11/29/06 Update on Bro. Buddy
Filed in NHL |Hello all,
We just returned from Bro. Buddy’s visit with the oncologist. It was a good visit that confirmed what we suspected. Bro. Buddy does have large cell non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. Further classification of the lymphoma will be done after some more tests next week. Bro. Buddy will go in for a whole-body PET scan and they will also test his bone marrow. These tests will help determine the “staging” of the lymphoma and help the doctor determine the actual treatment.
At this point the doctor plans on starting chemotherapy in two weeks. Bro. Buddy will go in every three weeks for a chemo treatment (probably Adriamycin). He will have 6-8 treatments, with another PET scan after the 3rd treatment to determine the effectiveness of the treatment. So essentially Bro. Buddy will undergo chemotherapy treatment for 18-24 weeks (i.e., 4-6 months). This is the doctor’s first impression. There may be some adjustments based on the outcome of the PET scan and the bone marrow test next week.
The doctor was very upbeat. He said although large cell NHL is an aggressive lymphoma, it is very treatable and he felt Bro. Buddy’s prognosis was good. It’s a tough treatment but we were encouraged by the doctor’s upbeat attitude. He acknowledged that all healing ultimately comes from the Lord (or “from up there”) as he put it. 
Hopefully that’s not too much information. I don’t want to bog you down with details but I do want to let you know what we’re facing. I will be preaching on Sundays until Bro. Buddy feels up to it. Hopefully he’ll be up to getting on the computer soon and responding to the mountain of emails I know he’s receiving! Thank you all for your prayers, emails, phone calls and other expressions of love. We deeply appreciate it!
Blessings,
Nathan
