Cancer is a horrible disease and spending time in a cancer hospital can be very depressing. One thing that struck both Cliff and I was how young so many of the patients here are. We pray everyday that a cure will be found.
Cliff’s oncologist here is top notch to say the least. We plan to have him work with our oncology team at Huntsman. This will require us to fly to Houston every three months to get a CT scan and talk to the doctor about Cliffs treatment plan.
This trip has been so good and yet hard too. We have learned that cancer is in both of Cliffs lungs. There are many spots, all relatively small. The frustrating thing is that some of these spots were present three months ago when we met with Cliff’s oncologist at Huntsman, but we were never told about them. Fortunately, our doctor here doesn’t think it changes where he would be had Cliff started chemo three months ago.
So where do we go from here? Cliff will start taking an oral chemo everyday, with an infusion once every three weeks starting the first of the year. We want his holidays to be free of chemo.
It’s days like today that I have to remind myself that I am not in control of this life and I need to put my trust in my Heavenly Father. This is truly the only place I find the strength to continue on in this journey. The word HOPE has been a word that we hold very dear to our hearts. It is where we find our strength to continue forward. This morning I read a talk given by Dieter Uchtdorf who is one of our church leaders. This part rang so true to how I feel right now.
"And to all who suffer—to all who feel discouraged, worried, or lonely—I say with love and deep concern for you, never give in. Never surrender. Never allow despair to overcome your spirit.
Embrace and rely upon the Hope of Israel, for the love of the Son of God pierces all darkness, softens all sorrow, and gladdens every heart."
Oh how these words calmed my soul. So today we will continue to fight. We will not surrender and we will look forward with hope.
May you all have a wonderful holiday season. We are incredibly blessed to have amazing family and friends in our lives. To our children, your dad and I know that this is a hard journey for you too. We love you and are so grateful for your love and support. Never give up and continue to hope with us. As always, GO FIGHT WIN-TO LIFE!
