Joyce to resume chemotherapy

Joyce and I spent four hours in the Royal Marsden Hospital yesterday, with several consultations and tests. The first consultation confirmed an initial assessment made following a recent blood test and a CT scan a few days ago, indicating that following five months without chemotherapy the tumour markers had increased ‘significantly’. As Joyce had also brought up blood once or twice in the past few weeks it was decided to do a targeted CT scan immediately to see if there were clots in the lungs. We waited for the result of this which thankfully proved negative, so needed no further action. Joyce is now to resume chemotherapy, and at her next appointment on 13 July we will be told what form this will take and when it will start.

Your constant support at this difficult time is appreciated more than we can see and with you we look to the Lord for his sustaining grace.

Recent visit to the consultant brings news of good progress

Joyce returned to the Royal Marsden Hospital on 27 April as scheduled. The consultant told her she was glad to see that in a blood test taken a few days earlier the tumour markers had shown little or no change even after three months without chemotherapy. It was therefore decided that Joyce should have a further two months without treatment, which means she is due to return at the end of June. This was very encouraging news, for which we are both very thankful.

Joyce continues to get a lot of discomfort in her hands and feet, but there has been a slight lessening of this in recent days and this has been a relief.

We are so grateful you to for your continued prayers and know that we can rely on these for this next stage.  Thank you too for your prayers for my South Africa trip, which was remarkably fruitful, ending with 1,000 people at last Sunday’s morning before I left for home that evening.

John

latest update on Joyce and John's South Africa Trip Schedule

Thank you for your continued prayer support for Joyce – and for me – in these days. We both appreciate this so much.

There has been little change in Joyce’s condition since I last wrote. The constant pain in her hands and feet has been difficult to cope with, and her feet are also often so badly swollen that walking for any length of time is difficult. However, we are thankful that she has had no other side effects during her continued break from chemotherapy.

Her next appointment at the Royal Marsden remains set for 27 April, when we assume she will have another CT scan and get the result a few days later.

I have offered several times to cancel my visit to South Africa, but she has remained adamant that I should go ahead, and I leave for Johannesburg later today. I attach the programme for the visit and would value your prayerful support throughout this very demanding schedule.

Joyce joins me in assuring you of our warmest thanks for all that your support means to us.

With warmest Christian greetings,

JOHN<>< 

Thursday 16 April
10:00 East Rand Pastors Fraternal
St James in Bedfordview,
No 3 Oxford Gardens, (closest intersection Oxford/Sovereign Rds), Bedford Rd, Bedfordview
Pastor Peter Sammons
Tel: 011 827 7641
Cell: 083 283 5154



Friday
17 April
06:30 Thank God it’s Friday
Seattle Coffee Shop, Hyde Park Shopping Mall, Hyde Park.
Convener: Thorsten Marbach


09:30 Baptist Theological College
260 Oak Avenue, Ferndale.
Principal: Dr. Martin Pohlmann
Session followed by Q & A.


19:30 The Barn. Cnr Kelly Rd & Sylvan Rd, Boskruin
Pastor: Roelof Kwant
Tel: 011 792 4497
Cell: 082 900 8790

Sat
18 April
08:00 Christ Church CESA
32 Gordon Road, Blairgowrie.
Pastor: Peter Wessels
Tel: 011 789 1042


17:00 Germiston Baptist Church
Cnr. Angus and Queen Street, Germiston.
Followed by Light Supper.
Pastor: Peter Sammons.
Tel: 011 827 7641
Cell: 083 283 5154

Sunday
19 April
07:45 and 09:30
Edenvale Baptist Church,
Cnr. 7th Street and 92 Voortrekker Ave., Edenvale.
Pastor: Renton Talbot
Tel: 011 609 5290


18:00 Honeyridge Baptist Church, Cnr Beyers Naude and Eastwood Drive, Honeyridge
Tel: 011 795 3251

Monday
20 April


19:00 – 20h30
Community Ministries.
Drift Boulevard, Muldersdrift.
1 x 50 minute session followed by Q & A. Pastor: Craig Rowe


Tuesday
21 April

12:00 – 14:00 West Rand Pastor's Fraternal
Honeyridge Baptist Church,
Cnr. Beyers Naude and Eastwood Drive.
Convener: Pastor Mike Trollip
Tel: 011 760 3705 Cell: 082 376 7937

19:30
Biblical Worldview Seminar
Followed by Q & A.
Honeyridge Baptist Church.
Pastor: Tim Cantrel
Wednesday
22 April


19:00 Brackenhurst Baptist Church
76 Roy Campbell Street, Brackenhurst.
Pastor Doug van Meter
Tel. 011 867 3505
Thursday
23 April
08:00 – 12h00 Johannesburg Bible College, Corner of Golf & Hampton Rds, Rossmore, Auckland Park, Johannesburg.
Principal: Nat Schluter
Cell 076 140 6960


19:30 Christ Church CESA,
Eleventh Road, Midrand.
Pastor: Martin Morrison.
Tel: 011 318 2481


Friday
24 April

Fly to East London on SA473
Dep:10h00 Arr:11h30
Beacon Bay Baptist Church
East London. 19h30

East London
Saturday
25 April
Dumisani Theological Institute
Alistair Wilson
St Andrew’s Presbyterian Church
Ayliff St, King Williams Town



Sunday
26 April
Cambridge Baptist Church
East London. Pastor John Koning
09h00:
10h15:
Fly to Cape Town
1Time Airlines 1T603
Dep: 14h50
Arr: 16h20
18:30 Tokai Community Church
Tokai Rd; Tokai
Pastor Luke Giles
Peter Temple
Peter & Helen Temple
9 Peter Cloete Ave
Constantia
Tel: +27 (21) 794 7619
Fax: +27 (866) 167 522
Email: peter@christianbooks.co.za
Monday
27 April



Tuesday
28 April
0.950 Bible Institute of South Africa, Kalk Bay
13:00 City Partnership
Capetonian Hotel;
S. Clegg

19.00 Plumstead Baptist Church
Pastor Martin Drysdal
Wednesday 29 April

13:00 City Partnership
Ou Pastorie, S/West
S. Clegg

19:30 Emmanuel Church CESA, Bellville. Pastor Dave Brown


Thursday
30 April

13:00 City Partnership
Vineyard Hotel;

St Pauls Church, Stellenbosch.
19h00: Doug Wannenburg

Friday
1 May
Montague : 2 x 45 minute sessions
10h30 : Brian Turner to take out.


Saturday
2 May
St Matthews Church, Table View
Pastor: Mike Emslie


Goodwood Baptist Church.
Mens supper. Chris Thomlinson

Sunday
3 May
08h00 & 10h00 St James Church – Beatitudes for Today
Coffee Meeting with Doug Crutchley 3pm
20:15 Depart on BA58 from Cape Town to London
Monday
4 May
06:50 Arrive in London on BA58

Please continue to pray...

Joyce and John continue to value your prayerful support at this difficult time. There is very little to report at this stage. There has been only very slight reduction in the pain in her hands and feet since the ‘sabbatical’ from chemotherapy which has run since 19 January. We still hope that she might have some pain-free time between now and her next scheduled appointment at the Marsden on 27 April, and we look to the Lord for his sustaining grace in the meantime.

Thank you again for all that your support means to us both.

Latest CT Scan Results

Joyce was at the Royal Marsden Hospital yesterday for a report on her recent CT scan. The doctor said that there had been another very good reduction in the liver lesions and a further small reduction in those in the lungs.  Various options were discussed and he concluded that because of one particular neurological side effect (severe pain in the hands) it would be best to delay any further chemotherapy for three months to give Joyce’s body time to recover from the six months of treatment she had already received. Her next appointment has therefore been set for 27 April, though she can make other arrangements if any symptoms cause her concern between now and then.

We are both very grateful for your prayerful support at this testing time.

Good news - Joyce has recovered from bronchitis

We are glad to say that Joyce has fully recovered from her second heavy bout of bronchitis and was able to resume her chemotherapy treatment with an infusion at the Royal Marsden Hospital on 11 December. She is tolerating this and the daily tablet medication very well. The next infusion is due on or about 1 January and the next CT scan on or about 15 January. This will be the next real indication of her condition.  We are both very grateful for your prayerful support.

set back, please pray

A brief note to say that Joyce had a setback at the Marsden today. Her blood count was fine, but her bronchitis was such that she had to have an x-ray, after which the doctor said she could not have her next chemotherapy infusion tomorrow as planned. She has been given further medication and an inhaler and her next infusion has had to be postponed for at least another ten days.  She would value your prayers.