A MAY UPDATE...
Friends and Family,
It has been pointed out to me that I haven't even read my e-mails for a long time let alone sent an update on Anette. I'm sure that a shrink would be able to give a perfectly logical explanation for this behavior but then I am guilty as charged. Please accept my apologies. For the benefit of those of you that don't keep in frequent contact with us I will go back a ways but still try to be brief.
As most of you are already aware, Anette has been treated with all FDA approved Chemo's designed to fight her kind of Cancer. Whenever a specific Chemo is no longer affectively doing it's job or if your body is no longer able to tolerate that drug then it is dropped from the list of tools used in your treatment. It is extremely unlikely and rare that revisiting a previously used Chemo will have any positive affect in your continued treatment. Additionally it is just as unlikely that your body will be able to fend off previous and dangerous side affects after your body has shown an intolerance to a Chemo. Given these facts, Anette was faced with only two options, to go home without further Cancer treatment and prepare to die or to enter a Clinical study research program and hope for the best.
It has been Anette's desire to enter into Clinical study research programs (if she would qualify, more on that some other time) to continue fighting this terrible Cancer. When asked why after all of the suffering she has been through she would opt to continue, she said that she wants to make sure that her life has purpose. She says that this is an opportunity that may help her with her own illness but even more importantly could unlock the door to a cure that could prevent others from suffering. She asked further, "Who will do it for my daughter, my friends and neighbors or some other persons wife or husband if I don't do it"?
Anette's first study was at the University of Chapel Hill. It lasted only two cycles and then was discontinued as soon as it was discovered that the Chemo was no longer affective. We were told that all studies work that way. If you are lucky and healthy enough to "get in" they will only keep you in the program for as long as you have no disease progression. Even the smallest disease progression is considered a failure and you're dropped from the program.
Anette's second study was at Duke University in Durham North Carolina. Then about three weeks ago CT scans indicated that among other things her tumor has grown and her Liver has sustained considerable damage since her last scan. She was immediately dropped from the program.
So here we are back to zero. Because of the Liver damage, the last chemo or maybe both, she has to go into the Hospital periodically to get fluids (that build up over time) drained out of her abdomen. Her Doctor sees her periodically to administer pain medications and what ever else he thinks he can do to keep her comfortable. Although we continue to look for other clinical trials, time and disease progression make them ever more difficult to get in to. Yet Anette continues to solder on. She told me that she simply isn't ready to die yet. She feels like God still needs her to continue his work. Besides, she says "God can heal me with or without Chemotherapy"!
Having said that, I don't want you to think that we are living in the world of fantasy. We are all to aware that the deck is stacked against her. We are running low on everything especially the greatest commodity of all... time. In the end, Anette is well aware that her fate is in the hands of God and that it will take a miracle to see her through. Although we believe and ask God for complete healing and have faith that it will happen if it is his will, we don't pretend to know what he plans to do. We also accept that he may want to bring her precious life to conclusion. She told me that if she were to go she would first love to spend a little time at the Ocean, see a few friends and family and maybe even do a trip or two! I know that sounds like a person who thinks she has "a long ways to go before she sleeps", but you guys know her, would any of us bet against her? NOT ME!!!
Anette and our whole family wish all of you the best. I want you to know that Anette and I actually pray for all of you every day! Please remember to continue doing the same for us. We know that with your support and prayers, some how we will all get through this together and together is the only way we can do it. The only thing that I have to do alone is to get these updates to you more frequently! It's okay to give me a wake up call if you have any other additional questions or concerns, or even if you just want to call and chat. I don't mind at all.
Until later I am and remain,
Your friend... BEN
