So it has been awhile since I last posted. However, we just went on a trip to Michigan to see Tera's family. Her cousin Jeff was getting married, so it was a good time to get up there and see everyone.
While on the flight home, Caleb and I decided to do a few lip-sync songs. Below are links to the videos we shot 40,000 feet above the earth. Enjoy!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GQ8NI-bRzXA&feature=plcp
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yRmQimRzV-s&feature=plcp
Not sure what the girl sitting right next to Caleb thought, but all is good.
We had a good time making them.
Friday, August 31, 2012
Tuesday, August 7, 2012
1st Day of School Pictures
Here are a few pictures from the first day of school. I will post more on how the day went. Drop off went well and we had no tears! Praying for a good day!
Caleb and his teacher!
Cully sitting at his seat!
Cully walking in his class!
Friday, July 27, 2012
The Last Step
What a crazy summer! I have traveled a bit with the youth group including going to camp and going on a mission/leadership trip all the way to Wyoming. Also, several changes are happening at our church so it has been nuts trying to get ready for all of that. However, today is a big day!
Today is the final step to being free and having this journey completed. Today, Caleb is getting his port taken out of his body! We had one more scan done and everything was good and so now we are getting his port out. He is currently back in surgery and should be close to being done. Here are a few pictures with mom before he went back.
We are actually now in recovery with him. He is sleeping off his meds and when he wakes up we are out of here once again. The doctor said everything went well and he is doing good. We are so blessed to be on this side of our journey.
Over the next couple of days, I am going to post a few follow up posts with a few reflections on this entire journey.
But, I wanted to get something out that told our good news!
Thanks again to al who have been praying and who are currently praying. We have felt them throughout the process!
Grace and Peace
Tuesday, July 3, 2012
The Last Bag of Chemo
So, here we are. The last bag of chemo! In 24 hours we will be done! It is hard to explain how excited we are!
It has been an up and down week. Caleb felt bad a few days ago and was throwing up. However, it only seemed to last a day. The next day, he didn't feel great but he didn't throw up. The next day, yesterday, he felt awesome. Today, he is not feeling great. His stomach hurts a bit but seems to be more cramping than nausea.
Tomorrow morning he has his last LP. It is at 8 am in the morning. Then, as soon as this last bag of chemo is done we are out of here. They do a really cool thing when it is your last round of chemo. All of the nurses line the hall and cheer for you as you leave. Then they give you a little gift and wish you well. I am sure it will be very emotional tomorrow as we are leaving. We can't wait!
Funny how tomorrow we will be celebrating two independences: our country and from chemo and treatment.
So, we are working through this last bag of chemo. Sorry I haven't been posting a ton lately. We try to keep busy in the hospital because it makes the time go by faster.
I will have pictures and try to post a video of tomorrow.
Grace and Peace
Thursday, June 28, 2012
Chemo Has Officially started
Caleb has officially started his chemo. This is quicker than the nurse originally thought. He is on Rutuxamab. This will take about 6 hours and then he will have a round of methotrexate. I am not sure about these spellings...just doing my best.
So, this will go into the night.
We just got back from the toy room where he did a craft. He is laying down right now. As a pre-med, he had to take benedryl. This makes him very sleepy. So, he is laying down and resting for a bit right now. Hopefully he will go to sleep and sleep for a bit. This will help pass the time. He is very bored with being in here already and we have only been in the room for about 4 hours. That could prove to make this a long week as far as keeping him busy.
I will keep you posted.
Grace and Peace
So, this will go into the night.
We just got back from the toy room where he did a craft. He is laying down right now. As a pre-med, he had to take benedryl. This makes him very sleepy. So, he is laying down and resting for a bit right now. Hopefully he will go to sleep and sleep for a bit. This will help pass the time. He is very bored with being in here already and we have only been in the room for about 4 hours. That could prove to make this a long week as far as keeping him busy.
I will keep you posted.
Grace and Peace
Finally Starting the Last Round
So, Caleb's counts were high enough...2200 to be exact! The next step was to wait for a bed to open up. We were packing up our stuff so that we could go and grab some lunch and while we were still packing up, the Dr. came right back in and said that there was a bed ready. WOW! We have never gotten a bed that fast. Usually it takes at least an hour, but this was 5 minutes.
Then, we were being silly and thinking it would be cool to finish this journey in the same room we started...7122. So, we went over to get our paper work and guess what room we got? 7122. Then we thought it would be awesome if Arica was our nurse for a few days as well...you know, start and finish with same room/same nurse. We have not had a bad experience asa far as nurses go but we thought it would be pretty cool. Guess who greeted us when we came in the room? You got it...Arica! What an awesome thing! She said that she was going to be here for the next 4 days.
We are super excited to finally start this round. They are thinking that Caleb should be done by Wednesday sometime and go home if everything goes well.
So, this is where we are again...7122. As we were walking in, Tera said, "The walk down the hall this time is a little different than the first time we walked down this hall!" She said it quite well. It has been a journey and we are not through yet. But knowing we are closer to the end does make it a bit easier.
After this week, we still have final scans (including bone marrow scan) and the final step...his port being taken out.
I will keep you posted through the week as we progress. But know we are excited and ready to face this week and get it behind us.
Grace and Peace
Then, we were being silly and thinking it would be cool to finish this journey in the same room we started...7122. So, we went over to get our paper work and guess what room we got? 7122. Then we thought it would be awesome if Arica was our nurse for a few days as well...you know, start and finish with same room/same nurse. We have not had a bad experience asa far as nurses go but we thought it would be pretty cool. Guess who greeted us when we came in the room? You got it...Arica! What an awesome thing! She said that she was going to be here for the next 4 days.
We are super excited to finally start this round. They are thinking that Caleb should be done by Wednesday sometime and go home if everything goes well.
So, this is where we are again...7122. As we were walking in, Tera said, "The walk down the hall this time is a little different than the first time we walked down this hall!" She said it quite well. It has been a journey and we are not through yet. But knowing we are closer to the end does make it a bit easier.
After this week, we still have final scans (including bone marrow scan) and the final step...his port being taken out.
I will keep you posted through the week as we progress. But know we are excited and ready to face this week and get it behind us.
Grace and Peace
June 28th, 2012
It is very late at night or early in the morning...however you look at it. It is technically the 28th, so I will talk in this post like it is Thursday.
Later this morning, we see for the 3rd time if Caleb's counts are good enough to start his last round of chemo. We have been praying that he is ready so that we can continue on this journey that we are on. It seems like that past 2 weeks we have been put on hold and just waiting. Waiting is so hard!
So, today at 10 am, we will be arriving at the clinic and getting the party started. We should know something by 11 am one way or the other.
So, please pray and I will keep you posted as soon as we know something tomorrow.
God is good and I will keep you updated!
Grace and Peace
Later this morning, we see for the 3rd time if Caleb's counts are good enough to start his last round of chemo. We have been praying that he is ready so that we can continue on this journey that we are on. It seems like that past 2 weeks we have been put on hold and just waiting. Waiting is so hard!
So, today at 10 am, we will be arriving at the clinic and getting the party started. We should know something by 11 am one way or the other.
So, please pray and I will keep you posted as soon as we know something tomorrow.
God is good and I will keep you updated!
Grace and Peace
Sunday, June 24, 2012
You will never guess who came to visit!
We have been so blessed with the support and love we have received not only from family but also from friends all over the world. God has blessed our family with a support system like no other. Tonight we got a visit from a few people who we can now add to that list.
We have mentioned several times a dance crew called the Elektrolytes that just won America's Best Dance Crew. Well, tonight, 4 of them were able to stop by and hang out with our family. We were so grateful for them taking time out of their busy schedule to come over. George, Ben, and Kyle came by about 6 pm and Joey showed up a bit later. They hung out with us for about 3 hours. It was awesome! Codi set everything up, so a big thanks to her. Sohpia and Cassadi, her sisters, also came by.
It was a great time! We ate pizza, asked a lot of questions about the show, Caleb and Cully learned a dance move from the show from each of them, and we had a great time. Caleb was floored! He had no idea they were coming. Caleb and Cully were totally surprised!
Below are some pictures of our evening. There are a lot, so enjoy them.
Here they are from left to right:
Kyle, George, Ben and Joey.
Hanging out on the couch!
They signed a couple of pictures that we had printed!
Joey teaching his finger trick!
Caleb and Kyle!
Caleb and Ben!
Caleb and George!
They loved Caleb's room!
They gave Caleb one of their new watches that a local store made for them while they were on the show! Total surprise and I was jealous for sure!
Family shot!
Here is a video of the surprise! Caleb was so shocked and overwhelmed that he cried! It was amazing! He saw them and said, "Oh my Gosh!" and almost shut the door on them. He gives Codi a big hug and really didn't know what to do. Enjoy it!
Caleb was shocked for about 30 min. He didn't really say much. But, as the night went on, he warmed up. When they started teaching him some dance moves, he really loosened up. Then, towards the end, he broke out his dancing. Here is Caleb and Cully dancing together for everyone!
All in all, it was a great night! Caleb and Cully were surprised and we made some new friends! The Elektrolytes are amazing guys! They are down to earth and just great guys! I appreciated their spirit and once again we feel like we gained friends tonight. They talked about their faith and love of God and it was awesome! He is the reason they dance! What a great night!
Grace and Peace!
Thursday, June 21, 2012
Back Home
No, this isn't a repeat of last nights post. It is just the same news.
Caleb went in to see if he could start his last round of chemo. Turns out, his counts were lower this week than they were last week. I think they were 327. So, we are all home tonight.
Tera and I are a bit frustrated to say the least. We are ready to get this over with and start to move to the next step of getting beyond this. But, here we are, taking it one step at a time. It is crazy how all of this is happening, but we are trusting and believing in a God who is with us. It isn't easy...honestly today it has been hard to see and feel Him but we believe that He is near. When Tera texted me and told me (I was in a meeting) I almost lost it. Why must this drag on? Why must we keep waiting? Why, why, why?
I wish I could answer what seems like to be a simple question. But, I can't.
So, we will head back in next Thursday to see if his body can rebound this week.
The doctors are not concerned at all and say he is doing fine. To them, this is very normal. They keep reassuring us and letting us know that he is fine. If he is fine, then why do we have to wait?
The doctors and nurses are amazing! They have been great through this entire process. God has used them in our lives to be a symbol of his presence, love and grace. We are truly grateful for them in our lives and consider them true friends!
So, all in all it has been a truly frustrating day. I wish I could give you good news, but I must tell the true story.
Cooper, Caleb's friend, also had a really bad day. He had an allergic reaction to his chemo today and it got kind of scary. The nurses did a great job and were right on it. They helped him and I believe that He is doing ok. However, due to this, he can no longer have that chemo and so they will now have to change his treatment. Tera said that for a time they will have to go to clinic 3 times a week now to get a special kind of chemo. Not fun and they could really use our prayers!
I hope that everyone had a good day! God is good...not because he works out all the bad things in our lives but rather because he is with us in the midst of the bad times. He doesn't allow us to journey alone but is with us through it all.
So, here is to another week of hoping and waiting to the next treatment! I will keep you posted.
Grace and Peace
Caleb went in to see if he could start his last round of chemo. Turns out, his counts were lower this week than they were last week. I think they were 327. So, we are all home tonight.
Tera and I are a bit frustrated to say the least. We are ready to get this over with and start to move to the next step of getting beyond this. But, here we are, taking it one step at a time. It is crazy how all of this is happening, but we are trusting and believing in a God who is with us. It isn't easy...honestly today it has been hard to see and feel Him but we believe that He is near. When Tera texted me and told me (I was in a meeting) I almost lost it. Why must this drag on? Why must we keep waiting? Why, why, why?
I wish I could answer what seems like to be a simple question. But, I can't.
So, we will head back in next Thursday to see if his body can rebound this week.
The doctors are not concerned at all and say he is doing fine. To them, this is very normal. They keep reassuring us and letting us know that he is fine. If he is fine, then why do we have to wait?
The doctors and nurses are amazing! They have been great through this entire process. God has used them in our lives to be a symbol of his presence, love and grace. We are truly grateful for them in our lives and consider them true friends!
So, all in all it has been a truly frustrating day. I wish I could give you good news, but I must tell the true story.
Cooper, Caleb's friend, also had a really bad day. He had an allergic reaction to his chemo today and it got kind of scary. The nurses did a great job and were right on it. They helped him and I believe that He is doing ok. However, due to this, he can no longer have that chemo and so they will now have to change his treatment. Tera said that for a time they will have to go to clinic 3 times a week now to get a special kind of chemo. Not fun and they could really use our prayers!
I hope that everyone had a good day! God is good...not because he works out all the bad things in our lives but rather because he is with us in the midst of the bad times. He doesn't allow us to journey alone but is with us through it all.
So, here is to another week of hoping and waiting to the next treatment! I will keep you posted.
Grace and Peace
Wednesday, June 20, 2012
Back Home
Well, we made it home from Jr. High camp. We got home this afternoon and I had meetings all afternoon at church. Then, we had open gym tonight at church for the teens. We played a few games of dodgeball and had a good time.
We wake up in the morning and head to the clinic. Caleb has to be there at 11 am. They will access his port, check his counts and we will see if he gets admitted for his last round or not. We are praying for at least counts reaching 1000 and we would love more. So, please pray with us as we continue to journey. Our prayer is for grace no matter what the outcome.
Camp was good. It was nice to "get out of the heat" for a few days.
So, we are hoping for a good nights sleep and wake up refreshed ready to face the day.
I will keep you posted tomorrow when we find out information.
Grace an Peace
We wake up in the morning and head to the clinic. Caleb has to be there at 11 am. They will access his port, check his counts and we will see if he gets admitted for his last round or not. We are praying for at least counts reaching 1000 and we would love more. So, please pray with us as we continue to journey. Our prayer is for grace no matter what the outcome.
Camp was good. It was nice to "get out of the heat" for a few days.
So, we are hoping for a good nights sleep and wake up refreshed ready to face the day.
I will keep you posted tomorrow when we find out information.
Grace an Peace
Tuesday, June 19, 2012
Jr. High Camp
I love Jr. High Camp! These past two days, we have been up in Prescott, AZ for Jr. High Camp. The entire fam is here which is awesome. We got here Monday and have to head home tomorrow. It has been good for us to get away from hot PHX and be where it is a bit cooler. It is weird to say 90 degrees feels good, but it is such a difference and we have enjoyed it!
Camp is camp...some things never change! It has been good though I have really connected with a few students whom I had never been able to connect with before and it has been a good time. We head home tomorrow so that we can do some laundry and pack back up to head to the hospital on Thursday.
Jr. Highers are such an awesome and weird bunch of people. They are going through so many changes that it seems they soak up any advice you have to offer. We have had great group discussion times after the services and I really feel like they are hungry to grab onto something that will give their life meaning and worth in the midst of a culture that tries to sell them so many lies. They ask amazing questions and seem to listen to each other as they discuss. Of course, Jr. high boys are easily distracted and seem to be in another world each night, but I really feel like they are good kids. God is using the speaker in a mighty way and I am praying that this week is a spiritual event that they can look back on during the hard times and remember that God is real and that He is faithful! Of course we at Crossroads will be reminding them of that every chance that we get. Pray for the students that when they get home it will not be too much of a let down and that they will realize that God lives in Chandler and wants to help them just as much as he does in Prescott. Pray that when they literally and spiritually come off of the mountain that God will be there to meet them!
If Caleb's counts are where they need to be (1,000) on Thursday then we start his last round of chemo. If not, we wait another week. We are really praying for good counts. It is so weird praying that your son gets put in the hospital, but in our case it means we are another step closer to being done.
Caleb seems to be ready as well. Of course he really doesn't want to spend a week in the hospital, who does. But, he seems to understand that it is the end and so he is ready to face it!
He seems to be feeling good. We have hiked a bit, climbed on a few big rocks they have here, and just enjoyed being together. It isn't vacation because I have been with students a lot, but it is a nice little get away for sure.
So, things are good! We head back down to the valley and the heat tomorrow morning some time. I have a few meetings tomorrow afternoon which will be good.
Thanks for all of your continued prayers. I will keep you posted on how things are!
Grace and Peace
Camp is camp...some things never change! It has been good though I have really connected with a few students whom I had never been able to connect with before and it has been a good time. We head home tomorrow so that we can do some laundry and pack back up to head to the hospital on Thursday.
Jr. Highers are such an awesome and weird bunch of people. They are going through so many changes that it seems they soak up any advice you have to offer. We have had great group discussion times after the services and I really feel like they are hungry to grab onto something that will give their life meaning and worth in the midst of a culture that tries to sell them so many lies. They ask amazing questions and seem to listen to each other as they discuss. Of course, Jr. high boys are easily distracted and seem to be in another world each night, but I really feel like they are good kids. God is using the speaker in a mighty way and I am praying that this week is a spiritual event that they can look back on during the hard times and remember that God is real and that He is faithful! Of course we at Crossroads will be reminding them of that every chance that we get. Pray for the students that when they get home it will not be too much of a let down and that they will realize that God lives in Chandler and wants to help them just as much as he does in Prescott. Pray that when they literally and spiritually come off of the mountain that God will be there to meet them!
If Caleb's counts are where they need to be (1,000) on Thursday then we start his last round of chemo. If not, we wait another week. We are really praying for good counts. It is so weird praying that your son gets put in the hospital, but in our case it means we are another step closer to being done.
Caleb seems to be ready as well. Of course he really doesn't want to spend a week in the hospital, who does. But, he seems to understand that it is the end and so he is ready to face it!
He seems to be feeling good. We have hiked a bit, climbed on a few big rocks they have here, and just enjoyed being together. It isn't vacation because I have been with students a lot, but it is a nice little get away for sure.
So, things are good! We head back down to the valley and the heat tomorrow morning some time. I have a few meetings tomorrow afternoon which will be good.
Thanks for all of your continued prayers. I will keep you posted on how things are!
Grace and Peace
Sunday, June 17, 2012
Father's Day
Happy Father's Day to all of the father's out
there. I know I said I was going to post daily and I have already missed
two days. Boy I am on a good streak.
Caleb has been doing relatively good. He
seems to be a bit punky (not real bad but not 100% either). This makes
him be in somewhat of a bad mood at times, but other than that he is ok.
Hopefully his body is continuing to rebound so that Thursday we are able
to start his last round of chemo.
After his last round, we will have to wait two
weeks to get his final scans done. So, at this point, that will be about
mid July. He will also have his bone marrow scanned one more time.
After we get the results back from those scans, if everything is still clear
(which it should be) then we will schedule to get his port taken out.
That will be the last piece in everything.
We are hoping for 4 days of good cells growing so
we get all of this started.
Tera and I are doing well. We have been
working on redecorating our bedroom. Maybe I should say we have been
working on decorating our room for the first time since we have been married.
It has been a lot of work but Tera is doing an awesome job. It is
looking really good. Tera's mom has been sewing a lot of things for us
including pillow covers, curtains and more.
All in all, we are doing well. Once again, we
are just ready to get this last round of chemo started because that means we
are one step closer to being done with everything that we have to do.
Thanks again for all of your prayers! We
continue to feel them and know that God is with us every step of the
way...including the frustrating hard times like we experienced last week.
Once again, I am going to do better about posting.
Thursday, June 14, 2012
Different than we thought
So....
We went in today to start our last round of chemo. When we got there, everything went like it normally does. We go in, get weight, temp and a few other vitals, go to our room, access his port, take blood and wait for his blood count to see if he can start chemo. His counts need to be at least 1000 to start. We waited around, got some otter pops, talked and did the normal stuff.
The nurse and doctor came back in and said, "We are sending you home." We were like, "WHAT?" Yep, his counts were 527...not high enough to start. So, we are back home.
Here is what happens...we wait till next week to try it all again. They said there really isn't much that they can do to make his counts go up except wait. His body just needs to produce some more blood that is good. They said it is totally normal for this to happen. In fact, when we told them it was our first time, they said that is not very normal at all. After 3 rounds of chemo, it is just taking his body a bit longer to rebound.
So, we wait another week. We will head back in next Thursday and start the process all over again.
Honestly, it was a little frustrating. We had our bags packed, loaded, ready to go. We even had our pet fish with us ready for the week. But, it will happen a bit differently than we expected. It is hard to get your mind to think through one thing and then have it changed so quickly. Also, we had been making plans for the next several weeks and all of a sudden that changes as well. Just goes to show that you have to always be ready for anything and sometimes the unexpected will happen.
On a few different notes...our favorite dance crew The Elektrolytes killed it and won ABDC Season 7 last night! We are so excited for them and we all cheered very loudly (especially Jana Starner...we were priveledged to watch the finale with the Starner clan)!
I have been missing blogging...so I am going to make it a practice to post something daily. So much has been happening and it has been hard to find time to blog, but I need to do it for myself. So, if no one or everyone reads it, expect to see more on this blog in the days ahead.
Thanks again for all of you prayers. Pray for blood counts to grow this week and we will be ready for our last round next week!
Grace and Peace
We went in today to start our last round of chemo. When we got there, everything went like it normally does. We go in, get weight, temp and a few other vitals, go to our room, access his port, take blood and wait for his blood count to see if he can start chemo. His counts need to be at least 1000 to start. We waited around, got some otter pops, talked and did the normal stuff.
The nurse and doctor came back in and said, "We are sending you home." We were like, "WHAT?" Yep, his counts were 527...not high enough to start. So, we are back home.
Here is what happens...we wait till next week to try it all again. They said there really isn't much that they can do to make his counts go up except wait. His body just needs to produce some more blood that is good. They said it is totally normal for this to happen. In fact, when we told them it was our first time, they said that is not very normal at all. After 3 rounds of chemo, it is just taking his body a bit longer to rebound.
So, we wait another week. We will head back in next Thursday and start the process all over again.
Honestly, it was a little frustrating. We had our bags packed, loaded, ready to go. We even had our pet fish with us ready for the week. But, it will happen a bit differently than we expected. It is hard to get your mind to think through one thing and then have it changed so quickly. Also, we had been making plans for the next several weeks and all of a sudden that changes as well. Just goes to show that you have to always be ready for anything and sometimes the unexpected will happen.
On a few different notes...our favorite dance crew The Elektrolytes killed it and won ABDC Season 7 last night! We are so excited for them and we all cheered very loudly (especially Jana Starner...we were priveledged to watch the finale with the Starner clan)!
I have been missing blogging...so I am going to make it a practice to post something daily. So much has been happening and it has been hard to find time to blog, but I need to do it for myself. So, if no one or everyone reads it, expect to see more on this blog in the days ahead.
Thanks again for all of you prayers. Pray for blood counts to grow this week and we will be ready for our last round next week!
Grace and Peace
Wednesday, June 6, 2012
June 6th, 2012
Hello to all! Thing s have been really busy but life is good. Caleb is doing well and doing just about anything he wants to do. Every now and then, he feels like he has a urinary track infection. This causes him some discomfort but it seems that if we can keep him busy and not thinking about it, it either goes away or doesn't hurt anymore. But that is a prayer request for sure.
Tomorrow, we have our regularly scheduled clinic visit. Tera is actually taking him to the clinic. I have a meeting in the morning. It should be pretty routine...go in, check blood, and hopefully say, "see you next week for our last round of chemo." However, anything can happen and so we are praying for an easy trip to the clinic.
Other than that, I have been working a ton! It has all been good but just busy!
We are still celebrating remission! We will be planning a party soon after we get final scans done and port out to really celebrate. Caleb has an idea of what he wants to do...we are thinking hip hop dance party like no other complete with DJ and a couple of dance crews. So, once we have a little more information, we will let everyone know the date and time so that those who are able can join us.
Our church has Vacation Bible School this week and both boys are able to enjoy it. It has been a good time for Caleb to be with his friends and be normal.
I spoke, with my friend Jeff Gokee, last night at a gathering called PHX 1, which is a gathering for young professionals. They do not claim to be the church, but they want to provide a place for young professionals to be able to gather, worship together and have community together. They meet twice a month and last night was the first time I was able to attend. It was a great time. The topic was suffering and we both shared our stories about what it was like to experience what we were experiecning. I was gratful for the opportunity and I hope that God used me. Jeff runs the ministry and does a great job. They meet in an awesome old church in downtown PHX. I took a few pictures and will post a few a little bit later. they had about 700-800 people there and they rocked the place out.
The coolest parts was this...Caleb and Cooper have the same nurse in the clinic, Amanda, as well as same child life person, Jaimie. Another person who works there, she is dietian and someone else that works at the clinic (I am so sorry, I can't remember the name) heard that we were speaking on that topic and sharing our stories. So, we didn't know but all four of them were there last night. I was so overwhelmed and it was great to see them and talk with them. They have been such a blessing to both of our families and I can't tell you how happy I was to see them! We really feel like they are a part of our life now!
So, it was a fun night!
Life is busy but good! Thanks to all for your continued prayers! I willl try and do a better job of posting.
Grace and Peace!
Tomorrow, we have our regularly scheduled clinic visit. Tera is actually taking him to the clinic. I have a meeting in the morning. It should be pretty routine...go in, check blood, and hopefully say, "see you next week for our last round of chemo." However, anything can happen and so we are praying for an easy trip to the clinic.
Other than that, I have been working a ton! It has all been good but just busy!
We are still celebrating remission! We will be planning a party soon after we get final scans done and port out to really celebrate. Caleb has an idea of what he wants to do...we are thinking hip hop dance party like no other complete with DJ and a couple of dance crews. So, once we have a little more information, we will let everyone know the date and time so that those who are able can join us.
Our church has Vacation Bible School this week and both boys are able to enjoy it. It has been a good time for Caleb to be with his friends and be normal.
I spoke, with my friend Jeff Gokee, last night at a gathering called PHX 1, which is a gathering for young professionals. They do not claim to be the church, but they want to provide a place for young professionals to be able to gather, worship together and have community together. They meet twice a month and last night was the first time I was able to attend. It was a great time. The topic was suffering and we both shared our stories about what it was like to experience what we were experiecning. I was gratful for the opportunity and I hope that God used me. Jeff runs the ministry and does a great job. They meet in an awesome old church in downtown PHX. I took a few pictures and will post a few a little bit later. they had about 700-800 people there and they rocked the place out.
The coolest parts was this...Caleb and Cooper have the same nurse in the clinic, Amanda, as well as same child life person, Jaimie. Another person who works there, she is dietian and someone else that works at the clinic (I am so sorry, I can't remember the name) heard that we were speaking on that topic and sharing our stories. So, we didn't know but all four of them were there last night. I was so overwhelmed and it was great to see them and talk with them. They have been such a blessing to both of our families and I can't tell you how happy I was to see them! We really feel like they are a part of our life now!
So, it was a fun night!
Life is busy but good! Thanks to all for your continued prayers! I willl try and do a better job of posting.
Grace and Peace!
Friday, June 1, 2012
May 31st, 2012
Today was his LP (which it is probably his 7th or 8th one) and he seems to get worse at waking up as we go along rather than better. He was a beast today! He was screaming and yelling and it just was not good. It is so hard because he is obviously under such strong medicine so it alters his rational side. Yet, there comes a point where he knows what he is doing as well ane too bad. he tends to not be nice. So, it is hard trying to find the balance of when to be strong and when to let up a bit while he is coming off the medication.
After we made it back to the room, he slept for a bit and it seemed to help. He had a pretty good afternoon but and seems to be doing ok. This chemo is really hard on him and really makes him not feel good.
Tomorrow, he should finish his chemo around 11 am. After that, he will get ready for a blood transfusion. His hemaglobin is a little low so they are getting his body ready to come home. After that, we will be heading home for a couple of weeks. He should start his blood transfusion around 12. It takes a couple of hours. We should not have to wait around too long after he is done but hopefully will be able to leave.
It is a very busy weekend. District Assembly is at our church this weekend, i have a parent meeting Saturday night, and we have interviews for a trip this summer Sunday afternoon. It will be busy.
Next week should not be too bad. I will have work and VBS is happening at our church this week. That will be fun for Caleb and Cully to be a part of. I am also speaking at a young professionals gathering on Tuesday evening with Jeff Gokee this week. We are talking about suffering and where we have seen Jesus in the midst of our suffering. It should be alot of fun and I am really looking forward to it!
I will keep you posted on our day tomorrow. Hopefully it will be smooth and hopefully he will have no more side effects!
Grace and Peace
After we made it back to the room, he slept for a bit and it seemed to help. He had a pretty good afternoon but and seems to be doing ok. This chemo is really hard on him and really makes him not feel good.
Tomorrow, he should finish his chemo around 11 am. After that, he will get ready for a blood transfusion. His hemaglobin is a little low so they are getting his body ready to come home. After that, we will be heading home for a couple of weeks. He should start his blood transfusion around 12. It takes a couple of hours. We should not have to wait around too long after he is done but hopefully will be able to leave.
It is a very busy weekend. District Assembly is at our church this weekend, i have a parent meeting Saturday night, and we have interviews for a trip this summer Sunday afternoon. It will be busy.
Next week should not be too bad. I will have work and VBS is happening at our church this week. That will be fun for Caleb and Cully to be a part of. I am also speaking at a young professionals gathering on Tuesday evening with Jeff Gokee this week. We are talking about suffering and where we have seen Jesus in the midst of our suffering. It should be alot of fun and I am really looking forward to it!
I will keep you posted on our day tomorrow. Hopefully it will be smooth and hopefully he will have no more side effects!
Grace and Peace
Tuesday, May 29, 2012
May 29th, 2012
Sorry I did not post yesterday. It has been a good two days and we have been hanging with the Gokee family in the hospital the past couple of days. Cooper is in the hospital because he had a fever and his counts were really low. We hate that he is in the hospital...we are praying for his counts to come up so that he can go home. But, it has been nice having them here and being able to hang together. The past two days, we have been together in the morning and then normally we head to the 3rd floor patio in the afternoon and stay there through dinner until 8 pm or so. We play Monoply Deal, we talk, we laugh, we tell stories and honestly it has been an awesome time to get to know them better. Once again, the circustance is not what we want but we are making the best of where we are.
Caleb is currently getting chemo. The chemo he is getting runs 24 hours a day for 5 days. He started it Sunday morning, so we are here until Friday morning. The good thing is that these meds should not cause his counts to drop and thus we do not have to do the daily shot when we go home.
We have his normal clinic visit next Thursday and then we check back in on June 14th for his final round of chemo. It will be identical meds that this current chemo treatment is.
After that, he will get scanned again...this time it will include a bone marrow test again...and believing that all will be clear we will be done. We will then schedule for his port to come out and start having check ups every 3 months for awhile.
Caleb has felt good today, but not great. The current chemo he is getting has the potential for flu like symptoms and he has been having several of them. This evening, he was feeling sick at his stomach and said that his bones were achy. The nurses have been awesome as far as treating his symptoms, but it still doesn't mean that he is without them. So, pray for small or no side effects, or pray for grace to get through them all.
Caleb was also feeling a bit tired today, so we took a nap together. That was awesome and I think the only way he would have gone to sleep...not alone but with company. So, we slept. He probably would have slept longer, but as is normal in a hospital, someone came in and made a little noise and it woke him up. He seemed to feel a lot better after his nap though. Who doesn't?
So, things are good. We are just doing our best to kill time. It isn't always easy, but as Dr. Dan says, there are worse things than being bored. As I said, having Cooper and his family here helps a lot.
I will try and post more tomorrow. It will be a busy day with a few meetings and work, but I will do my best to keep you updated on what is happening.
Have a great night!
Grace and Peace
Caleb is currently getting chemo. The chemo he is getting runs 24 hours a day for 5 days. He started it Sunday morning, so we are here until Friday morning. The good thing is that these meds should not cause his counts to drop and thus we do not have to do the daily shot when we go home.
We have his normal clinic visit next Thursday and then we check back in on June 14th for his final round of chemo. It will be identical meds that this current chemo treatment is.
After that, he will get scanned again...this time it will include a bone marrow test again...and believing that all will be clear we will be done. We will then schedule for his port to come out and start having check ups every 3 months for awhile.
Caleb has felt good today, but not great. The current chemo he is getting has the potential for flu like symptoms and he has been having several of them. This evening, he was feeling sick at his stomach and said that his bones were achy. The nurses have been awesome as far as treating his symptoms, but it still doesn't mean that he is without them. So, pray for small or no side effects, or pray for grace to get through them all.
Caleb was also feeling a bit tired today, so we took a nap together. That was awesome and I think the only way he would have gone to sleep...not alone but with company. So, we slept. He probably would have slept longer, but as is normal in a hospital, someone came in and made a little noise and it woke him up. He seemed to feel a lot better after his nap though. Who doesn't?
So, things are good. We are just doing our best to kill time. It isn't always easy, but as Dr. Dan says, there are worse things than being bored. As I said, having Cooper and his family here helps a lot.
I will try and post more tomorrow. It will be a busy day with a few meetings and work, but I will do my best to keep you updated on what is happening.
Have a great night!
Grace and Peace
Sunday, May 27, 2012
May 27th, 2012
Today has been a good day! But, lets start with the rest of yesterday.
Caleb did not wake up well from his LP. He was a beast. When the meds finally wore off, he was good, but it was a rough patch there for a bit.
Caleb slept really well last night and has had a great day. He went to sleep pretty early and slept through the night. He didn't have any meds, so there was little interruption and thus he was able to sleep.
Cully, Seth and I went to church this morning and then headed up to the hospital when it was over. Lisa and Jeff Knudson (friends from church) brought up lunch.
Cooper, Caleb's friend with cancer as well, has not been doing good. I think I posted a few days ago that his counts were really low. He has had a fever the past couple of days and so he is actually in the hospital as well. We are all down on the 3rd floor hanging out. Jeff (his dad) and Ben (his brother) actually ate lunch with us. Cooper wasn't feeling well so he stayed back in the room.
Caleb is getting some recovery meds right now and then it is back down on the 3rd floor patio for some more fresh air. We are hanging with the Gokee family and a few other friends.
I will post more later. Just wanted to get something up to let you know we are doing good and just trying to do whatever we can to fill the time.
I will post more later!
Grace and Peace
Caleb did not wake up well from his LP. He was a beast. When the meds finally wore off, he was good, but it was a rough patch there for a bit.
Caleb slept really well last night and has had a great day. He went to sleep pretty early and slept through the night. He didn't have any meds, so there was little interruption and thus he was able to sleep.
Cully, Seth and I went to church this morning and then headed up to the hospital when it was over. Lisa and Jeff Knudson (friends from church) brought up lunch.
Cooper, Caleb's friend with cancer as well, has not been doing good. I think I posted a few days ago that his counts were really low. He has had a fever the past couple of days and so he is actually in the hospital as well. We are all down on the 3rd floor hanging out. Jeff (his dad) and Ben (his brother) actually ate lunch with us. Cooper wasn't feeling well so he stayed back in the room.
Caleb is getting some recovery meds right now and then it is back down on the 3rd floor patio for some more fresh air. We are hanging with the Gokee family and a few other friends.
I will post more later. Just wanted to get something up to let you know we are doing good and just trying to do whatever we can to fill the time.
I will post more later!
Grace and Peace
Saturday, May 26, 2012
Suffering- Part 4
In her book, Stumbling Toward Faith, Renee Alston tells her story about a father who was abusive in her childhood. This situation was even more extreme because her dad was a leader in their church and as horrible as it sounds, would quote scriptures and sing hymns while he was abusing her. Obviously, this gave her a distorted view of the church and more importantly a distorted view of God.
Her book is about her journey of wanting nothing to do with God, especially viewing God as Father, and how she came back to faith. It wasn't a smooth journey but a journey that led back to a God of grace and love.
In this post, I want to talk briefly about what our response might be to those who are suffering. Just as I believe that those who are in the midst of suffering should enter into it, I also believe that the way that we help others is that we "enter into" their suffering with them. This isn't easy. It takes time, sometime money, it costs us emotional hard times, spiritual hard times, it causes us to question, and everything that we thought we once knew could be called into question. That isn't easy!
Alston said that the church was often a place that made the wounds deeper rather than help heal the wounds. Most often, people were more interested in saying things that made themselves feel better rather than her. They were more interested in keeping their theological framework in tact rather than entering into the hurt, pain, and questions. She said:
"People feared for my salvation and their own expectations of Christianity were threatened. My pain didn't fit into their carefully prescribed solutions, their falsely created illusions of "what God does" and "who God is". My questions, my despair, my broken stilted half-destroyed faith wasn't good enough for their pat answers and had no place among them. They wanted a God who changed lives, who eliminated doubt and fear, who was greater than any situation, any person's pain."
Don't mis-read what she said. She believes God is bigger than everything...however, sometimes people would say that because God is that big that he should get rid of everyone's pain and problems. As I stated in an earlier post, I am not sure that is very Biblical. He didn't get rid of darkness or the water, but entered into it. If people believe in a God that gets rid of all bad situations and they meet someone going through a bad situation, they have to figure out why and what is wrong so that they don't have to rethink their view on God. This is very hurtful and isolating. Once again, people say the nicest things but sometimes they are also very hurtful. They don't mean too, but once again, they seem to be making themselves and their view of God make sense in the midst of the pain.
When Caleb was first getting his biopsy done (I may have posted about this earlier...not sure so if it is a repeat, feel free to skip down) we were in the waiting room. We had just found out that he might have cancer the night before and they were finding out for sure. As parents, we were a mess. We had a ton of people from the church around us and praying for us. We turned that waiting room into a prayer room!
The hospital chaplain was called and asked to come and chat with us a bit without us knowing it. He knelt down beside us and asked a question. He told us who he was and asked, "How are you feeling?" What a question! I am sure it was easy to see the tears and hear the sobs and realize that things were not good. I think Tera said something like, "what do you mean...my son has cancer. How am I supposed to feel?" I can't remember how the rest of the conversation went, but I remember sitting there thinking, "I know you are trying to do your job, but you are speaking as an outsider. We have all these people here who have chosen to enter into this situation with us. That is what we need...that is what is helping. We don't need answers, we need support and love. We don't need you to tell us where God is, we need to FEEL God around us. We don't need to hear how big God is, we need to FEEL how big God is." He eventually asked us what faith we were. I told him I was a pastor and that all the people in the lobby were from the church to journey with us through this situation. He did his best (I think) and I want to give him the benefit of the doubt. But, he also had an idea about who God was and instead of entering into the journey with us, he asked a lot of pat questions and gave a lot of pat answers.
I have asked myself, "What could he have done or said that would have been better?" I am not saying I have all of the answers or that he doesn't do his job well. I guess what would have been more comforting for us that day would have been for him to say, "I can't imagine what you are going through right now (or, I know exactly what you are going through...I have been there also), is there anything I can do for you? Do you need anything? Can I just sit here? Would you like to pray? Please, let me know. I am here to be with you and if you need anything, let me know." Once again, I am not sure if anything would have helped in that moment...but patten answers really didn't help either.
I really think that when we enter into the situations of life with those who are hurting and allow ourselves to be vulnerable with them, God uses that beyond any words or answers we can speak or give.
Renee describes her pastor and how he helped her ultimately come back to faith. She says:
"My friend is a pastor but he didn't bring God back to me with words. He didn't just preach hope and life, he lived it...he still lives it. He helped bring life and hope to me. He saw my deadness and my brokenness and entered into it instead of trying to talk me out of it. He acknowledged my despair and then quietly, without words, pointed the way to something bigger than him. He pointed me to springtime and light and life, all the while acknowledging the winter, the darkness, the pain."
He didn't try to explain away the darkness but rather lived hope in the midst of it. Once again it isn't easy, but I am not sure it was ever said that life was. It is much easier, like Job's friends, to stand back and try to figure out why Job is going through it. It is much harder to say, "I don't understand it all but we are going to do this together. I have a lot of questions about why and how, but I am going to enter into this with you and we will find God together in the midst of it."
So, when you see someone going through a rough time, be slow to speak and quick to enter into whatever is they are going through with them. It will cost you a lot...know that for sure. But, it will help those who are suffering and you might just learn more about who God is and where He is in the mist of suffering as well.
Just some thoughts!
Her book is about her journey of wanting nothing to do with God, especially viewing God as Father, and how she came back to faith. It wasn't a smooth journey but a journey that led back to a God of grace and love.
In this post, I want to talk briefly about what our response might be to those who are suffering. Just as I believe that those who are in the midst of suffering should enter into it, I also believe that the way that we help others is that we "enter into" their suffering with them. This isn't easy. It takes time, sometime money, it costs us emotional hard times, spiritual hard times, it causes us to question, and everything that we thought we once knew could be called into question. That isn't easy!
Alston said that the church was often a place that made the wounds deeper rather than help heal the wounds. Most often, people were more interested in saying things that made themselves feel better rather than her. They were more interested in keeping their theological framework in tact rather than entering into the hurt, pain, and questions. She said:
"People feared for my salvation and their own expectations of Christianity were threatened. My pain didn't fit into their carefully prescribed solutions, their falsely created illusions of "what God does" and "who God is". My questions, my despair, my broken stilted half-destroyed faith wasn't good enough for their pat answers and had no place among them. They wanted a God who changed lives, who eliminated doubt and fear, who was greater than any situation, any person's pain."
Don't mis-read what she said. She believes God is bigger than everything...however, sometimes people would say that because God is that big that he should get rid of everyone's pain and problems. As I stated in an earlier post, I am not sure that is very Biblical. He didn't get rid of darkness or the water, but entered into it. If people believe in a God that gets rid of all bad situations and they meet someone going through a bad situation, they have to figure out why and what is wrong so that they don't have to rethink their view on God. This is very hurtful and isolating. Once again, people say the nicest things but sometimes they are also very hurtful. They don't mean too, but once again, they seem to be making themselves and their view of God make sense in the midst of the pain.
When Caleb was first getting his biopsy done (I may have posted about this earlier...not sure so if it is a repeat, feel free to skip down) we were in the waiting room. We had just found out that he might have cancer the night before and they were finding out for sure. As parents, we were a mess. We had a ton of people from the church around us and praying for us. We turned that waiting room into a prayer room!
The hospital chaplain was called and asked to come and chat with us a bit without us knowing it. He knelt down beside us and asked a question. He told us who he was and asked, "How are you feeling?" What a question! I am sure it was easy to see the tears and hear the sobs and realize that things were not good. I think Tera said something like, "what do you mean...my son has cancer. How am I supposed to feel?" I can't remember how the rest of the conversation went, but I remember sitting there thinking, "I know you are trying to do your job, but you are speaking as an outsider. We have all these people here who have chosen to enter into this situation with us. That is what we need...that is what is helping. We don't need answers, we need support and love. We don't need you to tell us where God is, we need to FEEL God around us. We don't need to hear how big God is, we need to FEEL how big God is." He eventually asked us what faith we were. I told him I was a pastor and that all the people in the lobby were from the church to journey with us through this situation. He did his best (I think) and I want to give him the benefit of the doubt. But, he also had an idea about who God was and instead of entering into the journey with us, he asked a lot of pat questions and gave a lot of pat answers.
I have asked myself, "What could he have done or said that would have been better?" I am not saying I have all of the answers or that he doesn't do his job well. I guess what would have been more comforting for us that day would have been for him to say, "I can't imagine what you are going through right now (or, I know exactly what you are going through...I have been there also), is there anything I can do for you? Do you need anything? Can I just sit here? Would you like to pray? Please, let me know. I am here to be with you and if you need anything, let me know." Once again, I am not sure if anything would have helped in that moment...but patten answers really didn't help either.
I really think that when we enter into the situations of life with those who are hurting and allow ourselves to be vulnerable with them, God uses that beyond any words or answers we can speak or give.
Renee describes her pastor and how he helped her ultimately come back to faith. She says:
"My friend is a pastor but he didn't bring God back to me with words. He didn't just preach hope and life, he lived it...he still lives it. He helped bring life and hope to me. He saw my deadness and my brokenness and entered into it instead of trying to talk me out of it. He acknowledged my despair and then quietly, without words, pointed the way to something bigger than him. He pointed me to springtime and light and life, all the while acknowledging the winter, the darkness, the pain."
He didn't try to explain away the darkness but rather lived hope in the midst of it. Once again it isn't easy, but I am not sure it was ever said that life was. It is much easier, like Job's friends, to stand back and try to figure out why Job is going through it. It is much harder to say, "I don't understand it all but we are going to do this together. I have a lot of questions about why and how, but I am going to enter into this with you and we will find God together in the midst of it."
So, when you see someone going through a rough time, be slow to speak and quick to enter into whatever is they are going through with them. It will cost you a lot...know that for sure. But, it will help those who are suffering and you might just learn more about who God is and where He is in the mist of suffering as well.
Just some thoughts!
A New Day- May 26th, 2012
Caleb had a long night. It wasn't long because he felt bad but long because the nurse came in a lot to check vitals and tried to get him to pee. The chemo he had last night was one that had to get flushed out before we could start the next med. So, they continually came in, especially in the morning, to get him to pee. They wanted to keep checking to see if they could start the next med. By the time he pee was clear, it was time to head out for his LP.
So, he is currently back getting his LP. It literally only takes 5-10 minutes.
After that, we will head back up to room 7106 to continue this round of chemo. He has a 3 hour drip today and then I think we start something else. I will have to find out to make sure.
So, i will keep you posted.
Grace and Peace
So, he is currently back getting his LP. It literally only takes 5-10 minutes.
After that, we will head back up to room 7106 to continue this round of chemo. He has a 3 hour drip today and then I think we start something else. I will have to find out to make sure.
So, i will keep you posted.
Grace and Peace
Friday, May 25, 2012
Recap May 25th, 2012
What a crazy day! I have had such a different span of emotions today.
I woke up at 4:20 am to head to the church. Our teens are on a weekend trip to San Diego. Since Caleb was starting chemo and getting it all weekend, I obviously stayed home. But, I went to help Andy, Joni and the other leaders get everyone registered and on their way. We love Elevate and was sad that we were not able to attend this year. It is one of our families favorite trips!
Then, at 11 am, we got our amazing news...full remission. There is nothing else that would have been better! Caleb's cancer is gone! The doctors has told us that the news would be good...but remission wasn't something that really entered into our minds. What an amazing thing to hear and experience! We would have been blessed either way...once again, God's blessing happens in the midst of it all. But, we are overwhelmed and excited beyond belief!
After that, we heard that Cooper didn't have such a good day. His counts are super low and his treatment is going to run a lot longer. We hurt for our new friends. They are super happy for and with us for Caleb. So, we are learning what it means to celebrate a victory and hurt for friends at the same time. I wish I could say it was easy, but it is quite difficult. So, please, please, please do two things for us tonight (or today, whenever you read it)...sing a song of thanksgiving for our family and continue to offer up prayers for the Gokee family.
This is what is on tap for us as a family from this point forward...Caleb will continue on his treatment plan. He is literally getting ready to start his 3rd round of treatment as I type this. He is taking his last pre-med right now and then we start a few minutes later. Caleb will be in the hospital till Thursday morning sometime getting chemo every day...sometimes all day. After that, we will go home for a couple of weeks. There will still be some highs and lows as we journey through the rest of the treatment. Although his scans show no cancer, Dr. Rosen said that there could be little hints that do not show up on the scans. So, we will still have the last two treatments to treat and make sure every cell that looks, smells, or has a hint of cancer is killed and destroyed.
We will start the 4th cycle on June 14th. It will be identical to the current cycle. After that is over, he will have one more final scan...including a bone marrow draw and scan as well. If all of that still comes back as negative, which at this point there is no reason to believe it shouldn't, we will take the port out and we are done.
From that point, we will have check up CT scans every 3 months for awhile. I asked how long and the doctor said a long time. So, I am not sure what that means, but it really doesn't matter. Caleb is cancer free and we are celebrating!
So, it has been a long day but a good day! We ask for continued prayers as we still have a journey left over the next month.
We will keep you posted throughout the week so that you know how to pray and how Caleb is doing.
Grace and Peace
I woke up at 4:20 am to head to the church. Our teens are on a weekend trip to San Diego. Since Caleb was starting chemo and getting it all weekend, I obviously stayed home. But, I went to help Andy, Joni and the other leaders get everyone registered and on their way. We love Elevate and was sad that we were not able to attend this year. It is one of our families favorite trips!
Then, at 11 am, we got our amazing news...full remission. There is nothing else that would have been better! Caleb's cancer is gone! The doctors has told us that the news would be good...but remission wasn't something that really entered into our minds. What an amazing thing to hear and experience! We would have been blessed either way...once again, God's blessing happens in the midst of it all. But, we are overwhelmed and excited beyond belief!
After that, we heard that Cooper didn't have such a good day. His counts are super low and his treatment is going to run a lot longer. We hurt for our new friends. They are super happy for and with us for Caleb. So, we are learning what it means to celebrate a victory and hurt for friends at the same time. I wish I could say it was easy, but it is quite difficult. So, please, please, please do two things for us tonight (or today, whenever you read it)...sing a song of thanksgiving for our family and continue to offer up prayers for the Gokee family.
This is what is on tap for us as a family from this point forward...Caleb will continue on his treatment plan. He is literally getting ready to start his 3rd round of treatment as I type this. He is taking his last pre-med right now and then we start a few minutes later. Caleb will be in the hospital till Thursday morning sometime getting chemo every day...sometimes all day. After that, we will go home for a couple of weeks. There will still be some highs and lows as we journey through the rest of the treatment. Although his scans show no cancer, Dr. Rosen said that there could be little hints that do not show up on the scans. So, we will still have the last two treatments to treat and make sure every cell that looks, smells, or has a hint of cancer is killed and destroyed.
We will start the 4th cycle on June 14th. It will be identical to the current cycle. After that is over, he will have one more final scan...including a bone marrow draw and scan as well. If all of that still comes back as negative, which at this point there is no reason to believe it shouldn't, we will take the port out and we are done.
From that point, we will have check up CT scans every 3 months for awhile. I asked how long and the doctor said a long time. So, I am not sure what that means, but it really doesn't matter. Caleb is cancer free and we are celebrating!
So, it has been a long day but a good day! We ask for continued prayers as we still have a journey left over the next month.
We will keep you posted throughout the week so that you know how to pray and how Caleb is doing.
Grace and Peace
The Results are back
FULL REMISSION! Caleb's scans are back and there is no cancer!
What this means is that he will have 2 more rounds of chemo and we are done! We have this round and then the one that follows. The Dr. said it is to make sure it is gone and there is nothing left behind!
So, we are super excited! Hard to know what to say. Just overwhelmed and blessed!
I will post more later!
Grace and Peace
What this means is that he will have 2 more rounds of chemo and we are done! We have this round and then the one that follows. The Dr. said it is to make sure it is gone and there is nothing left behind!
So, we are super excited! Hard to know what to say. Just overwhelmed and blessed!
I will post more later!
Grace and Peace
Pictures from Caleb's Pool Party and Last Day of School
Here are some pictures of the last couple of days! I hope you enjoy them!
Caleb's class had a pool party! Here they are!
Here, Caleb is getting his award during his school's awards chapel. This is him with Mrs. Henderson his teacher!
Here are the boys (and Cully) from his class!
Here is his class with their teacher!
Last night, Caleb's principle was over at our house bringing us home made strawberry jam. While she was here, we were talking about school next year and Caleb asked, "So, will I get to start school when everyone else starts school next year?" We do not know for sure, but we told him that it will more than likely happen. He then let out a big, "YES!" He loves his school and he loves his class. They have grown together and have an awesome bond with each other! We never expected to put our children in a private school, but for our situation it has been amazing! We love the people and children who attend! They have been an awesome support for us through all of this! We are looking forward to next year and can't wait for Cully to start as well! I know he is ready!
A Big Day
Today is a huge day! We find out so much information today that I am a little nervous. We are going in hoping for the best and expecting nothing. Here is how our day will break down.
We meet with Dr. Rosen at 11 am to get the results from the PET Scan and CT scan. That is when we will see what the future holds for us and what the chemo has been able to do to the cancer. At 1:30, Caleb will get his 1st LP of this cycle. It will be a bit different though, which we hope doesn't freak Caleb out. They said they are slammed today where they normally do LP's due to the holiday and wanting to try and get everyone in before the weekend so the doctors do not have to come in on Monday. So, they are going to do his LP in the clinic. This is nothing new for them, but they do it a bit different. Caleb will have medicine to help him not know exactly what is happening and make him loose, but it will not be full sedation. Once again, he will have no idea and will more than likely be asleep. But, it is something new and he doesn't do well with change. So, that is a prayer concern for sure.
After the LP, we will get moved to the 7th floor to start our next cycle of chemo. We have no idea for how long...it is all based on what they found on the scans. We are expecting 4-5 days, but who knows. But, sometime this afternoon, we will be checking in to a room and starting his 3rd cycle of chemo. As soon as I know our room number and what the cycle will look like we will be sure to post something.
There are so many nerves today, yet there is also a peace. God has been so faithful and no matter what we find out today, we know that we are not facing it alone! We have no idea what the next part of the journey looks like, but we will continue to walk one day at a time! This isn't always easy, but we are learning so much about being content and realizing that God is big!
We welcome your prayers! I will keep you posted!
Grace and Peace
We meet with Dr. Rosen at 11 am to get the results from the PET Scan and CT scan. That is when we will see what the future holds for us and what the chemo has been able to do to the cancer. At 1:30, Caleb will get his 1st LP of this cycle. It will be a bit different though, which we hope doesn't freak Caleb out. They said they are slammed today where they normally do LP's due to the holiday and wanting to try and get everyone in before the weekend so the doctors do not have to come in on Monday. So, they are going to do his LP in the clinic. This is nothing new for them, but they do it a bit different. Caleb will have medicine to help him not know exactly what is happening and make him loose, but it will not be full sedation. Once again, he will have no idea and will more than likely be asleep. But, it is something new and he doesn't do well with change. So, that is a prayer concern for sure.
After the LP, we will get moved to the 7th floor to start our next cycle of chemo. We have no idea for how long...it is all based on what they found on the scans. We are expecting 4-5 days, but who knows. But, sometime this afternoon, we will be checking in to a room and starting his 3rd cycle of chemo. As soon as I know our room number and what the cycle will look like we will be sure to post something.
There are so many nerves today, yet there is also a peace. God has been so faithful and no matter what we find out today, we know that we are not facing it alone! We have no idea what the next part of the journey looks like, but we will continue to walk one day at a time! This isn't always easy, but we are learning so much about being content and realizing that God is big!
We welcome your prayers! I will keep you posted!
Grace and Peace
Thursday, May 24, 2012
Sorry for the Absence
Sorry I have not posted in a couple of days. It has been busy and not a lot as far as Caleb's medical side of life has happened.
Caleb is doing good! His counts have been good and he has had a good couple of days.
Tuesday, because Caleb's counts are good, he has had the chance to do some cool things. He went to a class swim party on Tuesday. It was awesome for him to spend the day with his class since he has missed so much time with his classmates. He had a great time and we were so glad that he could go.
Wednesday- Once again, because his counts were so good and because the last day of school, he was able to go and participate. They had an awards chapel and it was cool for Caleb to be there and get an award. After that, he went to class and hung out for the rest of the morning. The rest of the day he chilled and rested at home. Later that night we cheered for Elektrolytes on ABDC and they made it through.
Today is another chill day. It is also another wait day. Tomorrow is such a big day and it seems that it starts at 11 am. We have to call and find for sure what time things get rolling. As soon as I know, I will post.
Once again, sorry for the absence. But know that we are good and just waiting till tomorrow.
I will post more about tomorrow morning later.
Grace and Peace
Caleb is doing good! His counts have been good and he has had a good couple of days.
Tuesday, because Caleb's counts are good, he has had the chance to do some cool things. He went to a class swim party on Tuesday. It was awesome for him to spend the day with his class since he has missed so much time with his classmates. He had a great time and we were so glad that he could go.
Wednesday- Once again, because his counts were so good and because the last day of school, he was able to go and participate. They had an awards chapel and it was cool for Caleb to be there and get an award. After that, he went to class and hung out for the rest of the morning. The rest of the day he chilled and rested at home. Later that night we cheered for Elektrolytes on ABDC and they made it through.
Today is another chill day. It is also another wait day. Tomorrow is such a big day and it seems that it starts at 11 am. We have to call and find for sure what time things get rolling. As soon as I know, I will post.
Once again, sorry for the absence. But know that we are good and just waiting till tomorrow.
I will post more about tomorrow morning later.
Grace and Peace
Monday, May 21, 2012
Suffering- Part 3
As I think about suffering, the Psalms come to mind more often than not. I always encourage people who are hurting or going through a rough time to read the Psalms. Over half the Psalms are what is called a lament...people crying out to God in the midst of a hurtful or hard time. The language in the Psalms are sometimes gut wrenching honest. Psalm 77 is an example of this. Listen to the language of the first part of the Psalm.
Psalm 77
I cried out to God for help;
I cried out to God to hear me.
2 When I was in distress, I sought the Lord;
at night I stretched out untiring hands,
and I would not be comforted.
I cried out to God to hear me.
2 When I was in distress, I sought the Lord;
at night I stretched out untiring hands,
and I would not be comforted.
3 I remembered you, God, and I groaned;
I meditated, and my spirit grew faint.[b]
4 You kept my eyes from closing;
I was too troubled to speak.
5 I thought about the former days,
the years of long ago;
6 I remembered my songs in the night.
My heart meditated and my spirit asked:
I meditated, and my spirit grew faint.[b]
4 You kept my eyes from closing;
I was too troubled to speak.
5 I thought about the former days,
the years of long ago;
6 I remembered my songs in the night.
My heart meditated and my spirit asked:
7 “Will the Lord reject forever?
Will he never show his favor again?
8 Has his unfailing love vanished forever?
Has his promise failed for all time?
9 Has God forgotten to be merciful?
Has he in anger withheld his compassion? ”
Will he never show his favor again?
8 Has his unfailing love vanished forever?
Has his promise failed for all time?
9 Has God forgotten to be merciful?
Has he in anger withheld his compassion? ”
What honest language. I love the fact that the writers of these great hymns/poems didn't try and sugar coat things...because life shouldn't allow for sugar coating sometimes. Sometimes you just need to ask why? Where are you? Are you really letting this happen to me? But in most laments, there is almost always a shift in the writers thoughts. I love this one in particular.
10 Then I thought, “To this I will appeal:
the years when the Most High stretched out his right hand.
11 I will remember the deeds of the Lord;
yes, I will remember your miracles of long ago.
12 I will consider all your works
and meditate on all your mighty deeds.”
the years when the Most High stretched out his right hand.
11 I will remember the deeds of the Lord;
yes, I will remember your miracles of long ago.
12 I will consider all your works
and meditate on all your mighty deeds.”
13 Your ways, God, are holy.
What god is as great as our God?
14 You are the God who performs miracles;
you display your power among the peoples.
15 With your mighty arm you redeemed your people,
the descendants of Jacob and Joseph.
What god is as great as our God?
14 You are the God who performs miracles;
you display your power among the peoples.
15 With your mighty arm you redeemed your people,
the descendants of Jacob and Joseph.
16 The waters saw you, God,
the waters saw you and writhed;
the very depths were convulsed.
17 The clouds poured down water,
the heavens resounded with thunder;
your arrows flashed back and forth.
18 Your thunder was heard in the whirlwind,
your lightning lit up the world;
the earth trembled and quaked.
19 Your path led through the sea,
your way through the mighty waters,
though your footprints were not seen.
the waters saw you and writhed;
the very depths were convulsed.
17 The clouds poured down water,
the heavens resounded with thunder;
your arrows flashed back and forth.
18 Your thunder was heard in the whirlwind,
your lightning lit up the world;
the earth trembled and quaked.
19 Your path led through the sea,
your way through the mighty waters,
though your footprints were not seen.
What does he do? He remembers how good God is. His faith and belief in God is not determined by God acting or doing the miracle in this situation, but He is God because he parted seas, delivered from slavery, He fed the children of Israel in the wilderness, etc. The writer remembers that the story he is currently in the midst of isn't the entire story. His story is wrapped up in a bigger story of a God who is faithful and a God who is present.
I am not saying that ones response should be that of "Ok, I guess I will just accept this and get on with it" but rather remember and realize that people have been asking questions about God...who He is and where He is... for a long time. And in the midst of whatever it is they are going through, they remember that He has always been present in the midst of suffering. He probably didn't answer the prayers the way that they thought He would answer either. I mean who would have thought that God would rain down bread from heaven? Who would have thought God would have parted a sea? Who would have thought that the way to defeat a city was to walk around it and yell? Who would think that you beat giants with little rocks? Who would think that God would use a left handed man? Who would think that God would use a little shepherd boy to be king over a nation? And who would think that God would use a cross to bring redemption back to creation?
So, what do we do? We always, always, always ask the questions. The psalms prove that God is big enough to handle it! Then, after the honest questions, we remember. We remember that God has always been faithful to his people. We remember that in the midst of whatever struggle they faced, He was right there with them. We remember that because of who He was and who He is, that we serve a God who chooses to enter into our world and journey with us. We remember that even when we can't feel Him, we can't stop Him from being everywhere.
So, no matter what you are going through, cry out to God. Allow yourself space to not move on, but to sit and embrace your situation. After you have allowed yourself this space and time, then allow yourself to live in the story of God...the story of a God who is redeeming creation back to himself. Don't rush the crying out space...and when you have had the time you need, then you will be ready to see God in new ways in the midst of your struggle.
Just some thoughts!
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