My Key Cancer Treatment--gcMAF

In an earlier article I listed some of the treatments available here at Hope 4 Cancer, but I wasn't sure at the time which one would be my top treatment.  Now that I have started it, I would like to explain it to you.  The program is called Sunivera, but the treatment itself is something called gcMAF.

The human body produces gcMAF on its own; it stands for "gc Macrophage Activating Factor." Macrophages are defense cells that gobble up cancer cells--or bacteria, pathogens, etc.--and eliminate them.  Macrophages look like a rounded Pac Man...they have a "mouth" aand go around swallowing or absorbing enemy cells.  However, macrophages do not go into action on their own; they must first be given the order to attack--they must be activated.

Before I can explain the activation process, I need to share some additional information.  First, "gc" is a protein that binds vitamin D molecules together.  When the body's lymphocytes interact with the gc from Vitamin D, they produce gcMAF, and gcMAF signals or activates the macrophages to go to work and start seekimg and destroying the enemy.  Problems occur because those evil cancer cells emit a substance called "nagalase" which blocks the formation of gcMAF.  The more cancer present, the more nagalase is produced.  It is now easy to see that although a person could have plenty of lymphocytes and plenty of vitamin D available and plenty of macrophages, nagalase allows cancer to short circuit the body's defense process by preventing the macrophages from ever receiving the signal to attack.

Dr. Tony Jimenez, founder of Hope 4 Cancer, has been following the research on gcMAF, communicating with the developing scientists, and has been able to obtain quality sources for it and start implementing the program at his clinic.  The gcMAF used by Hope 4 Cancer is sourced in Japan and obtained from healthy human blood.  By directly giving cancer patients gcMAF, the signal-interrupting nagalase is foiled, and the macrophages are activated.   This treatment is one way in which cancer can be outsmarted, and it is exciting stuff!

The gcMAF is administered via daily injections from a small syringe...comparable to those used by diabetics to inject insulin.  The Sunivera program combines the gcMAF injections with four other supplements that simply enhance the natural body process but aren't necessary for the gcMAF to work.  I began the program one week into my stay at Hope 4 Cancer, and will continue it for 3 months at home.

Mexico!

Tuesday morning, February 13, we headed to the airport in Milwaukee.  My brother and sister-in-law, Steve & Rebecca, drove, and our three kids still at home, Heidi, Ben, and Rose, came along as well.  Blessing #1 was having Steve & Becca see us off and then making a day of it with our kids by doing some shopping and taking them out to lunch.  It was a quick, tearful good bye at the curb, and then suddenly my Love and I were in Mitchell International checking our bags and our flight status.  We were excited, yet it was kind of surreal to finally be on our way after about six weeks of preparation.

We flew to St. Louis first, where we caught a connecting flight to San Diego.  Blessing #2 was the first God-thing on this trip.  While I was using the restroom near our gate, I spotted my kids' piano teacher, Sue Zuberbier.  No way!  She didn't hear me call her name, and she was ahead of me in the line, so I thought I missed my chance to catch her.  But God.  When I came out of the bathroom stall, who was right in front of me washing her hands?  Yes, it was Sue, and she was just as surprised to see me!  It turned out that Sue and her husband, Ted, were catching a flight back to Milwaukee after having been visiting some grandchildren.  When Sue and I exited the restroom, we found Ted very near the gate where Bob was waiting for me, and we enjoyed just a few joyful minutes together.  Of course we took a selfie, and Bob prayed before we parted ways.  What a cool start to our journey!

Shortly after that, we boarded our plane and arrived in San Diego about four hours later.  Both flights went smoothly with no problems, and I had no issues with leg pain on the journey, either.  An airport shuttle took us to our hotel, and we were soon settled in.  It was so nice to feel the balmy air and see lots of palm trees.  

< We enjoyed flying over the mountains in California.


> The welcoming outdoor terrace at our hotel.

The front desk staff recommended we visit Old Town in San Diego for dinner, so we did.  A driver from the hotel dropped us off at Old Town, and we found a great open-air restaurant named Café Coyote, where we enjoyed a fantastic authentic Mexican meal on the patio.  It was a fun and relaxing way to spend the evening after the long day traveling.  After dinner, we walked through a large shop nearby, then called the hotel for a driver to pick us up.

We headed to bed soon after returning to the hotel, since we knew a driver from Hope 4 Cancer would be arriving bright and early the next morning to take us across the border to Tijuana where the clinic is located.  The hotel bed was very comfortable, and we both had a restful night before the next step in this adventure.

Our driver, Uriel, picked us up promptly at 7:00 a.m. the next morning, Valentine's Day, and we headed south to the Hope 4 Cancer clinic.  Uriel was friendly and knowledgeable, so we weren't lacking for conversation during the drive.  We had a brief stop at the Mexican border offices in order to obtain temporary visitor visas, then before we knew it, we were across into Mexico.  Apparently it's quite easy to go into Mexico, but not so easy to cross back into the U.S. from Mexico.  It was fascinating to see the border fences between the U.S. and Mexico.  Mexico has its own fence made of several different materials for different stretches, and all of it is old and rundown, and much of it covered with graffiti or murals.  Some stretches are old brick wall about ten feet high...with trees planted all along it, allowing people to easily climb a tree to the top and jump over.  Some of it is rusty corrugated metal, and the stretch beginning in the ocean is very high metal louvres--with open space between the metal slats, but not enough space for a human to squeeze through.  The U.S. also has its own fence, and although it is not nearly as colorful as Mexico's, it is well maintained and uniform--a high chain link fence with plenty of barbed wire looped along the top.  The space between the two fences is like no-man's-land, and U.S. border patrol SUVs can be seen regularly.  The Hope 4 Cancer clinic is right across the street from the ocean, and the border wall is only about a quarter mile away.

       

The clinic is a pretty nondescript brick and stucco building along the street, and the only signage is on the glass of the main entrance door.  The clinic started in one building, but as time went on, Dr. Tony expanded by purchasing neighboring buildings and connecting them.  This resulted in the clinic being somewhat of a maze on the inside, and it took me several days to figure out to learn the layout.  Patient rooms are mixed in with all the different treatment rooms on both floors; there is a nurse's station on each floor; the dining room and terrace are on the second floor, and there are three different ways to get to the dining room!

               

Dr. Tony during a Q&A session.

Good Gifts

"Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.  For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened.  Or which one of you, if his son asks him for bread, will give him a stone?  Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a serpent?  If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him!"
                                                                                                                  Matthew 7:7-11

"Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change."                           James 1:17

Our Father loves His children and delights in doing good for us, and He has demonstrated that in many concrete ways in our lives.  I would like to list some of them, so you can praise and thank Him with us!

* This morning, Ben & I got haircuts.  I have always cut Ben's hair up to this point, but he's about a month overdue, and since he wants a "style" now, it takes longer than a buzz with the clippers.  I just didn't have time before we leave next week.  The woman who cuts my hair is the owner of the salon and is familiar with my story; the woman who cut Ben's hair is a patient at the chiropractic office where I work, so she knows me, too.  When I went up to pay, they said today's haircuts were on them and wished me well on my journey to Mexico--what an unexpected blessing!

* Yesterday in the mail we received insurance checks reimbursing us for about 90% of the cost of all the hyperbaric oxygen treatments I received last year.  The total was about $3700!  I really thought the chance of our insurance covering them was slim to none, since they were ordered by a doctor who owns an alternative clinic and since the diagnosis was cancer, but my God has no trouble accomplishing the nearly impossible! 

* My boss came up with a super fundraising idea for me.  He is an avid ultra-marathon trail runner, and lots of our patients follow his races and accomplishments.  He has a 50 mile trail race coming up in May, and he decided to seek sponsorships for each mile of that race.  There are posters all over the office, and he explained it in our monthly office newsletter this past week.  His goal is to get $50 sponsored for each of the 50 miles which would equal $2500 raised for "Kim's Cause."  It has been exciting to see the response so far in such a short time!  (I guess I can't make fun of his "crazy running habit" anymore.  :)  )

*My sister, brother-in-law, and one niece drove over from Michigan last weekend just to see us before we leave for Mexico, and it was a really good, though short, visit.  My sister took me shopping to get some Valentine's Day gifts for Heidi, Ben, and Rose that we can leave for them to open, since Valentine's Day is the day after we leave.  She also bought me some lounge pants and capris that actually fit.  :)  Another thoughtful gift!

* A couple weekends ago, the group "Butch's Army" held another brat fry fundraiser for me which raised several more hundred dollars despite the cold winter weather.  This group has been a tremendous blessing to us as they seek to assist cancer patients, and their troops are full of special people! (How do you know you live in Wisconsin?  You have a brat fry in January!)

* As always, the steady stream of donations, meals, gift cards, etc., has continued as well as cards, encouraging words, and promises of prayer.  I can't even put into words how overwhelming it all is.  I know people do this kind of thing all the time, but to be the recipient of it is just unspeakably amazing!

As incredible as all the support is, there is something just a bit more special and touching when it comes from children.  Their notes induce laughter and tears together.  Our daughter, Rose, left me a note one day with all of the $6 she had to her name.  Three of my nephews each wrote a card with some of their money--the youngest one gave me all of his $4 which he had won at New Year's Eve Bingo at a family gathering.  We all know how important a few dollars is to a kid, so the fact that they have such tender, giving hearts is tear-jerking.  My boss's two children just sent me a colored picture and hand-written card this week, and again they were very sweet.  I will put photos of them below, so you can enjoy just how sweet and special and heart-melting they are!



















    

                       
 

 

* Two different times in the past couple weeks, I have had fellow believers stop and pray over me when we met...it is indescribable to feel God's presence when "two or three are gathered in [His] name."  One was a fellow patient at the clinic in Fond du Lac...I ran into him and his wife as we were checking out one day, and they prayed with me right there in the reception area.  Yesterday, my friend Tammy was my chauffer for the day (we have a blast road-tripping together to treatments, and we almost always spend time in prayer as she's driving me around the tri-county area), and we ran into one of her friends in a health food store where we stopped in between appointments.  After chatting for several minutes, her friend also prayed over me right in the store aisle.  Mutual fellowship with brothers and sisters in Christ is sweet, and all of the beleivers God has put in my path have truly been a gift from God!

* Tears...tears are one of God's good gifts.  Tears of gratitude, tears of joy, and even tears of pain.  I used to be called the "ice queen" for good reason, but not anymore!  Tears come regularly now, and that's a good thing.  Tears of pain can be cleansing, and I've learned not to try to stop them all the time.  Sometimes having a good cry for several minutes offers a release that allows me to cope with the pain better afterward.

* Pain can be a gift, too.  It develops empathy for others in pain and helps put things in perspective.  It can help you find levels of strength you didn't know you had, or it can drive you to your knees and demand dependency on God's strength when you have none left of your own.

I have been doing really well the past week or so, since I got better pain meds, and several people have remarked on how good I look, so I know it's not just me.  ;)  The difference made in physical appearance and wellness, and in mental outlook is significant between struggling with pain and having relief from pain.  And since pain is virtually the only outward symptom I experience, when it is absent, there is really no indication that I am a stage IV cancer patient.

I have been alternating two Aleve with one hydrocodone every six hours--so I am only taking each medication every 12 hours--and it has been working really well.  Many times I will find myself noticing that it has been longer than six hours since I last took meds, because I wasn't having any pain.  But I don't wait until I have pain to take more medicine...I stay in front of it.

I have discovered one weird quirk with my leg pain.  There is something about lying down in bed that triggers the pain to flare up briefly.  Every. Single. Time.  When I go to bed my leg will start hurting 30-45 minutes after I lie down.  This also explains why a couple of the treatments I've had (lying flat on the PEMF mat and lying down for the lymphatic massage treatment) caused my leg pain to flare up a bit.  It hasn't been the worst severe pain but bad enough that I can't ignore it and fall asleep, so I get back up and go out to the living room and watch TV for an hour to hour and a half before it subsides on its own without having to take more meds.  This past week I figured out that I can "trick" my body by lying down earlier in the afternoon/evening, waiting for the inevitable pain, getting up and going about my business, and then, when I really want to go to bed for the night, it won't bother me again, and I can fall asleep and sleep all night.  I don't know why or how it works, but it does, so I've been doing it all week with great success.

I have definitely lost more weight than I wanted.  I weigh about 115 pounds which is 10-15 pounds less than the minimum where I'm comfortable...and I am wearing the same size pant as Rose, who is 12 years old--not cool!  I know I've lost muscle, too, because I have basically been unable to even walk for exercise since last June.  For awhile I lost weight because my stomach was "off," and food didn't always sound good.  Although my appetite has been normal for the past couple months, I'm still just maintaining that weight.  I believe at this point it is due to my busy schedule.  I'm driving between appointments a lot, and the places I go are 30 minutes, 45 minutes, or an hour away.  Plus, sometimes there are eating restrictions with treatments--for instance I can't eat for two hours before a colonics appointment, and I can't eat for 30-45 minutes after taking some of my supplements.  Anyway, I am counting on gaining some weight back while I'm in Mexico, because all my treatments will be in one place and a chef will be preparing all my organic meals for me.

The kids seem to be pretty excited about me going to Mexico, because they know this is what I need to do to get better.  Bob has been very upbeat the past week or so as our departure date draws nearer for much the same reason.  He has independently made some surprising plans for the trip, too.  He had read on the Mexico clinic's website that we could bring pictures and things to make our room more homey, and it was suggested that we consider leaving something in the room to encourage the next patient who occupies it.  So he took care of it by talking to our pastor's wife, who hand paints beautiful barn wood custom pieces, and she made two signs for us to take.  He also printed out a family photo and had Heidi print out the words to "Jesus, Draw Me Ever Nearer" and put them in frames.



         





Being apart from our kids for three weeks straight is not something we have ever done before, so it will be a new experience for all of us, and we can't be exactly sure how it will affect us.  We can, however, count on God's loving hand to uphold us all through the experience.

Our second oldest daughter, Holly, is home from Iowa this weekend to spend time with us before we leave next week, and we're all very happy about that!  We haven't seen Holly as much as we've seen our oldest, Emily, who was home for a whole week at Thanksgiving and for another week in early January.

We have several little things to do this weekend before our trip besides packing. so we will be busy.  I am not working or having any treatments on Monday, since I will most likely need that day to finish making preparations, but I will stop in at work to say good-bye before I leave.  I said good-byes to everyone at the Fond du Lac clinic, the Inochi clinic in West Bend, and the colonics office this past week.  Everyone wished me well or ensured they will be praying and said they can't wait to hear how everything goes.  I was at the bank this morning to send the wire transfer of funds to the Mexico clinic, and the ladies in the bank wished me well, too.

I'm hoping to be able to post updates while we're in Mexico, but I'm not entirely sure how reliable the internet will be nor how tired I'll be.  At the least we will have some relatives post updates on Facebook.

Thank you all again for the faithful prayer support, encouragement, and financial gifts that God has used to make this trip possible!  We have seen Him work miracles and answer so many prayers already, and I have been thanking Him in advance for the good gifts with which I know He is going to continue to bless us!

Healed!

Although I choose to try to focus on positive things for which thanks and praise can be offered to God through this journey, the negative aspects are unavoidable, so I don't just pretend that they don't exist.  The bone pain that I experience is by far the worst symptom of the disease, and it has been getting worse and harder to manage.  To this point I have been able to avoid taking narcotic pain killers, but that has changed.  My doctor at the clinic referred me to a pain management facility last Tuesday; I was scheduled for an appointment tomorrow (Wednesday).  The past two full weeks have been very difficult trying to manage the pain, and I wasn't thrilled that I would have to wait another week before I could get an appointment.  I missed two days of work last week due to pain.  Several times I was reduced to being on my hands and knees rocking back and forth and breathing like I did when I was in labor with my babies.  And there have been a lot of tears.  Thankfully, my boss, Dr. Nic, took action and had our office staff send another referral to the pain management place for me (our chiropractic office has referred patients to the same pain management facility in the past).  They called our office saying they already had a referral for me, to which my boss replied that he was aware of that and sent another one because they needed to get me in sooner than another week.  Lo and behold, I got a call from pain management that day (last Friday) saying they could get me in! 

At that appointment I was prescribed hydrocodone to start, since I have never in my life had to take an opiate or narcotic pain killer.  I was told to stop taking the Low Dose Naltrexone I have been taking ever since starting at Fox Valley four months ago...LDN is an opiate blocker and would interfere with the new drug.  I was also told that it could take a bit for the LDN to be completely out of my system.  I am assuming that was the reason that I didn't have great results Friday night and Saturday.  But Sunday and Monday I felt great!  As much as I didn't want to be taking narcotics, I was very hopeful that this would get me through the next two weeks before we can get down to Mexico.  Unfortunately, the new drug only worked for a day and a half.  Monday night (last night) I experienced severe pain three hours before my next dose was due...so I took another pill early hoping it would get me through the night.  That was not to be...that dose only lasted five hours.  I suffered for a couple hours before finally taking an Aleve, which did help--I didn't think I could safely take more of the new drug that soon.  Early this morning (Tuesday) I left a message at the clinic saying I wouldn't be in for my morning treatment due to a hard night, and I left a message at the pain management place explaining what happened and asking how I was supposed to proceed.  Pain management never called me back, so I called the pharmacist to ask if it was okay for me to alternate the new drug with Aleve, since neither med was working for the expected 12 hours.  The pharmacist did say that I could do that, so that's how I will handle it for now.  I was so exhausted that I was in tears every time I made a call and talked to someone.  That was a bit embarrassing.  *Late this afternoon, pain management did return my call, and the doctor said I could take the hydrocodone every six hours instead of 12, if needed.

Again, the trial of pain over the past couple weeks directed me to God's Word for help.  I was reminded that even Jesus asked His Father to remove the suffering of the cross from His life, because Christ knew full well the agony it would entail.  The Savior still submitted to God's plan, saying, "Nevertheless, not my will, but Yours be done."  That is a conversation I have had more than once:  "God, I don't know why you're allowing this pain in my life, and I would really like You to remove it--yet not my will, but Yours.  This is really hard to handle and I'm feeling very weak, so please give me Your strength."  I also remind myself that my pain is only temporary and that it can never even come close to comparing with the type of suffering that Jesus endured on the cross.  I also keep claiming the Lord's promises that He is with me through everything and will never leave me or let me deal with it alone.  This past Sunday, Pastor Schultz preached from Isaiah 46 with a relevant theme of God carrying us: 

      3Listen to Me, O house of Jacob,
      And all the remnant of the house of Israel,
      Who have been upheld by Me from birth,
      Who have been carried from the womb:
         ⁴Even to your old age, I am He,
      And even to gray hairs I will carry you!
      I have made, and I will bear;
      Even I will carry, and will deliver you.

One other thing I have used for encouragement comes from the secular realm.  I have read the book and seen the movie "Unbroken" which is about the unbelievable experiences endured by Louis Zamperini--Olympic hopeful and WWII veteran that survived his bomber crashing into the ocean and being a prisoner of war for years.  Louis' brother told him, "If you can take it, you can make it," when Louis was training as a runner, and Louis remembered that phrase throughout the years of his survival, imprisonment, and torture.  That phrase has run through my mind several times, too.

I'm sure you are wondering how in the world I can entitle this post "Healed!" after sharing the difficulty I'm experiencing with pain.  Let me answer that now.  :)  My brother, Steve, is the assistant pastor at our church, and when he preaches, he's been going through the life of Christ.  Many of the passages are about Christ's healing ministry when He was on earth, so my brother has touched on that topic a few times now.  First of all, Jesus' desire and ability to heal people of their diseases and afflictions is undeniable.  One passage talked about Him healing everyone in a town, and there are the well-known accounts of Him healing many individuals and resurrecting people from the dead.  That alone is such an encouragement, knowing that Christ is in the business of healing people. 

Secondly, my brother has emphasized what happened to all the people Jesus healed during His ministry...they all eventually died.  That has also been an encouragement to me--that even if God does completely heal me of this cancer, I am going to die of something at some point.  Physical healing is only temporary, and physical death is unavoidable, so the physical should never be our priority.  The spiritual, however, is eternal, and should be our priority.  Will we have eternal life with God and His Son or eternal separation from God and eternal suffering?

Steve's latest message was on the passage in Mark 1:40-45 where Jesus healed the leper. Of course he covered the aspects of physical healing again, but then Steve made the connection between this passage and spiritual healing--salvation.  The leper told Jesus, "If you are willing, you can make me clean;" Jesus responded, "I am willing."  The Lord is also willing to save everyone:  "The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance." (2 Peter 3:9)  The leper recognized his unclean state and sought the One whom he knew could cleanse him.  Likewise, we need to recognize our state of spiritual uncleanness and seek the only One who can cleanse us of our sins.  Romans 3:23, "For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God."  Romans 5:12, "Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned."  Romans 6:23, "For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord."  The leper knew he couldn't heal himself; nor can we save ourselves with any amount of self-effort.  Acts 4:12, "Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name [the name of Jesus] under heaven given among men by which we must be saved."  Ephesians 2:8-9, "For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast."  Titus 3:5, "Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit."  

When I was a young child, I recognized that I was a sinner and wouldn't be allowed into heaven, so I asked the only One who could save me, Jesus, to forgive my sins.  And I trusted in His death on the cross to pay the price for my sins.  Christ healed me spiritually that day.  We never know whether our physical lives will be ended early by accident, illness, or disease; or late by a body worn out from old age.  The most important thing is to know where you will spend your eternal life after your physical life ends.  And you can know.  John 20:31, "But these are written [the words of the Gospel of John], that you might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing you might have life through his name."  1 John 5:12-13, "He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life. These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life, and that you may continue to believe in the name of the Son of God."

Whether or not God chooses to heal my physical body of this disease called cancer, I know beyond all doubt that spiritually--from the diseased condition of sin--I am already HEALED! 

Preparing for Rain

About a week ago, Bob told me that he had set a goal to leave for Mexico for further cancer treatment in about three weeks.  I was slightly surprised, because we didn't yet have our passports nor even half the necessary funds.  My attitude had been one of just trusting God and waiting until all the necessities were in place.  But my Love had plans!  He shared that a phrase had been running through his mind, and he couldn't ignore it.  There is a Christian movie entitled "Facing the Giants" (an awesome movie which we highly recommend!), and during one part there is an older gentleman, Mr. Bridges, who challenges Shiloh Christian school's struggling football coach with the message that God is not finished with him at the school yet.  Mr. Bridges tells the coach a story about two farmers who were both praying for rain during a drought, but only one of them worked his fields in anticipation of answered prayer.  Mr. Bridges asked the coach which of the farmers showed more faith, and of course the coach said that it was the one who was preparing for rain.  Mr. Bridges then asked the coach, "Which one are you?  God will send the rain when He's ready.  You need to prepare your fields to receive it."  That phrase, "preparing for rain", is what occupied Bob's mind, so he decided to act upon it.  Instead of waiting around to see if God was going to supply what we needed to be able to go to Mexico, my Love decided he was going to start making plans in anticipation of God's provision.  Have I mentioned how much I love this man?

In the week since Bob shared that with me, I had the final doctor phone interview of the clinics we've been considering, and we made a decision; between obtaining some additional financing from our bank and a lot of financial donations coming in over a short time, we are very close to having all the money we need for the trip; and Bob booked airline tickets for our trip.  God has clearly been at work!  Our passports haven't arrived yet, but it's been just two weeks since we applied, so there is still time.

We now have a definite plan:  we will fly to San Diego on Tuesday, February 13, stay in a hotel that night, then a shuttle from the Hope 4 Cancer Institute in Tijuana, Mexico, will pick us up at our hotel first thing in the morning on Wednesday, February 14 to start three weeks of treatment--treatments are seven days per week.  Accommodations and meals for both of us for the entire three weeks are provided.  There is also an excellent follow-up plan included as well as take-home treatment protocols for me.  Our children will be looked after very well in our absence thanks to loving family and friends.

We are excited and nervous at the same time now that the plans are a reality.  We also continue to be overwhelmed at God's goodness and the generosity of His people!

Stewardship

I've been very busy checking out cancer clinics in Mexico and contacting some of them.  It usually involves filling out online medical questionnaires and having all my records from Fox Valley sent to them.  I have a couple phone interviews this week with doctors from the clinics to get a better idea of what the treatment plans will involve.

I also connected with a lady who also has breast cancer metastasized to her bones and who is a wealth of information!  She has been to Mexico already and had lots of info on that and on more resources within the U.S., which will be helpful in case I can't make it to Mexico.  So I am working through what she shared as well.

My doctor at Fox Valley, Dr. Coleman, is leaving the clinic to lighten his schedule and be able to spend more time at home, because his wife is due with a baby in a week or so.  He will still be working some at another clinic in Madison and working some from home, but his schedule is more flexible than his wife's work schedule, so he is doing what he can to be home and help rear their child, for which I applaud him.  Dr. Meress, who has already been consulting on my case anyway, will take over, so it won't be an issue.  Today was Dr. Coleman's last day at the clinic, and I was glad I was able to chat with him for several minutes and give him a hug before I left.

This week I will begin several sessions of colonics at a place in Appleton.  Dr. Abfall recommended that I do colonics, and it makes sense to ensure my intestines are cleaned out not only to eliminate toxins, but also so more nutrients, etc., can be absorbed into my blood stream through the colon.

Last night was another bad night with leg pain.  It's very hit-or-miss...I can have several good nights in a row, then all of a sudden I'll have a bad night or two.  The last time I remember looking at the clock it was 3:30 a.m., so there was no way I was going to get up at 5:30 in order to get to the clinic for an early hyperbaric appointment.  So I skipped the hyperbaric and went in later for an IV.  The rest of the day went well.  Tomorrow I will be at the Inochi detox clinic in West Bend for 4-5 hours.

Yesterday was a good day at church!  In Sunday School the topic of financial stewardship was discussed, and one of the points was that when we recognize that everything we have--not just money and possessions, but also talents, abilities, spiritual gifts--belongs to God and that we are only stewards of those things for God, it makes it much easier to share.  It reminded me of a couple of things.  First of all, I've always viewed my treatment choices as my endeavor to be as good of a steward as I can of the body He gave me.  Secondly, we have been humbled recently by very generous gifts from some individuals for whom we know it had to have been a significant sacrifice.  Those gifts brought us to tears, and those individuals obviously have a profound understanding of biblical stewardship demonstrated by their sacrificial willingness to share what God gave them.

The music at church yesterday was also a blessing.  Norman and Susan Smith and their family were with us for the day reporting on their ministry in Japan, and they have a lot of musical talent which they shared with us through several special numbers (they are good stewards of their talents!).  For one number, their oldest daughter, Chloe, 15, played guitar and sang a song that she wrote herself, and it was beautiful.  It was about how our lives are in God's control, and knowing what will happen is not our role--we just need to trust that His will is good.  Bob and I both thought it was very appropriate for our lives right now.  Another song that really spoke to me was one that we sang as a congregation, called "Jesus, Draw Me Ever Nearer":

Jesus draw me ever nearer
As I labor through the storm.
You have called me to this passage,
And I'll follow through I'm worn.

May this journey bring a blessing,
May I rise on wings of faith;
And at the end of my heart's testing,
With Your likeness let me wake.

Jesus guide me through the tempest;
Keep my spirit staid and sure.
When the midnight meets the morning,
Let me love You even more.

May this journey bring a blessing,
May I rise on wings of faith;
And at the end of my heart's testing,
With Your likeness let me wake.

Let the treasures of the trial
Form within me as I go;
At the end of this long passage,
Let me leave them at Your throne.

May this journey bring a blessing,
May I rise on wings of faith;
And at the end of my heart's testing,
With Your likeness let me wake.

The family who hosted the Smiths for lunch also invited our family to join them, so we had the added blessing of an excellent time of fellowship yesterday afternoon as well.  Most of the kids among our three families are close in age, so they had a fun day, too.

Mexico Miracle

My brother coined the expression "Mexico Miracle" after finding out that we are pursuing traveling to an alternative cancer clinic in Mexico for further cancer treatments not available in the U.S., and it fits perfectly.  Not only because a miraculous healing is needed, but also because it will take a miracle of God's provision in order to get us there!

I have checked into several clinics, and there are a few that look promising.  I mentioned some of the different treatments in my last post.  The cost ranges from $30K-$45K, which is daunting to say the least!  The average treatment is three weeks in Mexico with further take-home protocols included.  Some include follow-up visits; some don't.  Most include accommodations and meals for me and a companion (my Love, Bob, of course--although a couple of my nurses think they should go--haha) for the duration.  Some are fully-functioning hospitals; some are not.  Most look like resorts, which is always appealing!

My family encouraged us to start a GoFundMe account, since they had several people inquiring whether or not we had one started.  So we did that; the link is below.

https://www.gofundme.com/kims-mexico-cancer-treatment

My sister also had "Kim's Clan" t-shirts made which are available as a fundraiser, too.  They are $15 each.  

 

It's always awkward asking for financial help, but knowing when to accept help is important, too.  We don't expect other people to pay for my medical expenses--I made the choice to use alternative treatments knowing they aren't usually covered by insurance, and we are responsible for that.  We have been able to finance the cost of my treatments to this point, but another $45K is out of our league.  We have also learned that it's wrong to withhold a blessing from those who want to give.  So for those who feel led to give, there is opportunity.  If we don't get enough funds to go to Mexico, we will take that as a clear sign that God is closing that door, and we will choose another path.  All funds given will still be used toward further treatments.  The most important gift anyone can give is lifting me and my family before the throne of the Great Physician, so we covet all your prayers!