Evals - day 2

(Jim's perspective)

Wednesday was a tougher day.  We spent the entire day in meetings with the various professionals from our cancer treatment team.  Though we appreciated the scope of the care Donna would be receiving, we were discouraged that there was still an emphasis on "standard of care", which means chemo and radiation therapy, with nutrition, supplements, etc., playing a secondary role.  The reality of Donna's cancer became much more tangible today.

For those of you who know Donna, she has spent the past few weeks reading books and doing internet research trying to find the role of alternative treatment methods.  The conclusions were very encouraging - apparently, there are doctors (real doctors - experts in their fields of research - not quacks, witch doctors, or those with mail-order degrees) that successfully treat patients with alternative methods and warn against the significant dangers and health risks of chemotherapy.  Their statistics are very different, and much more encouraging, than those communicated in the standard messaging of the medical community.  It's in this context that we were hopeful to find a more prominent role for alternative treatment options. 

Our first appointment Wednesday was with the surgeon.  He was a nice enough guy, and was willing to let us ask questions.  He was patient and took the time to hear us out and address our concerns, which we appreciated.  He then proceeded to tell us that there is no recognized evidence that nutrition and lifestyle can cure cancer, yet he wrote a book that describes how nutrition and lifestyle can prevent cancer.  Though Donna's research indicates that people have, indeed, had their tumors significantly reduced through nutrition and lifestyle changes, the surgeon's tone left us feeling like fools for daring to question the collective wisdom of the medical community.

As the day continued, we met with others who helped us understand the role they would play in Donna's treatment.  As it turns out, if chemo or radiation are necessary, the "alternative" methods will really serve as "complementary" methods, and will help Donna's body handle the nausea and side effects of the conventional treatment plan.  We were not happy with this outcome, yet we trust God and believe He will guide us through the correct plan for Donna's complete recovery.

By the end of the day, we were told that the first step was a lumpectomy, which is scheduled for next Tuesday.  Pathology tests will be conducted on the tumor and the outcome will determine whether chemo and/or radiation treatments are necessary.  As you can imagine, we are praying that God has already healed Donna and that the tumor is now benign.

We received one very good piece of news.  Since we don't yet have a complete treatment plan, the accommodations are not going to cost us another dime, even though we will be here another few days beyond the original estimate.  We also continue to receive 60% off on all meals at the cancer center's cafeteria.  Donna may have already mentioned this, but the cancer center agreed to bill us according to our in-network insurance benefits.  That's a significant reduction in our out-of-pocket expense.  We are trusting God for His provision and ideal timing of the treatment plan.  Donna will need to come back to AZ about a week after her lumpectomy, and, depending on the pathology results, may need to come back many times for continued treatment.

Though we had our faith tested on Wednesday, we remain steadfast in our belief that God holds it all and that none of this was a surprise to him.  Thank you for your prayers and support.