I have been home now for two days and have been trying to get up the strength to write this post. It is not easy to write and even harder to process. Last week we met with two different doctors who both felt that Matt is getting weaker and cannot tolerate any more treatments. We were told that if Matt tried to do chemo again it would actually end his life sooner. So......Matt has decided that he is done fighting. This decision has brought him both relief and peace.
We are happy to be able to be home more with our children, extended family and friends and would appreciate any visits you would like to make. Matt enjoys talking to others and it helps to boost his spirits. People have said that they don't know what to say, PLEASE don't worry about what to say, anything you say will be alright. Come in and say, "cancer really sucks!" That will lighten the mood. :) Really, Matt is still the same Matt, easy to talk to, full of stories and jokes. He may give you a hug though so watch out for that! :)
We will go back to Phoenix on May 6 to meet with the pain doctor and to get a procedure on Matt's spine where he has a tumor that causes him pain. We hope that if we can zap that little trouble maker then he will be able to get off the pain meds and make his quality of life better. When he was on the trial he was taking a drug that caused bleeding so he was unable to have the procedure.
I just want to tell all of you again how much we have appreciated your friendships, prayers and thoughts. This has been a difficult journey, but with all of you by our side we were able to endure and move forward. As we now enter the most sacred, and probably the most difficult part of the journey, we ask that your prayers continue in our behalf.
Our community is sponsoring a benefit 5K for Matt this coming Saturday. See the event at eac.edu/ribbon.
We hope this will give us an opportunity to educate others about Colorectal Cancer. You can read the facts about Colorectal Cancer at http://www.ccalliance.org.
How I appreciate your blog! Matt, Niki and family: You will continue to be in my prayers. Thank you for allowing me to mourn with you and figuratively stand by you. I love you guys. May the remainder of the journey be sacred and uplifting.
ReplyDeleteI second that- Being so far away I don't get the "neighborhood chatter" of how things are going. So I REALLY appreciate you keeping us all updated. I hope you know we regularly read and look for updates. Your updates are very much appreciated as we keep you guys in our prayers.
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