fruitless, lonely places in each of our lives, where we seem to travel alone, sometimes feeling as though we must surely have lost the way. What am I doing here? How did this happen? Lord, get me out of this!

He does not get us out. Not when we ask for it, at any rate, because it was He all along who brought us to this place. He has been here before--it is no wilderness to Him, and He walks with us. There are things to be seen and learned in these apparent wastelands which cannot be seen and learned in the "city"--in places of comfort, convenience, and company.

God does not intend to make it no wasteland. He intends rather to keep us--to hold us with his strength, to sustain us with his sure words--in a place where there is nothing else we can count on.

"God did not guide them by the road towards the Philistines, although that was the shortest...God made them go round by way of the wilderness towards the Red Sea" (Ex 13:17,18 NEB).

Imagine what Israel and all of us who worship Israel's God would have missed if they had gone by the short route--the thrilling story of the deliverance from Egypt's chariots when the sea was rolled back. Let's not ask for shortcuts. Let's keep alert for the wonders our Guide will show us in the wilderness.