Mark Vreeland
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UPDATED September 3, 2008
By the time we got to the doctor this morning, Mark was not able to walk anymore – he could not move his right leg. Dr. Citrin took action immediately and coordinated an MRI right away and consultation with radiology to begin radiation on his back if indeed it was tumors compressing his spinal cord like he assumed was the case. He was admitted to the hospital and by 1:30 we had the results back which show that he has tumors in the two lowest vertebrae of his neck and T1-T4 of his thoracic spine, T4 being the area where it is really compressing the cord area. He is not allowed to stand at all (not that he was really able to … but I was basically lifting him from place to place to get him wherever he needed to go). They have already started radiation this evening and will be giving him 14 treatments in all (3 weeks worth) to take away the pressure on his spine. They also are going to get a neurosurgeon in on the case tomorrow to evaluate whether Mark should have surgery to put some space between the vertebrae so this won’t happen again anytime soon. We will keep you updated on this. We talked with the doctor in charge (not Dr. Citrin but the one on the hospital floor who is in charge of coordinating the communication between Mark’s oncologist and all the other doctors they want to pull in on the case) a few minutes ago and inquired about the radiation treatment since it is a lot less than the last time he had radiation. The spinal cord is a touchy area and they cannot give as much radiation in that area or they could end up injuring the spinal cord permanently. They will not eradicate the tumors in this area but diminish them. He said it could buy Mark up to three years without pain/complications in the spine again if we can get the rest of the growth under control. At this point, of course, we will take what we can get but we also know our Ultimate Healer and that He can take it away if He chooses. We will continue to beg God for that miracle! Thank you so much for your love and support for our entire family – this is certainly not easy on any of us and is very wearing but we know we have to deal with the situation(s) we are handed and we are all trying to do just that. Please specifically pray for Mark’s spinal cord not to have any permanent damage and that he will be afforded good health by our Almighty God and for strength and comfort for all of Mark’s extended family as we go through this trial together.
With all our love, Mark & Connie
September 1, 2008 -- second post today...
We are scheduled to go to Zion, IL tomorrow to have dr. appointment on Tuesday but over the last several days, Mark has been experiencing diminished use of his legs to the point now he is not able to walk on his own. We don’t know what is causing it – whether it is tumors pressing on his spinal cord, a complication from muscle relaxants they had given Mark for his back muscle spasms (which he hasn’t taken for a couple days) or something else we haven’t thought of . . . but we are asking you to pray that this is only a temporary setback and he will get back the use of his legs soon. We will send an update from Illinois sometime on Tuesday. Thanks for your love and support!!! Mark, Connie, Rachel, Andy and the whole extended family.
September 1, 2008
From Randy D’Alessandro, pastor, Ann Arbor/Detroit, MI:
Mark Vreeland continues to battle stage 4 colon cancer and has experienced tremendous back pain lately, due in part to the cancer spreading to the bones. He and his wife, Connie, great appreciate your continued prayers.
3355 Jeanette Drive
Chelsea,
MI 48118
UPDATED August 19, 2008
Hello from Zion, IL. Mark had another scheduled visit today with the oncology team. His tumor marker number went down, just not as much as last time but it is still going down. His blood work was good and all he had to get was his regularly scheduled chemo today. He has had a lot of back pain due to many issues – ribs keep popping out of joint, nerve pain from old injuries, muscle spasms and loss of muscle mass. He had a really rough ride to Illinois yesterday and a hard night last night trying to keep the pain down. He is very anxious for the pain to go away so he can feel well enough to celebrate the good news God has given him recently with his decreased cancer counts.
Thanks for your continued prayers, love and support!!
Mark & Connie
UPDATED August 9, 2008
We were again in Zion, IL this past Monday and Tuesday. Mark’s tumor marker numbers continue to drop and we are so thankful for that!! He did have to have fluid drained from his right lung area again and also had to get 2 more pints of blood and some potassium. Words are so inadequate sometimes to express our gratitude for your faithful prayers, love and support, but we appreciate them more than you know! Mark & Connie
UPDATED July 11, 2008
Thanks so much for your prayers!! Yesterday the blood results for Mark showed that the tumors are still shrinking and we are going in a positive direction J! His blood counts were also high enough that he did not have to have a blood transfusion. He did have to have another liter of fluid drained from his right lung area but that went smoothly and he should be breathing better again. We will be continuing to go back every two weeks for a round of chemo until the tumors are gone. Have a wonderful week!
UPDATED June 10, 2008
Hi. Just a note to let you know we are back in Zion, IL for the day getting chemo. Mark’s hemoglobin showed real low again so he will need another 2 pints of blood. That will make us stay late tonight so we will plan to come home tomorrow morning barring any problems. Thanks for your prayers and support!
Mark & Connie
UPDATED May 13, 2008
We expect this to be our last update from Zion, IL for quite a while J. Mark’s last radiation appointment is Monday, May 19th and then we will be coming home that day or the 20th (depending on the timing of the radiation). The radiologist said that the tumors should continue to shrink for 2-3 months after the radiation treatments have ended so it will be a while before we know the total effect of the radiation. We will have a follow up appointment with him in six weeks. In the meantime, Mark will still be on the chemo schedule every two weeks (he is getting chemo today), so we will have to come back every two weeks for one day of infusion (that will seem like a breeze after this). His hemoglobin is down again and will need a transfusion again this week before we go home. We would appreciate your specific prayers regarding the chemo side effects (or lack thereof) and the success of the transfusion. We are anxious to see everyone, but please realize that Mark is still gaining strength so we respectfully ask that no one come visit us at home for a while. We will see a lot of you at church and as he gains strength, other times too. We can’t say enough how thankful we are for all your prayers and love!!
3355 Jeanette Dr
Chelsea, MI 48118
UPDATED May 3, 2008
We are getting closer to ‘real’ spring weather – that is good J Thanks for your prayers and support. We wanted to let you know that Mark was released from the hospital Monday night. It was an adjustment for him to sleep on a ‘normal’ bed that doesn’t tilt up and down but we are so happy to be out of the hospital! We have two more days of normal radiation and then ten days of tomo therapy (a specialized radiation – more targeted). Mark is feeling the full effects of the radiation – he is exhausted but the chemo didn’t get to him too much so we are thankful for that. We haven’t talked with the oncologist since we got out of the hospital but we know that Mark will get one more dose of the chemo while we are here and then we will have to see if it will be ongoing and for how long. We are looking forward to being home the middle of May, God willing, and get back to a more normal routine. Thanks for all the calls, letters, jokes, etc. – they have meant a lot to us!
With love, Mark & Connie
UPDATED April 25, 2008
Thanks for your specific prayers lately . . . we wanted to update you that we talked to our Oncologist today. He said that he normally does not have his patients on both chemo and radiation at the same time, but Mark’s situation warranted it. This is not done on a normal basis because each treatment is harsh to the body. We are concerned that Mark will not be able to eat well and they may have to give him nutrients through IV if he has severe side effects (he is dreading this). He will stay in the hospital for the next few days to monitor the first administration of the chemo (it is a different set of drugs than the first chemo regimen he was on). Please pray that the side effects will be minimized as his body has gone through a lot lately. Another potential side effect of one of the drugs is blood clots. The doctor will keep a close eye on him. Mark’s left arm is not as swollen so we are thinking the blood clot is being dissolved – we hope that is the last blood clot we have to deal with. His abdomen is also getting better – draining still but not like it was last week – we are definitely seeing improvement. Thanks again for your love and concern – we will keep you updated as things develop/continue.
Mark & Connie
UPDATED April 11, 2008
Thanks again for your love and concern! We have had a development in the last couple of days that we need your prayers regarding. Mark’s leg continues to swell and he is not able to do much. However, a couple of days ago his abdomen started to bloat. We assumed it was a complication of the lymph fluid but it was so uncomfortable that Mark has not been able to eat much the past few days. We saw our Oncologist today and he was concerned about the bloating – he ordered an x-ray to see if Mark is obstructed somewhere in the bowel. We will consult with a surgeon tomorrow afternoon regarding the results but the Oncologist assumes that Mark will have to have surgery within the next day or so. He is also anemic again and he is in the process of receiving an infusion of 2 pints of blood. We would love the results of the x-ray to show nothing at all or at least not enough obstruction to justify surgery so we can wait this out. Thanks for your specific prayers J
Love,
Mark & Connie
UPDATED October 25, 2007
We are happy
to report that Mark's cancer is considered in 'complete
remission'. With that in mind, the doctor says the typical
curative chemo regimen would be to give him two cycles of chemo
after the determination of 'complete remission'. So he is
getting his regular dose of chemo this week and will be back the
week after Thanksgiving for his last regular treatment of chemo.
After that, Mark will be tested again and it will be determined
if they will do a regimen of radiation in his pelvic region to
ensure any left over cells are eradicated. The doctor is leaning
towards giving him a radiation treatment which would be 6-8
weeks long but that won't be determined until after these two
last chemo treatments.
Thank you so much for your faithful prayers - God has heard and
responded! We would specifically ask you to pray for Mark's
weight loss. He has lost 5 more pounds since his last visit and
the doctor wants us to make sure he doesn't lose any more.
With love,
Mark & Connie
UPDATED August 19, 2007
We are so thankful for your prayers and support - they mean so much to us!!! God has heard our petitions and has shrunk the tumors drastically! We met with the Oncologist today and he was very pleased with Mark's progress - the CT scan along with the physical exam showed that the tumors have responded to the chemo greatly. Mark will be having his 3rd chemo treatment this week and will be back Sept. 17th (if he feels well enough - please pray that he will). The doctor hypothesized that Mark could possibly have two more 'normal' treatments and then be able to go on a maintenance program. Thank you again for your prayers and support - we know that God is hearing and responding.
Love,
Mark & Connie
June 30, 2007
Date Received : June 14, 2007
From Randy D'Alessandro, pastor, Ann Arbor/Detroit, MI:
Mark & Connie Vreeland, of the Ann Arbor congregation, request your prayers for Mark (44-years old) who has been sick for the last couple of months and was diagnosed with colon cancer. It has already been confirmed that it is in one lymph node and they will go for a CT Scan today, June 14th, to see if it is in any other part of his body. Mark and Connie would appreciate your prayers that God would intervene and help the whole family through this trial.
3355 Jeanette Dr
Chelsea, MI 48118