An update on my brother

[Cam Pence]

First off, thanks so much for all of your prayers for my brother and his fight with cancer. Just a quick update. My brother got diagnosed with stage 3 melanoma. He is in Hawaii for 3 to 4 weeks doing radiation treatments, then the USAF will P.C.S. him and Cassandra to Travis AFB by San Francisco for a year of chemo therapy at the University of California San Francisco . The newest need for prayer came from my brothers most recent MRI which showed plaque on his brain which the doctors say is a sure sign that he also has multiple sclerosis. They are doing a spinal tap on him next week in between radiation treatments to be sure. M.S. is very treatable however, he cannot begin treatment until his chemo is done with. Needless to say they are going through a lot right now so please keep both Drew and Cassandra, as well as the rest of my family, in your prayers. My brother is trusting God through all of this and has even joked that given the odds of someone being diagnosed with cancer AND M.S. at the same time, winning the lottery does not seem like such a far stretch for him. Thank you all again so much for your prayers.

[Jim Franklin]

Heavenly Father and Brother Jesus, here is Drew who is Your child and his dear wife, Cassandra who need Your special healing touch according to Your Grace, Mercy and Will. We trust in Your plan for their lives and that You will do according to the benefit of Your servants and Your Kingdom. Accept our petition on their behalf for Your honor and glory, Amen.

[Cynthia Prentice]

Thanks for the update and we will continue to keep them in our prayers. Keep us posted.

[Cam Pence]

A quick update on my brother. It has been confirmed that he does have M.S.. He cannot however begin treatment for it until he is done with chemotherapy. One very good thing that happened is he got another position teaching (not sure what capacity but he taught for the NCO Academy at Kadena AFB) and he started Monday which has been good for him as he was going crazy on leave. Thanks for your continued prayers.

[Jim Franklin]

Thanks for the update. That always helps our faith when we see progress in those for whom we have been praying. Trusting that the treatments will lead to the healing and amelioration of the disease's effects.

[Peggy Gray]

My dad started having symptoms of MS in 1952, when he was 34. He was diagnosed at age 39. He gave up his driver's license when he was 45 when he began having "blackouts" (absence seizures). He retired at age 62, and died of emphysema shortly before his 80th birthday. He was concerned that it would cost him his job if anyone found out (probably true back then), so we always referred to it as his "problem". He was still getting up and down stairs under his own steam days before he died. If he'd been diagnosed today, rather than 55 years ago, he would have been on disease modifying drugs. And today there are meds for seizures that, if they had been available 50 years ago, likely could have kept him driving. I was diagnosed with MS about seven years ago.