I tell you what, it's been a week. This is the roller coaster that is cancer. Some people get great results and get to move up to the "remission/completed treatment" list. Some get moved around for illness or devastating relapse. And two little children got moved all the way up to be with Jesus.
It is never easy to follow the lives of people who struggle with chronic disease. Their treatments are brutal and every joy is somewhat tainted by the fact that you know not everyone will make it out of treatment alive. This is awful to write, but it is the truth. And avoiding the truth by saying "everything will be fine," is no longer in my nature. I try and soften the truth with a great big dose of hope, but hope on this side of the Jordan is still incomplete.
(It doesn't help that the tree pollen is so high and apparently it mimics hormones, so I've been a big bawling, snotty mess since Friday.)
Perhaps in anticipation of this post, or in response to my full fit of rage in the car on Saturday on the way home from the grocery store (where I learned from his parents, that Aidan had relapsed), The Lord gave me a quiet word today. It was in my "Parenting by Design" Devotional I get through my Bible App on my phone and I try to read it very often. Sometimes it is good, but today was great. I thought I would use it, especially since my own thoughts tend to drift to far to the side of melancholy lately! Please be encouraged because God is always at work. No matter what. He is always doing something to make our situation better in us or for us - even and especially when we can't see it.
God never wastes
suffering. Trials work for us, not against us (Jas 1:2-5). If we trust God and
surrender to Him, trials will produce patience, perseverance and maturity in
the lives of our family. If we rebel and fight against our circumstances, we
will remain impatient, impulsive and immature. God allows trials so He can
build character into our lives. Warren Wiersbe gives a great analogy, "God
can grow a mushroom overnight, but it takes many years - and many storms - to
build a mighty oak."
It takes an eternal perspective to see beyond today to eternity. Your kids are not likely to be able to do it without your gentle, guiding hand. As you empathetically walk through trials with them, you can model the faith, hope, and love that allow you to look at tough situations as opportunities to grow and develop, and to be more like Christ.
An eternal perspective gives us the ability to see beyond temporary trials.
It takes an eternal perspective to see beyond today to eternity. Your kids are not likely to be able to do it without your gentle, guiding hand. As you empathetically walk through trials with them, you can model the faith, hope, and love that allow you to look at tough situations as opportunities to grow and develop, and to be more like Christ.
An eternal perspective gives us the ability to see beyond temporary trials.
Let's see beyond today - and Lord, grow us into mighty oaks, full of strong and powerful prayer for these warriors who fight against cancer. Why do we pray?
Because PRAYER WORKS!!
Completed Treatment -
Pray for them to stay cancer and illness free!
Sophia Vogel (5, soft tissue sarcoma behind left eye) – Doing great! <"Team Sophia" on FB>
Sophia Vogel (5, soft tissue sarcoma behind left eye) – Doing great! <"Team Sophia" on FB>
Anna Grace Dennis (7, ependymoma) – Headaches still
attacking, please pray for complete relief!! <"Team Anna Grace" on
FB>
Rylee Beard (5, Will's tumors in
bladder/abdomen) – Doing great!
Matthew Lucas (5,
Rhabdomyosarcoma) – Doing great! <"Team Matthew" on FB>
Gunnar
Peterson (5,
Wilm’s Tumor) Completed treatment last Wednesday! Pray his body recovers, his scans remain
clear and he is all done with cancer! <”Gunnar’s Team on FB”>
Gabbie Howe (12, ependymoma)
Callie
Cheer (3,
AML) – Doing great! <”Cure for
Callie” on FB>
Izzy
Slot (3,
angiosarcoma) Still cancer free, but dealing with some other issues and
side effects. Pray The Lord would heal
her and Praise Him for 6 months without cancer! <”izzyslot” on carepages.com
and “Princess Izzy’s Court” on FB>
Hunter
(1,
Ewing Sarcoma) – Still fighting mouth sores but getting better every day! Pray for his complete healing and his
immunity to come back full force! <”Cure Baby Hunter” on FB>
Courtney
Pette
(16, lymphoma) –<"Team Courtney" on FB>
Maddie Briscoe (7, neuroblastoma) –<”Prayers for Maddie Briscoe” on FB>
Maddie Briscoe (7, neuroblastoma) –<”Prayers for Maddie Briscoe” on FB>
Natalie
Fraker (5,
astrocytoma) – Making great progress!
Praise for The Lord’s healing and giving her strength. Pray she can make great strides and get off
the vent completely! <” PRAYERSFORNKF” on carepages.com>
Tristan Smit (3, ependymoma) –
Doing well!
Mark Ochoa (2, Wilm's Tumor)
With The Lord (Please
pray for their families)
Ruel
Bobet – Completely
healed on Saturday, February 25th, 2012. Continue to pray for his family, they need
strength only The Lord can provide! <”Sandy Bobet” (his Mom) on FB>
Kory Krowell – Went to be with Jesus on 11/18/11.
Wesley
(1 month old, Rhabdomyoma) – Earned his angel wings
Monday, March 26th, 2012.
Please pray for his family who have been through so much in the last
month! <”The Battle for Baby Wes” on FB>
Daniela
Owens (9,
Ewing Sarcoma) – Jesus called her home on Friday, March 23rd,
2012. She has no more pain and is cancer-free
now. <”Prayer for Daniela” of FB>
Fighting
Illness and/or Inpatient
Brennan
Scurlock (1,
neuroblastoma) – Left the hospital today but still needs The Lord to heal his
vomiting and keep him safe until his clinic appointment on Thursday. More wisdom and guidance needed for his
medical team as well!! <"Brennan
Scurlock" on FB>
Carli
Simmons (2, Brain Tumor) Inpatient at TCH, receiving
treatment
Eli
Dirr (5, Relapse of AML) – Doing better but receiving
chemo. Please be praying against this
evil cancer that keeps coming back, please pray The Lord will heal him and he
can walk out of the hospital, never to go back again! <”Warrior Eli” on FB>
Thomas
Valerio (11,
rhabdomyosarcoma in left hand) Finishing up round of chemo, pray he stays
healthy and recovers quickly – only 6 more weeks to go in his treatment!
Layton (3, ALL) Doing a very hard round of chemo this
week, please pray for her recovery, to be free of side effects and pain!
<”Prayers for Layton” on FB>
Victoria
Feldman (6, Medulloblastoma) Had a rough week last
week, pray for relief and for no issues in receiving her chemo this week. <”Victory4Victoria”
on FB>
In
Treatment
Aiden
McSpadden (3,
AML relapse) As of Friday, they found cancer cells and are calling it a
relapse. They did a lymphocyte
transfusion yesterday in the hopes that the donor cells will kill off the
cancer – please pray that this works!!
If it doesn’t, he will start chemo in a few weeks to prepare for another
bone marrow transplant. Pray for his
parents, they are reeling and for our Big God to show Himself! <"Angels
for Aiden" on FB>
Cameron Lindsay (20, sarcoma) – newly
diagnosed, please pray for clear diagnosis and decisive treatment plan. Pray for the strength of the family, who is
still grieving from a death in the family and dealing with other issues.
Kaylee
Atkins (6, ALL) – Out of the hospital, pray she recovers
completely and can stay on track with her protocol! Praise The Lord for the support they had over
the last week with their fundraisers! <”Praying for Kaylee” on FB>
Devin Duncan (18, Leukemia) – pray she
is fully recovered and continue her treatment without any interruption or
illness! <”Devin Duncan” on FB>
Lucy
Weber (3,
ALL) – Home and doing better; pray for her clinic visit to go well this week,
with no count issues or side effects from the chemo. <"Team Lucy"
on FB>
Katie
Wagner
(15, Rhabdomyosarcoma) Did chemo yesterday and started radiation this
week. Pray for continued great response!
<”Wagner Family support” on FB>
Lincoln
Daniel Jones (3,
ALL) – In need of prayers, not feeling well, please pray! <"Pray for
Lincoln Daniel Jones" and "Red Carpet Kids for a Cure" on
FB>
Logan
Sinclair (5,
Anaplastic Medulloblastoma) – Doing very well and his last chemo is next
week! Pray he continues to feel great
and can finish strong! <”Pray for Logan Sinclair” on FB>
Nate
Dinoffira (2, Neuroblastoma) Doing very well, and will be
starting proton therapy radiation in a few weeks – pray he continues to do so
well after his transplant! <http://supernatedinoffria.blogspot.com/>
Max
Low (12, Leukemia) Pray for his pulmonary issues to be
resolved! <”Mighty Max Low” on FB>
Lexie
Synder (5, ALL) She has low immunity and might have a
genetic blood disorder. Pray for her
recovery and for wisdom for her doctors! <”Lexie vs. Leukemia” on FB>
Raelynn (5, ALL) Pray she has
recovered from her last big round of chemo and she stays illness free!
<”Prayers for our Sweet Baby Rae” on FB>
Liam Wilson (1, neuroblastoma) Halfway
through his treatment, pray it continues to go well with no delays!
<”Prayers for Liam Wilson” on FB>
Holden
Underwood (2,
ALL/MLL) – His numbers were where they needed to be last week and was able to
receive chemo. He has also been on
steroids, pray he is ok coming off of those and remains illness free! <"Holden's
Hope" on FB>
Lance
McClain (ALL)
– Received outpatient chemo yesterday, pray for great recovery and no
issues! <”TeamLance McClain” on FB>
Ava
Caggino (4,
ATRT Brain Tumor) Her MRI came back showing some growth, so they need The Lord’s
wisdom to find a clinic that can help.
Please pray! <"The Ava Caggino Fight Aganist Cancer Page"
on FB>
Charlie
Harris Beard (1,
Leukemia) Doing well, pray he continues! <”Help save Baby Charlie Harries
Beard” on FB>
Preston
Winslow (4, AML) His parents have decided not to take no for
an answer, please pray for wisdom for the doctors! Preston continues to do so well, pray The
Lord will reveal His plan! www.prestonsleague.com
Aiden
Rideout (4, Non-hodgkins lymphoma) Pray he continues to stay
healthy and on track! <”Prayers for Aiden” on FB>
Tynan
Chapa (5, ALL) His Chemo is keeping the cancer at bay, but
his doctors feel it is only a matter of time before he will lose his
battle. Pray hard that this doesn’t
happen! <”Tynan’s Crusade” on FB>
Wyatt
Foster (2,
ALL) Pray all went well Friday –
pray there are answers on his ANC and everything goes well. Also pray for his Mom’s health issues to be
resolved! <http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/wyattfoster/mystory>
Kristina
Barrett (9,
sarcoma in lungs and arm) – Continues to do well, pray for a natural relief
from eczema! <"Praying for Kristina" on FB>
Barrett
Blake (5, Rhabdomyosarcoma) Pray for good health, no issues,
quick recover and to stay on course with treatment! http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/barrettblake
Zayley
Oliver – <”Prayers
for Zayley Jade Oliver” on FB>
Addison
Marshall
(18, ALL) – continues outpatient, maintenance chemo! <addiecake on Twitter>
Shelby Adams (Langenhans Cell
Histiocytosis) – Pray her eye appointment went well and that her orbital bone
will heal itself! <”Prayers for Shelby Adams” on FB>
Braeden
Estes (18, Ewings
Sarcoma) Doing well so please pray he stays on track! <http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/braedenestes>
Taylor
Porter (15, AML) <”Team Taylor – Taylor Porter” on
FB>
Kaylea
Stewart (ALL,
6) –<"Kure for Kaylea" on FB>
Hudson
Kadlecek (4,
lymphoma) - <"Hope for Hudson" on FB>
Logan
Brant - Please pray for wisdom and healing! <“Team Logan” on FB>
Kylie
Overton (2,
Brain Tumor) – <”Prayers for Baby Kylie Overton” on FB>
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