From: Curt Estel

Sent:   Wednesday, January 12, 2005 7:21 PM      
Subject:  CURT Estel

Dear Friends and Family, 

First, the good news.....Eric is doing well. We have a new oncologist who thinks that surgery may NOT be necessary. This is what we have been praying for. Eric is scheduled for another CT scan this month which should help determine the next step.

Now, for our new request: As though we have not already taken more than our share of your prayer time.  Yesterday, Curt had a procedure done that revealed that he has cancer of the esophagus. He had been having trouble for several weeks/months and had seen several doctors who treated it as though it were acid reflux while at the same time doing some tests to check his heart, since he had severe pain in the center of his chest. The test was the kind where they go down your throat with a scope, a procedure that should take about one hour. After three hours, they called me in to reveal the serious news. The reason it had taken so long is that they did several biopsies during the test. The doctor was sure enough that it is cancer that he told me right away; not waiting for the results of the biopsy and the written report of the test results used the term “malignancy” twice.

Today Curt had a CT scan and we have an appointment with a thoracic surgeon next Tuesday. Whether they will treat with chemo, radiation, or do surgery immediately, we do not know at this point.

I told the doctor that I believed that our son’s experience over this past year, coming from a diagnosis of stage four cancer to health, had prepared us for this day. So again, we are trying to “count it all joy as we ENCOUNTER this trial,” knowing that God is FULL of mercy and ABLE to perform miracles of healing.

Would you join us again in a chorus of prayer to the Heavenly Father asking for another miracle in Curt’s behalf? It means so much to us to even be able to count you as our friends and family. You have been so faithful to us over the past year and we are depending on your support again.

At this point in time, Curt is feeling okay. We have adjusted his diet to soft foods. He is at choir rehearsal as I write this.

We will keep you posted as to new developments. Again, thanks for joining the prayer team for the Estels.

Love,

Vi and family