ROUND 4 OF CHEMOTHERAPY AND NATE’S REMISSION

The following is from Nate's mother Marilyn:

This is a response to all of you who prayed and perhaps fasted for Nate that his doctor would be inspired on the right course of treatment for Nate. After asking you all to do that I asked that Nate he also needed to seek his own answer of what should be done in his behalf. The Wednesday appointment at which we expected the doctor, Dr. Storch, to give us an answer she stated Nate needed to get healthier prior to any decision about further chemo. February 23rd Nate went back into the hospital for round 4 of chemo. There was no option per the doctor. Nate said he wasn’t going to do this, but suffered through his normal spinal tap and injection of prepatory chemo drugs put into his spine. We admitted him as I told him he still had to have his heart function test. Dr. Storch’s nurse, Lish, cried as she talked to him and told him he could die if he did not continue on with this course. Nate did not budge then or after being admitted or through the long night that came and went. Shaughan, his sister, and I tried to explain he would be giving up his life – his future instead of one more month of painful chemo in the hospital. Due to Nate’s body not being able to handle the strong chemo the doctor was reducing the amount by half as she felt he would not survive the full strength round. The doctor told us we didn’t have a choice, but Nate continued to say no. Jerry, my husband, and I had prayed, and we felt our answer was that he needed this round as an insurance policy. If there is even only one cancer cell left in one’s body it can immediately multiply and destroy. If Nate who was in remission fell out of remission he would have to have stronger chemo than he had ever received prior which could kill him, do chemo until he was back in remission and then go for a bone marrow transplant. The bone marrow transplant has a 38% mortality rate. Nate calmly told me that he had prayed and knew he was healed and safe and did not need more chemo. Monday, Jerry also was admitted to the hospital due to a severe flu, medication going awry and being dehydrated and was in isolation. Nate could not understand how our answers to prayers were different. I told him I didn’t think they were as both Jerry and I knew he was in remission and safe for now, but that the further round would be best to maintain his health as our Heavenly Father has asked us to do all we can and then he takes on the rest. Our good bishop came and talked to him during the day as did Dr. Storch and his nurses over the past 7 months. After 30 hours of Nate refusing treatment, Dr. Storch pulled me from the room on Tuesday afternoon and said that we should go with Nate’s intuition to which I replied it was his answer to prayer. Again she said let’s go with his intuition as there was no medical statistics or anything that could show that this round of chemo mattered. If he was resistant to this strong round it could be deadly. We talked for a while and included our bishop in the discussion. Ultimately we tried one more time as the nurses came in to start the chemo as we all thought Nate just didn’t want it and would be compliant when it came down to actually receiving it. We agreed if Nate refused we would be done. Nate refused and we came home.

That night it came to me very clearly that when I asked many to fast and pray that Dr. Storch would be inspired to make the right decision for Nate’s treatment that she had been inspired to make the right decision. Our prayers and yours had been answered. The answer came through Nate holding strong to that which he knew was right by asking Heavenly Father. Nate later told Jerry and I that he had fasted (going without food or water for a period of time) and prayed, and he got his answer. After getting his answer he continued to pray and was compliant when I asked him to pray about very specific treatment options. I told him thank you for his strength as he had submitted to the Father’s will. I have no doubts that this journey which started 7 months to the day we choose to stop chemo was an opportunity to learn to do the Father’s will. Nate gained his own testimony that the Lord gave him many answers during this time including early on that he would live, and then to stop putting further poison in his body that could have killed him in another round. We have had the opportunity to learn and do the Father’s will, to focus on one main objective as a family, to learn to love differently, to be tested, and to endure. Nate’s journey is not done as he has a hearing loss in his right ear, his left pinky finger has nerve damage that extends into his hand and wrist, his left heel has an open bed sore that is slowly healing, his back aches and he still has a Hickman catheter surgically implanted to be removed sometime this month. Our natural athlete is on the sidelines coaching others, getting school work caught up to graduate in June and regain his strength. He still sleeps with me some nights and needs food and pain killers at times.

I want to thank anyone who reads this for their faith and prayers as that has been the most important help anyone can give to unitedly petition our Father in Heaven for help. We, as a family have seen miracles with our Nate, within our family, and with those who for whatever reason there had been challenges in the past – these were forgotten and love replaced frustration and anger. Thank you for the donations that provided for Nate an operation not covered by Kaiser that we felt as parents was important. Thanks for the food brought, articles written, fundraisers, the bone marrow drive (yes Nate does have a basic match if ever needed), thanks to those who came and spent time especially the Patterson family for ensuring we got to go to church and had some family time each week, thanks for the donations of the computer, IPOD touch and much else. Continue your prayers for Nate to totally heal as we all have healed in this opportunity. “Trust in the Lord with all thine heart, and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct they paths.” ~Proverbs 3:5-6 Those words are true. We have been strengthened by this experience so far and will continue to be. Thank you very much.