March 22, 2008
Dear CCAM Partners and Friends,
Except for the fact that the tumor is growing back and Buntheep has occasional mild symptoms of dizziness, nausea, or headache, nevertheless she is steadily improving in her overall physical recovery. Due to weeks of physical therapy, her knees are not as painful as before, so she is now walking around more without depending on the wheelchair. However, physical therapy will continue until all of her knee pain is gone and she is strong enough to run, jump, and dance.
Buntheep's Gamma Knife radiation therapy will be performed on Thursday, March 27. That will be an all-day procedure. Please keep praying for protection for Buntheep's natural body parts while the tumor inside her head is being zapped. May the doctors receive divine wisdom as they make decisions and supernatural skill as they implement them. And may every cell of that tumor receive a death sentence, so as to never grow back again. Please pray against any complications from the equipment attached to her head, the radiation, or the anesthesia.
Dr. Aldana is considering following up the radiation treatment with chemotherapy—technically biotherapy---a hormone called Calcitonin, which has been used to shrink tumors. If any tumor cells survive the radiation, this drug might cause them to shrink and disappear.
In the past, a student at CCAM named Bora received several rounds of expensive growth hormones that were donated. If any of you know where we could get donations of the hormone Calcitonin to take back to Cambodia for Buntheep, please let me know. We would need enough doses for two years.
Although I did have a doctor's appointment yesterday, there are still some blood tests outstanding and some new ones ordered, so I will report on the total results later. The liver biopsy performed two weeks ago showed moderate nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (deposits of fat in the liver). The doctor recommended going on the South Beach Diet to help improve that condition. At this stage, there should be no physical symptoms, but I am suffering from abdominal discomfort and bloating anyway. So, on April 7, I am scheduled for an abdominal CAT scan to try to figure out what is causing that. The follow-up doctor's visit will be on April 15. So I would appreciate your prayers for my healing too.
May you all be blessed this Easter season with a new understanding of God's love. And may your faith be renewed in the resurrection power of our God.
In His Hands,
Gioia and Buntheep