Early Cancer Update

Let me start out with a quick cancer update my sister Molly prepared a few days ago that I never had a chance to share. Keep reading after her update to see what went on this weekend and will be going on tomorrow. 

Hi everyone, 

Thought it was time for a cancer update on Tom. He got back the results today – out of the 25 or so lymph nodes that were taken out two showed Merkel Cell cancer – one was 6 centimeters and the other was over 5….which is considered quite large.

So what do we do next?

We spoke with several medical oncologists and found one we feel can handle this type of cancer. Because this cancer is so rare and doesn’t look like other cancers Tom’s received very different advice from three different oncologists on what the next step should be. Some say to do chemo and radiation and another says to only do radiation.

So first Tom has to heal for the next 5 weeks from the surgery before he can start treatment and he’s currently battling an infection so that needs to be taken care of. 

So we are praying for clarity and wisdom on choosing the right course of action to fight this cancer and praying for a doctor that knows how to treat this cancer. He is hoping to also get a consultation with an oncologist at Washington University in Seattle as they are the only ones in the country currently doing studies on this type of cancer and will maybe put him in one of their research studies. So a lot of people are on his list to consult while doing as much research as can be done these next few weeks.

Overall Tom is doing amazing; he still has a great attitude and is ready to fight this head on. His spirit and faith have been very inspiring and have been a true lesson to me on how I look at roadblocks or difficulties in my own life. He recently moved into a house so he’s really excited about that and he’s turning this whole experience into something positive to benefit others.

I want to say thanks to everyone for your continued prayers and sweet messages checking in on all of us!! We really appreciate all the love 🙂 xo, Molly

 *** Latest Cancer Update ***

As Molly said the surgery went as planned and I left Piedmont Hospital looking like child’s science project gone bad thanks to over 40 staples and two drains. Initially, I felt pretty good all things considered, but by mid-week things took a turn for the worse as an infection set in. Unfortunately, the infection caused the drain to clog, and the swelling that was already present due to the surgery now grew to extreme proportions with the fluid having nowhere to go. Antibiotics helped but the combination of pain and fever sent me to ER after stupidly working a full day at the dealership on Saturday.

My hope was the hospital could do something with the drain (flush/roto-router) and send me home, unfortunately, surgery was the only option. At least they could offer some form of pain relief to ease the pain until my doctor…or any doctor at that point could arrive to insert new drains in my chest.

Molly’s update summed up what the next few weeks will look like and this set back should not affect my timetable at all, which keeps me focused. But what has me in a great place throughout all this is my faith, my amazing family, and my incredible friends.

It is quite clear as I let life slow down and take that view from 30,000 feet, dots start connecting to form a picture that God was painting long ago which prepared me for this season.

Old friends and new friends alike supporting me and my family like crazy, sermons, messages, and podcasts were seen and heard which seem to be perfectly scripted for my world right now!

Those who trust in the LORD are like Mount Zion, which cannot be shaken but endures forever.As the mountains surround Jerusalem, so the LORD surrounds his people both now and forevermore. Psalm 125:1-2

So tonight and tomorrow I’ll ask again for more of your prayers.

• Pray God will help me assemble a team who can and will provide the information I need moving forward.
• Pray for clarity and discernment in knowing what to do and how to balance work, treatment, and rest.
• And pray that I will continue to trust God, period, as I move forward on this journey of Faith. 

trusting God period!

– Tom