I have wonderful news to share! Karen’s miraculous improvement continues!! God continues to baffle, amaze and show all things are possible with Him.

Karen’s last doctor visit, Thursday 03 November, was filled with good reports. Her platelet counts continued to improve and are now up from a low of 86,000 to 123,000!

Her tumor marker has dropped from an original high of 2,999 to 54.
FIFTY FOUR!!

Dr. Galleshaw tried to measure the tumor in Karen’s breast and liver, but had a very difficult time. The mass in the breast has shrunk so small it cannot be measured externally any longer. Karen’s liver has changed shape dramatically making it difficult to compare to previous measurements. However, the doctor feels confident it has shrunk by several centimeters. The changes are so significant that Karen has been scheduled for another CT Scan on 17 November, to determine the extent of the cancer.

Changes ordered to chemotherapy schedule. In addition to the splitting nails and thinning hair, Karen was beginning to show signs of the hand/foot and mouth sore problems she was having when she started chemo (Xeloda). You may recall in previous updates the chemo burned off all the taste buds leaving a very painful mouth and lack of interest in eating. In the past the dose of chemo taken was changed to reduce these side affects. This time instead of changing only the dose the frequency was changed. Now she will take 2000 mg of chemo a day (1000mg in the morning and 1000mg in the evening) for 7 days followed by 7 days off. This is also welcome news as Karen’s energy improves when she isn’t taking chemo.

Now after all this good news for the Isherwood family, I leave you with this struggle. Karen and I have met many people in our visits to the hospitals, doctor offices, etc. On one of our first visits we met a true southern belle named Leila who is also battling breast cancer and sees the same doctor as Karen. The day we got our great news, Leila, her husband and son were hearing a different story. Leila is not having the same results as Karen. The cancer in her body is not responding to treatment the same way. Her health is deteriorating quickly. Her family is struggling to cope. They are Christians, trusting God to heal her. She is a wife, sister, mother, grandmother and friend who is watching her health slip away. How can this be?

We don’t know why two children of God, Karen and Leila, have at this point received very different answers to prayer. We do know God hears all prayers being offered on their behalf.

Karen and I covet your prayers. We also ask for you to pray for Leila and her family. At this point, Karen and Leila’s stories are not the same in terms of beating cancer. But in the final analysis they will be the same; Eternal Life in heaven. Jesus is the same yesterday, today, and forever.

That's all the update for this week. Thank you for checking on Karen's progress.