A recap

Day +1047

9/20/19

Hi all,

I wanted to clear up a few questions people have asked about Mike’s treatment since the last email I sent out. I think there was some confusion in the way I explained things. The problem is that things change so quickly , so as soon as I have a chance to send something , the plan may have changed again. The other problem is , we sometimes go blank after news is delivered and can’t remember details !

This rollercoaster ride is not so thrilling on this end and the week has been a little tough to process the latest news. We have had our pity party and are ready to get back in the fight. I’ll explain more detail about we know now.

Mike’s lungs continue to be healing. They cancelled the surgery to remove the portion of his lung. He will continue to do IV antibiotics everyday for the next few months at least and we pray his lungs will continue to heal completely with medication alone!

On the last PET scan , a new spot ( believed to be Leukemia ) has come up on his kidney.

There has been a spot on his pelvis that we have been watching for the last 18 months. He has had a biopsy of this spot before which showed to be nothing at the time. However Leukemia cells can be too small for even a biopsy to find and most likely this was the case. The new spot on the Kidney may have come from the spot on his pelvis that we have been watching.

On Monday, he will have a biopsy of both spots and when they finish the biopsy they will perform a procedure called cryotherapy, which will freeze the two places. They are going to kill two birds with one stone and do this at once instead of making him be under anesthesia twice.

It will take two - three weeks to get the results from the biopsies back. The hope is to find a treatment that will help block the pathways/mutations of these new spots.

We are hopeful. Kota is hopeful. We Believe Mike will pull through his too!

I will not life and say we have handled the news with ease and powered through. In someways we are forced to because we are thrown back in to soccer practice , spelling words , dinner plans , and breaking up wrestling matches in our living room. And I think it’s best that we are forced to keep going.

However , Mike and I are human. Just simple human beings with no super powers to handle this any better than the next person. And the defeat after defeat start to take its toll.

I believe we have regrouped this week a little. We reminded each other that faith and love have pulled us through this far. And it won’t stop now. We continue to “ pray and ask for the courage to love “ and the strength to pull ourselves out of the hole.

We surrender again. It’s the only thing that brings peace and courage after we have given it all we have. And no one has taught me that better than Mike.

Our first fundraiser is now only 2 weeks away.

I want to say that this fundraiser is about sharing love and awareness more than anything.

Therefore if the money and cost of tickets is what is keeping you from coming ...PLEASE ...do not let it be!

We will not check tickets at the door or turn anyone away. We want you to come !

We are grateful for all the love and support , more than you will ever know.

and thank you to Shallowford Prayer Shawl Ministry for these little people prayer shawls and all the love that came with them.

Have a great weekend,

Lindsey