It has been a while since our last update. This is partially because there has not been a whole lot to report. Becky is still experiencing variable pain in her neck and in her hip area. Her liver has been painful on and off as well, but has not gotten bad. She has also been experiencing a lot of fatigue. On a more positive note, her stomach has not been bothering her much if at all for several weeks, and we have postponed several times and now cancelled until further notice an appointment with a GI doctor.

Working with our doctors, we believe there are likely some thyroid issues, and there may be progression in the sacrum area where pain has been increasing in recent days. Recent blood work shows her platelets have dropped significantly, so we're concerned about that. They also did a Signatera test, which is a tumor marker number that we've done several times. Lower numbers are better, and her's has been as high as 84, but the most recent number a couple months ago was just .37. We're praying that number continues to fall. We should have the results by late next week.

On a day to day basis, Bill asks Becky about how she's doing and where the pains are, and we adjust treatments we do at home accordingly. Since we're using a rife machine (Spooky 2) at home, we're also pursuing a provider associated with Nutrition World in Chattanooga who works with frequencies. This is an out of pocket expense, but we believe it may be helpful possibly for the cancer but also for related or other issues she's having, especially headaches. We're just getting started on this so we'll say more if this produces good results.

We received 2 medical bills recently. One of them was for service rendered in Arizona over a year ago! The delay in receiving this one was due to a security breach at the billing company. Still, this involved Bill calling our insurance company, only to be told we had to call the insurance company in Arizona, who in turn told us we needed to work with our own insurance company! In the end they said they would take care of it, but it still involved over 2 hours on the phone and much frustration.

In all this, Bill has been putting together a collection of information describing in condensed format what we have learned and a list of treatments we have come across, some of which we've used. While we are not offering direct medical advice per FDA restrictions, we do feel it would be wrong to not share what we've learned especially since we've seen so much benefit from taking an integrative approach for ourselves, and many friends we have and still know who have benefitted by doing the same. That information is available on our Dixie Soaps web site at:
https://www.dixiesoaps.com/#MKTPLACE
go to the lower right corner and click on "Cancer Info". What follows are 3 pre-formatted printable pages. Use a regular computer, not a cell phone to do this, as it formats better that way. We'll be working on making this information easier to access as time goes on.

We have been doing this now for well over a year. But the challenge is every day, and some days are more intense than others. We are grateful that Becky is able to function mostly normally, and that our needs are being met. And as always we are grateful for your prayers and support!


On October 21, Becky had an MRI. We didn't report on this until now because it came and went rather quickly. She had been having some severe headaches, and we thought there was a chance they might be related to her brain spots. We called the radiation doctor, who agreed to do an MRI as quickly as possible. We were very grateful to see that the results were not bad. All the spots had stayed basically the same size with the only difference being insignificant enough to still have the spots continue to be considered stable.

PET Scan report

Becky's next PET scan was scheduled for Tuesday morning, October 1. We have been anticipating this scan for several weeks, eager to know what the cancer is doing. Many things regarding Becky's health has given us concern that there was new or growing cancer in various areas. We were particularly concerned about increased liver pain, ongoing stomach issues, and hips.

We are happy to report that her throat pains have mostly resolved. This has helped with her being able to eat more normally. However, her stomach has been bothering her more and more, and often eating or even drinking water can cause significant pain.

We didn't get the PET scan results until Wednesday October 2. When we read through the written report, we had to read it several times to make sure we were reading it right. Over and over it said: "no evidence of abnormal activity", "complete structural and metabolic response to therapy", "activity in (whatever body part) appears normal", and "dramatic response to therapy." Specifically, breast, bones, and lymph were all considered cancer free! No mention of any stomach issues. There were, however, two small lesions on the liver that do demonstrate some activity. Overall, this is an excellent report!

It is important to stress that there are 2 liver lesions, especially since the liver was clear in June. Also, this scan did not report anything about the brain lesions. So we are not done, but we are very grateful to God for the progress we have made!

We're also very grateful to all who have supported us. I can't emphasize that enough, for without your support, we would not have been able to achieve what we have done.

As is often the case, when we resolve one problem, another emerges. Tuesday afternoon, Becky developed a terrible headache that lasted into Wednesday. Since it hadn't resolved by Wednesday evening, she went to the emergency room at Rhea Medical. Her blood work showed two very concerning things. Her White Blood Cell count was very low, significantly below anything it has been, and her platelets were very low as well. There were other markers that were off as well, but comparing them with past reports, it's likely those can be resolved. Becky's diet has been very limited for most of the past 2 months, which is likely a contributing factor to this. We're working on answers to these issues even now, and our next report hopefully will have some answers.

I believe there are several keys to our success so far. One is obviously God's guidance, providence, and love, and the prayers of so many. Second is related: that these things have guided our choices and decisions regarding what therapies to use and when. Not every decision has always been ideal, hindsight is very revealing, but the progress we've made speaks for itself that many of the most important decisions have been good ones. The third reason is perseverance and keeping on top of changes as they happen.

So again, thank you to all who have prayed and supported us!

September 23, 2024

It has been longer than usual since our last update. It has been a busy summer. The last week of August and the first week of September, we were able take a family vacation. We were able to spend a lot of family time together, and we were able to take advantage of a 5 night cancer respite program at Silver Bay Association in New York state. This program was free of charge, and at a place that Bill used to work at. While we enjoyed our time, with a family as large as ours, it was less restful than it would be otherwise. We are very grateful for the opportunity to do this.

But going back to early July, we were dealing with the need for radiation treatments on Becky's neck and sacrum. However, by the time we were ready to start radiation on the brain metastasis spots, the MRI was too old and would need to be redone.  However, the doctor told us that these spots were relatively small and could be managed until after neck and sacrum radiation was complete. In the mean time, a steroid would keep the brain spots from getting significantly worse.

Bill's Sister and parents were able to visit for a week and a half during the bulk of Becky's radiation treatments. This was a very enjoyable time for us to have extended family to visit with and who could watch the kids while Becky and I went to several appointments together. They were here a week and a half, which was entirely too short.

Toward the end of the radiation treatments, Becky began having increasing pain in her throat, and within a few days after treatment ended, she was barely able to swallow anything, including water. This condition lasted for over a week and a half, before improving enough that she was able to swallow enough water to not have to get hydration IV's.

In preparation for the brain radiation, Becky had to have another MRI. Once again, we eagerly and nervously waited for the results. This time they came quicker than previously. Bill looked them over first. He had to look at it several times to be sure of what we were seeing. But ultimately, it showed that 3 of the tumors had shrunk almost in half, including the largest one! The other two had shrunk some as well. We were encouraged by this.

Next, we had an appointment with the radiation doctor at CHI Memorial downtown, which was a different location than the previous office. At that appointment, the doctor acknowledged that the tumors had indeed shrunk, however, he felt strongly we should move forward with the radiation anyway. He felt strongly that the reason for the shrinkage was due to the fact that Becky has been taking a steriod regularly since the previous MRI.

We were skeptical about the reason for the shrinkage, which resulted in making many phone calls and doing much research. We also knew that we were doing several treatments at home that could possibly cause shrinkage.

Meanwhile, Becky's throat was continuing to get worse. In fact, it was so bad that we decided to postpone the brain radiation treatments. In the meantime, we pursued alternative options for radiating the brain spots, including proton therapy and possibly returning to Arizona to the doctor who did the radiation on her liver while we were there. We feel strongly that either of those options would provide less side effects and/or be more precise than what could be done at CHI, however, we were not considered a candidate for proton therapy, and going back to Arizona would be very challenging in a variety of ways.

Since we first discovered the brain tumors, we've been watching her for any neurological symptoms due to the brain tumors. So far, they seem to be minimal and decreasing.

Becky's throat continued to hurt for quite a while as a result of the radiation in July, but did slowly improve to a point that we felt comfortable moving forward with the brain radiation. When I called the radiation doctor's office, they told me she would need another MRI before moving forward. This MRI was done on August 14th. Again we were nervously waiting for the results.

The results came back the next morning, and we were pleased to see that all 5 tumors had continued to shrink! Two of the tumors were so small they weren't referred to as tumors anymore. This was very encouraging. Next was the meeting with the radiation doctor. At best we were hoping the shrinkage would mean less radiation would be needed. When I asked him what would cause them to continue to shrink, and explained what we were doing for treatment, he suggested we could wait another month to do another MRI.

When we returned from our trip, we did the next brain MRI scan. The results of this scan shows that the brain spots have not changed at all. While we are thankful that they have not grown, we didn't know what the doctor would think regarding doing radiation. We really did not want to have to do it.


We met with the brain radiation doctor on Tuesday September 17. We prayed that Becky would not have to have the brain radiation, and were uncertain as to what would be recommended. Only Becky met with the doctor. When she was done, it was a thumbs up! The doctor felt the spots were stable and small enough that we could wait 2 months before checking again with another MRI. This was a significant victory for which we are grateful.

But as cancer never sleeps, and keeps representing challenges, some issues that had slowly been getting worse became the focus of attention. While Becky's throat is mostly back to normal, her stomach and liver were both having increased pain. Her stomach got to a point where for several weeks now she has not been able to eat much and for a short time almost nothing at all. And her liver pain is getting worse as well. We are working on both these issues with the tools we have at home.

We don't know what the long term future holds for us, and it is wearying to treat one thing with success only to have something else come up. But we are grateful that we have been able so far to meet each challenge. It would not be possible without the prayers and support of so many. Thank you!

We're also mindful that it's approaching a year since all this started. So much has happened in that year it's hard to imagine it hasn't been a lot longer, yet the memories are as fresh as if it was yesterday.

We continue to deal every day with issues relating to Becky's cancer: making, changing, cancelling appointments, adjusting treatments and supplements, researching to find out the meanings of the latest tests, and so on. Yet through all this, we we continue to trust Him for the final outcome. And as always, thank you all for your thoughts, prayers, and support!

Dear Friends,

This past Monday was Becky's PET scan, and today, Wednesday, June 12 was our latest oncologist appointment. First the good news: the liver is clear of lesions! Also, while we haven't seen exact numbers yet, we were told her liver numbers were better too. We also got one more signatera test result, previous numbers dropping from 84 to 40 to 7.5. The latest number is around 3!

While we are rejoicing over this report, the PET scan had mixed results. There is still cancer in various places, particularly in the spine and pelvis area. These locations have not grown significantly except in one spot just below the brain. This particular spot started to hurt about 6 weeks ago and has gotten progressively worse, and is now causing several concerning symptoms. The PET scan results shows it as a very concerning spot as it has potential to do serious damage to the spinal cord if not dealt with quickly.

Our meeting today was encouraging in that the doctor and nurses we spoke with worked to come up with a plan to deal with this. Unlike our experience last fall, we were given some options and actual targeted therapies to pursue. These involve several drugs, and most likely a few rounds of radiation. They also want to do a brain MRI. And there is also the possibility of a surgery. The scheduling of these things will happen over the next few days, and it looks like the next several weeks are going to be a series of fairly intense treatments.

We are fortunate that most of this is being covered by insurance, however, additional treatments, such as Vitamin C infusions and Hyperbaric treatments are not covered.

We appreciate all those who have stood by us and supported us both financially and with prayer. Thank you!

We'll continue to provide updates as this moves forward.

We have now returned home. Brio gave us the green light to return home, and has given us a list of instructions for followup treatment. These treatments include several prescription medications, hyperbaric treatments, vitamin C infusions, hyperthermia treatments, and more. These treatments will cost about $1000 a week for the forseeable future.

Before leaving Arizona, Becky finished the series of radiation treatments on her back, and after much thought and prayer, decided to do radiation on the lesions on her liver as well. We know radiation can cause problems, but the way these treatments were done, we felt the risk was very minimal. So far, these treatments have considerably reduced the pain in her back as well as the liver.

The trip home took 9 days. With 8 children, one being just 1 year old, we were limited as to how far we could go each day. We also made many stops during each day's drive to see interesting places. Among the highlights were Painted Desert, Tall Grass Prairie buffalo preserve, Pioneer Woman's Mercantile store, and Laura Inglalls Wilder's house in Southern Missouri.

We are now settling in at home, getting treatments lined up, adjusting to the time zone, and getting back into our routine. Please continue to pray for us as we navigate this next phase of our journey. And as always, thank you for your support!

 An update from Becky:

Thank you to everyone who has been praying, giving, shopping our Amazon wishlist, and bringing meals……we appreciate you all. It’s so nice to hear from you. The encouraging messages, cards, and care packages really brighten my day!
I’ve had a lot of liver and back pain recently. Pain, fatigue, and nausea are my constant companions. Doing treatments day after day is hard, many cause fatigue and nausea but yet they are necessary to try to get well. It’s hard to face a long day of treatment and feeling unwell when I’d rather be home with the children.
I had a PET scan on Monday. It had been more than four months since I had one. The next day I was able to go over the report and images with my doctors. Two of my tumors are now black and necrotic inside which means they are dying from the inside out. Many of the other tumors or lesions show significantly decreased uptake, which means the cancer is significantly less active. My cancer is currently considered stable, which is good because typically it’s a very aggressive cancer with a fast growth rate.
I’m also receiving radiation on my spine. While I would prefer a more natural treatment it became necessary to be more aggressive as the lesion was compressing my spinal cord.
It was encouraging and we are thankful to see some good news, though there is still a long way to go. My Dr reminded me that this is a marathon, not a sprint, and there is still a lot of work to do.
My doctors are starting to work on my discharge plan as I will have extensive aftercare once I get home, and we are starting to make plans for our travel home. I still have about two weeks' worth of paid days at the clinic to complete.

We still really need prayers as we work on my aftercare plan, final treatment decisions, and details about traveling home.

Thank you again to all who have supported us in so many ways. Continued support is much appreciated as well!