Struggling with chemo, working on vision

Sun 02/10/08
Susan struggled with fatigue and feeling ill as her monthly chemo doses accumulated during the week, but woke up feeling better and more rested on Saturday. She experienced a bit more visual loss one day this week for the second month in a row, described as dimness and holes in her field of vision. Since it coincided with her five days of chemo, we wonder if it's a side effect of the temodar for her.
We picked up Susan's new glasses on Friday at the So Cal College of Optometry, one pair for reading and one for distance. Tomorrow we'll have a consultation with Dr Ikeda, an optometrist who specializes in treatment of vision problems related to neurological disease and injury. We're looking forward to having his input on Susan's case.

We had a wonderful morning at church, including Susan's first visit back to her Sunday School class in over 8 months. Since her strength and stamina have improved so well, we no longer need to abbreviate our Sunday mornings so she can sleep before noon. We both enjoyed the deep and meaningful discussion led by our friend Vicki Gelberg about God's love as well as the milestone of Susan returning to the class that has fulfilled her so much. And since I'm not as involved in serving at church as I was before she got ill, I we can go together. It's great companionship. I like how God is doing a new thing.

Mon 02/11/08
We met with Dr Ikeda, who just happens to work with our long-time optometrist, Dr King, who just happens to specialize in neuro-optometric rehab, and who just happens to be deeply involved with an organization called NORA that is "dedicated to advancing the art and science of rehabilitation of the neurologically and cognitively injured." Coincidence? I don't think so. The Lord provides. Dr Ikeda gave Susan a thorough exam and recommended adjustments to her new eyeglass prescriptions. He spoke favorably about her prospects for regaining vision with therapy as the brain re-establishes broken connections, acknowledging that God is the ultimate healer. We will revisit in a month to check Susan's glasses again and evaluate therapy options.

We're asking God to give Susan antineoplastons, or the body's naturally occurring version of them called peptides. Dr Stanislaw Burzynski discovered decades ago that healthy humans have them, but cancer patients lack them – and they appear to be part of the body's main defense system against cancer. Dr Burzynski developed synthetic antineoplastons that he administers to cancer patients at his clinic in Houston TX. The results have been dramatic, with patients being CURED after a short time. His therapies are now being conducted under FDA clinical trials. Unfortunately, I learned not only are the trials for glioblastoma patients like Susan currently closed, but cancer patients who've had prior radiation or chemotherapy are not eligible.

So I figure let's ask God to give Susan the antineoplastons or peptides she's missing (and also Jeff, and Cathleen, and Elnora, and Kathy, and so on). But sometimes I wonder how specific our prayers should be. After all, it's God who heals, and He knows what we need. He's not finicky or capricious – it's not like He'd withhold healing He'd otherwise provide because we didn't ask for the right ingredients. That said, I'm aware of specific healing that God has given from specific prayers. Whatever the case, Lord have mercy!