Dear family & friends,
I wish I had good news to share with you, but I do not. I don't know about you, but I'm getting a little weary of every doctor's visit bringing more bad news than the one before. Not only do I have stage IV cancer ("I" being the easiest to cure and "IV" being the most difficult), each stage is "a" and "b" ("a" being the lesser and "b" being the tougher), I have stage IV b cervical cancer. Ugh. The toughest of the tough...maybe it's this tough so that there can be no doubt when the healing comes as to Whom the healing came from???!!

I'm sorry to be the bearer of such news, but Dr. Rose volunteered that we are looking at probably one year, including treatment time. He was quick to say, too, that he really doesn't know...it depends on chemo, the cancer's response to chemo, my body's response to it all...and so many other factors that we haven't considered - INCLUDING PRAYER!!!!!!!

Treatment (chemo) begins May 18 and the regiment is for 3 separate treatments over 9 weeks. All will be done in Madison. We asked about doing chemo here and Dr. Rose said "possibly". He was kind and encouraging with his comments concerning Rockford's ability to treat - he has heard great things with the docs & the treatment team here. It's just that Rockford hasn't treated as many of this particular kind as Madison, so we've decided to stick with Madison. There was some consideration of doing nothing - and we talked a little about that today. My thought was if time was really short, did I want to spend it being sick? However, there is a glimmer of hope with treatment and if any amount of treatment buys time, then we'll go for it. We will start treatment, do a scan after a time to see if the chemo is working; if so - great; if not we'll try a different combination...until such time as we say "enough" - or there's remission!

I am so sorry - these are horrible, difficult, trying words to read and absorb. We are just nearly limp with emotion - and honestly, desperation. We asked about surgery, transplant, anything we could think of. All possibilities were met with the same kind, compassionate answer..."I'm sorry, no".

Now a request, please...please keep our parents and siblings in your prayers. This is tough. Please keep Kurt & Jenn and the little gals in your prayers...it's horrible. Then there's Don. Words cannot describe to you the heartache that this man is bearing. I am fine - it's these that I love - and you, other dear family & friends - that I can hardly bear to watch suffer. This is the hard part now...but it's also the part where the good news will come from. The treatment, the remission - we can't get there without going this route. So travel this route we will. Trusting God, no matter the outcome...again I say, trusting God no matter the outcome.

Please do not hesitate to ask questions, to pose situations we perhaps haven't thought of...we welcome your input. We thank you for your love & care for us...what a blessing you are to us!

With much love and many thanks...
Don & Deb