October 2026 Update

Hello Friends -

Ben here again.

I want to start off with sharing something I read recently that offered me comfort. "Our brains naturally want certainty, control, and self-protection. During crisis, during a cancer journey, the brain so easily becomes dysregulated. An anxious mind constantly scans the future for danger." My mind goes into overdrive. But this…knowing that the King of the universe already knows what you need before you even open your mouth is one of the most regulating experiences your nervous system can have (Matthew 6:8 is my reference here). God is marvelous. I trust Him. You should trust Him. It’s worth it. Let’s begin.

Lindsey’s last post in April gave an overview of her treatment in Arizona. What an incredible experience that was for her. While the girls and I were separated from her for three months, it seemed to be exactly where she was supposed to be. I can’t gloss over how difficult it was for all of us to be apart, but it was temporary and we have her back now. Again, the help we received from so many of you was incredible. Especially that meal train! I’m not the best cook, so we would not have made it without that. Thank you!

When Linz left Arizona, her body was in an optimal position. She had a scan shortly after she returned and it was clear! No "evidence of disease" as they say in the cancer world. For me, that was one of those moments where an emotional release was much needed. I breathed and I cried. I felt some true rest that I haven’t felt in a long time. Now, the trick was to try and keep her body in that state to continue to ward off further spread. Linz and I had conversations in advance of what life would be like upon her return. We tried to set our expectations in a healthy place because life wasn’t going to be the same for Lindsey in Iowa as it was in Arizona. Life was going to be different both physically and emotionally. Lindsey’s sole focus in Arizona was to rest, follow her doctor’s protocols, and to minimize stress.  We have learned that stress is a large component to osteosarcoma. Keeping stress to a minimum is key. So, the question is this. How does she return home to Iowa where the pace is faster than it was down south? As much as you can prepare and set your expectations, sometimes it just crashes.

We longed to have her back in so many ways that it quickly became overwhelming. Therefore, stress was not kept to a minimum. She returned to work. She returned to being a full-time mom to three lovely ladies who missed and needed her. She had a host of different detox and health protocols to follow daily. All of these things require a mental energy and capacity that’s hard to describe when you are continuing to fight cancer and have to resume a life full of demands. However, I didn’t cause any stress upon her return. None, whatsoever. Perfection from me. If you believe I’m being truthful, just stop reading. You don’t get my sense of humor. The bottom line was we were going to have to find a new balance and make changes quickly. The next two months were bumpy to say the least as we tried to figure out what needed to change.

Fast forward to a more lighthearted experience. In August, we took a long-anticipated family vacation to New York City. We jam packed every tourist thing you could do in three days in the Big Apple. Times Square, food, Statue of Liberty, food, Lion King on Broadway, food, 911 Museum, more food, shopping, even more food, Dad carrying all shopping bags, too much food, Central Park, and glutenous amounts of amazing food. NYC is unlike anywhere in the world. Fun fact I learned - you could eat out at a restaurant for every meal of your life in the city and still not hit every restaurant it has to offer. Wild!

Upon our return from the trip we were gearing up for a new school year to start. Charli as a junior, Valerie in 8^th grade, and Lucy in 6^th. Lindsey also had a job transition in mid-September and left her position in real estate. We are so grateful for the love and support she received from that team and company. They are some amazing people! We were constantly showered with their support since the beginning of this diagnosis. God opened a door to a position with the University of Iowa Center for Advancement. She works in health care philanthropy supporting the U of I hospital, which definitely feels full circle.

Back to the fight. During the course of all those transitions, Lindsey continues to have extensive lab work monitored by her medical team in Arizona. These results are also shared with her medical team here in Iowa. Unfortunately these lab results have been going in the opposite direction of where they should be. This means the cancerous cells (tumor DNA) are increasing throughout her body, which of course ramped up anxiety for the next scan that happened on October 5^th. We met with her oncologist after the scan, and the results did confirm what the lab work was telling us. The small spot on her lower spine has returned and increased in size. This was the same spot treated in Arizona with a positive outcome. However, they were not able to perform the cryoablation portion of the treatment on that spot, since it was too close to her spinal cord. So yes, it has returned and we were presented with some other options. We are grateful for options. Options are good.

The Iowa medical team recommended targeted radiation for the spine. This is new territory for us and quite scary. Another suggestion is an immunotherapy infusion of the often television-advertised drug, Keytruda. We are also exploring another integrative treatment option that Lindsey hasn't pursued yet, which is mistletoe therapy. We've been learning this therapy is pretty commonly used in other countries, especially around Europe, for cancer treatment and with a lot of success. Thankfully there is an integrative clinic a little closer to home in Kansas City that offers mistletoe therapy. And as we already know, integrative treatments also mean that insurance doesn’t jive with them. Yippie skippie.

We will be moving fast, once again, with making decisions on the next course of action. Please continue to pray for Lindsey. Pray for 100% healing because our God is so much bigger than this. We just don’t know His plan. Pray also for continued peace with whatever that plan is supposed to be. Pray for our daughters as well. The weight of watching their momma fight is heavy, and on top of being three growing girls in the various stages of life they are in.

Here we are and off we go in Jesus name. Thank you for your continued patience, love, support, generosity, kindness, check-ins, and prayers.

Blessings,
Ben, Lindsey, Charli, Val & Lucy