Pretty good day

Day three of treatment went fairly well. We celebrated some success today. Today's treatment was focused on squeezing the bile out of the liver using a very acidic oily solution. This irritates the liver and can produce a violent reaction either in the way of vomiting or diarrhea. Mark was fortunate to only have some moderate cramping and no vomiting. However, he was able to eliminate the solution which was the desired response. Dr. Diaz says that this is a sign that the bile will be able to move out of the liver. He was very pleased. This also meant that Mark was able to eat today - sort of! It actually means that he and Dr. Diaz will eat together. Today on the menu was soup and salad. I promise it was a salad like none other than Mark has eaten. Many raw vegetables and some Braggs aminos to dress it up. You should have heard him bragging on it. I wanted to just fall out over him eating it without complaining, and he was going on about how good it was! We think he must have been really hungry from the fasting! He kept trying to get the kids to feed him more. He was actually complaining of being hungry. He hasn't done that in a very long time. Mark slept most of the day, but he woke in rare form. After the good news and the OK to drink a sprite, he started being a little feisty. By days end, Dr. Diaz felt like he could see a some improvement in his jaundice. I can't say that it was real noticeable, but maybe after we sleep. The days end with Mark's favorite part, the MASSAGE! It's a great way to end the day and make him ready for bed - where he has been resting quite well - without pain medicine! It has been 42 hours since he last needed pain medicine.
A big thanks to all those who have been shopping, cooking, running, and taking care of kids. We love you, Missy

Wow!

That is just all I can say. Dr. Diaz has been here just one day and I am blown away by him. This is so unbelievable that I think I could pinch myself and wake up, but I sure don't want too. If you only knew the flood of thoughts that run through our minds continuously. So this morning (or last night - it all runs together) I am thinking that God might have sent an angel to my house! Nooo, I don't think I have lost it. I feel like I am in one of those Lifetime Christmas shows! The only reason I am not 100% certain yet is that the angels on TV and in the bible for that matter always disappear when their task is complete. Hmmmmmm?!

I wish you could see the smile on my face and the warmth in my heart from what is happening at the house on the hill. I thank God that he has kept us in the house long enough to get to use the back porch for "healing" purposes. I know that Grandma and Grandpa have huge smiles on their faces. To think that the added on concreted floor and screeded in porch and all of its history is being utilized in an amazing way. Thanks Uncle George and Aunt Betty for allowing us this opportunity. While our time in the house may be limited, the memories here will last forever.

So while our most pressing issue is Mark's healing, no doubt we are witnessing spiritual and emotional healing as well. Dr. Diaz makes it very clear that he does not work miracles, but God does and through prayer God hears and answers. We just have to keep doing our job and let him do his. Dr Diaz is open to visitors during Mark's treatment. There are times that there is a need for privacy, and this is the reason they are in a separate room. I would encourage you to come out. I know Mark would love to visit and hasn't been up to getting out as much. I know many have asked for more detail on what type of treatment Mark is getting. I will try to outline more of that in another post. In a hurry to get back home. Missy

The Dr. is in

Dr Diaz arrived last pm approx 7pm. He arrived at the place he was staying and I encouraged him to stay there and start to our house fresh this am. He came out about 0900 and visited for a while about his plan. They got him set up and the work begins! Dr. Diaz is a wonderful person. I wish you could all be here to hear his story and how he came to do what he does. I have been contacted by several people who know of him and are very encouraged that we have found him to work with us. We are fortunate that God has brought him here. He definitely is ministering to us in more than one way. Many thanks to his wife and children in New Mexico who are sharing him with us. I said before that one can't possibly deny God's presence in all of this. These things don't just happen by coincidence. Mark was chosen for this experience and God has BIG plans for him through all of this.

Part of the plan this week is to fast for several days getting his nutrition from juicing. We have been doing this for a couple of weeks now. It has worked well because Mark's appetite has been very low and this way he is able to get nutrition from less volume. So tonight it is catfish for "the last supper".

I will try to keep you posted on our adventures here. Hope everyone is warming up!
Love, Missy

On the road

Dr. Diaz is on the road. He sent a message saying he left at 430 this morning. I have no idea when he will arrive. I honestly don't know where he is coming from or how fast he is able to travel. Just sending prayers for a safe trip for him. Kids are out again today. I think this is starting to cut into our summer! (Which I can't wait for, by the way). More later, Missy

Everyone warm?

It is soooooo cold. Nelda, you must know that some rooms are definitely warmer than others! One bright note is that the "girls" room is not near as frigid as it used to be. I remember not even worrying about dessert because it was too cold in the room to go looking for the dessert!

Mark and I got out of the house today. Mark insisted that he was going to drive to WF. A big thanks to Chris, Donna, Austin and Landon who shoveled a road through the huge drifts of snow so we could get the pick-up out. We ran a few errands, did a little work, and got to visit with Grandma and Grandpa. It was a pretty good day and he has felt fairly well today.

We heard fro Dr. Diaz this evening. The snow has ended there and I 40 has re-opened. He plans to leave at 3-4am. He says this will put him at 287 at approx 9 am. We pray he will have an uneventful trip here.

The kids are out yet another day tomorrow. I think they are a little stir crazy as well. Austin actually said he might be ready to go back to school!

Hope all is well for everyone. Love to all, Missy

Just another test.

Well there had to be some challengesin this great plan, right? I mean could it really all have happened so easy? It wouldn't be for real if there wasn't some kink in the road (or snow!)
We heard from Dr. Diaz a couple of times today. He is anxiously awaiting the ability to be able to travel. He started out at 5 am this morning but was forced to turn back due to dangerous roads and very low visiblity. We had a pretty good lazy day here. Some cards and a little tv, a couple of movies. It seemed each time we got an itch to go drive and check the place out, then someone would have a good "getting stuck" story for us. We played it safe and had a nice quiet day. Hope everyone else did the same. Love to all, Missy

What Happened to the Weather?!!!!

Can we rewind to Saturday? What happened to my beautiful weather. While the snow is beautiful also, I could do without the incredible winds. I feel like the Little House on the Prairie is gonna be pick up and land somewhere else - like with Dorothy and Toto in the Wizard of Oz!

We are anxiously awaiting Dr. Diaz's arrival. Unfortunately, we haven't heard how far he has made it or if he even was able to leave New Mexico. We do hope he is all right and pray for his safety if he is on the road. I expect we will here from him soon.

As for yesterdays appointment, we were able to visit at length with Dr. McCollum. He had located some of the genetic testing that he had ordered early on that answered one of our questions. There is some "targeted" therapy that could be of assistance in treating Mark. This means that rather than treating all cells, the cancer as well as healthy cells, it would Target only the cancer cells. It seems that about 50% of colon cancers are of a non-mutated form and can be treated with this medicine. Mark falls into this group. This medicine (an hour infusion) targets the protein that sends the signal to the nucleus of a cancer cell telling it to divide and grow. It blocks that signal from being transmitted. It has few side effects outside of a skin rash that occurs and resolves after time. The drawback is that it works best when combined with chemotherapy. Mark is still firm on no more chemotherapy. It can be used as a stand alone treatment with about a 20% chance of shrinking tumors up to 50%. He gave us the literature on the drug Vectebix and told us to think about it and see if we wanted to consider adding to whatever alternative treatment Dr. Diaz has to offer. We also discussed a liver procedure to relieve Mark's liver of the build up of bile due to the toxins. He discouraged this saying that a stent would not be likely and a tube placement would present risk and likely alter his quality of life. He was very caring and supportive and will help Mark in whatever treatment he chooses. He says he has had many, many patients utilize complimentary treatments, some of which he was even convinced were effective! We are hoping for the same luck!

Mark is resting, as is the rest of my house! Looks like a pretty lazy day at the Brown house. Makes for great rest! Much love, Missy.