Kyphoplasty

My Dad turns 65 years old this Tuesday, March 3rd. Also on that day he will be undergoing a procedure at IU Med Center known as kyphoplasty to stabilize a deteriorated vertebrae and hopefully lessen the pain caused by a cancerous tumor in his spine. As many of you know, my Dad was diagnosed in early January with stage four, kidney cancer that apparently came back after 20 years of nothing (almost a record we're told). The cancer resurfaced as a tumor in his spine, which was causing extreme back pain and a tumor in his right lung. When discovered, the doctors immediately suggested that he undergo high-dose radiation (which we did) to kill the tumor in his spine and essentially avoid him going paralyzed. The radiation along with steroids took care of most of his back pain.

In the process of getting a second opinion for treatment options, my Dad has had a relapse of severe back pain which has now put treating his cancer on hold (which I hate). We were given a few options for treating this pain.

1. Pain medication (which he is taking, but is not ideal)
2. Extreme back surgery that involves removing the tumor, inserting rods and bolts to stabilize the spine and would require total bed rest up to 6 weeks following the surgery. Recovery time (if he recovered completely) would most likely take 3 months and might not reduce pain. This (we are told) is the "best" way to avoid paralysis, but at the same time could "cause" paralysis too.
3. Kyphoplasty: which is an outpatient procedure in which the doctor will insert a needle into the damaged vertebrae, burn out part of the tumor with a saline solution and then insert a balloon into the burned out area where it will be inflated. This will essentially jack up (like a car jack) the collapsed vertebrae. After the balloon is inflated the doctor will then fill the hollowed out area with thick bone cement which should ease his pain significantly.

The decision to undergo this procedure has not been an easy one... Risks can include paralysis (due to the tumor), spinal fractures (depending on bone density) and bone cement leaking out of the balloon cavity, entering the blood stream and going to the lungs... or death. Most of these risks are minimal, but are still very real risks.

As you can imagine we are all very afraid, but are at peace with the decision we've made. This will hopefully get us into a cancer treatment sooner although we run the risk of eventual paralysis because the tumor could still grow and compress his spinal cord. -Please pray this doesn't happen.

Yesterday, I was sitting in a staff meeting and we were praying over all of the congregation requests and prayer concerns. I hear all the concerns week after week for loved ones who are battling some form of cancer and I notice how this disease is no respecter of age... When I think of my Dad, I also remember George Roach (one of the bravest men I've met), Sarah's 27 year old cousin Andy who has sinus cancer (which has now invaded the bones in his face) and little Wesley Jaeger (5 years old) who continues to fight so hard. My Dad's faith has grown tremendously through this horrible trial. The other day we were talking and he said "Why should I be spared from this... just look at the life that God has given me. Others have not been so blessed."

God has commissioned us to relieve suffering. Although we cannot take away the pain of others, we can go through it with them. We can hold their hands, pray with them and for them, comfort and encourage them. We can laugh with them, cry with them or just spend time with them...We cannot spare them their trial, but we can share the load and walk along with them.

"Therefore, I urge you brothers to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God-this is your spiritual act of worship." -Romans 12:1