Hello all
Friday Ray received a call that he had made it through PRE-SCREENING for the drug trial for the new Hep C medicine. He will go for additional screening on Wednesday of this week at DUKE. If all that goes well and no red flags are raised they will send the information off to Gilead and then they will formally approve Ray for the trial and let him know what his start date will be for the medication. This is HUGE! Not at all what we were expecting. In fact several weeks ago I had spoken specifically with Rays nurse coordinator and they felt like Ray probably wouldn't get in the trial and they were determining what the next plan would be to get this new drug for Ray. We had really begun preparing our hearts and minds for that.
The call came and it seems like good news. We will be MOST EXCITED when we get the FINAL approval and the medication is in Rays hand for him to take. Just PLEASE pray over these test on Wednesday. That his EKG comes back fine, his labs are ok, kidney function is in an acceptable range and that his liver numbers have "calmed" down slightly. Pray there are no other infections and nothing keeps him from getting in this study.
We also received WONDERFUL news from our dear friend Mrs. Pat. Mrs. Pat is in this same clinical trial at Carolina and has been taking this same drug for a little over 2 weeks now. Her first Hep C test revealed her hep C levels were down to 73.....last Friday her family received a call that the virus is now UNDETECTABLE in her body. PRAISE BE TO GOD................WOW AND WOW!! We are just so super thrilled for Mrs. Pat and her family and the possibility that there is a drug out there that will CURE THIS TERRIBLE, TERRIBLE VIRUS.
So we will continue to update you all after the evaluation and when we hear a FOR SURE from Duke.
We sang this song in church on Sunday by a group called Deluge...the song is called Healing is here. I wanted to include some of the lyrics....
Healing is here healing is here Healing is here and I receive it
Healing is here healing is here Healing is here and I believe it
I reach my hands to the heavens
I reach my hands to the heavens
I lift my eyes where my help comes from I look to You my rock my healer I trust in You
Sickness can't stay any longer Your perfect love is casting out fear
Sickness can't stay any longer Your perfect love is casting out fear
You are the God of all power And it is Your will that my life is healed
(you can listen to this song on You-tube, really beautiful)
What a GREAT song to sing and share with the Johnson family on Sunday. SICKNESS can't stay any longer, WE lift our eyes up to the heavens and TRUST in you. Our sermon on Sunday was also just perfect. God was sure TAPPING me on the shoulder...."hello my child...listen up and listen good...this is for you. A few things that really struck me I wanted to share with you all . The sermon was all about TRUST and Gods call (you can watch it on connect2covenant,com if interested). God is looking for people who will obey him EACH step of the journey. Gods plans are not like OUR plans. We don't know the FINAL step...just THIS STEP and he reveals to us ONE step at the time. God is looking for servants who will TRUST that he will provide EACH day, each STEP of the journey. He tells us TRUST me RIGHT NOW and I will PROVIDE RIGHT NOW. God's blessings don't come BEFORE we obey but after.
FINALLY in this long email....I had an endoscopy today and abdominal ultrasound. My endoscopy was fine and didn't show anything with my stomach, etc....that was good news (although not really explaining my "tummy" issues) but the ultrasound did show a "spot" they called it on my liver. Ray was like "really you had to say LIVER"....turns out this doctor, Dr. Cole also knows Dr. Smith- Rays hep C dr....small world....
FINALLY in this long email....I had an endoscopy today and abdominal ultrasound. My endoscopy was fine and didn't show anything with my stomach, etc....that was good news (although not really explaining my "tummy" issues) but the ultrasound did show a "spot" they called it on my liver. Ray was like "really you had to say LIVER"....turns out this doctor, Dr. Cole also knows Dr. Smith- Rays hep C dr....small world....
They will do a colonoscopy on Friday and a CT scan to check that out more closely. The doctor told Ray he was NOT alarmed and felt like it was either nothing, a shadow, possibly a cyst, etc....but since they did see something it is there job to check it out more closely. Next Thursday I will also have a hideascan (however that is spelled) to check my gallbladder and it's function. While I don't remember ANYTHING from the endoscopy (thank the lord) I was VERY weepy afterwards from the news- (it was shocking and scary) and I guess the anesthesia so I basically cried most of the afternoon! Please just pray for this "spot" to be nothing, for a sense of peace for me in the coming days and test and just to remind myself NOT to worry that it is in God's hands, God didn't make me to have a spirit of fear.
So friends, family, "jesus girls", covenant prayer team I just ask that you COVER the Brooks' in prayer this week. Cover Ray on Wed with is test and that he is admitted into the trial, cover me on Thursday as I "prepare" for Friday and Friday during my two test that all is well. Thank you
Below is a picture of Ray and his transplant buddy Mrs. Pat....they are the SUPERHERO team of Hep C fighting....they'll make it in some medical record books I know and go down in HISTORY!!!!!!!!!!!!!! We love you Mrs. Pat, Mr. Sam and Amy!
