Tag: grastofil

Posted on by Leanne Clark

January update

Happy New Year, everyone! May you find many reasons for joy and hope this year.

After about a month off, John is back on chemo again. His first treatment was on Friday, January 8. He lost his appetite (and 10 lbs.) over the weekend, but so far the other side effects haven’t kicked in yet. Basically he just slept a lot.

I gave him his first Grastofil injection today to help keep his white blood cell count up. Six more to go before the next chemo day on the 22nd. Being back on Grastofil means he can probably proceed with treatment uninterrupted until he and the doctor decide it’s time to take a break again. He’ll have another CT scan in about three months to re-evaluate.

Please continue to pray that the chemo will be effective, that God will give the doctors wisdom in their decision making, and that I will have the strength to take care of our family on the days when John is not feeling the best.

Keep praying for the baby too. My last ultrasound the week after Christmas showed she was growing normally, kicking and moving around, and she had a normal heartbeat, so we are very thankful for that. I found out earlier in December that I have gestational diabetes for the first time in my life, so I’ve had to monitor my blood glucose daily and follow a special diet, which so far has helped keep my numbers on target without the need for insulin shots — another thing I’m thankful for.

I’ll close with a little story to brighten your day. Sometimes I use Bible verses for the kids to practice their handwriting, and I stuck a copy of Philippians 4:13 on our fridge back when Harry was memorizing it. It’s been there for months. The other morning, he saw that I was tired and I must have seemed frazzled because he pointed to it and said, “Mom, just remember, whenever you feel weak, read this verse.” I just thought I’d share these words of wisdom from an 8-year-old for anyone else who could use the reminder today.

“I have learned the secret of living in every situation… I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength.” Philippians‬ ‭4:12-13‬ ‭NLT‬‬

“When peace like a river attendeth my way, when sorrows like sea billows roll, whatever my lot Thou hast taught me to say, ‘It is well, it is well with my soul.’” Horatio G. Spafford

Posted on by Leanne Clark

Uncertainty and Emmanuel

John asked me to write a brief update to let you all know how he’s doing. He feels great and has been able to work lots of hours lately. The reason for that, however, is that his most recent blood test showed he did not have enough neutrophils to go ahead with his last chemo treatment on November 26.

The oncologist decided to give him a short break from chemo to allow his bone marrow time to make more neutrophils (bacteria-attacking white blood cells). This will also give his surgical wound more time to heal. John is going back to show it to the surgeon on Monday, then he sees the oncologist again on Wednesday. He has another chemo treatment scheduled for Thursday, December 10, but that will be dependent on the status of his wound and whether he has enough neutrophils. If not they might postpone treatment till January and he will likely need Grastofil injections again.

Thank you for continuing to pray for our family. I realize that we are all living with some degree of uncertainty right now and facing the prospect of a different kind of Christmas than usual, so I want to share something that encouraged me this week.

Our church had sent us an Advent box with activities to do at home with the kids. Last week the theme was Hope, and one of the activities was to have them draw a picture of themselves in a scary situation (e.g. alone in a dark bedroom with a monster’s eyes peeking under the closet door). Then we talked about how Jesus is always with us and how the name Emmanuel, which we sing in a familiar Christmas carol, actually means “God with us.” Finally, the kids were asked to add one more thing to their drawing: Jesus standing right there beside them. To me, that was such a comforting reminder! Whatever our future holds, Jesus will be right there with us. Emmanuel.

“So do not be afraid. I am with you. Do not be terrified. I am your God. I will make you strong and help you. I will hold you safe in my hands. I always do what is right.”

‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭41:10‬ ‭NIRV‬‬

Magnolia, Harry and Daisy
Magnolia, Harry and Daisy

Posted on by John Clark

Neutrophils and carcinoembryonic antigens

I failed my blood test again today which means chemotherapy is once again postponed until next Friday (April 5th). My neutrophils (white blood cells) are still too low for chemotherapy and in fact are even lower than they were last week. To combat my neutropenia I will need to start receiving a week’s worth of daily Grastofil injections for each chemo cycle. This time I’m only getting five injections instead of seven due to the upcoming chemo treatment being only one week away (the injections must stop 48 hours before chemo begins). I had to pay out of pocket for the first batch of Grastofil (and could have bought two iPads for the same price) but it sounds like the Ontario Trillium Drug plan and the manufacturer of the drug are able to cover at least some of the cost going forward.

My doctor did have some positive news for me today. Apparently my blood tests have shown a significant decrease in my carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) level. CEA is a protein that can be an indicator of cancer, especially colorectal cancer. My CEA level was 887.8 on Jan 23 and has dropped to 123.8 as of Mar 21. The doctor says this is really good and that if this continues we may be discussing the surgical removal of Tony when my chemotherapy treatments are complete. Praise the Lord! I have a CT scan booked for May 23, and hopefully these images show further evidence of healing.

Please continue to pray. My number one concern right now is my white blood cell count. I can’t get back on chemo until they climb back to a suitable level.

Thank God for this good news.