Release, Results, and Chemotherapy - Round 3

On Fri, Jan 25, 2013 at 8:54 AM, Brad Reimer <mindnbrad@gmail.com> wrote:

All,

We keep expressing it, but it is constantly true...we love and appreciate you all so much. We appreciate and greatly value your thoughts and prayers in our behalf.  We appreciate you transporting kids, making posters and orange juice, texts to check in, cards and thoughtful emails, and all of the little things you do to show your love.  We love and appreciate you.  Navigating this experience without all of you would be significantly more difficult.

Things were relatively rough that first week after my second treatment.  A lot of days of just feeling cruddy (they say the number of those days likely increases with each successive
treatment).  However, the last two weeks I really felt fantastic--probably the best since before all of this started.  It was great to be able to engage more, attend church all three hours, and I even was able to start back to work for just a couple/few hours per day.

For those that don't already know, I was released from my calling as Bishop of our ward.  Our Stake President is a wonderful, tender, inspired man, and we are so grateful for
him.  This decision was not an easy one for him and it took time, much prayer, and counsel with his wonderful counselors.  When he extended the release he shared the following scripture with Mindy and I:

Doctrine and Covenants 124:49 Verily, verily, I say unto you, that when I give a commandment to any of the sons of men to do a work unto my name, and those sons of men go with all their might and with all they have to perform that work, and cease not their diligence, and their enemies come upon them and hinder them from performing that work, behold, it behooveth me to require that work no more at the hands of those sons of men, but to accept of their offerings.

This scripture deeply touched me, and has helped to make sense of the release.  All is right.  I am SO grateful that our ward has an active, engaged, fully functioning bishop and bishopric again.  I could not be more grateful for my counselors and their support through the tail end of my service.

As normal we met with Dr. Danko prior to my third chemo treatment yesterday morning.  We did get test results back and it has been determined that my Lymphoma started out as
Follicular, and has transformed into Large B-Cell Lymphoma.  You may recall that of the two options (two completely separate types, or one type transformed into another) this is the less positive scenario.  Initially, it means that the nature/aggressiveness of the chemotherapy increases (yesterday, on top of the normal R-CHOP regimen they added a drug called Etoposide).  Dr. Danko discussed a couple of other regimens (with acronyms I cannot recall) that will be considered.  He also mentioned that a stem cell transplant
(with my own stem cells...not a donor) may be considered for treatment at some point.  In terms of prognosis, you'll recall that in our December 4th email we spoke of the International Prognostic Index.  It discusses DLBCL, and also Follicular, but not this specific transformed type.  We have more to learn.  Dr. Danko said that the previous percentage of a 70-80% survival rate over 5 years is no longer applicable, and general prognosis with transformed he said was, "not good."  We don't know what that means specifically and for some reason didn't ask specifics yesterday.  He is consulting with other professionals and we have no doubt will come up with the best treatment possible.  We have an appt with him on the 31st where we may learn further specifics in terms of prognosis.

So, third treatment yesterday went fine.  I became pale and had a stomach ache through
most of it, and throughout the day and into the night, but this morning I feel better. Everything else was typical. Gearing up for some likely cruddy days, and looking forward to the good ones after that!

My parents came to visit on the 7th and we had a wonderful time for a few days.  Mindy's parents came into town Monday evening and we have been so grateful for their help also.  Again, we feel so thankful for our blessings.

We love you all.

Brad and Mindy