Will Begins Radiation with a Little Help From His Friends (A Note From Angie)

Wishing you all a happy and healthy Wednesday. Below is the latest update from Angie, sent late last night (so the dates may feel a little off). Essentially, Will was able to begin radiation on Monday, and met with the surgeon Tuesday morning. More on that in Angie’s letter…

Thank you all for the outpouring of love and support and for your many prayers!

We had our appointment with the surgeon this morning. He said the site looks really good and that it’s healing well. They are still unsure if the “thickening” they saw is tumor. The CT Scan isn’t able to clearly make that determination.

Will was able to start radiation yesterday, but not chemotherapy.  The order for chemotherapy went in and will take a couple of days to go through.  It should start soon.

Will did really well with the radiation.  He has to wear a head and shoulder mold that bolts to the table to insure that there is absolutely no movement.  I can’t imagine how difficult that is for those 10-15 minutes.  They did have the Beatles playing which helped ease the anxiety a bit.  It made me think about how beautiful the gift of music is.  I’m sure when the Beatles were writing their songs they had no idea where they would end up or how they would effect people in a given moment.  In that moment, what was written years ago was in the radiation room, giving a moment of distraction and enjoyment to a man with cancer, fighting for his life.  It made me think of Will’s music, the talent he’s been given and shares with so many and for many of you, co-writers and friends, former classmates and mentors, that are in this world of creating with him.  This gift is needed in the world.  It can inspire and give enjoyment.  It can give permission to feel.  We need that in life.  We need beauty to be with us in the darkness that we too often find ourselves in.

While meeting with the radiologist and with the surgeon today, we once again found ourselves in a place that we so desperately did not want to be in.  They are not certain but strongly believe the cancer has spread to a lymph node under Will’s right jaw.  They have changed their previous plan and are going to proceed with the radiation treatment as if the lymph node is cancerous, which will mean the radiation will be more intense and cover a larger portion of the head and neck.  They did a procedure today to examine the lymph node. We will find out the results within a week or so.

We ask that you would continue to pray.  We feel very helpless and confused and desperate for things to get better.  We desire for the Lord’s will to be done, and we trust that it is. We just pray that by his mercy, His will would be for complete healing from this terrible disease.

Please also pray that Will’s side effects to radiation and chemo would be minimal, that the lymph node would not be cancerous, and again for his strength mentally and physically.

In spite of everything, today was a really good day. Will felt better, we laughed a lot, and really enjoyed each other as we waited in numerous doctor’s offices.

Angie and Will, we continue to rally behind you in prayer and support. We are thrilled that the two of you had a good day yesterday, and continue to pray that those days bring you both strength in the more trying days immediately ahead. We look forward with determined hope that “good days” will become the norm.

With continued love and prayers,

The #GoTeamGray Core