The results of the last tests were not particularly positive and the Professor was ready to put Andy onto a course of Interferon.

However, the local Health Authority have refused to fund this drug (despite it being comparitively cheap) and, although at least one person has offered to fund it privately, this would appear to bar Andy from any free treatment in future. Doesn’t that sort of thing just make you throw your hands up in sheer frustration?

Anyway, here’s the latest update from Andy:

“Out of the blue on Monday I was called to be offered a place on a drugs trial. So tomorrow it’s back to the [hospital] for a day of testing: blood, heart psychological and a CT scan. If I pass the tests then I get in and the trial starts next Wednesday. I’ll spend Wednesday and Thursday inside and come home at lunchtime on Friday. That’s while they do 2 x 12 hour observations and blood testing and a final 3-4 hours on the Friday. Then the rest is at home. It’s tablet-based so no extra needles or drips. Then I have to attend a weekly clinic for more blood tests for the first 6 weeks, then 3 weekly. I’m scanned after 6 – 8 weeks and if there’s any change in the tumours for the better then it continues. If there’s no change then that’s the end of the trial for me.
The trial is to determine the effect of an existing, approved tumour-busting drug, Tarceva (Erlotinib) when taken with a new, unlicensed drug so far called OSI-906. Bottom line is that I get access to a course of Tarceva that I wouldn’t normally get access to (in the same vein as the Interferon thing). With any luck the Tarceva alone will stop or reduce the tumours I have. With more luck the new drug will do the same.
So, I’m asking that you start your prayer thing for me, firstly for tomorrow, that I pass the tests and am accepted onto the trial. Then, after that, for my safety during the trial and that the drugs will have a significant effect on my tumours.
This is suddenly a light at the end of the tunnel and I so much want it to go well and actually work.“
Please continue to pray for Andy and his wife and family who are coping incredibly well through this whole situation. I know that your care, even in just finding an odd few seconds in your day to remember them to God, is very much appreciated.

What does a really ordinary guy do to understand his value within the world?

A man, I think, generally wants (or needs) to feel that he provides something worthwhile to the people around him. It’s a feeling gained by some innate sense of worth or value – that life would be worse for others if you weren’t around.

I’ve met a few people this fortnight who have exceptional talents – an ultra-distance runner who will be representing his country later this year, a magician who works in schools and churches and who kept my children amazed for a good 30 minutes over lunch, a man who has spent most of his adult life writing children’s songs that are very well known – and suddenly felt incredibly worthless.

Note that it’s not because any of these men went out of their way to make me feel small. That all came from inside. Everyone has talents but some seem to be more highly valued or ’special’.

People like me need to be making a difference.

So I turned to God last night, asking “why am I here? I’m an ordinary guy – why do I exist?” God answered through 1 Peter 2 v 5.

“And you are living stones that God is building into his spiritual temple.” (NLT)

About twenty years ago I worked for a summer at an outdoor centre in Scotland and one of the many tasks that I turned my hand to was building a stone wall. I had to pick stones from around the grounds and somehow make them fit into a wall shape using mortar to bond them together.

The stones were all differently shaped, differently sized, almost like people…

But twenty years later that wall is still standing, still retaining the hillside that we’d cut into to create a car park. And if you took one of the stones out, that part of the wall would be severely weakened if it didn’t actually fall down.

So I’m going to continue to be an odd-shaped, odd-sized stone. And hopefully try to make a difference in the world around me.

Yesterday I was in Aberdeen (…and went to…) ARI Childrens hospital on a visit. That was a really sad visit to see my friend’s sister in law and nephew. The little boy is in a very bad way with this sudden onset of very serious epilepsy. It’s actually life threatening and if they can’t stabilise him he’ll have to be transferred to Edinburgh or Glasgow by chopper. Please pray for little Christopher and Annette [ his mum – who’s just got the awful task of standing around watching and waiting. I really felt for her ]