A New Path
If you’ve been following Carey’s progress in the last month or two than you already know that the chemo has come with some scary side effects lately. He’s been admitted to the hospital several times. It’s reached a point where it’s simply too dangerous for him to continue receiving this chemo treatment.
His body has been put through the ringer and it desperately needs time to rest and recover. It’s as if his immune system was so persistent that it would fight off the chemo drugs to the point of completely depleting itself (I have no idea if that is scientifically accurate, but that’s how I see it). And not having an immune system can be just as dangerous as the cancer itself. So we’re at a crossroads in this journey.
As of right now we have no reason to believe the cancer isn’t stable – meaning there has been no changes since his last scan. Stable is a good word. One that we want to hear for many, many future scans.
His next full body scan will be June 4, and from then on his doctors will be observing Carey by scanning every three months. His oncologist did say that he may be able to try a different regimen of chemo, or possibly be eligible for a clinical trial in the future. But surgery and his current chemo drugs are no longer considered beneficial.
We’ve needed a while to process this. It’s an uneasy road moving forward as we know his cancer is still present, but have no idea what it will do. It’s very possible that it could remain stable and that is the hope. We continue to pray for a miracle and trust that God is always in control even when we don’t understand.
There are sad moments, but there are still lots and lots of happy, wonderful moments and for that we are incredibly grateful. Carey is very excited to start looking for a job and getting back into the swing of things - with his resume and references I have no doubt there are plenty of bright opportunities just around the corner. We have every intention of living and loving each and every day.
You’ve all been so faithful in loving and supporting our family - there’s no way to adequately thank everyone. We’re on a treatment hiatus for now, but this journey is far from over. I will post family/journal updates as time allows.
Carey still stands strong, and the boys and I are standing right beside him.
Photo credit: Lea Hartman Photography
