GOOD NEWS!!!!!

The tumor has shrunk! The original size was 4.2 x 5.2 cm. It is now 3.7 x 4.1 with no metastasis to the liver or other organs!! According to research findings, only 24% of tumors like dad's shrink. He has found his way into that celebrated minority, just like he said he would. So, the M.D. wants to do four more rounds of chemo and reassess. He remains unsure if the spots identified on the lungs a few months ago are malignant, so he is going to have a radiologist examine the image when they reevaluate next month.

Dad's red blood cell count was low, so they want to do a blood transfusion tomorrow. His other counts looked good.

When I was praying for dad this morning, I asked God that He would let something happen today to let mom and dad know that He hears their prayers and is listening to the pleas of their hearts. I know that prayer was answered.

Dad still has a long road ahead of him, as we all know the statistics related to pancreatic cancer. But, today is a day to celebrate and to be thankful! How befitting that this news was delivered during the Thanksgiving season.

Thank you for all your continued prayers and support.

Please write your legislators to support more funding for pancreatic cancer research.

"A joyful and pleasant thing it is to be thankful."
The Book of Common Prayer

CATscan on Monday

Dad received chemo yesterday. His blood levels all looked good with the exception of his sugar, which was a bit high. He has lost a few more pounds, which has put his total weight loss at around 65 pounds. The Thursday following his Tuesday treatments is always his toughest day. He usually experiences fever spikes, significant fatitue, and complete loss of appetite.

He is looking forward to this weekend when he will make the annual family pilgrimage to southwest Missouri to go deer hunting with all the Bixler men. He will return Sunday and receive his ultrasound Monday. This is the first CATscan the oncologist has ordered since dad began chemo. Obviously, we are all a bit anxious to hear the results, and are optimistic that the tumor has stopped growing.

A little porch time is good for everybody.

I hear today is suppose to be a day that goes down in history as a pretty big deal. I wish people didn’t get so caught up in the election. Yes, I think everyone should vote but after the vote there’s no need to worry too much. A lot of these issues are out of our hands. These issues only affect you as much as you allow them to. If you turn the TV off and sit on the front porch a while you’ll realize a lot of that stuff you worry about you can’t do anything about. Granted, if you can fix it you should.

It amazes me that people want this much change and are so unhappy with how things are going. It amazes me that people are relying so heavily on other people to make decisions for them, banking on those decisions to bring them happiness. People start losing money and all of a sudden are unhappy. Granted, there are other big issues in the world but the anxiety will eat you alive if you worry about them all. I’m a believer that change has to start from within each individual. Individuals must find happiness and peace within themselves before they can ever affect the people around them. Only worry about things that you have direct control over. Stay positive, and work on things within your circle of influence. As you become stronger as a person your circle of influence will grow.

Well, what’s that have to do with Gary Bixler Updates and News? I’ll tell you. I’ve learned over the years from listening to dad that I will always have ups and downs throughout life. He taught me that I can’t worry about everything in the world, only the things I have direct control over. From those of you who know us, you realize we both worry about things we have control over. Dad has inner peace but it’s not because he didn’t run into any bumps along the way. It’s because he learned how to deal with those bumps. The current situation is a one of those bumps, and we're dealing with it.

This last weekend I went home to be with mom and dad. Angie, James, and Ben were there as well. We had a barbecue/birthday meal for James on Friday night. Saturday, I went with dad, James, and Ben down to the farm to visit John and Harley. They were doing some repairs on the combine and were getting ready to start thrashing beans. I hope they get the beans out before deer season. We also stopped by one of the cotton gins in Matthews and dad gave us a brief tour. Dad has some old stories about working in the cotton gin. It was good to hear them. Saturday night we had a fish fry and had some family and friends over. It was a good time.

Dad had another treatment today and will have another one next Tuesday. The following Monday the 17th he will have a CTscan. That doctor sure knows how to mess up a deer season. How can you schedule a CTscan in the middle of rifle season? Wow! Dad may have to call in sick to that one.

All in all, dad’s doing okay. He’s a sick man but he’s dealing with it the best he can. I’m very proud of my father. My advice to all is to try and get some porch time if you get the chance. If your looking for dad, more than likely, that’s where he’ll be.