April Newsletter

Our April newsletter has been posted to our website. Click here to read the latest news update.

It Is Cancer

Okay, the headline to this post doesn't express good news, but it isn't necessarily all that bad either. The more detailed CT Scan I had done on Monday clearly shows a solid mass with blood flow and characteristics of cancer. The good news is that even though the mass is very large (over 9 cm), the part that looks cancerous is small. The doctor feels that this is a minor cancer and one that is very slow growing. When I asked about the urgency of having the surgery, he said it should be done sometime in the next few months. As for potential reoccurrence, he said reoccurrence is extremely rare. He said I should expect to live a fully normal life on the one remaining kidney.

The only outstanding question now is what approach the surgeon will use for removal of the kidney. My doctor has referred me to another surgeon who specializes in laparoscopic kidney surgery. The advantage of laparoscopic is that it only requires one day in the hospital and recovery can be as short as a week. Traditional surgery can involve up to a week in the hospital, followed by two to three weeks of recovery.

So, how do we pray about this? First, I continue to believe that God will touch this kidney and miraculously heal the cancer. Please agree with me in prayer for this. Second, if surgery is necessary, pray that the laparoscopic option will be available for me. And finally, pray that God will continue to give me and Tammy patience and comfort as we wait for resolution of this issue. As time passes with this issue being unresolved, patience is becoming a growing concern.

Update on Wayne's Health

I had my latest visit with the kidney doctor today. He reviewed the MRI results along with feedback from two other doctors who specialize in looking for cancers. He also ran some test to ensure that nothing had spread to my bladder. The good news is that there is nothing wrong in my bladder. The somewhat good news is that the MRI did not provide conclusive information that there might be a cancerous tumor. In fact, due to the lack of parasitic blood flow in the tumor, it is more likely to be benign or a very small cancer. I will be going back to the hospital on Monday for a more detailed CT Scan, then back to the kidney doctor on Thursday (next week). If the results are still inconclusive, he will do a needle biopsy.

I am increasingly optimistic. We have gone from hearing that the kidney must come out to the current situation that it may be nothing to worry about. Please continue to keep this situation in your prayers. We are believing that God is going to provide a complete healing and that there will be no further disruptions to our ministry work.

Dealing with Uncertainty

One of the major issues we all face in life is uncertainty. The impact that uncertainty has on a person depends on how that deal with it. For some, it means great anxiety. For others, it is simply a minor nuisance that one must work through.

Today, we were hit with the issue of uncertainty. For three weeks we have had doctors saying with strong certainty that the growth on my kidney was in all likelihood cancer. We received a referral to a doctor who is considered the foremost expert on kidney disorders in all of Florida. He reviewed all the facts from the other doctors and looked at the two CT Scans. Then he gave us his thoughts on the issue. We were all prepared to hear him call for immediate surgery to remove the kidney. But that is not what he said. You see, he is just not sure that the tumor is cancer. There is a very large growth, and the appearance of the growth on the CT Scan could be cancer, but it could also be a benign cyst. Instead of surgery, I will be going to the hospital for an MRI on Saturday morning. Then back to the kidney doctor on Wednesday for more tests and an evaluation of the MRI.

In this case, uncertainty is a good thing. We have been praying that the hand of God would touch this problem and make it go away so that no additional surgery would be necessary. Lacking the MRI, there would be no proof that God had healed the kidney. Please continue to keep this need in your prayers. Pray that the healing process will be complete before the MRI on Saturday. Pray that when we go back to the doctor on Wednesday, he will be shaking his head and talking about how he cannot explain the difference between the CT Scan and the MRI. Pray with us for a miracle from the Lord. And pray for peace within our minds and spirits as we continue to wait for a final diagnosis and plan of action.

A Full Day

Something very special happened today. For the first time since I got sick, I was able to put in a full day at my Book of Hope office. It may seem strange, but I really loved being back at work. There were ministry decisions to be made, planning for new implementations of The GodMan that had to be reviewed, and even activities in preparation for 2008 that have already started. Maybe not the most exciting work in our ministry, but very much necessary work. And just what I needed after three weeks of being either in the hospital or confined to the house. All in all, it was a very good day.

Tomorrow is another special day. I will be visiting with the kidney specialist to determine what to do about the tumor on my right kidney. Have you ever noticed that once you know there might be a problem, every little pain you suffer seems to originate from that spot. That was the situation this afternoon. As the workday drew to a close, my middle and lower back started to ache. Most likely just the stress of being in an office chair all day. However, I must admit that my mind went directly to thoughts of the kidney every time the least little pain ran through my back.

Please keep us in your prayers tomorrow (Thursday) morning. The appointment is at 10:00.

Tuesday's Update

Good news today from my surgeon and yesterday from my doctor.  The surgeon was able to remove the staples this morning.  He agreed with my personal physician that everything is healing nicely.  He said I can return to light work, but still no heavy lifting for another week.  Thanks for all your prayers related to this round of surgery.  I will meet with the kidney specialist on Thursday to get his assessment for how to deal with the kidney cancer.  Please continue to pray over this situation.