09-09-09

We had an amazing past weekend with Mark and Laura (Leman) Duggar! They blessed us in an incredible way by opening their home up to us. We were so refreshed and got some much needed good relaxation and delightful fellowship. This is all of us on Coronado beach.

But onto the update about Jordan. Aunt Marge says "Write!" and I say "Yes, ma'am."

Jordan began IPT therapy last Monday, the day we got here. IPT is low-dose chemo drugs given through an IV along with glucose. The cancer cells are attracted to the sugar and open up, allowing the chemo to be more effective in its demolition. He also started low-dose, localized radiation on Tuesday. The week of chemo and radiation was full of ups and downs and he had several normal- albeit unpleasant- reactions to it. Fatigue, chills, sweats, and slight nausea. The doctor hopes for the first week of chemo that he did to be his last.

This past Monday he started what they call his "vaccine." It literally is a customized vaccine where they inject back into his body his own blood. These disease-fighting blood cells have been isolated and introduced to the de-camoflouged cancer cells so they recognize it. They told him he will start to feel achy because the 'trained' cells that are re-entering his body are going into his bone marrow to get billions and billions of copies made so they can attack the cancer en masse. But that's a good sign- it means his bone marrow is busy.

A normal day for Jordan:

--Before breakfast- get hooked up with chelation. It's basically enzymes and electrolytes designed to flush out the bad stuff while building up his immune system.
--Breakfast.
--After Breakfast- de-tox, rife therapy, magnets, twice a week- foot bath.
--Sometime in the morning- radiation. They get in a van and go somewhere for this - I've never been along. It's called "Radio Terapia de Baja California" and all of the patients receiving radiation take turns getting radiated. It's basically a party.
--More stuff in his IV, and a nap.
--Lunch
--Cabbage- this is placed on his radiation site and is a natural radiation de-toxer. It is boiled and hot and very smelly. It takes 30 minutes.
--Ginger and spice soak. They give us premeasured bags of this spice mixture that we put in the tub and he soaks in it. This also takes 30 minutes.
--Shower.
--Nap, computer, reading, etc.
--Dinner.
--Social time with other patients.
--Vaccine.
--Bed.

It really is a full day for him. Morning 'til evening. He has not reacted adversely to his vaccines yet and loves not being hooked up to something during the night. He sleeps much better that way.

And now for the huge praise: Jordan had lung x-rays taken yesterday and the report shows that the cancer has stopped spreading and the spots are becoming more translucent and smaller. We and the doctors are full of hope! Thank you Jesus! Thank you prayer warriors! We are giving God all the glory.

I will extol thee, my God, O king; and I will bless thy name for ever and ever. Ps. 145:1