Smooth sailing with Trilogy

Radiation therapy with Trilogy, a form of stereotactic radiosurgery, was completed this afternoon. I’ve had lots of questions from friends about the effects, after effects, and “Don’t you have to be in the hospital for that?”. Besides being highly effective, I wanted this mode of radiation because it all happens at one setting and there are minimal side effects. The most difficult part is that you have to hold still in one position (the dreaded hands over the head routine) for an hour or two – or more. My radiation oncologist and the technicians all commented that mine was the “smoothest” procedure to date in their lab. So the preliminary x-rays and whole treatment was completed in an hour. And I did not feel anything - other than stiff arms. So thanks to you all for your prayers!! I have some pills for nausea if needed and some others which inhibit stomach acid to prevent duodenal ulcers. But this form of treatment is notably more easily tolerated than usual radiation therapy.

As we were leaving the cancer center we also had a chance meeting of Iris, one of the doctors on the faculty. Iris was a regular member of our Christian Fellowship at the Stanford Med Center several years ago, when she was a resident and fellow in radiation oncology. Just recently she was promoted to Associate Professor! So it was great to see her, celebrate her promotion and receive her prayers for my healing. Iris had known from the other doctors that I was having treatment, but we just had not crossed paths.

News about my appeal of the Health Net/Medicare denial of authorization for the Trilogy treatment is still pending. Yesterday was the Administrative Law Judge hearing for which Dr Koong and I each gave written and verbal testimony by phone to the judge who was in Irvine, CA. My thanks to our fellow Albania Health Board member, Phil (and Lois) for their help in making my testimony short and to the point! The hearing results will not be known until next week, but both of us had the impression that we made a clear presentation and made a good case for reversal of the past denials. It turns out that the cost of Trilogy is less than half the traditional radiation, which they would have paid for! So particularly in the interest of future patients with similar needs, and may not have the means to pay for this improved mode of radiation, we are praying for judicial reason and justice.

With this week behind us, we are looking forward to having several of our family members arrive for the Hensleigh and Curry family reunions coming up next week. After the 4th , we will all be gathering at Camp Curry in Yosemite Valley to remember our family heritage and bond with the current generation. What a blessing we have, especially the Christian heritage of our forefathers and mothers. Just now I recall the inscription on the grave marker of my grandmother, Ida Curry Hensleigh, “ I know that my Redeemer liveth… “ Job 19;23. As we come together at the time of our country’s Independence Day, we indeed have so many blessings, and so much we owe to those who came before us.

While we know the dire percentage of pancreatic healings, we claim John 16:33 in which Jesus says, “I have told you all these things so that in Me you may have peace; In this world you will have trouble. But take heart, I have overcome the world.” So many friends have puzzled about why God would allow such an ugly cancer to afflict a ‘good’ person like me, who has given so much time and effort to help the disadvantaged women of the world. Our friend Sheri hit the nail on the head as she recalled this word quote from Jesus, “ ..in this world you will have trouble…but I have overcome”.

How thankful we are for His peace and thankful for your supporting prayers continuing for us, as after the family reunions, in two weeks, I begin chemo therapy with Gemzar once again. The rationale is to target wandering cancer cells that so often give rise to new tumor sites which emerge weeks or months later. Thanks for specific prayers for the success of this strategy.