Cancer diagnosis

We received a call from the pediatric cancer expert at Children's Hospital that examined Asher. She told us that the evidence in his case would point to the neuroblastoma diagnosis we received on Saturday. However, she wanted to receive the results of one more test before determining the next steps for treatment. She shared that in many cases of neuroblastoma found in infants, the cancer will regress on its own. Part of this may be true but I believe that part of this is testament to the extraordinary gift of life given to us by God and that a new baby is closer to perfection than adults are and can fight off the foreign elements better.

Once she receives the final test results she will be able to exactly determine the next steps, but for now they want to see Asher again in about 2-3 weeks. She had some great news in that once Asher is discharged from the NICU he will come home with us. Praise God! If the cancer has not spread, they will want to see him every 3 months to continue to monitor the size of the tumor to see if it is shrinking or not. If not, then we will need to look at different treatment options.

While the prognosis is good, Amy and I are struggling with a 'wait and see' treatment approach for a few reasons. First, we worry that something worse could happen during the observation period and that we inadvertently cause harm. Second, we both have a bias for action and are very results focused in our lives. Set a goal, build a plan, and execute the plan...right? Waiting feels passive and ineffective. But, we are relying on our faith and will trust in God's plan during this time.  Obviously we want to do what is best for our little guy and will follow the advice of the experts but that doesn't mean we won't challenge to make sure that this really is the best treatment plan for him.

Ways to pray for our family:

• That Asher and Hudson continue to gain strength and learn to eat fully on their own so that can come home before Christmas 
• That Zachary (our 3 1/2 year old) will accept and love his little brothers as real people and not just a concept. He still has not seen them and doesn't really understand what is going on 
• That when we ask the doctors a million questions that they will understand that we are not calling their expertise into question, only that we are probing and testing to ensure that this is the best treatment plan for Asher 
• That Amy continues to heal and strengthen following the loss of so much blood during the birth 
• That our family's faith in our Saviour will grow and strengthen through this adversity in our lives and that we will be a testament to His love