Dear friends,
Here is the latest update on my health and how I continue to see God’s goodness and mercy surrounding me, even in the midst of all this.
The MRI of my abdomen and pelvis shows that the tumor in my left kidney has grown a little, now about 2.3 centimeters or 0.91 inches. The lymph nodes are holding steady, and my liver, pancreas, and other organs are all clear. The CT of my chest showed two small nodules in the lower part of my left lung. They’ve grown slightly since the last scan, with one increase of just over a centimeter and the other a little more, but they’re still small and not affecting my breathing. There are no new spots, no spread, and no damage to other organs.
So yes, the cancer is still there, but it’s slow, steady, and contained. Doctors call it mild progression. I call it mercy.
The medicine I’m on, Belzutifan, is still doing its job. It’s slowing the cancer’s growth and keeping it from spreading. I’ve lost both adrenal glands over the course of this journey, so my body no longer produces the hormones that regulate stress and energy. Due to this and the medicine itself, I often feel tired. But I’ve learned how to live with it. I pace my days, rest when I need to, and keep moving at the rhythm grace allows. I’m not as fast as I once was, but I’ve found that God’s goodness keeps pace with me.
In addition to the medicines the oncologist gives me, I take over 100 pills a day, several shots a week, an infusion, even enemas, and more toward natural healing. We are trusting God with it all.
Doctors say that the tumor in my kidney would need to grow quite a bit larger, around four to five centimeters, before it could begin to affect kidney function. For now, it’s not a threat to the kidney's function. That gives us time. Time to monitor. Time to treat. Time to live well. And I don’t take that time for granted.
If you read the medical report, you’ll see that there is slow growth. But if you read it through the eyes of faith, you’ll see something more: goodness and mercy running right alongside me. They haven’t slowed down just because life got hard. They keep showing up in the peace that quiets my fear, in the steady hands of my doctors, and in the love that keeps surrounding me through your prayers and friendship.
Cancer may chase my body, but goodness and mercy are chasing my soul, and they’re faster.
From here, the plan is straightforward: continue to monitor, treat, and trust. Medicine continues to improve, and my doctors remain hopeful.
But more than medicine, what steadies me is grace. Mercy follows me. Grace that holds me when I’m weak. Grace that whispers peace when the future feels uncertain. Grace that reminds me I’m not just surviving, I’m being carried.
Thank you for your prayers, your encouragement, and the faith you’ve shown on this road. You’ve helped me see that goodness and mercy don’t just follow us; they catch us, carry us, and hold us close when we need them most.
We’re still moving forward slowly, steadily, and by His mercy, still in His hands.
With love and gratitude,
Austin