Gary Austin Update

Gary Austin, pastor of the Cedar Rapids, Iowa, Grace Brethren church, is in the early stages of seeking treatment for recently-diagnosed colorectal cancer. Here is his latest update:

Today was a verrrry cold day in Iowa - woke up to -28 degrees wind-chills, with actual temps at -11 degrees. It's going to warm up to 0 degree tonight and snow tomorrow. O the joys of winter!

I made my first trip to Iowa City, to the University of Iowa Hospital, to see the surgeon, Dr. Wilkinson. He confirmed the tumor is there and has a plan to treat it. He also wants to get some additional info, so tomorrow, Tuesday, I go back for a CT scan - different from the PET/CT scan I had two weeks ago.

I will also be having an endoscopic ultrasound soon to show the full size and stage of the tumor. Next Thursday, Feb. 15, I have two appointments - one with an oncologist, and one with a radiation doctor.

Wilkinson is anticipating what the results of the tests will be - radiation for several weeks - each day of the week [Mon - Fri], followed by chemo. The purpose is to shrink the tumor. Then he will remove what's left surgically. That's the tricky part - getting it out and putting me back together properly ... so everything functions the way it's suppose to function.

He's anticipating a recovery time of one week in the hospital and 3 or 4 weeks recuperating. After that, I may get some additional treatments - if needed - to fully wipe out any lingering amounts of cancer cells. This is taking us into April for surgery and May for recovery, if everything goes to plan.

That's the news from here for now. Just wanted you to know what's going on and encourage you to keep praying for strength and patience through the process.