Just a quick note.  I am doing well.  Slowly getting my strength back.  My doctor told me that it would take about 8 weeks to recover from radiation, but I was hoping that I would bounce back a little quicker.  Life is regaining a bit of a rhythm and I am enjoying being outside more - although my allergies seem a lot worse.  Hard to say if I am getting old or still recovering, or maybe a little of both.

I have a couple of things going on this week.  I will have a checkup with my Oncologist and Tuesday and this Friday I will be having surgery to have my chemo-port removed.  Thanks for all the prayers.

Chris

Finished Radiation, First Post-treatment scan tomorrow

I finished radiation on schedule and the Lord continues to provide.  I have a couple of freckle tattoos and two large patches of skin that are missing hair and look sunburned, but on the whole I am doing well.  Additionally I received a certificate and they let me ring the bell for my ceremonious last day of treatment.  It is great to be finished and to be working on my strength and endurance.

Tomorrow I will go in for my first post-treatment CT scan to make sure everything is clear.  Not really very revealing since I will not know the results until next week at my doctor visit.  My first CT scan during my treatment was very anxiety producing.  I had a lot of concerns that the chemo would be found ineffective.  Thank you for your prayers regarding this.  The Lord has given me a lot of peace about a number of things in addition to the last test and this test tomorrow.  To be sure, I have thought about the possibility of something being found and even having to start chemo again, but I am quickly reminded that He has provided and will continue to provide during the storm.

Thank you for your thoughts and prayers- they have meant a lot to me and my family- Chris

Half-way with Radiation

I have finished my first 10 radiation treatments without too much trouble.  I am struggling with a couple of things but it is very minor when compared to chemotherapy.  Keeping well hydrated seems to be my biggest challenge, just can't seem to drink enough fluids.

I met with my doctor; things are progressing and I am still on schedule to finish my treatments (yeah) this month.

While I do have my good days and bad, Andra and I were able to go spend a short weekend at a bed-and-breakfast to celebrate our 14th wedding anniversary.  It was a rainy weekend, but we brought our umbrella and had a great time.

Thank you for all your prayers and support!
Chris

December Update

Uffda!  I (Chris) have been having a hard time logging in to update the blog.  Sorry that this is so late.  A number of things have happened.  I received my last chemotherapy treatment on November 27th.  Thank you so much for you prayers and support.  How I feel really is nothing short of miraculous and a measure of blessing that is hard to quantify.  I got really sick the treatment prior, and I thought that the accumulation was simply starting to takes its toll.  Again thank you so much for your prayers.  I have felt just fantastic this past week.  I was able to go with Andra to her work Christmas party and it was just a sweet time.  The folks at D&D have really been a huge blessing to Andra and especially to our family during this season.  It was wonderful to see everyone but I still really stink at the white elephant game - never pick the big present!

I am still not quite out of the woods.  I will start radiation after the first of the year.  This is fairly standard for the treatment of Hodgkins Lymphoma.  It is a 4 week/ 20 treatment regiment, but the doctors have explained the side effects are minor - very minor when compared to chemo.  The only real stink of it is that one of my kidneys is in the way.  I did not find a lot of comfort as the doctor explained that I have two kidneys and that I do not need both.  I will be going in the week after Christmas to do the planning, where they will work on positioning me and the radiation pattern.  Please continue to pray for the doctors and technicians that these treatments would go well and for protection of my kidney.

Merry Christmas!  I am really looking forward to the next couple of weeks.  Although I sometimes feel like I am trying to make up for the past six months, it is great to rejoin the living.  May the Lord bless and keep you during this wonderful season.

One more...

We are 7 days away from Chris' last chemo treatment. (Pause and thank God). As it is with most things difficult, it seems like 6 months has gone by so slowly and yet June seems like yesterday. Despite the amazing fact that Chris is nearly done with his treatment it has been hard to stay joyful. I think we are emotionally "tapped out" and crawling towards the marathon tape with bloodied knees and sweaty faces! We were reminded recently to be grateful for all that we have and what has occurred in our lives.  We had the wonderful privilege of being unexpectedly prayed for during each service at church 2 weeks ago- unfortunately we were late and waiting in the lobby while it was happening and missed it all! Wish we could have heard that beautiful noise.

I feel like Im rambling... sorry about that.

When we met with Dr. B last week he told us that he would have the radiologist look at Chris's scans to determine if he would ultimately need radiation treatment or not. Because of the size of one of the original tumors and the fact that Chris had night sweats, his stage is borderline for needing radiation. If he needs it, it would start mid December and be 5 days a week for 4 weeks, pushing his treatment into mid January.  While radiation decreases the chance of Hodgkins recurrence by 3-4%, it increases Chris' risk of getting other cancers later in life by 3-4%. Lovely. Since he is only 39, he has lots of year left to potentially develop radiation related cancers.  All in all, its not a great place to be decision wise and we are hopeful that the radiologist will be clear and emphatic in their opinion. We are hoping to hear back on that by late this week or early next week.

We are totally enjoying this homework/meeting/work vacation this week and are thankful for the break here at the end of it all. And we are thankful for you!!!

The finish line...

I (Chris) wanted to tell you myself the results of my recent PET scan. Unfortunately I received chemo the same day I received the results and I have been having a hard time bouncing back this past week.  My cancer is gone.  I have some scar tissue and that is all that remains from the previously cancerous lymph nodes.  My doctor told me this is normal and over time the scar tissue will resolve.  To be sure this is great news, but I really want to be done with chemo.  I will have three more treatments, with the last on November 27th. The end is near!

I am doing ok.  I am happy about my diagnosis, but I still struggle with being sick and what I consider being a 'part time' dad.  It has been an amazing season.  Not exactly a sabbatical, but the Lord has been gracious simply in the time to stop and be still.  At the beginning I had expectations of a radical and complete change in who I am and how I do life, you know, go 'full on Denton.'  Again, the Lord is good and has shown me that I have a lot of issues to face- sanctification can be a long process, and He is giving me some time to work on them.


I (Andra) want to share the family side of Chris' good news.  As you can tell from Chris' words above, he is sooooo ready to be done with this whole process.  He struggles with the limitations that the cancer has placed on him and wants so badly to be 'back in the race.' We try to encourage him as best we can that getting better is the most important thing- not mowing the grass or helping with homework.

I would say after having a week of heard the words 'cancer free,' that we are still in shock and a little numb- so if you see us and we seem less than exuberant, just know that we are adjusting to the news. Since we still have several chemo treatments left, it doesn't quite seen over.  Unfortunately, radiation is still a possibility that we may need to face- please pray for us about that.

Thank you. Thank you for all the things you have said, things you have done and things yet to be done for our family.  We truly could not have functioned as well as we have without you. Five months of help is nothing to sneeze at!  God has shown us so clearly through all of this, how loved we are by you.  We look forward to many joyful conversations and meals to come with you all! Yea!!

CT scan results are in

Chris got his test results back Tuesday on his CT scan last week. The doctor said that the tumors had decreased in size. One of the tumors was reduced almost 50% in size.  His chest was clear and there were no new cancer tumors. He will be on the same regimen of chemo and for now radiation is not needed. He was able to complete his chemo treatment yesterday, so that makes two treatments in a row since his blood counts are holding steady. His next treatment will be the halfway point in the entire process. Good, good, good news!
He says he is feeling good, and waiting for his white blood cell creating shot to kick in- the side effects usually last 1-2 days and after a week or so, he starts to feel pretty good.  He still has his hair, but the doctor expressed some surprise that he hadn't started losing it yet.  At the beginning they said he may not lose it- so I guess its a 50-50 shot at keeping it.
School starts next Monday and we have Meet the Teacher this Thursday night, but Chris probably wont be able to attend due to fatigue and lots of potential germs! Please be praying for us as school starts and we begin yet another routine of class, homework, Cub Scouts and work.  We have been loved on so much this summer with all of the meals and helping around our house and the phone calls/emails. Thank you for your prayers and support.  Andra and Chris

No News

Lots of people have been asking about the results of Chris' CT scan this past Tuesday. We haven't heard anything yet and probably won't until his next chemo treatment next Tuesday. In my eyes, no news is good news- if it was bad news I think they would call us, so I am choosing to be hopeful that the results are good! I will definitely let you know when I know! Andra

Upcoming CT Scan

Friends-
  Chris is going in tomorrow (Tuesday) for his first follow-up CT scan since chemotherapy began in June.  Basically, its to see if the cancer has gotten any smaller or if its changed locations. We are hopeful that things are going in the right direction. Chris has been able to have his last two chemo treatments in a row- no missed treatments due to low white or red blood cell counts!
  He's starting to feel a bit better this week after having chemo last week. It takes a full week for him to recover at this point. We are trying to enjoy the last two weeks of summer before the boys head back to school. Summer has passed so quickly with all our family drama these days!

Quiet and Chemo

Friends- it is very quiet at our home right now. My in-laws have graciously taken the boys to their home until Friday. Chemo and cleaning and exercise and movies are on the agenda.  Chris is scheduled for chemo on Tuesday and we are hopeful that he will be able to complete this round. He hasn't missed a round since the last time I told you about it, thankfully.
The boys and I went to a Rangers game against the Chicago White Sox a week or so ago. After sweltering in the 100 plus degree sun for an hour, we got some shade on the third base line and watched the Rangers score a victory. The boys got free Elvis Andrus jerseys, bought Rangers hats and consumed illegal amounts of sugary drinks and ice cream. Fun was had by all.
Thanks again to all the people who have helped us out with meals, and childcare and prayer. Each and every one a blessing.

Good news and Sad news

Last Friday, I heard something that I never wanted to hear. My cousin Alan, 39 years old this year, passed away at a hospital in Chicago.  He had been fighting cancer for several years now.  He had come back from so many scary situations that I was convinced that he always would.  Not this time.  He and I were very close as children and I have some hilarious stories I could share.  Unfortunately after our grandmother passed away in our teen years we didnt get as many opportunities to spend time together anymore. He always had a smile on his face and I never once heard him complain.  He had his bad days, weeks even, but he suffered well.  His best friend unexpectedly passed away 2 months ago, and our family is convinced that they had this all planned out in advance.  He leaves a big hole in our families life. He has given our family a wonderful example of how to battle cancer. Please pray for my aunt and uncle, his brother and sister and his beautiful wife and children.  They have an Alan sized hole  that only God can fill for them. So thankful that he is no longer in any of the chronic pain he has experienced the last few years.
Chris had chemo last Friday and had a shot on Monday that increased his WBC count to normal levels. ( To our children's delight this meant we were able to go out in public and eat fast food together!) The shot's side effects were painful and long lasting.  Its unclear if he will need these each chemo round  or just as needed. Chris' brother Jeremy and his wife Lanette came to visit for several days and did everything from babysit the boys to making meals to cleaning our air vents. Pretty sure this elevates them to sainthood status- they endured Going Bonkers... 'nuff said.

Friday the 6th

Chris WAS able to have his chemo treatment today. His WBC count was up to 4 from 2-ish earlier this week. I have two possible theories as to why they are up so high. #1: the insane amount of orange fruits and vegetables he consumed this week in either whole or juiced form (a whole bag of carrots in only a few hours is one example). He's going to be tanner looking in a week or so from all the beta- carotene he's eaten. #2: all of your prayers going out on his behalf- thank you. If you remember, please pray for my cousin Alan who has been fighting cancer for several years now- he was hospitalized while on a family trip to Chicago, due to blood clots, and may need some additional surgeries soon. His wife Melissa and their two kids would really appreciate your prayers. Chris has been a bit loopy today due to the steroid shot they give him on chemo day. It makes him feel pretty good for abour 24 hours. Let's just say he gets giggly- its fun to watch! No "roid rage" happening here. On the schedule for the weekend: lots of rest.

1.1 is not enough

Chris was scheduled to have his next chemo treatment today. But, when he arrived and they checked his white blood cell count it had gone from very low to extremely low. Normal WBC range is 4-8, and last week Chris' count was "low" at 2.8. This week he hit an all time low of 1.1 (sigh).  Apparently the chemo kills off the new baby blood cells that his blood marrow makes and it takes time for them to "grow." Dr. B is confident that his counts will be back up to "low" by Monday, and chemo can continue.
I think this may be the way things go for a while during these first few months of treatment as his body tries to recuperate. Chris isn't allowed to go anywhere AT ALL this weekend to avoid all you "germy" people, so basketball games and church will be solo affairs for me and the boys. Please pray for lots of new baby white blood cells between now and Monday!

Shout Outs!

I wanted to give thanks to many of the people who have made such a difference in our sanity levels the last few weeks.

• The Humphries and Johnsons for keeping us fed- can you say homemade chocolate mint ice cream and lasagna?  (The Leavells, Francis', Pierces, Johnsons, Escobars and Smiths fattened us up a bit too).
• My FIL Terry for coming to take care of some things around the house last week and MIL Karen for 3 plates of cookies.
• Maggie for checking on me all the time and Ryan for taking Chris to his doctor's appointment while I was at work. 
• My coworkers who check on me when Im there and give me hugs when I need them (you know who you are).  
• Beverly for driving the boys to basketball practice and Evelyn for keeping us supplied with fruit, nuts and caramel apples.  
• Mindy for the yummy treat basket she made for all the doctors appointments.
• Jon and Andrea for lots of new dvds to watch and Anne for watching the boys so I could run errands and take a nap. 
• Rebekah for having the boys over for a play date and our neighbors Shane and Rhonda and Delaine who have volunteered to take care of our grass all summer.  
• Mary Beth and Brian for unexpectedly bringing us dinner last Friday after the chemo treatment, saving us from cooking dinner.  
• The Brices for inviting our homegroup over to their house for game night, the Johnsons who organized prayer for us the weekend Chris was diagnosed, and Tiffany for buying me and the boys lunch yesterday.  
• My co-workers who filled in for me while I was out and my patients for the sweet card they gave to me.
• EVERYONE who has sent an email, letter, text or phone call. Its obvious we are truly blessed!

"Pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus."  1 Thess. 5:17-19

A Week Gone By...

   Its been a week since Chris' first chemo treatment.  He has struggled with dizziness and low blood pressure all week, keeping him at home and horizontal most of the time.  The latter half of the week, he was able to push through a bit more and spend some quality time with me and the boys.  He saw his oncologist, Dr. B on Thursday who said that his white blood cell count, which was already low, dropped just a bit from the chemo. But overall, he was pleased with how Chris was doing. 


   Chris does have some interesting restrictions due to the cancer and his low immunity levels. He is not only restricted from public places with lots of people (church excluded), but also from the local pool, ("dirty places" according to Dr. B), but also from going to and eating from restaurants.  He's only allowed to eat food that I or friends have prepared, to protect him for poorly cooked food and random germs.  No take out for the Sterziks for a while (don't tell Chris, but we went to Chik-fil-A on Friday).


We are taking the phrase "One day at a time" very seriously around here these days.  Focusing on the fact that we have each other, friends and God to sustain us. Keep praying- we need it!

Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.   Matthew 6:34


Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.    Phil 4:6-7 

Post Chemo

Chris had his first chemo on Friday. His dad Terry went with him while I ferried the boys to a doctor appointment, ran some errands, and took a nap while my friend Anne watched the boys. They had a playmate that afternoon, so everyone was busy! He felt ok Friday night, but is starting to feel worse as time passes, which we expected. He wasn't able to go to the boys basketball games today but was there in spirit. We are trying to get him prepared for trying to go into work a little bit later next week, so if anyone wants to go shopping for chemo stuff at Target, give me a shout. Yet another sweet family bought us a meal tonight- thank you J and P! The updates will start to slow down probably as things slow down here to a more manageable state. Another sweet friend has set up a Care Calender where we list different needs we might have. If you are interested just let me know. If not for all your prayers and help, we would a much more exhausted Sterzik family! Love, Chris and Andra

Tests finished...for now

Quick Update: The oncologist told us yesterday that Chris' cancer is Stage II B (out of 4 stages) and that his bone marrow biopsy was "clean" indicating no cancer in his bones at this point.  Both of these things are good signs, and Chris should see some improvement in his current symptoms after the first chemo treatment. Of course, chemo side effects will probably kick in- but hey, we like change right?

Today (Thursday): Im exhausted by the events of the day and I don't have cancer, so Im amazed at how well Chris is doing tonight. As you know, we had an extremely tight and probably impossible testing schedule today and yesterday. A number of wonderful things happened that I want to share.

Blessing number 1: The hospital called and asked us to come in early for Chris' port placement, getting us in 45 minutes ahead of schedule- we never would have made it to the next test if this hadn't happened.  The placement went perfectly, but Chris' blood pressure was too low to leave the hospital. We had to wait almost an hour total for him to finish "recovery." We left the hospital at 2:15, the same time as his PET scan was scheduled 20 minutes away in Denton.

Blessing number 2: After calling the office, they agreed to give us 15 more minutes to arrive- we made it there in record time, rolling in at 2:30pm. The PET scan went well and we should have the results back in time for Chris' chemo tomorrow morning.

Blessing number 3: Chris seems less tired and anxious than in days past. Its like a weight has been lifted having all the tests done.  He's sore from the port placement in his left chest wall, but moving around, eating, resting and generally doing well.

Blessing number 4: When the oncologist called yesterday and said he wanted us to come in right that minute, 4 hours earlier than our appointment to give us test results,  our friend Kim was able to arrive in record time after I sent out a flurry of text messages.  I don't know what we would do without all the babysitting, meals and prayers we have been given.

Blessing number 5: the boys are doing really well with all the crazy happening around here.  Apart from Jacob's concern that we don't know why Chris has cancer, they are taking it all in stride.  Last night we read Psalm 46 during our night-time devotional. It speaks of a time when King David was "in a scary place" and he trusted in God to be his safe place and his source of strength.  God's timing of this Psalm reading is great- a wonderful reminder that he is to be trusted in times of desperation. Thank you, thank you, thank you for all the emails, texts, calls and prayers- just hearing the offers of help and thoughts you give are one of the ways God is providing for our family.

God is our refuge and strength, 

an ever-present help in trouble. 

Therefore we will not fear, 

though the earth give way and the 

mountains fall into the heart of the sea...

The Lord Almighty is with us; 

the God of Jacob is our fortress.

Psalm 46 

Scratch that- A change in plans

All aboard the crazy train! Due to Chris' health issues all tests have been moved up and rearranged. Wednesday Oncology appointment 1:30 pulmonary function test Pre op at Presby for port placement Thursday 10am arrival at Presby Hospital FLower Mound - port placement - noon surgery 2:15 PET SCAN  in Denton Friday  10:30 chemo - 4 hours BIG PRAYER NEEDED: either for Chris' port placement to be moved up even a half hour OR that the procedure takes less time than anticipated in order to get him back to Denton in time for his PET scan on Thursday. It doesn't seem like its possible. If one of them doesn't happen he won't be able to start chemo on Friday. I won't be able to take off work on Thursday so we are hoping Chris' mom or dad can come to drive him to his next appointment on Thursday after the port is placed. Thanks again for all your prayers!

A Speeding Train

 Friends-  things are starting to ramp up into warp speed for us.  Chris had a really bad night last night between a high fever and drenching night sweats. He was up changing clothes every couple of hours. After talking to his oncologist last night and again this morning, Dr. B wants to start chemo this Friday right after Chris gets his chemo port placed.  He's pushing to get us in today for the pulmonary test and to see him again this afternoon. We have the PET scan Thursday and the port placement Friday.  We were hoping to start chemo next week, but Dr. B doesn't want to wait any longer.

  Chris is really exhausted and is probably pushing himself harder than he needs to be, between work and all the cancer testing and life in general. After the fever broke early this morning, he was able to sleep peacefully for a few hours. He went to a chemo training class yesterday afternoon and found out what chemo medications he will be taking. He will go in for chemo for one day every 2 weeks for a 4 hour treatment session. They will give him 4 medications one after the other and then we have to wait and see how he responds/feels to the treatment. So many unknowns these days.  Life is never really in our control, even though we like to think it is- all of this is a reminder that God is in control and we are along for the ride. The good news is that He is right there with us leading the way.

 Please pray for strength for Chris- emotionally and physically. He's processing and worrying about anything and everything.  Pray that our appointments go smoothly and that we are able to get everything done today that Dr. B wants us to do.  Pray that the chemo side effects are mild and that Chris can bounce back quickly. Finally pray that the cancer will be destroyed and Chris restored!

A Diagnosis

We are TIRED friends. Emotionally and physically and spiritually tired. But it is with GLAD hearts that we can tell you that we have a definitive diagnosis. Chris has been diagnosed with Hodgkins type Lymphoma, which is a relatively uncommon variation of lymphoma. The good news is that its a very curable form of lymphoma. The bad news is that Chris will require 6 months of chemotherapy, occurring every 2 weeks. He is scheduled to have a medication port placed in his chest next week, as well as a few more tests (they never seem to end) and then chemo is tentatively going to start the week of June 18th. We still don't know the stage or severity of the cancer but should know soon.

Its all so surreal. Having cancer is like you unwillingly joined a club that no one wants to be a part of. You are required to attend meetings that you don't want to go to and pay thousands of dollars for the pleasure of doing so!

Our oncologist, Dr. B has been a force to be reckoned with for us- he has gotten us in to see doctors who didn't have appointments available when we called and pushed all Chris' tests through at the hospital with amazing speed.  Chris' primary doctor, Dr Desai is a believer and an elder at our old church, and has asked the elders there to be praying for us. Our church prayed for us at Elder Led Prayer on Wednesday with hundreds of our church body.  Family and friends near, far and wide have sent us words of comfort and hope lifting our spirits during this hard, hard time.  It has all literally kept us going this past week. All I can say is thank you. I've included a link to information on Hodgkins below if you are interested.

Hodgkin's lymphoma information site

"Be strong and courageous. Do not fear or be in dread of them, for it is the LORD your God who goes with you. He will never leave you or forsake you." Deut. 31:6