Looking Ahead

A Year Ago

Monday~
It was a year ago today that Kate had the MRI that revealed the tumors up and down her spine and we were once again actively engaged in the battle against cancer. It's been a challenging year. We could not have traveled this road without the help, support and endless encouragement of you, our wonderful family and friends. Thank you for walking beside us in prayer every step of the way and for storming the gates of heaven with your pleas on Kate's behalf during the acute, intense days of treatment and the long, tedious days of recovery. There were difficult days that it was only the strength of God's arms carrying us and your prayers lifting us that we were able to navigate the day. Daily we are reminded that God's mercies are new every morning and His grace is sufficient for all the day holds. We are confident that God is in control of this battle and He is our source of hope. We have seen miracles and God's incredible, amazing grace gifts in every day. We embrace each new day remembering..."Each day of life is a precious gift from God" ~Charles Spurgeon

Kate had an exceptional weekend. She has given the past three days a 10 on the scale of feeling good!! For those of you that have spent time in the hospital or dealing with an ongoing health condition, you know that the medical world often measures pain, etc. on a scale of 1-10. While Kate has grown tired of the 1-10 scale, it was with a confident smile that she gave these three days a big 10!! Nausea free, eating well, increased stamina and strength, the need for naps gone, Kate was able to be out and about, driving, socializing and finishing up her senior project. Feeling good and being able to do normal things is a gift that Kate does not take for granted. She is very intentional about making every moment count and not wanting to waste a moment of energy. We are incredibly grateful for the change and improvement. Thank you for praying her past the radiation somnolence and nausea. She's a different girl than she was two weeks ago. We re-started physical therapy(PT) last Thursday. After two weeks of being in bed sleeping most of the day, she had lost all ground gained in strength and balance from the first two sessions of PT. Counts this morning showed that platelets had crept up a tiny bit higher to 50. She's holding her own and will not need a transfusion this week. Thank you for continuing to pray for Kate's on going recovery and that she will be able to start school strong, and experience her senior year and all that goes with it to the fullest extent.

Only by grace,
Elaine

Little Steps Forward

A friend recently shared this quote with me...If God brings you to it, He will bring your through it. How true we know this to be. God has so faithfully taken us through each step of this journey. We are thankful and rejoicing that Kate seems to be improving a little each day. No big dramatic changes, but small steps forward are encouraging and assure us that God is in control and answers prayers. Please know that your faithful prayers make a difference!

Last Monday's (August 8th) counts once again showed that platelets had bottomed out at 21. We made a trip to the clinic at Children's and Kate received another transfusion of platelets.
The doctor also determined to increase the dose of Kate's steroid to combat the nausea. Kate's oncologist also addressed the fact that Kate was sleeping more hours each day than she was awake. She feels that Kate is experiencing radiation somnolence - which may occur 2-8 weeks after radiation. Kate was at week 8. With radiation somnolence the person may sleep for 14-20 hours straight. Kate's days of heavy sleep continued all of last week. Over the weekend we were encouraged when she was awake for longer periods of time. Last Friday's (August 10th) counts were also positive in that platelets hung in there at 45, not high, but certainly better than 21!!

While Kate is still sleeping most days until lunch time, she has enjoyed having a little more energy and being able to use that energy for something to brighten her afternoon or evening hours. She has wanted to take a cake decorating class for a long time. It was good for both of us to get out to our second class last Thursday evening. What better way to boost energy than to indulge in the handiwork of our class - decorated, chocolate cupcakes!! The weekend brought my youngest brother and his family to town. Kate's awake time in the afternoon and evenings allowed her to enjoy their visit. We all traveled to my other brother's in Ohio and spent Sunday afternoon at the pool. I could tell Kate was feeling better when she opted to lounge by the pool rather than go inside and take a nap.

We were so happy when this Monday's (August 13th) counts reflected that Kate's platelets had crept up a tiny bit more to 48. Yea!! So it looks like this week we will not have to go to Pittsburgh for a transfusion! Counts did however show that Kate's sodium is still a little low despite the fact that she is on nightly IV fluids containing sodium and she is taking salt tablets twice a day. We will continue running IV fluids each night and increase the salt tablets to see if we can get her sodium level in the solid normal range. We started a new medication yesterday that is supposed to boost Kate's energy level. She has quite the cocktail of medications and we are tweaking that each week trying to find that intricate balance of medications to address nausea, fatigue, sodium, strength and appetite. How thankful we are for the wisdom of Kate's doctors and their diligence at working to get her feeling better.

In the midst of some rather blah weeks, God has brought us encouragement through the visits of two very dear friends. Last week our friend Sherri visited for a few days on her way back to her home on the other side of the world in Turkey. Our time together was very special and truly ministered to our hearts. Sherri graciously accompanied us to the hospital and helped us pass the long afternoon of platelet transfusion. Kate, Maggie and are enjoying time this week with another visitor from the other side of the world, this time China. Sandy has brought encouragement and laughter and spoiled us with dinner at our favorite place...Texas Road House!
How grateful we are very heart friends who specially routed their state side travels via little Ellwood City, PA!!

Maggie's basketball practice has begun. Her first game is August 27th. Mags is excited and we're once again looking forward to watching her play.

REQUEST:
~The start of school is less than two weeks away. Kate still has a way to go before she will have the stamina and energy to make it through a full day of school. Please lift this need to Father and ask that Kate's health and strength be restored quickly so that she can start the year with as much normalcy as possible.

The following is quote is framed and hangs on the wall of our home. We've found it to be a good compass and guide for navigating whatever life may bring our way. May it encourage and challenge you as it has as you navigate whatever life has brought your way today.

Happy moments,
...praise God.
Difficult moments,
...seek God.
Quiet moments,
...worship God.
Painful moments,
...trust God.
Every moments,
...thank God.

Moving Backwards

After feeling strong for several weeks, Kate began to regress over the past week and a half. She has been dragging and feeling low on all counts...physically and more so emotionally. As we've shared before it's always very discouraging to make progress, be feeling great and then to go backwards again. The movement backwards seemed to show itself a little each day in strength, stamina and appetite, with an increase in fatigue, and nausea again. Kate had been doing great and her counts dropped, but she was still going strong and not symptomatic of the lower counts. She received a transfusion of RBC's and platelets, just to keep her counts up at that point. Last week she continued to feel a little worse each day. The weekend was a really low point all the ways around. She has literally been in bed most of this week.

Counts this past Monday morning showed low platelets and hemoglobin. We spent the day Tuesday at Children's oncology clinic getting transfusions of RBC's and platelets. She had some anti nausea medicine IV, plus some benedryl to avoid allergic reactions to the blood products. By late afternoon, even the hospital staff said her color had improved.

As the week has progressed nausea has only improved a little and Kate is still soooo tired. Eating is with great effort. The nurse practitioner reinforced what they have said all along... Kate's body is going to take a long while to recover. Her bone marrow had not even fully recovered from the 2004 - 2005 radiation and chemo and now she has been heavily treated again over this past year. It will take quite some time for her bone marrow and consequently her counts to recover. Her platelets have hovered all summer around 40 but over the past two weeks began dropping.

We repeated counts Friday morning and found that once again Kate's sodium level had dropped. We began IV fluids again last night and have increased her steroid dose in hopes of quieting the nausea. We'll check counts first thing Monday morning and see where to from there.

Please pray that the month of August will bring steady upward movement in Kate's counts, that the nausea will disappear completely and she will be strengthened and renewed from the inside out. We are believing and praying that Kate will be able to enjoy and experience her senior year to the fullest extent, unhampered by the residual side effects of treatment that still linger. School begins August 29th. Please pray that the transfusions will help Kate to feel better physically. Please especially pray for her spirit that God will lift her heart and tenderly embrace her with His arms of love, strength, peace and healing power.

God always gives cause for praise...
~Maggie just returned from a few days at the beach with a friend and her family. This journey with Kate's illness has been long for Maggie as well and we're glad that she was able to enjoy some refreshing time away, especially during this low week.

~The summer has been one filled with God's grace gifts in opportunities to reunite and visit with heart friends and families that have been part of the previous chapters of our lives. While time and distance has separated us from many of these, they have journeyed faithfully beside us in prayer and with countless, long distance expressions of love and encouragement. How grateful we are that miles and time cannot break the bond of love that God creates between His children. What perfectly timed gifts these visits have been to Kate, Maggie and Me.

Again we are grateful that we can call on you for prayer support. We are thankful for the small increments of improvement that we have seen during the course of this rather long week. We know that strength, hope and healing come from the Lord and He pours them daily into Kate's life! Thanks for continuing to lift up Kate's needs.

Thankful for His grace and love that know no end,
Elaine