Posted on 09/10/2005 4:27:33 PM PDT by TruthSetsUFree
I'd like to ask for prayer for my brother-in-law (Dennis, age 36) who was just this week diagnosed with leukemia. This has come as quite a shock to all of us. He had been feeling tired lately (for 3 weeks or so) and went to the doctor on Tuesday, but none of us suspected this.
He has five children - ages 12, 10, 8, 6 and 15 mos. He's married to my younger sister.
The type of leukemia he has is called acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL), a very aggressive form but it also responds very well to treatment. Please pray that the cancer will not grow rapidly nor spread to other parts of his body, and that treatment will go well and be successful, if that's the Lord's will for him.
Thanks so much for lifting him, my sister, their children, and the rest of our family up in prayer. My sister feels like she needs to be two people right now in two different places (in the hospital with her husband and at home for her children). Right now we're doing our best to care for her children so she can concentrate on Dennis and his recovery.
Thanks so much for your prayers!
Dear Lord, in Your Mercy, cure Dennis to have him bring up his children so that their souls will be with you heaven.
Lord, we don't fully understand. We know this world is reaping all the sin that has been sown since the Creation. How long, O Lord, until You make the final redemption, regeneration, and the Renewal of all things? How long until we see Your Righteous Reign upon the earth, the nations judged, the Salvation of Your Chosen? Our groanings fill Your ear day and night, day and night, O Lord, as we watch for You to come and make it all right as in the beginning, before we fell.
And here is Dennis, and his family. Here is cancer and chemo and sickness. Here is weakness and the search for wisdom to cure and heal and set right. But You are the Worker of Good, the only Good, and so we come. Thank You, Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, for breaking open our Way for us. We come in boldness for we know Your Works and have beleived the Testimony of Thee from Father, Spirit, Word. Hear us for Thy Name's sake.
Make it so that Dennis may eat and gain strength as you designed the body to do. Make it so that the white blood cells that protect against infection are at their proper levels. Make it so that he can be in the sunshine. Make it so that no matter how weak his body is he has a strong and vibrant heart in thankfulness and praise to Thee for everything left over to him, all Your gifts of grace. Let grace build upon grace as he maintains a thankful heart. Renew a right spirit within him. Grace his family with hope and peace. Cultivate by Your Word and Your Witnesses faith in this family by Your great and precious promises, so that no matter what the circumstances, no matter what the diagnosed outcome, they cling to, lean on, rely on and trust wholly in Your Word with no doubting. Let Faith be strong and fear be weak. Let them see You at Your Work. Let there be Joy in Jesus for them as You have given even to this creature who is so unworthy, despite the darkness of this world and the days in which we have been appointed to live. You know all things. Grant more grace! There is no God like You! We look for no one but Thee, but we certainly look well to see You at Your Mighty Works to Save and Deliver. Amen in Jesus our Lord, Master, Brother Who Walks With Us through our trials. Greatest Friend, come to comfort Your people.
Thank you so much for your faithful prayers for Dennis, .30Carbine. Your prayer brought tears to my eyes as well as the fact that you have been keeping this thread open to pray for Dennis every day.
I'll use this opportunity to also ping the others who have posted to this thread, to give an update.
Dennis is now through his second round of chemo and came through the drop in his white blood count without any infection or sickness, for which we praise the Lord. His blood count is now rising again steadily, and we are also very thankful for that.
His family is so happy to have him home again, and glad he did not have to be in the hospital for this second round of treatment.
He has one more round of chemo to go, most likely in approximately two weeks from now, and so I ask for prayers that the Lord will build up his body in preparation for that, and that he will come through it with flying colors as well.
Thanks so much for all of your continued prayers for Dennis and his family.
prayers continue
PRAYERS CONTINUE!
Prayers from TX
Thank You, Lord of All, that Dennis could be treated as an outpatient and so be home with his wife and 5 children during this last round of treatment. Make it so again, dear Lord, for this third round that is coming. Make it so that he is strong for this, that his family are strong for this, that his doctors will tweak and perfect just the right formula and dosage for Dennis that You would prescribe. Make it so that his days are graced and blessed as he looks to Thee beyond and through this suffering. These are powerful Words: "Count it ALL JOY!" Help him to be strong in such JOY, in body, mind, and spirit as he remains the leader of his family under Your leadership. Amen!
Send helpers to the family, please, Giver of Good gifts!
Prayers sent
Carolyn
Prognosis sounds good....Prayers for him and all the family...
Prayers for this good Dad and his family. May our Lord touch him with His healing hand and may his wife and children be comforted and reassured during this frightening time.
Sounds to me like Dennis has some awesome in-laws! He and his wife and children will be added to my prayers.
My prayers remain with Dennis. I pray the Lord will continue to extend his healing touch to Dennis, that his remaining treatments will be successful, and his health restored completely.
More prayers for Dennis on the way.
Glad to hear the good news about Dennis. Continuing to keep him, his family, and the circumstances surrounding them in prayer.
Father Lord we pray for thy devine intervention, you know how much his family needs him here on earth, in Jesus' name amen.
Many prayers offered.
Continuing prayers, thanks for the update!
Thanks again so much to all of you who have prayed for Dennis. I wanted to update you, and share with you the email he sent out last night with some specific prayer requests:
It has been about a week since I completed my last round of chemo and today my blood counts show that my system is responding to the treatment. My counts took a pretty abrupt dip and I am approaching the point where my immune system will again be inadequate to fight infection. For the next 2 weeks plus I would really appreciate your prayers again for me in particular, but also for the rest of the family, that we would remain healthy and free of colds & flu.
Again this time around my greatest risk is going to be infection that would come from common skin bacteria which are routinely dealt with by the body's immune system but which can infect the slightest scratch or cut and then take off unchecked when the immune system is wiped out. That is what happened to me when I was hospitalized for the first round of treatment. I expect the total loss of immunity to happen within the next couple of days based on how things went the last time. The doctor does have me on a broad spectrum antibiotic again until my system is restored to help with potential infection but I know it is ultimately God who does both the protecting and the healing.
You can also be praying I would be able to avoid transfusions this time around. While I am grateful that transfusion is an option when needed, every time it is done there are risks involved that I would just as soon avoid.
I am really looking forward to the end of the month when I trust I can say that chemotherapy treatment and all it's side effects are behind me for good.
Blessings,
Dennis
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