Brit’s Treatment and Our Family

Dear St. George’s family,

A lot has happened since I last wrote, so here is where Brit and our family are now.

On Tuesday we sat down with Brit’s oncologist, Dr. Feng. She is pleased with how Brit’s surgery has healed, and Brit had her first chemotherapy treatment on Thursday. We had expected to wait weeks, so starting this soon surprised us. We take it to mean the cancer is serious and that the team is moving quickly, and we are thankful for that.

The treatment will take about twenty weeks. It begins with twelve weekly infusions of a milder drug. Then come four rounds, every other week, of a stronger combination, probably starting around the end of January, and that is when we expect Brit to be flattened for days at a time. After chemo she’ll have radiation with a different doctor, and then hormone therapy that will last for years. Dr. Feng is recommending all of it, and she is aiming to cure the cancer. The CT and bone scan Brit had after surgery found nothing anywhere else in her body, which we are glad about.

Brit and I have both had low days this month, and we’re trying to leave room for ordinary good things alongside the hard ones. Dr. Feng told Brit to stay as active as she can, and she was happy to hear that.

I’m back at work this week, though my schedule will shift around treatment days for a while. Thank you for being patient with me. Thank you to Bill Pringle, Rev. RuthAnn Marley and Rev. Brian Beveridge for taking the services while I was away, and to Cathy, Rick, Jane and Bill for looking after the parish.

This week I’ve been working on Sunday’s sermon, my first since I’ve been back, and it happens to be All Saints’ Day. The readings keep asking who we really are. John writes that we are called children of God and says it’s a wonder that anyone should be. Revelation shows a great crowd around the throne, and in the end God wipes every tear from their eyes. When you’re facing months of chemo for someone you love, it’s easy to see only the next appointment. These texts have lifted my eyes. A child is not abandoned, and Jesus told his disciples he would not leave them orphans. I’m holding on to that for Brit and for our kids. Thank you for feeding us and for the notes you’ve sent Brit. They have helped on some hard days. Please pray that her body copes with the chemo and that she stays clear of infection, which is the main danger, and please pray for our children, who are small and trying to make sense of all this. I hope to see you on Sunday at 10am. We pray for you too.

In Christ,
Rev. Seth