Cancer, Deep Joy, Emotions, Pain/Suffering

Another Boring Cancer Update

November 16, 2022 9 comments

I thought I ought to start this post by mentioning a sermon I preached a few weeks ago at trinity Church in Coeur D’Alene. You can find it here.

Maybe you should go watch/listen to that before you read further. You should also know that what follows doesn’t change my attitude toward God or my desire to continue to serve him. I don’t think I’m being brave or doing anything any Christian shouldn’t be doing. Lots of people have commented on how I’ve been doing through this, but I really don’t know how else I could be responding. God loves me and I’m in his presence. It’s a grand adventure and it just continues. As they say in Narnia, “Further up and further in.”

That said, there’s so much going on around here that I’m hesitant to post anything about me. But I received some news this morning that sort of rocked my world in a way that it’s not been rocked for a long time, maybe ever. But then, I’m still taking hormone medications and my emotions are still pretty squirrely.

Anyway, I’ll tell you what it is and if you have time and/or inclination you might think about praying for me as it crosses your mind.

As you know, almost two years ago (has it been that long already?) I was diagnosed with fourth stage, metastatic prostate cancer. My PSA number was 222 and a bone scan revealed that the cancer had spread through my whole body.

Since then, I’ve been taking medication that has taken away almost all the testosterone in my body and radiation therapy. We initially thought that the radiation therapy had burnt off all the cancer, but I found out later that it had just stopped the cancer from growing like a weed.

Through the course of treatment, my PSA number fell as low as 1.9, which thought was great. I found out later that it was supposed to have fallen to negligible numbers, below 1 and close to zero.

Since the radiation treatment, back in January and February of this year, the numbers began rising again, making it to 3 this past August. I talked to the Doctor who was concerned that I had/have what they call “metastatic castration-resistant or hormone-resistant prostate cancer.” So, we decided to give it a rest and test again in November. If the number is still on the rise, getting above 4, we will discuss what our next steps will be.

Yesterday, I had another blood draw and found that the number had snuck up to 158.

158? You say? Don’t you mean 1.58? or maybe they got your draw mixed up with someone else? I don’t know about that last one. But the report says, PSA…158.22.

I have a regular meeting scheduled with the radiation Dr. for next Tuesday and the above-mentioned meeting with the Dr. in Spokane for the afternoon of December 5.

9 Comments

  1. God is good, but the path he allows us to travel is sometimes brutal. God give you strength to cling to him on this journey..

  2. Dear Mike,
    Thank you for this update.
    Having survived an aggressive Breast cancer 10 years ago….miraculously I might add. I have followed your cancer journey (and your wife).
    I wish I could say I handled it as bravely as you have. Initially I was shattered, scared and a wreck. But amazingly my Faith never wavered…… I think fear of the treatment and what lay ahead and the unknown. But by Gods Grace and Mercy he got me through.
    First of all I would like to thank you for your ministry. I live in Cape Town SA, and I am presently going through your Biblical Counseling series. I can’t tell you how much I have learnt and grown through your teaching and guidance.
    Please be assured I will be praying for your healing and full recovery, and know that you have impacted many peoples lives you have never met.
    Kindest regards
    Lea Sole

  4. Hi This is Rick and I’m a survivor of aggressive prostate cancer.
    I was treated with proton radiation at UW in Seattle. I have good PSA numbers 3 years after treatment. I too underwent hormone treatment for two years and at this point I living a relatively healthy life thankful to the Lord for His healing and provision. I just wanted to recommend you not pay too much attention to the “numbers” because they can distract you from the “Healer” and depress you even deny you the joy found in centering your focus on today and our hope. Philippians 4:6-7 became a powerful meditative tool for me to draw close to Jesus and engage in deep worship. My prayer for you is to be a source of encouragement to other people who suffer in sharing that suffering and Growing in Christlikeness. May God truly provide you with a new renewed perspective on the fruit borne through carrying your cross.

  7. Brother all I can pass along is this.

    God ask us to praise him and give thanks,For and In all, circumstances. That means doing what seems very odd to us. Thank him for the cancer…for this experience.
    It is His will His desire thar we do so….even for and I. What we see as hard things.

  8. Praying now and will continue to do so. I of course am hoping for a long life with your inexplicably lovely daughter and as many grandchildren as God sees fit to bless you with, as that sounds wonderful to me. Shy of that, what I’d like to think I want is for God to honor Himself through your faithfulness in life and in death, as He did with your wife, and that’s a trust that I know you would be worthy of. But I’d rather have you around.

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