From: Rachelle Miller [pcm@teleport.com]
Sent: Monday, February 18, 2002 2:05 AM

Subject: Update on Peter at last!

Belated Happy Valentines Day to all of you dear friends. It seems like
a lifetime has passed since I last had access to a computer! First the
laptop got sick with a nasty virus, then my desktop sighed its last
breath and passed over to the Great Computer Beyond. The fan quit, my
power supply died, and I think the motherboard is fried. Total and
complete annihilation.

Peter managed to heal the laptop and got it set up so I can use it with
a real keyboard and my 17" monitor (helps to be able to read!). I think
he's planning the funeral for the desktop.

As for Peter, he's doing very well. His surgery went without a hitch
and he has had no problems with healing. He's even getting the hang of
dealing with his appliance. He still tires easily, but that's to be
expected. On the other hand, 10 days in bed did absolutely nothing for
his bad back and he's finding that it has become the major problem.
Praise God for the chiropractor and the physical therapist!

Still, the surgery was not without some unexpected twists and turns.
The pathology report didn't come back for 2 weeks, and for good reason.
When it did, the results shocked everyone concerned. Peter doesn't have
bladder cancer...he has PROSTATE cancer. Rather than bladder cells
invading the prostate, it was the other way around. This is actually a
more fortunate outcome, but it was only the hand of God that has made it
so.

You see, if Peter's original doctor had known it was prostate cancer, he
probably wouldn't have waited for the doctor who actually did the
surgery. (He had a little surgery of his own and wasn't available last
fall.) And this surgeon is one the hospital staff calls "the A team."
Peter wouldn't have had chemo, either, which would have been a GOOD
thing, except that the chemo they used actually is the right one for
advanced prostate cancer and may have slowed his down a bit. The docs
probably would not have done such a complete surgery...the standard
protocol calls only for the removal of the prostate...not everything
else. At that point, there is a good chance the cancer would have gone
to Peter's kidneys. NOT a good thing. We know that the chance of that
is very slim now.

As of now, Peter has a bone scan on Monday to see if there is any bone
involvement. Then, he will be on a hormone therapy which will inhibit
the growth of any cancer that may have gotten loose in his system.
There is no chemo which is effective to do more than slow it down, so
they control it with the hormones. No chemo is a good thing. We were
not looking forward to it at all.

On a positive note, prostate cancer is one of the popular areas of
research. Lots of money is being poured into looking for permanent
solutions. There are promising leads in gene therapy and in
chemotherapy, and our oncologist says that within 5 years the treatment
protocol for prostate cancer will be very different than it is today.

So, as you can see, we've moved onto a different front of our battle
with cancer. This is now long-term guerrilla warfare designed to keep
everything stable until a permanent fix comes along. Peter will be off
work for another month or so while he finishes healing and builds his
strength. By then he should have an established routine for his
medicines and we'll try to get back to a somewhat normal routine NOT
ruled by doctors' appointments and tests. Believe me, it will be a
welcome change.

Please pray that Peter's tests are favorable, that his new therapy will
be very effective, and that he will tolerate it well. Pray that the
researchers will be successful soon in finding that elusive piece that
will put a halt to this cancer safely and effectively. Please continue
praying for the children, Calvin in particular, as they process the
changes in our lives. And please continue to pray for strength and
endurance for Peter and me as we face our new challenges. Pray that our
faith remains strong.

Thank you again, dear ones, for your support. This would not be a
doable journey without you.

God's blessings to you all,

Rachelle