AMEN

Tony had a CT scan last week, today the doctor called his tumor an Adenoma. That is actually a benign growth. They do not even call it a tumor now. He will be scheduled for surgery within the month or so to remove his left adrenal gland. They want to remove this growth. Right now they do not see any more tumors that look cancerous. They will of course biopsy this but they are thinking the IL-2 killed the cancer cells. He will then be back on an every 3 months CT scan plan. And will hopefully be considered NED (no evidence of disease) yaaaaaay! It's been a LONG 6 months of pure HELL and now we need some deep breaths and some rest and some much needed time to reflect!!! Thank you Jesus and Thank you for all of the prayers! I am overflowing with emotion right now...NOW I realize just what all happened and what for. I am praying that Tony falls into the 10-12% of patients that have a total recovery and cure of this awful disease from IL-2. Right now he is for sure in the one quarter of patients that usually benefit from it! We will always be on this cancer roller coaster now that we have boarded..I don't think you EVER can fully escape. But I pray for Tony's cure and for some peaceful comfort for now...Dear Heavenly Father I thank you so much for prayers answered and for bringing us this joyful news today, thank you so much for listening to my daily pleads with you...Tony is a wonderful man and I am so thankful to have him in my life...thank you so much. Please Jesus help ease any pain and suffering my wonderful Aunt Martha is having right now and I pray that you provide everyone close to her some comfort as she will be coming home to you very soon...today was such a bittersweet day for me..I get to keep Tony much longer but yet I need to say goodbye to someone so VERY special to me very soon because of this awful disease...please help guide someone to a cure soon, I ask this in your sweet name.....Amen

January...Thank you Jesus!

Well we made it through the holidays...wow this was a very tough Christmas! Money was tighter than usual, I am sure our kids are all ok with their gifts! Thank goodness for my Christmas club at my bank! It saved the day!!! Christmas eve we went to Uncle Boyds like usual, I tried so hard to be happy funny Teri like usual...Tony was itching bad. He looked so tired. My son Cody text me from accross the room, it said "Tony doesn't look to good...I think you should take him home mama" I knew he didn't look good...I think I was in denial. I do that a lot! Tony still had this horrible rash ALL over his body. He wrapped ace bandages around his knees so his jeans wouldn't rub the back. His knees were purple and almost black on the back from itching and scratching so bad. He tried so hard to enjoy himself and just wanted to be "normal". We came home. Then he started scratching more and more until he was bleeding. He still gives himself Fragmin (blood thinner) injections twice a day so his blood is thin and he bleeds easily. He was just digging into his skin, he said he just wanted to scrape his skin off. I was loading him up with lotion, putting ice cold towels on him. It was awful! We were both up all night long and I cried and cried and he was just miserable. SO Christmas day I did some more research..I found out that your adrenal gland affects your potassium levels, when your potassium levels are low you are more prone to eczema. Well he only has 1 adrenal glad and it is being invaded by a tumor. So I had him drink some O.J. and a couple tablespoons of apple cider vinegar in water with honey, I had him soak in a luke warm bath with White vinegar and I did break down and use some 1% hydrocortizone cream. (the cream is NOT supposed to be used on IL-2 patients...but HELL he has to function) He uses Cervase lotion and I put it on his back daily. He is almost healed now....This made Christmas day the worst ever! but it is over..I hope. We had family over Dec 26 and Tony was just tired and blah. Dec 30 we went to TN to visit family and Grandson Carter and Tony was feeling alot better! We had him playing the Wii and everything. He was laughing! I needed to hear laughing and he needed to laugh. We had a very good time. Today he is feeling so much better. I have been fighting off a cold or sinus infecton all week and I think the "Air Borne" is working! Tony has his CAT scans this week and we will not find out the results of them until Jan 20. Please keep praying. In the meantime Tony wants to buy a Wii so we can play at home :) yaaaay!