Diagnosis Determined

It has been determined that Valerie has Cholangiocarcinoma - a cancer originating in the bile duct in the liver. The cancer has also reached a few lymph nodes. A long Monday in Los Angeles…Nancy, Char, Chris and Valerie….after many, many phone calls, and a few trips to pick up records, scans, etc. we finally achieved our goal of scheduling appointments tomorrow with the three doctors we were intent on consulting with regarding a definitive treatment plan. There were major ‘bureaucratic’ roadblocks to deal with and to break through…..but we had a formidable ‘offensive’ line and we were able to bust through everything. Again, keeping our focus on the goal for this week, which is to determine the best treatment plan and to decide the best physicians to execute this plan, we have a big day tomorrow. Please keep us in your thoughts and prayers as we ‘hear’ the opinions of the best liver physicians in the Western United States.


* Pray for a slow moving cancer.
* Pray for clarity in decision making. Wisdom to decide which steps to take when they are given options.
* Pray for a chemo plan that will be effective. The doctors speak of this as being an art and science - they have to find a formula that will work before any surgery takes place. The chemotherapy will likely be done in several stages with a liver resectioning followed by more chemo.
* Pray for a full healing.
* Pray for patience as there is so much waiting.
* Pray that Val, Chris and the boys will rest in God's providential care and peace.
* Pray for Chris and full recovery from his recent back surgery.
* Pray for Ryan, Gavin, and Tyler - that there growing bodies and minds and souls would be nurtured during this difficult time.


Thank you for all your continued thoughts, emails, comments, and prayers.

Val, Chris, Charlene, and Richard at Dinner

A Cell Phone Story

Char spent this past weekend wheeling and dealing to get all our medical contacts set up for Monday and Tuesday. All responses were targeted to her cell phone. As our Team of Decision Makers were ready to leave for LA tonight, Char realized that her cell phone charger was MIA. This was a huge setback. All of the Doctors had her number as their go to person. We combed Val's house. I prayed for resolution and found a charger at Fry's. While driving home, I plugged it in. Nothing! It didn't work! Char and I headed back to search 1722 Laslo. Nothing! Char called her son Brad. He suggested Wal-Mart. I headed the Kia rental toward the store while Char called a liver cancer specialist she knows at his home in Cleveland. Who ever heard of a liver specialist talking to you from his home at 10 pm! While Char talks to her friend, I bolt into the store. The clerk checks my battery number, looks at the shelves of chargers and tells me that my charger is out of stock. She makes one last reach into the back and finds one that she says will work. Char and I high five it as we plug it in and it lights up.
Thank you Lord! As your Servant Paul wrote, "My God shall supply all your needs through His riches in Christ Jesus."

posted by Richard Sloan

Boots on the Ground

After Moses died, the Lord commanded Joshua to get ready to cross the Jordan into the Promised Land. God said, " No one will be able to stand against you. Have I not commanded you? be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go."
So Joshua secretly sent two spies. "Go look over the land," he said, "especially Jericho." Details of their mission and God's miraculous intervention to protect them are recorded in the 2nd chapter of Joshua.
The spies returned and reported to Joshua everything that happened to them. The spies said, "The Lord has surely given the whole land into our hands."

God's commands to us today are the same as they were to Joshua.
We have sent our spies into the land. Awesome in their power! Dr. Carty, Dr. Tasher, Dr. Lamon, Char's Colleagues in Denver, Dr. Nissen from Cedars Sinai, Dr. Boosatell from UCLA, Medical Technicians, Biopsy Needles, MRI's, Endoscopic UltraSound, PET Scans!!
Joshua told his spies to especially look at Jericho. Our Jericho is Val's liver and our spies have especially looked at it.
The report: this is a fearsome enemy indeed.

Our Generals, Char, Val, Chris, and Nancy leave tonight for Los Angeles. They meet tomorrow with Doctors from UCLA and Cedars Sinai.
The goal is to agree on the best battle plan to defeat the enemy.
Pray that God's wisdom, his very presence is with all who are charged with these decisions. Pray that Dr. Nissen, Andy Kline, and Dr. Boosatell are all available and can reach a consensus of the best course of action.
Our God gives us grace for today and bright hope for tomorrow!

Posted by Richard Sloan

Amazing Story

Late Thursday afternoon was a rather grey and dismal day in LA. As I sat in the Lobby of the Cedars Sinai Imaging Center waiting for Val and Char to finish an MRI/MRCP Scan, I looked out the window and saw Chris outside on the street having a very intense conversation with a girl in a white sweater.
Char and Val eventually came in to the lobby and sat down. They didn't see Chris outside on the street and I continued to watch this puzzling and animated conversation through the window. Eventually Chris and the girl in the white sweater came in to the lobby. When Chris saw us, his face lit up and he rushed over with this stranger in the white sweater.
Apparently, while Chris was outside doing Blackberry business calls,an incoming call from the 760 area code lit up. He returned the call. It was Stacy (Ryder) Sharp, a friend of Val's from church. She had heard about Val's liver cancer and that possibly she was being treated at UCLA. It turns that her husband Tim was also being treated for liver cancer at Cedars Sinai and was, as she spoke, in the hospital for treatment.
Chris explained that all was true and that he was standing on the street in front of the Taper Imaging Center at Cedars Sinai waiting for Val to finish her test.
Unbelievably, Stacy was standing two minutes away from Chris as she was speaking.
Hence the explanation of this puzzling conversation between Chris and the girl in the white sweater.
Val and Stacy spent the next hour together talking and praying.
When God orchestrates a miraculous meeting like this in our lives, it always takes my breath away. May He be forever praised!
Message from Valerie's dad Richard Sloan

Friday Brings Positive News

Val sure has been through the ringer today. Thankfully she is home resting with her family. This morning she had an endoscopic procedure at Cedar Sinai Medical Center that detected no masses in the pancreas as suspected which is great news! The lymph nodes are still being looked at as are the biopsy samples. In the afternoon she had a PET CT Scan. Radioactive material was injected into her body then a CT scan was performed. Any cancerous material "lights up" so to speak. They are still waiting for the results of this test. If the cancer is confined to her liver, as tests are leaning toward now, this is excellent news and treatment options are much more clear. Chemotherapy will be part of her treatment. We have just learned that the latest technology in chemotherapy allows doctors to inject chemo drugs directly in the liver. Not only does this maximize reducing the tumors, but the side effects associated with traditional chemotherapy ( sickness, hair loss, ....) are avoided. Next week with all of the test results in the McCreas and the doctors can decide on the very best and most effective treatment plan. Another bit of good news is Val, with help from "won't take 'no' for an answer" Chris, was able to switch her insurance from HMO to PPO and tremendously bump up her insurance coverage. Thanks to all of you who prayed for this! What a blessing to end a difficult week on a positive note. All the prayers, notes, meals, encouragement, ..... have been amazing. I am sure Val feels so thankful for you all!

Ephesians 3:20-21
Now to Him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us, to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.

Thursday at Cedar Sinai Hospital

Today Valerie had an MRI to try and get a better idea of where exactly the cancer is in her body. The doctors think something is questionable in the pancreas, but further tests tomorrow will be the key to giving the doctors an absolute answer to their suspicions. Tomorrow she will have a test at 9:30 am that she will have to be "put under" for. A camera will be put down her throat and go all through her digestive tract. They will also biopsy several areas during this procedure. In the afternoon she will have another test where a nuclear dye will be put in her body then a CT scan will show ANY spec of cancer. All of these tests will take several days to be analyzed by the doctors. Val, Chris, and Charlene will be coming home tomorrow night and hopefully be able to rest this weekend as a family. As a nice surprise Val's dad Richard drove up to spend the day with them. Thank you all for continued prayers and encouragement.

Prayer Requests:

* Quick, absolute diagnosis and treatment plan
* Insurance will cover her needed tests and treatment
* Strength for Val and God's peace
* Strength and healing for Chris. He had back surgery last week.

Wednesday's Update

Val, Chris and Aunt Char have been in Los Angeles all day, visiting liver specialists at both UCLA and Cedar Mt. Sinai Hospital. As you can imagine, it has been a long, tiring day, and at times we all felt like we were on a roller coaster…..some high points and some low points.

Basically what we know tonight is that tests have been ordered and we hope to have all of them completed by the end of the day on Friday, so we have a conclusive diagnosis. Both doctors agreed on the necessity of these tests to confirm a) where the cancer has originated, and b) where it has spread. At that point we will present all of the facts to both of the doctors and get their recommendation for the best treatment plan….chemo, surgery, etc. Then it will be time for us to make a decision as to what we think is the best plan for Val…..But we will be making that decision with an excellent understanding of the upsides and downsides of all options. And we feel confident that we will be clear on the best plan at that point.

We are very tired, both physically and emotionally, but we know a lot more today than we did yesterday. Please pray for strength for Valerie as she endures four vital tests tomorrow and Friday and for God's guidance as important decisions are made.

THANK YOU!

Val on her birthday

This picture was taken this past Sunday - two days after she learned of the cancer. We, her family, are encouraged by her strength and cheerful heart. We thought you might like to have his photo in mind as you pray.

Meals for the McCreas

Amy Nelson has been graciously coordinating meals for the McCrea family during this time. If you are interested in helping Val and her family in this was please contact Amy and she will place you on the meal schedule. As you can imagine this has been a wonderful blessing in a time of need.

Amy Nelson 760-743-2331
ononuts@cox.net

A Note to Family and Friends...

First we want to express our gratitude and appreciation for all of the love, care, prayers, meals, encouragement that have been showered on us during this challenging time. We want to use this Blog to keep you all informed about Val's diagnosis and treatment progress as they unfold. We also want to inform you of specific prayer requests and needs for the family. At this point this is what we know:

- Val has been diagnosed with malignant liver cancer

- Her diagnosis is not complete. She requires several tests and procedures to determine the scope of her cancer. Doctors are not sure if the cancer is confined to her liver or might have originated somewhere in the gastrointestinal area.

- Today Val spent time with an oncologist in Escondido who suspects that the cancer is only in the liver. Wednesday and Thursday this week Chris, Val and Aunt Charlene will travel both to the UCLA Dumot Liver Cancer Center and to Cedar Sinai Medical center to meet with top specialists in the field of liver cancer in the country (what a blessing!) to get a complete and accurate diagnosis and best treatment possible in the quickest time possible.

We will continue to keep current updates of Val's progress and covet your prayers. Here are specific PRAYER REQUESTS as of today:

1. Val will be able to switch from her HMO healthcare plan to a PPO network and workout all of the insurance hurdles.

2. Val can get an exact and correct diagnosis and the doctors will know the absolute best and most accurate course of treatment in a quick amount of time.

3. Strength for Val's mom Nancy who will be caring for the three boys. Also prayer for Ryan, Gavin, and Tyler specifically.

4. Strength for Val physically and spiritually as she endures these many tests and procedures.

5. Complete healing of the cancer in Valerie's body

Our Hope is in the Lord

Psalm 27:5 For in the time of trouble He shall hide me in His pavilion; In the secret place of His tabernacle He shall hide me; He shall set me high on a rock.

Psalm 27:14 Wait on the Lord; Be of good courage, And He shall strengthen your heart; Wait, I say, on the Lord!

2 Corinthians 12:9 But He said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me.