We wont back down! Cancer WILL LOSE!

Where to start? My mom and dad met with the Oncologists Dr. Samulsen yesterday. Everyone had high hopes and expectations going into this appointment, those hopes and expectations came crashing down very quickly when the doctor said there is little they can do. We had no idea it was this serious! Let me clarify, we knew it was serious, however we were under the impression is was treatable. Dr Samulsen said there is one Doctor up at the Huntsman Center that does a treatment called Interleukin-2, and he is the only one in Utah that does them. (That sounds good, in theory, however my parents insurance is NOT covered at the Huntsman Cancer Institute.) Dr. Samulsen also said the problem with this treatment is that it only works on 15% of people, however, if it does work, then it will cure him of Kidney Cancer. Needless to say there were many many tears shed yesterday and today. But we are still seeing small miracles and tender mercies from the Lord. This morning as my mom was praying, she having a hard time discerning exactly what she should be asking for. Completly lost and feeling alone, she kept having the name Monica come to her mind. Today, my Mom and Dad have been on the phone trying to see if there is anyway they can get their insurance to cover this specific Doctor at Huntsman. In their effort to get this resolved, they got a phone call. The person on the other end's name was Monica. She was from my parents insurance. She told them that she was not even supposed to come to work today, but felt there was something there that she needed to do. This Monica wanted to call and tell them, that what normally takes weeks to decide, had gone through within hours and they had been accepted to go to Huntsman for the next 6 months. What a Miracle! Truly, with the Lord, nothing is impossible!!!!! So......the game plan. My dad will meet with this doctor at Huntsman next Tuesday. He will have several tests done to make sure that his heart can handle the specific treatment, then he will be admitted to the hospital on the 12th. We are not sure if he will have to have a port placed or if they will do the treatment through an IV, but while he is getting this treatment he will have to stay in the ICU because of how toxic it is. He will be at the hospital for five days, the side effects are anything but great, and no one knows exactly how his body will react, most likely he will feel very sick and tired. If his body responds to the treatment appropriately, then he will be able to the same treatment over again 2 or 3 times. We are hanging onto that 15% like you wouldnt believe!!!!!! We have a great example of the great outcome from this treatment......

Meet Bob Thomas (no not the Wendy's guys) he is in my parents ward, 2 1/2 years ago he was diagnosed with renal (kidney) cancer. He has been seeing this same doctor up at Huntsman Center, and has done this treatment 4 times!! Fortunately, he is still here, and that is almost 3 years later. Truly, there is hope!! We have committed as a family, that from here on out, there will be no more sad tears shed. We have faith and trust that everything will work out! We need Dad to be in that 15%, and we believe he will be. He is healthy and strong. In fact, they told my dad that he is a perfect canditate for this treatment because he is so healthy and the cancer is only in his lungs now! Please keep praying for us. Please plead to the Lord to allow my father to stay around for many more years to come! It may be selfish but I still need my Dad. I need that vein on his forehead to pop out when he laughs really hard, or when he is angry or totally embarassed by one of us kids! I need his advice on, everythng still! I love my dad so much. We are also lucky though because so do so many more people. Keep fighting dad, we wont back down, cancer WILL LOSE!!!!! Here are some pics of the girls visiting dad in their halloween costumes