Journal History
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Tuesday, March 27, 2007 5:38 AM CDT
Hannah is doing great. Update to follow soon.
By His Grace,
Tim, Brenda, Jordan & Hannah
Please pray for the family of Penelope.
Penelope
Thursday, December 1, 2005 5:28 AM CST
Greetings,
Merry Christmas!! May we all remember in our actions, thoughts and deeds who we are in Christ and our purpose in life. May we be filled continuously with Christ’s peace, power and love so it flows out of us to those around us.
Hannah is actually doing great. She continues to be on thyroid medicine. We ask for you to pray for Hannah and us. Thursday and Friday she will have numerous routine tests. She will have a kidney test, nuclear injection, bone scan, EKG and a Cat Scan. You would think it gets easier each time we have to go through this but the opposite is true. Satan attempts to cause our minds to think negatively and to take our focus off of Jesus Christ. Pray for us to stay focused on Him. Pray for Hannah not to have any apprehension or anxiety and for us also. Pray that Hannah will be totally restored to full health including her hearing, speech and Thyroid.
Thanks for believing with us in prayer and blessings to you and your family,
Tim, Brenda, Jordan and Hannah
Monday, April 19, 2004 8:52 PM CDT
There are 143 pictures to view so sit back and enjoy!!
"WAKE UP GIRLS, WE'RE GOING TO DISNEY WORLD !!"
Right on schedule, at 4:15a.m., Sunday morning, the girls were awakened to those magical words that will forever be a precious memory. They accepted with enough excitement to wake up our entire neighborhood and with great speed their wonderful journey began. As Tim and I watched and listened to the sweet sounds of laughter and excitement, we began laughing with happiness as we thanked God for our two beautiful little girls. We smiled and shared a few tears of thankfulness as we ventured back to June of 2002, in knowing. by the Grace of God, Hannah exchanged certain death for a second chance at life.
"WE HAVE ANOTHER SURPRISE !!"
Upon arriving at the airport, checking in our bags, going through security, finally arriving at our gate, the girls were gleaming with joy. We told them we had another surprise for them. Looking at us, with rosy cheeks and eyes full of wonderment, we told them that Paw Paw, B, and Aunt Darlene would be joining us on our trip. Suddenly, their eyes drifted towards the area where their special guests were waiting. They took off like lightening as their hearts met with a hug, jumping up and down with such joy, eye to eye, with the people that mean the world to them. It was simply irreplaceable. Soon we boarded the aircraft, found our seats, became acquainted with our steward, and within minutes, they fell fast asleep, filled with magical thoughts of sharing a special week with the most special people in their lives.
"ARRIVAL IN ORLANDO"
After a short nap, the girls were ready to go go go !!! They enjoyed a mid-morning snack and drink while gazing out the window in awe, enjoying their first experience in an airplane. As we prepared for landing, their anticipation grew. Watching as the ground became closer and closer, the wheels touched the runway, only to bounce back up again with the feeling of the plane weaving and wobbling back and forth. The girls were not impressed. I placed my arm across their chests as they examined every facial expression I made. I reassured them with a gentle smile along with the words they longed to hear, "It's going to be okay." Their eyes switched from me, to a lady across the isle who closed her eyes, leaned her head back, and began praying out loud, evident that she was scared. Then they switched to the man seated in front of us who began speaking out loud, "Whoa...Oh no........!!!!" The pilot finally placed the plane securely on the ground. I must admit, it was the worst landing I've ever experienced. Their thoughts of fear disappeared as we departed the plane.
"ARRIVAL AT GIVE THE KIDS THE WORLD VILLAGE"
We arrived in Orlando on Sunday, around 11:00a.m. A GKTW (Give Kids The World)greeter met us and took us to our rent car. Paw Paw, B, and Aunt Darlene took a cab to the bungalow while we attended orientation at the village. As we drove through the electric, black iron gate, complete with a beautiful gold bunny (a/k/a Mayor Clayton) placed in the center, our eyes were embraced to a whimsical, happy, colorful resort. Complete with its own Ice Cream Palace, Miniature Golf, Sparkleberry Nature Trail, a Train, Wacky Waterworks, Fe-Fi-Fo Fun Room full of arcade and video games, and a Jolly Hollow, a tree filled with vine tunnels, root slides, and animated characters. A restaurant decorated like a Gingerbread House and a Carousel that one can ride over and over again. You will also find a play area shaped like a Castle. a movie theater, a fishing pond, a peaceful chapel, and so much more. Children running hand in hand with their favorite characters and eating giant banana splits for breakfast, if that's what their heart desired. The girls were greeted with a huge basket full of goodies then journeyed on to the Ice Cream Palace where they enjoyed their first (of many) ice creams. They familiarized themselves with the Carousel that never stops and the Castle full of fun. The village also features 96 villas where families can stay during their week long wish trip.
During orientation at the House of Hearts, we were graciously given passes for the Disney World Parks, Sea World, and Universal Studios. Make no mistake, this trip was not something that was "owed" to us, it was something that we were given - which is precisely what makes it such a wonderful act of love. After orientation ended, we headed to our bungalow where Paw Paw, B, and Aunt Darlene eagerly awaited their arrival. Please take time to visit the GKTW website to learn more about a wonderful organization and the incredible story behind the man who knew of a child with a dream that motivated him, Henry Landwirth, to ensure that no child would ever be refused their one special wish. www.gktw.org/docs/firstwish
"OUR PRIVATE BUNGALOW"
Because of the compromised immune systems of the wish children at GKTW village, we were told only the immediate family of the wish child would be allowed to stay (sleep) on the property. So, with that in mind, we knew that Hannah and Jordan wouldn't agree, nor accept, Paw Paw, B, and Aunt Darlene not sleeping under the same roof as they would be. As it turned out, GKTW village was booked for the week that we were scheduled. We decided we would donate back the money that would have cost GKTW to house us at a Disney Property and instead, rent our own private bungalow so all of us could stay together under one roof and Hannah and Jordan would be spared any disappointment. It was a magnificent waterfront community of homes located on beautiful Raccoon Lake and just five miles from Walt Disney World. It is a total concept community featuring a million dollar Mediterranean style clubhouse with courtyard, pool/spa, fitness center, tennis and racquetball. A beautiful, yet inexpensive, place to stay while in the Orlando area. You can learn more by visiting their website at: www.vistadellago.net
"MAGICAL MONDAY"
We had an early appointment with Mickey and Minnie Mouse at GKTW village for a family photo. The office informed us that Paw Paw, B, and Aunt Darlene "would be able to join us" for the week long activities and dinner privileges at the village. We got in line for our family photo which we would receive at the end of the week. After pictures, we met Goofy and the girls serenaded around the village with Mary Poppins. We had a wonderful breakfast at the Gingerbread House then we finally made our way to Magic Kingdom. Being at Disney World is like riding a magic carpet ride into a new and different world. There's something about watching the eyes of your children, with the reflection of Cinderella's Castle sparkling in their eyes, that takes your breath away. Magic filled the air as they saw her Castle for the first time. Joy and an abundance of smiles consumed their little faces as they spoke of the amazing sights and sounds of this magical place. We met Cruella De Vil from the 101 Dalmatians movie along with one of Mary Poppins dancing penguins. We boarded the Walt Disney Railroad straight to Fantasyland were we rode Dumbo the Flying Elephant's ride inspired by the 1941 film classic Dumbo and Peter Pan's Flight (3 times), as it was voted "the most favorite ride" by myself, B, and the girls. This three minute adventure, which takes you soaring in a pirate ship with effects that retells the story of Peter Pan. The sight is of nighttime London, dark blue and speckled with twinkling lights with landmarks such as Big Ben and London Bridge. Deep in the heart of Never Land, we saw mermaids, fairies, and Captain Hook just to name a few. We flew so high, we were able to touch the moon !! Paw Paw and Daddy rode with Jordan and Hannah on Snow White's Scary Adventure ride. A twisting, turning journey through a few happy moments with Snow White and the seven dwarfs and several scary scenes with the toothless, long-nosed woman. Hannah and Jordan were infused with kindness, compassion, and love from all who crossed their path. One of the park attendants shared with us, the week we visited was the most "high traffic" time of the year, which includes the summer months. Not one person, showed any resentment towards Hannah for being placed "in front of the line" because of her status - "A Wish Child." Everyone, (some who had been waiting up to two hours) kept a positive attitude and held a happy thought, knowing the reality, of the definition. I'm sure it blessed them in some small way to know they were a part, in the day of the life, of "A Wish Child." Around 2:00, the girls were exhausted from all the excitement, sights and sounds of Disney that we took them back to the bungalow for a much needed nap. We returned back to the GKTW village that night for dinner and had the opportunity to meet "Mayor Clayton", a six foot bunny who's mayor of the GKTW village and has been known to tuck the children in their bed at night.
"TERRIFIC TUESDAY"
After breakfast at GKTW village, the girls spent some time in the Castle painting, playing and eating an ice cream or two, we decided to venture off to Animal Kingdom for the day. We viewed The Tree of Life, which is an awe-inspiring masterpiece standing 14 stories tall and includes a swirling tapestry of over 325 animal images. Absolutely amazing !!! Hannah is a "Bugs Life" fan so off we went into the root system of the Tree of Life to view the world through bug-colored glasses in 3-D featuring Flick and Hopper. This was so much fun with so many special effects. A must see !!!!! We walked over to Kilimanajaro Safari where we road in an open-air safari vehicle that took us on an exciting expedition through an African Savannah. We saw giraffes, gazelles, elephants, rhinos and lions freely roaming around the acres of land, rivers and rocky hills. We took the Wildlife Express train for a rustic ride to Rafiki's Planet Watch. We also went to Affection Section which's the hub of Disney's global conservation involvement. We learned interesting facts about animal habitats from around the world. We even got a peek at animal research, veterinary care and food preparation. We also ran into Baloo from Junglebook and his friend. The girls showed signs of being tired, so we took them back to the car, where they fell asleep. We discussed earlier to surprise them with a trip to Cocoa Beach. It's about an hour drive from Orlando, and is located on a barrier island nestled between the great Atlantic Ocean and the Banana River Lagoon on Florida's Central East Coast. Cocoa Beach continues to link the birth of the Space Age with the wonder of the future. When they woke up from their nap, and were told where we were going, the car rocked with excitement the rest of the way there. We spent some time in the water, playing in the sand, looking for perfect shells and enjoying the beautiful scenery. We could see Cape Canaveral across the water at a distance. The ride back to the bungalow was sticky and sandy, but we survived.
"WONDERFUL WEDNESDAY"
We decided to get breakfast on the way to Magic Kingdom in order to arrive at the park early in hopes of seeing many characters. WOW, what a day !!!!! We saw Sleeping Beauty, Daisy Duck, Pinocchio, Baloo, The Easter Rabbit, Lion King, A Country Bear, A Fox and two of his friends, Cinderella and Mary the Mouse, Chip and Dale, Minnie Mouse, Ariel, Mary Poppins and several more we didn't know. At one point, Hannah was going to return to her stroller, only to find Chip sitting in it holding Raggedy Ann !!! That was a funny moment !!!! We finished just in time to grab our seats for the Share A Dream come True Parade that celebrates Disney magic and "a dream come true." An interactive parade, which has floats shaped like snowglobes, as well as every Disney character imaginable. We ended the day with Daddy surprising all of us to a nice steak dinner at the Black Angus Restaurant complete with a wonderful dessert topped with cherries !! We returned to Magic Kingdom that evening to view the spectacular, state-of-the-art pyrotechnic extravaganza, fireworks display with the best seats in the Kingdom. We watched as Tinker Bell flew from the top of Cinderella's Castle down to Main Street USA. We also enjoyed the SpectroMagic Parade complete with fiber-optic cable and threads that are the conduits for shimmering lights that create everything from the "hair" on King Triton's beard on one float to the daisy petals on another. Some 600,000 miniature bulbs light up in wild, changing patterns, moving in perfect concert with sound effects and musical score. A must see !!!!! Before calling it a night, we went to Tomorrowland to ride Buzz Lightyear's Space Ranger Spin. Fully equipped with a joystick that allows riders to maneuver the ship, arcing from side to side or spinning in circles while trying to save the toy universe with dual laser cannons. Lots of fun !!!
"TERRIFIC THURSDAY"
We returned to Magic Kingdom with our first stop being Adventureland. We rode on a Jungle Cruise where Hannah and Jordan were honorary captains of the ship. We went through surroundings as diverse as a Southeast Asian jungle, the Nile Valley and an Amazon rain forest. Lots of fun !!! We walked over to the Magic Carpets of Aladdin and rode on a flying carpet and then boarded The Pirates of the Caribbean ride were we boarded a small boat and set sail for a series of scenes showing a pirate raid on a Caribbean town. Lots of special effects and Aunt Darlene's favorite !! We walked over to Frontierland where we rode Big Thunder Mountain Railroad. A rollercoaster that's known as the "wildest ride in the wilderness." Lots of fun !! The last ride we rode this day was located in Liberty Square and is known as The Haunted Mansion. This haunted house steers clear of anything too terrifying. We rode on a "Doom Buggy" through the mansion. Exceptional special effects !!!! A must see !!! We found shelter from a passing rain shower where we passed time eating funnel cakes and enjoying each others company. Daddy bought the girls each an umbrella and had them personalized with their names on them. They are the prettiest umbrellas I've ever seen. They resemble Mary Poppins frilly white umbrella complete with ruffles. The girls loved them. We also enjoyed a little shopping. The girls had so much fun as they carefully examined and decided on all the special items they wanted to buy. We returned to the bungalow to rest a short while before leaving again to attend a Christmas party at GKTW. Yes, a Christmas party in April !!!! Complete with all the trimmings, presents and Mr. and Mrs. Claus. What a fulfilled evening !!!!
"FANTASTIC FRIDAY"
We returned to GKTW village one last time for a wonderful breakfast and a photo opportunity with Barney, Baby Bop and B.J. We decided to spend our last day at Universal Studios where we participated in a real working film and TV production of Nickelodeon. We ventured on to experience SHREK 4-D where we actually got to "feel" the action !! A must see !!!!! We decided to call it an early day at the park and return to the bungalow to enjoy the swimming pool with the girls. Paw Paw joined Aunt Darlene and I as we cooled off in the pool and enjoyed watching the girls swim. B stayed at the bungalow to get an early start on packing as Tim ran some last minute errands. We closed the day with pizza, a warm bath, and the reality of going home the next day !!!!!
"SEE-YA"......SATURDAY"
The end of a wonderful week was staring us in the face as we prepared to return home. No, it wasn't a sad day, quite the contrary. When we first arrived at Walt Disney World, it was love at first sight, and we'll return again and again. Not only did we pack our our belongings, we packed memories that will last a life time during our visit to the memory-making capital of the world. I'm sure that we left a little of ourselves behind with those whom we came in contact with during our stay. They watched and learned of a family, who has embraced life, even with the cards we were dealt, with an undeniable, unshakeable, unbreakable bond of love, that not even cancer can take away and with knowing that, we left with the same smiles we arrived with.
"SURPRISE SUNDAY"
Another surprise.........why not !! Easter day is a special day that we celebrate Christ and explain to the girls the true meaning of Easter, which is Jesus Christ. Then, we visit Paw Paw and B's house for a wonderful dinner and some fun !! The day is filled with Easter egg hunting and a visit from the Easter Bunny !!!!! Once again, the Easter Bunny (Aunt Debbie) made his/her way to Paw Paw and B's house with beautiful baskets for the girls. Once again, they were amazed that the Easter bunny found them. More memories were made to cherish this day. We shared stories of our trip as we listened to Uncle Mike and Aunt Debbie's fun time they had at NASCAR. We ended our day with thankful hearts and two extremely exhausted little girls.
Saturday, April 3, 2004 6:11 PM CST
SSSSSHHHHHHHHHH !!!!!!!!!!!!!
I have a BIG secret that we want to share with all of you !!!!!!!!!!
IT'S A SURPRISE !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Hannah is going to the most enchanting part of the world !!!!!!!
A whimsical place where storybook fantasy turns into everyday reality !!!!!!!
A world where magic, star fairies and wishes really DO come true !!!!!!!
There's Cinderella, Winnie the Pooh and Mickey Mouse, just to name a few !!!!!!!
WE'RE GOING TO DISNEY WORLD !!!!!!!
MAKE * A * WISH Foundation of the Texas Gulf Coast, Inc., www.wish.org has granted Hannah's wish.
Dear Family and Friends,
Because Hannah and Jordan are not aware of this special trip, preparing to pack has been quite a task. I told them 10 days ago, they would be receiving a "special surprise." Not having a clue, when asking Jordan what she thinks the "special surprise" is, she replies," A swimming pool !! " When you ask Hannah, she replies, " I'm not going to tell you what it is !! " Too funny.
PREPARATION FOR THE BIG DAY
For any of you that have had the opportunity to meet little Hannah, or for those of you who actually know her, when you see Hannah, you'll see her favorite Raggedy Ann in tow with her. Since diagnosis, every procedure that Hannah has had, Raggedy Ann has also had. Scans, shots, placement of Hannah's central line, surgeries, chemo, blood product infusions, radiation, you name it, Raggedy Ann had it too. Well, it had taken a toll on the poor doll and it was time for her to get a face lift. She actually had holes on the face where she was literally worn out. I had to do a lot of talking, but finally convinced Hannah to make an appointment for her baby to see the doctor.
I took Hannah to Raggedy Ann's doctor's office where she was to meet her baby's doctor. www.4theloveofdolls.com a/k/a The Doll Company.
It is a delightful place, complete with wall to wall dolls. We met an "angel" named Ouida. A precious lady who was so compassionate to Hannah's needs. She examined Raggedy Ann's face, traced it on a piece of paper, advised us that she would hand sew a new face on a piece of material, then, would hand sew the new face directly on top of Raggedy Ann's old face. This set well with Hannah, as there was to be NO cutting on HER baby. Ouida told us it would be ready in a couple of days. Hannah happily agreed, as she was prepared NOT to leave her baby overnight.
We got the call.......IT'S READY !!!!! After an hour and a half of talking again, Hannah agreed to leave Raggedy Ann for two hours for "Dr.Ouida" to perform a face lift on her precious baby as we would venture off to the mall while the procedure was taking place. Oh, did I mention the other part of our conversation while convincing Hannah to "leave" Raggedy Ann? We agreed, we would purchase a "new dress" for her special surprise coming up. Everything went down without a hitch......we left Raggedy Ann then Jordan, Hannah and I went to the mall. Two dresses, two pair of shoes, two pair of hose and two bows later, we got the call........IT'S READY !!!!!!!!!
As we walked into the "hospital," Hannah led the way in her cute, but very serious "strut" on a mission to get her baby. As "Dr. Ouida" gave Raggedy Ann back to Hannah, a smile as bright as the sunrise appeared on Hannah's face. Full of joy and relief to have her baby back in her arms once more, she proceeded to give "Dr. Ouida" a big hug and a precious "thank you." We've met yet another angel on earth, and her name is "OUIDA."
After pondering on what to take for the girls to wear on their "special surprise trip," I decided that if we were going to the happiest place on earth, their clothes should be nothing less and I knew just the answer........ZOODLES !!!!
I've got to have lots of ZOODLES. For any of you that have bought zoodles clothing for their children also know that beyond their happy and fun appearance, they aren't cheap. So I thought, E-BAY!!!!!!! Sure enough, I found lots and lots of zoodles at a reasonable price. Place bid, been outbidded, place bid, been outbidded again......this went on for six hours. I was determined to WIN that bid, and I did.
We met another angel, and her name is Debbi. Debbi is the lady on the other end of all the zoodles !!!! Since I'm not a "regular" buyer on E-BAY, I had no conception of how to pay for my recent purchases. Tim uses E-BAY occasionally to purchase automotive material for one of our businesses. Therefore, he had Pay-Pal set up, I just didn't know how to use it. It's now 10:00 p.m., on a Friday night, and in order to receive these zoodles, before our trip, I needed to make the payment that night in order for Debbi to be able to "rush" to the post office the next morning (she's in Ohio) to get them here in time. Conversing back and forth, via e-mail, she walked me through the system. It's now 1:00 a.m. and we were successful !!!!!!!
Monday afternoon, I received the package that held the perfect clothing, for the perfect trip !!!!!! I was so happy, I decided to e-mail Debbi to say thank you, once again. During our conversations, that late Friday night, as she so patiently helped me, not knowing "why" these clothes were "SO" important, I decided to tell her about the little girl, that would be sporting around Disney, in the zoodles that came from her. After a short introduction, I gave her Hannah's website address. Two days later I received an e-mail, sharing her feelings of how she was touched by little Hannah's journey. I also learned that she worked in pediatric oncology for a short time while earning her nursing degree. She informed me that she was sending, overnight, a "special" Zoodles outfit, as a gift, for Hannah's "special surprise trip." Yes, there are "earthly angels," and her name is Debbi.
Another special "angel" that we've met, dedicates most of her time, to the MAKE * A * WISH foundation as a volunteer. Her name is Nancy Boostrom and yes, she is another "earthly angel." She performs her volunteer work from the depths of her heart for these special children. Thank you so much for your relentless hours spent, in making this trip possible.
It's now 11 hours before the big day !!!!! When I awake Jordan and Hannah in the wee hours of the morning, 4:15a.m. to be exact, our flight leaves at 7:30a.m., to hear the sweet sound of their voices say, "Mommy, why are you waking us up so early???.......Mr. Sunshine isn't awake yet." My reply will be, "Rise and Shine girls, were going to Disney World !!" Let the fun begin.......................
They'll learn of part two of their "special surprise" when we arrive at the airport. Awaiting them, will be their most favorite people in the world. PawPaw, B and Aunt Darlene will be accompanying us on this very special trip. Uncle Mike and Aunt Debbie will not be attending, they are in Dallas at the NASCAR races. That's okay though, when we arrive back home, next weekend, the Easter Bunny (Aunt Debbie) will greet the girls just in time for Easter !!!! She dresses up in a bunny costume and hops around helping the girls find Easter eggs. What a great time it will be.
So, we're off......to create magical moments that we'll cherish forever. We'll spend time to "reconnect " as a family, sharing laughter, smiles, hugs and kisses. A land far away from cancer, or so it will seem.
Only By His Grace We Survive,
Tim, Brenda, Jordan and Hannah
Tuesday, March 23, 2004 6:00 AM CST
Thank You Lord for calloused knees,
As we hear the doctor say, "NO EVIDENCE OF DISEASE!"
Bless them Father, all who pray
It helps us get through every day.
Help us to remember that You are in control of each new day.
But most of all, Thank You for the privilege to pray.
By His Grace We Survive,
Tim, Brenda, Jordan and Hannah
Tuesday, March 2, 2004 6:13 PM CST
THE PRAYER
Lord, I'm not asking for riches and gold
It brings happiness to some, so I'm told
It's my little girl, Father, she's only three years old
I pray Lord, please let her grow old
This monster we're fighting, as You know
Could come back, this I'm told
Father, I pray, Your will be done
Her life on earth has just begun
Forgive me Father, my knees are weak
It's her scans, they're scheduled next week
This monster, this beast, is not Your will
Lord, I know You can heal
There's not many survivors of this disease
They're now running in heaven, happy and pain free
I beg You Lord, my life will You take
Surely, there must be a mistake
I'd trade places with her, I'd lay down my life
Please Lord, help her win this awful fight
Let her grow old and see all there is to see
She'll represent Your kingdom with dignity
Please heal this little girl of mine
To give others hope and a will to survive
At 22 months and in PICU
I asked her doctor, "What should I do?"
She said, "I want you to know your little girl better
as she will you, We'll try chemo, radiation and transplants too
but there's only so much we can do."
I fell to my knees in the halls of PICU
Desperately needing to speak with You
I prayed Lord, You can do so much more than that
You took the stripes on Your back
A gentleman passed by, from the Kangaroo Crew
Stopped and asked me, "What's wrong with you?"
It's my little girl, she's not well
As a matter of fact, I've just seen a glimpse of hell
Healed in the Name of Jesus, everyday we pray
Her sister asks,"Momma, why do you cry each day?"
If the Bible said it, so it's true
God will heal Hannah, for He knows, I need her too
My knees are callused, sometimes black and blue
Once more Lord, we come to You
The joy she brought to our hearts the day she was born
Then diagnosis, the day we mourned
Born so healthy and strong, the perfect image of You
Then something went wrong, and we fled to You
To be born again, CANCER FREE
Healed in the Name of Jesus, for the world to see
I stand on Your promises, this I know
Oh dear Lord, I love her so
I pray Your mercy over my child
I've only held her for awhile
As I listen to her heart beat
I feel her breath upon my cheek
I pray, Lord protect her next week.
Hannah's scans are scheduled for March 9th - 12th. We ask you to hold her in your prayers. We thank you for continuing to pray for our family, especially Hannah. Thank you for lifting us up when we feel as though we have no strength. Your prayers are felt each and every day. Jesus said if we are merciful to others, we will be shown mercy. Thank you for being a witness and a blessing to our family. We will update as soon as we obtain the results of the scans.
By His grace we survive,
Tim, Brenda, Jordan and Hannah
Tuesday, March 2, 2004 6:06 AM CST
THE PRAYER
Lord, I'm not asking for riches and gold
It brings happiness to some, I'm told
It's my little girl, she's only three years old
I pray Lord, let her grow old
This monster we're fighting, as You know
Could come back, this I'm told
Father, I pray, Your will be done
Her life has just begun
We have scans next week
Forgive me Father, my knees are weak
At 22 months and in PICU
I asked her doctor, "What should I do?"
She said, "I want you to know your little girl better
as she will you, We'll try chemo, radiation and transplants too
but there's only so much we can do."
I prayed Lord, You can do so much more than that
You took the stripes on Your back
My knees are callused, so many others too
Once more Lord, we come to You
The joy she brought to our hearts the day she was born
Then diagnosis, the day we mourned
Born so healthy and strong, the perfect image of You
Then something went wrong, we didn't know what to do
To be born again, CANCER FREE
Healed in the Name of Jesus, all will see
I stand on Your promises, this I know
Oh dear Lord, I love her so
I pray Your mercy over my child
I've only held her for awhile
As I listen to her heart beat
I feel her breath upon my cheek
I pray, Lord protect her next week.
Hannah's scans are scheduled for March 9th - 12th. We ask you to hold her in your prayers. We thank you for continuing to pray for our family, especially Hannah. Thank you for lifting us up when we feel as though we have no strength. Your prayers are felt each and every day. Jesus said if we are merciful to others, we will be shown mercy. Thank you for being a witness and a blessing to our family. We will update as soon as we obtain the results of the scans.
By His grace we survive,
Tim, Brenda, Jordan and Hannah
Wednesday, January 7, 2004 6:16 PM CST
The end of treatment............Such a bitter sweet moment.
Realizing that medical science has done all they can to fight this monster, known as Neuroblastoma IV. I don't know which is worst. Initial diagnosis.......treatment......or completion of treatment. There are no words to express the indescribable pain all three have caused our family.
What does the future hold? Same as the past, FAITH. Faith in God's Holy Word. He is the only reason we mentally, spiritually and medically have made it through this detour in life. I praise God for His creation of all the wonderful doctors and nurses at Texas Children's Hospital. Their knowledge and discernment could only be a gift from God. I pray that all the residents take their internship very seriously so that when they come face to face with Neuroblastoma, they will have the knowledge and discernment in detecting this horrible monster that our former pediatrician did not have.
One of my favorite promises that God has promised Hannah can be found in JEREMIAH 29:11
"For I know the plans I have for you," says the Lord. "They are plans for good and not evil, to give you a future and a hope."
Hannah had her central line removed. After the incision healed and the gauze was removed, the moment I saw my little girl without lines hanging down out of her chest, I was so moved. I'm having a hard time typing this because of the tears running down my face just as the tears fell when I saw my baby without her lines. They have become such a part of her over the treatment phase. It was such a blessing to see her look like a normal child once more. No more lines, only a scar left to tell the story of all the treatment, blood transfusions, sedations, and meds that traveled though those lines to enter into my little girls' body. Those lines, enabled us to feed her when she was not able to eat because her mouth was literally burned from the chemo. She was so proud to have them removed. For weeks, she would smile, lift up her shirt and show anyone who took the time to listen, stranger or not, "Look!" she said so proudly, "No more lines!"
She also endured extensive dental work having all her teeth capped due to enamel loss from the high doses of chemo she received during treatment. Once again, smiling she would show everyone her pretty teeth. She, by the grace of God, continues to remain NED (no evidence of disease) since her last scans that she had in December. She will have scans every three months with the next one scheduled for March. She and her sister Jordan, had the best Christmas and new year. She continues to smile, laugh and loves life and her family. She is truly an inspiration to us all. Please continue to pray for our little Hannah.
We would also like to ask you to pray for another precious little girl, Alex, who is battling the same monster as Hannah and has relapsed. If you would like to give her some words of encouragement her website is www.caringbridge.org/page/alexscott
She is also known for her lemonade stand that raises money for pediatric cancer research.
May God's blessings pour over you as He has so richly blessed us this new year.
Tim and Brenda
Thursday, October 30, 2003 5:26 PM CST
The Oncologist and the Gastroenterologist both confirmed that the findings from the biopsy is NOT neuroblastoma. THANK YOU JESUS !!! The uptake or glow that is showing up in her MIBG scan still remains inconclusive. They are working on what will be the next step for Hannah and should have a game plan by November 5th, which is our next clinic appointment. We will update as soon as the information is available.
Hannah continues to be happy. Smiling, dancing and singing throughout the house. As you can only imagine, brings heaven to earth for us. We are truly humbled by all the compassion shown for Hannah. Thank you for your continued prayer.
Blessings,
Tim and Brenda
Monday, October 20, 2003 7:20 PM CDT
Hannah had a second scan which remained unchanged from the previous one. They have decided to perform a biopsy using a scope. This scope will be inserted through her mouth down to her stomach. It will enable the doctors to see a closer view of the stomach area which is lighting up. This scope will also be able to deliver a sample of her stomach area and, in turn, will be sent to the pathology department for review. If they can obtain their results using this method, surgery will be prevented. She will be sent to OR for this procedure, which will take place Thursday, October 23rd. They mentioned that we should have the results the first of next week. We will update as soon as we obtain the results. Thank you for continued prayers for our little Hannah.
Blessings,
Tim and Brenda
Tuesday, September 30, 2003 9:35 PM CDT
We received a phone call tonight from Hannah's doctor. Six months ago, Hannah's MIBG scan showed "something" on the end of her gastrointestinal area near the stomach. We were immediately scheduled to see a Gastroenterologist. He asked us a few questions and decided that there was no need for further exploratory procedures at that time, we would watch "it."
For those of you who are not familiar with MIBG scans, I will briefly explain how the scan works. A nuclear dye is injected into Hannah's central line, which is fed directly into a vein, 24 hours before the actual test, the dye flows throughout the body and will attach to any neuroblastoma disease in her body. Neuroblastoma acts as a sponge and soaks up this dye so that when the scan is performed, the disease, if any, will light up, or glow.
During our meeting with Hannah's doctor a couple of weeks ago, after learning that her scans remained clear, she mentioned that she continues to see "something" around the gastrointestinal area near the stomach. "It" did not light up during the MIBG scan. She mentioned that she was not concerned about "it", didn't think "it" was tumor and, "it" has not grown since the last scans.
Being the wonderful doctor that she is, and, after pondering on this "something", she did not feel comfortable and contacted the Gastroenterologist once again. They decided that we should meet with him again to discuss this matter further. She also mentioned that after reviewing the most recent MIBG scan, Hannah's stomach area lit up during the scan but showed no signs of disease, the stomach area was "smooth" with no visible bumps or lumps. "Quite unusual," she said. Normally, if reoccurrence of the disease occurs, it's not in the stomach area. The "something" that has been visible from the last two scans did not light up. So, she has requested for Hannah to take another MIBG scan that will be scheduled in the next few days.
Please pray that this "something" is "nothing." And let it remain a mystery as to why her stomach area lit up when they prayerfully show no evidence of disease in that area. Pray for discernment for all involved to come to a quick and positive conclusion to this matter.
Gently,
Tim and Brenda
Thursday, September 11, 2003 6:09 PM CDT
THANK YOU GOD FOR THE SOUNDS OF HANNAH
How do butterflies fly?
All the "whys" and the tears she cries
"I did it MOM" Look at me!!
When I grow up, "I wanna be....."
Kisses in the middle of the day
DADDY, please come and play
Toys lying all over the house
Trying to sneak out of bed, quiet as a mouse
For our evening meals
Healing a C-A-N-C-E-R that could kill
Tucking her in bed every night
Praying, Lord help us to win this fight
Watching her breathe......
Thank You God for:
NO EVIDENCE OF DISEASE!!!!!
On Wednesday, September 10, 2003, our Doctor informed us that Hannah remains with NO EVIDENCE OF DISEASE. Her scans were clear. She also informed us that Hannah will be having her line taken out before our next visit ,which is in one month. Thank you for fervently praying for our family as the fight continues.......................
Peace and His Blessings,
Tim, Brenda, Jordan and Hannah
Monday, September 1, 2003 12:35 AM CDT
Hannah continues to do well, Praise God!
Her 3 month scans will be held this week, September 3-5. Please pray for her to remain calm and to feel Jesus holding her in His arms as the tests are being performed, as her Mommy and Daddy can't. Please pray discernment with all the technicians, doctors and nurses that will be teaming to administer the testing. We will update as soon as we have the results.
Peace and His Blessings,
Tim and Brenda
Sunday, August 3, 2003 5:49 PM CDT
God's Blessings continue to flow over Hannah as she continues with her vaccine treatment. She will receive a total of eight treatments. We will be receiving vaccine # 5 on Wednesday 8/13/03. She has had two biopsies, each one after the first and second vaccine. Her Doctor said they were clear. She continues the 100mg of Accutane daily, two weeks on, two weeks off. She will be scheduled for her Scans at the end of August or the first of September. These scans will confirm she continues to be in remission. We will update as soon as we receive those results.
We have been overwhelmed by support from our new neighbors. Recently, (Fathers Day Weekend) they decided to put together a benefit for Hannah. All the hard work, sweat and tears involved in planning, turned out to be a true success. Hannah met the fairy-tale princess, Cinderella, and went on a magical carriage ride with her. She was also serenaded by country western singer, Kevin Black. Local neighbors and merchants generously donated items and or services for the event. They raised $6000 for Hannah's medical bills. Cindy Chapman, coordinator for the event, was very pleased and moved by how the community pulled together to make the event a success.
Hannah's counts continue to recover from her transplants. We have not had a transfusion in quite awhile. Praise God!! Her Doctor allowed her to go to the circus while it was here. She had a great time but one could see the uncertainty in her eyes being "out in the world" again. She has also agreed to allow Hannah take dancing lessons. She will be in the same class as Jordan. We suspect that Hannah will be well taken care of by her "big" sister.
We praise God for our blessings and ask for you to continue to pray that Hannah stay in remission and that no side effects come upon her.
Blessings,
Tim and Brenda
Wednesday, June 4, 2003 8:38 PM CDT
Praise the Lord, after Bone Marrow Aspiration, Cat Scans and MIBG Scans Hannah's Doctor said she is now in remission!! The results of the fourth, a urine test will be in a couple weeks and she is sure it will be negative. As we understand it, based on most prior cases of neuroblastoma our Doctor knows this is a battle she cannot ease up on. She is agressively using all the weapons her experience gives her. We thank God for her!! We as Christian parents and believers in God's Word are not letting down on the faith God has placed in us and will continue to claim the healing scriptures and promises in His Word for Hannah.
Hannah will continue on high doses of Accutane over the next several months. Starting next week she will start a vaccine that was made from her cancer cells. I understand that they grew lots of cancer cells from this then removed the multiplying cancer gene, then they injected a gene to cause the cells to attack and kill any neuroblastoma cells it finds. This will be a weekly injection for approximately 8 weeks then monthly for a few months.
Hannah has been fed through her IV lines ever since diagnosis untill two weeks ago. She has been taken off that and is eating well, Praise the Lord!! Please pray and believe that Brenda and I stay strong in God's word and that Hannah will stay cancer free.
Blessings,
Tim and Brenda
Thursday, May 8, 2003 7:22 PM CDT
Happy Mothers Day to all of you precious Mothers.
Continue to love your children each day as if it were your last, for you do not know what tomorrow might bring.
Hannah completed 14 rounds of radiation today, each of which required her to be sedated. It was not easy but, with God's grace we survived! His blessings continue to cover Hannah as she did not experience any of the commonly known side effects related to this procedure. We are scheduled for follow up testing tentatively scheduled for May 28th & 29th. They will consist of a C.T. scan on the 28th and a M.I.B.G. on the 29th along with a urinalysis.
We have recently moved to what Hannah calls her "new house". It is so nice to be in a new home, we previously lived in a 50 year old house. The best part of our recent move is that we are only 10 minutes from B and Paw-Paw's house. Our new neighbors have been so generous and compassionate. Cindy, our street coordinator, scheduled a dinner to be prepared and delivered to our house each night during our radiation treatments. What a blessing that was and a great way to meet our new neighbors. A few days before Easter Jordan and Hannah each received a basket full of goodies from Cindy, Shari, Melissa and Karen as a "welcome to the neighborhood" gift.
Our Easter was wonderful. It began with Tim and Jordan attending Church to celebrate Jesus' resurrection. B and Paw-Paw bought the girls beautiful Easter dresses. They looked like Angels. The Easter Bunny ( Aunt Debbie) also visited the girls! Their Easter egg hunt followed the visit, the eggs were full of jewelry for the girls. We had a wonderful dinner followed by a Easter egg hunt for the big kids!! Paw-Paw hides 100 plastic eggs filled with cash!! We closed the day thanking God for blessing us with such a wonderful family. Please continue to pray and believe for God's mercy on our little Hannah.
Blessings,
Tim and Brenda
Tuesday, April 8, 2003 2:36 PM CDT
Friends and Family,
Hannah went to the doctor today and found out that live neuroblastoma cells had shown up in a urine test they did last week. Also they had suspected some from the mibg scan they had done a while back along with evidence of soft tissue. They have decided to go ahead and start radiation on the primary tumor site even though her counts are not as high as they had hoped. They will transfuse her as necessary. Please pray with faith that this cancer will die and leave her and lets join together in faith and see Hannah as healed. Hebrews 11:1 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. We need a miracle and know that Jesus has always been in the miracle business. The bible says Jesus is the same yesterday, today and forever. Thanks for your faithfulness to pray in faith with us. God please have mercy on our little Hannah.
Blessings,
Tim and Brenda
Friday, March 21, 2003 9:18 AM CST
As our country is at war, we can't help to think of our soldiers who left their families with so many uncertainties, questions and heartbreak. Never knowing what is around the next corner, never knowing what will happen minute to minute, day to day. We can only compare it to our personal "WAR" with C-A-N-C-E-R and all of its' baggage that seems to comes along with it. Hannah had a hearing test yesterday to determine possible hearing loss from the intensive treatments she has had. After sedation, the Audiologist went to work. Placing probes on Hannah's head and lines in her ears, we waited as the doctor performed the test. Two hours had passed when she stood up and said, "I'll be right back" then left the room. Upon reentering, she pulled up a chair and said, "I have some bad news, Hannah has lost approximately fifty percent of her hearing and will need hearing aids." As tears filled our eyes, we began asking several questions. She mentioned that Hannah's hearing could get worse and would most likely need speech therapy. Still not convinced, we addressed the accuracy of the test. The doctor followed with she would be retesting to reevaluate Hannah's condition in the future. The last words she spoke to us was as follows. "There have been "medical mysteries" in the past where suddenly a child that was diagnosed with hearing loss, has "mysteriously" regained all hearing. We smiled and said, "thank you." What the doctor called "medical mysteries" we know as "God's miracles or God's promises." We continue to stand in faith that Hannah is healed and that we don't have "partial remission" we are in "FULL" remission. Also, we believe that she does NOT have any hearing loss and are waiting for it to show in the next test that is performed on her along with the next tests that detect cancer, THEY WILL BE CLEAR. We continue to be at "WAR" for Hannah and our greatest weapon against this cancer and hearing loss is GOD, along with His promises that he left for all of us. We continue to ask all "Prayer Warriors" for continued prayer for Hannah. Be strong and stand FIRM on THE WORD. As we cry out, we still cling to the Lord. God Bless Hannah and all of you, and May God Bless our troops.
Blessings,
Tim and Brenda
Thursday, March 20, 2003 8:14 AM CST
Friends and Family,
We were released from the BMT follow up treatment center Monday and will resume treatment under her primary Doctors care back at the Hemo-Onc Clinic. She began taking Accutane on Monday. She has to take a 40mg pill in the morning and a 40 & a 20mg pill in the evening. Please continue to pray for us as this process is very difficult but crucial for Hannah's treatment. Hannah continues to be happy and active and it is a joy to be her parents.
Blessings,
Tim and Brenda
Monday, March 3, 2003 1:41 PM CST
Praise God the treatment is working.... Hannah's Doctor said she is very pleased with all the test results and she is in partial remission. We will begin the next phase of treatment as soon as Hannah's platelets are stable. We continue to believe God for total healing.
Tim and Brenda
Tuesday, February 25, 2003 9:21 AM CST
Hannah continues to feel wonderful! She is playing (and fighting) with Jordan just as a 2 1/2 year old should!! God has gifted her with the most precious disposition. While praying with her the other night, Momma usually prays a sentence then Hannah repeats it. Same prayer, every night, and it sounds something like this.... Thank you Jesus, for healing me, and protecting me, and making this cancer GO AWAY, and at that very moment, she looked at her Momma and said, "I don't have no cancer"..... I love you, Good night.... Praise God for such a little girl having so much faith, and a father who continually instills in her little mind that God has healed her. One of her favorite sayings is, "I wanna watch peeching" (preaching), thanks to Daddy having all TVs on TBN, most all the time.
She has an intensive week of testing this week to confirm remission with a follow up consultation with her Doctor on Monday to confirm results.
Please continue to pray for Hannah with the faith that she has demonstrated while praying, "I don't have no cancer."
May God continually bless all of you as He daily shows us His blessings.
Tim,Brenda,Jordan & Hannah
Thursday, February 6, 2003 10:04 PM CST
Dear Friends and Family,
Hannah is home!!! We are so happy once again to all be together as a family with Jordan. May God bless B and Paw Paw for taking care of her during our long hospital stays. This last Hospital stay was rather rough however, we can't imagine any stay watching your child go through what Hannah does get any easier with time, you just find yourself praying more and He alone gives us strength, far beyond any human strength. We are scheduled for tests in the next week or so to check Hannah's progress and to confirm she is in remission. She will also receive a hearing test. Our prayer is that each and everyone of you pray for Hannah's tests to return NED ( no evidence of disease ) now and always. She is such a happy little girl and will make a great soldier for Christ.
Blessings,
Tim and Brenda
Thursday, January 23, 2003 at 03:00 PM (CST)
Friends and Family,
The last week and a half has been a week of healing and a few bumps in the road. Last Monday upon awakening, we were transported to PICU for low blood pressure issues and kidney problems. After two days we were released back to the eighth floor. We are presently battling fever issues. When a fever persists and no answers are generated from cultures, the staff begins protecting the child with antifungal medicines. We had a CT scan yesterday on the head, abdomen and chest area and found nothing abnormal ( Praise God! ) We are beginning to see more smiles from our little Hannah as she slowly begins to recover from this round. As always, thank you for continuing in prayer to our Heavenly Father for Hannah and standing firm and bold before our Lord for healing and comfort.
Blessings,
Tim and Brenda
Monday, January 13, 2003 at 11:37 PM (CST)
Friends and Family,
Hannah has successfully made it through this week of rigorous treatments. We are now entering day nine which is most difficult for us as parents and our little Hannah. When Hannah was diagnosed we knew we had to move fast and hard with this treatment plan and, in some way we are ok with all the chemicals we have to watch as they administer them to our baby to kill this terrible cancer however, there is one thing we'll never be use to seeing, how it literally steals her happiness for the next ten days. She still tries to do the things she usually does but just can't. We can only imagine what she is thinking as to why she is not able. This time will pass and we will see her smiles again although it is heartbreaking to watch. We were told that her primary doctor would visit us this week to discuss the next steps with her treatment. Until then, please continue to pray for little Hannah as she needs comfort and peace as she fights this cancer.
Blessings,
Tim and Brenda
Saturday, January 04, 2003 at 09:25 PM (CST)
Friends and Family,
Hannah is scheduled to go into the hospital tommorow, Sunday, Jan 5th. She will begin with 3 days of high dose chemo (Melphalan) and finish with stem cell rescue (bone marrow transplant). We pray she does not get any af the common side effects such as nausea and mouth sores or the less common side effects such as kidney or bladder damage, lung damage, rash, chest pain, or low blood pressure. Then the next three days she will be transported twice a day, for a total of 6 treatments, to MD Anderson for full body radiation. She will be in a room by herself while the procedure is being administered. Brenda and I will be able to watch her by a monitor. We pray she does not get any of the side effects such as nausea, diarrhea, mouth and throat sores, infection and bleeding, fever, difficulty breathing, eye cataracts, sterility, hormone deficiency, hypothyroidism, risk of second cancer, neurocognitive deficiency or major organ damage. This upcoming visit has been very difficult to prepare for. She has been such a blessing to have at home and it has been so joyous to be a family again with Jordan. Our faith remains high as the medical field reaches their closure in this initial treatment as to what they are able to do for Hannah in keeping this cancer away without relapse. Please, please, keep the prayers going along with us and stand FIRM in agreement that God will heal Hannah and His Word is not void. Please pray for Brenda and I to remain strong for Hannah. Once again, thank you for all of your continous prayers and may God bless all of you.
Blessings,
Tim and Brenda
Sunday, December 29, 2002 at 09:25 PM (CST)
Friends and Family,
As we approach the time to be readmitted into the hospital for Hannah's second round of high dose chemo with full body radiation and stem cell rescue (bone marrow transplant), we also close, by the Grace of God a wonderful stay at home with Hannah and Jordan as a family. We had the most blessed Christmas that one could ever pray for. Thank you Jesus for allowing us to have Hannah with us. We have an appointment on Tuesday (12/31/02) at M.D.Anderson for our radiation consultation. They will talk to us about all side effects and plan to place marks on Hannah for the radiation procedure. We report to Clinic after completing our consultation for routine blood work and a check up. Hannah remains happy and full of life. We will update her website on or around Thursday with specific prayer requests. Thanking all of you in advance for fervently remaining in prayer for our little Hannah.
Blessings,
Tim and Brenda
Monday, December 23, 2002 at 08:56 AM (CST)
Praise God, Hannah is doing great. Our last clinic appointment (12-18-02) brought good news! No platelets or blood needed: her counts are coming up on their own. We have an appointment today, with expectations to here the same. God is good!! Hannah has been enjoying going to Paw Paw and B's. They made Christmas cookies and enjoyed hours of play. She also has been helping Mommy wrap presents asking, "Is this one mine?". She was able to open a few early presents sent from her sisters, Ilea and Hallie in Florida. Her Uncle Danny and Aunt Susan came by yesterday with more presents to enjoy.
May you have the gladness of Christmas which is Hope.
The Spirit of Christmas which is Peace.
The heart of Christmas which is Love.
Blessings,
Tim and Brenda
Sunday, December 22, 2002 at 09:05 PM (CST)
Friends and Family,
Praise God Hannah is doing great. Our last clinic appointment (12-18-02) brought good news! No platelets or blood needed: Her counts are coming up on their own. We have an appointment tomorrow, with expectations to hear the same. God is good! Hannah has been enjoying going to B's, making Christmas cookies, helping Mom wrap presents and opening a few early presents sent from her sisters in Florida Ilea and Hallie and Uncle Danny and Aunt Susan brought over some presents today.
May you have the gladness of Christmas which is hope, the Spirit of Christmas which is peace, the heart of Christmas which is love.
Blessings,
Tim and Brenda
Sunday, December 15, 2002 at 09:37 PM (CST)
Praise God Hannah has had another great week. We did have to spend all day at clinic Monday for red blood cells and Thursday for platelets but maybe this week we will not need any as we will go back again Monday and Thursday. The doctors changed our schedule to go back in the hospital to January 3rd. Thanks for your faithfulness to pray for Hannah and us as God directs you to.
Blessings,
Tim
Sunday, December 08, 2002 at 10:38 PM (CST)
Hannah got out of the hospital Thursday 12/5/02 and is doing great. She is supposed to go back in for chemo, full body radiation and stem cell transplant around 12/26/02. To watch her you would never know she has gone through the things she has. She is so active and normal right now which is the way we see her now and forever. We call Hannah the mother to many just as they called Abraham even when it looked like he was not. During the chemo times it looks as if Hannah is not going to be healthy but we see her different, knowing we will get through these times. Please continue to have faith and believe for the cancer to completely leave her body and that the chemo have no side effects towards her. Pray that her organs stay healthy now and forever. Pray for Brenda and I to stay in unity and for God to give us endurance and wisdom.
Blessings,
Tim
Sunday, December 01, 2002 at 06:30 PM (CST)
As we near a close to this hospital stay, Hannah is doing great. Praise God! We are addressing a couple of issues that will only take time to resolve. Her counts are above normal with the help of her GCSF shots which they discontinued today. The doctors expect for them to drop within the next week with plans that her own bone marrow take over and start working on its own. We are looking forward to returning home to be a family again with Jordan for a couple of weeks, then back again for round two. Thank you for your continous prayers and support.
Blessings,
Tim and Brenda
Monday, November 25, 2002 at 05:59 PM (CST)
Happy Thanksgiving,
During this Thanksgiving week we have many things to be thankful for. The two that come to mind are our family and friends and we thank God for each and every one of you every day. It has been a rough last few days. Hannah has Mucositis (inflamation and sores) from her mouth to her mid-section. Her mouth has been bleeding; but today it started bleeding quite a lot and when she urinates she screams. We have to swab her mouth out every 2-3 hours and that is very painful. Hannah's blood counts have been all the way down and are expected to be so for a few days. They have her on a assortment of antibiotics and antifungals which they change up for various reasons and some have different side effects like the chemos.
Blessings to you and yours during this thanksgiving time,
Tim and Brenda
Some Meaningful Helpful Scriptures
New International Version
Psalm 28:6-7 Praise be to the Lord, for he has heard my cry for mercy. The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him, and I am helped. My heart leaps for joy and I will give thanks to him in song.
Psalm 139:14 I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.
Jeremiah 29:11-13 "... For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. ..."
Monday, November 18, 2002 at 11:06 PM (CST)
Friends and Family,
Hannah finished her chemo yesterday 11/17/02. The stem cell transplant will be tomorrow and we pray and believe for her body not to reject her stem cells and for her blood counts to start coming back up soon. She has done great but did vomit a lot Saturday and Sunday. Praise God that today she has vomited a lot less. Today she smiled some and played in the playroom etc. She walked for the first time in a few days. She truly enjoys riding in her wagon on our floor taking in all that is around her, mostly the people. She is always a happy hit with the nurses and staff playing peek a boo and tickle bug.
As before, we truly thank you for your faithfulness upon bringing Hannah to the Lord in prayer and petition. We give thanks and praise to Jesus our Savior for all he is doing and has done in Hannah's and our lives in these trying times. We also praise God that she has no mouth sores or any other bad side effects from this high dose chemo at this time and pray that none come upon her.
We continue claiming complete healing over our sweet, brave Hannah. We are believing that her cells start functioning normal and all the cancer cells die now and forever. Thank you for coming into agreement with us that Hannah will continue to beat this cancer!
Blessings and love,
Tim and Brenda
Tuesday, November 12, 2002 at 11:28 PM (CST)
Family and Friends,
As before, we truly thank you for your faithfulness upon bringing Hannah to the Lord in prayer and petition. We give thanks and praise to Jesus our Savior for all he is doing and has done in Hannah's and our lives in these trying times. We were admitted to Texas Children's Monday 11/10/02. Today they did a kidney test "GFR" to make sure her kidney is operating correctly. The Doctors plan on starting the 6 days of High Dose Chemo tommorrow, 11/12/02. After a day of rest they will perform the stem cell transplant. The GM-CSF shots will begin and continue for about a week until the white blood cells build back up. Until the stem cells restore safe levels of blood cells, Hannah will need to be hospitalized. This treatment process may require 3-4 weeks or longer.
The three Chemo's being used have been administered to Hannah in the past and they are (1) Etoposide (VP16), Toxicity: Bone marrow suppression causing low platelet and white cell counts. Adverse reactions include hypo tension or low blood pressure, decrease in ability to fight or control infection, fever, chills, allergic reaction, loss of hair, Chemical phlebitis at the injection site, secondary leukemia. (2) Carboplatin, Toxicity: lowering of blood counts, nausea, vomiting, hearing loss, renal toxicity, liver dysfunction, hyponatremia, interstitial pneumonitis, amenorrhea, weight loss, fever, dizziness, blurred vision, nerve injury, gross hematuria and hepatic veno-occlusive disease are rare toxicities. (3) Cyclophosphamide, Toxicity: Bone marrow suppression, mainly low white blood cell count, bleeding from the bladder, killing of heart muscle cells and heart failure, transiently blurred vision, cardiac toxicity, irregular heart rate, anorexia, nausea & vomiting, loss of hair, imbalance of body salts, which may cause seizures or convulsions, immunosuppression, and gonadal suppression with associated sterility. Pulmonary fibrosis is rare. In addition to these risks, one of the major side effects of the stem cell transplant is the possibility of life-threatening infection and bleeding. To limit the risk of infection, Hannah will remain in a special hospital room until blood counts return to safe levels. There is also a small risk of organ damage, especially to liver and kidney, with an even smaller risk to the heart and lungs. Though rare, the kidney damage can be severe enough to require dialysis. The liver damage can also be severe, resulting in jaundice and, occasionally, complete failure of the liver function. There is a chance that the stem cells may contain tumor cells that have not been detected. These cells could result in the tumor coming back.
As mentioned in past updates, we claim complete healing over our sweet, brave Hannah. We are believing that her cells start functioning normal and all the cancer cells die now and forever. We ask that you come into agreement with us that Hannah will continue to beat this cancer!
Blessings to you and your family,
Tim and Brenda
Thursday, November 07, 2002 at 08:07 PM (CST)
Family & Friends,
Praise God for all our blessings! Thanks for your perseverance and prayers. We went to clinic today only to be told Hannah was not able to go in the hospital for treatment because her liver counts were 5 times higher than normal, probably due to the cold she has had. The concern is one of the chemo's could cause liver damage and the liver needs to be near normal. We go back in Monday to retest, Please exercise your faith and prayers with us in agreement that her liver counts will be back to normal by Monday so we can continue on our journey of complete healing. May God bless you and your family.
Blessings,
Tim & Brenda
Saturday, November 02, 2002 at 05:49 AM (CST)
Praise God Hannah is doing Great and she is acting as if she never had surgery or Cancer and that is the way we try to see her also. On Thursday October 31st we met with Hannah's Doctor to discuss the upcoming roadmap. Hannah will need another GFR test to test Kidney function before starting the High Dose Chemo and the Stem Cell Rescue. If that test can be scheduled before Thursday November 7th we will be admitted into the hospital on Thursday to begin the Chemo; if not we will be admitted on Wednesday to perform the GFR test.
One of the questions we had was when they separated the good stem cells from the bad ones that they had previously taken from her to use in the stem cell rescue, could there be a chance that any bad stem cells be in the good ones they plan on infusing back into her; and the answer was yes, possibly a few. We asked why not a donor with no cancer cells? The answer was, in the past when that was done the risk of infection of the recipient was much higher than re-infusing Hannah's own stem cells with hope that her good cells would fight any bad that might get in. Please, may we focus our prayers in agreement with faith that Hanna's good cells fight off the bad ones and that no bad ones even be infused into her in the Stem Cell Rescue or all the possible upcoming transfusions. And that all the Neuroblastoma cells visible and the ones that are known to hide be killed by this upcoming two rounds of High Dose Chemo. Pray that the natural God given process in her body that tells the cancer cells to undergo programmed cell death instead of dividing rapidly will take over as pre programmed by God!
Blessings,
Tim and Brenda
Tuesday, October 29, 2002 at 10:46 PM (CST)
Praise Jesus,
We thank you for your prayers, they sure made a difference! Hannah had a real rough night Monday night waking up every 5-15 minutes whining and wanting Brenda to hold her hand, so Brenda did not get any sleep and I got very little also.
Hannah slept better Tuesday night and needed a lot less morphine. Wednesday morning they removed her catheter and she was much more alert during the day and smiled for the first time since surgery. Thursday morning they removed the stomach pumping tube that went through her nose and she was able to start walking and go for wagon rides around the floor which she loves so much. She still could not have anything to eat or drink because of the kidney removal surgery Monday. She had a MIBG scan which took a couple of hours. This scan shows specifically neuroblastoma cells from a radioactive dye they injected Wednesday. Saturday morning Hannah enjoyed a harvest day party at the hospital, she enjoyed the clown, getting butterflies painted on her arm and getting prizes. We got to come home Monday evening and would have earlier except she vomited every morning and the doctors were worried that something might not be right from the surgery. Hindsight tells us some of it might have been withdrawal symptoms because she quit the morphine Thursday or Friday and we did not get her back on the methadone until Monday night. Praise God she has not vomited since Sunday morning. Also Hannah quit taking high blood pressure medicine Thursday 10/24/02 and Praise God her blood pressure has stayed under her perimeters. She has been on blood pressure medicine since June 8. Hannah has been eating and drinking real good the last couple of days. We give God all the praise and glory for the miracles going on in Hannah's body. Please come and stay in agreement with us in prayer and faith that Hannah be protected from any infections or sickness as she goes in for High Dose Chemo and Stem Cell Transplant. We go in Thursday for blood test and to find out more about what's going on.
Blessings to you,
Tim
Monday, October 21, 2002 at 08:57 PM (CDT)
Hannah went into surgery for the removal of the left over tumor on her left kidney at 11:15 am and they finished at 3:00 pm. Praise God it did not take 6 hours as we were told it could. Dr Brown said the tumor had shrunk to around 2" X 3" and it had started out around 4" X 6". He said that it was still real tight on the kidney and arteries so he had to remove the left kidney also. We pray for Hannah to recover quickly and that the pain go away soon. She is on a morphine pump again to control the pain. We pray that the other kidney grow to the size her body needs it to. They also did bone marrow aspirations from her right and left hips to see if there is still cancer cells in the bone marrow. We continue praying that any and all cancer cells die in Hannah's body.
Thanks for your faithfulness,
Tim and Brenda
Tuesday, October 15, 2002 at 10:23 PM (CDT)
Yesterday 10/14/02, things went rather smoothly during the kidney and heart test. Today we met with Dr. Russell and she told us the next few months could be real rough. Thursday 10/17/02, Hannah will be receiving the Bone & CT Scan. We are believing for nothing to show up as far as tumors, please join your faith with ours. The Doctors are thinking there will be tumor mass still at her kidney and plan on us going into the hospital for a 6 hour surgery monday 10/21/02 removing the remaining tumor and said it is possible they will need to remove the kidney if they can't separate the tumor from it. Hannah will be receiving an epidural for pain during surgery. We are believing for the tumor to be gone or completly separated from the kidney. Recovery time from the surgery will be around 1 week.
The first of November Hannah will go in for high dose chemo, total body radiation, and stem cell rescue. We can expect to be in hospital for 1 month then a couple weeks at home then right back for more high dose chemo and stem cell rescue with another month in the hospital. During this time there is a strong chance of infections. We pray that no infections and none of the side effects will come upon her and that the Lord give all the Doctors that will be treating Hannah all wisdom and discernment.
Thank you for your endurance and your prayers as we approach this critical time in our journey,
Tim & Brenda
Wednesday, October 09, 2002 at 07:42 PM (CDT)
Monday morning Hannah's ANC counts (which is the white blood cells that fight infection) finally came up a little bit. So we asked if we would be able to go home Tuesday and the doctor said it was a very slim chance but if we did some white blood cell dances around the room maybe. So she left and we prayed and left it alone. Tuesday when the doctor came in and told us the ANC was up enough to go home I said praise God! and told her we did not do any dances but that we prayed for them to come up! Hannah is doing fine and playing lots. Please pray also for Brenda and I that we stay strong for Hannah & Jordan as we continue this journey to complete healing. I heard Adrian Rogers say today on the radio that faith means confession that brings possession so we confess Hannah's full healing!
Tim
Friday, October 04, 2002 at 04:48 PM (CDT)
Praise God Hannah hasn't vomited since wed. morning, and her tempature hasn't spiked (101) since Wed. eve. Hannah was playing pretty good today in between naps. She will be getting red blood cells today and as her blood counts start coming back we will get to go home.
Following is something James Robinson with Life Outreach Ministries wrote that can help all our faith.
Many hurting people have been healed, received salvation, had relationships restored and their lives transformed through prayers lifted to the Lord through prayer.
Here are three insights that can help you increase your prayer power:
Pray Believing. Jesus said that if we pray believing, we will receive whatever we ask (Matthew 21:22). You my think, “That’s too good to be true.” If so, you have just revealed why your prayers will not be answered. You do not believe they will! Without faith, it is impossible to please God (Hebrews 11:6), and faith means choosing to believe. James 1:6-7 says doubters cannot expect to receive anything from God.
Pray Specifically. If we simply ask God to bless us, He will. But He wants us to know we are so special to Him we can ask Him for any desire of our hearts, whether great or small. The desire of His heart is to do for us whatever will let us see His gentle face and fill us with gratitude for His lovingkindess. Our God is dedicated to making real to us the abundant life Jesus purchased for us with His death on the cross. Hebrews 11:1 defines faith as the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. In the Greek, the nouns “substance” and “evidence” have a verbal quality. Translated literally, the verse would define faith as “the substancing of things hoped for, the evidencing of things not seen.” The things hoped for and the things not seen are promises of God. When you pray, believing, you are bringing something God has promised (arousing your hope) into reality, something you have not seen (though God has spoken of it to you) into the visible realm. What does this tell you about the power of prayer!
Pray Without Ceasing. This exhortation (1 Thessalonians 5:17) sounds impossible to obey. But it is not if we understand that prayer is actually a conversation between us and our heavenly Father. We are His fellow workers (1 Corinthians 3:9). If we are talking to Him as a fellow worker all day, we are praying constantly. And, if we are relying on Him in all that we do, we are living by faith, and our prayers are being answered.
Take one of these verses each day and ask God to make it real in your prayers and experience. Matthew 5:44; Romans 8:26; Ephesians 6:18; Colossians 4:3; 2 Thessalonians 3:1; 1 Timothy 2:8; James 5:16.
Pray for a better understanding of your prayer power and the boldness to use it.
Thanks,
Tim
Thursday, October 03, 2002 at 02:19 PM (CDT)
The Doctors just made their rounds and said there are three factors to consider before Hannah can go home. Her white blood cell count must be up, No fever for over 24 hours, and that the blood cultures not to have grown anything. This morning she had fever of 100.6 and she hasn't eaten anything since monday and is drinking very little. She is sleeping a little more than usual. We continue to pray that no side effects will come upon her. Thank you for agreeing with us in prayer and faith.
Tim
Thursday, October 03, 2002 at 01:27 AM (CDT)
Thanks for everyones concern and prayers for Hannah. Hannah started vomiting saturday but praise the Lord she has only been vomiting around once daily and prayerfully that will stop soon. She has not been eating very well either and none at all for two days. Wed. she had to get platelets at clinic, she is neutrapenic and her energy level has dropped quite a bit. Wed. evening as Brenda was starting dinner I checked her tempature and it was 101.1 which really means 102.1 because we take it under her arm. So we drop every thing we were doing and came to the Hospital Emergency room. In the emergency room they gave her two antibiotics, took some chest xrays and we got to our room around 1 am. Praise God Hannah's tempature was 98.6 when they took it at 1:30 am. Please join us in prayer that her tempature will stay down and all the side effects we mentioned in the previous journal entry will stay away. We pray that the chemo will only attack the cancer cells and we never stop believing in a supernatural miracle to be totally cancer free even before the upcoming test for Gods glory.
Tim And Brenda
Thursday, September 26, 2002 at 11:39 AM (CDT)
PRAISE GOD!!!!! We made it through round five of Chemo without any complications. Hannah's red blood cell count is going down as they expected so she will be receiving blood before we return home today. Please continue to pray against any side effects and for our upcoming appointments which has changed as follows:
The CT and Bone Scan has changed to October 17th and the MIBG has been rescheduled to October 23rd & 24th. The reasoning for the changes in these appointments, Dr. Russell wants to allow the Chemo time to work against the tumor to shrink before making the final decision for the surgical removal of any remaining tumor but please join us in prayer and believing that there will be no tumors remaining in Hannah and no need for surgery.
Hannah continues to have more happy moments than not and continues to bring smiles to those she comes in contact with. Hannah is looking forward to going home to be with Jordan and her own surroundings. Jordan is excited as well, however, her days spent at PaPa and B's are most enjoyable.
Brenda and I just wanted to let each and every one of you know how much we are being blessed by your prayers, concerns, and compassion for our family and pray that you and your families will be blessed also.
Tim & Brenda
Thursday, September 19, 2002 at 11:20 AM (CDT)
Friday 13th we went into clinic to see if Hannah's blood counts were up enough to go in for a scheduled three day chemowith admission in the Hospital. They were not so we went back Tuesday 17th and they still weren't. Today Thursday 19th same thing so we go back Monday 23rd and they should be by then. Today they were 59,000 but they need to be 75,000. The drugs being used for this round 5 are,Drug 1 VCR (Vincristine) with the common side effects of constipation,jaw pain,hair loss & irritation of nerves causing numbness and tingling of fingers and toes and muscle weakness. The less common side effects are drooping of the eyelids, blurred or double vision, fever and seizures. Drug 2 is CPM (cyclophosphamide) with possible side effects of allergic reactions (difficulty breathing; closing of the throat; swelling of the lips, tongue, or face; or hives); decreased bone marrow function and blood problems (extreme fatigue; easy bruising or bleeding; black, bloody or tarry stools; or signs of infection such as fever; chills, or sore throat); bladder problems; and others. Drug 3 Mesna with common side effects of bad taste in mouth, diarrhea and abdominal pain. The less common side effects are mild nausea, skin sensitivity, limb and joint pain and headache. Drug 4 Doxo (Doxorubicin) with the common side effects of nausea, hair loss, low blood counts 1-2 weeks after treatment and mouth sores. The less common side effects heart damage, nail beds may change color and texture. Drug 5 G-CSF which is the shot we give for ten days after chemo, with the common side effects of aches and pain in the bones or muscles, low grade fever, weakness, and diarrhea. The less common side effects are allergic reaction with shortness of breath and skin rash. We list these so we can pray specifically against any of these to come upon Hannah. We pray that her tumor cells will absorb these chemicals and die at the root and that her good cells will not absorb these chemicals. We also pray for a supernatural miracle that all the cancer cells and tumors be gone before the Ct and Bone Scan coming up next week.Thank you for standing with us in prayer and faith for a total healing in Hannah's body.
Thanks, Tim & Brenda
Thursday, September 12, 2002 at 11:35 AM (CDT)
Hannah will not go into hospital untill Tue. for her next round of chemo.
Tim
Wednesday, September 11, 2002 at 06:57 PM (CDT)
Hannah has had a great week and especially has enjoyed playing with her sister Jordan. Jordan seems to bring the "belly" laughter out of Hannah which is such a joy to watch. Tommorrow at 8 am Hannah goes to clinic and if her platelet count is back to normal we will go in the hospital for her 5th round of Chemo. The Chemo they will be using is Vincristine,Cyclophosphamide,Mesna & Doxorubicin. Pray that the tumor cells will absorb the chemo and die and that the good cells don't. Pray that the common and not so common side effects will not effect Hannah at all.
On Sept. 24 8:30 am Hannah goes in for a CT scan on her chest, abdoman and pelvis then she gets a complete bone scan which requires sedation. Oct. 2 at 1 pm she goes in for a injection of radioactive dye then the 3rd she gets a MIBG scan which looks specifically for neuroblastoma cells. This scan requires sedation. Oct. 14th at 7:30 am Hannah gets a GFR test which checks kidney function then she gets sedated for a echo cardiogram on her heart. Nov 11 at 1:30 she sees a Dentist to get her teeth checked. Nov 13th at 10 am she goes to Ophthalmology for a eye exam. She also needs a appointment with audiology for a hearing test which we have not got yet.
Thanks for your continued prayer, faith and support.
Tim & Brenda
Saturday, September 07, 2002 at 10:12 PM (CDT)
This past 1 1/2 weeks were rough on Hannah. She had to receive red blood cells two times and platelets four times. She vomited Monday-Thursday mostly at night. Praise God she hasn't since Thursday night.
Here is how our day at the clinic was Friday. We left our house at 7:15am and arrived at 8:15am, they drew blood around 9:30 and the results were back at 11:30 that we needed platelets. At 2:00pm they started premeds, Tylenol,and Benedryl. They started platelets at 2:30 but at 3:15 as they were almost through Hannah started getting a rash and bumps on her body, mostly her legs. They gave her Benedryl and Steroids and by 3:30 the reaction was cleared up.We left clinic at 4:10pm and got home around 5:15.
Please don't stop praying! The Bible says: Ask, and it shall be given you: seek, and you shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you. (Matthew 7:7) Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching there unto with all perseverance and supplication. (Ephesians 6:18) The effectual fervant prayer of a righteous man availeth much.(James 5:16)
Pray for Hannah that the tumors completly leave her body without any trace left. That her appettite and thirst increases to normal, that her blood pressure stays down. Over the next two weeks Hannah will have over seven test I'll tell you more about them next week as I learn. Pray that we get supernatural results. And pray for Brenda, Jordan and myself as we endure the pain with Hannah. Pray that our faith stay strong. Pray that we can show and Jordan can receive the love she needs from us. Pray that Brenda and I keep our communication, forgiveness and servant spirit with each other.
Thanks for caring and
Thanks for praying
Tim
Tuesday, September 03, 2002 at 1:25 PM (CDT)
Hannah has been happy, playing & interacting with the nurses all morning! She is sitting in the window placing cling on cinderella and cats & dogs as I am typing this. We just got back from her walking a whole lot and playing in the playroom. Praise God we will get to go home tommorrow. Hannah ate three or four ice chips earlier and one bite mashed potatoes and hopefully she will start eating even better than before. Sometimes we hear people say if it is God's will for healing it will happen, I am building my faith on Jesus who never refused to heal those who seeked Him and He said He is the same yesterday, today, and tommorrow. He gave us plenty of examples of healing miracles but He never gave us any examples of His not being willing to heal. He always told those who asked Him if He was willing to heal yesssss! So build your faith along with me and do not waver but stand strong. Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen Heb. 11-1. So we have our substance and our evidence! Praise God!
Thanks,
Tim
Monday, September 02, 2002 at 02:10 PM (CDT)
Praise God! Hannah was her happy self again last night starting around 8:30. She has not vomited since sat! And she hasn't had fever since Sunday early morning! I have to admit I prayed the prayer ok God this is it last chance to show your stuff or we are going to have to take Amphotericin! Well our prayers were answered. Let us still agree in prayer that these tumors will dry up at the root and be gone forever! I praise our Lord and Saviour for the time He has allowed us to be with precious Hannah and considering me worthy to pray for her.
Hannah has had less energy today, Pray that it will return along with her appetite and thirst.
Tim
Sunday, September 01, 2002 at 11:36 AM (CDT)
Yesterday Hannah had to have platelets and today she will receive red blood cells. The Doctors are discussing giving Hannah a antifungal medicine that is known to have bad side effects half the time. If her tempature goes down without tylenol she will not have to . They usually wait 5 days for something to grow in a culture but they want to start early. I ask you to pray that her tempature goes down and that she does not throw up any more. Yesterday she only threw up once, Praise God!
Saturday, August 31, 2002 at 09:20 AM (CDT)
Hannah vomited several times last night and this morning she had fever of 102.8. For the most part she just sleeps or lays around. She has not ate anything in a couple of days and has only drank a few times a day. We pray specifically that whatever is causing these things that they will break up and leave her body, please stand with us in prayer.
Thank you for your continued prayer,
Tim & Brenda
Thursday, August 29, 2002 at 08:17 PM (CDT)
After going for the blood work Tue Hannah received red blood cells and platelets Wed. Hannah started getting diarra Monday which turned to thin liquid yesterday. This morning when Hannah woke up she was lethargic and after talking to the Dr. they asked us to come in. They started treating her as if she has an infection or bacteria with three different antibiotics and decided to admit her in the hospital for observation for three days minimum. Hannah had to have more red blood cells after being admitted.We are in Tx Childrens room 922. Hannah has been sleeping most of the day. Today Hannah threw up big once. At one point they ordered we go to ICU because Hannah's feet were cold and they didn't think her blood was circulating good. But praise God less than a couple hours later her feet were hot and they cancelled!
I'm believing in prayer and faith for complete healing and that we get out of here quick! Thanks for standing with me.
Tim
Saturday, August 24, 2002 at 07:22 PM (CDT)
Thanks for the prayers and praise God for the work He is doing through them. Hannah had a really good week with the best day when Grammy (Bee) came over Friday on Grammy's birthday. Hannah is so jubliant around Bee!
Tuesday the first day of chemo we went in clinic at 7:30 am and everything went smooth. We were finished with chemo around 4:30 and was on this flush stuff for over a hour and Hannah started getting this bad rash and flush over most of her body. Praise God the staff was ready and for around 15 minuetes they were giving her shots of Benedryl & Hydrocordisone & flush. Then the nurse stayed in the room & monitered her breathing, which stayed normal Praise God. The rash went away in less than 1/2 hour!We go back in Tue for a blood test. We were told after the next round of Chemo (#5) they will do a evalution on the tumors ( if there is any left, (we are believing there will not be!) then they will make decisions on what's next. They say probably surgery to remove the left over tumor. Please stand in faith in agreement with us that they will not be any! Praise God we never had any vomiting and just a little nausea! Also Praise her appettite stayed about the same as it had been! And Praise our Heavenly Father that she had no energy loss at all if anything it got better! Please keep up the prayers that the other side effects stay away especially the mouth sores and that the cancer is healed and dried up like the fig tree in the name above all names Jesus Christ of Nazereth!
Tim
Monday, August 19, 2002 at 01:18 PM (CDT)
Tommorrow Hannah starts Chemo again. This round is for 3 days and will be done outpatient providing everything goes ok. 8/20 we go in at 8 am & 8/21 & 8/22 we go in at 9:30 am. There will be two chemo's used, #1-Carboplatin with the common side effects of "low blood counts" & "nausea/vomiting" and the less common side effects of "abnormal liver function tests" "kidney damage", "hearing loss" & "numbness in the fingers and toes". #2-Etoposide with the common side effects of "nausea/vomiting", "loss of appetite", "hair loss", "low blood counts", "decreased energy during week of treatment" & less common side effects of "mouth sores".
We write this not to claim that any of these things will happen but the opposite that they will not happen. Please pray specifically in agreement with us.
Thanks so much
Tim & Brenda
Sunday, August 18, 2002 at 06:33 PM (CDT)
Happy 2nd birthday, "Happy Hannah". And oh what a princess she is, literally. She wore a Cindrella dress, shoes and tiara for her special day. The house was also decorated appropriately. She received dancing Barney's, Raggedy Ann, clothes, savings bonds, Blues Clues games, make-up, fingernail polish, dress up shoes, rings, earrings, just to name a few. Her Bee and Paw Paw were here along with her Aunt Debbie and Uncle Mike, Aunt Darlene, Uncle Danny and Aunt Susan, Jordan, and Mr.Buddy stopped by. We all had a wonderful day, especially Hannah. She fell asleep in Bee's arms after opening all her gifts. She was so happy and had so much fun. We thank God everyday for her but mostly we thank Him for His promises He left us. We all stand together as one in agreement that He will heal her of this dreadful cancer and allow her to be another soldier for Christ. Thanks to Uncle Danny for taking some digital photos and should be posting them soon.
Brenda & Tim
Wednesday, August 14, 2002 at 08:31 PM (CDT)
I was asked about Hannah's prognosis and future teatment plans. Hannah has been diagnosed with stage 4 neuroblastoma, progressed in the bones. The medical field gives her around 5% chance of survival but praise God we are in the 5%!We have already been through 3 rounds of chemo. There is around three weeks rest between each round. Most chemo last for 5 days and require hospital stay. However the next round will be done outpatient. After 5 rounds Hannah will be revaluated. There will be possible surgery after 5 rounds. The neuroblastoma tumor on Hannah's left kidney started out approx 4" X 6". They say she also started out with a golf ball size in her belly and on her lower right lung. And numerous small ones from her head to her feet. Praise God after two rounds they shrunk over 25 % which the Dr. said was remarkable! They say she will get bone marrow transplant,stem cell transplant & radiation also. Of course we trust that Hannah is going to be fully healed. From what we have learned from other kids we have to beat it now and keep our faith that it don't come back! Please pray for Hannna's immune system to recover and stay strong, for the cancer cells to drink the chemo so they are destroyed and the good cells to not be harmed.
Tim & Brenda
Tuesday, August 13, 2002 at 02:23 PM (CDT)
Thanks to everyone for your prayers and concern. Hannah is doing real good. We came home from the hospital Wed. eve. praise God for what He has and is continuing to do! Brenda and I have had to learn to do all her care. Stuff like checking her temp and blood pressure 4 times a day.Washing out her mouth 4 times a day. Giving her Methadone 2 times daily, putting Bactroban anti bacterial where her former chest tube and her first central line was. We have to give her a laxitive so she doesn't get hard stool which could tear then cause infection. If she has high blood pressure we give her Niofedipine. Praise God she hasn't needed it since thur eve. The hardest thing we have to do is pull medicines out of four vials and inject them into the TPN bag. Then we hook two bags to two pumps for 12 hours a day. We have to test her urine each day for protien and ketone.Once a week a nurse comes and changes her central line dressing and also we have to change her blood presure patch on her arm once weekly. We have to go to Clinic twice a week the first visit we were there 4 hours then yesterday we were there 7 because Hannah had to have a blood transfusion. Hannah is eating and drinking a little but pray that she will increase.
Tim & Brenda
Tuesday, August 06, 2002 at 10:55 PM (CDT)
Hannah has had a great day. We did not get to go home as planned because we did not get the blood pressure machine to go home with.
We learned today that our next round of chemo can be done in clinic so please pray that Hannah does not get fever to cause us to come back in the hospital.
Please pray for Brenda and I as we try to get adjusted to all the changes we will have to deal with.
Thanks for your prayer and support.
Tim
Monday, August 05, 2002 at 03:15 PM (CDT)
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