“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”  John 6:33

I have had a rough week.  Our Savior’s words remind me what the world offers: troubles, brokenness, sickness, suffering. But I praise God because my encouragement is that earth is just my temporary home and my suffering is just a temporary condition, as Christ the Messiah has overcome this world. Hallellujah!

I had my Lutathera treatment on June 9^th.  The medication stays in my body for 32 days.  The first couple weeks went so well. When I went for my follow-up visit my oncologist, Doctor Martins, was pleased with my progress. Then three days later it hit. Mostly gastric discomfort, fatigue, body aches, body flushing, and a sore left hip. Praise God for hot baths which seems to be what my body responds to for some relief.

I am starting to feel better today on day 31 of Lutathera.  My prayer is that each day I will feel steadily better and better. A praise is that I am off of morphine and my stomach pain did not come back!  My next scheduled treatment is for August 3rd, 4th and 5th. With the 4^th being the actual Lutathera infusion.

Prayer Requests:

·     For my body to recuperate in the next few weeks so that I will be ready for my August Lutathera treatment.

·     For my appetite.  I have lost a lot of weight and keep on losing.  I am trying very hard to eat, even though I feel nauseous and full. Pray that I can eat enough to maintain my weight or even gain a few pounds.

·     That God would allow the Lutathera to do what it was created to do: destroy the cancer cells.

·     For Patrick and I as we have a little get away this weekend.  For safety, protection and endurance as we travel. 

Resting in His peace,

Debbie (and Patrick too!)

“The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in Him and I am helped.   My heart leaps for joy and I will give thanks to Him in song.”  Psalm 28:7

At my last doctors visit the two doctors were asking some very direct questions about my pain.  I left thinking that I need to monitor by pain better so I could be more precise in my response to them.

On Monday night a week ago, I took my pain pill and realized the next day around noon that I had not yet taken my morning dose.  Hmm.  I put the pill in my pocket and thought I will wait until I feel the pain and then take it.  Well the wonderful news is that the pain never came.  Praise to God and thank you for all your prayers for pain!

Unfortunately, I did not know you are not supposed to quit these things “cold turkey” and by Tuesday night I was feeling awful: cold sweats, chills all over, restless arms, irritable feelings & body aches.  It took me until Thursday night to realize I was going through withdrawal!   First thing Friday morning I called my medical team to tell them what was going on.  They were very ecstatic about the pain but wanted me to get back on the medication at a lower dose and now have me on a weaning process so that I should be off the medication in about another week.

I am so thankful to the Lord for revealing to me that my pain was gone.  I now only have a slight bit of nausea and stiffness in my hip. Please continue to pray for these issues.  Oh, also that the Lutathera treatment would do what it was made to do. My next treatment is scheduled for August 4^th.

Thank you again for loving me well. I am daily encouraged by either cards, notes, texts, flowers, meals, verses, visits & emails. God is so amazing at sending me special blessings- things I never imagined. He truly is a good and creative God.  

Much love to you,

           Debbie (and Patrick)

“Do not be afraid or discouraged because of this great army. For the battle is not yours, but God’s.” II Chronicles 20:15

After the oncologist team cancelled my treatment last Monday night, the chief oncologist called Tuesday morning to say “back to plan A”.  Patrick zoomed me down to S.C.C.A. where I received treatment #2.

I am happy to tell you: no nausea, no dopiness, no darkness, no oppression.  It was a totally different experience than the first time. Thank you for your prayers. God is faithful!!!!!!!!!

The biopsy from the previous week came back and the conclusion is that this newly-discovered mass in my pancreas is my same Carcinoid type. Believe it or not, this is good news because it is not the standard pancreatic “adenocarcinoma” cancer. Since I am already being treated for my type, my present treatment will also, Lord willing, treat this new mass.

So here’s the scoop.  The seven month (April to October) Lutathera treatment can work in different possible ways. It can:  

• Kill all the cancer.
• Shrink the cancer.
• Control the cancer.
• Not work at all.

Need I say more? Please pray!!

The above Bible reference is what I was reviewing the day before my treatment.  What a relief to know that God goes before me in this battle against the cancer.  I read II Chronicles 20:1-29 relating it to me and my cancer battle.  It makes for an interesting hope-filled read.  From this I gained two new memory verses.  The other I will close with:

“You will not have to fight this battle.  Take up your positions, stand firm and see the deliverance the Lord will give you… Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.  Go out and face them tomorrow and the Lord will be with you.  2 Chronicles 20:17

Love, Blessings, Peace, and HOPE,

Debbie  (and Patrick, too)

“But as for me, it is good to be near God.  I have made the sovereign Lord my refuge.   I will tell of all your deeds.”  Psalm 73:28

These past ten days have been full:  visits to the GI specialist, bloodwork, an abdominal ultrasound, an abdominal CT scan and an endoscopy for a Pancreas biopsy. The conclusion is that there is a new mass on my pancreas (which the doctors hope is mere pancreatitis), so we are awaiting the biopsy pathology.

Since the biopsy results are not yet available my planned “Lutathera” treatment for June 8, 9 + 10 has been postponed a few days and may be altered.  I will update as soon as we know our next steps. 

Thanks for praying the verses I shared in my last blog update.  Spiritual warfare prayers from Ephesians 6 are greatly appreciated as well.  I just want to have my spirit, heart and soul focused on the Lord.

Praise: my platelet count is continuing to slowly increase!

Prayer: 

• For my pancreatic enzyme levels to come down to a normal range.
• For God’s will regarding the pancreas biopsy.
• For my platelet count to be high enough for ongoing treatment, Lord willing.
• For my energy level.
• For my spiritual protection as we wait.
• For Patrick’s and my relationship. Going through this journey puts a lot of stress on our marriage.  We want to respect and love each other well.

We love you all so much and are so grateful for your support, encouragement and prayers.  We are so blessed to have family and friends who are so attentive to us and loving us well.

Grace, peace and love to you,

Debbie  (and Patrick, too)

“He reached down from on high and took hold of me, He drew me out of deep water.” Psalms 18:16

Here is my deep water: I have two pancreatic enzymes (amylase and lipase) with abnormally high numbers. I had an appointment today with a GI Specialist to investigate. For this pancreas-related issue, I will have more blood work, an ultrasound and a future endoscopy in June. If the carcinoid has spread to my pancreas then the current treatment which I am receiving will deal with this new activity. If the pancreatic activity is a different type of cancer, then another treatment will have to be considered. Please pray for God’s best.

As a response to treatment I have a very low platelet count.  Please pray for:

• Please pray for higher platelet production.
• Praise: Besides these three levels, the rest of my blood work has come back within the normal ranges.  
• Prayer date:  June 8, 9, and 10^thare the dates of my next scheduled “Lutathera” treatment. Please pray for God’s timing and best for me.

There are some who have shared that they have prayed through the Scriptures that I shared a few weeks ago.  Thank you for sending to me some of the Scriptures the Lord put on your heart for me.  These gifts were like treasured presents under a Christmas tree that I get to open and reflect over for a number of days.  Some have become part of my memory verse collection.  Here are a few more new verses for those who would enjoy praying these verses for me: 

• Daniel 10:12, Isaiah 53:4-5, Zephaniah 3:17, Philippians 4:13 (Amplified version), Psalm 18:1-3.
• Also, II Corinthians 6:18, Jeremiah 17:14, Philippians 4:4-9, 1 Timothy 6:6, Genesis 15:1, Psalm 94:18, II Kings 19:14.

Grace and Peace,                                               

Debbie (and Patrick, too)

At the beginning of this journey everything was so very overwhelming.  So many questions and — to tell the truth — too many answers:  Everyone has an opinion, a recipe, someone they know who had cancer, a secret cure.  In the whirlwind of all this there was just so much which left me feeling paralyzed.  I was afraid to take a step — in case I took the wrong one and messed up everything.  I was afraid of missing God’s will for me!

It was in this chaos that I reached out to dear friends L and V, who I consider my mentors.  As we interacted, they talking and me mostly crying, the Lord spoke so beautifully through them:

“Debbie, you have been walking with the Lord for over 35 years you know His voice.  Just listen to Him.  He will show you and you will know which way to go.”

The odd thing is that after that talk with them my journey went in a direction I never thought it would.  I really wanted to fight cancer naturally but at every try the door was slammed shut.  We interviewed several doctors who I thought for sure would be a perfect fit, but they weren’t.  Patrick and I were led to a Brazilian oncologist (with the very reputable Seattle Cancer Care Alliance), who has a wonderful and laid-back manner and who I knew was the one for us.  Having Dr. Martins’ team (accompanied with a couple of naturopaths as advisors on diet and supplements) seems to have been the best option for me.

After my friend’s exhortation to listen to God’s voice I noticed how the Lord just took control and slowed everything d…o…w…n.   Originally when I would move from doctor to doctor many times I would have to wait a month or more just to get an appointment.  Or when I was told that I would first need this scan or this test, I would then find out the first available appointment was five weeks down the road.  Really!   In all this chaos there was and continues to be an Anchor holding me still, holding me calm, just holding ME. It has been a place of peace, comfort, hope, joy.  A place where I could go and just be just breathe and not even think about the “C”. 

As time went on my realization was that if most of the medical field was not panicking about me waiting around for the next appointment or scan, then I really just needed to let go and trust God for His pace during our whole journey.  I was to adjust pace for a marathon and not a sprint.

God has been so faithful to reassure me of His presence. Most days there is a verse, or a song, or a friends’ encouragement that affirms me that God has all of this under control.  Cancer may have taken Patrick and me by surprise but it has certainly not surprised God.

Lessons gleaned:

• Be still and know that I am God.
• If God is for me who can be against me?
• God’s timing is perfect every time.
• His sheep hear His voice.
• When giving advice to others, ask God first.
• When receiving advice from others, ask God about it first.
• God is the author and perfecter of my faith.
• My journey is MY journey.  This is a special time with a special interaction between me and God. 

Thank you again for walking this journey as my friend.  Praying for you as you walk your special journey with God.

Love,

Debbie (and Patrick too)

           May 5th, 2020

It has been three weeks since my first treatment. Lots of ups and downs. Good days and not so good days. I have more good days than bad but when I am going through a hard day or night it is difficult to remember that and keep the right perspective. This is why it is so amazing to have Jesus as the anchor holding me securely in place. He brings me back to the truth that I am not alone. God is with me, my family is with me, my friends are with me, my medical team is with me. I will get to the other side of cancer.

What does a bad day look like? Mostly abdominal pain, sometimes back pain, bloating with nausea, and lots of fatigue. It doesn’t sound like much but it can be all consuming. I have medication for all these things but managing all this can be quite the challenge.

Thank you for cards and notes of encouragement. God has used these acts of kindness in amazing ways. One day this week after reading in gmail about some new test results that were kind of good news/bad news the next email in my inbox was from a fellow missionary who sent the following encouragement… “Debbie, I prayed these verses for you this morning… “Be at rest once more, O my soul, for the Lord has been good to you. For you O Lord have delivered my soul from death and my eyes from tears and my feet from stumbling, that I may walk before the Lord in the land of the living.” Psalm 116:7-9.

Was that a coincidence? I think not.

I think God timed it that I would read the test results first and then comfort me with His truth. I love these God moments and so fun to be a part of the church doing what the church is called to do and be to one another.

Thanks for continued prayers they make a difference.

Pray for:

• Continued focus on Jesus the anchor of my soul.
• Wisdom in figuring out the balance and timing of medication
• Daily strength to run the race set before me with grace and peace.
• Patrick as he walks this daunting journey by my side and experiences the grief of watching his lovely bride suffer.
• My mom who fell Tuesday early morning and is now in surgery for a broken leg!
• My next treatment schedules – – June 8, 9, 10.

I praise God for:

• The Lord’s peace that passes understanding.
• Our family, friends, church, neighbors who are loving me well.
• A great medical team who are so kind and compassionate.
• The blessing of a good night’s sleep!
• His daily grace – – which is sufficient.
• “God moments” that bring hope and even a smile.

Love you all,

Debbie

“Be careful, keep calm and don’t be afraid, do not lose heart.” Isaiah 7:4

April 18, 2020

The first treatment is behind me and thank God for that. Being drugged up and not being able to think clearly or remember the verses I had stored up left me in a dark place that first day. When I got home and was able to sleep, I could just feel the healing restoration through your prayers at work.

Each time I awoke in the middle of the night I just felt lighter and lighter and knew God was with me. Thank you so much for praying it has made and continues to make a huge difference in my treatment.

All went well with the treatment and now we wait for the medication to find its target and destroy, Lord willing, the cancer cells. I will follow up with my oncologist in one month and will likely have my second treatment in about 8 weeks.

Please be praying that:

• I have relief from continued pain in my pancreas and left hip.
• That I would gain more of an appetite.
• That the Lord would restore my energy.
• That I would continue to glean the life lessons the Lord has for me to learn through this journey.
• That God would use this treatment to destroy the cancer cells for His glory.

Also, pray for Patrick, Sarah and Kathryn as they journey this road with me.

Please let me know how I can pray for you.

When I wake up in the middle of the night the Lord brings you and others to mind. So let me know how I can be remembering you and your journey.

Love and blessings,

Debbie

Many times in Scripture we see the example of people being called together to pray.  As I am about to enter a season of treatment that is quite daunting I am sounding the trumpet asking you to join me in prayer for this battle against cancer. Prayer can align our will and desire to that of the will of God.  Through the story of Hezekiah we see that prayer can even effect the heart of God.

Would you join me in prayer for the following?:

• For pretreatment Monday, April 13^th and treatment Tuesday all day April 14^th.
• For the weeks that follow when the “Lutathera Target-Therapy” will be at work in my body.
• That God would be my shield and very great reward (Genesis15:1).  That He would shield every healthy cell of my body from the cancer as well as shield me from any possible side effects from the medication.
• That the Lutathera Treatment  would be very successful and that each target would be hit and the cancer cells destroyed.
• That my body would work well with the Lutathera medication.
• That God would allow me an unusual amount of energy, health, and that current areas of pain (hip, shoulder, stomach, back) would be dealt with through the treatment.
• For strength, peace, patience, rest ….. for Patrick as he looks after me.
• For our girls – Sarah and Kathryn – as they, too, walk this journey with me.

Here are some verses that I have written on my heart over the past few months regarding this journey. Please pray these for me and if God puts a special verse on your heart for me please let me know.

Psalm 40:13, Isaiah 49:23b, Psalm28:7, Psalm 33:18, Proverbs 14:30a, Ecclesiastes 8:5b-6, Philippians 4:19, Isaiah 48:17,

1 Peter 3:14b-15, Isaiah 33:6, Psalm 23, Lamentations 3:21-26, Proverbs 18:10, Isaiah 42:16, Isaiah 7:4,

Exodus 15:26, Ephesians 6:10-18, Daniel 10:18, Proverbs 30:5b, Psalm 130:5-6, Isaiah 41:10.

Thanks for standing with me in prayer!

Debbie

   debbie.oconnor@e3partners.org

The Lord is good to those whose hope is in Him, to the one who seeks Him; it is good to wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord.  Lamentations 3:25-26

Thanks so much for journeying with me these months in prayer, friendship, encouragement and love. This cancer journey has not been easy and has come with lots of ups and downs. Also with a lot of emotional stress, but God has remained my strong and steady anchor of life. Heb 6:19:  “We have this hope as an anchor for the soul – – firm and secure.”

I have seen that God has been the one daily who makes that which does not really matter fade away. And He makes that which should matter flash like bright neon signs for me to see. He guides Patrick and me to choose what becomes obvious — bringing balance, wisdom and peace.

From last month’s cancer scan our Oncology team from Seattle Cancer Care Alliance has recommend a ‘targeted therapy’ called radio-immunotherapy “Lutathera (Lu 177)” treatment. This is a new approach (since 2015) which essentially allows the medicine (taken through injection once every eight weeks for 8 months) to ‘target’ the cancer lesions, but to not effect other areas of my body.

 I will start radio-immunotherapy this next Monday April 13^th  (lab and prep day) and Tuesday April 14^th  (actual treatment day). I will get a total of four treatments over the next eight months.  Please pray for healing, peace, wisdom. Also, for no side effects — and even joy during this portion of the journey. Please pray specifically for Patrick, my primary care giver (de excellence!), that he too would be filled with God’s peace and hope. He has been very patient and supportive and has even improved in some of his cooking skills!

I will be updating you through this blog [ http://www.thedebbiesjourney.travel.blog/ ] over the next few months. I am optimistic and filled with hope, which only the Lord can give. If you would like to send a note to me I would love to hear from you. You can leave a comment below or email me at debbie.oconnor@e3partners.org

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Love and blessings to you,

Debbie

debbie.oconnor@e3partners.org