TPT4KC This Week!

Cancer is hard.  It's hard for everyone.  I know I've said this before but it was in my face today.  We went in for a check up with Sophia's oncologist today and being in the clinic, after you've been living in the "normal" world for a few months, is a stark reminder of what your reality, underneath the surface, really is.  Yes, Sophia is in remission and I know she is going to stay that way (the Lord willing.)  But when you sit down with the doctor who asks you if you have any questions or concerns, it's hard to not have a knot in your stomach and your throat close up because of how many times you've heard that question before in relation to cancer.

It's hard to look at those parents and children who have it worse off than you and not go around hugging and praying and crying (because not everyone is cool with that.)  It is much easier, when you don't have to see it every week, to keep the emotion at bay.  I remember daily what Sophia has been through, but distance numbs it for me.  The clinic brings it all back.  

I had several people while Sophia was in treatment, grown-ups who survived their own cancer, tell me I had it harder than them.  At the time, I think The Lord had a iron curtain up over my heart to the impact of what they were saying - because I couldn't go there right then.  (He protected me from a lot of things, for sure.)  Now sitting here, 15 months from her diagnosis date, I can say that they were right.  The pain, worry, anxiety, struggle and hardship a parent has to face when their child is ill, well, it's just the worst thing ever.

But then I wonder, if I could have traded places with her and undergone all her treatments - I'm not so sure I would have handled it as well as she did.  I probably would be spending most of my time in bed, dwelling on the fact that I felt like crap.  But Sophia hardly ever wasted any time feeling bad, unless she really, really, really, really felt bad.  She had to feel completely awful to go to bed, but all it takes for me is a mild headache.

No - I'm sure I wouldn't have handled it anywhere close to as well as she did.  

God knows better than I do what is right, even if it requires facing my worst nightmare. 

That is the beauty of these kids - they are so much stronger than we, as adults, are.  They can recover so much faster - The Lord having plugged them up with all those stem cells.  There were many miracles we encountered, but just how quickly Sophia's body recovered after each round of napalm (oh, I mean chemo/radiation), is completely astonishing.  My body, at 36, couldn't do that.  Heck, I still have a cut on my hand from 3 weeks ago that isn't completely healed.  I wouldn't stand a chance.

His hope shines through in them.  It is His plan - to use the weak to shame the strong (1 Cor 1:27), to prove that His power is greater than anything in this world (1 John 4:4) and He continually shows me through my daughter and these precious, little children who fight and beat cancer.  It is the paradox of His power.  

These children are the answer to the question "Do miracles still happen?"  And the answer is YES. 

Keep praying for them because it is prayers, answered by The Good Lord, that heals them.  PRAYER WORKS!!

Completed Treatment - Pray for them to stay cancer free!
Sophia Vogel (5, soft tissue sarcoma behind left eye) – Checkup with oncologist went fine!  Scans now first week of March  <"Team Sophia" on FB>

Anna Grace Dennis (7, ependymoma) – Doing great!  Pray for headaches and stomach aches to go away completely! <"Team Anna Grace" on FB>

Rylee Beard (5, Will's tumors in bladder/abdomen) – Praise the Lord for clear scans last week!

Matthew Lucas (5, Rhabdomyosarcoma) – Scans this week, Wednesday – Friday.  Pray for the all clear!  <"Team Matthew" on FB>

Gabbie Howe (12, ependymoma) –Pray for scans to be free and clear on next scans later this month!

Courtney Pette (16, lymphoma) –<"Team Courtney" on FB>
Tristan Smit (3, ependymoma)

Mark Ochoa (2, Wilm's Tumor)

Fighting Illness and/or Inpatient 

Ruel Bobet (20, stomach cancer) – Praise God for the miracle worked through his doctor!  Pray they will find relief from bureaucracy of treatment and freedom from fear! <”Sandy Bobet” (his Mom) on FB>

Callie Cheer (3, AML) – Still inpatient but has finished chemo!  They get results mid-February, so pray she is healed!  <”Cure for Callie” on FB> 

Preston Winslow (4, AML) Getting home passes but they are still struggling with decisions on treatment.  Pray for wisdom, straight from The Throne – for God’s will to be clearly done in the life of this little boy!  www.prestonsleague.com

Carli Simmons (2, Brain Tumor) Inpatient at TCH, receiving treatment

Izzy Slot (3, angiosarcoma) Having issues regulating body chemistry, so please pray The Lord will keep His Hand of healing on her and they will be able to address issues to cure and prevent future infection!  <”izzyslot” on carepages.com and “Princess Izzy’s Court” on FB> 

Katie Wagner (15, Rhabdomyosarcoma) Completed round last week but facing another long 6 week stretch – pray for safety from illness and good spirits! <”Wagner Family support” on FB>

Receiving Treatment this week 

Barrett Blake (5, Rhabdomyosarcoma) Received scans last week and the tumor is stable!  Pray The Lord will allow the medicine to shrink it for the next scans!  http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/barrettblake

Lincoln Daniel Jones (3, ALL) – Been feeling very bad, pray The Lord reveals why or he recovers.  Pray his counts have recovered when he goes into the clinic later this week, so treatment can stay on course.  <"Pray for Lincoln Daniel Jones" and "Red Carpet Kids for a Cure" on FB> 

Lucy Weber (3, ALL) – Her blood counts came back up – praise God!  She receives chemo today, pray she is free from side effects of this chemo and steroids!  <"Team Lucy" on FB> 

Holden Underwood (1, ALL/MLL) – Starts 2^nd cycle of maintenance with spinal chemo tomorrow – pray he will be calm for sedation and wake up well, with no side effects from anesthesia or chemo! <"Holden's Hope" on FB> 

Gunnar Peterson (5, Wilm’s Tumor) Clinic appointment for counts and chemo tomorrow – pray all continues to go very well!  <”Gunnar’s Team on FB”> 

Zayley Oliver –Pray she stays healthy and that cancer is beaten back! <”Prayers for Zayley Jade Oliver” on FB> 

Addison Marshall (18, ALL) – continues outpatient, maintenance chemo  <addiecake on Twitter> 

Grant McTaggart (5, P+ ALL) Is on oral chemo for the next 3 weeks.  Pray for his parents to have peace that he is cured and he will stay that way! <http://www.prayforgrant.com/> 

Thomas Valerio (11, rhabdomyosarcoma in left hand) Because of a reaction he had to one of his chemos, they are having to change up his protocol.  Please pray for peace for his parents, that they trust The Lord will keep His Healing Hand on Thomas, and that The Lord will ease the burden of more time in the hospital that the new protocol requires.  Also pray he stays healthy and his body responds positively to the new meds!

Logan Brant - Please pray for wisdom and healing!  <“Team Logan” on FB>

Kylie Overton (2, Brain Tumor) – she has started chemo again, but the protocol from here on out needs divine intervention to keep the tumors from coming back and no long term effects on her body and mind.  Please Lord, come quickly into this situation! <”Prayers for Baby Kylie Overton” on FB> 

On-break or has Scans this week  

Hunter (1, Ewing Sarcoma) – Has scans this week – pray they show the cancer is gone!  <”Cure Baby Hunter” on FB> 

Charlie Harris Beard (1, Leukemia) At home! <”Help save Baby Charlie Harries Beard” on FB> 

Maddie Briscoe (7, neuroblastoma) – God answered our prayers!  Her scans showed all clear! <”Prayers for Maddie Briscoe” on FB> 

Max Low (12, Leukemia) At home, on feeding tube and dealing with a lot of pain.  Please pray for a lessening of the complications from all the meds he has to take!<”Mighty Max Low” on FB>

Aiden Rideout (4, Non-hodgkins lymphoma) Feeling good and pray he stays in remission! <”Prayers for Aiden” on FB>

Nate Dinoffira (2, Neuroblastoma) Still recovering – needs relief from nausea, vomiting and diarrhea.  Please pray for a supernatural appetite as well so he can gain some weight!  They will be looking at the stem-cell transplant staging process at the end of this month. <” SuperNate Dinoffria” on FB and http://supernatedinoffria.blogspot.com/)

Braeden Estes (17, Ewings Sarcoma) Started his chemo round, only 14 more treatments to go after this week!  Pray he will stay healthy and no side effects!  <http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/braedenestes>

Shelby Adams (Langenhans Cell Histiocytosis) – Received chemo Monday, pray her body responds and the cancer is beaten, with no ill side effects! <”Prayers for Shelby Adams” on FB> 

Lance McClain (ALL) – Doing well! <”TeamLance McClain” on FB> 

Kristina Barrett (9, sarcoma in lungs and arm) – Praise God!  No new growth in tumor!  The medicine is working!  <"Praying for Kristina" on FB> 

Aiden McSpadden (2, AML relapse) Doing well!  Pray he continues to stay healthy!  <"Angels for Aiden" on FB> 

Logan Sinclair (5, Anaplastic Medulloblastoma) – Pray for no issues as his counts have dropped and he is vulnerable to infection! <”Pray for Logan Sinclair” on FB> 

Brennan Scurlock (1, neuroblastoma) – Pray his parents will continue to be guided to the right treatment for him and the doors for access to that treatment will be opened!<"Brennan Scurlock" on FB> 

Ava Caggino (4, ATRT Brain Tumor) Home so pray for recovery before next round starts!  <"The Ava Caggino Fight Aganist Cancer Page" on FB> 

Daniela Owens (9, Ewing Sarcoma) – Doing great! <”Prayer for Daniela” of FB> 

Natalie Fraker (5, astrocytoma) – pray for her body to get strong enough to breath without the ventilator and for her next scans, in early February, to be all clear!  <” PRAYERSFORNKF” on carepages.com> 

Taylor Porter (15, AML) <”Team Taylor – Taylor Porter” on FB> 

Kaylea Stewart (Leukemia, 6) – Back at school and feeling well!  Pray she is finally cured of her cancer! <"Kure for Kaylea" on FB> 

Hudson Kadlecek (4, lymphoma) - <"Hope for Hudson" on FB> 

Patton Jones (3, Burkitt's Lymphoma) 

Wyatt (2, ALL)