Health Update - 27 July 2010

Dear Friends,

For all of you who are so faithfully upholding us in prayer, I want to let you know how we're doing.

Last Wednesday, I had my first infusion of the CD-40 drug that is designed to work in concert with the chemo treatment. Again, there are only 2 others receiving this trial. The infusion only takes 25 minutes but they're required to observe me after the infusion for the following 6 hours. One of the men in the trial had severe shakes, the other fellow only had a mild chill in reaction. My Dad reckons I'm the swing guy to see what will happen to me. We prayed that none of the side effects would come upon me and nothing did happened. No shakes, not even a chill. Lying there for hours, the Lord granted me a peace concerning the treatment that's difficult to put into words.

In the meantime, I'm spending a lot of time lying around yet finding it difficult to read. I taken to reciting Scripture verses in my mind working my way through various books of the Bible chapter by chapter, recalling the Scripture. It's actually been amazing to realize how much you can actually recall. Likewise, I'm drawn to praising to God in song continually (even though it's only in my mind). Some of my favourites are: "Holy, holy, holy"; "Thank you, Lord, for saving my soul"; "He is Lord"; and "O Lord, Our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth".

So, I'm operating on a three week cycle: The first weds. is the chemo; the following weds. is the CD-40; and the final weds. are tests. Right now, I'm feeling well and the effects of the chemo seem minimal. My mouth does present some problems like sores; irritation; and frankly, my teeth plain hurt like they just had a good clean. Over the next ten days, I plan to consume large quantities of food to get my weight and strength back up to the next round of chemo. I don't know if it's right to pray for gluttony but that's kind of how I'm feeling.

• Be praying that the chemo and CD-40 are doing their job.
   
• My parents are flying back to the USA after having been with us for a month. It will be hard saying goodbye but they've promised to return and I intend to hold them to it.
   
• Praise God; the word is that my special bed will arrive on Weds. so I can move out of the living room recliner and into a bedroom with my wife again.

As you can imagine, this spiritual journey take can one into dark places. I dreamt the other night of driving behind the wheel of a car with the windows fogging up and nothing I could do would clear my outlook. Driving down a crowded road with little certainty of what lies just in front of me. Pray for that Evil One will not have any foothold in my life and in my soul.

May God bless you all.

PS. Drop me an email; I love to hear from you all.

Yours in Christ,

Graham Johnston

Health Update - 20 July 2010

Dear Friends,

All I can say is that I have the energy to write to you.  On Wednesday, I commenced the chemo and was feeling so good that evening that we as a family went out to celebrate.  The following day, I began taking the anti-nausea meds and that's when the fatigue; the stomach aches; the insomnia; the general feeling of being sick all hit you at once.

Praise God; I'm feeling so much better on Monday.  Today, I had some ozone therapy to strengthen my system and it seemed to work.  Later this week, I'll be having acupuncture to help minimize the effects of the chemo.

My parents, my brother Ben, and my good friends, Martin and Dianna Sanders arrived this week and together, they have served to provide a moral support that's worth more than gold to me.

We had ordered a special bed weeks ago with the promise that it should be here and set-up this week only to hear that it's still in the Eastern States.  So, for now, my bed remains the massage chair which reclines and sits in the middle of our living room.

The prayers and concern keep rolling in and at times, I'm overwhelmed.  I hate going through this but I love having my children experience firsthand the love of God's people being displayed with compassion and generosity. Last week, someone walked into the Subi Church office and laid out the full expense for the special bed we ordered with a motorized mattress for reclining and elevation.  The body of Christ does not wilt in a crisis but rises to the occasion with selflessness and strength.

Thank you for your continued prayers.  On Saturday night, in which I was feeling particularly down hearted, Doug Swift rang my home.  Eighteen months ago in Perth, Doug was diagnosed with the same cancer I have now and just as advanced.  Eighteen months later, the tumour is gone completely and the medical specialists can't believe it.  Doug encouraged me that night; told me of what to expect and how to overcome it; and then he said, "You're next!".  Isn't it amazing the people God brings into our lives just when we need it most?  How great is Our God!  How great is Our God!!

Hold me in your prayers, primarily that this chemo is shrinking the tumour. Again, once we get some movement, options begin to appear.

On Sunday, for the first time I lacked the energy to attend corporate worship.  I love singing God's praises with His people and I feel God's strength surge through me.  However, this weekend, Dad, Ben, and I had to settle for reading and praying at home.  Dad read from Isaiah 49 in which the Lord declares, "Can a woman forget her nursing child, that she should have no compassion on the son of her womb?  Even these may forget you yet I will not forget you."  How I need to be reminded of these words from Our Lord.

Blessings on you all,

Yours in Christ,

Graham

Health Update - 13 July 2010

Dear Friends,

As you know, today is my final preparation day before the chemo commences on the 14th. I still have a lot of small details to complete but pray that I'll be ready to go in every way come tomorrow morning.

As you know, there are two other with my cancer in this trial and both have witnessed progress. So, we're hoping that I can make it three-for-three. My oncologist, Anna Norwak, has been incredibly supportive and the lead up to treatment as gone without any hitches.

Thank you for your prayers and concerns.

The day my illness was diagnosised, I echoed Job's prayer holding the hands of Tracey and the specialist, Bruce Robinson: "The Lord gives and the Lord takes away, blessed be the name of the Lord." That remains my prayer. Sure, I'm asking for healing but more than that, I would ask that the Lord be magnified in this.

This Friday, my brother Ben and Martin Sanders, arrive in Perth. Ben is coming for moral support and Martin will be commencing an interim role at Subiaco Church in my absence. Both of these guys mean the world to me and I praise God for their availability to be with me in this difficult time.
I love hearing from you all.

May God bless you.

Yours in Christ,

Graham

Health Update - 9 July 2010

Greetings friends,

It's been over one month since I was first diagnosed and it continues to seem unreal in so many ways. I don't do unhealthy well. When I checked in to the hospital for my first surgery, the nurse commented that I had the shortest medical history she had ever seen. As result, we're all on a steep learning curve.

I'm officially in the clinical trial for the experimental chemo called CD-40 and I was hoping that I would be able to commence it this week but I've been notified that I'll have to wait until July 14th. The first course of chemo will pretty much take all day as they'll administer it and keep me in for observation for the remainder of the day. It's been wonderful having my parents here with me. My Dad comes along with me to all these annoying tests and meetings (initially they always presume that he is the patient, not me.) It's the simple pleasures of just being together and hanging out that can be the most satisfying.

So, I'm asking that you would pray that this brand new, super duper chemo will do the trick. Historically, chemo has not worked well on mesothelioma but the preliminary tests in mice were very encouraging. If the chemo can shrink the cancer that will open some doors to pursue other treatment options down the road.

In the meantime, it seems I spend most of each day eating. Sounds great, right? Not the stuff I have to eat. What I can't eat could fill the Encyclopaedia Britannica and what's left is pretty ordinary. I'm losing weight with the cancer and the one thing that all my doctors can agree on is that I must keep my weight up going into chemo. So that's another prayer point: Strong in body; mind; and spirit.

Another wonderful residual from my illness has been hearing from friends all over the world, many that I haven't heard from in decades. I'm getting a little nostalgic in my old age so hearing from longtime friends acts as a rich tonic.

Today I spent most of my day taking scans, both CT and a PET scan. I'm keen to see the results because the first one will show if my eating and immune therapy has slowed the cancerous tissue growth; the second scan will indicate how widely spread the disease is within my body. Pray for favourable results in both scans.

Lastly, I learned something about myself early in this process: I can't live without hope and the idea of sitting around waiting to die doesn't work for me either. So, every day, I'm looking to the Lord, asking Him for courage and strength to endure what I must. Today, during the scans and the waiting around on my back, I sang songs in my head like "O Lord, Our LORD, how majestic is your name"; "I make my life a prayer to you"; and "Father, I adore you". I spent hours reciting Scripture verses and asking that whatever the outcome that God would be glorified.

At times my eyes well up with tears, they're tears of joy, not sorrow. The loving people God has brought into my life; the prayers being offered up around the world; the incredible life God has allowed me to lead; at times I feel overwhelmed by His goodness.

If this is my cup, by God's grace and strength, I will drink it. I will take it praising God for such people as yourselves who share in my journey.

Let's see where the Lord takes us all. To Him be the glory in all things.

Blessings in Christ,

Graham

Health Update - 4 July 2010