Well, a lot has happened since my last post. I had the pleasure of accompanying Melissa and Raegann to her first haircut, which was a lot of fun. It was just a trim, but one of those milestones that parents love to experience.

Raegann looks uncertain as the stylist mists her hair with waterLast week, Melissa's physician also discovered a 6cm cyst on her right ovary. Tomorrow, Melissa will have laparoscopic surgery to remove the cyst. While it is unlikely that this cyst is malignant, it is always a possibility. We are hopeful that the surgery will go very smoothly and that she will require only minimal recovery time.

Chemo round 8 was similar to round 7, but with each passing round, the side-effects are a bit stronger and take a bit longer to recover from. With round 8, the neuropathy (nerve sensitivity to cold, in my case) was so severe that I couldn't even walk around on the cool tile floors in our home without feeling like my feet were being assaulted by a vengeful horde of needles. As the time has passed, the severity has lessened, but is still quite impactful compared to previous rounds. The nausea was present at times for the first few days after the chemo infusion, and the fatigue lasted through last Friday. By Saturday, I was feeling nearly normal again, so we got a babysitter for the kids and Melissa and I enjoyed a lunch/shopping date together.

Round 9 will be my last round of chemo on this particular regimen (Oxaliplatin and 5FU). On August 11, I will be back at MD Anderson for CT scans, and on the 12th I will meet with my oncologist to find out about my options for second-line treatments. It's possible that the gene testing of my cancer has revealed genetic anomalies which may qualify me for a clinical trial. It's also possible that I will instead go on a different chemo regimen.

Apprehension grows as each of these appointments near. The questions loom - has the cancer spread, remained stable, or retreated? Will the second-line treatment be effective? Will the second-line treatment provide the hope of longer-term survival, or just a short extension? With all of these questions, we remain confident in the goodness of our God and content with His plan for our lives, however long they may be.

Thanks to all of you who continue to pray for us. Please remember the following requests in the coming days:

• That Melissa's surgery will go as planned, that recovery will be quick, and that the cyst will be non-malignant.
• For peace in the lead-up to our next visit to MD Anderson.
• For unexpected effectiveness of the current and second-line treatments