I WAS THIS CLOSE!

Well, we almost got there! But what’s an epic tale of slaying the evil cancer dragon without a little extra adversity? Although the Panatumumab treatment has left me with luscious, dark, curly eyelashes that would make the Maybelline team blush, its effectiveness in shrinking the tumours has stopped. The unfortunate part is that this was the last line of treatment that is covered by BC Cancer. The fortunate part is that Dr. Proctor has urged me to take a bit of a break from the chemotherapy style treatments so the rest of my body can heal for a while. Dr. Kim let me know that although surgery is not an option at this time, he is going to continue to follow my case as long as the tumours don’t spread past the right lobe of my liver.

The next conventional course of action would be to undergo an oral form of chemotherapy called “Lonsurf” “http://www.bccancer.bc.ca/drug-database-site/Drug%20Index/Trifluridine-tipiracil_monograph.pdf”. Since this chemo has modest benefits and can still yield the typical chemo side effects, I have been advised to hold off on starting this treatment.

I have been given his blessing to commence a holistic protocol that has been put together by Dr. Tracy Levins at Radiant Life in Kamloops, BC. The protocol consists of high dose IV Vitamin C, low dose Naltrexone “https://www.mayoclinic.org/drugs-supplements/naltrexone-oral-route/description/drg-20068408” “https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33337537/#:~:text=Background%3A%20Naltrexone%20(NTX)%20is,low%20dose%20naltrexone%20(LDN)”,

Mistletoe Extract “https://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/treatment/cam/patient/mistletoe-pdq”,

and Artesunate “https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7564301/#:~:text=Artesunate%20was%20shown%20to%20inhibit,et%20al.%2C%202008)”.

Now, if you have a lifetime to read all of these links, that’s awesome. But allow me to summarize: THERE IS A LOT OF PROMISE IN THESE TREATMENTS! From the very beginning of my journey, I have told many people that had I not had my wife and daughter to care for, I would have likely started with holistic treatments. However, with an 80% efficacy rate of the conventional treatments, I couldn’t take that kind of risk considering how advanced my cancer originally was; I don’t regret my choice for a second. The conventional treatment aided me from being inoperable; through a major surgery; and ALMOST to a full cure. I am forever grateful for Dr. Proctor’s guidance through those protocols. Now it is time to put our hope into something else. And the worst possible outcome (from a treatment standpoint) is that if the holistic treatment doesn’t stop the cancer from growing, I will be pumped full of immuno-boosting properties. I will be in a much better spot to undergo other potential treatments. Please continue to hope and pray for a positive response to these new treatments.

A bit further down the line, I have been put on the list to participate in clinical trials in Vancouver. Although there are no trials available at this time, it appears as though a new trial should begin in the fall. Depending on how well my body reacts to this holistic protocol, we may relocate to Vancouver when the next trial is launched.

As much hope as we still have, there is one issue that we can’t ignore: money. None of the aforementioned treatments are covered by BC Cancer (the clinical trial would be but not the cost of relocating) so we are quickly running through the leftover funds from the Go Fund Me campaign that Courtney and Nick so generously put together for us. Some of the naturopath visits are covered at least partially by my extended health for the time being. However, the treatments are in the low thousands on a monthly basis so far. Unfortunately, the education field isn’t quite as lucrative as many believe it to be so these extra expenses will very quickly become out of our reach.

We are still completely overwhelmed by the generosity and support of our friends and family to help us through the first surgery, medical costs, and time off work. We would be lost without you. It is always very uncomfortable to ask for financial help, but here we are. Courtney has insisted on once again putting together a Go Fund Me campaign to help us with these extra expenses. I know there are quite a few people who have chosen not to support using the Go Fund Me platform for personal reasons so if you feel inclined to share a donation but do not wish to support the online platform, we will gratefully accept E-Transfers to osbornetimothyj@gmail.com with CantRecTim in the notes so we can keep it organized.

Well, this certainly has been one of my heavier blog posts. I never wanted to have to report this journey moving in the opposite direction of where we want it to go, and I NEVER wanted to have to ask for financial help. But here we are. We are in endless thanksgiving for all of the support, prayers, messages, and words of affirmation from our undefeatable army.

The mantra remains the same: CANCER OF THE RECTUM CAN’T WRECK TIM! #CantRecTim