Mile Marker #12

Hello Friends -

We wanted to get the word out that we have reached Mile Marker #12, which has been an incredible surprise and TREMENDOUS GIFT from the Lord!  The scripture we have chosen for this marker is Mark 10:27.

Jesus looked at them and said, 

"With man this is impossible, but not with God; 
all things are possible with God."

In the last post we shared that John was admitted into Hospice in Ashland and things were looking quite grim.  SHOCKINGLY, since his release from Hospice, he has done a 180 degree turnaround.  It has been absolutely MIND BLOWING to experience this night and day difference!  John's nausea & pain have been under control these past 2 weeks with the right combination of pain and anti-nausea meds that Hospice has him on.  John has even been able to go back to work these past 2 weeks - WOW!  Not only has John been able to work, he has been able to get back to eating and spending some great quality time with out of state visitors. ABSOLUTELY INCREDIBLE!  We stand in COMPLETE AWE with how God has orchestrated such perfect timing for this wonderful reprieve for John and the entire family!  Such an INCREDIBLE GIFT that we recognize is from Jesus! 

While we don't know how long this Bonus Time/reprieve will last, we will cherish every moment of it and continue to stay focused on God's purpose for John and the family in this sweet stage.  It's been so encouraging to see John with a renewed sense of purpose, knowing God has a plan for him right here and right now and can still make a difference for the Lord, regardless of what stage he is in his battle with melanoma.

In the meantime, given his prognosis, John's care go forward will be with Hospice only.  We have been praying for God to make it clear if and when it was time to switch gears with who he receives treatment from.  We feel God is now leading us down the path of receiving treatment with only Hospice at this point and to discontinue our time with the Get Well Center.  We are thankful for the 8 really good months of treatment the Get Well Center provided to John and for the quality of those months that he had.  We appreciate your AMAZING generosity during these past 8 months of banding together as a community to help support John and the family financially in pursuing the path of treatment at the Get Well Center.  It has reaffirmed and grown our Faith in the Lord that when we are obedient to the Lord's direction, He will provide in incredible ways (even in times like this when at times it seems impossible.)  In our case, the Lord provided in HUGE ways financially which takes such a tremendous burden off of John and the family's shoulders during such an extremely difficult time.  THANK YOU from the bottom of our hearts for allowing your hearts to be softened to John and the family to help provide for such a large need we had during this time.  Since we are shifting gears to hospice, insurance should be covering a good portion of the care now.  We appreciate all of your generosity and are so THANKFUL to all of you who helped in so many ways.  Words can not express how extremely grateful we are to each of you who have helped along this race!  Thankfully now our financial need should be much less, which makes fundraising no longer necessary.

Kindly we still ask for understanding that if you would like to visit John when he is home, to reach out to John prior to via text preferably in case he is resting/recovering from the day.  Jill still plans to post a sign up on the front door if there are days/hours that are tougher ones for John, where it would be too difficult to have visitors or if he has already had too many in one day.  Again, please know it's nothing personal, just something they have learned that on the bad days, it's best to be in a quiet space alone.  However, we are so THANKFUL that John has had MUCH relief recently and has been able to rest well these past 2 weeks and connect with so many of you!

We will continue to rest in God's promise that His plan is always the best, regardless of how difficult the marathon may be.  

We certainly appreciate and have continued to feel your prayers!  THANK YOU!!!!

If you could please continue to pray for:
1. Continued relief for John from severe pain and nausea.  Also, his left rib has begun to hurt again so we pray for relief in this area as well.  In the past rib pain has meant a broken rib.  
2. For John to feel well enough these next couple weeks for his daughter and grandchildren from Colorado to visit for a few days and create more quality, lasting memories with them.
3.  God's wisdom on medical/personal daily choices to make.
4. For continued rest and endurance for John, Jill and the entire family.
5. For comfort, peace and patience for John and the family as they wait on the Lord to reveal his plan for John's healing either here on earth or in heaven.  

In His Love,

The Gooney Gurneys

Mile Marker #11

Hello Friends -

We wanted to get the word out that we have reached Mile Marker #11, which has been a really tough marker to reach and try to move past.  The scripture we have chosen for this marker is Psalm 32:8.

"I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go.  I will counsel you with my loving eye on you."

Since our last post there has been quite a flurry of activity that may take you by surprise.  John was admitted back into the Shelby hospital on the evening of Sunday, Sept 20 due to his nausea not being manageable.  

During that time a Dr., who is also a family friend, took the time to review all of John's past scans from the time of diagnosis to now, including the most recent one taken during John's ER stay earlier this month.  After reviewing the scans, he shared that the cancer has grown and spread, including into the pancreas.  So, imagine our surprise after hearing encouraging news just a month prior.  However, it did explain more as to why the unbearable pain was not going away after thinking it was an infection.  The Dr. discussed very lovingly the next steps, which included shifting over to hospice care and making decisions about quality vs. quantity of life at this point.  It was a very sad day to hear this news for the entire family!  However in looking back to the scripture that we chose for this mile marker, God made it very clear which route to head next for this specific stage we have now entered.  And for that he has given John and the family great peace, as it was stressful to try to figure out where to go next and what to do given his progression.  

From the Shelby hospital John went straight to the Hospice facility in Ashland, as he still had not be able to get his nausea under control.  After a rough night of being there and getting checked in they finally were able to get him comfortable.  At this time he is still in Ashland at the hospice facility with plans to come back home after he has remained stable comfort level wise for awhile.  He will then use the Hospice care back home once he is released from the Ashland site.  The plan is to come back home this Friday, September 25.

Kindly we ask for understanding that if you would like to visit John, to reach out to Jill prior to via text preferably.  Jill also plans to post a sign up on the front door on the days/hours that are tougher ones for John, where it would be too difficult to have visitors or if he has already had too many in one day.  Please keep visitors down to 2 people or less at a time and also keep the amount of conversation to a minimum.  Please know it's nothing personal, just something they have learned that on the bad days, it's best to be in a quiet space alone.  We are so THANKFUL that he has some relief in order to rest in between the bad rounds.  

We certainly appreciate and have continued to feel your prayers!  THANK YOU!!!!

If you could please continue to pray for:
1. Continued relief for John from severe pain and nausea.
2. As we shift gears in this new stage, God's wisdom on medical/personal daily choices to make.
3. For rest and endurance for John, Jill and the entire family as they continue on in this journey into this next difficult stage.
4. For comfort, peace and patience for John and the family as they wait on the Lord to reveal his plan for John's healing either here on earth or in heaven.  It's so hard to see him suffer in this way especially on the bad days.

In His Love,

The Gooney Gurneys

Mile Marker #10

Hello Friends -

We wanted to get the word out that we have reached Mile Marker #10.  The scripture we have chosen for this marker is Matthew 11:28.

"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest."

On the evening of Friday, September 11th, John was discharged from The James Cancer Center and sent home.  While it was a very rough 1.5 hour ride back, battling pain and nausea the majority of the way, he made it back home safely.  Shortly after arrival home, the home health help arrived and administered his daily round of antibiotics.  They are focused on teaching Jill how to administer this antibiotic over the remaining 30 days via his port to ensure that whatever the infection is may be taken care of.

As of now, John still has rounds of both pain and nausea, however the frequency is decreasing.  He actually felt good enough to take a short walk on Saturday.  PRAISE JESUS for some relief!  However, he had another bad day on Sunday. 

Knowing the pain and nausea is still coming and going, we ask for understanding that if you would like to visit John, to reach out to Jill prior to via text preferably.  Jill also plans to post a sign up on the front door on the days that are tougher ones for John, where it would be too difficult to have visitors.  Please know it's nothing personal, just something they have learned that on the bad days, it's best to be in a quiet space alone.  We are so THANKFUL that he has some relief in order to rest in between the bad rounds.  

We certainly appreciate and have felt your prayers this past week!  THANK YOU!!!!

If you could please continue to pray for:
1. God to give the Dr.'s guidance on how to move forward
2. For relief from severe pain and nausea
3. For healing of John's body

With Much Love,

The Gooney Gurneys

Mile Marker #9

Hello Friends!  Mile Marker #9 has taken us all for a bit of a surprise after hearing such good news in August.  John is now at the bottom of a steep hill looking up and is in pain, nauseous and exhausted.  Isaiah 41:10 seems quite fitting for this stop.

"So do not fear, for I am with you;

    do not be dismayed, for I am your God.

I will strengthen you and help you;

    I will uphold you with my righteous right hand."

On Labor Day, John had a fever and severe pain in his abdomen which was so unmanageable that he went to ER in Shelby.  He was then transported to The James Cancer Center in Columbus and admitted into the ICU.  On a positive note, he made it in time to be settled and still watch the OSU game (smile).  By Tuesday evening he was moved out of the ICU, yet still remained in the hospital.  

From what we know so far, there is an infection in his body they are treating and it is possibly stemming from in the abscesses in the liver.  He also now has Colitis.  He has not had food orally for days now and they are trying to help him control his pain in way that doesn't make him sick.  They haven't gotten that nailed down yet for him.

They are switching him over to oral pill pain meds in prep to allow him to eventually return home, since he had been on pain meds via an IV since hospitalized.  However, without having food in his stomach for days, this could be another vicious cycle of pain meds to control the pain, but nausea as a result of the pain meds :(  Upon release their plan is to also have him continue taking the antibiotic via his port, which Jill will need to administer for 30 days.

There is no definite release date from the hospital yet, however we will keep you posted when that status changes.

Below are new prayer requests that John and Jill are asking for prayer on:

1. That the pain meds take care of John's pain and not make him nauseous.

2. For the transition back to liquids and foods orally to go smoothly.

3. For the antibiotic to rid John's body of the infection.

Thanks so much for your continued love and support of our family!

In His Love,

The Gooney Gurneys

Mile Marker #8

Hello Friends!  We are quickly moving on to Mile Marker #8, as we have received results back from the CT & Bone Scans already.  Praise God for a much quicker turnaround than expected!

For this Mile Marker we have chosen the following scripture:
Psalm 10:17 - “You, Lord, hear the desire of the afflicted; you encourage them, and you listen to their cry.”

We had asked in the last post for encouragement, and we are SO THANKFUL the Lord provided encouragement with the results we received!  Overall the majority of metastatic lesions and metastatic lymph nodes have decreased in size.  PRAISE, PRAISE, PRAISE JESUS!!!!  

This is MUCH better news than we had expected!  Based on the symptoms that John had recently been experiencing, we were surprised and absolutely thrilled that the symptoms are not a sign of the cancer progressing!!!

With that being said, the bone scans identified mild osteoarthritis and possibly additional rib fractures.  So over the next couple weeks John & Jill will partner with Dr. Penhos to discuss breathing and bone density for osteoporosis, and come up with a plan!  And will continue to forge ahead with what has been working so far in terms of the cancer treatment.  

Again, we are overjoyed and relieved that the majority of the cancer has continued to reduce in size.  Please continue to pray for complete healing for John and join us in Praising God for His love & encouragement in His perfect timing!

THANK YOU SO MUCH for your continued love and prayers for John & the family!

In His Love,

The Gooney Gurneys

Mile Marker #7

Hello Friends!  We have reached Mile Marker #7 of John's journey.  We wanted to give you a quick update on what has been happening these last few months and ask for BIG PRAYERS this week for John and the family please.

The scripture we chose for Mile Marker #7 is Joshua 1:9, “Be strong and courageous.  Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.”

As a quick refresher from our last post, the liver ultrasound from May showed that 4 of the tumors had reduced in size and 2 had increased.  While this wasn't an apples to apples comparison (comparing a PET to an ultrasound), we and the doctors were encouraged by this!  Praise Jesus for this encouragement!

Since May there have been some additional side effects set in.  At times he can become breathless when climbing stairs.  There is also pain on both sides of his ribs and he hasn't been able to take deep breaths as a result.  And he is much more tired, needing naps and lots of rest time!  The Doctors have stressed all along how important rest is for him and he is needing it daily now.  So we will see if the scans reveal any correlation to these symptoms or if these are just side effects of the protocol he has been on.

Also, the last week of July was a rough one.  The Get Well Center had John try a different protocol to replace the IPT, due to the expense of this treatment no longer being affordable.  They tried a different type of chemo in a pill form called Roxane, along with increasing the dosage of Treosulfan (one he had already been on) at the same time.  The overall goal was to try to have the same effect of IPT as a whole, but have the expense lowered significantly.  After just a few a days, it really took a hard, scary toll on John.  He was extremely nauseous and weak and in turn dropped additional weight quickly.  As a result they quickly decided to discontinue the Roxane and drop the dosage of Treosulfan back down to what he had been doing for some time.  Since then the nausea has gotten better, but his strength and breathing haven't returned to normal.  So, we are trying to determine if the additional side effects mentioned earlier are as a result of this change in protocol or not.  

In addition to the conventional treatment above, John has worked with the Get Well Center to help prioritize which natural protocols will be most effective, given the continuing costs of these treatments not being covered by insurance and having to stick to a budget at this point.   

So, what is happening this week that is so important?  John has CT and bone scans scheduled this Wednesday, 8/12 and Thursday, 8/13.  This is the first time since his PET Scan on February 24th that we will have an overall better picture of what is going on in his body, as his last ultrasound was only of his liver.  For those of you who are facing, fighting or overcoming cancer or know of someone who has, you understand the level of attack that you can be under the week of scans as well as the waiting period after to hear results.  That is one of the many reasons why we are asking for prayers this week and next.  John most likely will not receive any results back until next Friday, 8/21.  We will update the blog as quickly as we are able to once results are in.  

Please, PRAY BIG for complete healing on John's body!  Also, prayers for John and the family to find encouragement from the scan results would be greatly appreciated!  We want them to feel Jesus' blanket of peace during a time of uncertainty.  We also pray for their eyes to continue to be opened to how God wants to use them during this time for HIS glory.  

Thank you again so much for your love for John and our family!

In His Love,

The Gooney Gurneys

Mile Marker #6

Hello Friends!   

We have reached Mile Marker #6.  

The scripture we chose for this posting is Isaiah 40:31, "but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint."

The results are in from the May 15th ultrasound.

Since this was an ultrasound and not a PET Scan, the Doctor focused primarily on the liver area.  Of the 6 masses on the liver, 4 have decreased in size and 2 have increased.  Overall the Dr. was encouraged by this progress and we are thankful to see progress as well!  We recognize that others may not be nearly as fortunate!  PRAISE JESUS for the positive news and His encouragement to keep on keeping on!

So the plan is to continue to receive treatment at the Get Well Center 3 days a week, following the protocol below for the next few months.  After 3 more months of treatment, they plan to conduct another ultrasound to see what changes have taken place and eventually they will do another scan down the road.

Protocol:
In terms of chemo, the Insulin Potentiation Therapy via IV has been reduced to 1 treatment every other week with the goal to reduce down to once a month long term.  And the Treosulfan, chemo via pill, he takes 3 times a day daily.   In addition, he is now on 3 different types of treatments (IL-2, Interferon Alpha-2B & Palladium Lipoid Complex) to trick his Immune System.  Meanwhile, John also continues the alternative/natural protocol he has been doing with High Dose Vitamin C, detox shakes, general nutrition, etc.

Again, thank you for your continued love, encouragement & prayers!  Please continue to pray for John's healing over these next 3 months and that all of the tumors are eliminated from his body! 

With Much Love,
The Gooney Gurneys

Mile Marker #5

Hello Friends!   

We have reached Mile Marker #5.  The scripture we chose for this posting is Jeremiah 29:11.  "For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."  

First and foremost, let's talk about the Twice as Strong Together 5K race that took place in March.  HOLY MOLY what an INCREDIBLE day!  Over 700 people came in person to shower John and our family with their love and support.  Our entire family was BLOWN AWAY with how the community has rallyed around John and also took part in this memorable event that we will always treasure dearly in our hearts.  WOW, WOW, WOW!  The amount raised will be a tremendous help in paying for the continuous medical bills for John's treatment.  THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU from the bottom of our hearts for supporting our family in this way!  And PRAISE JESUS for John's needs being provided for to allow him to continue to fight a hard fight!

Here is a link to view the pictures from that special day: http://pastorjason1.smugmug.com/Sports/2015-John-Gurney-5K/

Post Race Family Picture

Still Having Fun!

How is John doing medically?

Initially he had been going to the Get Well Center 5 days a week.  However, recently he has decreased his days down to 3 days a week.  Hooray!  This shift allows him more time back at work, which is extremely helpful!

In terms of chemo, the Insulin Potentiation Therapy via IV has been reduced to 1 treatment every other week with the goal to reduce down to once a month long term.  And the Treosulfan, chemo via pill, he takes 3 times a day daily.   In addition, he is now on 3 different types of treatments (IL-2, Interferon Alpha-2B & Palladium Lipoid Complex) to trick his Immune System.  Meanwhile, John also continues the alternative/natural protocol he has been doing with High Dose Vitamin C, detox shakes, general nutrition, etc.

For awhile now, John has had difficulty breathing.  Not pain, but more being winded easily.  Last Friday they did an EKG to see if it was heart related and the results came back perfect.  Thank the Lord!  They will be doing a heart ultrasound this Thursday, May 14 as another precautionary measure.  The Dr. said this all may be as a result of the treatment John has been undergoing.

BIG PRAYERS NEEDED - This Friday, May 15 is a BIG, BIG, BIG day!  This is the first time since John's scan a couple months ago to see what is happening with the cancer and how it is responding to the treatment.  The Dr. had really wanted to give it some time for all of the treatment to take effect so it wouldn't be premature.  So, please pray HARD that the treatment has been effective and is completely eliminating the cancer from John's body!!!!

That is the medical update for now.  We plan to share more as we receive results from this next scan, which we most likely will not know until next week.

Again, thank you for your continued love, encouragement & prayers!  We can't begin to even describe how much it means to us!

With Much Love,
The Gooney Gurneys

Mile Marker #4

Hello Friends!   

We have reached Mile Marker #4.  In honor of the Twice as Strong Together 5K Fundraiser this Saturday, March 21st, the scripture for this posting is our verse we have been claiming throughout this entire journey.  

"And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith."  Hebrews 12:1-2

First and foremost, let's talk about the race THIS Saturday.  We are absolutely BLOWN AWAY that we have almost 500 participants registered to date.  Please know it's not too late if you would like to participate!  You are even able to come the day of and register on site if you prefer to avoid the internet option.  Here is the link that you can register for the race: 
http://ohioraceday.com/races/twice-as-strong-together-5k/  

Whether you are a runner, walker or a bystander, please come join in the fun!  All are welcome!  To say we are really looking forward to an incredibly memorable day seems like such an understatement!  THANK YOU to all who have committed to being part of this race to support John! 

Next, an update on how John is doing medically.  Since the last post, results have been received from the Greek Test and the PET scan.  Here is a refresher on the Greek Test.  The Get Well Center sent John's blood work to Greece to be tested against 46 different types of options of treatment to see which would be most effective for him.  This test surfaced 2 good low dose chemo options; the 1st option is Treosulfan at 82% effectiveness and the other being ITP (Insulin Potentiation Therapy) at 60% effectiveness.  The Treosulfan (82% effective) they have received from Canada and are in process of breaking it down into a 10% dosage pill format, as this treatment is not available in the U.S.  The IPT (60% effective) they do offer in the U.S.; therefore, they began treatment via IV at a 10% dosage on Monday, March 9th.  The plan is to administer these 2 low dose chemo options every Monday & Thursday.

In addition to the low dose chemo options, they are also administering 2 different types of treatment that ultimately trick the immune system to wake up and FIGHT.  These are IL-2 (Interleukin 2) administered via IV and Interferon Alpha-2B administered via a shot.  Yep, IL-2 sounds familiar from our former post right?  If you remember back, this was the main option that the James Cancer Center in Columbus was promoting.  However, in this case they will be giving John a 10% dosage of it versus the 100% dosage.

So what all else is John doing 5 days a week during this intense 2 months of treatment?  Here are all the alternative protocols they are layering in with the options above:  
1. High dose Vitamin C IV therapy daily
2. Oxygen therapy every other day
3. Lymphatic Therapy Light Beam Generator with Ozone once a week
4. Mild Silver Protein 1200 IV was administered and is now completed for viral, bacterial, fungal and parasitic infection
5. Detoxification: ion cleanse, liver cleanse, colon cleanse, infrared sauna, coffee enema and chelation 
6. Hyperthermia: far infrared sauna with ozone twice a week
7. Exercise 
8. Nutrition: organic cancer diet and nutrition IV once a week

WOW!  Lots of things happening for sure!  Ultimately, they are combining conventional therapy with alternative therapy to help give John his best fighting chance.  Unfortunately, because all of these treatments are different dosages administered than at conventional hospitals, if even offered in the U.S., insurance will not cover the costs associated with any of it.  On some days, this can be incredibly discouraging when looking at how quickly things are adding up.  However, we continue to come back and rest in peace knowing that John is exactly where God wants him to be at this point in time.  This is such a peace that passes all understanding to be able to rest in assurance of being obedient to God's direction.

Now for the PET scan results... the scan revealed that there was cancer in John's liver, left 8th rib and the left armpit area.  Most of this we were aware of with the exception of activity in the left 8th rib and the left armpit.  Interestingly, the left shoulder/arm area is where John originally had 2 surgeries over the past handful of years to remove the melanoma.  Surprisingly nothing showed up in the adrenal gland area this time around which had showed in a previous CAT scan.

Some other things have popped up since the last post.  Never a dull moment!  When John was having surgery to have his port put in, the surgeon first tried to put the port in on the left side.  Due to John's involuntary muscle twitch while under anesthesia, his left lung was punctured.  As a result, the port was put in on the right side and John was sent home with a chest tube and orders to lay low over the weekend.  During that time several x-rays (2 a day) were taken to monitor the healing of the lung.  For those of you who have ever had chest tubes in, they are very uncomfortable!  Praise God that the lung was healed and chest tube was removed that following Tuesday evening, 4 days later.   

Another concern that just popped up this week.  John was experiencing rib pain on the right side of his body, the opposite side of where the cancer is on his left rib.  After having an x-ray, John found out on 3/18 that he has 3 fractured ribs, which he has no idea how or when that happened.  Please pray for the pain to subside and for healing of his ribs also!

That is the medical update for now.  We plan to share more as they continue to monitor progress to see how John is responding to the treatment mentioned above.  Please pray for complete healing of John's body and for the treatment to be effective!

As a friendly reminder, below are the various ways to make a donation to help with the piling expenses of John's medical treatment.  All of these options funnel into one Health Bank Account that John will use to pay for medical bills.  THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU to all who have donated already and for those who are considering helping!  It has been such a beautiful picture to see so many people having such BIG HEARTS toward our family and helping out in such an impactful way!  God Bless each and every one of you!

DONATION OPTIONS:
1. Donation Box at the Race:  Donations can be made on race day at the Mechanics Bank table.

2. P.O. Box: Send a check to John or Jill Gurney at P.O. Box 41, Shelby, OH 44875.

3. Mechanics Bank: Visit any of the 8 locations and make a deposit into the Gurney Health Account.
https://www.mymechanics.com/bank-and-atm-locations/main-office/

4. YouCaring: Pay online via paypal, credit or debit. A 2.9% and $.30 fee will be applied by either paypal or the credit/debit card company.http://www.youcaring.com/medical-fundraiser/new-race-to-run-for-john-gurney/309542

Again, thank you for your continued love, encouragement & prayers!  It is very much appreciated!  We hope to see you all at the race!

With Much Love,
The Gooney Gurneys

Mile Marker #3

Hello Friends! 

We have some encouraging updates to share at Mile Marker #3.  Let us kick off this mile marker with the following scripture, “The Lord will fulfill his purpose for me.”  Psalm 138:8

First and foremost, we continue to stand in AWE at the community of support that we have seen in action this past month.  We have been showered with love in such a variety of ways!  It is a truly a beautiful picture to see how such a large variety of needs can be met by serving others in ways each are uniquely gifted in from the Lord.  THANK YOU!  

As mentioned before one of the BIGGEST needs at this point is financially.  We have learned that the cost of receiving treatment at the Get Well Center will be a very large financial burden the first year of treatment and it will continue to have a significant impact on a monthly basis thereafter.  To be honest, we were very discouraged and had heavy hearts after hearing this number ourselves because of how large it is.  However, we have seen and witnessed ways God has knocked our socks off in the past by softening the hearts of those here on earth and are confident he will provide us with exactly what we need every step of the way if we are obedient to following His lead.  So let’s all rally together to see what teamwork in God’s name we can achieve!  

In the meantime, please pray for our minds to stay continually focused on God's promises and not allowing the fear of finances or what results we may or may not see get in the way.  He clearly led us to the Get Well Center for now and we will continue to take His lead in the treatment plan.  

Many have asked if and when John begins treatment, so we wanted to provide you with an update.  This past Monday, February 16, John began his 2 week detox program.  This involves various infusions ranging from 2 to 5 hrs a day at the Get Well Center.  John should be receiving results back from the Greek Test in approximately 1 week.  This test determines which treatments will be most effective for John and his specific kind of melanoma, so they can ensure that whatever they introduce into his body will give him his best chance of fighting.  After receiving these results, they will determine which treatment path to pursue.

John has also completely changed his diet, which no longer includes meat, dairy, sugar, most grains or processed foods.  WOW, this is a huge change for those who know John!  He has made the switchover cold turkey and is doing a really good job at it.  What he is allowed to combine and eat at certain times is very limited (ex: no combining fruits/veggies, eating only certain fruits/veggies, has to wait 2 hours after having a detox shake and supplements before he can eat, etc.)  So please pray for continued persistence in this area of diet as well as for Jill and her continued energy, time management and wisdom in the buying and preparation of the food.  There has also been a Phase #1 chemical purge at the house, which involved disposing many bags of products from the bathroom containing harmful chemicals and replaced with cleaner options.  The kitchen will be Phase #2.  

There are 2 exciting pieces of news to share with you all to help the Gurneys!

• Twice as Strong Together 5K Run/Walk: We are so thankful to the Shelby YMCA & Mechanics Bank for heading up a Fundraising 5K to rally around and support John.  It is a HUGE undertaking, and we are so thankful for the many people and businesses who have helped to pull this off quickly so that all the proceeds can go directly to John’s Health Account!  The Twice as Strong Together 5K will be on March 21.   In order to secure a t-shirt, please register by March 4th; however, same day registration will be available.  Please click on the following link for more details and registration. http://ohioraceday.com/races/twice-as-strong-together-5k/  

We thought we would share the article in the Mansfield News Journal about the Race as well in case you haven’t yet seen it.  http://www.mansfieldnewsjournal.com/story/news/local/2015/02/17/john-gurney-running-new-race-cancer/23557003/?hootPostID=%5B%27063fa51b3b6112a06ff2c1c2ed456c9e%27%5D

• 3 Donation Options are Now Available:  Many have asked how you can donate.  We now have answers :)  Please donate in one of the following 3 ways listed below.  All of these options will be funneled into one Health Account for John at Mechanics Bank to be used toward his medical expenses. THANK YOU and GOD BLESS!

1. P.O. Box - Send a check to John 0r Jill Gurney at P.O. Box 41, Shelby, OH 44875.
2. Mechanics Bank - Visit any of the 8 locations and make a deposit into the Gurney Health Account.  https://www.mymechanics.com/bank-and-atm-locations/main-office/
3. YouCaring: Pay online via paypal, credit or debit.  A 2.9% and $.30 fee will be applied by either paypal or the credit/debit card company. http://www.youcaring.com/medical-fundraiser/new-race-to-run-for-john-gurney/309542

Thank you again for your continued prayers and love for our family!  It means the world to us!

With Much Love, 

The Gooney Gurneys

Mile Marker #2

Hello Friends - We have arrived at Mile Marker #2.  

As many of you may recall, we asked for prayers for God's clarity on which treatment path for John to head.  And guess what, God gave him clarity!  We sure love how God always delivers on His promises!  We thought the scripture below was very appropriate for this post, given what has taken place over the past couple weeks.

Proverbs 3:5-6  "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding;  in all your ways submit to him and he will make your paths straight."

First, let's share the path John will be proceeding after considering IL-2 at the James, IPI at Mansfield and a few alternative options.  The option John will be moving forward with is the Get Well Center in Mansfield, who offers intensive and comprehensive alternative treatments.  Here is their website if your curiosity is peaked: www.allgetwell.com.

Now, let us share the really cool part about how God made it clear which path he wanted John to head.  John knew the President of the Get Well Center from many years ago.  John had been in recent contact with her before he was diagnosed and had a reminder to follow up with her for weeks (before he was diagnosed).  Those of you who know John, he never leaves things on a To Do List for that long. He has been looking at the reminder daily for a handful of weeks, which he himself said that was strange.  After John was diagnosed, he called his daughter Megan and asked her to research the Get Well Center and speak to the President to find out more about their approach in treating cancer right there in Mansfield, as he thought they did similar treatments to what Megan's husband had gone through in his battle against cancer.  Again, this is amazing that John initiated asking Megan to research this place.  Based on Megan's prior research, she was told that there were only 2 places in the country that currently administered mistletoe therapy via IV (Namaste - Colorado & Rudolph Steiner - Michigan).  This place was not on most people's radar at all.  Well, it was clearly on God's radar as this place does administer mistletoe therapy!  

At John's meeting on 2/5/15 with the Get Well Center, without John/Jill prompting or initiating anything about God, the President made the following statement about halfway through their meeting, “I believe healing comes from God.  You give yourself to the Lord. No one knows or has the right to say how long you can live, only God.  It’s between you and God.  Patients need to have a good relationship with God and prepare to change the rest of your life.  THIS MEETING WAS FROM GOD, NOT FROM US.”   Wow, WoW, WOW!!!!!

For those of you who haven't had a lot of medical treatment over the course of your life, know that very few Dr.’s ever give God ALL the glory to healing and remove themselves from needing at least some of the credit that they were part of in the process.  The President was extremely humble and removed herself from the equation, giving God ALL the praise for the healing regardless of her part in it.  And at the end of the meeting they all held hands and prayed together.  

The really cool thing about this is that God could have directed John down a path that he was the least comfortable with.  However God knows John so intimately and is directing him to a treatment that will allow him to continue working, be home in his own bed at night, not have harmful side effects, and not lose his hair (lol).  And this was the only treatment that both John and Jill both felt comfortable with.  How loving is that?

So...now what?  Toward the end of this week, John will hopefully meet with the Get Well Center to go over when his treatment at the Center will officially begin.  He began his detox last weekend which involves a SUPER strict diet and detox shakes.  Their goal being to starve out cancer with eating no sugar, dairy or meat.  Even most fruits and some sweet veggies are out of the question and he can not combine eating fruits/veggies at the same time.  Those of you who know John well know this is going to be extremely difficult.  So please pray for his strength in changing over his lifestyle in this area as well as for Jill as she learns to prepare food for John in this whole new approach that is very specific and time consuming.  This will be a long term change, not just a temporary diet that will change in a few weeks, to give him his best fighting chance.

This week the Get Well Center will send John's bloodwork to Greece to have the "Greek Test" performed, which researches the most effective alternative types of treatments for John, not just for patients that have melanoma.  It's very individualized.  That typically takes 10 days to get the results back.  This program will require John to be at the Get Well Center for 2 full months ranging from 3-5 hours a day for a variety of infusions depending on what part of the plan he is in at the time.

How Can You Help?    

1.  Financially - This treatment is very costly and will place a large financial burden on John and Jill, as this is not covered by insurance because it is an alternative option.  As a reminder, the conventional paths offered to John had very low effective rates.  Know that details on fundraising for them will be coming out very soon, so please stay tuned.  We know that so many people want to love and support the Gurney's during this difficult race.  Financially is one of the bigger areas at this point to support funding the entire treatment protocol including a very specific way they require him to now eat.  

2. Prayer - Pray for both John & Jill and family - prayer requests are located on the right hand side of the blog at jgurneyfamily.blogspot.com

3. Encourage - Please do not make them feel badly for choosing an alternative path, as this is the path God directed them down.  We know that many don't understand or haven't had experience with treating diseases alternatively and we need to encourage vs. discourage them in following God's lead.

4. Food - Please try not to make food be the center of your conversation with them unless they initiate it.   They are already experiencing the hard way that our culture revolves around food and not in a way that they are able to participate in at this time.  However, please still include them in living life together!

Thank you again for your love, support and encouragement!   John & Jill are so incredibly thankful for all of the calls, emails, texts, cards, gifts, etc. you have been showering them with.  It means so much to know they have so many supporters to help them through this race.

With Much Love,

The Gooney Gurneys

Mile Marker #1

Hello Friends!

We have arrived at Mile Marker #1 of the race for John.  Each Mile Marker we will be including a different scripture. This mile is marked with the following, "And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age." Matthew 28:20

We have some updates for you that we are asking for your urgent prayer on.  The most critical right now is for God's crystal clarity on the path of treatment He wants John to pursue.  Below is some detail of those options which will more than likely help you understand more of why this is such a hard decision.  At this point, John is willing to pursue whatever option God makes clear.  We are now trusting in Him for clarity.

Originally John was scheduled to see the oncologist at the James Cancer Hospital in Columbus that specializes in melanoma next Tuesday, 2/10.  PRAISE JESUS for connections that helped get his appointment moved up to yesterday, 2/3.

At the appointment yesterday they talked to John about 2 main options to consider:
1. IL-2 - The Dr. recommended this option saying it is the best shot.  However, there are some very serious short term side effects/complications that could arise during the course of this aggressive treatment.  And it would require time hospitalized in Columbus.  Effectiveness rates are as follows: 4% curable, 10% no re-occurence for 10 years.

One cycle of this treatment would involve being in the hospital for 5-7 days in Columbus, 1 week off work at home, 5-7 days in the hospital in Columbus, 1 week off work at home and then possibly resume back to a normal schedule for the next 4 weeks of work.  They would possibly do this for 3 rounds and see what the results were to determine whether or not to do an additional 2 rounds.

2. IPI - This treatment would take place in Mansfield and would be outpatient.  So John could go home every night.  This treatment is to help shrink and/or stabilize the cancer.  It isn't known for having a cure result.  The effectiveness rate is 10% no re-occurence for 10 years.  Every few weeks he would go in for treatment and do a total of 4 doses.  There are also some very serious short and long term side effects from this option.  John will be meeting with the oncologist in Mansfield this Friday, 2/6 to discuss in further detail.

If he pursues either option 1 or 2 above, and there are no positive results, then they will consider PD1's (newer drugs fall under).  Insurance will only cover this after option 1 or 2 has first been tried.  The benefit to this treatment is that there are no side effects, 25% response rate, 75% disease control rate.  

3. Natural - The third option John is considering is not one that most MDs understand or agree with.  It is a holistic approach to treating cancer.  There are a few different places that have been researched and a meeting will be taking place this Thursday, 2/5 at a local option in Mansfield to discuss options of treating the cancer either 100% alternatively or combining the alternative with one of the options given by the Dr. at the James.  The good news is that there are options in the area that include mistletoe therapy as part of their treatment which has been used overseas for many years and has shown to have good results.  Mistletoe Therapy is part of a clinical trial at Johns Hopkins at this time which is very encouraging.  These steps need to be taken in order to be considered for FDA approval which then insurance would cover down the long long road.  For more information on this please visit the Believe Big website at www.believebig.org and go to the clinical trial tab.

Again, we can't thank you enough for your continued prayers, love and support!  If you haven't yet signed up for the prayer chain yet, please visit the blog at jgurneyfamily.blogspot.com and click on the Prayer Chain Link at the upper right of the page.

Much Love,

The Gooney Gurneys

On Your Mark, Get Set, PRAY... Prayer & Fasting Chain

Thank you so much for your love and support for John and the whole family!  

We have decided to start a prayer/fasting chain during this journey.  Please click on the following link to sign up to participate: http://www.volunteerspot.com/login/entry/925473420079

We are opening up daily time slots. We believe that there is great power with prayer and fasting together, so it may be worthwhile to pray and decide if God is leading you to also fast on the day of your commitment.     

While multiple people are able to sign up for the same day, we ask that you try first to fill dates that are not yet signed up for to spread out the coverage over as many days as possible.  

Many Thanks and God Bless!

1.27.15 - A New Race to Run...

Hi Friends & Family!

We want to introduce to you our new blog we have created to help keep you updated on John's health.  As many of you know, John loves to run and so we will be comparing his fight against cancer to a new kind of race God has called him to run.  Therefore, the verse he will be claiming throughout this "Race" is Hebrews 12:1-2, "And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith."

To bring you all up to speed on what has happened over the course of the last week...  Last week John was hospitalized for a few days and as a result a CT scan revealed that he had multiple lesions in the liver and left adrenal gland along with multiple lymph nodes effected.  Today, 1/27, they met with Dr. Viswanathan, Oncologist in Mansfield, to find out the result of the liver biopsy that had been taken last week along with the brain scan taken earlier this morning.

Dr. Viswanathan confirmed that John has Metastatic Malignant Melanoma.  Traditionally chemo and radiation aren't effective for Melanoma so that really limits treatment options.  And surgery is not an option.  While there is no cure for this type of cancer, the Dr.'s recommendation is to control the melanoma with a Therapy called IL-2.  The treatment they are referring John to is at the James Cancer Center.  It's only recommended for a small percentage of melanoma patients who are ideal candidates for this therapy, so we are THANKFUL he is doing well enough to even be referred for this as a possible treatment.  After seeing this specialist, we will continue to pray that God makes it clear whether or not this is the path for John to head.

A little about IL-2 Therapy: This treatment is known to be extremely intense and toxic.  It involves being hospitalized for 5-7 days straight and then being sent home for 2-3 weeks, then back again to the hospital for 5-7 days and then home for another 2-3 weeks.  Ideally, if his body can handle this treatment, they would do this cycle for up to 6 months.  IL-2 is an immunotherapy rather than chemotherapy, response is not immediate; it takes time for the immune system to "kick in."  The side effects can be hard on patients because the immune system is tricked into thinking that the patient has a severe, life-threatening infection.  The consequence of tricking the body in this way is that it fires off the immune system in powerful ways to then fight the cancer.

4 BIG PRAISES:
1. The Dr. commented on how John's liver is still functioning well at this point.
2. John's brain scan came back clear with no cancer showing.
3. John is doing well enough to be referred for the IL-2 therapy as a potential option.
4. Those of you who know John will think this is funny - He won't lose his hair!

Lastly, we have felt showered with your love over this past week with phone calls, emails, texts, meals, cards, etc.  THANK YOU so very much!  We want you to know that we have received them and appreciate them all.  We are overwhelmed at this point and still in a bit of shock with the news.  Please know we may not be able to respond back to everyone, however we do appreciate your prayers, encouragement and love!

We plan to continue to use this blog to direct people to for accurate information along the way.  Please note that at the top right of this page you can sign your email up to received updates automatically to your email inbox whenever we post updated info so you don't miss out on any of the updates.  Also, please be sure to continue to visit our blog at jgurneyfamily.blogspot.com to see our most updated Prayer Requests on the right hand side of the page.  Thanks!

With Much Love,

The Gooney Gurneys