The Battle Continues...

Dear Friends,

Since the last time I shared, I have been gaining strength, venturing out more, and getting stronger in my abdomen and back. In general, I've felt great! In a past blog, I shared with you the nurses that touched my life during my stay in the hospital. I want to tell you about the wonderful doctors I've had as well. Dr. David Duncan is my general practitioner and the doctor that first put together that there was something seriously wrong with me. Dr. Peter Garbeff is my urologist and performed my surgery, sharing with us the joy that the cancer was all contained. Of course he left behind his mark in a 10" scar! Dr. Prasad Dighe is my oncologist and the one that will help us keep track of scans and of what the future holds. I have been most impressed with each of these doctors and how they have worked together to provide the best care for me.

That said, I had another CT Scan of my abdomen and chest this past Wednesday to see what was going on with the small mass near my right kidney. Dr. Garbeff had checked it out during surgery and felt that it did not show the same characteristics as the cancerous one that was removed. I received a call from Dr. Garbeff last night and Matt and I met with Dr. Dighe this morning about the results. The scan shows that the small mass is still there and has not changed since the last scan. However, there are several small tumors that have showed up in my lungs. As the doctor said, they are small enough that they look like speckles, but they are indeed cancerous, and stem from the kidney cancer. This, along with the mass in my right abdomen, will mean that I will most likely start a systemic treatment (a pill form of medication specifically for kidney cancer) in the very near future. While it is not chemotherapy, it does have some specific possible side effects, some that are mild and some that are more serious. I, of course, am not looking forward to this, but I will do what I need to do to live for my family. We also are setting up an appointment with a specialist at either UCSF or Stanford, depending on which one can see us the soonest. This will give us a second opinion, confirm what is going on, and perhaps provide us with other options.

I'm asking that your prayers continue for me and my family. While this has rocked our world again, I know that God has not changed. He still loves me, wants the best for my life, and is with me every step of the way. Satan is the one that is on the attack. Let your prayers surround my family as they all deal with what this might mean, and that they will continue to stand on the belief that this is for the glory of our Lord, Jesus Christ. We couldn't get through any of this without Him. And pray for me that I will be strong as I face the road ahead.

With love, Danene October 31, 2008