Appointments

Jordan goes in for more scans tomorrow. He has had a little cough which makes me nervous, but they checked his lungs today and they are clear. He will go under anesthesia again for a CT scan and so we should have some more news tomorrow. It will probably be unspecific with more specific news Friday. We'll be at Children's again on Friday for his long chemotherapy day. Hopefully, he will not still have the cough or we will be in isolation which means he has to stay in the room the whole day. That's makes a long day seem even longer. Please pray for good results tomorrow and that everyone would be healthy. It seems like there is lots of sickness to going around. Thanks.

Good News

A week or so ago, we asked for prayers for our friends whose little boy Andrew was going in for an MRI. He had an inoperable brain tumor and they were anxious about the test. The MRI showed that there had been no change and there is little evidence that a tumor was ever there. This is good news since originally the doctors told them Andrew would have only a year to live. They now think it is an atypical tumor and not the original diagnosis. There is great hope. Thanks for your prayers

First Days

Last Thursday

This one took me awhile to get to. Sometimes it is just too difficult to write about things. We went in for an appointment with the radiation doctor. Everyone was very nice, but it was really hard. We had kind of gotten to a point where we'd figured out the chemotherapy process, he's responded well, and in a way it didn't seem as frightening. But, the radiation appointment just threw it all back in my face...Your child has cancer and this is a very serious situation. When we walked out I just had an overwhelming sense of fear and dread. He will have to go in for 5 days a week for 5-6 weeks. He will be sedated everyday. It seems like it is hanging over my head and I can barely think about it. There is only strength for today.

"Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble." Matthew 6:34

The Family

Jordan is still doing well, but seems to be having some difficult nights again. The good news is that the symptoms from his tumor seem to be gone. Now I think he is just experiencing side effects of the chemo which is easier for us to handle because we know it is doing its job, but still hard on Jordan. Please pray that he could have some comfort at night.

A lot of people have asked how the rest of the family is doing so I thought I'd give a rundown. For the most part the kids have been great, but each has struggled in their own way. Tate is doing great in school. He has diligently been coming home and working on assignments, doing his reading and staying focused. That's a relief for me. He is a great help with Jordan and can keep him totally entertained. Jordan asks for him while he's gone at school and gives him slobbery kisses. Transition is always harder for him though and it has been tough on him being away from me so long as we are used to seeing each other more.

Luke is also enjoying school and has a teacher who is super nurturing and loving to him. It has been a blessing. He also has worked really hard and has kept a joyful heart. He has had some nightmares lately which is really unlike him and I think has to do with worries about Jordan and school and change.

Sitara is probably having the hardest time. She is so sweet to her brother and loves him so much, but also competes for our attention. I have more time with her in the morning now which is helpful and there have been friends and family stepping in to give her some one on one time. We've been calling her the Mystery Writer as she seems to be taking out her stress by writing on the walls, Tate's homework, her hands and her favorite Princess backpack. I don't have a lot of patience for that kind of thing.

Brent, my saintly husband, amazes me. He never seems to get stressed overwhelmed or exhausted, and I am all the time. He has been wonderful at giving me breaks, letting me sleep in, bringing me coffee, etc. I married the right guy. I had a dream the other night in which I asked him, "why is it that you never get stressed or tired?" He said, "that is because I am an alien." My thought in my dream was, "well that explains it." That's what my crazy sleep patterns are doing to me.

I am starting a therapeutic quilt. I don't really have any time, but it helps me to have a project like that. When we waited for Sitara for a year and a half, I made a really elaborate (for me) quilt for her, and it helped to think that when I finished it, she would be home. For Jordan, it is a simple pattern, but should take me 7 months (the rest of his treatment time) given my time limits. When we were in the hospital and got back to the room after his biopsy (when they were pretty sure it was cancer) there was a cute Veggie Tales quilt sitting on his bed. I looked at it and cried. It was what I call a "sick kid quilt". Having worked at Childrens for so many years, I know that you don't get those quilts for broken legs or getting your tonsils out, just the really bad sicknesses. The one I'm making will be his "healthy kid quilt."

Anyways, we are thankful that everyone is praying for our family and have appreciated connecting with so many old friends.

More High Counts

Jordan continues to respond well to the shots that help boost his immune system. His white blood cell counts has been way above normal during the the critical days for the third time now. That is very good news. So now we get a 2 week break from giving him shots. I am so glad because I am getting very weary of doing it. Each time it seems harder.

Jordan continues to amaze us with his energy and is now able to climb on top of the kitchen table. I however am not so energetic and was not too happy to discover my first gray hair this morning.

Brent and I were able to go out to dinner on Friday which was nice and a very rare event these days. Jordan did great with his aunt Julie and enjoyed playing treasure hunt for binkies in the pots and pans.

hope

We have a great hope and faith that God is continually healing our little guy. We have seen evidence of that as he is now starting to get back on track with some regularities in his health, rest and routines. Today, Jordan took a little shopping trip with mom (Target) as they picked out a coffee maker. When I got home from work, he got a cart ride around the block for a little bit of fresh air, which the doctors say is really good for him. Thanks for your continued prayers and please also pray for the Alley family; Andrew's inoperable brain tumor and now the sudden passing away of Matt Alley's father.

Prayers for a Friend

We have been so grateful for all the prayers and encouragement for Jordan. We are hoping you can add another little boy to your list. Some longtime friends of ours have a little boy that had a very dangerous kind of brain tumor. He was treated for it and most of it disappeared, but some still remains that cannot be treated. So far he has defied the odds and surprised the doctors each time they do scans, but as you can imagine, it creates a lot of anxiety each time they go in. Andrew has been more sick lately and has had a harder time bouncing back. They go in for an MRI this Wednesday. Please pray for his health and good results Wednesday. We are hoping to meet up this summer (they live in Colorado) and celebrate the health of our precious boys.

Chemo Day

3 chemo treatments done, 11 more to go. Jordan did great at his all day chemo session yesterday. If he had to be there, it went as well as possible. We had a super nice nurse who took care of him really well and the childlife specialist did great at distracting him during the traumatic stuff. The highlight for Jordan was a visit from his friend Liz. She knows Jordan lasts a short time with regular toys, then he wants to play with the nurse call light, the iv cord, the stethaschope, anything that looks contraband to him. Liz strategically packed her purse full of interesting items from home like dental floss, little boxes, bottles to shake, etc. and set it on his bed. He thought he had hit the jackpot dumping everything out. It took care of the final stretch and his neighbor got a break from the annoying Elmo toys. He seems to be feeling pretty good today. We'll have to start giving him shots again to keep his immune system strong, but so far his blood counts haven't dropped during the critical times so please pray that will again be the case. I was looking forward to maybe getting out of the house today after such a long day in the hospital but we are again Snowed In!

Sleep is Good

Well some milestones have been met in the last week.
After a lot of complaining by me about how little
Jordan was sleeping, some friends at church said they
were going to come over every night and pray for him
until he started sleeping better. Praise God he has
slept 5-6 hours without waking up the last 3 nights.
He hasn't done that in 2 months. He has also started
pooping more normally without giving lots of details.
He has several new words that include "All Done"
which he says to the nurses at the hospital, "thank
you", "hey Cat", and "hey Dad." He likes to chase the
cat and then tackle him. He has also been found
unrolling all the toilet paper, pulling all the
sandwich bags out of the box,and sitting on the coffee
table. He took 8 steps yesterday while I was touching
his shirt. If he thinks I'm not touching him, he
won't walk, but one of these days he's going to
realize that he actually can walk. My favorite new
thing he does though, is grab
my head and kiss me all over. It is very sweet. He
does not act sick at all and has an unbelievable
amount of energy. We are so thankful for him.

__________________________________________________
Do You Yahoo!?
Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around

http://mail.yahoo.com

Another Day

We were at Children's for a long afternoon today. Jordan was a good sport about it given that he has given up sleeping for more than 1-2 hours at a time at night and takes about 2 half hour naps a day. He's got lots of energy, but Brent and I are getting very tired. The doctors think one of the chemo drugs is giving him intestinal cramping at night and that is what is waking him up, but nobody knows for sure. Please pray for this to go away and us to get some sleep. Thanks!

A Story to Share

I have to say that most nights lately, I go to bed thinking... I do not want this, I don't want to do this, I wish this was all over, I'm not interested in how I can grow from this trial, I just want Jordan to be better. The other night, I was laying in bed thinking those things, and all the sudden an experience I had had came to my mind. A few years ago at work, I met a family at the hospital. Two of their children had been in a bad accident and both were there. Both had very serious injuries. One of the kids was in the hospital for 6 months to a year and had permanent disabilites. I worked with both kids several times. I think a lot about the kids I work with and how their parents are dealing with it and this family even more so since two of their children were hurt. They were a Christian family and had clung to their faith through what must of been the most terrifying ordeal of thier life. When it finally came time for their daughter to be discharged, they planned a thank you lunch for the staff that had worked with their children. There were about 40 therapists, nurses and caregivers that came. They served everyone and then stood before the group and sang and gave a testimony to God's faithfulness and mercy to them during their trial. I will never forget it. They were the most beautiful family I have ever encountered there. Two things stood out specifically. God really is present and faithful in our darkest times when we call out to Him. Even a parent's worst fears. I know that in my mind, but being a doubter, it was a huge inspiration to me to see God's power at work in this family. Another thing I thought was, if anything like this ever happens to me, I hope I respond like them. So here I am. I believe at the end of this trial that we will stand and give testimony to God's work in our lives, but honestly right now, my prayers are for my self. I do not want to give in to fear or despair. I know I need to abide in Him because I need His peace, His comfort and His sustaining strength to get us through this time. It is amazing how God reminds us of things. That family was so inspirational to me, if Jordan had been a girl we were going to give her the same name as their daughter. I believe He is reminding me that He is the same God that is here for my family as was there for them.

And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast. 1 Peter 5:10

The New Years Letter

Well, I think we'll be short and sweet this year. I'm going to list our highlights...
Brent was at Shorecrest for his 7th year. He coached a great Wrestling team at Kellogg Middle School
Tate and Luke had a fun time playing soccer. Both had fun teams and great coaches. Sitara has enjoyed participating in a creative dance class.
Sitara has had a wonderful preschool class. Tate and Luke have enjoyed homeschooling and taking classes at the Edmonds Homeschool Resource Center. Their favorites were the Lego class, Art and Gym.
We had a great time doing field trips on Fridays. The highlights were the candy factory, pioneer farm and the apple harvest in Manson, WA.
We took a super fun trip to Disneyland and Palm Desert in the Spring with the Thrall side of the family.
In the Summer Brent and I swapped roles and I worked at Children's a few days a week. He stayed home with the kids. We both really appreciated each other after doing that!
We took a great trip to Black Butte with friends and then on to Metaline Falls to see Brent's brothers family in August.
We enjoyed lots of activities at Church participating in Kid's Club, the Marriage Fellowship and our Home Group.

Our biggest highlight though is realizing the blessing we have in friends, family and our Church. God has showered us with His love through you. Happy New Year!

Love, Brent, Becky, Tate, Luke, Sitara and Jordan