Life in the Fast Lane...headed to NYC.

Our lives never stop.  I know this post is probably going to floor most of you because I haven't expressed a whole lot since our latest CT scan.

We left Jon's oncology office after receiving the CT results and both said, OK, we feel good about this decision to wait 3 months.  It is what it is, and we will just have to try not to worry and move on.  Well, I did just the opposite.  As days passed by and Jon STILL had a cold/cough from long ago, he would wake up with headaches, etc.  I became increasingly worried.  My mind started going places it shouldn't go.  Then, last Saturday night Jon and I had a date.  He says to me, I just wished I would have asked the doctor what are the chances the spots that remain are a type of cancer cell outside of what we discussed (teratoma is the only cancer cell the doctor mentioned)?  That sent me on the computer.  I started researching other types of cancer cells it could be.  Good idea to be informed and educated.  Bad idea to read ALL the possibilities.  Every night Jon and I would stay up late and I would read to him all the information on his type of cancer I could find.  At times I would have to shut the computer and stop because I was almost having panic attacks.  Monday, we decided that we should call Jon's oncologist and ask some additional questions and have some things clarified.  We also prayed about and decided that we should move in the direction of a second opinion.  And if we were going to seek a second opinion it was going to be from the best.  Testicular cancer is a very rare cancer.  To put it in perspective there are about 8,000 cases a year in comparison to 279,000 of prostate.  1 in every 6 men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer in his lifetime, a man has a 0.4% chance of having testicular cancer.  There are 2 main types of testicular cancer.  The first time Jon had the more common one that is easier to cure.  This time he has the less common one that is a little harder to cure.   There are 2 main facilities that are at the top when it comes to testicular cancer research, Indiana University Medical and Memorial Sloan-Kettering.  We wanted a top doctor at one of these hospitals.  After we spoke with Jon's oncologist (whom we have a lot of respect for and love), we definitely felt like we needed to seek advice from someone else and quickly.  I woke up Thursday morning on a mission.  Together Jon and I started calling both hospitals and finding out how to start the process of becoming a new patient.  Things were falling into place more with Sloan-Kettering.  We established a new patient and within hours they had received our medical records from Emory (thanks to our dear friend who works with Dr. Ritenour--Jon's urologist).  Sloan-Kettering told me they could get Jon an appointment as early as the following week if his oncologist sent his records quickly.  On Friday, I called Sloan and they had received EVERYTHING.  I asked which doctors had an appointment and there were 2 appointments available, one with the top testicular cancer doctor at Sloan!  Unbelievable.  No connection, no referral, just God moving mountains for Jon to get in with a world renowned medical oncologist in testicular cancer research.  It takes us WEEKS to get an appointment with his current oncologist in Atlanta.  It takes MONTHS to get an appointment with his urologist.  But God moved and this doctor had ONE appointment available.  We will be seeing Dr. Bosl on Thursday in NYC.  Please pray that we will have clarity.  Please pray that Dr. Bosl will have wisdom in Jon's particular case.  We will be driving to Atlanta on Tuesday to drop the kids off at my sisters.  We will fly out Wednesday and come back Friday.

I also want to add that Memorial Sloan-Kettering is IN NETWORK for our health insurance!  God is good because 2 years ago He led Jon to turn down a full-time teaching job to take a part-time job at Riverview Charter School.  That part-time job turned into a full-time job the following year.  We have great health insurance through the State.  God paved the way and KNEW all this would happen.  Besides the fact that he LOVES his school and all the people there!  They have been above and beyond during this difficult time for him.  They have loved and supported him more than he could have ever asked for.  They have rallied around him and it has been such confirmation that God led him to Riverview at this very time!  I also want to brag on him and say that he is the new Athletic Director for the upcoming school year.  I am so very proud of him!  He will continue to teach PE also.  It will give him a new challenge and I know he will do a great job.

We don't know why Jon is having to go through this.  It's not "fair" and he doesn't deserve it.  But we know that it is for a reason and we know His name will be Glorified through it.  During my week of freak out, my little Luke was listening in on too many of my conversations.  So, one day as he talked to me I sensed he was worried about Jon.  He had heard me on phone conversations expressing my concerns.  He had become concerned as well.  So we had a talk about how we are praying that Daddy's boo-boo's will go away.  We talked about how they had gotten smaller, but they aren't gone.  Together we came up with a surprise for Jon.  Now, Every night the kids and I sit with Jon.  We all lay hands on him and pray that God will heal him from every cancer cell in his body.  We pray that the doctors will have wisdom.  Little Luke also prays and it is the most precious prayer ever!  I will try to tape it one night.

By the way, Jon is feeling fine.  His cold is getting better and I think his headaches were coming from being so exhausted.  He is getting to spend lots of time with the kids since his summer started Tuesday. Ironically, Emma Kate announced Monday that she wanted to throw away her diapers and potty train.  Jon and I were not on board but did not feel like we could tell her no.  So Jon's first week of summer has been spent indoors potty training:o)  Honestly the first day was terrible but after that she totally gets it and is potty trained!  So now we get to dump her off on my sister...LOL.

Thanks for your prayers.  They mean more than you could know.  I will definitely update the blog after the appointment.