alienforest
Disciple of Prayer
My brother's ( Romel) doctor confirmed that he has stage 4 pancreatic cancer that has spread to his liver and kidneys.
His son said, "The hospital did not recommend chemotherapy as a course of treatment due to the fact that he has become very weak since his first diagnosis and spends most of his time in bed due to fatigue. The doctors said the cancer is advanced, aggressive, and incurable, and believe that chemotherapy would only make him worse at this point."
"His physical health has decreased dramatically in the last few weeks. He is living in a house in Van Nuys by himself and spends most of his time resting and taking various medications to ease the symptoms of the cancer, which the doctors say is the only treatment left at this point."
Romel lives in the US, and we, his siblings, live in the Philippines. We have no resources to visit him. My younger brother and his family who lives in Canada and will be visiting him on August 1, but due to limited resources, they will be travelling by car.
My brother's son continued, "I have started a process to get him hospice care, and into a hospice facility, but because he has no health insurance, it may take some time to get him approved for emergency medical and general relief (two welfare programs), which would pay for the hospice facility."
According to his son, "overall he has lost a lot of energy, his voice has become weak and he has a hard time concentrating mentally. As a result, he sometimes loses train of thought and has a difficult time comprehending and requires that I repeat points of information."
"Because the cancer has seriously affected his liver, there is a discoloration in his eyes and skin. He basically looks very yellow, as if jaundiced."
"He spends most of his time lying down and is only able to walk very short distances (10 yards) at a time, but must rest afterwards. He seldom makes the effort to walk so his lack of movement combined with the fact that he has not been eating properly has resulted in his weight and muscle mass to dramatically decline."
"His prognosis is anywhere between a weeks to a few months. I have a feeling that it may be in the shorter range if he continues like this."
"The good thing about his current state of condition is that he is not in pain as long as he is lying down and is still coherent enough to express himself and smile every once in a while."
"He's hanging in there for now."
The doctors have stated facts. I know my family and I are praying for a miracle for his healing and recovery but I know our God is a miracle working God. Mark 11:24 "Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have received it and it will be yours".
My siblings and I have asked Romel that we would want to fly him home to the Philippines so we can take turns in taking care of him, that is if he and his son so decide. We don't have the resources for that undertaking but I've been praying and believing for God's generous and merciful provisions that He's making His way seen or unseen that help is on the way.
May I please request each and everyone who reads my post to please pray for my brother's healing (physical, emotional and spiritual), full recovery, strength, comfort and peace of mind and heart. May God's love, light and mercy be always upon him. May Jesus hold Romel's heart and continuously embrace him with his love, healing, peace, and comfort. In Jesus' name, I pray. Amen.