Will’s Latest Battle (A Note From Angie)

Here’s the latest from Angie…

After about a week and half in the hospital, Will was discharged this past Wednesday night.  The days following were difficult but manageable.  It’s always a little scary not being a call button away from help, but it was also nice to be home.  We now have a home care nurse who comes to check on Will periodically, which has been really helpful.

Last Tuesday, the doctors decided to stop the chemotherapy treatments because Will has been terribly sick.  We are both very thankful for this decision.  They also held off on Friday’s radiation to give him a three day weekend in hopes of a little relief.

As the weekend progressed, Will’s temperature went up and he started having a terrible reaction around the surgical site.  Sunday night, after being examined by the home care nurse, she advised us to go to the ER.  After spending 22 hours in the ER, Will was admitted to the hospital this evening.

He has an infection and is currently being tested to see if it is a local or systemic infection.  He was examined by an ENT doctor and had to get another CT Scan.  They are hopeful that the infection can be addressed with antibiotics alone and we can go home in a couple of days. But, as time goes by, the site is looking worse.  The doctors are hopeful that it is part of the healing process of the area.  They did say that the remainder of his cancer treatment will be determined by how well the infection responds to the antibiotics.  Please pray for him and for the doctors to know how to help him.

Will has 3 more radiation treatments to get through, but they are on hold until the infection is gone.  One concern with this is that our oncologist said the radiation treatment loses effectiveness the longer it goes passed the intended end date, which was suppose to be last Friday.  If he can get started again soon, it shouldn’t effect it, but again it depends on how quickly the infection heals.  They told us that all we can do is to take it a day at a time.  There is a large team of doctors working together to figure this out, but Will and I are both scared.  It feels pretty out of control at times and we don’t have enough information to wrap our minds around what’s happening.  It seems like once we get one thing under control, something else happens.  It has been very taxing.

If you would like to pray, will you please pray for…

• Will to have strength to continue on and for us to have wisdom in making the best choices for him
• That the infection heals well and quickly and that it won’t require surgery
• That he would be able to finish radiation, if that is what needs to happen
• That he would be healed from all of the cancer and from all side effects and that we will be able to move pass this with greater love and joy
• And for peace in the midst of our fear right now

Will has faced many challenges in his life and has never let any of them hold him down, but if anything has ever pushed him to his limits it has been this.  He is strong and is taking each day as it comes, but we desperately want this to end soon and we need mercy to get to that day, whenever it might be.

Thank you for your prayers and love.  We are thankful to have you all with us.

Will and Angie, we are incredibly honored to be included in this trying time. Thank you for your continued transparency and trust in this #GoTeamGray nucleus. The #GoTeamGray core continues to cling to hope and love, and urges all the eyes reading this update to consider how best you can help — through a kind word, through a moment of silence, through a prayer, through a donation of time or energy. Every ounce of love — no matter it’s form — is fuel for the fight.

Thank you all.

#GoTeamGray