Mike's Progress Report

In mid-January, my brother Ted and I visited Mike in Glendale AZ. He was about to embark on a long journey, seeking a cure for his recently diagnosed esophageal cancer. That trip is not complete, but we have good news! The five weeks of daily radiation treatments and two weeks of chemo have produced better than expected (hoped for) results. In the words of his attending oncologist, "It is a 300% better result than we expected. It has reduced the tumor by 97%". There appear to be four spots left that will be treated with brachia-therapy within the next month. While we are thankful for these results, please continue to keep Mike in your thoughts and prayers.

   It is not over. He still has a few more treatments to go. It has not been an easy journey, he has suffered enormous discomfort with the body's reaction to the deluge of alien attacks on his body. He has endured extreme nausea, vomiting, dry-heaves and dangerously high fevers of close to 105 degrees. He has been admitted to the ICU 3 times since the treatments started and stayed for five days on his last visit. He is mentally fatigued, physically exhausted and generally "worn to a frazzle" as our mother used to say, but he is still fighting and hoping and praying.
   Mike's faith has been tested and tried as never before in his life. I can tell from our conversations that he is leaning more on his faith than ever. He is also leaning on a strong partner in life who has been there for him throughout the whole process. Cynthia has sacrificed and endured along with him while she has bolstered and encouraged him every step along the way. She is a blessing to him and she is "the rock" on which he leans. Their shared faith in God gives them both the courage and strength to endure and the audacity to hope that better days lay ahead.