It's been a busy time for all of us and Mom's doing great. She and Ken enjoyed a very relaxing "mini vacation" with our friends Phil and Sherry Hart at their lake house at Heber Springs for the Labor Day week-end. It was very well timed since Mom said she was feeling last week was a little overwhelming with doctor appts everyday and a treatment Friday. Since her ER visit on 7-25, things have been a little crazy - but we're getting our heads around it now and feeling more comfortable with having another doctor on our team. It started with the pain in Mom's back (lower left side) that wouldn't subside until after the wonderful Dilaudid injection. We still don't know what caused her pain, because the problems we know about affect the right side of Mom's back. However, the follow-up got Dr. Jason Weaver at Semmes Murphey Clinic (Orthopedic and Neuorology Clinic) involved in reviewing all the CT scans and MRIs. He was most concerned with an area on the spine that we hadn't known about. After reviewing everything Dr. Blakely, Mom's Oncologist (quarterback), said this is nothing new - it was in the first scans, and like everything else it responded extremely well to the chemo treatments. Our concern was (and always is) that we want nothing new - nothing growing. Dr. Weaver is looking at everything with eyes focusing on the bone disease. That's the "tricky" part, because it's difficult to measure. The radiologist's report shows specific measurements of size of the lung tumors -- we like "measurable results" -- bone disease shows "irregularity". The most recent report from Dr. Weaver says he concurs the bony areas that showed lesions (cancer) now show new bone growing - (THANK YOU, GOD!). In fact, he says it's pretty amazing the dramatic difference in the first images and the current ones. We will keep Dr. Weaver in the loop to review images as they are ordered in the Clinical Trial Mom is participating in. We try to stay focused on all the positives on this journey: 1) We know we have a Great Physician and our family has been lifted up daily since Day 1 to Him for healing and peace, 2) We have a phenomenal team of doctors and staff keeping a close watch on all areas of concern in mom's condition, 3) We are very happy to see Mom regaining strength and continuing to fight, 4) All reports are showing "stable", no growth.
Mom sent a text message last week saying she really feels badly for Haidyn having an on-going problem with ear infections because she's been having problems. Dr. Blakely referred her to an ENT about 6 wks ago. He is consulting with Dr. Blakely about a possibility of a connection between the cancer treatment drugs and problems last this week was to have her check up for her eyes, for fear her vision may have been affected by the disease and drugs she's been on. The last prescription glasses were 2005. She had a check up in August 2008, and was told her close-up vision could be improved with a little stronger prescription but she decided to wait a little on upgrading her glasses. We're happy to learn that there has been no change in her vision in the past two years!
We appreciate everyone that is following us on this journey. We want you to know that no report most likely means that we are doing well and getting on with our lives, staying busy, and making plans for the future with Mom. We all have our tickets to go visit Erica and Micheal in Phoenix and meet their new son in late December. We're hoping he will cooperate and arrive by his expected birth date of December 14. After bringing home our own a little more than a year ago (tear), we know the special bond that develops in the first few days home as mom and dad, family. Then we will all be able to celebrate baby's first Christmas together soon there after. As you are praying for our family, please remember Erica and baby that her pregnancy will be uneventful, and that he will be full-term and healthy. So far everything has gone extremely well for both of them. She has posted some beautiful pictures of her with a mom's glow. I will see if she will grant me a family picture of them to post.
We celebrated Haidyn's first birthday on the 29th. She has an unbelievable happy birthday. I will post some pictures that Ken took from the party. It was wonderful to have friends and close families with their children who have filled our world in the past 12 months with prayer and support. Words can never express the gift Ken gave of such an entertaining portfolio of precious moments of Haidyn's first birthday.
I came across a scripture tonight that I felt spoke to me. "Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer" Romans 12:12. The past 11 months bring new meaning to that scripture like never before. Thank you for all your encouragement, participation, tears and prayers as we have fought and will continue for mom's health and support of her wonderful God-led hands.
Mom sent a text message last week saying she really feels badly for Haidyn having an on-going problem with ear infections because she's been having problems. Dr. Blakely referred her to an ENT about 6 wks ago. He is consulting with Dr. Blakely about a possibility of a connection between the cancer treatment drugs and problems last this week was to have her check up for her eyes, for fear her vision may have been affected by the disease and drugs she's been on. The last prescription glasses were 2005. She had a check up in August 2008, and was told her close-up vision could be improved with a little stronger prescription but she decided to wait a little on upgrading her glasses. We're happy to learn that there has been no change in her vision in the past two years!
We appreciate everyone that is following us on this journey. We want you to know that no report most likely means that we are doing well and getting on with our lives, staying busy, and making plans for the future with Mom. We all have our tickets to go visit Erica and Micheal in Phoenix and meet their new son in late December. We're hoping he will cooperate and arrive by his expected birth date of December 14. After bringing home our own a little more than a year ago (tear), we know the special bond that develops in the first few days home as mom and dad, family. Then we will all be able to celebrate baby's first Christmas together soon there after. As you are praying for our family, please remember Erica and baby that her pregnancy will be uneventful, and that he will be full-term and healthy. So far everything has gone extremely well for both of them. She has posted some beautiful pictures of her with a mom's glow. I will see if she will grant me a family picture of them to post.
We celebrated Haidyn's first birthday on the 29th. She has an unbelievable happy birthday. I will post some pictures that Ken took from the party. It was wonderful to have friends and close families with their children who have filled our world in the past 12 months with prayer and support. Words can never express the gift Ken gave of such an entertaining portfolio of precious moments of Haidyn's first birthday.
I came across a scripture tonight that I felt spoke to me. "Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer" Romans 12:12. The past 11 months bring new meaning to that scripture like never before. Thank you for all your encouragement, participation, tears and prayers as we have fought and will continue for mom's health and support of her wonderful God-led hands.
