After leaving MDA Thursday, we were secure in our direction for the clinical trial. If only all parties had been on board, we might have avoided another emotional roller coaster.  I received an email Monday morning from the study coordinator with news that our insurance company had approved Maggie’s participation (and agreed to pay for all standard of care charges associated with the study). Monday afternoon I received a phone call from her with the unsettling news that Maggie’s spot had been given to a person at another trial site (not MDA) by the sponsor (aka, drug company). This news came like a punch in the gut, quite honestly. She did say Dr. Raghav was going to speak with the sponsors and request an additional spot since this one had been the last one available. Hope? We didn’t feel it much. We prayed, cried some, and mentally unpacked the plans we had been loading into imaginary boxes. In desperation I went back to the clinical trial website (a list of all current and future trials with contact information). A few sounded good. None were as close as MDA. We went to bed with a cloud of uncertainty over our next steps.

Tuesday at 2:16 pm I received a call from the coordinator with the incredible news that Dr. Raghav had requested the slot for a Maggie and the sponsor granted it. We are in. God moves to protect us even when our faith is paltry.

I’ve spent the greater part of the week making our plans.  We plan to depart Monday for Houston. Tuesday we meet with Dr. Raghav’s team to discuss the trial schedule and requirements, and sign the consent. Maggie will also have labs, and we meet with the IR team to discuss the initial biopsy (a prerequisite of the study). Wednesday morning she will undergo a needle biopsy in Interventional Radiology. Thursday will be a day off – can you say picnic in the park? The initial infusion will be Friday morning. We will be required to stay close overnight and have more blood drawn before returning to the ‘Burg Saturday. A full week but we’re not complaining.

I want to be clear. Our hope – though temporarily tethered to the promising science of immunotherapy – is eternally fixed in the work of Christ. We find ourselves “out of sorts” by disappointments, but we are never crushed by them. What a promise we have in this scripture:

For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” made His light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. Now we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this surpassingly great power is from God and not from us. We are pressed on all sides, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed. We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body.” 2 Cor. 4:6-10

These jars of clay will be on the road for the foreseeable future. Our prayer is to carry around the hope of Christ wherever He allows us to be. We are committed to placing Maggie in position for the best treatment for her cancer and to leaving her in the Hands of God for her care. Thank you for your continuing prayers. We’ll keep the updates coming.