past emails

Hello friends,
Just wanted to take a minut and let you know about Jeremy. Some of you know that he has had some problems lately and after some testing and without going into too much graphic detail, he has been diagnosed with testicular cancer. He is having surgery NEXT Thursday. There are 3 kinds of cancer this could be and until they biopsy it, which takes several days, we will not know which one he has or what form of follow up treatment he will need.
To say I am scared is an understatement and while I know that testicular cancer is the most curable formof cancer, I also know that he is my baby and I can't do anything for him. I guess it doesn't matter if they are 26 weeks old or 26 years old, the fact that I still want to hold him in my arms and keep the world at bay and protect him is all I can think of.
Please keep him in your prayers, because I know it is the oly thing I can do, and it is EVRYTHING I can do. I will let you know more as I know it.
Thanks,
Jerry and Val


Hey everyone,
Just wanted to let you know Jeremy had his surgery yesterday and the tumor was removed. He had a prosthetic put in also. He did well thru the surgery, although it took a little while to get that big boy to sleep. He is very sore but he is on the mend. He has an appointment next Thursday with the urologist where he will find out if there is any follow up treatment he needs. The Dr. said he did not want to tell us anything until he had the biopsy back, until he is sure what is going on.
Jerry and I appreciate all the prayers, you will never know how much your kind words have meant to us and Jeremy. Now we pray for patience as we wait the results and for Jermey to have the peace, strength and comfort for the days that lie ahead.
Thanks so much,
Jerry and Valerie

Hi everyone,
Jeremy had his followup visit today to the urologist, I was hoping the surgery would have taken care of his cancer, but there is a little bump in the road.
I may have told some of you that Jeremy has swollen lymph nodes on the right side of his groin which could have been from the infection that caused him to go to the doctor in the first place (the infection was totally unrelated to the testicular cancer, so it was a blessing in disguise, a painful blessing, but a blessing none the less:) I am going to explain it the best I know, which is not that good, I still have questions, lots of them, but this is what I know, I think
When Jeremy had blood work done before his cancer it came back normal, which I think means they had a reason to believe the tumor they were removing was benign. It wasn't benign. Dr. Lev said that 10-15% have blood test come back normal when there is in fact cancer. After the biopsy was done on the removed tumor it was determined to be cancerous which means that the abnormal lymph nodes on the right side of his body most likely cancer also. Jeremy is being sent to the Siteman Center to see an oncologist to have follow up treatment, chemotherapy. While this is not real common Dr. Lev assured me it is not unusual either. So that's it, my BABY has cancer, but Dr. Lev said that the prognosis is excellent, not good, EXCELLENT!!!!!!!! And Jeremy is calm and strong and young and ready to do whatever it takes to get back to 100%. He went to the Siteman center after he left Dr. Lev's today and said they were WONDERFUL there, they are trying to get him in tomorrow or early next week. I told his doctor I am scared...he said he would worry about me if I wasn;t, so I guess I am normal, will someone tell my family that? I know there are worse things that can happen, I know many who are going thru harder struggles than this in their lives right now, I feel selfish being scared, but I feel helpless and unable to protect him from this.
And yet we see so many amazing things happening around him and us. Friends and family who have rallied around us, lifted us up in prayer, sent notes, cards emails to Jeremy and us. It has been amazing. We are SO VERY GRATEFUL for Dr. Hingst, Jeremy's regular doctor who sent him to Dr. Lev, to Dr. Lev for explaining and reexplaining when I don't get it and now for the Siteman Center. Please continue to pray for those who have taken and will continue to take care of Jeremy.
Our church had a musical this past weekend and one of the songs we sang was Glorify Your Son. Those words have been in my thoughts all week, Give him faith, give him courage, give him strength and give him peace. That is what we are praying for.

Thanks again for your kindness.
Love,
Jerry & Valerie




Hi everyone,
Just a small update....Jeremy is going to the Siteman Center next week for a petscan and some other tests. His appointment is April 2 with the oncologist, the doctor is on vacation next week...can you believe it, he obviously doesn't know who Jeremy is:) I just have to keep telling myself it isn't my timing.
I have been so consumed with what is happening with Jeremy that I forgot to mention that a friend of Jeremy's is going thru treatment at the Siteman Center for lymphoma. His name is Jason Law, so please keep him in your prayers also......man, who knew I was this needy????
Have a blessed Easter!
The Schwentker Family


Hi everyone,
Today was the "consultation" with Jeremy's oncologist, Dr. Tim Poulard (love him). Jeremy will be undergoing 3 rounds-9 weeks of chemotherapy. Along with the lymph nodes, he also has a few spots on his lungs, a couple that "lit" up on the petscan, which means they are cancerous. Not what we were really hoping to hear. The doctor said that since the cancer originated in the testicles, this is all still part of the testicular cancer. I think I was expecting to hear more about the cancer in the lymph nodes, but he talked with us at great length about the concern for the spots that are on his lungs also. The chemo should take care of all of it.
The first week of his chemo will be everyday, all day, then the next 2 weeks will be one day a week. He will have to do this for 3 weeks. It is an aggresive form of chemo but it should take care of all the hot spots that are in his body. After the treatments, he will have to go every 3 months to make sure everything is good. Of course, none of this can start until he has ummmm...banked his "boys" for future Schwentkers. Hopefully that process will be wrapped up in 10 days because the doctor wants him to start the chemo as soon as possible.
I am still in shock and awl I think as to what is taking place. Some ways it seems this has all gone so fast, and other ways it seems like a lifetime. There are moments when I feel like I have been kicked in the stomach and I can't catch my breath and then that is when I say BREATHE, just Breathe, and then I close my eyes and I say ok God, it's your plan.....but you have to help me out with this...and He does. I don't know if it is the fear of the cancer or the feeling of ABSOLUTE helplessness that I can not do anything for Jeremy, I can't have the surgery, I can't take the chemo, I can't do anything but watch and pray...and so I do, I pray. I pray for strength and comfort for Jeremy, guidance for every doctor and nurse that will become part of his everyday life over the next few months. Jeremy was confirmed at Messiah at the end of his eighth grade and his life verse was chosen for him. Joshua 1:9 "Be strong and courageous, do not be terrified, do not be discouraged for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go." I know Jeremy is our kid, but I want to say he is handling this all with a sense of humor and grace and strength. I love that kid!
Again, thanks for your kindness. Jeremy said that he is taping up every card and note he has gotten and he is amazed at how nice everyone is, even people who don't know him.
Love,
Jerry & Valerie
P.s. My dear bible study friends, I kind of lied to you the last time we met when I said I would be ok with whatever happened....I kind of broke down.....you should never believe anything I say:)