Christmas came early!

Today Chandy and I finally met with Dr. Nibley in the Utah Cancer Center at the Intermountain Medical Center in Murray.

We've been pretty nervous about this day because this appointment was to let us know the extent of Chandy's treatment going forward. We fully came prepared to make the appointment for her Chemo. Chandy was lobbying for starting it after the Holidays and I've been after her to get going with it on the first possible date (I know, easy for me to say).

You can imagine that she's worried about not feeling or looking good for Christmas and the New Year festivities. I told her that I couldn't care less about this Christmas! I'm more worried about Christmas 10 years from now.

Well the appointment went well and Dr. Nibley seems to be a great guy. We had to wait for awhile sitting in the exam room until he came in. We waited so long that I actually fell asleep and was just getting in my REM sleep mode when he burst through the door. It took me a few ticks just to remember my name and where I was. I may have missed the first part of the conversation just trying to find my bearings but the appointment went real well. He's got a knack for explaining the entire situation in a way that we could easily understand. It was a day of great news!

We find now that there is a chance that Chandy will not need Chemo...a very good chance! Dr. Nibley's estimation is that there is a 90% chance that Chandy is cancer free right now! I about fell off the chair! I felt like an interrogator because I asked him about five different ways what that 90% chance really meant and I kept getting the same answer!

Her tumor is considered "grade 2". Not as aggressive as a grade 3 but also more aggressive than a grade 1...sorry if what I just typed made me look like the master of the obvious. Because the tumors were smaller than 1 centimeter and the lymph nodes were clean there is a 90% chance that it wasn't on the move before they took it out.

Hallelujah!

They are sending a sample of the tumor to some place in California to have a very important sounding test done, the name of which I can't remember or pronounce. This test will more definitively determine how aggressive her particular tumor is and whether or not it merits having the chemotherapy done. Dr. Nibley doesn't expect so but we need to be sure. Knowledge is power.

It isn't quite celebration time, the fight isn't completely over, but what great news. We are fighting the urge to be overly optimistic and get our hopes too high until we find out for sure but what a great place for Chandy to be in now at the beginning of the Holiday Season. I know the relief I'm feeling and I know Chandy feels it times ten. I wish you could've seen her face on our way out after the appointment.

The best part was leaving the Dr.'s office and we were trying not to be too outwardly overjoyed until the elevator doors closed and then you should've seen the hug! I didn't even care if it hurt her "new girls".

We meet with Dr. Nibley again on January 13th to go over the results of this important sounding test and see whether or not further treatment will be necessary.

I told Chandy that we are going to forget about cancer for the next month. We're going to try to block it out completely and enjoy the Holidays and the fun and our family. I can't wait to have a team (family) meeting with the boys tonight and give them the news. They could use a little relief as well.

Does God answer prayer? Has fasting benefited Chandy? Is the Power of the Priesthood real?

I think the answers to those questions are obvious.

Thank you, thank you, thank you.

G