Newtons Never Fight Alone

 It has been almost a year since our last blog post. Who would have thought our world would change so much in that time? A lot has changed in Cliff’s cancer journey as well. As many of you know, at last post we were anxiously waiting for the clinical trial to take place.  During that time, we felt strongly that we should sell our home in Fruit Heights. With our kids married, our house was more than we needed.  We found a place in Layton in a 55 and older community that felt like the perfect fit.  We put money down and began the process of building.  No sooner had we started down the building road that Utah had an earthquake, Covid hit, and because of Cliff’s cancer we were pretty much in lock down. To put salt on the wound, the clinical trial was put on hold. 

In May, we put our house up for sale and sold it two weeks later.  We moved out the middle of June and moved in with Cliff’s mom, who has been so good to us while we have been here. She has shared her love of movies with us while we have taught her how to play a few card games.  

 

In July, Cliff was offered the clinical trial again.  Because of Covid, they would not let me be in the hospital with him.  We were both uncomfortable with that and declined participation until they could lift those restrictions.

 

In September, we received another call asking if we could come in December.  This time they agreed to let me be in the hospital with him. We were thrilled and ready to take the next steps to prepare for the trial.

 

The hospital covers the trial itself but they ask your insurance to cover charges that are typically covered such as CT scans, labs, etc.  Our insurance denied coverage because the charges were attached to a clinical trial. We sent an appeal specifying that these were services that they routinely pay for and that if they didn’t cover them, then Cliff would have to go back on chemo and they would be covering them anyway. Unfortunately, it was denied again. 

 

As always, we had many earthly angels in the form of family and friends step up to the plate to offer help and to even set up a Go Fund Me. This was going to be a substantial financial undertaking and we felt that we needed to consult with Cliff’s oncologist.  He shared with us that results were not as promising as he had hoped and that he would be hesitant to recommend the trial when paying for it with no insurance participation. 

 

It has taken us a couple of days to process our disappointment but we are looking ahead and are ready to continue the fight. I am always amazed at the sheer determination that Cliff displays with this cancer journey. He is brave, positive, faithful and full of hope. It is one of the things I love about him. We will continue to look for trials as it is the only way to find a cure and we need to find one. Not only for Cliff, but for all. 

 

As many of you know, our family motto is “Newtons Never Fight Alone”.  This motto could not be more true as evident with the many phone calls, prayers, words of encouragement, and postcards sent to us the last few months. We want to express our love and gratitude to our family and friends. We consider you our greatest treasures. Happy Holidays! May you find joy and peace in the new year. 

IT’S A TRIAL

Another trip to Houston is in the books….

If you read our last blog post, you may remember that Cliff was offered a clinical trial in Houston, at MD Anderson. On December 27, Cliff received an email from his oncologist saying that the trial was being put on hold. Although on hold, his doctor still wanted him to come to Houston so he could see how the new chemo was working and to talk to us about the trial.  We try not to put all of our eggs in a basket when it comes to Cliff’s treatments, but we had with this trial and we were so disappointed.  

We spend hours in waiting rooms hoping to hear someone call out Cliff’s name. It is imperative to bring along large amounts of Diet Coke, a fully charged phone and for me, a blanket.  Everyone in the room is waiting to hear what their next journey in life is going to be.  Doing well, not doing well, cured, not cured, terminal. You might be surprised to know that Cliff is considered terminal. We don’t put much weight into that word.  I mean, look at the guy, not much has slowed him down.  And by the way, we believe in miracles and that prayers are answered.  

So what did we learn while in Houston?  GOOD NEWS this time.  In three chemo treatments, all the cancer spots have reduced in size, some significantly.  But the best news of all… The trial is back on and Cliff will be the next patient.  We are cautiously excited! We will leave for Houston the end of February, first of March (dates have not been confirmed yet). He will meet with the surgeon the day we get there and have the surgery to remove his largest tumor in his right lung the next day.  At that point they will remove all the good fighter cells, also known as tumor infiltrating lymphocytes, from the tumor and will start growing tens of millions more.  We will come home while those are growing. Two weeks later we will be back in Texas, as the doctor will need to do some base line checks on his health. Two weeks later Cliff will be admitted into the hospital to reintroduce the new fighter cells into his body.  This process will take about 3-4 weeks.  He will be immune compromised, so I will be the only person allowed in his hospital room.  

We will have several trips back and forth to Houston but feel that this trial is worth it.  In the words of Cliff’s oncologist, “this is not a cure, but I believe that the gun is now pointing in the right direction for that to happen.”  

You may be asking yourself, “if it’s not a cure, why do it”?  Cliff has always wanted to be a part of the science to find a cure.  And even if it’s not a cure, but stops the cancer from growing for a time, it is worth it to us.  Oh, and don’t forget, we believe in miracles. Who knows, this may be a cure for him. This Thursday, Cliff will receive his 40th chemo treatment. On Saturday, January 18 he has been fighting cancer for 4 years.  

A friend of ours asked us the other day how we stay positive? Family, friends and God.  We will continue the fight and know that no one fights alone. Thank you for being there for us.