Happy Spring everyone!  Do you think it’s actually here?  To stay?  We have been enjoying the few nice days we’ve had and thankful that the snow is just about gone in our yard.    Jacob and I are back in Green Bay.  Arrived here yesterday morning.  So hard to leave knowing we were supposed to have beautiful weather back home this week.  Well, at least early on in the week.  Ken said maybe even snow again next weekend.  Ugh!  I’m sick of that “S” word. 

Our time at home was lovely, as usual.  Enjoyed every second, even if the weather was crummy or things weren’t going perfect.  Just being together as a family makes it perfect enough.  Jacob did well and felt great.  His counts on Thursday after we got home were great.  His “low point” never got very low.  So thankful for that.  So of course his numbers just got better and better from there.  Thankfully he hasn’t had to have a transfusion since February and I’m pretty sure that was mostly due to radiation. 

We didn’t do a whole lot while we were home.  Just spent every extra minute outdoors.  Whether that was raking, playing catch, sitting on the deck or playing one of Caleb’s made-up games.    Jacob went to school last week.  Tuesday and Wednesday were half days, Thursday and Friday were whole days.  Friday was a field trip, so that was a bonus for him.  He was looking forward to it so much that he woke me up at midnight the night before to tell me that he couldn’t sleep.  I’m sorry, but how about you let me sleep???    I went with him and it certainly was not the best weather for it.  Cold and rainy!  Yuck!  His science class has been raising salmon from eggs this whole school year, so we went to the Dead River in Marquette to release them.  After that, we went to Presque Isle to the Nature Center and Bog Walk.  They ate lunch in the buses since it was so crummy and then headed to the Fish Hatchery.  It was an interesting trip, but would have been a lot more enjoyable in nice weather.  All that standing and walking pooped Jacob out cuz he was wiped out on Saturday.  He actually laid around for awhile. 

Saturday was an exciting day for the boys though.  Mostly Jacob.  As some of you may know, he loves Iron Man and he got the nickname Iron Man 2 years ago when this whole lovely lifestyle started.  Iron Man 3 came out this past weekend, so of course we had to go.  My cousin and his wife gave the boys a gift card for Valentine’s Day to do something fun.  They didn’t hesitate a minute to decide that it was being saved for when Iron Man 3 came out.  Both boys decided to bring their best buds with them.  We went out for pizza ahead of time and then went to the movies.  It was a good time had by all!!!  Thank you Chris and Theresa for blessing us with a fun day!! 

Sunday was an okay day, I guess.  Caleb ending up getting the stomach flu.  Ugh!  At least I think it was.  He did throw up a couple of times, but he always seems to get sick right before I leave for GB or when I’m gone.  Never when I’m home.  Not sure how much of it is actual sickness and how much is because he’s upset that I’m going or gone.  We kept him home Monday to get better.  Unfortunately Jacob and I had to leave, so Ken had to take Monday off.  Now he’ll have to work Saturday when we’re home.  Pooey!  I’ll be so happy when our lives are “normal” again.  Whatever that means!

Speaking of being almost back to “normal”, after this week, Jacob has only 2 rounds left!  Yippee!!!   One Memorial Day week and the other the 3rd week of June.  It stinks that his next round falls on Memorial Day week because the clinic is closed on Monday, so we’ll have to be here Tuesday through Saturday.  I hate my weekends being messed up.  That’s family time!  Oh well, at least we’re almost to the end.  Hopefully it doesn’t drag on too much.  Our 2 weeks home just fly by way too fast. 

I have a couple of prayer requests….  Little Zeke, who I’ve asked for prayer for before is not doing well.  They have hospice in and he isn’t waking up.  Please pray for a miracle in that little boys life.  I apologize, I’m not quite sure of his exact age, but I believe he’s 3?  Also for Julia.  She’s a sweet 9(?) year old who is so brave and could teach us all adults a thing or two about faith.  She has also been fighting Ewings.  Was in remission for a couple of months earlier this year and just found out her cancer has come back.  She is in so much pain!   Please pray that God will give her parents wisdom in what to do next with her treatment.

Thank you for your continued prayers for Jacob and the rest of our family.  Even though he’s doing fantastic, we musn’t forget that he still is getting chemo.  Topotecan, a cytotoxic drug and Cyclophosphamide, mustard gas.  Please continue to pray for protection over every inch of his body.   

Our week here in Green Bay is finally coming to an end.  Yay!!!  It hasn’t gone by as fast as I would like, but at least it’s coming to a close.   

Jacob had a good week.  Chemo went well.  No problems whatsoever!  I’m so happy that he feels so good.  They give him one dose of Zofran before he starts and that’s it.  We don’t have to do anything else the rest of the day.  It’s also been so nice outside yesterday and today.  The sun has been out and a beautiful blue sky.  It was so nice that Jacob asked if we could walk to his appointment both days.  So, we did!   It was a gorgeous walk!!  Can’t wait till spring is here for good and the snow is gone.  That’ll also help time fly when we can get out more here in G.B.

Tuesday, we went to the movies.   Jacob got a gift card from Child Life back in January and had been saving for the “right” movie.  He didn’t want to waste it on just any movie.  Well, I guess “The Oz” was worthy enough, so that’s what we saw.   It was pretty good.  “The Wizard of Oz” is one of my childhood favorites so I wasn’t sure about a prequel, but it wasn’t too bad. 

Yesterday we just hung out.  He was pooped yesterday so we just relaxed after walking back from the hospital.  I’m not a fan of days like yesterday.  They just seem to drag on and on.  Thankfully today we got out for a few hours.  Got some lunch, walked around the mall and Jacob played with a boucy ball in the hotel parking lot while I sat in the sun when we got back.  It got up to 53 degrees today.  Awesome!

Tomorrow Jacob’s appointment is at 8:00 so hopefully we’ll get out of Green Bay by 11:00ish.  His radiation oncologist, Dr. Leenstra, will also be stopping by to take a look at his back.  He hasn’t seen him since his radiation was over.  I think he will be pleasantly surprised when he sees how good his back looks.  You would never know!!! 

Can’t wait to see Ken and Caleb.  I’m even excited to see our sweet little pug!  Ha!  It’ll be nice to be home as a family again.  It gets harder everytime we go. 

Thank you to everyone that sends us messages or comments.  We appreciate them and enjoy reading them.  They make our day!    And of course we appreciate your prayers so very very much!! 

Hope you all have a wonderful Easter!  Don’t forget what that special day is all about – not bunnies!!

HE IS RISEN!!

Where to start…….

Two years ago this past Friday – the 22nd, this whole nightmare started.  I can remember it like yesterday….  I brought Jacob into the E.R.   The 23rd, they flew Jacob and I down to Grand Rapids – that’s when the nightmare really began!  The 24th, Jacob had surgery and the surgeon wasn’t sure what it was and said it would be close to 2 weeks for them to figure it out.  Two days later on the 26th, Ken and I were brought into a conference room with Jacob’s then doctor, nurse practioners, specialists and social worker.  We were told the diagnosis – Ewings Sarcoma!  I remember is so clearly – Ken got upset and said that he “couldn’t go through that again” (his father had passed away from cancer just 3 months earlier) and walked out of the room and I started crying.  After we got the medical records from the hospital, I found in there notes that we were “difficult” when we found out.  If I would’ve known at that moment what they were thinking, that would’ve been my first clue that we were at the wrong hospital.  How do they expect parents to act when they tell them their child has a rare bone cancer??  Idiots!!  Oh well, the past is the past and I guess we need to concentrate on the now, right?

What is “the now”?  Well, we had a wonderful time at home.  Time went by way too fast, of course!  Jacob did wonderful and felt wonderful.  We didn’t really do anything too exciting, but that’s fine with me.  My “29th” birthday was on the 15th and my parents had come up for a few days, so that was the highlight of our being home.  Jacob and I hadn’t seen them since September when they made the trip to Milwaukee right after Jacob’s surgery.  Caleb hadn’t seen them since August, so it was exciting for all of us.  Of course that visit went by too fast also.   

Jacob’s counts were fairly good on the 18th.  His hemoglobin and platelets were a little bit on the lower side, but Jacob’s doctor felt confident that everything would be fine by the time he gets it checked again tomorrow.  So, since his white blood cells were good, he was able to go to school half day on Tuesday and Wednesday.  Full days Thursday and Friday.  We were so happy that he was feeling good enough to go that much!

Well, it’s Sunday night and we’re back in Green Bay.  We came tonight instead as Jacob will have his scans first thing in the morning.  Please keep him in your prayers that the scans will remain clear.  He will have a CT to check his lungs and an MRI to check his spine.  If all is clear and his blood counts are good, he will start chemo after that.  They’re hoping to have scan results back within an hour or two. 

Some info that I wanted to pass on….

First, I have asked you all in the past to pray for a boy named Deven that had been fighting cancer for quite a while.  Friday, he passed away.  Please keep his family in your prayers!  I can’t imagine what they must be going through.

Second, We need to praise God for blessing Brayden (another young man I’ve asked prayer for).  He has finished chemo!  Thank you Jesus!!!  He had also been receiving treatment for Ewings Sarcoma.  He is doing well.  Please pray for continued health for him.

Well, that’s all for tonight.  I’m tired and we have a long day ahead of us tomorrow.  Thanks in advance for all of your prayers!! 

Back in Green Bay again!  Our home away from home.  Ha!  Our two weeks home went by way too fast……

Jacob handled his transfusion very well!  Thankfully no side effects or reactions.  Just a very long day.   But thankful we were in Marquette County and not 3 hours away.     When we got home from MGH, Ken and Caleb had a bonfire going.  That was so nice.  We enjoyed hanging out by the fire, laughing and just having a good time together. 

Saturday, Caleb had his basketball game.  They didn’t win, but Caleb played a good game.   Later that day, Ken and I finally got to go out on our date.  We weren’t gone too long, but got to get something to eat, have some alone time, good conversation and laughs.  It was needed, so happy we could do that. 

On Monday it was time for bloodwork again.  We got his counts back late in the day and they were pretty darn good.  Jacob asked right away if he could go to school sometime during the week.  I didn’t know what to say to that.  I wasn’t expecting that kind of question, nor was I expecting him to go to school anytime in the near future.  When he first started chemo back in October, Jacob’s doctor told me not to expect him to be ready for school until the end of the year for a few hours here and there - mostly due to the flu season, chemo and being worn out from the radiation.  I could tell the last couple of days he felt better – more energetic, but still……. 

Tuesday morning, I called the secretary at the school to make sure there weren’t any major “bugs” going around and then called Jacob’s doctor in Green Bay.  He said “his counts are great, so it’s up to him if he feels good enough”.  Oh my gosh!  Jacob was so excited!  You would’ve thought we were going to Disney.  He decided to try a half day Wednesday afternoon.  He went at lunch time through the rest of the day.  He had a blast!  He decided he wanted to go all day Friday too.  He went and loved every minute!  I, on the other hand, was very anxious.  I felt like it was his first day of kindergarten.  Why?  I don’t know, but it was a very big deal for Jacob and we are so proud of him!  I think it was probably good for the both of us to get some time away from each other.  Haven’t had much of that in the past 5 months.

Not only did that boy make it through a full day of school, but Friday night we went tubing with a group from church.  We all had a blast, but I could tell he was pooped out on Saturday.  He did venture out to Caleb’s basketball game though.  They did win and Caleb had a great game.  Great job Caleb!!!    We had another bon fire Saturday night.  It was a little chilly out, but the fire felt great.   

Sunday we went to church and then Caleb and I spent some time outdoors bonding.  We played a lot of basketball and had a ton of laughs.  It was something we both needed and had a blast.  We are planning a date night for this coming weekend.   

Got to Green Bay this morning for a 10:15 chemo appointment.  We didn’t end up leaving until after 4:00.  A very long day!  Since chemo only takes a little over 2 hours start to finish, it was driving us a little crazy.  Things just weren’t working out right, but Jacob’s doing great and feeling great, so I guess that’s all that matters.  His hair is coming in more and more.  He has such a fuzzy head and his back is completely healed!  Praise God!  It got worse after we got home – started peeling, but after using a few natural concoctions, it was completely healed within a few days.   

Thank you for all of your prayers!  He is doing awesome – all thanks and praise to our  Heavenly Father!! 

P.S.  Congratulations Caleb for being Student of the Month!!!  Dad and I are so proud of you! 

HAPPY VALENTINES DAY!!!!  Hope you were all able to spend time with a loved one today.  I know that I certainly was.  I had two very handsome boys with me.  Wish Ken was with us, but at least we get to see him tomorrow.

So I have some more exciting news……TOMORROW IS THE LAST DAY OF RADIATION!!!   Woohoo!!  You can’t even imagine how excited we are!  And praise God that He has taken such good care of Jacob.  Not only is it the last day of radiation, but we get to go home and stay home for 2 whole weeks!  I get to unpack my suitcase.   That is a very big deal in my eyes.  Ha! 

Things have gone very well this week.  Jacob has continued to feel good through the chemo and radiation.  We’ve enjoyed having Caleb with us.  Even though he was bored at times, he still said it was better than school.  Ha!  We didn’t do a lot this week as Jacob is feeling more tired now from the radiation.  The symptoms could go on for at least 2 more weeks if not longer, his doctor said, and get worse as time goes by.  But we are praying that that won’t happen – for minimal side effects and that’s certainly what it has been so far.  PTL!

Today they checked Jacob’s blood counts to see if he would need a transfusion before we went home tomorrow, but guess what?  All of his numbers were up from Monday.  Even with the chemo.  God is sooo good!  So, no transfusion.  So tomorrow we have to be at the hospital at 8:00 to meet with Jacob’s Radiation Oncologist, then his last treatment, then chemo.  He is also doing so well with the chemo.  He feels great and his hair is even starting to come back in.  Very slowly, but it’s coming back.  It’s like this white glow around his head.    Hopefully we’ll be on the road by 1:00 EST.  Please pray that we have a safe trip home.  We are really looking forward to some “normalcy” in our lives, whatever that is. 

Thank you again for all of your prayers!  We know they are working as I see it in Jacob every single day.  He is so happy and doing so good.  It can’t be anything but the power of the Holy Spirit working in his life.  Thank you for all of your kinds words and your donations.  Thank you Dale and Jill, Sandy G. and Brenda B. for blessing us!  We are so very thankful!!

Could you please keep a few kids in your prayers as well?  Please pray for Brayden, Julia, Bella, Deven, Lakin, Halee and Seth.  I know that’s a lot to pray for, but these poor kids fighting cancer deserve some extra prayers.  Thank you so much!

I do have a special request:  There is a family that I’ve gotten to know over the past several months.  Their 9 year old son Uzias has been battling cancer for a few years now.  He has a brain tumor that keeps coming back and his doctors are up in arms about what to do next.  Uzias’ parents have decided to bring him to the Center for Advanced Medicine and Clinical Research in NC, hoping that they can do something to save their sons life.   Unfortunately insurance does not help with this type of treatment and they are in desperate need of funds.  PLEASE pray about helping this family in some way.  Every little bit helps. 

http://www.youcaring.com/medical-fundraiser/Save-my-son-Altenative-cancer-treatment/38133

You can also read his story on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/pages/Prayers-for-Seth/498754246826891?ref=stream#!/HelpForUzias?fref=ts

Thank you so much for considering!  Hope you all have a wonderful weekend and give your kiddos extra hugs and kisses.    Love to you all!