Answered Prayers

Sometimes, I wonder if God is listening.  Other times, it seems foolish to doubt it.

Sunday was a particularly hard day for me.  Late in the afternoon, I was sitting by the window in the family room, watching traffic just beyond the gates.  I was crying and talking to God about life, wishing I could just have a hug.

A few moments later, I heard a voice.  "What's going on, girl?"  It was Adrienne, stopping in on her way from Ft. Rucker, AL, to be with her family in Pennsylvania.  Her dad has a brain tumor, and she's doing her best to help him fight it--and to support us in the meantime.

I looked at Adrienne and just cried.  She didn't say anything; she just grabbed me and hugged me.  It was just what I needed.

Sometimes, in this journey with Billy, I wonder if God is listening.  We've been praying God to heal the blockage in his intestines; we wanted Billy to be able to eat for Thanksgiving.  He didn't get to.

But then other times, it seems like God must be doing something.  I can see the ways we're being taken care of.  And some of the requests for Billy are being answered.  The pinch in his left side has subsided.  (Yeah!)  He had an ultrasound done on his left side, and the pockets of infected fluid are gone, so they were able to remove the catheter.  Those seem like signs of progress!

But the cancer remains, and the only thing the medical team can offer is herceptin.  We don't know how well that will work.  Herceptin isn't a big cancer-killer...not like chemo is.  Then again, chemo is super-destructive, and Billy's body can't handle all that.  So we basically need a miracle...lots of them, in fact.

Lately, Billy's bilirubin level in his liver has been creeping up.  Bilirubin is a yellow substance that results from a breakdown process in the body, and it is excreted through bile and urine.  It's also the substance that causes the yellow tinge in a bruise.  When the bilirubin level goes up, a person's skin can take on a yellow hue.

The doctors are thinking that the constant flow of IV nutrition (TPN) is negatively affecting the liver, so they're trying a different feeding schedule.  Once they started that new schedule (last week), however, Billy started feeling a bit more nauseous.  He used to be able to enjoy a variety of beverages (tea, juice, milkshakes, smoothies), but they seem to mess with his stomach now.  He's been coughing a lot, trying to get rid of the nauseous feeling.

So...would you pray for some of these specific things?

• The blockage in Billy's small bowel to release, so that his GI tract would work and he could drink some healthy things!  
• Nutrition...The best kind of nutrition comes from food.  TPN is not ideal, and it's not ideal long-term.  Pray that Billy's body gets the nutrition it needs to be healthy and fight cancer.
• Nausea...that it would go away.  (And that the coughing would go away too.)

More Items at Zazzle.com
In the spirit of our invitation to join in our Christmas ornament tradition, we thought we'd make the Ask Me About BILLY ornaments available for everyone.  Those have been newly posted on our store.

New Ornaments

Additionally, we thought we'd release an alternate design for the t-shirts and hoodies.  Instead of having text on both sides, these hoodies and shirts just have the blog logo and address on the front.  The back is plain.

New Hoodies

Thank you for all of your support!

Discoveries

It has been quite a week of ups and downs!

Monday was a hard day--difficult for us and difficult for Billy.  After weeks of small improvements every day, it was difficult to watch Billy struggle again.

Several weeks ago, Billy successfully completed a CT scan with contrast.  The whole process was amazing, really.  Being off of the NG suction is difficult for Billy.  The fluid backs up in his stomach and makes him nauseous.  Several weeks ago, despite that, Billy was off of NG suction for 7 hours!  He ingested 700mL of contrast and kept it in.  And the CT scan was successful.

On Monday night, after a rough day, a new NG tube, lots of nausea and some vomiting (sorry for the graphic detail), a CT scan with contrast seemed impossible.  Billy tried anyway, but it just wouldn't work.  His stomach refused to tolerate it.

They tried again on Tuesday.  Billy kept 100mL of the contrast in, but that was it.  It wasn't enough for a CT scan with contrast, but they took a scan anyway.

We were hoping the scan would show positive results:  a reduction in Billy's tumor and some large pockets of fluid that could be drained.

Even though Billy wasn't able to keep the contrast down, the scan was clear enough for the doctors to see what's going on.  Yesterday, we heard the results, and the results were mixed.  The scan showed four things:

1. The infection in his left side is smaller.  (The catheter is doing its job!)
2. There is no large pocket of fluid in his belly.  This raises a question:  why is his belly so "distended" (full)?  
3. There is more fluid under his left lung than under his right lung.  This raises another question:  why is his right side pinching so much?
4. The small bowel is more swollen that it was the last time, so they think it's probably obstructed.  A question remains:  what is causing the obstruction?

So what does all of this mean?  
It goes back to Billy's diagnosis.  Poorly differentiated gastric adenocarcinoma is an incredibly difficult condition to treat.  Scientists have made huge advances in cancer treatment over the years, but very little progress has been made in the realm of gastric cancer.  In patients who have Billy's particular version of gastric cancer, 3 types of chemotherapy are used together.  More recently, herceptin has been found to be effective when used in combination with the 3 kinds of chemotherapy.  However, herceptin, when used alone, has very little killing power.  It can slow the cancer, but it probably won't do much to kill it.

Why not use chemo and herceptin for Billy?
Simply put, Billy's body isn't strong enough for chemo.  Billy took one round of chemo in Miami, and it was very destructive.  Billy's body is too weak, and the chemo is too hard on the liver and the immune system for Billy to be able to tolerate it.

Those are the facts--or what we know to be the facts right now.  But in this world, things can change quickly.  Billy is doing well, but as we saw on Monday morning and again today, slight changes can make a whole day feel hard.  When the NG tube gets blocked up, Billy feels nauseous, and the activity in the room becomes about clearing the blocked NG tube.  When his side pinches, conversation stops as he gets his pain under control.  Billy was all set to go outside today (the first time since he arrived on October 6), but his side pinched too much during his morning walk--and the focus on the day became about getting his pain under control.  All of us--the doctors, the nurses, and his family and friends--are doing as much as we can to take care of Billy.

But we're starting to come across questions we can't answer.  The doctors don't know why Billy's right side is pinching.  It doesn't seem to be the liver or the gall bladder.  The doctors think it's from pressure further down his side, from inflammation caused by the cancer.  There's very little room in his belly for the fluid to build up anymore, and hence there are no pockets of fluid they can drain.

At this point, there aren't any drastic measures that we can undertake to fight Billy's cancer.  We can do things to improve Billy's quality of life, and that's where the doctors are focusing their efforts.  There's plenty of pain medicine, and a lot of different options.  There's benadryl for the incessantly itchy skin.  Herceptin is an antibody that is generally well-tolerated, so Billy can keep taking that as long as his heart stays healthy.  But outside of a miracle, the cancer will eventually win.

It was hard to type that last sentence, and thinking of publishing it makes the tears come.  It's not something we ever expected to face.

So in the meantime, in the limited time we have, we're trying to savor every day we have.  Every day we have is a miracle.  I'm treasuring the time I get to spend with Billy and with my family.  And I'm discovering some of the things that make us who we are...

• This September, my parents and I went to Fort Rucker, AL, for his graduation from flight school.  On the morning of graduation, my dad handed me a box.  "That's from Billy for you to wear to the graduation," he said.  It was a necklace.  A set of wings.  Billy had two of them made--one for me and one for my mom.  

Billy's graduation gift for me.

When I saw Billy later, I asked him about it.  "It's your graduation, silly," I said.  "I'm supposed to be buying you a gift!"  He disagreed.  "You came to visit me," he said.  "And that's enough."  That's Billy for you--always a giver.

• I went in the family room last night to wash the crock pot after I had made chili.  (Thank you for the ingredients, Sara!)  All the dishes had been washed.  I asked Bobby and Danny about it, and all evidence pointed to my mom.  She's so sneaky sometimes!  

• Several weeks ago, my mom and I had gone to get massages at a local spa, courtesy of Walter Reed.  I was supposed to have a pedicure that day, but something got messed up, and I wasn't on the schedule.  So my mom decided to give me a pedicure last night, and it was awesome!  

A pedicure...just because my mom wanted to give me one!

• Yesterday, my mom went to Dunkin Donuts to get my favorite coffee.  Later that morning, as I was drinking my coffee, Bobby and Danny showed up for the family meeting.  Bobby was carrying a cup of coffee.  He extended the cup, saying "This is for you, 'Chelle."  He had made coffee in the French press, and added sugar-free hazelnut and half-and-half, just the way I like it.  I didn't know what to do with 2 cups of strong coffee--but I felt incredibly blessed and loved.

We're a family of givers, and I love it.

Ways to Pray

• For miracles.  For the impossible.  For us to continue to be hopeful.  
• For special moments as family and friends.
• For endurance in this journey that has no definitive timeline.
• For the pain in Billy's side to dissipate.
• For Billy to be able to go outside.  
• For Billy to be able to celebrate Thanksgiving.

Thanks for everything! For the friendship, hugs, notes, groceries, money, encouragement, prayers... We could not do this without all of you!

Difficult Days

As we walk this journey, I'm learning that some days are harder than others.

On Saturday evening, a bunch of us were hanging out with Billy.  We were watching T.V., laughing, and telling stories.  But I was having trouble joining in:  something wasn't quite right with Billy.  I looked across the room and made eye contact with Sam (one of Billy's friends who was visiting for the weekend).  I could tell that she was concerned too.  We had both noticed Billy struggling.  I asked him how he was doing.  He said he felt a bit nauseous, like the NG tube wasn't working quite right.  Eventually, he was able to overcome the feeling of nausea...but he still didn't feel all that great.

Yesterday (Sunday), Billy started feeling a sharp pinch under his right lung.  Every time he took a deep breath, he felt a pinch.  He said it seemed like some of the fluid in his belly was starting to accumulate under his lung.  It made breathing difficult, and it hurt.

Billy didn't sleep well last night, and this morning was worse.  We found out that Billy's NG tube had come out too far, so it wasn't working like it should.  The doctors tried--without success--to push it back in place, so they had to replace it.  The new tube is stiff and uncomfortable, and Billy's throat hurts so much he can't really talk.  The doctors are concerned about the pressure on his lung, so they want to take some "pictures" of what's going on inside his body.  Tonight, they planned to do another CT scan with contrast, meaning Billy's NG tube would be clamped off for several hours so that he could drink the "contrast" (dye).  Once he finished the contrast, he'd have to wait a few hours, and then go downstairs for the CT scan.  He had a scan with contrast done 3 weeks ago, and it took 7 hours.  3 weeks ago, those 7 hours felt like a long time.  Tonight, 7 hours without NG suction seemed like it would last forever.

What is a CT Scan?
CT scans can be done with or without contrast.  They give doctors a detailed image of the inside of the body; it's far more detailed than an x-ray.  When the scan is done "with contrast," it sharpens the images of the structures inside the body.

Billy's CT Scan
Billy tried to ingest the contrast, but it didn't work.  He couldn't keep the liquid down.  He was miserable and in a lot of pain.  It's just not going to work to do a scan with contrast today.  Billy is sleeping now (thankfully!), and they're going to try to do the scan again tomorrow.

What About Draining the Fluid?
The doctors need to see where the fluid is before they can drain it.  The scan will give them the images they need, so they can determine how--and if--the fluid can be drained.

When Will We Know If the Herceptin Worked?
It takes a few weeks for herceptin to have its effect.  It has been 5 days.  So we should know something in another 2 weeks or so.

How to Pray

• A restful night for Billy.
• That Billy would be able to tolerate the CT scan.
• That the doctors would be able to determine the source of Billy's pain, and that they would be able to help him.  
• That Billy's body would get rid of the excess fluid, or that the doctors would be able to get a clear enough image so that they could drain the fluid.
• Billy's stomach and intestines to start working, so that he could enjoy some of his Thanksgiving favorites.

Thank you for your support and your prayers.

A Special Day

Earlier this fall, I was in a staff meeting with my room mate, Sara.  My phone buzzed, and I checked the caller ID.  It was my mom.  I decided I'd call her back later, so I pressed a button to ignore the call.  The meeting continued.  A few minutes later, my phone buzzed again.  It was my mom.  Figuring something must have been wrong or urgent, I asked Sara if she'd mind if I answered the call.  I slid my phone open.

"Hello?" I answered.
"Oh, hi!" my mom said.  "I didn't expect you to pick up."  
"Well, you called twice in a row, so I figured I should answer."
My mom laughed.  "I left you a message, but I realized I forgot to say 'Happy Special Day,' so I was calling back to tell you that."

I laughed and thanked my mom, and we said goodbye.  I looked up, and Sara was looking at me, an expression of confusion on her face...

For as long as I can remember, the 7^th of every month has been my special day.  It's because my birthday falls on the 7^th  day of the month.  After my dad passed away on July 11, 1986, my mom started thinking about how to celebrate life.  She was a single mom, and she had four kids.  I was the oldest, and I was only 5.  In her words, "...celebrating each birthday once a year just seemed like life was to pass us by...not doing enough.  I needed something more specific, more intentional.  But I didn't know how to get one-on-one time with each of you.  Because it originally started with the birthday idea, I picked that same day each month.  It might also have had something to do with the every month reminder that something bad had happened, the 11^th of every month was very difficult for the first year..."  

Special Days are a celebration of LIFE.  Sometimes, we'd get to pick our favorite meal, or a movie to rent.  Sometimes, my mom would make a favorite dessert, or take us somewhere.  Eventually, she found a plate that said Happy Special Day, and we'd get to eat our meals off that plate.  Over the years, she found ways to make each of us feel special.

Billy's birthday is October 14, which makes today Billy's special day!

I asked a few people to share some of their favorite memories in honor of Billy's special day, so I'm including those below.  If you'd like to take part in the special day celebration, feel free to leave a note here, or you can text or message Billy in some way.

From Ben--one of Billy's army buddies--currently deployed.

Billy and Ben

My memory with Billy that makes me smile the most would have to be when we got the police and animal control called on us.  Another great memory would be running to our cars in the mornin to hide and go do "IHOP PT."

From our cousin, Bryan.

Billy and Bryan

Memory 1.  My high school graduation day.  It's an absolute monsoon out!   The ceremony is indoors.  Blah Blah Blah...I get my diploma.  I'm walking out and I see this kid that really resembles Billy.  I get home and after a few minutes there's a know on the door.  Sure enough it's him!  He had driven 13 hours straight through the night, in the pouring rain, in his not so gas friendly truck to make it to my graduation on time.  Graduating high school is great and all but him being there definitely was the best part of the weekend.

Memory 2.  My 21st birthday!  ...he flew up from South Carolina for the weekend.  We went out to Boston and had an amazing time.  He was definitely the crowd favorite amongst my friends.  He fit right in like he had known my friends for years.  And needless to say he did a great job at "looking out for me that night...."  Whoops!  Him being there was the best gift I could have received.  

Memory 3.  My trip down to DC.  After him visiting me so much, I needed to return the favor.  I went down to DC for a week and stayed with Billy and Rob.  We had a great time.  We went to all the monuments, Arlington National, and by the pentagon.  He showed me where he worked.  One day we went down with some of the guys in his squad to the Dave Matthews Band concert (my favorite).  He has a great group of friends who welcomed me in like I was one of their own.  That was one of my favorite days.  The next day Billy, Rob, and I drove up to Baltimore to watch the Red Sox play the Orioles.  It was a beautiful sunny day.  We had a blast.  I'll never forget that trip.  It was awesome!

Billy and Bryan during Bryan's trip to DC.

Overall, any time I get to spend with him is a great memory.  It was tough living in Mass and you guys in Colorado but whenever you visited we always had a special connection.  The same age definitely helped but we have similar personalities too.  He'll always be the brother I never had.  I hope he has a great special day!  Love you Billy!

From our friend, Gee (Glenda), who now lives in Alaska.
Well my very favorite thing about you, Billy, has always been your giant-sized heart that reaches out and loves them all........my second is your crystal clear twinkling blue eyes that used to melt my heart into a puddle when you would snuggle in right beside me in the pew in Durango, Colorado, with all your precious siblings.  As a matter of fact your whole family have pretty big hearts that love to give love out.  I love you Billy.....thanks for the heart touch!

So happy special day, Billy!  We love you!

How Billy is Doing
A few days ago, he said he felt like he got hit by a truck.  The herceptin was hard to take!  But each day, he feels a bit better.  He's getting stronger.  Just yesterday, after a full day spent with visitors, he went for a long walk around the 7th floor.  He often comes back from a walk feeling nauseous, but yesterday, he seemed a lot stronger.  Little by little, he seems to be getting stronger.  Please keep praying that his stomach would start working again!

Billy with Christin and Sam

Weekends tend to be full of visitors.  It's something we all look forward to, and Billy loves getting to see people.  So thanks for your visits and your prayers and all of the support!

Ask Me About Billy (New T-Shirts)

Ever since Thursday, September 23 (the day we found about Billy had gastric cancer), I've wanted to make t-shirts.  The family of my friends, Daniel and Casey, had shirts made when Daniel was diagnosed with Hodgkin's Lymphoma (cancer), and the shirts had a way of helping us to feel like we were all in it together.  We'd wear them every Wednesday, and it would remind us to pray.  It was also a great way to tell the story because people would ask us what our shirts meant.

Rallying Around Daniel and Casey. The shirts say "More than Conquerors" in 12 languages. The phrase comes from Romans 8:37: "No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us."

We Now Have Shirts for Billy!
The design was inspired by Sara's t-shirt, which she made the day we found out about Billy.

Sara's Shirt (left)

They come from the collaborative efforts of Stephanie (sister of Melissa) and Bobby (my brother).  [Many thanks to both of you!!!]

So here they are!

Men's Shirt (back)

Women's Shirt (front)

We have men's and women's shirts, sweat shirts, and shirts for kids.  The fronts say "Ask me about BILLY."  And the backs have the blog logo and web address.

Now, we know that Billy does not go by Billy in all parts of the world.  With family, he's Billy.  In the army, he's Will or Cooter or Wheel [and probably some other nicknames I haven't yet heard. ]  Family does not call him Will, and army friends do not call him Billy [at least not without getting away with it.]  Those are his rules.  Interestingly enough, however, people everywhere are starting to call him Billy.  Our favorite surgeon (an army guy) calls him Billy.  When he was really sick (with the septic infection), the ICU nurse tried calling him Will, but he didn't really respond.  "Try calling him Billy," I suggested.  She did, and he immediately responded.  So that's why the shirts say "Ask me about BILLY."

Disclaimer:  Billy would like all "offenders" of the name policy to know that he's keeping track of who calls him Billy; and when he gets out of Walter Reed, he will exact retribution from all such persons.  J

Where Can I Get These Shirts?
We've set up an account with zazzle.com. Our "store" is
http://www.zazzle.com/willshope2010.

And here are some discount codes.  The Vetrans Day Sale expires at the end of today, so you'll have to move quickly to use that code.  I'm not sure how much longer the other codes will work.

• $2 off T-shirts:  VTRNSDAYSALE
• 10% off T-shirts:  10PRCTOFFTEE
• Free Shipping (Orders of $50 or More):  FREESHIPFORU

Note:  zazzle.com will donate 10% of each order to us.  We'll use the money for expenses that come up while Billy is in the hospital.

T-Shirts and Praying
Many of us pray for Billy every day, but we wanted to set aside one day each week for focused prayer.  Once we get the shirts, we'll be wearing them on Thursdays.

How Is Billy?
He took herceptin yesterday (by IV), and it didn't feel very good.  He was really tired after that.  Last night, he said his body felt "heavy."  This morning, he "ached all over."  Herceptin isn't the same thing as chemo, but it is a destructive drug.  Here are some things we can pray for...

• The herceptin to destroy lots of cancer cells.
• Billy's stomach to start working so he can enjoy food for Thanksgiving!  
• Billy's intestines would start working like they're supposed to.
• Billy's body to fully recover from the herceptin.

Thanks for praying!

Side Note:  Billy moved to a new room today.  We have the same amount of space.  It's just a quieter room, (right next to the family room), and the view is amazing!  You can now find Billy in Ward 71, room 7144.

Cookies!

Just the other day, Bobby, Danny, and I were getting coffee at Whole Foods Market, and we spotted some packs of Cowboy Cookies and Cowgirl Cookies!

Seriously?  Cowboy Cookies and Cowgirl Cookies at Whole Foods?

I couldn't believe it, so I quickly scanned the list of ingredients on the back.

The Ingredients List

I know the font in the above picture is a bit small...but if you'll look closely, you'll see why I was immediately disappointed.  Palm Fruit Oil?  Who bakes with that?  And we certainly didn't use Vermont Well Water in our family recipe.  Nothing against the Cowboy Cookies at Whole Foods, but they're not the real deal...

...which leaves all of you at a dilemma, doesn't it?  How in the world will you get to experience the wonders of our family's favorite cookie recipe?  Now, it's not common practice to give out secret family recipes, but we've decided to make a concession.  Since we're all in this thing together, and many of you have become like family anyway, we figure the least we can do is share the recipe.  So here it is.

Cowboy Cookies
Recipe From:  Melanie (my mom’s friend whom she met when she moved to Colorado years ago…)
Makes:  5-6 dozen (which, of course, completely depends upon the size of cookies you're making!)

Ingredients
1 cup shortening or butter
1 cup white sugar
1 cup packed brown sugar
2 eggs
½ tsp vanilla
2 cups flour
½ tsp baking power
¼ tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
2 cups regular oats (not quick oats)
1 cup (6oz) semi-sweet chocolate chips

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 325° F.
2. In a large bowl, cream the shortening.
3. Add white and brown sugar, and mix.
4. Add eggs and vanilla.  Beat.
5. In another bowl, mix flour, baking powder, salt, and baking soda.  Stir into batter.
6. Add oats and chocolate chips. Mix well.  (A strong wooden spoon works well at this point.)  
7. Drop onto ungreased cookie sheet.  
8. Bake for 10-12 minutes.

The perfect Cowboy Cookie.  Yum!

Cowboy Cookies...slightly more brown and crispy. They should never be darker than this.

These are the "flat" version of Cowboy Cookies. If  they're this flat, you may need to increase the flour or decrease the sugar.

Cowgirl Cookies
My mom—ever the creative cook and baker—decided to try a variation.  She left out the chocolate chips and added 1 tsp of cinnamon, plus 1 cup of raisins.  The result was amazing, and so we came up with a name.  As girls are made of “sugar and spice and everything nice,” we settled on Cowgirl Cookies.

Some things we’ve discovered…

• We grew up in Durango, CO, where the official elevation is 6,512 feet.  We’ve discovered that the cookies bake with different results in different places.  This cookie recipe has been perfected for the high elevation of my mom’s kitchen.  When I’ve made these in the low-lying “mountains” of Pennsylvania, they’ve come out a bit more runny and crispy.  So if you’re in a lower elevation, you may need to make some modifications.  You might try using ¾ cup of both sugars, instead of a full cup.  
• The definition of a perfect Cowboy Cookie depends upon the preference of the taster.  I love them when they’re a light brown color, sort of crispy, sort of chewy, and mostly soft.  If they’re a little doughy when they cool, that’s perfect!
• The cookies are great as chipwiches!  Just take two similar-sized cookies and place a scoop of ice cream between them.  Freeze, and you’ll have a perfect snack for later.

Cookies for Billy
Before all of this happened, I was planning on making some Cowboy Cookies for Billy's birthday, and sending them to Hawaii, so they'd be there when he arrived.

But Billy hasn't been able to eat since September 19th or so.  And his stomach still isn't working.  It's a bit disheartening to hear the doctors talk about his dysfunctional stomach and the possible block in his GI tract.  He'd really like to be able to eat, so would you keep praying that he could eat again?

Family Meeting
We had a family meeting today with Billy's medical team.  We talked about how Billy is doing and how everything is going.  Here's the big picture.

• Billy's cancer is still there.  It's "diffuse" gastric adenocarcinoma, meaning it's all over his stomach.  And it's also in the fluid around his stomach.  There are no established treatment regimens that can cure his cancer.  The medical team can do things to try to help Billy live with the cancer, but they can't cure it.
• Billy's infection is probably still there.  It's under control (his white blood cell count is normal), but he's still on a major antibiotic.  If his body becomes resistant to the antibiotic at any point, Billy could quickly take a turn for the worse.  At the same time, the doctors didn't expect him to do as well as he's been doing.  So no one knows how all of this will go.
• Billy is not a candidate for chemo, for several reasons:  (1) He probably still has an infection, and chemo is incredibly hard on the immune system--not a good combo.  (2) His liver function hasn't been stellar.  Chemo is also hard on the liver.  
• Billy's body did not like the first round of chemo.  It responded very poorly (with a septic infection and a depleted immune system).  More chemo would be too harsh right now.  

Given all of this, there is a new option!  In some kinds of aggressive cancers (breast and stomach), some patients have an amplification of the HER2/neu gene (simply said, "her 2").  In these cases, an antibody called herceptin has been effective when used in conjunction with chemo.

Billy's cancer has the HER2/neu gene.  Normally the gene is present in a 1:1 ratio.  Billy's ratio is 2:1.  So...the oncology team here wants to try herceptin alone, to see if it would do anything.   

How Herceptin Works
In some gastric cancer cells, the tumors overproduce a receptor protein called HER2.  These proteins promote growth and survival of cancer cells.  In some tumors, there's an overabundance of these receptors.

Herceptin is an antibody that latches onto the receptors and sends signals to the immune system to promote destruction of the cells.

http://curetoday.com/index.cfm/fuseaction/media.showSectionArtwork/section_id/4306

There's some risk involved, as there are other cells in the body that have HER2 receptors.  (The heart has many of these cells.)  So it would be good to pray against adverse side-effects.

Billy has decided to pursue treatment with herceptin.  So that's the next step.

How to Pray

• Billy's stomach to start working.  There may be some kind of blockage.  His intestines are experiencing what the surgeons call ileus.  They're "paralyzed" or obstructed.  This needs to change if Billy is going to eat again.
• God to completely heal the infection.  Enough said.
• The herceptin therapy to work, and the cancer in Billy's stomach and abdomen to shrink and disappear.  
• Perseverance in this "marathon."

Thanks for praying!  Thanks for all of your visits and messages.  They're helping to keep us going.