Pray for appetite, energy, and healing.
First a praise. Chris’s medical treatments have been very expensive, close to $45,000 to date. Family and friends have contributed all that is needed. We have been providing updates about Chris through a FaceBook page. Chris’s Crew for a Cure. Please feel welcome to join.
Second Chris is doing so so. He’ll start more chemo soon. He is weak and we’re not sure how well he is holding up.
Please pray.
Sam
1/20 update:
We cannot thank you all enough for your prayers and financial support. Kirby and Chris are humbled by your generosity and love. Please pray for Chris as he continues to battle a flare up with his ulcerative colitis. He cannot have the chemo treatments he needs until this calms down and can gain some weight. The plan is to have another scan in February to evaluate the cancer and hopefully come up with a chemo protocol from there. Please pray for strength and healing for Chris and strength and rest for Kirby through this. God has continued to answer so many daily needs and for this we praise Him!
2/4 update:
Thanks for your faithfulness and true concern for my son-in-law and his battle with cancer.
The medical practice that Chris’s doctor is part of utilizes a variety of non-traditional therapies along with tweaked Chemo treatments. While we are grateful for his guidance, we know that Chris’s potential recovery will be the Lord’s doing as it is apparent that only His intervention can turn things around. We haven’t seen any convincing signs that Chris is getting better.
During the last few months, the first stage chemo treatments were manageable. Yet, we have little diagnostics that indicate their impact. The insurance company will not authorize another scan until more time elapses. We do know that his hemoglobin levels are very low but stable. Two weeks ago, he had another blood transfusion, and this last month, Chris’s colitis has been severe. He has lost more weight, but this may not be related to the cancer. He has a new GI doctor who will see him soon, but COVID has slowed every aspect of his treatments.
Our daughter Kirby is under tremendous stress and understand her Lord well enough to draw nearer to Him. Still, she is experiencing her own health issues. Her heart-rate is abnormally high, yet her doctor hasn’t detected any issues at this point.
2/15 update:
We hope you and your loved ones all had a wonderful weekend. Chris, Graham and I all wanted to reach out and say THANK YOU to all who are supporting us with prayer and resources during this journey. I wish I could hug and thank you all individually! We’ve been so blessed and are beyond grateful for all of your generosity! Some of you may be “anonymous” but the impact of your help is not.
Dr Connealy wants to wait another month before getting another scan now to give the new treatments a little more time to work. We are thinking sometime mid next month but everything is subject to change as they see necessary.
Specific prayers:
Chris’s appetite and capacity to eat
Energy for daily walks
Continued healing and for the therapies to be working
Continued provision for health care and living expenses
We have so much to be grateful for and are focusing on that. Love you all dearly.
2/24 update:
Chris is weak and malnourished. Friends and family flying in to be with him and Kirby. Should know this week if doctors can work around the colitis issue. The church elders have visited to pray.
Pray for a solution and regained strength.
3/6 update (from Chris’s Facebook page):
First off, thank you so much to those who have sent cards, support, well wishes and prayers. I’d love to thank you each individually but this will have to do for now. We love and appreciate each of you and couldn’t do this without you.
A lot has happened since my last post and honestly it’s getting harder for me to continue to share but we continue to covet your prayers.
My last post said Chris was going in for a scheduled blood transfusion, this ended up being an ER visit later that evening and Chris was admitted for two nights. He received two units of blood, two bags of iron and two B12 Shots…since coming home from the hospital he has been put on TPN (IV nutrients) to help in out on weights. His capacity for food is very limited and this is the best and fastest way to to do this. 2,700 calories straight into his veins is good stuff. Plus he’s able to snack throughout the day a little. We now have an in-home nurse that has been coming every day but has taught me how to switch Chris’s TPN and flush his port so now they come as needed.
Chris has had three cousins who have come to visit and two who are now in the process of helping us move down to OC. The commute to and from treatments every week (1.5-2hrs each way 3-4x/week) is just too much and we were able to quickly find a place only 15 minutes from the center. Chris’s mom, sister and sister’s family were all visiting from Philly this week and it was such a blessing to have them here as well. They are leaving early this morning but have been loving on Graham and visiting with Chris all week as I pack up our home. Priceless help as I’m sure those of you who have moved with little ones can relate.
As I type this Chris is actually back in the hospital. His doctor called me yesterday and said his hemoglobin is low again and back at a critical level so another ER visit and admittance is where things are at this morning. Clearly this is all a little extra hard as I’m still not allowed to be with him in the hospital due to COVID regulations still being where they are at.
I’m not sure what else to say at this point…keep praying. We love you all so much and know that our sovereign God is with us through this all.
