August 8, 2002 Updates
May, 2002 — Debbie had another series of very serious headaches and was in the hospital for a week. In the tests, it was discovered that two tumors were now present in the brain.
June-July 2002 — Debbie began a new chemotherapy treatment to deal with the cancer throughout her body. She also received 20 days of radiation to her brain to try to reduce the tumors so she might be a candidate for Gamma Knife Surgery.
August 2002 — Debbie’s latest MRI shows a possibility of more tumors in the brain. She is scheduled for Gamma Knife Surgery on Thursday, September 12th. Without this surgery, the doctors have told us that the cancer in the brain can spread very rapidly, giving a life expectancy of only a few months. With the surgery, her prognosis improves to 2-5 years. Even though this surgery is very expensive, we believe it provides the best possibility for additional years for Debbie. She is being tested to determine if she is a candidate for this surgery. Please be praying with us about this.
Belgium — Jim returns to Belgium in September. In June, Debbie decided that she wanted to go with Jim to Belgium again before her condition worsens and she is unable to travel. We leave for Belgium on Thursday, August 29th and return on Saturday, September 7th. Pray that her health will remain stable and that she will be able to go on this trip. Thanks for your prayers for us and all these matters!
