Breathing Room

It has been a while since I updated my blog.

I have been busy.

I was in Washington, DC the past ten days going to hospitals and meeting daily with doctor's as we tried to get an accurate view on where Lori's cancer is at this point and time.

The very good news is that the clinical trail using the experimental chemo drugs (iniparib and irinotecan) is working dramatically for Lori. Her single brain lesion has shrunk from 7 centimeters to less than 3 centimeters after the first 9 weeks.  

Also, very significantly she has no new lesions or metastasises anywhere else, not in her brain nor in her body.

And more good (though kind of scary good) news. 

The nodules in her left lung, that both her original oncologist and her oncologists at MD Anderson wanted to biopsy stating emphatically that it was cancer, are not cancer. 

After a series of tests with a leading pulmonologist at Georgetown Hospital he confirmed that they are simple scar tissue nodules from when Lori had pneumonia either this year. 

The scary part is that Lori has spent the past three months believing her cancer had spread to her lungs. I guess we all have to remember that doctors no matter how impressive are people not God, and they can and in this case did make a mistake.

So, while the battle to stop the triple negative breast cancer from reoccurring again in other parts of her body is far from over, Lori has responded remarkably to this experimental treatment.

She now has (as do those of us trying desperately to find a way to "cure" her) some breathing room. 

My good friend john Aquilino and I remain convinced that Lori is an atypical patient and a fast responder to aggressive treatments against this cancer. 

It is our belief (after months of research) that a 1-2 treatment strategy using this experimental (iniparib & irinotecan) "chemo" treatment and then working with a highly experimental new vaccine, we have discovered, a vaccine that has been shown to bolster the patient's immune system halting the recurrence of the cancer, thus stopping the metastatic behavior, will not only give Lori years to live a quality life, but indeed in this combination may be the key to an actual cure for tens of thousands of women in Lori's situation.

In any case, Lori is battling and at this moment she is beating the odds. 

Part of it is undoubtedly the chemo and her body's ability to respond.

A larger part of it is simply and wonderfully, God.

Mary, John's fiancee, and a woman of deep faith has spent months knitting Lori a beautiful red shaw, as a wrap around, as Lori is always cold from the "chemo" these days. 

When she gave it to Lori a few days ago, she whispered to Lori that each stitch was completed with a prayer for Lori's recovery. 

Lori's new shaw has literally thousands of prayers in it's fabric all asking the Lord to save her. 

How powerful is that? 

Since the news of the metastatic progression of Lori's cancer has spread, literally, tens of thousands of people have been praying for Lori across America, most of whom she has never met, but are asking God to let her beat this cancer.

Given where she was on June 4th when we were told the cancer was too aggressive and she had less than a year at most, (maybe less) and where we are today, my belief has grown and  strengthened and I truly see God's hand at play. 

Lori's battle is far from over but she will be here this Christmas and with God's help when we secure the vaccine she will be here many Christmas' to come. 

(Post script : I will get back to posting far less important, thoughts, items, and updates on this blog shortly).