End of a great 3 week stretch 4/22/08

The last 3 weeks have been great. Remarkable even. Especially given the 14 radiation therapies I had to my head. I have had a great run of strong days and even jokingly said to Amy that maybe I am cancer free?! Reality set back in this last weekend.

After working three straight long days, Thursday, I stupidly pushed myself into what turned out to be a brutal day of walking and standing. Long story, short: I attended a Building Management Luncheon, followed that by walking all over the Merchandise Mart (our Chicago office location), topped by attending the largest Construction Industry dinner function and networking event. I walked and stood more that day than I have since I was diagnosed with cancer. That next day, in the office again, I knew I would pay for it later and sure enough, Friday night through Sunday, I was totally laid up with my back blown out.

I called my doctors and they said to go to the ER Sunday night when I included the new symptom of neuropathy in my right hand, which may also be a part of the issue. There from 8pm until 3am, an MRI showed no chord compression (good news…) but does show that I have a compression fracture of my L4 vertebra (just below the L3 that I had done the vertibroplasty last year) and that my tumor burden on my spine has advanced.

I have not heard back from my doctors yet on what we need to do with the compression fracture. As far as the general advance of the bone mets, I guess it is not really a huge shocker since I haven’t done any chemo in the last 12 weeks or so, but it is still distressing to hear. The cancer is not taking any time off…

Top all of this off with the fact that I started chemo back again today (Tuesday 4/22) and there ends the 3 week run… I started the Tarceva and am nervous as to what the side effects will be and when they will start. More of the fun of chemo… The main three side effects of this drug are severe acne-like rash, diarrhea, and fatigue. Not looking forward to any of those, especially the first two.

Some highlights of the last three weeks: Greg Kroencke came to visit a second time. Justin and Tracy Kohler and there two boys flew in town and stayed with us. My brother Scott and his family came to visit for his birthday. I walked to our neighborhood park (first time I was able to make it) to watch the kids play.

I have been encouraged by Romans lately, especially this verse…

Romans 8:18 (New International Version)
Future Glory
18 I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us.

The rest of the chapter is also amazing:

19The creation waits in eager expectation for the sons of God to be revealed. 20For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope 21that[i] the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the glorious freedom of the children of God.
22We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. 23Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. 24For in this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what he already has? 25But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently.
26In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express. 27And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God's will.
More Than Conquerors
28And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him,[j] who[k] have been called according to his purpose. 29For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. 30And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified.
31What, then, shall we say in response to this? If God is for us, who can be against us? 32He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? 33Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. 34Who is he that condemns? Christ Jesus, who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. 35Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? 36As it is written:
"For your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered."[l] 37No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 38For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons,[m] neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, 39neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.


I don’t have any more to say right now. Just hoping for your prayers to continue for my healing, for my strength to increase, and for the side effects to be minimal with the Tarceva.

Love, In Christ,
Eric