Fr. Drummond Update (03.12.2023)

Posted on November 30, 2020

*as was published in the 03.12.23 bulletin

It has been just over three years now since I was diagnosed with inoperable and incurable lung cancer. And it is approaching three years that I have been taking the oral chemotherapy Alectinib which has shrunk my cancer and prevented it from spreading. The average efficacy for this drug is two and a half years (the record is eight years). Between the prayers so many of you have offered for me and the chemo I am still alive. When I was first diagnosed I thought I’d have a little more than a year.

My last scan was in January and that showed no change in the size of the cancer. My bloodwork at the time also showed no increased presence of cancer. I will have bloodwork done again next month and if there is no change my next scan will be in June.

Although I do suffer from fatigue quite a bit as the major side effect of my medication, it is keeping to my regular routine in hearing confessions and celebrating mass and the countless other little things that make up for a pastor’s life that gets me through. That and your prayers. God bless you all.