from Ashley........

Fried tumors!
I am happy to report that Dan is right now waking up from (possibly) his last necessary cancer treatment. The last of his visible tumors have been fried today...and hopefully, they'll never come back!

We got to the hospital about half an hour early, but they couldn't start the procedure until 3 hours later because Dan's platelets were a bit low. After finally deciding to give him a unit of platelets, they took him at 1030.

3 hours later, his fantastic doctor (our favorite over the past 4 years) came out to give us great news. The pre-procedure CT showed no new tumors and showed that the old tumors looked smaller than before. Then, they ablated a few areas ("microwave on a stick", as Dan says). The doctor admitted to us that he thinks the tumors were already dead, but he wanted to cook them anyway--for good measure. Biopsies from the site will tell us if there was any living cancer in them later. The doctor was overall very happy with the procedure. Little bleeding, no complications seen yet. Dan is waking up right now, so he's not even in the recovery area. In a couple hours or so, we'll be able to see him in his hospital room where he'll stay overnight for observation.

As long as Dan can eat, drink and have good pain control tonight, we should be able to leave in the morning. We'll be on the watch for signs of bleeding or infection for a little while. Then, we'll take a couple days to recuperate in NorCal, then drive home to La Habra.

As for future cancer treatments--there are NONE scheduled. After Dan's hip gets replaced, he can begin to work toward life without cancer. Check-up scans will happen every 3-6 months and the possibility will always remain that something could return. I will personally always be a little scared and worried. Yet, it feels like a new stage of life can begin. Please pray with us that Dan can officially and forever become a cancer survivor, instead of a cancer patient!

It's hard to believe that 4 years ago this time, Dan hadn't even started chemo. In fact, my mother-in-law and I were probably playing cards waiting for Dan to come out of a scan that would tell us fairly terrible news. Fast forward to now: Dan has his Bachelor's degree, has a wife, almost has his teacher's credential, has a cat and is planning for whatever God has in store for him and for us. God has certainly been faithful to His children.

I can say simply now, that the doctors did not think Dan had a fighting chance shortly after his diagnosis. Yet, after 10 rounds of chemo, SIRSpheres, a couple embolizations, a Whipple surgery, a bowel obstruction surgery, and 2 ablations...Dan is very close to being cancer-free.

We can obviously be thankful for the doctors and nurses. We can give some credit to Dan himself for being so incredibly, crazily courageous and strong. However, we would be completely wrong to not give all praise and glory and thankfulness to the One who orchestrated every good gift in the midst of this trial: our God and Savior, Jesus Christ. Without His provision and protection, I know that Dan would not be alive today. What a wonderful God we worship!

Thank you everyone for your prayers and support. Continue to give glory to God for all He has done.

Updates will continue...though, I hope they won't involve too many more stories from the hospital!
Posted by Dan and Ashley at 2:05 PM

results

Dan came through the procedure well and the doctor ablated 2 sites, one that had been previously infarcted but not "cooked" by the last procedure and the 4th and last tumor site that he had planned to do. Everything looked good. No new tumors were seen!!!! His platelet count was a bit low so he was given some platelets. This was not a big concern for today but will be an issue for his hip replacement when the bleeding is more of a problem. SO thanksgiving for today and prayers for the next and final, Lord willing, procedure of the hip surgery on July 28. We are so thankful for all your love and support and prayers.
Isaiah 44:6-8
6 Thus says the LORD, the King of Israel
and his Redeemer, the LORD of hosts:
“I am the first and I am the last;
besides me there is no god.
7 Who is like me? Let him proclaim it.
Let him declare and set it before me,
since I appointed an ancient people.
Let them declare what is to come, and what will happen.
8 Fear not, nor be afraid;
have I not told you from of old and declared it?
And you are my witnesses!
Is there a God besides me?
There is no Rock; I know not any.”

4 years ago

Dear Ones,
I have just spent about an hour reading blogs from 4 years ago. Had to stop because it is getting late! 4 years ago we received a "bad report" that Dan had cancer in his liver and pancreas. I had been studying the book of Isaiah and remembered that King Hezekiah had received a bad report and brought that to the Lord in His Temple and pleaded with Him to act on Judah's behalf, so Dan and I too took that bad report of cancer and pleaded with the Lord for His mercy and healing. (It was 2:30 am and the doctor came in the room and woke us up and gave us the results of his CT scan) Now 4 years later I am in a study with a friend and we are going over Isaiah and lo and behold we are just approaching the same chapter about King Hezekiah. So it is time to say thank you Lord for all you have done in these past 4 years. Next week Dan will have his last (hopefully) treatment on a tumor remnant (microwave on a stick). I can only sing praises and worship the King of Kings. Dan has been through a great deal of pain and suffering these past 4 years but there has been a great many blessings also. The Lord continues to use his ordeal to speak to hearts about the love, goodness and power of the Lord. May He speak to you today and may your heart be open to hear His still small voice calling out to you.

No job, YET!

Dan heard back from the job we all thought would be perfect - the answer was no:(((((
But we keep praying and he keeps looking and applying, then we'll see what happens!
Thanks for your love and support and prayers on his behalf.

Psalm 5
1 Give ear to my words, O LORD,
consider my sighing.
2 Listen to my cry for help,
my King and my God,
for to you I pray.
3 In the morning, O LORD, you hear my voice;
in the morning I lay my requests before you
and wait in expectation.