Recurrence

What follows comes from an email we sent this morning to our nearest and dearest, and that does the job of cutting to the chase. I’ve decided to post it here rather than trying to find some other way to say essentially the same thing. There’s so much I do want to say, but that can come later. At this time, I just want to rest, pray and listen carefully to whatever God has to tell me. More soon.

Dear friends: As some of you know, we've been to Portland the last two days for my quarterly scans and a consultation with Dr. Curti, my medical oncologist. I'm afraid we got bad news this time. The melanoma has recurred aggressively in my brain and spread to my spine. This news comes as a shock but not a surprise, if that makes sense to you. I've lived with melanoma for years and in the absence of serious symptoms, figured I was good for many more miles. Well, maybe not.

Treatment in these circumstances would typically be a form of radiotherapy called Gamma Knife, but my doctors have concluded that the cancer is too extensive to treat without causing grievous damage to my brain function and at any rate wouldn't prevent its recurrence. I would likely lose part of my sight and motion. I might spend months in rehab, during which new mets would likely form. The prognosis is dire, but we are not without hope. Ellen and I and rest of the family are in prayer for God's guidance and we're at peace with whatever should happen. We'll be making a decision in days ahead whether to pursue other options or not.

Thanks for your thoughts and prayers.