Life has been crazy the last several
months. I went back to college and worked as much as I possibly could. I also
became involved with someone, but things didn’t work out. Kacie finished up
dance and the 7th grade. She was also inducted into the National Junior Honor
Society. Nick had a biopsy at the end of March, graduated high school, and
started his first job.
I’m still in school this summer
trying to finish filling “holes”, so I can start Athens State in August. I
have been accepted into their School of Education as an Elementary Ed major.
Nick is working at Baumhower’s
Wings. He got the position through Phoenix staffing which works in conjunction
with Alabama Dept of Vocational Rehab. Nick really enjoys his position there.
The work load is just enough right now. He is also in the midst of being
considered for disability through SSA due to all of his health problems.
We have had to accept that Nick is rather limited on what he is able to do both
physically and mentally. After much discussion with his doctors, this seems to
be the most logical route for Nick. It’s not the path that Keith or I wanted
for him, but if it enables Nick to live a satisfying life that has a high
quality to it...well...it’s what we’ll do.
The biopsy results from March took
awhile to get finalized. The news isn’t the best. Nick still has active cancer.
The lymph nodes that were biopsied showed that the Epstein Barr Virus is
actually active and multiplying inside the nucleus of each cancer cell. What
does this mean? Well, without getting rid of the virus, we can’t get rid of the
cancer. There is no cure for the virus, so there is no cure for the cancer. The
chemo is serving the purpose of keeping the cancer cells from multiplying,
which means the cancer is staying in one spot. It’s not spreading.
We are in a place of very fine
balance with Nick’s treatments. As long as the chemo can keep the cancer from
spreading, everything is okay. If the cancer spreads, well...that’s something
we will address if the time comes. The fact that the EBV is active inside these
cancer cells means that Nick can’t ever stop taking chemo. The risk of not
being able to get Nick stable again would be very high.
Nick’s kidney function has
stabilized finally. The medication to protect his kidneys seems to be working
very well. The kidney specialist has told us that Nick can go a year between
checkups since the oncologist is monitoring the kidney functions in the blood
work. This was good news.
Nick’s immune system is still pretty
much nonexistent without the monthly boost of IVIG. The oncologist thinks that
Nick probably needs to be reevaluated by the immunologist to make sure that
Nick’s IVIG treatments are still on the right track.
Things with the FAP (genetic
condition that caused Keith’s cancer that Nick also has) have been stable for
the time being. As long as the disease process remains stable, Nick can go a
year between scopes and tests.
I think that pretty much catches us
up. I know there is a lot of information here. There are a lot of prayer
requests and praises too! Thank you for continuing to lift us up in prayer.
We remain... In HIS Grip!
~Kristy
