|
||||||||||||
Click here to go back to the main page.
Monday, December 19, 2005 10:24 AM CST
Sometimes He lets the storm rage and calms His child.
Britney sent me this poem and I wanted to share it with all of you. Merry Christmas Court and Griffy. I hope it's everything you could have ever imagined and way more...
I see the countless Christmas trees,
Around the world below,
With tiny lights like Heaven’s stars
Reflecting on the snow.
The sight is so spectacular,
Please wipe away that tear,
For I’m spending Christmas,
With Jesus Christ this year.
I hear the many Christmas songs,
That people hold so dear,
But the sounds of music don’t compare,
With the Christmas choir up here.
I have no words to tell you,
The joy their voices bring,
For it is beyond description,
To hear the angels sing.
I know how much you miss me,
I see the pain inside your heart,
But I am not so far away,
We really aren’t apart. So be happy for me, dear ones,
You know I hold you dear
And be glad I’m spending Christmas,
With Jesus Christ this year.
I send you each a special gift,
From the heavenly home above,
I send you each a memory,
Of my undying love.
After all “Love” is a gift,
More precious than pure gold,
It was always most important,
In the stories Jesus told.
Please love and keep each other,
As my heavenly father said to do,
For I can’t count the blessings of love,
He has for each of you.
So have a Merry Christmas,
And wipe away that tear,
Remember, I’m spending Christmas,
With Jesus Christ this year.
Please sign the guestbook and let us know you were here. Peyton loves it when we read her what you wrote.
When we started this page, we were discouraged to find no other CaringBridge pages for CCSK kids--and then, we found Andy. His mom had a list of other sites for kids with CCSK, and sent us the link. I should have put this link up months ago...Bless you, Terry, for giving us a way this last year to check on these other amazing kids and their progress
The Strength of an Egg By
Juliet Freitag
Parents of children with cancer, or really any serious condition, are often referred to or viewed as having strength "like a rock." Albeit flattering, it isn't quite true.
It is more like the strength of an egg. An egg, you ask? Yes! If you'll think about it, you'll see my point. An egg has a polished, smooth outer appearance, with no cracks or weak spots visible. It seems almost inconceivable that the inside might not be so smooth or solid.
Most children, at some point are shown the famous egg trick. An egg set at just the right angle can withstand enormous amounts of pressure and cannot be cracked or broken. Yet the same egg, tapped gently at an ever slightly different angle, will break. The contents, once so neatly concealed, will come spilling out. The no longer perfect shell will be crushed. It looks so fragile that it seems inconceivable that it ever held any strength.
A rock, on the other hand, is solid all the way through. To break it is almost impossible. If you succeed, you will find that there is nothing inside but more rock.
It takes a lot more than pure hardness to hold the hand of hope. Parents of children with cancer are not solid all the way through. We hurt, we fear, we cry, we hope. It takes a very careful balancing act to keep the shell from being shattered. "Balancing an egg" while running a household, going for doctors' visits and hospital stays, keeping the family together, and holding on to the constantly unraveling ties of your sanity can be very tricky indeed! Occasionally, the angle will be off and the shell will break, shattering hope and all the neatly secured appearances of a truly fragile existence.
Unlike Humpty Dumpty, though, parents of kids with cancer will pick themselves up and put themselves back together again. OVER and OVER again...........
Thursday, December 1, 2005 4:04 PM CST
Sometimes He lets the storm rage and calms His child.
UPDATE: For those of you in the Dallas/Ft. Worth area, a local channel will be doing a news story on Courtney on Sunday night. Dale Hansens' Sport Special will profile the life Court led. It airs on channel 8, Sunday night at 10:25 pm.
I’ve been reading a wonderful book called “Feathers From My Nest”. It’s by a remarkable woman of God named Beth Moore. I’m a huge fan of her Bible studies so I picked this book up about a month ago and began reading. The book is a reflection of Beth’s life from the perspective of a mother whose children have left the nest.
Today, I began reflecting on the feathers from my nest…and bear with me as you read this. For many, this may not make much sense. Courtney and Griffin were not bore from my body, but they were my children. God released love in me for these two sweet souls that I could never have imagined. And long before I was ready, they left my nest. But they left behind such precious feathers that I walk through my house and pick up and marvel over. Let’s start with Griffin’s feathers:
We put wood floors in when Peyton was in treatment. We were desperate to rid our house of carpet because it harbors bacteria and germs are a nightmare in a child with no immune system. As a blessing, the house looks really nice, but that’s not what impressed Grif. Griffin’s first feather in my nest was that he walked in to our home the first time and told me that wood floors are the best floors to hip-hop dance on. And hip-hop skills did this cutie possess!! He took lessons while he still lived in LA. If that weren’t enough, he taught me some too. I had a long and distinguished (HA!) dance career when I was young. My parents put me in pink ballet shoes for the first time when I was two years old. I grew into tap shoes, jazz shoes, and drill team boots over the next 16 years. I hung up my dancing shoes at 19 when I traded up to wedding shoes. It had been a long time since anyone taught me a new kind of dance. Some days when I’m zipping around the house in my socks getting stuff cleaned or cooked, I’ll slide a bit on my wood floors and think of my precious little hip-hopper. I now have some pretty smooth moves for a 30-ish stay at home mom!
Another feather Griffin left in my nest were his sweet little boy clothes. We have girls in this house. Poor Dane is painfully aware of the overflow of estrogen in his kingdom on any day. For a while, we had boys. Loud, jumping, burping boys. And it was great. The day Griffy left us, he wore a bright yellow t-shirt. Later that day, he got sick, so he took a bath and put on his camouflage jammies. He got sick again, so he changed again. I put his clothes in the washer there on the 10th floor for the Oncology families to use. Hours later, Grif went to meet Jesus. In all that, we forgot about his clothes in the washer. One of Grif’s nurses found them, dried them and gave them to me. As you know, Courtney loved Griffin. She was devastated when he died. I took the bright yellow t-shirt, and made a pillow out of it. On the back, I wrote a Bible scripture. She carried it to every clinic visit, every hospital stay, and slept with it every night. We called it her “Griffin pillow”. She loved to hug it since it felt like she was hugging him. I still have the camo-jammies. They are tucked away in my cedar chest where the most precious of my feathers are. I get them out sometimes when I’m having a hard time. I lay them out on the floor and see how small they are and how cute he looked in them. I know Griffin is more than okay. He has his Jesus, and now he has his Courtney, but holding his jammies lets me go back for a moment or two and remember his voice, his hugs, and that smile that melted me each time I saw it.
My favorite feather from Griffin came as a gift to us from him. As Griffin’s cancer progressed the last few days he was here, Monique and Barry insisted on letting Griffin spend one-on-one time with Dane and I so we could say all the things we wanted to say to each other before he left. I promised him Heaven would be the best thing he could imagine and that we would be there soon to see him. I promised him I would never, ever, forget him and would look after his mommy, daddy and Blakey. I also told him that he made me so happy and that I loved him so much. He told me that he loved me and would miss me so much when he went to Heaven and we played a few moments of “remember when’s”. I got lots of hugs on that last day. He played with my hair for a minute and the rest of the time, we talked about Heaven, Jesus, and the farm he knew was waiting on him. That was my gift from him. What I did not expect was that gift to become more than just a precious memory tucked into my heart. Griffin actually made a video telling Dane, the girls and I goodbye. Indeed, that is one of my most treasured feathers from this little man God gave to me for a season. His presence changed me and my heart forever. And I miss my little bird from our nest every single day. Yesterday, I found a precious scripture in Matthew 16:19. It says “…whatever you bind on earth will be bound in Heaven and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in Heaven.” I bound Griffin to my heart here on earth, and God assures me Griffin will be bound to me in Heaven. Until then, I have his feathers to get me through until I see him again.
I have so many feathers from Courtney that I don’t know where to start. I have more from her than I do Griffin because God let me keep this beautiful bird in my nest much longer and much more frequently than Grif. And a few days after she left us, I was afraid that all the feathers she left behind would be too painful to see and touch. But God’s grace is abounding in this nest and her feathers are pure treasures to me. They are reminders of how much she loves us and how I know beyond all doubt that she knows how much she is loved in return.
My first feather from Courtney is the thousands and thousands of memories of I have of her. And it isn’t much of an exaggeration to say that I have photos to match almost every memory with her. My refrigerator, my living room, my computer, and the mirror on my antique dresser in the bedroom is covered in pictures of Courtney. In some, she’s alone, but mostly they have Dane, Peyton, Lindsay, me or any one of her numerous friends in them. I love walking through the house, glancing at the pictures and in my heart, recounting the stories behind them in. Yes, I get sad when I see them because I miss her beyond measure. But in the same breath, I am SO grateful to God for putting her in my life. I also have 14, yes 14 full videos I have taken of our family moments with Courtney and Paige. Countless hours of us at the lake, playing basketball, golfing, swimming, playing tennis, fishing, ice-skating, vacationing in Las Vegas, in the Jeep, hanging around the house just being silly, and my favorite one of all—her testimony. Precious as gold are the feathers that these tapes are to me. I can hear her voice and her contagious, distinct laugh, and see her beauty whenever I want to. I haven’t been able to do that yet, but the day is coming when I’ll be able to sit down and laugh over these tapes and the priceless memories my girl left me.
A favorite of my feathers from Courtney is how she drew her family and my family together and that gave me a friendship with her mother Kelly that will continue to be a God-sent blessing until Kelly and I go live in glory. In the few days after Court’s passing, I traded countless hugs with Kelly. At Courtney’s Celebration of Life Service, I hugged her again, but this time we squeezed harder and cried harder. It was a hug of understanding between two moms of two brave fighters, and a hug from one mother who wished so desperately to take away the hurt of the one who just lost her sunshine. I told Kelly then, “Thank you for sharing her with me.” And she said, “Thank you for loving her so much”. Courtney will always be a blessing in my life, but with Courtney, you get a packaged deal. A six-pack, if you will. We have her family as ours too. All six of them: Kelly, Paige, Britney, Nanny and Pops and of course, Courtney. And the five remaining feathers she left us with—her family-- will be a blessing for the rest of our days here.
I have a treasured Bible. I’ve had it since high school so it’s showing its age. I write in my Bible too. I highlight favorite scriptures, and I often write notes beside the scripture. Courtney always made fun of my Bible cover. To quote her, “It looks like it belongs to an old lady!” And she’s right! It’s kind of grandmotherly, but I haven’t found a good replacement yet. And I NEED a Bible cover because my Bible is overflowing with treasures that would fall out if not for the zippered-protection my geriatric cover afforded. The bulk of the treasures tucked in the pages of God’s beautiful Word are feathers given to me from God’s beautiful servant Courtney. I miss her most on Sunday’s because she ALWAYS sat with me at church. She would have friends all around her, but she always saved a seat for me on one side of her. Inevitably, she would write me a note mid-way through church and ask “Where are we going to eat?” And each time I would write back, “You pick. I don’t care.” And then we’d go back and forth for the duration of the sermon. Not just discussing lunch, but just writing about whatever. The lunch question just always triggered the note sessions. We talked about what God was speaking to us about through the sermon, we’d talk about boys, we’d talk about friends, or more often than not, we’d trade inside jokes. Every Sunday we did this. EVERY SUNDAY. My inside Bible cover is stuffed with these notes. Priceless feathers. Every one of them. I have a flower pressed in the book of Luke. She gave me the flower on Mother’s Day. I have a photo of her tucked in Revelation because she longed for Jesus’ second coming as much as I do. I have a plant leaf I picked her on a mountain in Colorado when God spoke to me about her role in my life and vice versa. It’s tucked away in 1 Samuel. I have cards from her, I have a picture she colored me from a coloring book during a particularly morphined moment at the hospital. It says, “To you. Love me”. I have an old appointment slip from clinic. I even have an old hospital bracelet. Who knows how that found it’s way there!
My favorite feathers of all are remnants of Courtney’s faith. I have notes of impromptu Bible studies she and I had. Scripture she and I found and highlighted in each other’s Bibles, and prayers we would write together. She found me sitting in the living room alone about 1:00 am many, many months ago. She asked me what I was doing. I told her, “Having my quiet time with God”. She seemed intrigued at the concept, so she started doing it as well. When she was with me, we usually did our quiet time together. We’d each study scripture, pray and make notes in our journals. Sometimes we shared what God told us. Sometimes we sat in complete silence. But those moments left indelible fingerprints on my soul. The basis of mine and Courtney’s relationship was our shared love of Jesus and my favorite feathers from her will always be that which points me to God.
Courtney liked to tease me that we could never really define what my title was for who I was in her life. Friend didn’t seem to cover all the bases. Mother and big sister were sacred roles already filled in her life. For purposes of getting me in all the ER visits and post-op surgical floor visits, I was Aunt Marni. We didn’t want the hospital hassling us over our lack of shared DNA so we fudged a little. But one role was crystal clear. I was Courtney’s Sunday School teacher. She was a member of our church and Dane and I teach the Young Adult SS class. She cheated each Saturday night and swiped my notes for the next morning’s lesson so she could see what we’d be studying the next day. One Sunday in early June, we did a lesson on Joy. Happiness comes from things. And happiness is temporary. Joy comes from the Lord, and nothing can take it if you truly have it. I asked the kids in our class if there was ever a time when they lost all happiness, but kept their joy. Having had time to formulate an answer due to swiping my notes the night before, in just a few sentences, Courtney reduced me to tears as she told our class that cancer often took her happiness, but Jesus was the source of her joy and cancer couldn’t touch it. The next day, she and I bribed Paige and Lindsay with the promise of pedicures if they’d watch Peyton for the afternoon, and we went shopping. We ended up in a Christian book store. When we got home later, she gave me a present she secretly bought for me at the book store. It was a frame. And she put a picture of she and I sitting together in her hospital bed. The frame simply says “Joy”. She handed it to me and said, “Marni, you give me joy and I love you.” That frame and it’s picture sit in a place of honor in my home. I hope they bury me with it. Feathers from my nest. Not glamorous or flashy ones. They’re better. They are day to day feathers. Reminders of how ingrained she was in my day to day life. Reminders of how tightly she too was bound to me on this earth, and, praise God, how tightly she will be bound to me in Heaven.
My precious birds left me way too soon. But they fly with Jesus now and He let me have them for a time so I could accumulate these feathers to show how much He loves me and How blessed I really am despite the hurt my heart has felt. And I will find strength in my memories and my feathers to carry on the promise I’ve made to God.
Love,
Marni
Please sign the guestbook and let us know you were here. Peyton loves it when we read her what you wrote.
When we started this page, we were discouraged to find no other CaringBridge pages for CCSK kids--and then, we found Andy. His mom had a list of other sites for kids with CCSK, and sent us the link. I should have put this link up months ago...Bless you, Terry, for giving us a way this last year to check on these other amazing kids and their progress
The Strength of an Egg By
Juliet Freitag
Parents of children with cancer, or really any serious condition, are often referred to or viewed as having strength "like a rock." Albeit flattering, it isn't quite true.
It is more like the strength of an egg. An egg, you ask? Yes! If you'll think about it, you'll see my point. An egg has a polished, smooth outer appearance, with no cracks or weak spots visible. It seems almost inconceivable that the inside might not be so smooth or solid.
Most children, at some point are shown the famous egg trick. An egg set at just the right angle can withstand enormous amounts of pressure and cannot be cracked or broken. Yet the same egg, tapped gently at an ever slightly different angle, will break. The contents, once so neatly concealed, will come spilling out. The no longer perfect shell will be crushed. It looks so fragile that it seems inconceivable that it ever held any strength.
A rock, on the other hand, is solid all the way through. To break it is almost impossible. If you succeed, you will find that there is nothing inside but more rock.
It takes a lot more than pure hardness to hold the hand of hope. Parents of children with cancer are not solid all the way through. We hurt, we fear, we cry, we hope. It takes a very careful balancing act to keep the shell from being shattered. "Balancing an egg" while running a household, going for doctors' visits and hospital stays, keeping the family together, and holding on to the constantly unraveling ties of your sanity can be very tricky indeed! Occasionally, the angle will be off and the shell will break, shattering hope and all the neatly secured appearances of a truly fragile existence.
Unlike Humpty Dumpty, though, parents of kids with cancer will pick themselves up and put themselves back together again. OVER and OVER again...........
Sunday, November 27, 2005 3:57 PM CST
Sometimes He lets the storm rage and calms His child.
It's just so hard to believe it's been a week since Courtney went home. I've spent all week talking to her. It's crazy sometimes :) I wake up each morning and say, "Ok Court, it's Tuesday. What does Tuesday look like in Heaven?" Or, "It's Thanksgiving. What does Thanksgiving look and taste like in Heaven?" Or, "Court, I wish I could see what it was like when you saw Griffy again. I bet he knocked you down when he came running to you!" And of course, everyday I say, "Court, I wish I could be there with you as you talk with Jesus everyday. What must that be like?" Courtney was a prayin' dude (her words!!) when she was here with us. I know she is praying for all of us now. I can feel the peace and mercy God is giving us all in our grief and I know it's because God is so good and because Courtney is asking Him to take care of us all.
The service was amazing. Britney took care of almost all of it by herself and she did a phenomenal job. Courtney's celebration of life was beautiful, funny, emotional and Christ-centered...just like Courtney was. There were easily 1000 people there, and I promise you, that was a fraction of the people who knew her, knew of her and prayed for her.
I have felt the questions all around me since Courtney died. I've had long talks with Dane, my mom, and of course, God. And the questions are the same, and I want to answer them here for all of you who may be wondering the same...All along, Courtney and I believed that God would heal her here. He said it, and His word is solid and unwavering. But He didn't heal her here. Did God lie? No. Did God change His mind? No. Do I still have solid and unwavering faith in Him and who He says He is? Yes I do! I think God allowed Court to choose, and she chose Him and going home. And I would do the same. I sit here typing this as a healthy woman surrounded by people who I love and love me back, but if God stepped in right now and said "Marni, do you want to stay here or go with Me?", I couldn't answer fast enough. I'd go with Him. And I think that's what Court did. For me, I wouldn't expect any other answer from her. The day Courtney died, one of the last things she said to her sister Britney was "It's time to go". Britney was with Courtney at the Gun Barrel hospital waiting for the helicopter to arrive to transport her to Children's, so Brit thought Courtney was talking about her ride showing up. After reflecting on that statement later in the day, Britney realized Courtney was talking about us letting her go--letting her go to be with Jesus. So we did.
My faith is firm. My God is bigger than cancer. My Courtney is in Heaven with her savior. My heart hurts in ways I didn't know it could hurt. My God will see us through this because He brought me to this moment in time to do His works through me. My love for Jesus will only get stronger from here on out. My prayers are answered because Courtney is healed...not the way I wanted, but in a way she did, and that's all I need.
This is all I can manage right now. As the days go on, I'll update more and probably even share some of my favorite Courtney memories. Feel free to leave your favorite memories in the guestbook.
Peyton and Lindsay and doing well. They choose to concentrate on how Court is now and we all know how great that is :) Please keep praying for Kelly, Britney, Paige, Nanny, Pops and the rest of her family. Ask God for mercy and peace.
Much love,
Marni
Please sign the guestbook and let us know you were here. Peyton loves it when we read her what you wrote.
When we started this page, we were discouraged to find no other CaringBridge pages for CCSK kids--and then, we found Andy. His mom had a list of other sites for kids with CCSK, and sent us the link. I should have put this link up months ago...Bless you, Terry, for giving us a way this last year to check on these other amazing kids and their progress
The Strength of an Egg By
Juliet Freitag
Parents of children with cancer, or really any serious condition, are often referred to or viewed as having strength "like a rock." Albeit flattering, it isn't quite true.
It is more like the strength of an egg. An egg, you ask? Yes! If you'll think about it, you'll see my point. An egg has a polished, smooth outer appearance, with no cracks or weak spots visible. It seems almost inconceivable that the inside might not be so smooth or solid.
Most children, at some point are shown the famous egg trick. An egg set at just the right angle can withstand enormous amounts of pressure and cannot be cracked or broken. Yet the same egg, tapped gently at an ever slightly different angle, will break. The contents, once so neatly concealed, will come spilling out. The no longer perfect shell will be crushed. It looks so fragile that it seems inconceivable that it ever held any strength.
A rock, on the other hand, is solid all the way through. To break it is almost impossible. If you succeed, you will find that there is nothing inside but more rock.
It takes a lot more than pure hardness to hold the hand of hope. Parents of children with cancer are not solid all the way through. We hurt, we fear, we cry, we hope. It takes a very careful balancing act to keep the shell from being shattered. "Balancing an egg" while running a household, going for doctors' visits and hospital stays, keeping the family together, and holding on to the constantly unraveling ties of your sanity can be very tricky indeed! Occasionally, the angle will be off and the shell will break, shattering hope and all the neatly secured appearances of a truly fragile existence.
Unlike Humpty Dumpty, though, parents of kids with cancer will pick themselves up and put themselves back together again. OVER and OVER again...........
Monday, November 21, 2005 8:16 AM CST
Sometimes He lets the storm rage and calms His child.
UPDATE: The following are the information times for the Celebration of Life for our sweet Courtney.
Visitation: Tuesday, November 22, Anderson-Clayton Funeral Home, Kemp TX. 5pm-9pm
Celebration of Life: Wednesday, November 23, First Baptist, Gun Barrel City TX. 11am. Burial to follow at Aley Cemetary, Seven Points TX.
Many have called and asked if they may donate money to help with expenses. Email me if you're interested and I'll tell you how you can help. Those who have my number already, give me a call.
I'm so sorry for those of you who will find this out through this page and have no warning...
Courtney went to Heaven yesterday. She got very sick very suddenly, and she left us last night around 7:30 pm to go live with Jesus. I held her hand as she left us and I could feel her leaving her body. I kissed her and whispered, "My sweet girl, what I'd give to see what you're seeing now." She left peacefully...
I know Grif and Kelsey were waiting on her, and I know she will love walking daily with Jesus. I wish I could express to all of you what love she had in her heart for Jesus and how excited she was that one day she would finally meet Him.
Dane, Lindsay and I are devastated, but God is good and we'll get through. We told Peyton this morning and she is dealing with it in her own way. She tears up, then shares a memory, then tells me stories about what Court is doing in Heaven. Please pray for my family. There isn't a single thing in our house, our church, our cars---OUR LIVES, that doesn't trigger a memory of her. This is going to be so hard...
Kelly, Britney, Paige, Nanny and Pops, are wiped out. This hit us all so fast. PLEASE storm Heaven with prayers for their peace and ask God for extra doses of His mercy as they and all of us who loved Courtney figure out how to go about our lives.
Courtney and I have so many scripture versus that we both loved. It awes me that she now gets to hear the Author of them say them to her. One of our favorties was, "The Lord gives, and the Lord takes away. May the name of the Lord be praised." She said to me a long time ago that if anything ever happened to her, to remember that God must still be praised because He is God and His decisions and actions don't void who He is and what He's done for us. I miss you with every single cell in my body Courtney, but I praise God for who He is. I praise Him because He let me have you for a while and those memories are so precious. And I praise Him because He did as He promised. He healed you and He allowed you to choose to leave us on your terms. You asked Him for rest, and He gave it to you. I love you so much my girl and I'll see you soon.
Marni
Please sign the guestbook and let us know you were here. Peyton loves it when we read her what you wrote.
When we started this page, we were discouraged to find no other CaringBridge pages for CCSK kids--and then, we found Andy. His mom had a list of other sites for kids with CCSK, and sent us the link. I should have put this link up months ago...Bless you, Terry, for giving us a way this last year to check on these other amazing kids and their progress
The Strength of an Egg By
Juliet Freitag
Parents of children with cancer, or really any serious condition, are often referred to or viewed as having strength "like a rock." Albeit flattering, it isn't quite true.
It is more like the strength of an egg. An egg, you ask? Yes! If you'll think about it, you'll see my point. An egg has a polished, smooth outer appearance, with no cracks or weak spots visible. It seems almost inconceivable that the inside might not be so smooth or solid.
Most children, at some point are shown the famous egg trick. An egg set at just the right angle can withstand enormous amounts of pressure and cannot be cracked or broken. Yet the same egg, tapped gently at an ever slightly different angle, will break. The contents, once so neatly concealed, will come spilling out. The no longer perfect shell will be crushed. It looks so fragile that it seems inconceivable that it ever held any strength.
A rock, on the other hand, is solid all the way through. To break it is almost impossible. If you succeed, you will find that there is nothing inside but more rock.
It takes a lot more than pure hardness to hold the hand of hope. Parents of children with cancer are not solid all the way through. We hurt, we fear, we cry, we hope. It takes a very careful balancing act to keep the shell from being shattered. "Balancing an egg" while running a household, going for doctors' visits and hospital stays, keeping the family together, and holding on to the constantly unraveling ties of your sanity can be very tricky indeed! Occasionally, the angle will be off and the shell will break, shattering hope and all the neatly secured appearances of a truly fragile existence.
Unlike Humpty Dumpty, though, parents of kids with cancer will pick themselves up and put themselves back together again. OVER and OVER again...........
Wednesday, November 9, 2005 1:19 PM CST
Sometimes He lets the storm rage and calms His child.
R-E-D Red, R-E-D Red, I can spell "red", I can spell "red". P-U-R-P-L-E, I can spell "purple" can't you see...Welcome to the world of a kindergartener :) Peyton is learning to spell all kinds of words, mainly to music, and this is what we hear all day in our house. I didn't realize how it had consumed me until I was sitting at a stoplight the other day and started singing the "red song"!!
We got some exciting news recently. There is a wonderful organization called Children's Cancer Fund. They raise money to research childhood cancer. Children's Medical Center, where Peyton received treatment, is a big supporter of CCF. Each year there is a large fundraiser here for CCF and Peyton has been asked to participate. The fundraiser will be a fashion show. Peyton is SO excited. She will get to pick out her own outfit a then model it along with other children who have or are battling cancer. The fundraiser is being held at a very nice hotel in Dallas and based on what I saw of last year's fashion show, it is quite a production :) Former Dallas Cowboys Troy Aikman and Roger Staubach are Emcee-ing the event, so dad is excited as you can imagine. Tickets are already available for the event, and as soon as I track down the actual web address for event information and ticket purchasing, I'll update.
Lindsay is doing well. She's enjoying high school. Golf is keeping her busy. She's taking lessons now too. Her swing is beautiful :) She got to play in a tournament recently with Dane, my dad, and our friend Jerry. It was a tough course, but Lindsay stuck it out. We hardly see Lindsay. She's generally buried under mountains of homework. She's in a lot of advanced placement classes, so she is writing papers or working on projects. She'll wander out for dinner, and then she's back at work. Of course, she is carving out time for her favorite hobby of talking on the phone :) And now we're all going to get busier because Paige starts basketball on Friday. I can't believe it is already basketball season again. It doesn't seem that long ago that we were spending most Tuesday and Friday nights in various gym's watching her play last season.
Courtney had clinic yesterday. Her doctor was encouraged by her progress. It's slow going, but Courtney is eating better, smiling more, and has even started sending me text messages and calling me again. I know that last part sounds weird, but the sicker Court got, the less frequent our visits got, then phone calls, and then text messages. For me, I knew she was getting better when she started calling just to chat and sending me text messages cracking jokes with me. And when she's feeling better, you bet I'll be harassing her to come stay weekends with us again :) I still have my moments of impatience where I say "Okay God, let's knock this cancer out now so Courtney can get on with all the living she has to do" but I'm grateful for the peace He has given me until He makes His move. And, it's so nice to see improvement in her health, even if it's a slow process. Thank you for your continued prayers for her and her family. Thank you to all of you who have been visiting us via Jacob's page. All of us really appreciate the uplifting prayers and words for Courtney and Peyton.
We are on the edge of what is becoming a difficult time of year for us. It is this time last year that Griffin was put on hospice. Monique and I talked about how the next several weeks leading up to the anniversary of when Griffy died are going to be really hard. Now that this time of year has rolled around, it makes it seem like yesterday that we were preparing Griffin and ourselves for his trip to Heaven. The memories are still pretty raw, yet so precious. I bounce between warm memories of those last weeks and days we had with him, and the pain of how much we all miss him. But most of all, I hurt for Monique, Barry and Blake. Please pray for Griffin's family as they go through their first holiday's without him.
I'll update again soon.
Love,
Marni
Please sign the guestbook and let us know you were here. Peyton loves it when we read her what you wrote.
When we started this page, we were discouraged to find no other CaringBridge pages for CCSK kids--and then, we found Andy. His mom had a list of other sites for kids with CCSK, and sent us the link. I should have put this link up months ago...Bless you, Terry, for giving us a way this last year to check on these other amazing kids and their progress
The Strength of an Egg By
Juliet Freitag
Parents of children with cancer, or really any serious condition, are often referred to or viewed as having strength "like a rock." Albeit flattering, it isn't quite true.
It is more like the strength of an egg. An egg, you ask? Yes! If you'll think about it, you'll see my point. An egg has a polished, smooth outer appearance, with no cracks or weak spots visible. It seems almost inconceivable that the inside might not be so smooth or solid.
Most children, at some point are shown the famous egg trick. An egg set at just the right angle can withstand enormous amounts of pressure and cannot be cracked or broken. Yet the same egg, tapped gently at an ever slightly different angle, will break. The contents, once so neatly concealed, will come spilling out. The no longer perfect shell will be crushed. It looks so fragile that it seems inconceivable that it ever held any strength.
A rock, on the other hand, is solid all the way through. To break it is almost impossible. If you succeed, you will find that there is nothing inside but more rock.
It takes a lot more than pure hardness to hold the hand of hope. Parents of children with cancer are not solid all the way through. We hurt, we fear, we cry, we hope. It takes a very careful balancing act to keep the shell from being shattered. "Balancing an egg" while running a household, going for doctors' visits and hospital stays, keeping the family together, and holding on to the constantly unraveling ties of your sanity can be very tricky indeed! Occasionally, the angle will be off and the shell will break, shattering hope and all the neatly secured appearances of a truly fragile existence.
Unlike Humpty Dumpty, though, parents of kids with cancer will pick themselves up and put themselves back together again. OVER and OVER again...........
Wednesday, November 2, 2005 7:12 AM CST
Sometimes He lets the storm rage and calms His child.
Thanks to all of you who signed the guestbook with Courtney memories and who wished her happy birthday. Her birthday could have been better because her back was really bothering her, but next years' birthday will be the best because she will be celebrating it cancer free!
Courtney is finally in a place where she can start eating better and putting some much-needed weight back on. We are very encouraged and excited about that. Thank you so much for the prayers on her behalf. Please keep them coming because they are working in very powerful ways in her life.
Peyton had a great Halloween. She was a witch (and such a cute one too!) We went to our friends David and Suzy's to trick-or-treat. David pulled all the kids (and adults) around on a flatbed trailer. Peyton brought in a load of candy :)
That's it for now. I have to get Peyton off to school. I'll update with pictures soon.
Marni
Please sign the guestbook and let us know you were here. Peyton loves it when we read her what you wrote.
When we started this page, we were discouraged to find no other CaringBridge pages for CCSK kids--and then, we found Andy. His mom had a list of other sites for kids with CCSK, and sent us the link. I should have put this link up months ago...Bless you, Terry, for giving us a way this last year to check on these other amazing kids and their progress
The Strength of an Egg By
Juliet Freitag
Parents of children with cancer, or really any serious condition, are often referred to or viewed as having strength "like a rock." Albeit flattering, it isn't quite true.
It is more like the strength of an egg. An egg, you ask? Yes! If you'll think about it, you'll see my point. An egg has a polished, smooth outer appearance, with no cracks or weak spots visible. It seems almost inconceivable that the inside might not be so smooth or solid.
Most children, at some point are shown the famous egg trick. An egg set at just the right angle can withstand enormous amounts of pressure and cannot be cracked or broken. Yet the same egg, tapped gently at an ever slightly different angle, will break. The contents, once so neatly concealed, will come spilling out. The no longer perfect shell will be crushed. It looks so fragile that it seems inconceivable that it ever held any strength.
A rock, on the other hand, is solid all the way through. To break it is almost impossible. If you succeed, you will find that there is nothing inside but more rock.
It takes a lot more than pure hardness to hold the hand of hope. Parents of children with cancer are not solid all the way through. We hurt, we fear, we cry, we hope. It takes a very careful balancing act to keep the shell from being shattered. "Balancing an egg" while running a household, going for doctors' visits and hospital stays, keeping the family together, and holding on to the constantly unraveling ties of your sanity can be very tricky indeed! Occasionally, the angle will be off and the shell will break, shattering hope and all the neatly secured appearances of a truly fragile existence.
Unlike Humpty Dumpty, though, parents of kids with cancer will pick themselves up and put themselves back together again. OVER and OVER again...........
Sunday, October 16, 2005 0:02 AM CDT
Sometimes He lets the storm rage and calms His child.
UPDATE: October 25, 2005...HAPPY BIRTHDAY COURTNEY. I've been praying hard, just like you asked me to tonight. God hears, and He'll do it. Dane, Lindsay, Pey Pey and I love you and wait with you for the miraculous next year God is about to give you...
THANK YOU to my good friend Lisa who took pity on me and walked her laptop down to my house so I would FINALLY update. Our laptop is being such a pain right now and won't function for more than a day at a time...
Again, I'll devote this update to Courtney.
God is so very good. Courtney is still quite sick, but very slowly she is recovering!! I go see her once a week and the change in her is remarkable each time I see her. The last several weeks, Courtney was getting weaker as she was losing weight and suffering from poor liver function. For the last 2 weeks, she has started a marked improvement. She is on 2 new medications (not chemo) that seem to be targeting the tumors, especially the large one on her ovary. I'll be honest when I say that physically, Court looks pretty bad. Her belly and back are swollen and most days her legs and feet are incredibly swollen. She still battles jaundice-like symptoms and she's so painfully skinny right now. But mentally, spiritually, and even medically, she's doing well. 3 times in this last week, she's gotten out of the house to go to a volleyball game, go shopping, and spend the night with her older sister Britney. A few weeks ago, she could barely get out of bed!!
As I've mentioned many times before, we are waiting on God's miracle for Courtney, but I have to say, I think we are starting to see the beginnings of it now. Remember that her doctors never expected her to live past August. Not only has she, but she's getting better each day. I would encourage each of you to stop right now and thank God for what He is already doing in her life and for what He is going to do.
Courtney's birthday is the week after next. If you get a minute, post her a birthday greeting in the guestbook and I'll ask her family to read it to her. She could really use something to lift her spirits right now. As you can imagine, being sick after having months and months of feeling almost cancer free, this has been discouraging to say the least. If you know Court and you want to share a favorite memory or story about her, put that in the guestbook too.
For the last 10 months, Courtney and Paige would stay almost every weekend with us. This summer, they would stay 4 or 5 days a week with us. When Court started getting sick, the visits dwindled, and now we don't get to see her often at all. It has been a VERY hard adjustment on us, but we get through it knowing that this is all temporary. We also choose to focus on how Courtney is feeling and not on how we're feeling, so to combat the sadness, Dane, the girls and I travel down memory lane alot. If I were signing the guestbook for her birthday, these are some of the memories I would share...
1. All the weekends at the lake with our extended family that we are beyond blessed to have
2. The Kenny Chesney concert
3. Beating you at Bowling--everytime--nuff said
4. All our road trips with Paige and Lindsay. Driving around in the Jeep with the top down and our music blaring
5. VEGAS :)
6. That awesome night this summer as we watched you give your testimony to roughly 200 people
7. Praying with you on the phone as you so bravely and lovingly prepared Griffin for his trip to Heaven
8. The road trip we took to Stephenville which you used to hold Bible study in the car for us as we drove
9. The night Deb and I came to pick you and Paige up and we had on the Chris Tomlin CD. The presence of Jesus was so thick in the car that night, I could barely drive.
10. Caitie's "birthday" at Joe's Crabshack :)
And these memories are just the tiniest tip of a very big iceberg. My sweet girl, we miss seeing you as often as we used to, but we are blessed in getting to stay in constant contact with your family and being constantly updated on how you're doing, and also blessed by watching God take such good care of you, your family, and us through this trial. We are anxiously awaiting for your healing and to see in what powerful ways God will use you and your testimony for His glory. Happy 20th Birthday. We love you so, so much.
David, Sue, Kelly, Britney and Paige, we continue to lift you up in prayer for your strength and encouragement. Your faith in the belief Court's healing is coming soon is such an amazing thing to see in action. Thank you for letting us walk through this with you. Many would say that the definition of family is a group of people who share common bloodlines, last names, or even physical traits. But what makes a family real is having love and gladly carrying each other through tough times. We may not share DNA, but we love you like family because our hearts can't tell the difference.
Marni
Please sign the guestbook and let us know you were here. Peyton loves it when we read her what you wrote.
When we started this page, we were discouraged to find no other CaringBridge pages for CCSK kids--and then, we found Andy. His mom had a list of other sites for kids with CCSK, and sent us the link. I should have put this link up months ago...Bless you, Terry, for giving us a way this last year to check on these other amazing kids and their progress
The Strength of an Egg By
Juliet Freitag
Parents of children with cancer, or really any serious condition, are often referred to or viewed as having strength "like a rock." Albeit flattering, it isn't quite true.
It is more like the strength of an egg. An egg, you ask? Yes! If you'll think about it, you'll see my point. An egg has a polished, smooth outer appearance, with no cracks or weak spots visible. It seems almost inconceivable that the inside might not be so smooth or solid.
Most children, at some point are shown the famous egg trick. An egg set at just the right angle can withstand enormous amounts of pressure and cannot be cracked or broken. Yet the same egg, tapped gently at an ever slightly different angle, will break. The contents, once so neatly concealed, will come spilling out. The no longer perfect shell will be crushed. It looks so fragile that it seems inconceivable that it ever held any strength.
A rock, on the other hand, is solid all the way through. To break it is almost impossible. If you succeed, you will find that there is nothing inside but more rock.
It takes a lot more than pure hardness to hold the hand of hope. Parents of children with cancer are not solid all the way through. We hurt, we fear, we cry, we hope. It takes a very careful balancing act to keep the shell from being shattered. "Balancing an egg" while running a household, going for doctors' visits and hospital stays, keeping the family together, and holding on to the constantly unraveling ties of your sanity can be very tricky indeed! Occasionally, the angle will be off and the shell will break, shattering hope and all the neatly secured appearances of a truly fragile existence.
Unlike Humpty Dumpty, though, parents of kids with cancer will pick themselves up and put themselves back together again. OVER and OVER again...........
Sunday, October 16, 2005 0:02 AM CDT
Sometimes He lets the storm rage and calms His child.
THANK YOU to my good friend Lisa who took pity on me and walked her laptop down to my house so I would FINALLY update. Our laptop is being such a pain right now and won't function for more than a day at a time...
Again, I'll devote this update to Courtney.
God is so very good. Courtney is still quite sick, but very slowly she is recovering!! I go see her once a week and the change in her is remarkable each time I see her. The last several weeks, Courtney was getting weaker as she was losing weight and suffering from poor liver function. For the last 2 weeks, she has started a marked improvement. She is on 2 new medications (not chemo) that seem to be targeting the tumors, especially the large one on her ovary. I'll be honest when I say that physically, Court looks pretty bad. Her belly and back are swollen and most days her legs and feet are incredibly swollen. She still battles jaundice-like symptoms and she's so painfully skinny right now. But mentally, spiritually, and even medically, she's doing well. 3 times in this last week, she's gotten out of the house to go to a volleyball game, go shopping, and spend the night with her older sister Britney. A few weeks ago, she could barely get out of bed!!
As I've mentioned many times before, we are waiting on God's miracle for Courtney, but I have to say, I think we are starting to see the beginnings of it now. Remember that her doctors never expected her to live past August. Not only has she, but she's getting better each day. I would encourage each of you to stop right now and thank God for what He is already doing in her life and for what He is going to do.
Courtney's birthday is the week after next. If you get a minute, post her a birthday greeting in the guestbook and I'll ask her family to read it to her. She could really use something to lift her spirits right now. As you can imagine, being sick after having months and months of feeling almost cancer free, this has been discouraging to say the least. If you know Court and you want to share a favorite memory or story about her, put that in the guestbook too.
For the last 8 months, Courtney and Paige would stay almost every weekend with us. This summer, they would stay 4 or 5 days a week with us. When Court started getting sick, the visits dwindled, and now we don't get to see her often at all. It has been a VERY hard adjustment on us, but we get through it knowing that this is all temporary. We also choose to focus on how Courtney is feeling and not on how we're feeling, so to combat the sadness, Dane, the girls and I travel down memory lane alot. If I were signing the guestbook for her birthday, these are some of the memories I would share...
1. All the weekends at the lake with our extended family that we are beyond blessed to have
2. The Kenny Chesney concert
3. Beating you at Bowling--everytime--nuff said
4. All our road trips with Paige and Lindsay. Driving around in the Jeep with the top down and our music blaring
5. VEGAS :)
6. That awesome night this summer as we watched you give your testimony to roughly 200 people
7. Praying with you on the phone as you so bravely and lovingly prepared Griffin for his trip to Heaven
8. The road trip we took to Stephenville which you used to hold Bible study in the car for us as we drove
9. The night Deb and I came to pick you and Paige up and we had on the Chris Tomlin CD. The presence of Jesus was so thick in the car that night, I could barely drive.
10. Caitie's "birthday" at Joe's Crabshack :)
And these memories are just the tiniest tip of a very big iceberg. My sweet girl, we miss seeing you as often as we used to, but we are blessed in getting to stay in constant contact with your family and being constantly updated on how you're doing, and also blessed by watching God take such good care of you, your family, and us through this trial. We are anxiously awaiting for your healing and to see in what powerful ways God will use you and your testimony for His glory. Happy 20th Birthday. We love you so, so much.
David, Sue, Kelly, Britney and Paige, we continue to lift you up in prayer for your strength and encouragement. Your faith in the belief Court's healing is coming soon is such an amazing thing to see in action. Thank you for letting us walk through this with you. Many would say that the definition of family is a group of people who share common bloodlines, last names, or even physical traits. But what makes a family real is having love and gladly carrying each other through tough times. We may not share DNA, but we love you like family because our hearts can't tell the difference.
Marni
Please sign the guestbook and let us know you were here. Peyton loves it when we read her what you wrote.
When we started this page, we were discouraged to find no other CaringBridge pages for CCSK kids--and then, we found Andy. His mom had a list of other sites for kids with CCSK, and sent us the link. I should have put this link up months ago...Bless you, Terry, for giving us a way this last year to check on these other amazing kids and their progress
The Strength of an Egg By
Juliet Freitag
Parents of children with cancer, or really any serious condition, are often referred to or viewed as having strength "like a rock." Albeit flattering, it isn't quite true.
It is more like the strength of an egg. An egg, you ask? Yes! If you'll think about it, you'll see my point. An egg has a polished, smooth outer appearance, with no cracks or weak spots visible. It seems almost inconceivable that the inside might not be so smooth or solid.
Most children, at some point are shown the famous egg trick. An egg set at just the right angle can withstand enormous amounts of pressure and cannot be cracked or broken. Yet the same egg, tapped gently at an ever slightly different angle, will break. The contents, once so neatly concealed, will come spilling out. The no longer perfect shell will be crushed. It looks so fragile that it seems inconceivable that it ever held any strength.
A rock, on the other hand, is solid all the way through. To break it is almost impossible. If you succeed, you will find that there is nothing inside but more rock.
It takes a lot more than pure hardness to hold the hand of hope. Parents of children with cancer are not solid all the way through. We hurt, we fear, we cry, we hope. It takes a very careful balancing act to keep the shell from being shattered. "Balancing an egg" while running a household, going for doctors' visits and hospital stays, keeping the family together, and holding on to the constantly unraveling ties of your sanity can be very tricky indeed! Occasionally, the angle will be off and the shell will break, shattering hope and all the neatly secured appearances of a truly fragile existence.
Unlike Humpty Dumpty, though, parents of kids with cancer will pick themselves up and put themselves back together again. OVER and OVER again...........
Tuesday, September 20, 2005 9:34 PM CDT
Sometimes He lets the storm rage and calms His child.
I'm gonna devote this entire entry to a Courtney update to let everyone know what's going on with her so you can be in prayer for her.
Those of you who have walked through cancer yourself or with a loved one know that it has it's ups and downs. Right now, we are in one of the "downs" in our journey with Courtney. In the last few weeks, Court's health has begun to decline. The tumor on her right ovary is about the size of a bowling ball and the sheer size of it is wreaking havoc on her body right now. Her legs are swollen as well as her ankles and the tumor is causing her belly to protrude. She is in a constant state of discomfort and sometimes she has pain. She has lost a lot of weight and right now she looks pretty jaundiced. Even her eyes are yellow. She's really tired these days and sleeps alot.
That's the bad news. But here is the good news. God has already spoken on this issue. He told Courtney and I back in March that He would take this cancer from her and she would receive an EARTHLY healing. Our God is not a God that breaks promises, and so we are waiting (sometimes anxiously!!) for the fulfillment of His awesome promise of healing. Court and I talked about that recently and although we don't understand God's timing and we don't fully understand why she has to be sick right now, we know God will step in and take this when the time is right.
So, here is what I am asking for by way of prayer for Courtney:
1. God's will be done with Courtney and her cancer
2. Courtney's pain and discomfort to end
3. Peace and strength for Courtney's family
Right now, we just wait for God to move in a way only He can and right now, we are thanking God in advance for what He is going to do. Not to us, but to His name be the glory.
Thanks for checking in on us and thank you for the prayers. I'll update again soon.
Love,
Marni
Please sign the guestbook and let us know you were here. Peyton loves it when we read her what you wrote.
When we started this page, we were discouraged to find no other CaringBridge pages for CCSK kids--and then, we found Andy. His mom had a list of other sites for kids with CCSK, and sent us the link. I should have put this link up months ago...Bless you, Terry, for giving us a way this last year to check on these other amazing kids and their progress
The Strength of an Egg By
Juliet Freitag
Parents of children with cancer, or really any serious condition, are often referred to or viewed as having strength "like a rock." Albeit flattering, it isn't quite true.
It is more like the strength of an egg. An egg, you ask? Yes! If you'll think about it, you'll see my point. An egg has a polished, smooth outer appearance, with no cracks or weak spots visible. It seems almost inconceivable that the inside might not be so smooth or solid.
Most children, at some point are shown the famous egg trick. An egg set at just the right angle can withstand enormous amounts of pressure and cannot be cracked or broken. Yet the same egg, tapped gently at an ever slightly different angle, will break. The contents, once so neatly concealed, will come spilling out. The no longer perfect shell will be crushed. It looks so fragile that it seems inconceivable that it ever held any strength.
A rock, on the other hand, is solid all the way through. To break it is almost impossible. If you succeed, you will find that there is nothing inside but more rock.
It takes a lot more than pure hardness to hold the hand of hope. Parents of children with cancer are not solid all the way through. We hurt, we fear, we cry, we hope. It takes a very careful balancing act to keep the shell from being shattered. "Balancing an egg" while running a household, going for doctors' visits and hospital stays, keeping the family together, and holding on to the constantly unraveling ties of your sanity can be very tricky indeed! Occasionally, the angle will be off and the shell will break, shattering hope and all the neatly secured appearances of a truly fragile existence.
Unlike Humpty Dumpty, though, parents of kids with cancer will pick themselves up and put themselves back together again. OVER and OVER again...........
Wednesday, September 7, 2005 6:51 PM CDT
Sometimes He lets the storm rage and calms His child.
Just a VERY quick update. I apologize for the lapse lately. Our laptop is a very expensive paper weight these days so updating is next to impossible.
Peyton LOVES kindergarten. Lunch is her favorite subject so far :) Courtney is doing well too--and she continues to be a living, breathing miracle we are blessed to watch. She still needs our prayers so keep them up for her. I promise to update as soon as I can and I'll have pictures of the school girl when I do.
Love,
Marni
Please sign the guestbook and let us know you were here. Peyton loves it when we read her what you wrote.
When we started this page, we were discouraged to find no other CaringBridge pages for CCSK kids--and then, we found Andy. His mom had a list of other sites for kids with CCSK, and sent us the link. I should have put this link up months ago...Bless you, Terry, for giving us a way this last year to check on these other amazing kids and their progress
The Strength of an Egg By
Juliet Freitag
Parents of children with cancer, or really any serious condition, are often referred to or viewed as having strength "like a rock." Albeit flattering, it isn't quite true.
It is more like the strength of an egg. An egg, you ask? Yes! If you'll think about it, you'll see my point. An egg has a polished, smooth outer appearance, with no cracks or weak spots visible. It seems almost inconceivable that the inside might not be so smooth or solid.
Most children, at some point are shown the famous egg trick. An egg set at just the right angle can withstand enormous amounts of pressure and cannot be cracked or broken. Yet the same egg, tapped gently at an ever slightly different angle, will break. The contents, once so neatly concealed, will come spilling out. The no longer perfect shell will be crushed. It looks so fragile that it seems inconceivable that it ever held any strength.
A rock, on the other hand, is solid all the way through. To break it is almost impossible. If you succeed, you will find that there is nothing inside but more rock.
It takes a lot more than pure hardness to hold the hand of hope. Parents of children with cancer are not solid all the way through. We hurt, we fear, we cry, we hope. It takes a very careful balancing act to keep the shell from being shattered. "Balancing an egg" while running a household, going for doctors' visits and hospital stays, keeping the family together, and holding on to the constantly unraveling ties of your sanity can be very tricky indeed! Occasionally, the angle will be off and the shell will break, shattering hope and all the neatly secured appearances of a truly fragile existence.
Unlike Humpty Dumpty, though, parents of kids with cancer will pick themselves up and put themselves back together again. OVER and OVER again...........
Tuesday, August 2, 2005 1:16 PM CDT
Sometimes He lets the storm rage and calms His child.
SCANS ARE ALL CLEAR! I'm sorry that it took me so long to update about scans. Dr. Bowers handed me a long report detailing all her scan results. It was awesome to read page after page of stats saying "No evidence of recurrance".
The whole scan day was so much better that previous scan days. Peyton DID NOT have to use the NG tube to get her contrast down. She actually drank her contrast!! We couldn't believe it! It was banana-flavored and Pey did really well with it. She drank it down in a little over an hour and then did so great during the scanning.
When we got to clinic, the doctor told us we could now be moved to every 6 months for scanning :)
We start school at the end of the month and Peyton is getting really excited about kindergarten. She got a new Cinderella backpack and a Hello Kitty lunch box. She's already telling me what kind of lunches to pack her!! She and Lindsay got all their school clothes this weekend (thanks Grammy and Aunt Stephanie!!!) so now we just wait for the big day :)
Courtney is doing fantastic. She is still doing her alternative treatments and her body is indicating that she is healing. Her pain level has been much better this week. She even played basketball Sunday night! Last week, she and Paige stayed with us all week :) :) :) and went with us and some other kids from the church to do a week long apartment complex mission project. We did a mini vacation Bible school each day for about 50 kids who lived in the complex. It was awesome to see how God moved that week with the kids, our youth group, and Lindsay, Peyton, Paige, Court and I. I can't wait to do it again.
That's about it for now. Thank you for your prayers for Peyton and Courtney. God hears them and He is answering them daily.
Love,
Marni
Please sign the guestbook and let us know you were here. Peyton loves it when we read her what you wrote.
When we started this page, we were discouraged to find no other CaringBridge pages for CCSK kids--and then, we found Andy. His mom had a list of other sites for kids with CCSK, and sent us the link. I should have put this link up months ago...Bless you, Terry, for giving us a way this last year to check on these other amazing kids and their progress
The Strength of an Egg By
Juliet Freitag
Parents of children with cancer, or really any serious condition, are often referred to or viewed as having strength "like a rock." Albeit flattering, it isn't quite true.
It is more like the strength of an egg. An egg, you ask? Yes! If you'll think about it, you'll see my point. An egg has a polished, smooth outer appearance, with no cracks or weak spots visible. It seems almost inconceivable that the inside might not be so smooth or solid.
Most children, at some point are shown the famous egg trick. An egg set at just the right angle can withstand enormous amounts of pressure and cannot be cracked or broken. Yet the same egg, tapped gently at an ever slightly different angle, will break. The contents, once so neatly concealed, will come spilling out. The no longer perfect shell will be crushed. It looks so fragile that it seems inconceivable that it ever held any strength.
A rock, on the other hand, is solid all the way through. To break it is almost impossible. If you succeed, you will find that there is nothing inside but more rock.
It takes a lot more than pure hardness to hold the hand of hope. Parents of children with cancer are not solid all the way through. We hurt, we fear, we cry, we hope. It takes a very careful balancing act to keep the shell from being shattered. "Balancing an egg" while running a household, going for doctors' visits and hospital stays, keeping the family together, and holding on to the constantly unraveling ties of your sanity can be very tricky indeed! Occasionally, the angle will be off and the shell will break, shattering hope and all the neatly secured appearances of a truly fragile existence.
Unlike Humpty Dumpty, though, parents of kids with cancer will pick themselves up and put themselves back together again. OVER and OVER again...........
Saturday, July 9, 2005 11:51 PM CDT
Sometimes He lets the storm rage and calms His child.
We have a 5 year old in our house now!! She is SO excited. Part of the reason is that 5 means you can start kindergarten (which Peyton is TOTALLY excited about) and the other reason is that 5 was Courtney's basketball number--and consequently Peyton's favorite number :)
We had just a small family party for Peyton on her birthday. We'll have a big party with her friends in a couple of weeks. I think she wants a swim party.
Scans are on Thursday morning. These are the big ones. Last time we got lucky and only had x-rays and a chest/abdominal/pelvic ct. This time we'll do all of those plus bone scan and echo. Peyton is a little stressed out about doing the scans since she really doesn't like the NG tube and having an IV in her hand. Please join us in prayer for clear scan results.
Courtney is out of the hospital. She had a rough go after this latest surgery. On Saturday the 2nd, she was admitted for severe pain in her lower belly and back. It was so hard to see her hurt. I've seen her have almost every conceivable side effect that cancer can throw at a person, but I've never had to see her hurt like that. The diagnosis was a blocked ureter tube which was causing swelling in her kidney. Thankfully that is under control now and she is getting better each day.
This latest hospital stay taught me a lot about what Courtney is made of...and showed me what I thought I was made of. God told Court that she would be healed of her cancer, and He would heal her here on earth. Within a few days of that, God told me the same thing. We spent the next few months rejoicing in that news. When I saw Courtney hurt like she did last weekend, my faith got incredibly weak--for all intents and purposes, it disappeared. I just got a glimpse of what life could become for Courtney as her cancer advances. She would spend more and more time in the hospital and she would be in pain. In the parking lot of Children's Hospital, at 1:30 am, I had a whopper of a meltdown. I told God to just end her suffering and bring her home to live with Him. I told Him that I had misunderstood His promise of earthly healing. And I told Him I was tired of cancer and I wanted my old life back. I told Him I wanted to have normal worries like everyone else. I told Him I didn't want to be that person who sat in a hospital bed watching her own child take in toxic chemo and radiation into her little body. I told Him I didn't want to be that person who sat and held a precious, amazing, little 6 year old boy as he was dying. And I told Him that I couldn't watch my Courtney get sicker and sicker. And I was never more serious. I felt that I had rallied myself for the last 2 years as I faced things I never thought I could, but I was drawing the line with Courtney. I simply couldn't watch her suffer and then leave us. The next day, God spoke to me. He drew me in and told me He was God, He was not about breaking promises, and He had in fact, promised me she would be healed here. He told me I needed to restore my faith and then keep it. And so, here I am--faith and all. Courtney is now what the medical world would call terminal. Her cancer is rapidly progressing and there is nothing left to be done for her--medically, I mean. She was also sent home with instructions on how to contact hospice care since that is inevitable from the perspective of the doctors. And all through this, Courtney knows she will be healed--here. And I know she will too, because God said it. And faith is a scary place to step out in to, but once you're there, you realize there is no other place you could or should exist in.
So, I invite you to join us in this place where we live and thrive. Stand back and watch for the miracle God is about to show us as He heals Courtney. And when He does, know that He alone did this because He is loving and faithful a d way bigger that cancer could ever hope to be. And know that He will do this because Courtney surrendered her life to His Son and has trusted Him completely ever since. And if you want to surrender your life as well, then I can be found at martels71@aol.com and I will tell you all you need to know to help you find the peace and salvation that can only come from Jesus.
Love you all,
Marni
Please sign the guestbook and let us know you were here. Peyton loves it when we read her what you wrote.
When we started this page, we were discouraged to find no other CaringBridge pages for CCSK kids--and then, we found Andy. His mom had a list of other sites for kids with CCSK, and sent us the link. I should have put this link up months ago...Bless you, Terry, for giving us a way this last year to check on these other amazing kids and their progress
The Strength of an Egg By
Juliet Freitag
Parents of children with cancer, or really any serious condition, are often referred to or viewed as having strength "like a rock." Albeit flattering, it isn't quite true.
It is more like the strength of an egg. An egg, you ask? Yes! If you'll think about it, you'll see my point. An egg has a polished, smooth outer appearance, with no cracks or weak spots visible. It seems almost inconceivable that the inside might not be so smooth or solid.
Most children, at some point are shown the famous egg trick. An egg set at just the right angle can withstand enormous amounts of pressure and cannot be cracked or broken. Yet the same egg, tapped gently at an ever slightly different angle, will break. The contents, once so neatly concealed, will come spilling out. The no longer perfect shell will be crushed. It looks so fragile that it seems inconceivable that it ever held any strength.
A rock, on the other hand, is solid all the way through. To break it is almost impossible. If you succeed, you will find that there is nothing inside but more rock.
It takes a lot more than pure hardness to hold the hand of hope. Parents of children with cancer are not solid all the way through. We hurt, we fear, we cry, we hope. It takes a very careful balancing act to keep the shell from being shattered. "Balancing an egg" while running a household, going for doctors' visits and hospital stays, keeping the family together, and holding on to the constantly unraveling ties of your sanity can be very tricky indeed! Occasionally, the angle will be off and the shell will break, shattering hope and all the neatly secured appearances of a truly fragile existence.
Unlike Humpty Dumpty, though, parents of kids with cancer will pick themselves up and put themselves back together again. OVER and OVER again...........
Wednesday, June 29, 2005 10:56 PM CDT
Sometimes He lets the storm rage and calms His child.
You know it's time to update when you start getting hostile emails from your friends :)
Courtney had surgery on Monday. Again, the doctor was trying to take the large tumor and the ovary. The doctor scoped her and saw that the little tumors all over her lower intestines had not responded to chemo, so he saw no need in going after the big tumor. And at this point, the large tumor is so big, it's hard for him to determine if he can remove it, so he decided not to. He simply sewed her back up and now she's recuperating. Hopefully she will go home tomorrow...
This is really, really bad news from a medical standpoint, but it's no big deal from a Godly standpoint, and that's the only point we care about. Just stand by and wait for the miracle, because we promise you, it's coming...
Peyton is set for scans on July 14--coincidentally that is the one year anniversary of when she ended treatment. It may be a few days after that before we get the results. In the meantime, Peyton's birthday is next week. She will be 5 on July 7th. She is SO excited :)
That's it for now. We were in Colorado all last week for youth camp and then at the hospital for Court's surgery, so I am wiped out. Thanks for checking on us.
Love,
Marni
PS--Happy 3rd Birthday Daisy!! :)
We found a cool website you should check out. Go to Live Strong and learn about cancer resources and read inspiring cancer survivor stories. This site is run by the Lance Armstrong Foundation. Also, be sure and order your yellow bracelet while you're there. The Live Strong bracelets are $1.00 and proceeds go to cancer research.
Please be sure and scroll down to see our (ever-growing) list of friends who need your prayers. Much love to you all!
Please sign the guestbook and let us know you were here. Peyton loves it when we read her what you wrote.
When we started this page, we were discouraged to find no other CaringBridge pages for CCSK kids--and then, we found Andy. His mom had a list of other sites for kids with CCSK, and sent us the link. I should have put this link up months ago...Bless you, Terry, for giving us a way this last year to check on these other amazing kids and their progress
The Strength of an Egg By
Juliet Freitag
Parents of children with cancer, or really any serious condition, are often referred to or viewed as having strength "like a rock." Albeit flattering, it isn't quite true.
It is more like the strength of an egg. An egg, you ask? Yes! If you'll think about it, you'll see my point. An egg has a polished, smooth outer appearance, with no cracks or weak spots visible. It seems almost inconceivable that the inside might not be so smooth or solid.
Most children, at some point are shown the famous egg trick. An egg set at just the right angle can withstand enormous amounts of pressure and cannot be cracked or broken. Yet the same egg, tapped gently at an ever slightly different angle, will break. The contents, once so neatly concealed, will come spilling out. The no longer perfect shell will be crushed. It looks so fragile that it seems inconceivable that it ever held any strength.
A rock, on the other hand, is solid all the way through. To break it is almost impossible. If you succeed, you will find that there is nothing inside but more rock.
It takes a lot more than pure hardness to hold the hand of hope. Parents of children with cancer are not solid all the way through. We hurt, we fear, we cry, we hope. It takes a very careful balancing act to keep the shell from being shattered. "Balancing an egg" while running a household, going for doctors' visits and hospital stays, keeping the family together, and holding on to the constantly unraveling ties of your sanity can be very tricky indeed! Occasionally, the angle will be off and the shell will break, shattering hope and all the neatly secured appearances of a truly fragile existence.
Unlike Humpty Dumpty, though, parents of kids with cancer will pick themselves up and put themselves back together again. OVER and OVER again...........
Wednesday, June 29, 2005 10:56 PM CDT
Sometimes He lets the storm rage and calms His child.
You know it's time to update when you start getting hostile emails from your friends :)
Courtney had surgery on Monday. Again, the doctor was trying to take the large tumor and the ovary. The doctor scoped her and saw that the little tumors all over her lower intestines had not responded to chemo, so he saw no need in going after the big tumor. And at this point, the large tumor is so big, it's hard for him to determine if he can remove it, so he decided not to. He simply sewed her back up and now she's recuperating. Hopefully she will go home tomorrow...
This is really, really bad news from a medical standpoint, but it's no big deal from a Godly standpoint, and that's the only point we care about. Just stand by and wait for the miracle, because we promise you, it's coming...
Peyton is set for scans on July 14--coincidentally that is the one year anniversary of when she ended treatment. It may be a few days after that before we get the results. In the meantime, Peyton's birthday is next week. She will be 5 on July 7th. She is SO excited :)
That's it for now. We were in Colorado all last week for youth camp and then at the hospital for Court's surgery, so I am wiped out. Thanks for checking on us.
Love,
Marni
PS--Happy 3rd Birthday Daisy!! :)
We found a cool website you should check out. Go to Live Strong and learn about cancer resources and read inspiring cancer survivor stories. This site is run by the Lance Armstrong Foundation. Also, be sure and order your yellow bracelet while you're there. The Live Strong bracelets are $1.00 and proceeds go to cancer research.
Please be sure and scroll down to see our (ever-growing) list of friends who need your prayers. Much love to you all!
Please sign the guestbook and let us know you were here. Peyton loves it when we read her what you wrote.
When we started this page, we were discouraged to find no other CaringBridge pages for CCSK kids--and then, we found Andy. His mom had a list of other sites for kids with CCSK, and sent us the link. I should have put this link up months ago...Bless you, Terry, for giving us a way this last year to check on these other amazing kids and their progress
The Strength of an Egg By
Juliet Freitag
Parents of children with cancer, or really any serious condition, are often referred to or viewed as having strength "like a rock." Albeit flattering, it isn't quite true.
It is more like the strength of an egg. An egg, you ask? Yes! If you'll think about it, you'll see my point. An egg has a polished, smooth outer appearance, with no cracks or weak spots visible. It seems almost inconceivable that the inside might not be so smooth or solid.
Most children, at some point are shown the famous egg trick. An egg set at just the right angle can withstand enormous amounts of pressure and cannot be cracked or broken. Yet the same egg, tapped gently at an ever slightly different angle, will break. The contents, once so neatly concealed, will come spilling out. The no longer perfect shell will be crushed. It looks so fragile that it seems inconceivable that it ever held any strength.
A rock, on the other hand, is solid all the way through. To break it is almost impossible. If you succeed, you will find that there is nothing inside but more rock.
It takes a lot more than pure hardness to hold the hand of hope. Parents of children with cancer are not solid all the way through. We hurt, we fear, we cry, we hope. It takes a very careful balancing act to keep the shell from being shattered. "Balancing an egg" while running a household, going for doctors' visits and hospital stays, keeping the family together, and holding on to the constantly unraveling ties of your sanity can be very tricky indeed! Occasionally, the angle will be off and the shell will break, shattering hope and all the neatly secured appearances of a truly fragile existence.
Unlike Humpty Dumpty, though, parents of kids with cancer will pick themselves up and put themselves back together again. OVER and OVER again...........
Tuesday June 7, 2005
Sometimes He lets the storm rage and calms His child.
UPDATE: Courtney had scans today and we were able to get the results back today. I'll tell you what I sent to Dane in a text message from clinic today..."The scans were bad, bad, bad but God is good, good, good. He promised he would heal her, so what is there to worry about?"
The tumor on Courtney's ovary is bigger and is showing signs of building up new fluid. Court's doctors were visibly upset at the news and seemed to be so upset about telling Courtney that she was AGAIN, being kicked off of a trial chemo because AGAIN, it isn't working. As the doctors are telling us this, I am praying--not out of fear or sadness at the news, but because I am thanking Him that what I am hearing may be a medical fact, but not a God-fact. Tumor growth does not align with the promises God has made to me about Courtney's earthly healing. The next prayer I make is for Courtney to take this news in stride because she too believes God's promise of an earthly healing. I looked up at her and she looked at me over the doctors head, smiled and then winked. Such an awesome moment. I haven't really gotten to talk to her in depth about what went on today, but as her friend, as someone who loves her alot, and as her sister in Christ, I knew that smile and wink to mean "I'm so not worried. God has this totally under control." This weekend, our Sunday School kids took a spiritual gift test--a test designed to show you your God given gifts you use to serve each other, your church, and most importantly God Himself. It was no shock to me to see that Courtney's number 1 spiritual gift was faith. She exhibits it every day, and today was no different. At times it was almost funny to me. Courtney has this self-assured, half-smile on her face as her doctors are telling us that her Stage 4 cancerous tumor is growing and not responding to chemo. And the looks on the their faces are saying, "Courtney you are in SUCH denial about what we are saying to you right now." But I know it wasn't denial, it was the assurance that God has promised to heal her here, and it really isn't relevant what modern medicine thinks contrary to that. Dane and I talked alot about the scans when I got home. We agreed that today's news doesn't line up with what God promised us about Court's healing, so we just agreed we would keep praying for God's will and for Courtney's faith to get even stronger as a result of today's news.
Courtney has some big choices to make about her treatment and possible surgery options. We, again, are not praying for what we want, but for God's will. I'm asking you to join us. And my special prayer request is for Kelly, Court's mom. I know what it is like to be a scared mom and to have a doctor tell you there are bad scans. It is the scariest thing there is in my humble opinion. Kelly feels the effects of each and every bad clinic day and the can be so wearing on you after a while. Kelly is a VERY special friend to me and I can't stand to see her have to deal with the fall out from bad news. Would you all please join me in praying for her peace and comfort.
I'll close for now. The girls are finally home from Aunt Steph's and we are hanging out in the kitchen catching up and drinking kid-friendly pina coladas :)
*************************************
Well...I have a new internet provider and so far I am NOT impressed. It fights me with Caringbridge. I can't get the page to update correctly and the picture of Peyton and Court was HUGE and I couldn't get it to stay edited, so I removed it. There are some cute new pics on the photo page though...
We're doing well. Peyton and Lindsay have been gone since Thursday of last week. Dane and I took our college age/young adult Sunday School kids to a weekend retreat at the lake and the girls stayed with my Coach and Grammy Kay while we were gone. Then Aunt Stephanie picked them up to spend some time with her. They come back today and it's a good thing because we miss them so much!! It's been too quiet around here--clean, but quiet!
Sorry this will be short, but Courtney has scans in a couple of hours and I'm gonna go hang with she and her mom at the hospital. She will get the results today too, and although we have no concerns, regardless the news, scan days are always nerve-wracking, so we'd all appreciate your prayers.
Thanks for checking in on us. I'll update later with more pictures of what we've been up too :)
Love,
Marni
We found a cool website you should check out. Go to Live Strong and learn about cancer resources and read inspiring cancer survivor stories. This site is run by the Lance Armstrong Foundation. Also, be sure and order your yellow bracelet while you're there. The Live Strong bracelets are $1.00 and proceeds go to cancer research.
Please be sure and scroll down to see our (ever-growing) list of friends who need your prayers. Much love to you all!
Please sign the guestbook and let us know you were here. Peyton loves it when we read her what you wrote.
When we started this page, we were discouraged to find no other CaringBridge pages for CCSK kids--and then, we found Andy. His mom had a list of other sites for kids with CCSK, and sent us the link. I should have put this link up months ago...Bless you, Terry, for giving us a way this last year to check on these other amazing kids and their progress
The Strength of an Egg By
Juliet Freitag
Parents of children with cancer, or really any serious condition, are often referred to or viewed as having strength "like a rock." Albeit flattering, it isn't quite true.
It is more like the strength of an egg. An egg, you ask? Yes! If you'll think about it, you'll see my point. An egg has a polished, smooth outer appearance, with no cracks or weak spots visible. It seems almost inconceivable that the inside might not be so smooth or solid.
Most children, at some point are shown the famous egg trick. An egg set at just the right angle can withstand enormous amounts of pressure and cannot be cracked or broken. Yet the same egg, tapped gently at an ever slightly different angle, will break. The contents, once so neatly concealed, will come spilling out. The no longer perfect shell will be crushed. It looks so fragile that it seems inconceivable that it ever held any strength.
A rock, on the other hand, is solid all the way through. To break it is almost impossible. If you succeed, you will find that there is nothing inside but more rock.
It takes a lot more than pure hardness to hold the hand of hope. Parents of children with cancer are not solid all the way through. We hurt, we fear, we cry, we hope. It takes a very careful balancing act to keep the shell from being shattered. "Balancing an egg" while running a household, going for doctors' visits and hospital stays, keeping the family together, and holding on to the constantly unraveling ties of your sanity can be very tricky indeed! Occasionally, the angle will be off and the shell will break, shattering hope and all the neatly secured appearances of a truly fragile existence.
Unlike Humpty Dumpty, though, parents of kids with cancer will pick themselves up and put themselves back together again. OVER and OVER again...........
Tuesday June 7, 2005
Sometimes He lets the storm rage and calms His child.
UPDATE: Courtney had scans today and we were able to get the results back today. I'll tell you what I sent to Dane in a text message from clinic today..."The scans were bad, bad, bad but God is good, good, good. He promised he would heal her, so what is there to worry about?"
The tumor on Courtney's ovary is bigger and is showing signs of building up new fluid. Court's doctors were visibly upset at the news and seemed to be so upset about telling Courtney that she was AGAIN, being kicked off of a trial chemo because AGAIN, it isn't working. As the doctors are telling us this, I am praying--not out of fear or sadness at the news, but because I am thanking Him that what I am hearing may be a medical fact, but not a God-fact. Tumor growth does not align with the promises God has made to me about Courtney's earthly healing. The next prayer I make is for Courtney to take this news in stride because she too believes God's promise of an earthly healing. I looked up at her and she looked at me over the doctors head, smiled and then winked. Such an awesome moment. I haven't really gotten to talk to her in depth about what went on today, but as her friend, as someone who loves her alot, and as her sister in Christ, I knew that smile and wink to mean "I'm so not worried. God has this totally under control." This weekend, our Sunday School kids took a spiritual gift test--a test designed to show you your God given gifts you use to serve each other, your church, and most importantly God Himself. It was no shock to me to see that Courtney's number 1 spiritual gift was faith. She exhibits it every day, and today was no different. At times it was almost funny to me. Courtney has this self-assured, half-smile on her face as her doctors are telling us that her Stage 4 cancerous tumor is growing and not responding to chemo. And the looks on the their faces are saying, "Courtney you are in SUCH denial about what we are saying to you right now." But I know it wasn't denial, it was the assurance that God has promised to heal her here, and it really isn't relevant what modern medicine thinks contrary to that. Dane and I talked alot about the scans when I got home. We agreed that today's news doesn't line up with what God promised us about Court's healing, so we just agreed we would keep praying for God's will and for Courtney's faith to get even stronger as a result of today's news.
Courtney has some big choices to make about her treatment and possible surgery options. We, again, are not praying for what we want, but for God's will. I'm asking you to join us. And my special prayer request is for Kelly, Court's mom. I know what it is like to be a scared mom and to have a doctor tell you there are bad scans. It is the scariest thing there is in my humble opinion. Kelly feels the effects of each and every bad clinic day and the can be so wearing on you after a while. Kelly is a VERY special friend to me and I can't stand to see her have to deal with the fall out from bad news. Would you all please join me in praying for her peace and comfort.
I'll close for now. The girls are finally home from Aunt Steph's and we are hanging out in the kitchen catching up and drinking kid-friendly pina coladas :)
*************************************
Well...I have a new internet provider and so far I am NOT impressed. It fights me with Caringbridge. I can't get the page to update correctly and the picture of Peyton and Court was HUGE and I couldn't get it to stay edited, so I removed it. There are some cute new pics on the photo page though...
We're doing well. Peyton and Lindsay have been gone since Thursday of last week. Dane and I took our college age/young adult Sunday School kids to a weekend retreat at the lake and the girls stayed with my Coach and Grammy Kay while we were gone. Then Aunt Stephanie picked them up to spend some time with her. They come back today and it's a good thing because we miss them so much!! It's been too quiet around here--clean, but quiet!
Sorry this will be short, but Courtney has scans in a couple of hours and I'm gonna go hang with she and her mom at the hospital. She will get the results today too, and although we have no concerns, regardless the news, scan days are always nerve-wracking, so we'd all appreciate your prayers.
Thanks for checking in on us. I'll update later with more pictures of what we've been up too :)
Love,
Marni
We found a cool website you should check out. Go to Live Strong and learn about cancer resources and read inspiring cancer survivor stories. This site is run by the Lance Armstrong Foundation. Also, be sure and order your yellow bracelet while you're there. The Live Strong bracelets are $1.00 and proceeds go to cancer research.
Please be sure and scroll down to see our (ever-growing) list of friends who need your prayers. Much love to you all!
Please sign the guestbook and let us know you were here. Peyton loves it when we read her what you wrote.
When we started this page, we were discouraged to find no other CaringBridge pages for CCSK kids--and then, we found Andy. His mom had a list of other sites for kids with CCSK, and sent us the link. I should have put this link up months ago...Bless you, Terry, for giving us a way this last year to check on these other amazing kids and their progress
The Strength of an Egg By
Juliet Freitag
Parents of children with cancer, or really any serious condition, are often referred to or viewed as having strength "like a rock." Albeit flattering, it isn't quite true.
It is more like the strength of an egg. An egg, you ask? Yes! If you'll think about it, you'll see my point. An egg has a polished, smooth outer appearance, with no cracks or weak spots visible. It seems almost inconceivable that the inside might not be so smooth or solid.
Most children, at some point are shown the famous egg trick. An egg set at just the right angle can withstand enormous amounts of pressure and cannot be cracked or broken. Yet the same egg, tapped gently at an ever slightly different angle, will break. The contents, once so neatly concealed, will come spilling out. The no longer perfect shell will be crushed. It looks so fragile that it seems inconceivable that it ever held any strength.
A rock, on the other hand, is solid all the way through. To break it is almost impossible. If you succeed, you will find that there is nothing inside but more rock.
It takes a lot more than pure hardness to hold the hand of hope. Parents of children with cancer are not solid all the way through. We hurt, we fear, we cry, we hope. It takes a very careful balancing act to keep the shell from being shattered. "Balancing an egg" while running a household, going for doctors' visits and hospital stays, keeping the family together, and holding on to the constantly unraveling ties of your sanity can be very tricky indeed! Occasionally, the angle will be off and the shell will break, shattering hope and all the neatly secured appearances of a truly fragile existence.
Unlike Humpty Dumpty, though, parents of kids with cancer will pick themselves up and put themselves back together again. OVER and OVER again...........
Tuesday, June 7, 2005 10:20 AM CDT
Sometimes He lets the storm rage and calms His child.
Well...I have a new internet provider and so far I am NOT impressed. It fights me with Caringbridge. I can't get the page to update correctly and the picture of Peyton and Court was HUGE and I couldn't get it to stay edited, so I removed it. There are some cute new pics on the photo page though...
We're doing well. Peyton and Lindsay have been gone since Thursday of last week. Dane and I took our college age/young adult Sunday School kids to a weekend retreat at the lake and the girls stayed with my Coach and Grammy Kay while we were gone. Then Aunt Stephanie picked them up to spend some time with her. They come back today and it's a good thing because we miss them so much!! It's been too quiet around here--clean, but quiet!
Sorry this will be short, but Courtney has scans in a couple of hours and I'm gonna go hang with she and her mom at the hospital. She will get the results today too, and although we have no concerns, regardless the news, scan days are always nerve-wracking, so we'd all appreciate your prayers.
Thanks for checking in on us. I'll update later with more pictures of what we've been up too :)
Love,
Marni
We found a cool website you should check out. Go to Live Strong and learn about cancer resources and read inspiring cancer survivor stories. This site is run by the Lance Armstrong Foundation. Also, be sure and order your yellow bracelet while you're there. The Live Strong bracelets are $1.00 and proceeds go to cancer research.
Please be sure and scroll down to see our (ever-growing) list of friends who need your prayers. Much love to you all!
Please sign the guestbook and let us know you were here. Peyton loves it when we read her what you wrote.
When we started this page, we were discouraged to find no other CaringBridge pages for CCSK kids--and then, we found Andy. His mom had a list of other sites for kids with CCSK, and sent us the link. I should have put this link up months ago...Bless you, Terry, for giving us a way this last year to check on these other amazing kids and their progress
The Strength of an Egg By
Juliet Freitag
Parents of children with cancer, or really any serious condition, are often referred to or viewed as having strength "like a rock." Albeit flattering, it isn't quite true.
It is more like the strength of an egg. An egg, you ask? Yes! If you'll think about it, you'll see my point. An egg has a polished, smooth outer appearance, with no cracks or weak spots visible. It seems almost inconceivable that the inside might not be so smooth or solid.
Most children, at some point are shown the famous egg trick. An egg set at just the right angle can withstand enormous amounts of pressure and cannot be cracked or broken. Yet the same egg, tapped gently at an ever slightly different angle, will break. The contents, once so neatly concealed, will come spilling out. The no longer perfect shell will be crushed. It looks so fragile that it seems inconceivable that it ever held any strength.
A rock, on the other hand, is solid all the way through. To break it is almost impossible. If you succeed, you will find that there is nothing inside but more rock.
It takes a lot more than pure hardness to hold the hand of hope. Parents of children with cancer are not solid all the way through. We hurt, we fear, we cry, we hope. It takes a very careful balancing act to keep the shell from being shattered. "Balancing an egg" while running a household, going for doctors' visits and hospital stays, keeping the family together, and holding on to the constantly unraveling ties of your sanity can be very tricky indeed! Occasionally, the angle will be off and the shell will break, shattering hope and all the neatly secured appearances of a truly fragile existence.
Unlike Humpty Dumpty, though, parents of kids with cancer will pick themselves up and put themselves back together again. OVER and OVER again...........
Saturday, May 14, 2005 12:36 AM CDT
Sometimes He lets the storm rage and calms His child.
Okay, so we counted the votes, and although I think that, for the most part, people want Courtney to update, in the interest of puncuation and correct spelling, I'll go ahead and do the next update!!!! And for those of you who voted for Court to get her own page and update it, get right past that because I've been mouthing at her for a year about getting her own and she won't do it. Her theory is "why get my own page if Marni will update about me on Peyton's?" Give me some time to get my thoughts together for a new update. Marcie (Logan's mom) wants me to do a MEGA update on Peyton and Courtney, so I'll sit down and compile all the goings on for both of them, and then do a big update.
Peyton and Courtney are walking the Survivor Lap at Midlothian's Relay for Life next Friday night. You should come see them if you live nearby. They'll be the ones with great hair, wearing purple shirts, and I'll be the one with the video camera bawling my eyes out...
Happy Birthday Paige. We love you and we thank God everyday you are in our lives.
We found a cool website you should check out. Go to Live Strong and learn about cancer resources and read inspiring cancer survivor stories. This site is run by the Lance Armstrong Foundation. Also, be sure and order your yellow bracelet while you're there. The Live Strong bracelets are $1.00 and proceeds go to cancer research.
Please be sure and scroll down to see our (ever-growing) list of friends who need your prayers. Much love to you all!
Please sign the guestbook and let us know you were here. Peyton loves it when we read her what you wrote.
When we started this page, we were discouraged to find no other CaringBridge pages for CCSK kids--and then, we found Andy. His mom had a list of other sites for kids with CCSK, and sent us the link. I should have put this link up months ago...Bless you, Terry, for giving us a way this last year to check on these other amazing kids and their progress
The Strength of an Egg By
Juliet Freitag
Parents of children with cancer, or really any serious condition, are often referred to or viewed as having strength "like a rock." Albeit flattering, it isn't quite true.
It is more like the strength of an egg. An egg, you ask? Yes! If you'll think about it, you'll see my point. An egg has a polished, smooth outer appearance, with no cracks or weak spots visible. It seems almost inconceivable that the inside might not be so smooth or solid.
Most children, at some point are shown the famous egg trick. An egg set at just the right angle can withstand enormous amounts of pressure and cannot be cracked or broken. Yet the same egg, tapped gently at an ever slightly different angle, will break. The contents, once so neatly concealed, will come spilling out. The no longer perfect shell will be crushed. It looks so fragile that it seems inconceivable that it ever held any strength.
A rock, on the other hand, is solid all the way through. To break it is almost impossible. If you succeed, you will find that there is nothing inside but more rock.
It takes a lot more than pure hardness to hold the hand of hope. Parents of children with cancer are not solid all the way through. We hurt, we fear, we cry, we hope. It takes a very careful balancing act to keep the shell from being shattered. "Balancing an egg" while running a household, going for doctors' visits and hospital stays, keeping the family together, and holding on to the constantly unraveling ties of your sanity can be very tricky indeed! Occasionally, the angle will be off and the shell will break, shattering hope and all the neatly secured appearances of a truly fragile existence.
Unlike Humpty Dumpty, though, parents of kids with cancer will pick themselves up and put themselves back together again. OVER and OVER again...........
Tuesday, May 10, 2005 12:58 AM CDT
Sometimes He lets the storm rage and calms His child.
Courtney is bossing me to update the page. Frankly, I think if she wants this page updated this week, she should do it herself. Does anyone else agree?? If so, I think you should post your answers in the guestbook and then at the end of the week, we'll take a vote and see who makes the next update...me or Courtney. Thanks for the help!!
Marni :)
We found a cool website you should check out. Go to Live Strong and learn about cancer resources and read inspiring cancer survivor stories. This site is run by the Lance Armstrong Foundation. Also, be sure and order your yellow bracelet while you're there. The Live Strong bracelets are $1.00 and proceeds go to cancer research.
Please be sure and scroll down to see our (ever-growing) list of friends who need your prayers. Much love to you all!
Please sign the guestbook and let us know you were here. Peyton loves it when we read her what you wrote.
When we started this page, we were discouraged to find no other CaringBridge pages for CCSK kids--and then, we found Andy. His mom had a list of other sites for kids with CCSK, and sent us the link. I should have put this link up months ago...Bless you, Terry, for giving us a way this last year to check on these other amazing kids and their progress
The Strength of an Egg By
Juliet Freitag
Parents of children with cancer, or really any serious condition, are often referred to or viewed as having strength "like a rock." Albeit flattering, it isn't quite true.
It is more like the strength of an egg. An egg, you ask? Yes! If you'll think about it, you'll see my point. An egg has a polished, smooth outer appearance, with no cracks or weak spots visible. It seems almost inconceivable that the inside might not be so smooth or solid.
Most children, at some point are shown the famous egg trick. An egg set at just the right angle can withstand enormous amounts of pressure and cannot be cracked or broken. Yet the same egg, tapped gently at an ever slightly different angle, will break. The contents, once so neatly concealed, will come spilling out. The no longer perfect shell will be crushed. It looks so fragile that it seems inconceivable that it ever held any strength.
A rock, on the other hand, is solid all the way through. To break it is almost impossible. If you succeed, you will find that there is nothing inside but more rock.
It takes a lot more than pure hardness to hold the hand of hope. Parents of children with cancer are not solid all the way through. We hurt, we fear, we cry, we hope. It takes a very careful balancing act to keep the shell from being shattered. "Balancing an egg" while running a household, going for doctors' visits and hospital stays, keeping the family together, and holding on to the constantly unraveling ties of your sanity can be very tricky indeed! Occasionally, the angle will be off and the shell will break, shattering hope and all the neatly secured appearances of a truly fragile existence.
Unlike Humpty Dumpty, though, parents of kids with cancer will pick themselves up and put themselves back together again. OVER and OVER again...........
Tuesday, April 12, 2005 8:20 PM CDT
Sometimes He lets the storm rage and calms His child.
We have become aware of a family in our area who needs our help. If you get a minute, please go by the site of the Dixon Family and read their story. If you feel led to do so, please consider donating money to help them out in their time of great need. Thank you.
Peyton's softball season is going well. She has scored runs in every game we have played so far. Her team is called the Ladybugs. We think that is the coolest because Monique asked Griffin to send us ladybugs to let us know he thinks of us. We have seen ladybugs in some of the strangest places too! One crawled out of my wallet a few weeks back :)
And now, for the long awaited Courtney update :) I had really hoped to have an updated picture of she and Peyton to post along with this entry, but I haven't gotten my camera fixed yet. I'll have a new picture up soon, I promise. Wait until you see them. Court is growing some serious hair! It's coming in much darker than before, but she's totally fine with that. Peyton's is curling like crazy. You may remember from past pictures that Peyton had long curly blond hair. It's darker now, but at least the curls are coming back!
Courtney is on a new treatment. It's not really a chemo, but it is a clinical trial that's purpose is to deny tumors their blood supply. I realize I haven't updated about Courtney in a while and there is too much to backtrack and talk about, but Courtney has new tumors and is in treatment to stop them. This has been a rollercoaster ride for all of us who love her, but she has been so awesome in her attitude about cancer. We had a long talk and I told her how proud I am of her faith and how she is so peaceful about facing cancer again. Court, we've talked about so much in these last weeks about God's will and His perfect plan for you, but so many people would not step out in faith like you have. You have remembered in the darkness what you learned in the light.
Please pray for Peyton's friend Kaidrie. I can't be specific here, but God knows what prayers Kaid needs, so please lift her up.
That's it for now. I'll post new pics as I get them.
Love,
Marni
PS--Happy Birthday Logan!!
PSS--Ha ha Monique and Karen. I TOLD you I'd update tonight ;)
We found a cool website you should check out. Go to Live Strong and learn about cancer resources and read inspiring cancer survivor stories. This site is run by the Lance Armstrong Foundation. Also, be sure and order your yellow bracelet while you're there. The Live Strong bracelets are $1.00 and proceeds go to cancer research.
Please be sure and scroll down to see our (ever-growing) list of friends who need your prayers. Much love to you all!
Please sign the guestbook and let us know you were here. Peyton loves it when we read her what you wrote.
When we started this page, we were discouraged to find no other CaringBridge pages for CCSK kids--and then, we found Andy. His mom had a list of other sites for kids with CCSK, and sent us the link. I should have put this link up months ago...Bless you, Terry, for giving us a way this last year to check on these other amazing kids and their progress
The Strength of an Egg By
Juliet Freitag
Parents of children with cancer, or really any serious condition, are often referred to or viewed as having strength "like a rock." Albeit flattering, it isn't quite true.
It is more like the strength of an egg. An egg, you ask? Yes! If you'll think about it, you'll see my point. An egg has a polished, smooth outer appearance, with no cracks or weak spots visible. It seems almost inconceivable that the inside might not be so smooth or solid.
Most children, at some point are shown the famous egg trick. An egg set at just the right angle can withstand enormous amounts of pressure and cannot be cracked or broken. Yet the same egg, tapped gently at an ever slightly different angle, will break. The contents, once so neatly concealed, will come spilling out. The no longer perfect shell will be crushed. It looks so fragile that it seems inconceivable that it ever held any strength.
A rock, on the other hand, is solid all the way through. To break it is almost impossible. If you succeed, you will find that there is nothing inside but more rock.
It takes a lot more than pure hardness to hold the hand of hope. Parents of children with cancer are not solid all the way through. We hurt, we fear, we cry, we hope. It takes a very careful balancing act to keep the shell from being shattered. "Balancing an egg" while running a household, going for doctors' visits and hospital stays, keeping the family together, and holding on to the constantly unraveling ties of your sanity can be very tricky indeed! Occasionally, the angle will be off and the shell will break, shattering hope and all the neatly secured appearances of a truly fragile existence.
Unlike Humpty Dumpty, though, parents of kids with cancer will pick themselves up and put themselves back together again. OVER and OVER again...........
Friday, April 1, 2005 10:02 PM CST
Sometimes He lets the storm rage and calms His child.
Scans are clear! The only thing that showed up is her sinus infection. Other than that, everything else was clear...
Thanks for all your prayers. A few of you you knew I was nervous about this set of scans. Pey's dcotor told me the highest incidence of relapse could start 6-12 months after ending treatment. This was the first scan since we hit the 6 month mark and I was nervous...But a wise and awesome person in my life (and you know who you are) told me she had nothing but God's peace and assurance that Peyton was okay, and she was right. Thank you for your calming and confident words you gave me over and over. Thank you for crying with me when I unloaded my fears and thank you for loving Peyton so much, that you faithfully prayed for her and put in a good word for her with Kelsey and Griffy...
I'll have a Courtney update next time. I just want to talk to her about what's okay to mention here. She's recovering from a recent surgery so please keep her in your prayers for a speedy recovery.
That's it for now. Ms. Peyton has her first softball game on Saturday morning and if I can get the darn camera working, I'll post pictures. Love you all!
Marni
We found a cool website you should check out. Go to Live Strong and learn about cancer resources and read inspiring cancer survivor stories. This site is run by the Lance Armstrong Foundation. Also, be sure and order your yellow bracelet while you're there. The Live Strong bracelets are $1.00 and proceeds go to cancer research.
Please be sure and scroll down to see our (ever-growing) list of friends who need your prayers. Much love to you all!
Please sign the guestbook and let us know you were here. Peyton loves it when we read her what you wrote.
When we started this page, we were discouraged to find no other CaringBridge pages for CCSK kids--and then, we found Andy. His mom had a list of other sites for kids with CCSK, and sent us the link. I should have put this link up months ago...Bless you, Terry, for giving us a way this last year to check on these other amazing kids and their progress
The Strength of an Egg By
Juliet Freitag
Parents of children with cancer, or really any serious condition, are often referred to or viewed as having strength "like a rock." Albeit flattering, it isn't quite true.
It is more like the strength of an egg. An egg, you ask? Yes! If you'll think about it, you'll see my point. An egg has a polished, smooth outer appearance, with no cracks or weak spots visible. It seems almost inconceivable that the inside might not be so smooth or solid.
Most children, at some point are shown the famous egg trick. An egg set at just the right angle can withstand enormous amounts of pressure and cannot be cracked or broken. Yet the same egg, tapped gently at an ever slightly different angle, will break. The contents, once so neatly concealed, will come spilling out. The no longer perfect shell will be crushed. It looks so fragile that it seems inconceivable that it ever held any strength.
A rock, on the other hand, is solid all the way through. To break it is almost impossible. If you succeed, you will find that there is nothing inside but more rock.
It takes a lot more than pure hardness to hold the hand of hope. Parents of children with cancer are not solid all the way through. We hurt, we fear, we cry, we hope. It takes a very careful balancing act to keep the shell from being shattered. "Balancing an egg" while running a household, going for doctors' visits and hospital stays, keeping the family together, and holding on to the constantly unraveling ties of your sanity can be very tricky indeed! Occasionally, the angle will be off and the shell will break, shattering hope and all the neatly secured appearances of a truly fragile existence.
Unlike Humpty Dumpty, though, parents of kids with cancer will pick themselves up and put themselves back together again. OVER and OVER again...........
Monday, March 28, 2005 8:49 PM CST
Sometimes He lets the storm rage and calms His child.
UPDATE: Please add Tanner to your prayers. He is 12 years old and was just diagnosed with cancer...He is a friend of a friend and we would love to see he and his family lifted up as they go through these first uncertain days. Hopefully Tanner may have a CaringBridge site soon as his mom and dad know about Peyton's. Of course I wouldn't dream of linking to the site, but I'll make sure you all know about it just the same. Thank you for the prayers.
Also, a few of you have gotten down right pushy in wanting Courtney updates. I'll have one soon, I promise. Just know that she's okay, keep praying for her and know that she's an awesome young woman who is fully committed to the covenant of "Not my will Lord, but Yours"...
Just a quick update...Peyton had scans today. She had a head, abdomen and pelvic CT and a chest x-ray. It was a really trying day, but we made it through. Peyton was just having a hard time dealing with the IV in her hand and the NG tube in her nose. She wasn't in the mood for scans today and made it known to everyone in a 10 mile radius. Radiology also got on the LAST nerve I had for the week by scheduling our appointment for 10:15 this morning and not getting us started on the scan process until 1:30. We didn't leave Radiology until 4:00 and by then Peyton was mad and hungry since she hadn't had anything to eat or drink since the night before.
We go to clinic on Thursday and will have scan results then. I'll update then.
Thanks to all of you who are helping out by emailing CaringBridge and asking them to reconsider the new "No Links" policy...
We found a cool website you should check out. Go to Live Strong and learn about cancer resources and read inspiring cancer survivor stories. This site is run by the Lance Armstrong Foundation. Also, be sure and order your yellow bracelet while you're there. The Live Strong bracelets are $1.00 and proceeds go to cancer research.
Please be sure and scroll down to see our (ever-growing) list of friends who need your prayers. Much love to you all!
Please sign the guestbook and let us know you were here. Peyton loves it when we read her what you wrote.
When we started this page, we were discouraged to find no other CaringBridge pages for CCSK kids--and then, we found Andy. His mom had a list of other sites for kids with CCSK, and sent us the link. I should have put this link up months ago...Bless you, Terry, for giving us a way this last year to check on these other amazing kids and their progress
The Strength of an Egg By
Juliet Freitag
Parents of children with cancer, or really any serious condition, are often referred to or viewed as having strength "like a rock." Albeit flattering, it isn't quite true.
It is more like the strength of an egg. An egg, you ask? Yes! If you'll think about it, you'll see my point. An egg has a polished, smooth outer appearance, with no cracks or weak spots visible. It seems almost inconceivable that the inside might not be so smooth or solid.
Most children, at some point are shown the famous egg trick. An egg set at just the right angle can withstand enormous amounts of pressure and cannot be cracked or broken. Yet the same egg, tapped gently at an ever slightly different angle, will break. The contents, once so neatly concealed, will come spilling out. The no longer perfect shell will be crushed. It looks so fragile that it seems inconceivable that it ever held any strength.
A rock, on the other hand, is solid all the way through. To break it is almost impossible. If you succeed, you will find that there is nothing inside but more rock.
It takes a lot more than pure hardness to hold the hand of hope. Parents of children with cancer are not solid all the way through. We hurt, we fear, we cry, we hope. It takes a very careful balancing act to keep the shell from being shattered. "Balancing an egg" while running a household, going for doctors' visits and hospital stays, keeping the family together, and holding on to the constantly unraveling ties of your sanity can be very tricky indeed! Occasionally, the angle will be off and the shell will break, shattering hope and all the neatly secured appearances of a truly fragile existence.
Unlike Humpty Dumpty, though, parents of kids with cancer will pick themselves up and put themselves back together again. OVER and OVER again...........
Tuesday, March 15, 2005 0:30 AM CST
Sometimes He lets the storm rage and calms His child.
UPDATE: MANY OF US IN CARINGBRIDGE LAND HAVE RECEIVED AN EMAIL INFORMING US IT IS NO LONGER ACCEPTABLE TO HAVE LINKS TO OTHER CARINGBRIDGE PAGES. AS OF MARCH 24, THEY WILL ARCHIVE PEYTON'S PAGE AND ANYONE ELSE'S WHO WILL NOT COMPLY WITH THE REQUEST TO REMOVE ALL CARINGBRIDGE LINKS. KAIDRIE'S MOM AND I ARE FIGHTING THIS, BUT IN THE MEANTIME, I WILL BE REMOVING ALL LINKS TO OTHER CARINGBRIDGE SITES. SINCE MANY OF YOU FOLLOW SOME OF THE CHILDREN LISTED HERE, I WANTED TO GIVE YOU FAIR WARNING SO YOU COULD SAVE THE SITE ADDRESSES AND NOT LOSE THEM WHEN I REMOVE THEM FROM THIS PAGE.
Our sweet friend Lauryn has received her ultimate healing. She went to be with Jesus on Saturday. Lauryn was 10 and had been battling vicious brain tumors since she was 5 years old. Her dad told me that now she is running in fields of flowers with her friend Jesus right beside her. Her mom told me not to cry because Lauryn isn't in pain anymore, and that's all that matters.
Lauryn, I am so proud of how you fought and how brave you always were. I thought a lot about you today and my family and I talked about our memories of you from talking, giggling, and waving through the BMT door during the times we couldn't come in to see you, to exchanging manicure tips so my nails could look as pretty as yours, to teasing you about the picture of your "boyfriend" in your locket and of course, to our excitement of meeting Sting--twice! I'll miss you. I'll miss your pink hats, your infectious smile, and your hugs. We'll see you soon Miss Pinky. Give Griffy and Kelsey hugs from us...
We found a cool website you should check out. Go to Live Strong and learn about cancer resources and read inspiring cancer survivor stories. This site is run by the Lance Armstrong Foundation. Also, be sure and order your yellow bracelet while you're there. The Live Strong bracelets are $1.00 and proceeds go to cancer research.
Please be sure and scroll down to see our (ever-growing) list of friends who need your prayers. Much love to you all!
Please sign the guestbook and let us know you were here. Peyton loves it when we read her what you wrote.
When we started this page, we were discouraged to find no other CaringBridge pages for CCSK kids--and then, we found Andy. His mom had a list of other sites for kids with CCSK, and sent us the link. I should have put this link up months ago...Bless you, Terry, for giving us a way this last year to check on these other amazing kids and their progress
The Strength of an Egg By
Juliet Freitag
Parents of children with cancer, or really any serious condition, are often referred to or viewed as having strength "like a rock." Albeit flattering, it isn't quite true.
It is more like the strength of an egg. An egg, you ask? Yes! If you'll think about it, you'll see my point. An egg has a polished, smooth outer appearance, with no cracks or weak spots visible. It seems almost inconceivable that the inside might not be so smooth or solid.
Most children, at some point are shown the famous egg trick. An egg set at just the right angle can withstand enormous amounts of pressure and cannot be cracked or broken. Yet the same egg, tapped gently at an ever slightly different angle, will break. The contents, once so neatly concealed, will come spilling out. The no longer perfect shell will be crushed. It looks so fragile that it seems inconceivable that it ever held any strength.
A rock, on the other hand, is solid all the way through. To break it is almost impossible. If you succeed, you will find that there is nothing inside but more rock.
It takes a lot more than pure hardness to hold the hand of hope. Parents of children with cancer are not solid all the way through. We hurt, we fear, we cry, we hope. It takes a very careful balancing act to keep the shell from being shattered. "Balancing an egg" while running a household, going for doctors' visits and hospital stays, keeping the family together, and holding on to the constantly unraveling ties of your sanity can be very tricky indeed! Occasionally, the angle will be off and the shell will break, shattering hope and all the neatly secured appearances of a truly fragile existence.
Unlike Humpty Dumpty, though, parents of kids with cancer will pick themselves up and put themselves back together again. OVER and OVER again...........
Friday, March 4, 2005 11:51 PM CST
Sometimes He lets the storm rage and calms His child.
Our sweet friend Lauryn has received her ultimate healing. She went to be with Jesus on Saturday. Lauryn was 10 and had been battling vicious brain tumors since she was 5 years old. Her dad told me that now she is running in fields of flowers with her friend Jesus right beside her. Her mom told me not to cry because Lauryn isn't in pain anymore, and that's all that matters.
Lauryn, I am so proud of how you fought and how brave you always were. I thought a lot about you today and my family and I talked about our memories of you from talking, giggling, and waving through the BMT door during the times we couldn't come in to see you, to exchanging manicure tips so my nails could look as pretty as yours, to teasing you about the picture of your "boyfriend" in your locket and of course, to our excitement of meeting Sting--twice! I'll miss you. I'll miss your pink hats, your infectious smile, and your hugs. We'll see you soon Miss Pinky. Give Griffy and Kelsey hugs from us...
We found a cool website you should check out. Go to Live Strong and learn about cancer resources and read inspiring cancer survivor stories. This site is run by the Lance Armstrong Foundation. Also, be sure and order your yellow bracelet while you're there. The Live Strong bracelets are $1.00 and proceeds go to cancer research.
Please be sure and scroll down to see our (ever-growing) list of friends who need your prayers. Much love to you all!
Please sign the guestbook and let us know you were here. Peyton loves it when we read her what you wrote.
Please remember in prayer, our friends from Children's Medical: Weston, Lauryn, Angel Griffin, Tyler, Courtney, Jorge, Alex, Derek, Angel Alexis, Amber, Sara, Kevin, Angel Kelsey, Forest, Megan, Eric, Mackenzie, Jordan, Angel Micah, Jordan, Stephen, Kyleigh and all the other brave cancer kids out there fighting such a tough battle. Please also pray for Logan, Jonathon, Jasmine, Lucas, and Trenton for their continued remission and Elisha for his continued health and success in his hematology(GVHD)treatment and Cameron, for his battle against CCSK. Bless you all!
When we started this page, we were discouraged to find no other CaringBridge pages for CCSK kids--and then, we found Andy. His mom had a list of other sites for kids with CCSK, and sent us the link. I should have put this link up months ago...Bless you, Terry, for giving us a way this last year to check on these other amazing kids and their progress
We have several Caring Bridge friends we keep in contact with and check on daily. Their stories are inspirational, and they all can use our prayers, so here they are. I'm sure I will (sadly) be adding to this list quite often.
Angel Justin
Justin is the son of Peyton's Chemo Angel, Susan. Even though we never got to meet Justin, we are sure he knows Peyton. Susan and I have found many connections between our special kids, and the best explanation is that God and Justin led our families to each other.
Hannah
Hi, my name is Hannah Glenn and this is my story of the ongoing journey to beat a rare childhood cancer. I was diagnosed with Neuroblastoma stage 1V on June 8, 2002 at 22 months of age.
Angel Jacob
We lost this link a long time ago and I really missed checking in on this sweet boy. Jacob's mom signed the guestbook and I was so happy to find them again!
Lauren
Welcome to Laurens Web Page. It has been provided to keep family and friends updated about our Child. Lauren was diagnosed with bilateral wilms tumor stage V favorable histology in October 2003
LaKota
This is a special family to me. LaKota lost a brother, she never knew, to AML in 1990. He was very sensitive to the effects of chemo and couldn't tolerate his treatment. Now LaKota has AML and is showing to have the same sensitivity. Her mom is asking for prayers for earthly healing. LaKota recently had a blood cord transplant. Please pray for LaKota's new cells to grow, grow, grow. She's also in some pain right now and needs our prayers for relief.
Kate
Welcome to our 6 year old daughter Kate's Web Page. We are writing this to keep family and friends, both old and new, updated on how Kate is doing in her battle with Kidney Cancer, a stage II Wilms tumor.
Angel Miranda Rae
Miranda Rae Went to be with Jesus on June 5, 2004. God was faithful to His promise to cure Miranda of her cancer. She flies free of pain and worry and will live in glory forever as a precious 4 year old. Please pray for her parents, Martin and Gail and for her older brother Dylan.
Kaidrie
We have started this page to help keep
our friends and family updated on Kaidrie,
who was diagnosed with a
diffuse pontine glioma on March 12, 2004.
RachelJoy
Welcome to the webpage of one of God's miracle children. RachelJoy weighed 1 lb. 6 oz. at birth, and she continues to cope daily with many conditions that leave her medically fragile. She is refusing to give up. Her enthusiasm and tenacity for life
continue to surprise her doctors. The Lord is RachelJoy's strength. Each day is a gift from Him.
Julianna Banana
Hello everyone, welcome to my web page! My name is Julianna and I live in Winnipeg, Canada, home of Winnie the Pooh. I'm 3 years old, brown hair and brown eyes, single and a non-smoker. My turn-ons include pink clothes, Barbie toys and playing. My turn-offs are medicine and when my brother stands in front of the tv. Please stop by from time to time and see what I'm up to :-)
Angel Cheyenne
This page was created to help Cheyenne’s family and friends share in her daily experiences as she courageously battles this terrible beast of a tumor that threatens one to two hundred children each year.
Angel Connor
Welcome to Connor's web page of healing.
Connor has rhabdomyosarcoma, a rare form of cancer found in children.
We established this site to keep family and friends updated on his road to recovery.
Angel Zachary
This page was designed to update friends and family on Zachary's fight against Hemophagocytic Lympho Histiocytosis.
Boogie
Boogie-man (Dillion) has the sweetest smile. He and his mom check on Peyton almost everyday. You won't be able to have a bad day after reading his site and seeing what a gift from God he is.
Jenna
Everday That There IS A Battle, I OverCome It With A Positive Attitude and My Smile!
Katia
Little Katia is so special to us. She is such a fighter and her site is a wealth of information on other Caring Bridge patients.
Angel Ian
Ian passed away from earth at just after 6 this morning, Father's Day. Brian and I and his Aunt Lauren were with him. We told him in those last moments how much we loved him, and to go and fly with the angels
Nicole
Welcome to Nicole's webpage. Nicole was first diagnosed with an "inoperable" brainstem tumor, technical name is a low-grade brainstem astrocytoma -- focal intrinsic tumor of the pontomedullary junction, when she was 3 1/2 on July 1st 1992. Nicole is now 15 years old and continues to battle this disease. This website is dedicate to her continued journey. I have hope that Nicole will win this battle. My prayers go out to all the families and loved ones that share this fight with us.
Craiggy
Craig, who is 6 years old, was diagnosed in early August with type-B stage 4 Lymphoma
The Strength of an Egg By
Juliet Freitag
Parents of children with cancer, or really any serious condition, are often referred to or viewed as having strength "like a rock." Albeit flattering, it isn't quite true.
It is more like the strength of an egg. An egg, you ask? Yes! If you'll think about it, you'll see my point. An egg has a polished, smooth outer appearance, with no cracks or weak spots visible. It seems almost inconceivable that the inside might not be so smooth or solid.
Most children, at some point are shown the famous egg trick. An egg set at just the right angle can withstand enormous amounts of pressure and cannot be cracked or broken. Yet the same egg, tapped gently at an ever slightly different angle, will break. The contents, once so neatly concealed, will come spilling out. The no longer perfect shell will be crushed. It looks so fragile that it seems inconceivable that it ever held any strength.
A rock, on the other hand, is solid all the way through. To break it is almost impossible. If you succeed, you will find that there is nothing inside but more rock.
It takes a lot more than pure hardness to hold the hand of hope. Parents of children with cancer are not solid all the way through. We hurt, we fear, we cry, we hope. It takes a very careful balancing act to keep the shell from being shattered. "Balancing an egg" while running a household, going for doctors' visits and hospital stays, keeping the family together, and holding on to the constantly unraveling ties of your sanity can be very tricky indeed! Occasionally, the angle will be off and the shell will break, shattering hope and all the neatly secured appearances of a truly fragile existence.
Unlike Humpty Dumpty, though, parents of kids with cancer will pick themselves up and put themselves back together again. OVER and OVER again...........
Wednesday, February 2, 2005 11:04 PM CST
Sometimes He lets the storm rage and calms His child.
Ben's mom has updated his site. Many of you remember Ben as a little boy we met who has the same cancer as Peyton. Ben relapsed a few months ago. Ben has stopped chemo because it is too harsh on his remaining kidney. Now they are treating him with radiation to his lungs. Please keep praying for Ben and his family. Also, our friend Nicole is having a hard time and her mom is very worried. Please continue to pray for a miracle for Nicole's tumor.
***************************************
We're still here. Peyton is doing well and is really enjoying school. I have gotten much better at making her sandwiches the exact way she wants them! She is writing her name well and each week has a new letter she studies. This week is "O". She's got a new friend she mentions all the time. His name is Jack and they hang out during "gym time".
For the other half of you who come here to get updates on Courtney, here is the latest on her :)...Court has started her new trial. The chemo is done out patient, which is awesome. Courtney is looking and feeling so much better that she did on her last treatment, and for us, this has been a wonderful answer to some heartfelt prayers. Dane and I were so worried about how harsh her last treatment was and we are glad to see it gone. Her latest set of scans were wonderful and everyday we see how well she looks, it's a huge reminder of the blessings God rains down on her and on us.
Last week, I got to spend some time with Monique. We hung out at the coffee shop at the hospital for almost 2 hours. We talked about Griffin--alot. We giggled and we cried as we relived the last days and hours we had with him. We talked about what a remarkable little boy he was and how he was so far beyond his 6 years in his ability to relate to people around him. I told Monique what a blessing Griffy was and how special I feel just to have known him, love him and to have been loved by him. I miss him so much...There is a song that’s been out for a little bit, and every time I hear it, it helps me feel better. It’s by Mercy Me and it’s called Homesick
You're in a better place, I've heard a thousand times
And at least a thousand times I've rejoiced for you
But the reason why I'm broken, the reason why I cry
Is how long must I wait to be with you
I close my eyes and I see your face
If home's where my heart is then I'm out of place
Lord, won't you give me strength to make it through somehow
I've never been more homesick than now
Help me Lord cause I don't understand your ways
The reason why I wonder if I'll ever know
But, even if you showed me, the hurt would be the same
Cause I'm still here so far away from home
I close my eyes and I see your face
If home's where my heart is then I'm out of place
Lord, won't you give me strength to make it through somehow
I've never been more homesick than now
In Christ, there are no goodbyes
And in Christ, there is no end
So I'll hold onto Jesus with all that I have
To see you again
To see you again
God let me spend some wonderful time with Griffy before he died. And the blessings that have come from those last days with him surpassed what I could have imagined. One of the nurses I spoke with told me that she feels that the birth of a child and the death of a child are the two times when she feels the presence of heaven so close to the presence of earth. And she’s so right. The presence of Jesus in Griffin’s hospital room was so incredibly powerful in the last hours of his life. And for me, it was a gift. And it made me homesick.
Barry, Monique and Blake go on without him, and we pray for their peace. I hope you will continue to do the same.
Dane and I have been to 3 funerals in 3 months, all for children and all because of cancer. I said we were going to talk more about Curesearch.org and how they are doing what they can to stop pediatric cancer. God led me to Tim and Donna Culliver. They are the Curesearch team leaders for Texas. They have shown Dane and I some great ways to get more involved in promoting Curesearch, and they enlightened me to the ways of pediatric cancer funding. Do you know why adult cancer research gets so much funding? One word, Congress. Did you know that cancer research lives and dies by what various committees in our US Congress decide to throw money to? Before Peyton got sick and we were shoved full force into the world we are in now, when I thought of cancer, I thought about breast cancer. It has some high profile victims, has lots of support in the media, it’s own ribbon color, and impressive support in government funding. I am told that what gained breast cancer some of the government research funding it needed was to see thousands upon thousands of women converging on the mall at our nation’s capitol, wearing their pink and proudly sporting (as they should!) their battle scars, bald heads and broken hearts for all the world to see. And it worked. God bless every woman who is facing or has faced breast cancer, it worked. I want to think that members of our Congress didn’t look out their windows and see all those brave women outside chanting, holding up signs and demanding their government stop cancer, and say to themselves, “Look at all those registered voters…” What I would like to think is that they saw fellow human beings who were suffering, while we spent billions of dollars of government dollars on less important things, and said, “Those women need our help.” But I’m told that generally isn’t the case. Instead, I am told that there are 2 big reasons that childhood cancer doesn’t get the funding it deserves: One, it isn’t being recognized for the epidemic that it is and two, childhood cancer doesn’t have the massive amount of victims converging on Washington DC and demanding the money it takes to stop cancer. Well, esteemed members of congress, here’s a wake up call. Childhood cancer is the leading cause of death in children, and the reason we aren’t stomping around the capitol with signs and parading our bald children in front of you in efforts to get you to recognize our plight is that for many of us, our kids have lost their battle. They aren‘t here to make the trip to your office and tell you their story. For many more of us, our kids are in treatment and can’t leave the hospital. And as their parents, we can’t fathom leaving their side to come talk to you while our babies are getting their chemo or radiation. We don’t come to Washington in droves to give a great media performance in hopes of impressing you into spending the money we need because we are at home doing our jobs, as parents. Shouldn’t you be doing yours, as our elected leaders?
Dane and I are hoping to travel to Washington DC twice this year as ambassadors of Curesearch. They will set up meetings with various members of Congress and we will have the opportunity to sit before them, tell them our story, and ask them to give childhood cancer the attention it deserves. We have every intention of sitting before them with pictures of those we love who have dealt or are dealing with cancer. They will see Peyton's picture, and they will hear us talk about the fear that comes with hearing the words, “Your daughter has cancer” coming out of a doctor’s mouth. They will hear about the side effects of chemo and radiation. They will hear about what it’s like to sit and wait for 5 years to know if our child has a real shot at staying cancer free, or if we will be looking at our worst nightmare, relapse. And they will see pictures of Weston, Logan, Courtney, and Griffin, and they will hear their stories too. And not because I believe in emotional blackmail to get what I want, but they will hear us cry. They will hear us cry because cancer took Griffin from us and it tried to take the others from us. They will hear us cry because we have lost too many children in our lives and we are just a tiniest fraction of the people out there who have suffered at the hands of childhood cancer.
I have been emailing the local TV and radio stations in the Dallas market and asking them to play the PSA’s (Public Service Announcements) that Curesearch has made. I encourage each person reading this to contact their local media outlets and ask them to do the same. I guarantee you they possess the PSA’s. Curesearch sent out thousands all over the country, but TV and radio stations get bombarded with so many PSA’s in a year’s time, they can’t play them all, unless their audience demands it. And what Dane and I are doing, takes no skill. Just time and the desire to see cancer stopped. And we are encouraging you to get on board with us in fighting. Go to Curesearch.org, sign up and get busy. Order your green bracelets and pass them out to anyone willing to wear them. I stacked mine on top of my Livestrong yellow bracelet. People invariably say, “I know what the yellow one means, what’s the green one for?” And I am all too happy to tell them. The green bracelets say, “Reach the Day” and one day we will reach the day when no more children will die from cancer, but not until we get involved--all of us.
Please pray for the families of Skyler, Joey, Justin, Micah and Alexis. These are children from our hospital, and 3 of them went through treatment with Peyton. And in the last month, all have died from cancer. Please also pray for Lauryn and her awesome family. She has entered hospice…I am also asking you to pray for the awesome staff at Children’s, and all other pediatric hospitals, who love and care for these kids. When most of us have a bad day at work, a computer may have crashed. When they have a bad day at work, they watched a child die.
Hug your kids and realize what a gift from God they are.
Love,
Marni
We found a cool website you should check out. Go to Live Strong and learn about cancer resources and read inspiring cancer survivor stories. This site is run by the Lance Armstrong Foundation. Also, be sure and order your yellow bracelet while you're there. The Live Strong bracelets are $1.00 and proceeds go to cancer research.
Please be sure and scroll down to see our (ever-growing) list of friends who need your prayers. Much love to you all!
Please sign the guestbook and let us know you were here. Peyton loves it when we read her what you wrote.
Please remember in prayer, our friends from Children's Medical: Weston, Lauryn, Angel Griffin, Tyler, Courtney, Jorge, Alex, Derek, Alexis, Amber, Sara, Kevin, Kelsey, Forest, Megan, Eric, Mackenzie, Jordan, Angel Micah, Jordan, Stephen, Kyleigh and all the other brave cancer kids out there fighting such a tough battle. Please also pray for Logan, Jonathon, Jasmine, Lucas, and Trenton for their continued remission and Elisha for his continued health and success in his hematology(GVHD)treatment and Cameron, for his battle against CCSK. Bless you all!
When we started this page, we were discouraged to find no other CaringBridge pages for CCSK kids--and then, we found Andy. His mom had a list of other sites for kids with CCSK, and sent us the link. I should have put this link up months ago...Bless you, Terry, for giving us a way this last year to check on these other amazing kids and their progress
We have several Caring Bridge friends we keep in contact with and check on daily. Their stories are inspirational, and they all can use our prayers, so here they are. I'm sure I will (sadly) be adding to this list quite often.
Angel Justin
Justin is the son of Peyton's Chemo Angel, Susan. Even though we never got to meet Justin, we are sure he knows Peyton. Susan and I have found many connections between our special kids, and the best explanation is that God and Justin led our families to each other.
Hannah
Hi, my name is Hannah Glenn and this is my story of the ongoing journey to beat a rare childhood cancer. I was diagnosed with Neuroblastoma stage 1V on June 8, 2002 at 22 months of age.
Jacob
We lost this link a long time ago and I really missed checking in on this sweet boy. Jacob's mom signed the guestbook and I was so happy to find them again!
Lauren
Welcome to Laurens Web Page. It has been provided to keep family and friends updated about our Child. Lauren was diagnosed with bilateral wilms tumor stage V favorable histology in October 2003
LaKota
This is a special family to me. LaKota lost a brother, she never knew, to AML in 1990. He was very sensitive to the effects of chemo and couldn't tolerate his treatment. Now LaKota has AML and is showing to have the same sensitivity. Her mom is asking for prayers for earthly healing. LaKota recently had a blood cord transplant. Please pray for LaKota's new cells to grow, grow, grow. She's also in some pain right now and needs our prayers for relief.
Kate
Welcome to our 6 year old daughter Kate's Web Page. We are writing this to keep family and friends, both old and new, updated on how Kate is doing in her battle with Kidney Cancer, a stage II Wilms tumor.
Angel Miranda Rae
Miranda Rae Went to be with Jesus on June 5, 2004. God was faithful to His promise to cure Miranda of her cancer. She flies free of pain and worry and will live in glory forever as a precious 4 year old. Please pray for her parents, Martin and Gail and for her older brother Dylan.
Kaidrie
We have started this page to help keep
our friends and family updated on Kaidrie,
who was diagnosed with a
diffuse pontine glioma on March 12, 2004.
RachelJoy
Welcome to the webpage of one of God's miracle children. RachelJoy weighed 1 lb. 6 oz. at birth, and she continues to cope daily with many conditions that leave her medically fragile. She is refusing to give up. Her enthusiasm and tenacity for life
continue to surprise her doctors. The Lord is RachelJoy's strength. Each day is a gift from Him.
Julianna Banana
Hello everyone, welcome to my web page! My name is Julianna and I live in Winnipeg, Canada, home of Winnie the Pooh. I'm 3 years old, brown hair and brown eyes, single and a non-smoker. My turn-ons include pink clothes, Barbie toys and playing. My turn-offs are medicine and when my brother stands in front of the tv. Please stop by from time to time and see what I'm up to :-)
Angel Cheyenne
This page was created to help Cheyenne’s family and friends share in her daily experiences as she courageously battles this terrible beast of a tumor that threatens one to two hundred children each year.
Angel Connor
Welcome to Connor's web page of healing.
Connor has rhabdomyosarcoma, a rare form of cancer found in children.
We established this site to keep family and friends updated on his road to recovery.
Angel Zachary
This page was designed to update friends and family on Zachary's fight against Hemophagocytic Lympho Histiocytosis.
Boogie
Boogie-man (Dillion) has the sweetest smile. He and his mom check on Peyton almost everyday. You won't be able to have a bad day after reading his site and seeing what a gift from God he is.
Jenna
Everday That There IS A Battle, I OverCome It With A Positive Attitude and My Smile!
Katia
Little Katia is so special to us. She is such a fighter and her site is a wealth of information on other Caring Bridge patients.
Angel Ian
Ian passed away from earth at just after 6 this morning, Father's Day. Brian and I and his Aunt Lauren were with him. We told him in those last moments how much we loved him, and to go and fly with the angels
Nicole
Welcome to Nicole's webpage. Nicole was first diagnosed with an "inoperable" brainstem tumor, technical name is a low-grade brainstem astrocytoma -- focal intrinsic tumor of the pontomedullary junction, when she was 3 1/2 on July 1st 1992. Nicole is now 15 years old and continues to battle this disease. This website is dedicate to her continued journey. I have hope that Nicole will win this battle. My prayers go out to all the families and loved ones that share this fight with us.
Craiggy
Craig, who is 6 years old, was diagnosed in early August with type-B stage 4 Lymphoma
The Strength of an Egg By
Juliet Freitag
Parents of children with cancer, or really any serious condition, are often referred to or viewed as having strength "like a rock." Albeit flattering, it isn't quite true.
It is more like the strength of an egg. An egg, you ask? Yes! If you'll think about it, you'll see my point. An egg has a polished, smooth outer appearance, with no cracks or weak spots visible. It seems almost inconceivable that the inside might not be so smooth or solid.
Most children, at some point are shown the famous egg trick. An egg set at just the right angle can withstand enormous amounts of pressure and cannot be cracked or broken. Yet the same egg, tapped gently at an ever slightly different angle, will break. The contents, once so neatly concealed, will come spilling out. The no longer perfect shell will be crushed. It looks so fragile that it seems inconceivable that it ever held any strength.
A rock, on the other hand, is solid all the way through. To break it is almost impossible. If you succeed, you will find that there is nothing inside but more rock.
It takes a lot more than pure hardness to hold the hand of hope. Parents of children with cancer are not solid all the way through. We hurt, we fear, we cry, we hope. It takes a very careful balancing act to keep the shell from being shattered. "Balancing an egg" while running a household, going for doctors' visits and hospital stays, keeping the family together, and holding on to the constantly unraveling ties of your sanity can be very tricky indeed! Occasionally, the angle will be off and the shell will break, shattering hope and all the neatly secured appearances of a truly fragile existence.
Unlike Humpty Dumpty, though, parents of kids with cancer will pick themselves up and put themselves back together again. OVER and OVER again...........
Saturday, January 22, 2005 9:38 AM CST
Sometimes He lets the storm rage and calms His child.
What a week!! As you can tell from the new picture, Peyton started pre-school this week! She goes 2 days a week and she just loves it. The picture is from her first day, and yes, she is wearing her PJ's! Her first day was "Polar Express Day". The kids all wore their jammies and drank hot chocolate as the teacher read them the Polar Express book. Peyton's new teacher is Ms. Amy and Peyton just adores her. Each day she goes to school, she brings her lunch, her backpack and her "Courtney sleeping bag" :) Court bought Peyton a really cool Peyton-sized purple and pink sleeping bag. Peyton takes it for naptime. So, as you can see from the picture, she is loaded down each day, but she just loves it. It makes her feel like a big girl!
Her first day was Tuesday. When I picked her up, she was all smiles. She asked me if I was lonely for her all day. I told her I was, but that I was glad she had fun. She talked nonstop about her new friends, Caroline and Kenneth, and how she loved having her new lunchbox with the yummy food I packed her. I did get a brief dressing down for failing to make her sandwich the right way, but she got over that pretty fast :) On Thursday, I tried to do better with the sandwich, but this time I forgot to cut it in half. I was making Dane his lunch the same time I made Peyton's and best I can figure, I must have given Dane Peyton's sandwich. I'm sure it was an interesting moment for him when he pulled out his crustless, cut up sandwich :)!! At any rate, we are just thrilled to be where we are. A year ago, pre-school seemed like a dim dream in a very distant future, and now, here we are. It's awesome and God is awesome for getting us here.
Griffin's family comes in from LA today. We've missed them alot and hopefully Peyton and I will see Monique and Blake this week. Everyday we miss Griffin, but we are putting one foot in front of the other and we know that each day we are here is one day closer to seeing him again. Peyton talks to Griffin everyday. She tells him about her day and that she misses him and loves him. When I hear her talking to him, I go and sit with her. It's a comfort to be near her when she talks to him. It's like I can feel his presence even more...
Courtney is doing great. She will start a new treatment next week. This one is significantly less invasive on her life and will be almost exclusively out-patient. It's been wonderful to see her feeling so well these last weeks while she took a break from chemo. We've been going to her sister's basketball games. Paige is playing really well and we are having so much fun at her games. After Paige's game, we stick around and watch the varsity girls play. Most of the girls are the ones Courtney played with last year. I don't know what's more entertaining, the game itself of Courtney's behavior during the game. Courtney's on her feet most of the game hollering at the players, the ref, the opposing team--whoever! :) I see some SERIOUS coaching talent in her future. She's got the set of lungs to make her opinion heard to anyone in the gym, so she's halfway there!!
We lost some of our friends from the hospital this week. Please say a prayer for the families of Micah, Justin, and Skyler. Also, Peyton's friend Alexis isn't doing well at all. Please pray for her and her mom.
Next entry, we're talking about Curesearch again and what it's doing to stop more kids from dealing with childhood cancer. In the meantime, please keep praying for our kids and how God would have us work to stop cancer.
Love,
Marni
We found a cool website you should check out. Go to Live Strong and learn about cancer resources and read inspiring cancer survivor stories. This site is run by the Lance Armstrong Foundation. Also, be sure and order your yellow bracelet while you're there. The Live Strong bracelets are $1.00 and proceeds go to cancer research.
Please be sure and scroll down to see our (ever-growing) list of friends who need your prayers. Much love to you all!
Please sign the guestbook and let us know you were here. Peyton loves it when we read her what you wrote.
Please remember in prayer, our friends from Children's Medical: Weston, Lauryn, Angel Griffin, Tyler, Courtney, Jorge, Alex, Derek, Alexis, Amber, Sara, Kevin, Kelsey, Forest, Megan, Eric, Mackenzie, Jordan, Angel Micah, Jordan, Stephen, Kyleigh and all the other brave cancer kids out there fighting such a tough battle. Please also pray for Logan, Jonathon, Jasmine, Lucas, and Trenton for their continued remission and Elisha for his continued health and success in his hematology(GVHD)treatment and Cameron, for his battle against CCSK. Bless you all!
When we started this page, we were discouraged to find no other CaringBridge pages for CCSK kids--and then, we found Andy. His mom had a list of other sites for kids with CCSK, and sent us the link. I should have put this link up months ago...Bless you, Terry, for giving us a way this last year to check on these other amazing kids and their progress
We have several Caring Bridge friends we keep in contact with and check on daily. Their stories are inspirational, and they all can use our prayers, so here they are. I'm sure I will (sadly) be adding to this list quite often.
Angel Justin
Justin is the son of Peyton's Chemo Angel, Susan. Even though we never got to meet Justin, we are sure he knows Peyton. Susan and I have found many connections between our special kids, and the best explanation is that God and Justin led our families to each other.
Hannah
Hi, my name is Hannah Glenn and this is my story of the ongoing journey to beat a rare childhood cancer. I was diagnosed with Neuroblastoma stage 1V on June 8, 2002 at 22 months of age.
Jacob
We lost this link a long time ago and I really missed checking in on this sweet boy. Jacob's mom signed the guestbook and I was so happy to find them again!
Lauren
Welcome to Laurens Web Page. It has been provided to keep family and friends updated about our Child. Lauren was diagnosed with bilateral wilms tumor stage V favorable histology in October 2003
LaKota
This is a special family to me. LaKota lost a brother, she never knew, to AML in 1990. He was very sensitive to the effects of chemo and couldn't tolerate his treatment. Now LaKota has AML and is showing to have the same sensitivity. Her mom is asking for prayers for earthly healing. LaKota recently had a blood cord transplant. Please pray for LaKota's new cells to grow, grow, grow. She's also in some pain right now and needs our prayers for relief.
Kate
Welcome to our 6 year old daughter Kate's Web Page. We are writing this to keep family and friends, both old and new, updated on how Kate is doing in her battle with Kidney Cancer, a stage II Wilms tumor.
Angel Miranda Rae
Miranda Rae Went to be with Jesus on June 5, 2004. God was faithful to His promise to cure Miranda of her cancer. She flies free of pain and worry and will live in glory forever as a precious 4 year old. Please pray for her parents, Martin and Gail and for her older brother Dylan.
Kaidrie
We have started this page to help keep
our friends and family updated on Kaidrie,
who was diagnosed with a
diffuse pontine glioma on March 12, 2004.
RachelJoy
Welcome to the webpage of one of God's miracle children. RachelJoy weighed 1 lb. 6 oz. at birth, and she continues to cope daily with many conditions that leave her medically fragile. She is refusing to give up. Her enthusiasm and tenacity for life
continue to surprise her doctors. The Lord is RachelJoy's strength. Each day is a gift from Him.
Julianna Banana
Hello everyone, welcome to my web page! My name is Julianna and I live in Winnipeg, Canada, home of Winnie the Pooh. I'm 3 years old, brown hair and brown eyes, single and a non-smoker. My turn-ons include pink clothes, Barbie toys and playing. My turn-offs are medicine and when my brother stands in front of the tv. Please stop by from time to time and see what I'm up to :-)
Angel Cheyenne
This page was created to help Cheyenne’s family and friends share in her daily experiences as she courageously battles this terrible beast of a tumor that threatens one to two hundred children each year.
Angel Connor
Welcome to Connor's web page of healing.
Connor has rhabdomyosarcoma, a rare form of cancer found in children.
We established this site to keep family and friends updated on his road to recovery.
Angel Zachary
This page was designed to update friends and family on Zachary's fight against Hemophagocytic Lympho Histiocytosis.
Boogie
Boogie-man (Dillion) has the sweetest smile. He and his mom check on Peyton almost everyday. You won't be able to have a bad day after reading his site and seeing what a gift from God he is.
Jenna
Everday That There IS A Battle, I OverCome It With A Positive Attitude and My Smile!
Katia
Little Katia is so special to us. She is such a fighter and her site is a wealth of information on other Caring Bridge patients.
Angel Ian
Ian passed away from earth at just after 6 this morning, Father's Day. Brian and I and his Aunt Lauren were with him. We told him in those last moments how much we loved him, and to go and fly with the angels
Nicole
Welcome to Nicole's webpage. Nicole was first diagnosed with an "inoperable" brainstem tumor, technical name is a low-grade brainstem astrocytoma -- focal intrinsic tumor of the pontomedullary junction, when she was 3 1/2 on July 1st 1992. Nicole is now 15 years old and continues to battle this disease. This website is dedicate to her continued journey. I have hope that Nicole will win this battle. My prayers go out to all the families and loved ones that share this fight with us.
Craiggy
Craig, who is 6 years old, was diagnosed in early August with type-B stage 4 Lymphoma
The Strength of an Egg By
Juliet Freitag
Parents of children with cancer, or really any serious condition, are often referred to or viewed as having strength "like a rock." Albeit flattering, it isn't quite true.
It is more like the strength of an egg. An egg, you ask? Yes! If you'll think about it, you'll see my point. An egg has a polished, smooth outer appearance, with no cracks or weak spots visible. It seems almost inconceivable that the inside might not be so smooth or solid.
Most children, at some point are shown the famous egg trick. An egg set at just the right angle can withstand enormous amounts of pressure and cannot be cracked or broken. Yet the same egg, tapped gently at an ever slightly different angle, will break. The contents, once so neatly concealed, will come spilling out. The no longer perfect shell will be crushed. It looks so fragile that it seems inconceivable that it ever held any strength.
A rock, on the other hand, is solid all the way through. To break it is almost impossible. If you succeed, you will find that there is nothing inside but more rock.
It takes a lot more than pure hardness to hold the hand of hope. Parents of children with cancer are not solid all the way through. We hurt, we fear, we cry, we hope. It takes a very careful balancing act to keep the shell from being shattered. "Balancing an egg" while running a household, going for doctors' visits and hospital stays, keeping the family together, and holding on to the constantly unraveling ties of your sanity can be very tricky indeed! Occasionally, the angle will be off and the shell will break, shattering hope and all the neatly secured appearances of a truly fragile existence.
Unlike Humpty Dumpty, though, parents of kids with cancer will pick themselves up and put themselves back together again. OVER and OVER again...........
Monday, January 10, 2005 9:37 PM CST
Sometimes He lets the storm rage and calms His child.
Courtney and Peyton are in the newspaper together! Go to The Monitor and read the article the paper has published. This paper has been so great about printing stories about Courtney and keeping her community posted on her extraoridinary fight. Thank you, Susie, for seeing that her story was published. Keep up the prayers you guys. God hears them, and they are working!
PS--Way to go Paige!! You were awesome last night and we are really proud of you--on the court and off :) Court, ohmigoodness girl...we had so much fun with you guys last night! Have fun tonight. Don't wet your pants or anything else embarrassing...hahahaha ;)
Welcome to our new friend Kyleigh. Her web addresss is linked below with our other friends from Children's. Please stop by and tell her hello.
*************************************
Griffin's memorial service turned out so well. Griffin planned it, so how could it have been anything but great! We miss him every day, but he's so happy now and that makes it hard for us to be sad.
Peyton has taken Griffin's death so well. When we told her that Griffy left us to live with Jesus, her eyes got very wide. She asked Dane and I in an incredulous voice, "you mean Griffin died?" When we told her he had, she got a big smile on her face and said she was so happy to know Griffin was in heaven and his cancer was all gone. I guess for a lot of people, that may seem like a strange reaction, but for us, it makes complete sense. Peyton loves her friends with such a passion, and as a friend, she wants what is best for them even if it isn't what's best for her. She misses him. She says that everyday, but without fail, she says, "But I'm just so glad Griffy is in heaven and doesn't have cancer anymore." She's wise beyond her years and her childlike faith and has made Dane, Lindsay and I smile a lot in a week when it was hard to.
"Let the little children come to me and do not hinder them for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these." Mark 10:14
Peyton had clinic last Thursday. It marked her 6th month since treatment ended. The doctor said she looked great. She'd lost a few ounces to put her down to 39lbs, but other than that, she's doing well. She goes in for her next set of routine scans in March. We can now take her off the weekly antibiotic she's been on since early last year and now Peyton can catch up on her 4 year immunizations. Her blood counts still aren't back to normal--and that's been a little frustrating to me--but they are still climbing. Her counts are still showing the fact that the chemo is still in control of her body, even this many months out. It's bothersome to me that those toxins are still loose in her little body, but the doctor assured me she is right on track of where they expect her to be. We're just praying through it and I'm starting to research some ways we can help get her body clear of what's left of her treatment...
Courtney and her sister Paige spent the weekend with us, so you can imagine how excited we all were (especially Peyton!!) to have them here. It was nice to hang out and swap stories about Griffin and just be together after a hard week. Please keep praying for Courtney. Her treatment is about to go another direction--and we are so grateful to God for that. Please lift her and her amazing family up for their peace about her treatment.
I want to say a very special thank you to our family and our friends who are like family. So many of you were so wonderful this week as we said goodbye to Griffy. Your calls, your prayers and your presence at his service meant more than you can know. I told Dane that the thought of spending eternity in heaven with people like you makes the idea of being there all the more sweeter. You know who you are, and know how much you are loved by us.
Marni
We found a cool website you should check out. Go to Live Strong and learn about cancer resources and read inspiring cancer survivor stories. This site is run by the Lance Armstrong Foundation. Also, be sure and order your yellow bracelet while you're there. The Live Strong bracelets are $1.00 and proceeds go to cancer research.
Please be sure and scroll down to see our (ever-growing) list of friends who need your prayers. Much love to you all!
Please sign the guestbook and let us know you were here. Peyton loves it when we read her what you wrote.
Please remember in prayer, our friends from Children's Medical: Weston, Lauryn, Angel Griffin, Tyler, Courtney, Jorge, Alex, Derek, Alexis, Amber, Sara, Kevin, Kelsey, Forest, Megan, Eric, Mackenzie, Jordan, Micah, Jordan, Stephen, Kyleigh and all the other brave cancer kids out there fighting such a tough battle. Please also pray for Logan, Jonathon, Jasmine, Lucas, and Trenton for their continued remission and Elisha for his continued health and success in his hematology(GVHD)treatment and Cameron, for his battle against CCSK. Bless you all!
When we started this page, we were discouraged to find no other CaringBridge pages for CCSK kids--and then, we found Andy. His mom had a list of other sites for kids with CCSK, and sent us the link. I should have put this link up months ago...Bless you, Terry, for giving us a way this last year to check on these other amazing kids and their progress
We have several Caring Bridge friends we keep in contact with and check on daily. Their stories are inspirational, and they all can use our prayers, so here they are. I'm sure I will (sadly) be adding to this list quite often.
Angel Justin
Justin is the son of Peyton's Chemo Angel, Susan. Even though we never got to meet Justin, we are sure he knows Peyton. Susan and I have found many connections between our special kids, and the best explanation is that God and Justin led our families to each other.
Hannah
Hi, my name is Hannah Glenn and this is my story of the ongoing journey to beat a rare childhood cancer. I was diagnosed with Neuroblastoma stage 1V on June 8, 2002 at 22 months of age.
Jacob
We lost this link a long time ago and I really missed checking in on this sweet boy. Jacob's mom signed the guestbook and I was so happy to find them again!
Lauren
Welcome to Laurens Web Page. It has been provided to keep family and friends updated about our Child. Lauren was diagnosed with bilateral wilms tumor stage V favorable histology in October 2003
LaKota
This is a special family to me. LaKota lost a brother, she never knew, to AML in 1990. He was very sensitive to the effects of chemo and couldn't tolerate his treatment. Now LaKota has AML and is showing to have the same sensitivity. Her mom is asking for prayers for earthly healing. LaKota recently had a blood cord transplant. Please pray for LaKota's new cells to grow, grow, grow. She's also in some pain right now and needs our prayers for relief.
Kate
Welcome to our 6 year old daughter Kate's Web Page. We are writing this to keep family and friends, both old and new, updated on how Kate is doing in her battle with Kidney Cancer, a stage II Wilms tumor.
Angel Miranda Rae
Miranda Rae Went to be with Jesus on June 5, 2004. God was faithful to His promise to cure Miranda of her cancer. She flies free of pain and worry and will live in glory forever as a precious 4 year old. Please pray for her parents, Martin and Gail and for her older brother Dylan.
Kaidrie
We have started this page to help keep
our friends and family updated on Kaidrie,
who was diagnosed with a
diffuse pontine glioma on March 12, 2004.
RachelJoy
Welcome to the webpage of one of God's miracle children. RachelJoy weighed 1 lb. 6 oz. at birth, and she continues to cope daily with many conditions that leave her medically fragile. She is refusing to give up. Her enthusiasm and tenacity for life
continue to surprise her doctors. The Lord is RachelJoy's strength. Each day is a gift from Him.
Julianna Banana
Hello everyone, welcome to my web page! My name is Julianna and I live in Winnipeg, Canada, home of Winnie the Pooh. I'm 3 years old, brown hair and brown eyes, single and a non-smoker. My turn-ons include pink clothes, Barbie toys and playing. My turn-offs are medicine and when my brother stands in front of the tv. Please stop by from time to time and see what I'm up to :-)
Angel Cheyenne
This page was created to help Cheyenne’s family and friends share in her daily experiences as she courageously battles this terrible beast of a tumor that threatens one to two hundred children each year.
Angel Connor
Welcome to Connor's web page of healing.
Connor has rhabdomyosarcoma, a rare form of cancer found in children.
We established this site to keep family and friends updated on his road to recovery.
Angel Zachary
This page was designed to update friends and family on Zachary's fight against Hemophagocytic Lympho Histiocytosis.
Boogie
Boogie-man (Dillion) has the sweetest smile. He and his mom check on Peyton almost everyday. You won't be able to have a bad day after reading his site and seeing what a gift from God he is.
Jenna
Everday That There IS A Battle, I OverCome It With A Positive Attitude and My Smile!
Katia
Little Katia is so special to us. She is such a fighter and her site is a wealth of information on other Caring Bridge patients.
Angel Ian
Ian passed away from earth at just after 6 this morning, Father's Day. Brian and I and his Aunt Lauren were with him. We told him in those last moments how much we loved him, and to go and fly with the angels
Nicole
Welcome to Nicole's webpage. Nicole was first diagnosed with an "inoperable" brainstem tumor, technical name is a low-grade brainstem astrocytoma -- focal intrinsic tumor of the pontomedullary junction, when she was 3 1/2 on July 1st 1992. Nicole is now 15 years old and continues to battle this disease. This website is dedicate to her continued journey. I have hope that Nicole will win this battle. My prayers go out to all the families and loved ones that share this fight with us.
Craiggy
Craig, who is 6 years old, was diagnosed in early August with type-B stage 4 Lymphoma
The Strength of an Egg By
Juliet Freitag
Parents of children with cancer, or really any serious condition, are often referred to or viewed as having strength "like a rock." Albeit flattering, it isn't quite true.
It is more like the strength of an egg. An egg, you ask? Yes! If you'll think about it, you'll see my point. An egg has a polished, smooth outer appearance, with no cracks or weak spots visible. It seems almost inconceivable that the inside might not be so smooth or solid.
Most children, at some point are shown the famous egg trick. An egg set at just the right angle can withstand enormous amounts of pressure and cannot be cracked or broken. Yet the same egg, tapped gently at an ever slightly different angle, will break. The contents, once so neatly concealed, will come spilling out. The no longer perfect shell will be crushed. It looks so fragile that it seems inconceivable that it ever held any strength.
A rock, on the other hand, is solid all the way through. To break it is almost impossible. If you succeed, you will find that there is nothing inside but more rock.
It takes a lot more than pure hardness to hold the hand of hope. Parents of children with cancer are not solid all the way through. We hurt, we fear, we cry, we hope. It takes a very careful balancing act to keep the shell from being shattered. "Balancing an egg" while running a household, going for doctors' visits and hospital stays, keeping the family together, and holding on to the constantly unraveling ties of your sanity can be very tricky indeed! Occasionally, the angle will be off and the shell will break, shattering hope and all the neatly secured appearances of a truly fragile existence.
Unlike Humpty Dumpty, though, parents of kids with cancer will pick themselves up and put themselves back together again. OVER and OVER again...........
Tuesday, January 4, 2005 8:54 AM CST
Sometimes He lets the storm rage and calms His child.
Griffin went home to be with Jesus this morning. Monique and Barry were as prepared as any parent could be, but they hurt so badly. Please keep them in your constant prayers.
Griffy, we love you so much and we will miss you everyday. We are so honored to have known you, and we think everyone else who knows you will agree with us when we say, we are better people for having had you in our lives.
You, Dane, Courtney and I talked a lot about Heaven in the last few days. I would give almost anything to see your face right now as you take in the full glory of everything around you. We promised you it would be more than we could imagine or explain, and as I write this, I know that you are in the presence of a very powerful and very loving Jesus and that today, you are finally cancer free. That thought is what will get me through until I see you again. I promise to keep all the secrets you told me over the last few days, I promise to give your messages to the special people in your life and I can't wait to see you on our special street in Heaven where we will all live together as neighbors in our beautiful mansions.
Marni
We found a cool website you should check out. Go to Live Strong and learn about cancer resources and read inspiring cancer survivor stories. This site is run by the Lance Armstrong Foundation. Also, be sure and order your yellow bracelet while you're there. The Live Strong bracelets are $1.00 and proceeds go to cancer research.
Please be sure and scroll down to see our (ever-growing) list of friends who need your prayers. Much love to you all!
Please sign the guestbook and let us know you were here. Peyton loves it when we read her what you wrote.
Also, please visit our online Family and Friends Photo Album
Please remember in prayer, our friends from Children's Medical: Weston, Lauryn, Griffin, Tyler, Courtney, Jorge, Alex, Derek, Alexis, Amber, Sara, Kevin, Kelsey, Forest, Megan, Eric, Mackenzie, Jordan, Micah, Jordan, Stephen and all the other brave cancer kids out there fighting such a tough battle. Please also pray for Logan, Jonathon, Jasmine, Lucas, and Trenton for their continued remission and Elisha for his continued health and success in his hematology(GVHD)treatment and Cameron, for his battle against CCSK. Bless you all!
When we started this page, we were discouraged to find no other CaringBridge pages for CCSK kids--and then, we found Andy. His mom had a list of other sites for kids with CCSK, and sent us the link. I should have put this link up months ago...Bless you, Terry, for giving us a way this last year to check on these other amazing kids and their progress
We have several Caring Bridge friends we keep in contact with and check on daily. Their stories are inspirational, and they all can use our prayers, so here they are. I'm sure I will (sadly) be adding to this list quite often.
Angel Justin
Justin is the son of Peyton's Chemo Angel, Susan. Even though we never got to meet Justin, we are sure he knows Peyton. Susan and I have found many connections between our special kids, and the best explanation is that God and Justin led our families to each other.
Hannah
Hi, my name is Hannah Glenn and this is my story of the ongoing journey to beat a rare childhood cancer. I was diagnosed with Neuroblastoma stage 1V on June 8, 2002 at 22 months of age.
Jacob
We lost this link a long time ago and I really missed checking in on this sweet boy. Jacob's mom signed the guestbook and I was so happy to find them again!
Lauren
Welcome to Laurens Web Page. It has been provided to keep family and friends updated about our Child. Lauren was diagnosed with bilateral wilms tumor stage V favorable histology in October 2003
LaKota
This is a special family to me. LaKota lost a brother, she never knew, to AML in 1990. He was very sensitive to the effects of chemo and couldn't tolerate his treatment. Now LaKota has AML and is showing to have the same sensitivity. Her mom is asking for prayers for earthly healing. LaKota recently had a blood cord transplant. Please pray for LaKota's new cells to grow, grow, grow. She's also in some pain right now and needs our prayers for relief.
Kate
Welcome to our 6 year old daughter Kate's Web Page. We are writing this to keep family and friends, both old and new, updated on how Kate is doing in her battle with Kidney Cancer, a stage II Wilms tumor.
Angel Miranda Rae
Miranda Rae Went to be with Jesus on June 5, 2004. God was faithful to His promise to cure Miranda of her cancer. She flies free of pain and worry and will live in glory forever as a precious 4 year old. Please pray for her parents, Martin and Gail and for her older brother Dylan.
Kaidrie
We have started this page to help keep
our friends and family updated on Kaidrie,
who was diagnosed with a
diffuse pontine glioma on March 12, 2004.
RachelJoy
Welcome to the webpage of one of God's miracle children. RachelJoy weighed 1 lb. 6 oz. at birth, and she continues to cope daily with many conditions that leave her medically fragile. She is refusing to give up. Her enthusiasm and tenacity for life
continue to surprise her doctors. The Lord is RachelJoy's strength. Each day is a gift from Him.
Julianna Banana
Hello everyone, welcome to my web page! My name is Julianna and I live in Winnipeg, Canada, home of Winnie the Pooh. I'm 3 years old, brown hair and brown eyes, single and a non-smoker. My turn-ons include pink clothes, Barbie toys and playing. My turn-offs are medicine and when my brother stands in front of the tv. Please stop by from time to time and see what I'm up to :-)
Angel Cheyenne
This page was created to help Cheyenne’s family and friends share in her daily experiences as she courageously battles this terrible beast of a tumor that threatens one to two hundred children each year.
Angel Connor
Welcome to Connor's web page of healing.
Connor has rhabdomyosarcoma, a rare form of cancer found in children.
We established this site to keep family and friends updated on his road to recovery.
Angel Zachary
This page was designed to update friends and family on Zachary's fight against Hemophagocytic Lympho Histiocytosis.
Boogie
Boogie-man (Dillion) has the sweetest smile. He and his mom check on Peyton almost everyday. You won't be able to have a bad day after reading his site and seeing what a gift from God he is.
Jenna
Everday That There IS A Battle, I OverCome It With A Positive Attitude and My Smile!
Katia
Little Katia is so special to us. She is such a fighter and her site is a wealth of information on other Caring Bridge patients.
Angel Ian
Ian passed away from earth at just after 6 this morning, Father's Day. Brian and I and his Aunt Lauren were with him. We told him in those last moments how much we loved him, and to go and fly with the angels
Nicole
Welcome to Nicole's webpage. Nicole was first diagnosed with an "inoperable" brainstem tumor, technical name is a low-grade brainstem astrocytoma -- focal intrinsic tumor of the pontomedullary junction, when she was 3 1/2 on July 1st 1992. Nicole is now 15 years old and continues to battle this disease. This website is dedicate to her continued journey. I have hope that Nicole will win this battle. My prayers go out to all the families and loved ones that share this fight with us.
Craiggy
Craig, who is 6 years old, was diagnosed in early August with type-B stage 4 Lymphoma
The Strength of an Egg By
Juliet Freitag
Parents of children with cancer, or really any serious condition, are often referred to or viewed as having strength "like a rock." Albeit flattering, it isn't quite true.
It is more like the strength of an egg. An egg, you ask? Yes! If you'll think about it, you'll see my point. An egg has a polished, smooth outer appearance, with no cracks or weak spots visible. It seems almost inconceivable that the inside might not be so smooth or solid.
Most children, at some point are shown the famous egg trick. An egg set at just the right angle can withstand enormous amounts of pressure and cannot be cracked or broken. Yet the same egg, tapped gently at an ever slightly different angle, will break. The contents, once so neatly concealed, will come spilling out. The no longer perfect shell will be crushed. It looks so fragile that it seems inconceivable that it ever held any strength.
A rock, on the other hand, is solid all the way through. To break it is almost impossible. If you succeed, you will find that there is nothing inside but more rock.
It takes a lot more than pure hardness to hold the hand of hope. Parents of children with cancer are not solid all the way through. We hurt, we fear, we cry, we hope. It takes a very careful balancing act to keep the shell from being shattered. "Balancing an egg" while running a household, going for doctors' visits and hospital stays, keeping the family together, and holding on to the constantly unraveling ties of your sanity can be very tricky indeed! Occasionally, the angle will be off and the shell will break, shattering hope and all the neatly secured appearances of a truly fragile existence.
Unlike Humpty Dumpty, though, parents of kids with cancer will pick themselves up and put themselves back together again. OVER and OVER again...........
Sunday, January 2, 2005 3:12 AM CST
Sometimes He lets the storm rage and calms His child.
We're home. It was an ideal time to get away from the noise of the world, look at God's mighty works and listen for His voice.
Courtney didn't go skiing with us. She spiked a fever Christmas Day and was admitted. As upset as we all were she couldn't go, we understood it to be God's will that she stay behind. On Monday, we knew why. Griffy was admitted and doctors told us he wouldn't come home this time. We are devastated, but we are so ready for Griffin to stop fighting and live in glory. Courtney was with Griffin to comfort him and talk to him about Heaven. Based on what others have told me, Courtney was extraordinary with her words and helped ease Griffin's mind about leaving us to live with Jesus.
Griffin continues to be pain-free and taking time to say goodbye to us in his special way. And we wait for God's perfect timing... Pray for Barry, Monique, Blake and the rest of Griffy's family.
Marni
We found a cool website you should check out. Go to Live Strong and learn about cancer resources and read inspiring cancer survivor stories. This site is run by the Lance Armstrong Foundation. Also, be sure and order your yellow bracelet while you're there. The Live Strong bracelets are $1.00 and proceeds go to cancer research.
Please be sure and scroll down to see our (ever-growing) list of friends who need your prayers. Much love to you all!
Please sign the guestbook and let us know you were here. Peyton loves it when we read her what you wrote.
Also, please visit our online Family and Friends Photo Album
Please remember in prayer, our friends from Children's Medical: Weston, Lauryn, Griffin, Tyler, Courtney, Jorge, Alex, Derek, Alexis, Amber, Sara, Kevin, Kelsey, Forest, Megan, Eric, Mackenzie, Jordan, Micah, Jordan, Stephen and all the other brave cancer kids out there fighting such a tough battle. Please also pray for Logan, Jonathon, Jasmine, Lucas, and Trenton for their continued remission and Elisha for his continued health and success in his hematology(GVHD)treatment and Cameron, for his battle against CCSK. Bless you all!
When we started this page, we were discouraged to find no other CaringBridge pages for CCSK kids--and then, we found Andy. His mom had a list of other sites for kids with CCSK, and sent us the link. I should have put this link up months ago...Bless you, Terry, for giving us a way this last year to check on these other amazing kids and their progress
We have several Caring Bridge friends we keep in contact with and check on daily. Their stories are inspirational, and they all can use our prayers, so here they are. I'm sure I will (sadly) be adding to this list quite often.
Angel Justin
Justin is the son of Peyton's Chemo Angel, Susan. Even though we never got to meet Justin, we are sure he knows Peyton. Susan and I have found many connections between our special kids, and the best explanation is that God and Justin led our families to each other.
Hannah
Hi, my name is Hannah Glenn and this is my story of the ongoing journey to beat a rare childhood cancer. I was diagnosed with Neuroblastoma stage 1V on June 8, 2002 at 22 months of age.
Jacob
We lost this link a long time ago and I really missed checking in on this sweet boy. Jacob's mom signed the guestbook and I was so happy to find them again!
Lauren
Welcome to Laurens Web Page. It has been provided to keep family and friends updated about our Child. Lauren was diagnosed with bilateral wilms tumor stage V favorable histology in October 2003
LaKota
This is a special family to me. LaKota lost a brother, she never knew, to AML in 1990. He was very sensitive to the effects of chemo and couldn't tolerate his treatment. Now LaKota has AML and is showing to have the same sensitivity. Her mom is asking for prayers for earthly healing. LaKota recently had a blood cord transplant. Please pray for LaKota's new cells to grow, grow, grow. She's also in some pain right now and needs our prayers for relief.
Kate
Welcome to our 6 year old daughter Kate's Web Page. We are writing this to keep family and friends, both old and new, updated on how Kate is doing in her battle with Kidney Cancer, a stage II Wilms tumor.
Angel Miranda Rae
Miranda Rae Went to be with Jesus on June 5, 2004. God was faithful to His promise to cure Miranda of her cancer. She flies free of pain and worry and will live in glory forever as a precious 4 year old. Please pray for her parents, Martin and Gail and for her older brother Dylan.
Kaidrie
We have started this page to help keep
our friends and family updated on Kaidrie,
who was diagnosed with a
diffuse pontine glioma on March 12, 2004.
RachelJoy
Welcome to the webpage of one of God's miracle children. RachelJoy weighed 1 lb. 6 oz. at birth, and she continues to cope daily with many conditions that leave her medically fragile. She is refusing to give up. Her enthusiasm and tenacity for life
continue to surprise her doctors. The Lord is RachelJoy's strength. Each day is a gift from Him.
Julianna Banana
Hello everyone, welcome to my web page! My name is Julianna and I live in Winnipeg, Canada, home of Winnie the Pooh. I'm 3 years old, brown hair and brown eyes, single and a non-smoker. My turn-ons include pink clothes, Barbie toys and playing. My turn-offs are medicine and when my brother stands in front of the tv. Please stop by from time to time and see what I'm up to :-)
Angel Cheyenne
This page was created to help Cheyenne’s family and friends share in her daily experiences as she courageously battles this terrible beast of a tumor that threatens one to two hundred children each year.
Angel Connor
Welcome to Connor's web page of healing.
Connor has rhabdomyosarcoma, a rare form of cancer found in children.
We established this site to keep family and friends updated on his road to recovery.
Angel Zachary
This page was designed to update friends and family on Zachary's fight against Hemophagocytic Lympho Histiocytosis.
Boogie
Boogie-man (Dillion) has the sweetest smile. He and his mom check on Peyton almost everyday. You won't be able to have a bad day after reading his site and seeing what a gift from God he is.
Jenna
Everday That There IS A Battle, I OverCome It With A Positive Attitude and My Smile!
Katia
Little Katia is so special to us. She is such a fighter and her site is a wealth of information on other Caring Bridge patients.
Angel Ian
Ian passed away from earth at just after 6 this morning, Father's Day. Brian and I and his Aunt Lauren were with him. We told him in those last moments how much we loved him, and to go and fly with the angels
Nicole
Welcome to Nicole's webpage. Nicole was first diagnosed with an "inoperable" brainstem tumor, technical name is a low-grade brainstem astrocytoma -- focal intrinsic tumor of the pontomedullary junction, when she was 3 1/2 on July 1st 1992. Nicole is now 15 years old and continues to battle this disease. This website is dedicate to her continued journey. I have hope that Nicole will win this battle. My prayers go out to all the families and loved ones that share this fight with us.
Craiggy
Craig, who is 6 years old, was diagnosed in early August with type-B stage 4 Lymphoma
The Strength of an Egg By
Juliet Freitag
Parents of children with cancer, or really any serious condition, are often referred to or viewed as having strength "like a rock." Albeit flattering, it isn't quite true.
It is more like the strength of an egg. An egg, you ask? Yes! If you'll think about it, you'll see my point. An egg has a polished, smooth outer appearance, with no cracks or weak spots visible. It seems almost inconceivable that the inside might not be so smooth or solid.
Most children, at some point are shown the famous egg trick. An egg set at just the right angle can withstand enormous amounts of pressure and cannot be cracked or broken. Yet the same egg, tapped gently at an ever slightly different angle, will break. The contents, once so neatly concealed, will come spilling out. The no longer perfect shell will be crushed. It looks so fragile that it seems inconceivable that it ever held any strength.
A rock, on the other hand, is solid all the way through. To break it is almost impossible. If you succeed, you will find that there is nothing inside but more rock.
It takes a lot more than pure hardness to hold the hand of hope. Parents of children with cancer are not solid all the way through. We hurt, we fear, we cry, we hope. It takes a very careful balancing act to keep the shell from being shattered. "Balancing an egg" while running a household, going for doctors' visits and hospital stays, keeping the family together, and holding on to the constantly unraveling ties of your sanity can be very tricky indeed! Occasionally, the angle will be off and the shell will break, shattering hope and all the neatly secured appearances of a truly fragile existence.
Unlike Humpty Dumpty, though, parents of kids with cancer will pick themselves up and put themselves back together again. OVER and OVER again...........
Saturday, December 25, 2004 0:44 AM CST
Sometimes He lets the storm rage and calms His child.
Today in the town of David, a Savior has been born unto you; He is Christ the Lord!” Luke 2:11
I just read my favorite Christmas story to the girls--the birth of Jesus. They are both tucked in and trying to sleep. Peyton had a LOT of chocolate at Granny’s tonight and hopefully is winding down off of her sugar high and going to sleep. Lindsay has been onto the “Santa thing” for many years now, and I know she tries to wait us out each year and when we go to bed, sneak out and see what Santa left her. I’m on to her this year. I made them BOTH sleep in mine and Dane’s room this year so we could watch out for early risers and peekers!
We spent today with Dane’s family. We had lots of fun and the girls got wonderful gifts. We played games, ate like pigs and watched Courtney on TV (a local news station covered her story earlier this year as she was taking chemo AND playing basketball for her high school. They re-ran the story tonight because it was so inspirational!) Christmas Day, Dane has to work for a few hours so we’ll get up early to have Christmas together and then head to my family’s while dad heads off to work. He’ll meet us there later in the day. On Sunday, we will spend Christmas with more of my family, and on Monday, we’re heading for the slopes! We’re looking forward to the next several days getting to spend time with people we love.
In my last post, I mentioned a story about Henry. I waited to post it for two reasons. I wanted to get permission of the person it involves before I posted, and the story is miraculous in it’s own right, so Christmas is a great time to tell it…
Around late October, Dane was tucking Peyton into bed. She said, “Dad, can I tell you something?” He said she could. She told him that she had an angel who talked to her. Dane asked Peyton if her angel had a name. Without any hesitation, Peyton said, “Yes, his name is Henry.” Ordinarily, we would have chalked this conversation up to a great imagination-- we even assumed where she got the name Henry. Henry was the name of a little boy we met on our Wish trip in October. But Peyton seemed so sure of what she was saying, so Dane prodded further. He asked her if Henry talked to her and she said, “Yes, he tells me to pray for Courtney.” It was during this time that Courtney began her clinical trial in hopes of forever eliminating her cancer. It was also during this time that Peyton began stopping us throughout each day to say we needed to pray for Courtney, and so, of course, we would. This went on for many weeks.
Peyton never told me about Henry. She just talked to Dane about him that night, and that was the last of it until late November. I was giving Peyton a bath. She was playing with her bath toys when she stopped and said, “Mommy, did you know I have an angel named Henry?” I told her daddy had told me about Henry and how he would tell Peyton to pray for Courtney. I knew she could hear Henry, but I asked her if she could see Henry. She said, “Yes, he’s big and he has dark skin.” That statement gave me chills, but I went on with my questions. I asked her what sort of things Henry would say. She told me he said to keep praying for Courtney’s cancer. I then asked her if Henry told her anything about Courtney’s cancer and she said, “Henry told me Courtney’s cancer is going away and it will stay away this time”…
I picked up the phone and called Dane at work right away. Hearing that Peyton’s angel was telling her an imminent cure for Courtney was coming was more than enough to take our breath away, but I had other amazing information to share with him; Peyton has described Henry to me, and I knew Dane would be astounded.
In April 1997, we bought the house we live in now. We had moved here from the town I grew up in. Lindsay was a kindergartener and I was working for the school district, so we commuted back and forth each day until the school year ended. Dane was still working as a patrol officer for Dallas. Lindsay and I came home that stormy April day, and I turned on the 5:00 pm news. Every station in the area was showing footage of a horrific accident on a local interstate. It involved a Dallas Police officer, and the area where the wreck occurred was Dane’s beat. I was instantly terrified. I called the station, but no one would give me any information. One very long hour later, Dane called to tell me he was safe. But he lost a friend that day. A friend who stopped his patrol car to help a motorist stranded in the rain on the side of a busy interstate. As he stood outside his patrol car to assist the motorist, he was struck and killed by another passing motorist. The officer’s name was Henry…He was a good man. He always had a smile on his face, and he died how he lived…serving others. Henry was also a big man. And African American…just as Peyton described to me when I asked her what her angel looked like. I called Dane that day, and he was floored at the news that the Henry he had heard about from his little girl, is the Henry he so proudly called friend and then lost 3 years before Peyton was ever born…
I mentioned many posts ago that some would say it’s a small world, but really, it’s not. He’s a big God.
I shared the “Henry story” as we call it, with Courtney, and then with her family, and it amazed them as it did us. I hope God uses the story to give them the peace and promise of healing that it does to my family. Thank you, Courtney, for allowing us to share this amazing story given to us by a God we love, serve, and follow. We love you very much.
Thank You, Lord for the miracles all around us. Thank You for giving Peyton eyes to see and ears to hear your miraculous deeds, with only the faith that can come from that of a small child. Thank You for your perfect plan for Peyton, Courtney, Griffin, Weston and Logan, and even when we don’t understand the plan, thank You for Your perfect love of each of them…
Please keep Connor, Cheyenne, Jake, Paige, Miranda, Zachary, and Ian's families in your prayers as they face their first Christmas without their children.
Please also continue to pray for Griffy for his miracle...
Merry Christmas to all of you.
Love,
Marni
We found a cool website you should check out. Go to Live Strong and learn about cancer resources and read inspiring cancer survivor stories. This site is run by the Lance Armstrong Foundation. Also, be sure and order your yellow bracelet while you're there. The Live Strong bracelets are $1.00 and proceeds go to cancer research.
Please be sure and scroll down to see our (ever-growing) list of friends who need your prayers. Much love to you all!
Please sign the guestbook and let us know you were here. Peyton loves it when we read her what you wrote.
Also, please visit our online Family and Friends Photo Album
Please remember in prayer, our friends from Children's Medical: Weston, Lauryn, Griffin, Tyler, Courtney, Jorge, Alex, Derek, Alexis, Amber, Sara, Kevin, Kelsey, Forest, Megan, Eric, Mackenzie, Jordan, Micah, Jordan, Stephen and all the other brave cancer kids out there fighting such a tough battle. Please also pray for Logan, Jonathon, Jasmine, Lucas, and Trenton for their continued remission and Elisha for his continued health and success in his hematology(GVHD)treatment and Cameron, for his battle against CCSK. Bless you all!
When we started this page, we were discouraged to find no other CaringBridge pages for CCSK kids--and then, we found Andy. His mom had a list of other sites for kids with CCSK, and sent us the link. I should have put this link up months ago...Bless you, Terry, for giving us a way this last year to check on these other amazing kids and their progress
We have several Caring Bridge friends we keep in contact with and check on daily. Their stories are inspirational, and they all can use our prayers, so here they are. I'm sure I will (sadly) be adding to this list quite often.
Angel Justin
Justin is the son of Peyton's Chemo Angel, Susan. Even though we never got to meet Justin, we are sure he knows Peyton. Susan and I have found many connections between our special kids, and the best explanation is that God and Justin led our families to each other.
Hannah
Hi, my name is Hannah Glenn and this is my story of the ongoing journey to beat a rare childhood cancer. I was diagnosed with Neuroblastoma stage 1V on June 8, 2002 at 22 months of age.
Jacob
We lost this link a long time ago and I really missed checking in on this sweet boy. Jacob's mom signed the guestbook and I was so happy to find them again!
Lauren
Welcome to Laurens Web Page. It has been provided to keep family and friends updated about our Child. Lauren was diagnosed with bilateral wilms tumor stage V favorable histology in October 2003
LaKota
This is a special family to me. LaKota lost a brother, she never knew, to AML in 1990. He was very sensitive to the effects of chemo and couldn't tolerate his treatment. Now LaKota has AML and is showing to have the same sensitivity. Her mom is asking for prayers for earthly healing. LaKota recently had a blood cord transplant. Please pray for LaKota's new cells to grow, grow, grow. She's also in some pain right now and needs our prayers for relief.
Kate
Welcome to our 6 year old daughter Kate's Web Page. We are writing this to keep family and friends, both old and new, updated on how Kate is doing in her battle with Kidney Cancer, a stage II Wilms tumor.
Angel Miranda Rae
Miranda Rae Went to be with Jesus on June 5, 2004. God was faithful to His promise to cure Miranda of her cancer. She flies free of pain and worry and will live in glory forever as a precious 4 year old. Please pray for her parents, Martin and Gail and for her older brother Dylan.
Kaidrie
We have started this page to help keep
our friends and family updated on Kaidrie,
who was diagnosed with a
diffuse pontine glioma on March 12, 2004.
RachelJoy
Welcome to the webpage of one of God's miracle children. RachelJoy weighed 1 lb. 6 oz. at birth, and she continues to cope daily with many conditions that leave her medically fragile. She is refusing to give up. Her enthusiasm and tenacity for life
continue to surprise her doctors. The Lord is RachelJoy's strength. Each day is a gift from Him.
Julianna Banana
Hello everyone, welcome to my web page! My name is Julianna and I live in Winnipeg, Canada, home of Winnie the Pooh. I'm 3 years old, brown hair and brown eyes, single and a non-smoker. My turn-ons include pink clothes, Barbie toys and playing. My turn-offs are medicine and when my brother stands in front of the tv. Please stop by from time to time and see what I'm up to :-)
Angel Cheyenne
This page was created to help Cheyenne’s family and friends share in her daily experiences as she courageously battles this terrible beast of a tumor that threatens one to two hundred children each year.
Angel Connor
Welcome to Connor's web page of healing.
Connor has rhabdomyosarcoma, a rare form of cancer found in children.
We established this site to keep family and friends updated on his road to recovery.
Angel Zachary
This page was designed to update friends and family on Zachary's fight against Hemophagocytic Lympho Histiocytosis.
Boogie
Boogie-man (Dillion) has the sweetest smile. He and his mom check on Peyton almost everyday. You won't be able to have a bad day after reading his site and seeing what a gift from God he is.
Jenna
Everday That There IS A Battle, I OverCome It With A Positive Attitude and My Smile!
Katia
Little Katia is so special to us. She is such a fighter and her site is a wealth of information on other Caring Bridge patients.
Angel Ian
Ian passed away from earth at just after 6 this morning, Father's Day. Brian and I and his Aunt Lauren were with him. We told him in those last moments how much we loved him, and to go and fly with the angels
Nicole
Welcome to Nicole's webpage. Nicole was first diagnosed with an "inoperable" brainstem tumor, technical name is a low-grade brainstem astrocytoma -- focal intrinsic tumor of the pontomedullary junction, when she was 3 1/2 on July 1st 1992. Nicole is now 15 years old and continues to battle this disease. This website is dedicate to her continued journey. I have hope that Nicole will win this battle. My prayers go out to all the families and loved ones that share this fight with us.
Craiggy
Craig, who is 6 years old, was diagnosed in early August with type-B stage 4 Lymphoma
The Strength of an Egg By
Juliet Freitag
Parents of children with cancer, or really any serious condition, are often referred to or viewed as having strength "like a rock." Albeit flattering, it isn't quite true.
It is more like the strength of an egg. An egg, you ask? Yes! If you'll think about it, you'll see my point. An egg has a polished, smooth outer appearance, with no cracks or weak spots visible. It seems almost inconceivable that the inside might not be so smooth or solid.
Most children, at some point are shown the famous egg trick. An egg set at just the right angle can withstand enormous amounts of pressure and cannot be cracked or broken. Yet the same egg, tapped gently at an ever slightly different angle, will break. The contents, once so neatly concealed, will come spilling out. The no longer perfect shell will be crushed. It looks so fragile that it seems inconceivable that it ever held any strength.
A rock, on the other hand, is solid all the way through. To break it is almost impossible. If you succeed, you will find that there is nothing inside but more rock.
It takes a lot more than pure hardness to hold the hand of hope. Parents of children with cancer are not solid all the way through. We hurt, we fear, we cry, we hope. It takes a very careful balancing act to keep the shell from being shattered. "Balancing an egg" while running a household, going for doctors' visits and hospital stays, keeping the family together, and holding on to the constantly unraveling ties of your sanity can be very tricky indeed! Occasionally, the angle will be off and the shell will break, shattering hope and all the neatly secured appearances of a truly fragile existence.
Unlike Humpty Dumpty, though, parents of kids with cancer will pick themselves up and put themselves back together again. OVER and OVER again...........
Monday, December 20, 2004 1:21 AM CST
Sometimes He lets the storm rage and calms His child.
Yes, we're still here! Sorry about the delay in updating. It's been busy around our house, and that's kinda nice.
Poor Peyton has been plagued with a few illnesses lately, but she's recovering fine. She had a double ear infection, then a bladder infection. I told the doctor I was concerned about her being sick so much and she told me that although Peyton's counts are good, her immune system isn't up to full speed yet and she might get sick more than we like.
Dane finally moved to the day shift! It's so nice having him home at night with us. Dane was hired with Dallas Police Department 29 days after we were married, so the night shift is all we've ever known. We are so happy to have him at the dinner table with us every night and Peyton is glad to have daddy tuck her in each night. Bedtime is my favorite time with Peyton--and no, not because she is FINALLY going to bed!! It's because she says the sweetest little prayers each night. In the next entry, I'll tell you about Henry. Peyton talks about him alot, especially at night in her prayers. I need to check with someone before I talk about it here because the story really doesn't belong to us, but instead to someone very special to us...
Speaking of special people, Griffin got a great surprise today. Go to his site to read about his early Christmas present:) Griffy is not having pain thanks to the radiation, but sometimes his tummy is really giving him a hard time. Thank you so much for continuing to pray for him. It means the world to those of us who love him so much. Weston is doing well too. He's feeling better from his cold. I saw him Saturday and he was playing peek-a-boo with me from under the coffee table. I loved seeing that because the last time we played peek-a-boo was during his second Bone Marrow Transplant and he was so sick and swollen from the massive amounts of chemo. It was such a blessing to see him looking so healthy, with lots of hair coming in, and just being a sweet little boy playing in his own home. Courtney is out of the hospital from her latest treatment. She's feeling kind of puny right now, but she looks good. We're praying for the side effects to leave quickly and let her have a great Christmas. She is heading out to Santa Fe with Dane, Lindsay and I (and half our church!) to go skiing. She and Dane are braver than me and are going snowboarding. We leave a couple of days after Christmas and we are SO excited she is coming with us. Don't you know I am going to have some awesome pictures to post when we get back?? Logan is doing great, but keep up the prayers for Marcie and Logan's baby brother-to-be. Marcie, you're awesome. Take it easy and put your feet up every chance you get!
Please continue to remember Ben. He's done another round of chemo which was much easier on him than the first one. The doctors are still watching his remaining kidney and it is showing signs of damage. Please pray for this chemo to do its job and for his kidney to stay healthy.
Tomorrow we're going to the Oncology clinic Christmas party. All of our buddies are coming, so it will be a great night. I'll post pictures. I promise to update here again by Christmas. I hope you are all done with your shopping, I hope you have safe travels, and I hope you enjoy your time with family and friends. But mostly, I hope you are pausing in all the busyness of this time of year to remember the miracle of God coming to earth as a tiny baby born in a manger, spreading His message of love and redemption, and then dying so we could live in eternity with Him if we simply accept His gift of salvation. It was the best gift I ever received. Merry Christmas!
Love,
Marni
We found a cool website you should check out. Go to Live Strong and learn about cancer resources and read inspiring cancer survivor stories. This site is run by the Lance Armstrong Foundation. Also, be sure and order your yellow bracelet while you're there. The Live Strong bracelets are $1.00 and proceeds go to cancer research.
Please be sure and scroll down to see our (ever-growing) list of friends who need your prayers. Much love to you all!
Please sign the guestbook and let us know you were here. Peyton loves it when we read her what you wrote.
Also, please visit our online Family and Friends Photo Album
Please remember in prayer, our friends from Children's Medical: Weston, Lauryn, Griffin, Tyler, Courtney, Jorge, Alex, Derek, Alexis, Amber, Sara, Kevin, Kelsey, Forest, Megan, Eric, Mackenzie, Jordan, Micah, Jordan, Stephen and all the other brave cancer kids out there fighting such a tough battle. Please also pray for Logan, Jonathon, Jasmine, Lucas, and Trenton for their continued remission and Elisha for his continued health and success in his hematology(GVHD)treatment and Cameron, for his battle against CCSK. Bless you all!
When we started this page, we were discouraged to find no other CaringBridge pages for CCSK kids--and then, we found Andy. His mom had a list of other sites for kids with CCSK, and sent us the link. I should have put this link up months ago...Bless you, Terry, for giving us a way this last year to check on these other amazing kids and their progress
We have several Caring Bridge friends we keep in contact with and check on daily. Their stories are inspirational, and they all can use our prayers, so here they are. I'm sure I will (sadly) be adding to this list quite often.
Angel Justin
Justin is the son of Peyton's Chemo Angel, Susan. Even though we never got to meet Justin, we are sure he knows Peyton. Susan and I have found many connections between our special kids, and the best explanation is that God and Justin led our families to each other.
Hannah
Hi, my name is Hannah Glenn and this is my story of the ongoing journey to beat a rare childhood cancer. I was diagnosed with Neuroblastoma stage 1V on June 8, 2002 at 22 months of age.
Jacob
We lost this link a long time ago and I really missed checking in on this sweet boy. Jacob's mom signed the guestbook and I was so happy to find them again!
Lauren
Welcome to Laurens Web Page. It has been provided to keep family and friends updated about our Child. Lauren was diagnosed with bilateral wilms tumor stage V favorable histology in October 2003
LaKota
This is a special family to me. LaKota lost a brother, she never knew, to AML in 1990. He was very sensitive to the effects of chemo and couldn't tolerate his treatment. Now LaKota has AML and is showing to have the same sensitivity. Her mom is asking for prayers for earthly healing. LaKota recently had a blood cord transplant. Please pray for LaKota's new cells to grow, grow, grow. She's also in some pain right now and needs our prayers for relief.
Kate
Welcome to our 6 year old daughter Kate's Web Page. We are writing this to keep family and friends, both old and new, updated on how Kate is doing in her battle with Kidney Cancer, a stage II Wilms tumor.
Angel Miranda Rae
Miranda Rae Went to be with Jesus on June 5, 2004. God was faithful to His promise to cure Miranda of her cancer. She flies free of pain and worry and will live in glory forever as a precious 4 year old. Please pray for her parents, Martin and Gail and for her older brother Dylan.
Kaidrie
We have started this page to help keep
our friends and family updated on Kaidrie,
who was diagnosed with a
diffuse pontine glioma on March 12, 2004.
RachelJoy
Welcome to the webpage of one of God's miracle children. RachelJoy weighed 1 lb. 6 oz. at birth, and she continues to cope daily with many conditions that leave her medically fragile. She is refusing to give up. Her enthusiasm and tenacity for life
continue to surprise her doctors. The Lord is RachelJoy's strength. Each day is a gift from Him.
Julianna Banana
Hello everyone, welcome to my web page! My name is Julianna and I live in Winnipeg, Canada, home of Winnie the Pooh. I'm 3 years old, brown hair and brown eyes, single and a non-smoker. My turn-ons include pink clothes, Barbie toys and playing. My turn-offs are medicine and when my brother stands in front of the tv. Please stop by from time to time and see what I'm up to :-)
Angel Cheyenne
This page was created to help Cheyenne’s family and friends share in her daily experiences as she courageously battles this terrible beast of a tumor that threatens one to two hundred children each year.
Angel Connor
Welcome to Connor's web page of healing.
Connor has rhabdomyosarcoma, a rare form of cancer found in children.
We established this site to keep family and friends updated on his road to recovery.
Angel Zachary
This page was designed to update friends and family on Zachary's fight against Hemophagocytic Lympho Histiocytosis.
Boogie
Boogie-man (Dillion) has the sweetest smile. He and his mom check on Peyton almost everyday. You won't be able to have a bad day after reading his site and seeing what a gift from God he is.
Jenna
Everday That There IS A Battle, I OverCome It With A Positive Attitude and My Smile!
Katia
Little Katia is so special to us. She is such a fighter and her site is a wealth of information on other Caring Bridge patients.
Angel Ian
Ian passed away from earth at just after 6 this morning, Father's Day. Brian and I and his Aunt Lauren were with him. We told him in those last moments how much we loved him, and to go and fly with the angels
Nicole
Welcome to Nicole's webpage. Nicole was first diagnosed with an "inoperable" brainstem tumor, technical name is a low-grade brainstem astrocytoma -- focal intrinsic tumor of the pontomedullary junction, when she was 3 1/2 on July 1st 1992. Nicole is now 15 years old and continues to battle this disease. This website is dedicate to her continued journey. I have hope that Nicole will win this battle. My prayers go out to all the families and loved ones that share this fight with us.
Craiggy
Craig, who is 6 years old, was diagnosed in early August with type-B stage 4 Lymphoma
The Strength of an Egg By
Juliet Freitag
Parents of children with cancer, or really any serious condition, are often referred to or viewed as having strength "like a rock." Albeit flattering, it isn't quite true.
It is more like the strength of an egg. An egg, you ask? Yes! If you'll think about it, you'll see my point. An egg has a polished, smooth outer appearance, with no cracks or weak spots visible. It seems almost inconceivable that the inside might not be so smooth or solid.
Most children, at some point are shown the famous egg trick. An egg set at just the right angle can withstand enormous amounts of pressure and cannot be cracked or broken. Yet the same egg, tapped gently at an ever slightly different angle, will break. The contents, once so neatly concealed, will come spilling out. The no longer perfect shell will be crushed. It looks so fragile that it seems inconceivable that it ever held any strength.
A rock, on the other hand, is solid all the way through. To break it is almost impossible. If you succeed, you will find that there is nothing inside but more rock.
It takes a lot more than pure hardness to hold the hand of hope. Parents of children with cancer are not solid all the way through. We hurt, we fear, we cry, we hope. It takes a very careful balancing act to keep the shell from being shattered. "Balancing an egg" while running a household, going for doctors' visits and hospital stays, keeping the family together, and holding on to the constantly unraveling ties of your sanity can be very tricky indeed! Occasionally, the angle will be off and the shell will break, shattering hope and all the neatly secured appearances of a truly fragile existence.
Unlike Humpty Dumpty, though, parents of kids with cancer will pick themselves up and put themselves back together again. OVER and OVER again...........
Wednesday, December 8, 2004 3:33 PM CST
Sometimes He lets the storm rage and calms His child.
Everything is going well here. Pretty soon, Dane will be moving to the day shift so he will be home each night. I have to say that after 14 years of him working nights, I am really looking forward to him being home at night with the girls and I.
Blake stayed with us Monday and Tuesday while Griffin went in for his first radiation consult and then his first treatment. We had a good time with Blake, but Griffin is mad that he didn't get to spend the night. We promised him as soon as his radiation starts to make him feel better, he can come stay with us as long as he wants. I talked to Monique this morning and Griffin did well during his radiation and was feeling pretty good and had better mobility today. We are still so brokenhearted by Griffin's cancer advancement, but each day with him is such a blessing, and since his pain level is under control, we could not ask for more. We remain in prayer for his miracle and wait for God's plan with Griffin. Monique attributes Griffy's pain level and mobility to the power of prayer, so please continue to pray.
Saturday night we had a real treat! The HemOnc clinic was giving away Holiday in the Park tickets. Holiday in the Park is held at Six Flags and select rides and shows are open. It was REALLY crowded, and I think all of us could collectively count on one hand how many rides we rode, but we were with some of our best friends, so it was a great night. I've posted pictures on the photos page. Be sure and look at the one of Courtney and Griffin. Kelly, Courtney's mom, took it and sent it to me. It's one of the best pictures I've ever seen--of course I'm biased because of how I feel about the two in the picture, but it's wonderful all the same.
Hope everyone is getting some Christmas spirit. Remember Jesus is the reason for the season.
Marni
PS--Happy Anniversary to my best friend. You promised me many years ago that being married to you would be my best adventure and how I'd always be "your one and only"--never once have you broken that promise. I love you.
We found a cool website you should check out. Go to Live Strong and learn about cancer resources and read inspiring cancer survivor stories. This site is run by the Lance Armstrong Foundation. Also, be sure and order your yellow bracelet while you're there. The Live Strong bracelets are $1.00 and proceeds go to cancer research.
Please be sure and scroll down to see our (ever-growing) list of friends who need your prayers. Much love to you all!
Please sign the guestbook and let us know you were here. Peyton loves it when we read her what you wrote.
Also, please visit our online Family and Friends Photo Album
Please remember in prayer, our friends from Children's Medical: Weston, Lauryn, Griffin, Tyler, Courtney, Jorge, Alex, Derek, Alexis, Amber, Sara, Kevin, Kelsey, Forest, Megan, Eric, Mackenzie, Jordan, Micah, Jordan, Stephen and all the other brave cancer kids out there fighting such a tough battle. Please also pray for Logan, Jonathon, Jasmine, Lucas, and Trenton for their continued remission and Elisha for his continued health and success in his hematology(GVHD)treatment and Cameron, for his battle against CCSK. Bless you all!
When we started this page, we were discouraged to find no other CaringBridge pages for CCSK kids--and then, we found Andy. His mom had a list of other sites for kids with CCSK, and sent us the link. I should have put this link up months ago...Bless you, Terry, for giving us a way this last year to check on these other amazing kids and their progress
We have several Caring Bridge friends we keep in contact with and check on daily. Their stories are inspirational, and they all can use our prayers, so here they are. I'm sure I will (sadly) be adding to this list quite often.
Angel Justin
Justin is the son of Peyton's Chemo Angel, Susan. Even though we never got to meet Justin, we are sure he knows Peyton. Susan and I have found many connections between our special kids, and the best explanation is that God and Justin led our families to each other.
Hannah
Hi, my name is Hannah Glenn and this is my story of the ongoing journey to beat a rare childhood cancer. I was diagnosed with Neuroblastoma stage 1V on June 8, 2002 at 22 months of age.
Jacob
We lost this link a long time ago and I really missed checking in on this sweet boy. Jacob's mom signed the guestbook and I was so happy to find them again!
Lauren
Welcome to Laurens Web Page. It has been provided to keep family and friends updated about our Child. Lauren was diagnosed with bilateral wilms tumor stage V favorable histology in October 2003
LaKota
This is a special family to me. LaKota lost a brother, she never knew, to AML in 1990. He was very sensitive to the effects of chemo and couldn't tolerate his treatment. Now LaKota has AML and is showing to have the same sensitivity. Her mom is asking for prayers for earthly healing. LaKota recently had a blood cord transplant. Please pray for LaKota's new cells to grow, grow, grow. She's also in some pain right now and needs our prayers for relief.
Kate
Welcome to our 6 year old daughter Kate's Web Page. We are writing this to keep family and friends, both old and new, updated on how Kate is doing in her battle with Kidney Cancer, a stage II Wilms tumor.
Angel Miranda Rae
Miranda Rae Went to be with Jesus on June 5, 2004. God was faithful to His promise to cure Miranda of her cancer. She flies free of pain and worry and will live in glory forever as a precious 4 year old. Please pray for her parents, Martin and Gail and for her older brother Dylan.
Kaidrie
We have started this page to help keep
our friends and family updated on Kaidrie,
who was diagnosed with a
diffuse pontine glioma on March 12, 2004.
RachelJoy
Welcome to the webpage of one of God's miracle children. RachelJoy weighed 1 lb. 6 oz. at birth, and she continues to cope daily with many conditions that leave her medically fragile. She is refusing to give up. Her enthusiasm and tenacity for life
continue to surprise her doctors. The Lord is RachelJoy's strength. Each day is a gift from Him.
Julianna Banana
Hello everyone, welcome to my web page! My name is Julianna and I live in Winnipeg, Canada, home of Winnie the Pooh. I'm 3 years old, brown hair and brown eyes, single and a non-smoker. My turn-ons include pink clothes, Barbie toys and playing. My turn-offs are medicine and when my brother stands in front of the tv. Please stop by from time to time and see what I'm up to :-)
Angel Cheyenne
This page was created to help Cheyenne’s family and friends share in her daily experiences as she courageously battles this terrible beast of a tumor that threatens one to two hundred children each year.
Angel Connor
Welcome to Connor's web page of healing.
Connor has rhabdomyosarcoma, a rare form of cancer found in children.
We established this site to keep family and friends updated on his road to recovery.
Angel Zachary
This page was designed to update friends and family on Zachary's fight against Hemophagocytic Lympho Histiocytosis.
Boogie
Boogie-man (Dillion) has the sweetest smile. He and his mom check on Peyton almost everyday. You won't be able to have a bad day after reading his site and seeing what a gift from God he is.
Jenna
Everday That There IS A Battle, I OverCome It With A Positive Attitude and My Smile!
Katia
Little Katia is so special to us. She is such a fighter and her site is a wealth of information on other Caring Bridge patients.
Angel Ian
Ian passed away from earth at just after 6 this morning, Father's Day. Brian and I and his Aunt Lauren were with him. We told him in those last moments how much we loved him, and to go and fly with the angels
Nicole
Welcome to Nicole's webpage. Nicole was first diagnosed with an "inoperable" brainstem tumor, technical name is a low-grade brainstem astrocytoma -- focal intrinsic tumor of the pontomedullary junction, when she was 3 1/2 on July 1st 1992. Nicole is now 15 years old and continues to battle this disease. This website is dedicate to her continued journey. I have hope that Nicole will win this battle. My prayers go out to all the families and loved ones that share this fight with us.
Craiggy
Craig, who is 6 years old, was diagnosed in early August with type-B stage 4 Lymphoma
The Strength of an Egg By
Juliet Freitag
Parents of children with cancer, or really any serious condition, are often referred to or viewed as having strength "like a rock." Albeit flattering, it isn't quite true.
It is more like the strength of an egg. An egg, you ask? Yes! If you'll think about it, you'll see my point. An egg has a polished, smooth outer appearance, with no cracks or weak spots visible. It seems almost inconceivable that the inside might not be so smooth or solid.
Most children, at some point are shown the famous egg trick. An egg set at just the right angle can withstand enormous amounts of pressure and cannot be cracked or broken. Yet the same egg, tapped gently at an ever slightly different angle, will break. The contents, once so neatly concealed, will come spilling out. The no longer perfect shell will be crushed. It looks so fragile that it seems inconceivable that it ever held any strength.
A rock, on the other hand, is solid all the way through. To break it is almost impossible. If you succeed, you will find that there is nothing inside but more rock.
It takes a lot more than pure hardness to hold the hand of hope. Parents of children with cancer are not solid all the way through. We hurt, we fear, we cry, we hope. It takes a very careful balancing act to keep the shell from being shattered. "Balancing an egg" while running a household, going for doctors' visits and hospital stays, keeping the family together, and holding on to the constantly unraveling ties of your sanity can be very tricky indeed! Occasionally, the angle will be off and the shell will break, shattering hope and all the neatly secured appearances of a truly fragile existence.
Unlike Humpty Dumpty, though, parents of kids with cancer will pick themselves up and put themselves back together again. OVER and OVER again...........
Friday, December 3, 2004 10:15 AM CST
Sometimes He lets the storm rage and calms His child.
Peyton is done with her scans and had clinic yesterday. Everything is clear and the doctors are thrilled with her progress. Chunky Monkey Peyton is weighing in at 40 pounds and is 40.5 inches tall. Her labs looked great. She only has to stay on the antibiotics she takes weekly (to ward off pneumonia) for the rest of this month and then we are done. Starting in January, Peyton will have been off therapy long enough to catch up on her 4 year immunizations.
Yesterday was reunion day at the clinic. We saw Tyler, Elisha, Weston, Griffin and My Courtney. We haven't seen Tyler in a while, but he looked SO great. His mom says he is doing very well in treatment and is feeling great. His family was finally able to move into the Dallas area and be closer to the hospital. The drive they were making before was almost 4 hours round trip and with 3 small children to travel with, that was getting to be hard on the family, as you can imagine. Elisha was looking great! He's gained some weight and was in a great mood (until he had to get his port accessed and get a round of antibiotics!) I still got a one of his adorable smiles and goodbye kiss from him. Weston also looks great. He's getting so much hair!! He and Peyton played and played. It was so strange not to see Weston running laps through the clinic with his poor mom chasing after him. He's just growing up so much and was content to sit with Peyton at the craft table or play a board game with her. We said goodbye in the clinic and headed upstairs to the 10th floor to see if Kelsey was in for treatment. Sherrie and Weston came up to 10 to look for Weston's Child Life Specialist. When Weston saw Peyton again, he started yelling and running toward her. Peyton was running toward him with her arms out. You'd think they hadn't seen each other in months when in reality it was 10 minutes!! They caught up with each other right in front of the nurses station and were just hugging on each other. All the nurses just stopped to watch and everyone was laughing at them and how cute and silly they are. Trust me, if you know Peyton and Weston personally, you laugh at them everytime they are together. Griffin was in for labs. His pain level is being managed very well (thank you all for the prayers for his pain, keep it up because they are working) and he was walking around in clinic a little bit. Even though his pain is under control, Griffin still felt pretty lousy yesterday and spent most of his time in the infusion room watching movies. He got blood yesterday and is hopeully feeling better today. I'm asking that you keep checking his page for updates, and when it's okay with Monique, I'll let you know what's going on with Griffy through our page. For now, he's doing okay. We're looking forward to a great Christmas with he and Blake, Monique and Barry and that's all that matters right now. Please keep lifting up Griffin and his wonderful family in your prayers. Courtney is doing pretty well too. We got to spend a lot of time with her this week, so it's made this tough week so much better for us. And speaking of Courtney, go to the photos page and check out the fall-out of she and Dane's bet on the Aggie/Longhorn game. Since we were all in clinic together, Dane had to wear his new Longhorn shirt. He swore it was giving him a rash!!!
Saturday morning is the big Adolphus/Neiman Marcus Christmas parade. The parade benefits Children's Hospital, so if you are in the area, make plans to attend. It's an awesome parade, and if he's feeling up to it, Griffin will be riding proud on one of the floats.
I'll update soon, but until I do, thanks for checking on us and praying for us and the ones we love listed on our page. Remember Jesus is the reason for the season.
Marni
We found a cool website you should check out. Go to Live Strong and learn about cancer resources and read inspiring cancer survivor stories. This site is run by the Lance Armstrong Foundation. Also, be sure and order your yellow bracelet while you're there. The Live Strong bracelets are $1.00 and proceeds go to cancer research.
Please be sure and scroll down to see our (ever-growing) list of friends who need your prayers. Much love to you all!
Please sign the guestbook and let us know you were here. Peyton loves it when we read her what you wrote.
Also, please visit our online Family and Friends Photo Album
Please remember in prayer, our friends from Children's Medical: Weston, Lauryn, Griffin, Tyler, Courtney, Jorge, Alex, Derek, Alexis, Amber, Sara, Kevin, Kelsey, Forest, Megan, Eric, Mackenzie, Jordan, Micah, Jordan, Stephen and all the other brave cancer kids out there fighting such a tough battle. Please also pray for Logan, Jonathon, Jasmine, Lucas, and Trenton for their continued remission and Elisha for his continued health and success in his hematology(GVHD)treatment and Cameron, for his battle against CCSK. Bless you all!
When we started this page, we were discouraged to find no other CaringBridge pages for CCSK kids--and then, we found Andy. His mom had a list of other sites for kids with CCSK, and sent us the link. I should have put this link up months ago...Bless you, Terry, for giving us a way this last year to check on these other amazing kids and their progress
We have several Caring Bridge friends we keep in contact with and check on daily. Their stories are inspirational, and they all can use our prayers, so here they are. I'm sure I will (sadly) be adding to this list quite often.
Angel Justin
Justin is the son of Peyton's Chemo Angel, Susan. Even though we never got to meet Justin, we are sure he knows Peyton. Susan and I have found many connections between our special kids, and the best explanation is that God and Justin led our families to each other.
Hannah
Hi, my name is Hannah Glenn and this is my story of the ongoing journey to beat a rare childhood cancer. I was diagnosed with Neuroblastoma stage 1V on June 8, 2002 at 22 months of age.
Jacob
We lost this link a long time ago and I really missed checking in on this sweet boy. Jacob's mom signed the guestbook and I was so happy to find them again!
Lauren
Welcome to Laurens Web Page. It has been provided to keep family and friends updated about our Child. Lauren was diagnosed with bilateral wilms tumor stage V favorable histology in October 2003
LaKota
This is a special family to me. LaKota lost a brother, she never knew, to AML in 1990. He was very sensitive to the effects of chemo and couldn't tolerate his treatment. Now LaKota has AML and is showing to have the same sensitivity. Her mom is asking for prayers for earthly healing. LaKota recently had a blood cord transplant. Please pray for LaKota's new cells to grow, grow, grow. She's also in some pain right now and needs our prayers for relief.
Kate
Welcome to our 6 year old daughter Kate's Web Page. We are writing this to keep family and friends, both old and new, updated on how Kate is doing in her battle with Kidney Cancer, a stage II Wilms tumor.
Angel Miranda Rae
Miranda Rae Went to be with Jesus on June 5, 2004. God was faithful to His promise to cure Miranda of her cancer. She flies free of pain and worry and will live in glory forever as a precious 4 year old. Please pray for her parents, Martin and Gail and for her older brother Dylan.
Kaidrie
We have started this page to help keep
our friends and family updated on Kaidrie,
who was diagnosed with a
diffuse pontine glioma on March 12, 2004.
RachelJoy
Welcome to the webpage of one of God's miracle children. RachelJoy weighed 1 lb. 6 oz. at birth, and she continues to cope daily with many conditions that leave her medically fragile. She is refusing to give up. Her enthusiasm and tenacity for life
continue to surprise her doctors. The Lord is RachelJoy's strength. Each day is a gift from Him.
Julianna Banana
Hello everyone, welcome to my web page! My name is Julianna and I live in Winnipeg, Canada, home of Winnie the Pooh. I'm 3 years old, brown hair and brown eyes, single and a non-smoker. My turn-ons include pink clothes, Barbie toys and playing. My turn-offs are medicine and when my brother stands in front of the tv. Please stop by from time to time and see what I'm up to :-)
Angel Cheyenne
This page was created to help Cheyenne’s family and friends share in her daily experiences as she courageously battles this terrible beast of a tumor that threatens one to two hundred children each year.
Angel Connor
Welcome to Connor's web page of healing.
Connor has rhabdomyosarcoma, a rare form of cancer found in children.
We established this site to keep family and friends updated on his road to recovery.
Angel Zachary
This page was designed to update friends and family on Zachary's fight against Hemophagocytic Lympho Histiocytosis.
Boogie
Boogie-man (Dillion) has the sweetest smile. He and his mom check on Peyton almost everyday. You won't be able to have a bad day after reading his site and seeing what a gift from God he is.
Jenna
Everday That There IS A Battle, I OverCome It With A Positive Attitude and My Smile!
Katia
Little Katia is so special to us. She is such a fighter and her site is a wealth of information on other Caring Bridge patients.
Angel Ian
Ian passed away from earth at just after 6 this morning, Father's Day. Brian and I and his Aunt Lauren were with him. We told him in those last moments how much we loved him, and to go and fly with the angels
Nicole
Welcome to Nicole's webpage. Nicole was first diagnosed with an "inoperable" brainstem tumor, technical name is a low-grade brainstem astrocytoma -- focal intrinsic tumor of the pontomedullary junction, when she was 3 1/2 on July 1st 1992. Nicole is now 15 years old and continues to battle this disease. This website is dedicate to her continued journey. I have hope that Nicole will win this battle. My prayers go out to all the families and loved ones that share this fight with us.
Craiggy
Craig, who is 6 years old, was diagnosed in early August with type-B stage 4 Lymphoma
The Strength of an Egg By
Juliet Freitag
Parents of children with cancer, or really any serious condition, are often referred to or viewed as having strength "like a rock." Albeit flattering, it isn't quite true.
It is more like the strength of an egg. An egg, you ask? Yes! If you'll think about it, you'll see my point. An egg has a polished, smooth outer appearance, with no cracks or weak spots visible. It seems almost inconceivable that the inside might not be so smooth or solid.
Most children, at some point are shown the famous egg trick. An egg set at just the right angle can withstand enormous amounts of pressure and cannot be cracked or broken. Yet the same egg, tapped gently at an ever slightly different angle, will break. The contents, once so neatly concealed, will come spilling out. The no longer perfect shell will be crushed. It looks so fragile that it seems inconceivable that it ever held any strength.
A rock, on the other hand, is solid all the way through. To break it is almost impossible. If you succeed, you will find that there is nothing inside but more rock.
It takes a lot more than pure hardness to hold the hand of hope. Parents of children with cancer are not solid all the way through. We hurt, we fear, we cry, we hope. It takes a very careful balancing act to keep the shell from being shattered. "Balancing an egg" while running a household, going for doctors' visits and hospital stays, keeping the family together, and holding on to the constantly unraveling ties of your sanity can be very tricky indeed! Occasionally, the angle will be off and the shell will break, shattering hope and all the neatly secured appearances of a truly fragile existence.
Unlike Humpty Dumpty, though, parents of kids with cancer will pick themselves up and put themselves back together again. OVER and OVER again...........
Wednesday, November 24, 2004 10:47 PM CST
Sometimes He lets the storm rage and calms His child.
Peyton had a set of scans done today (November 30). She did well and didn't need sedation. We'll have the results on Thursday when we go to clinic. She should be having another set of scans soon, chest x-ray and abdominal ultrasound, and that should be it until February. Speaking of clinic, Courtney will be in on Thursday too, so Dane will be sporting his Longhorn sweatshirt. Perhaps Courtney will be gracious about this bet, but don't count on it! I will take my camera to clinic so I can post the pictures of poor Dane wearing the shameful burnt orange of defeat.
It has been called to my attention that the Sunday School class Dane and I teach has noticed that we didn't specifically mention them in our "Thankful Update". I said we were thankful for our church, but I didn't specify our class (young adult/college) so here goes (ya big babies)...Dane and I are thankful for the awesome OC class God has allowed us to teach, thankful we have a real room to meet in now and not a glorified closet, thankful for our Sunday nights at the coffee house, movie nights at our house, all of our silly inside jokes (Boing, boing; It's all about the bling-bling; endless toilet papering stories, nicknames on my cell phone, Bible Boy, "Ring by spring or it's free!"--just to name a few) the weekly phone calls, emails and text messages that let us know you care and we are needed, seeing you all grow in the Lord and walk closer with Him everyday, and mostly for letting us love you and be a part of your lives because you keep us young at heart and are a big blessing to us both.
Please continue to pray for Griffin...
UPDATE: I wasn't going to say anything until Monique did, but we have some very hard news to take regarding Griffin. His cancer isn't responding to chemo and it seems as if we're out of options for our sweet boy. If ever we've needed your prayers on behalf of one of our kids, it's now. Please also lift Barry, Monique and Blake up as well and again, ask God to please take cancer from this earth.
What are we thankful for?? I could write all day about it, and seriously, did anyone doubt that I could? But, I'll give you the abbreviated version instead =)
Let's start with what each of us in our little family is thankful for:
Peyton is thankful for ketchup, her Disney Princess CD (we are all thankful for the Discman she uses to listen to it so we don't have to hear "If You Can Dream" for the umpteenth time that day!), her family, her friends (old and new) Spongebob Squarepants, Rugrats, Dora the Explorer--okay, let's just say Nickelodeon, in general, and save a little time--her pretty pink room, all her pretty pink clothes, her daddy, her sister and me, Capri Suns, Fruity Pebbles, her new Bible from Weston, her boyfriends Griffin, Gavin, Jacob, Rylan, Logan and Skyler (who is much older, and oh yeah, MARRIED), My Courtney who loves her and will ALWAYS play Chutes and Ladders with her, no matter how sick she feels that day, and of course, Jesus who loves her more than anyone can imagine.
Lindsay is thankful for telephones, her friends Brooke, Breann, Erin and Chelsea who helped see her through a rough year, her friends Courtney and Kelsey who are showing her what courage really is, telephones, Old Navy, Gap, dad's Visa, telephones (do you see a pattern here?), having her parents back to normal, a sister who is trying her patience every minute--but she's healthy and that's all that matters, Rascal Flats CD's, her family, her millions of friends, and the new ones in our lives, her best year of school yet, and mostly for her Jesus who carried her through every tough day she's ever had, and rejoices with her on all the good days.
Dane is thankful for his two beautiful and healthy daughters, his wife who loves him like no other on earth, his many friends who have loved and supported him, his new friends who are such a blessing on a daily basis, prayers answered for his buddy Daryl (!!!!), prayers answered for our loved ones still in the fight, awesome co-workers who always understood how family came first, our amazing church, Make A Wish, Children's Hospital and it's staff, Curesearch.org, golf, online poker, harrassing Courtney about UT, and a loving and merciful Savior named Jesus!
Marni is thankful for all the things Dane is (okay, not so much poker because it's over my head, and I'm pretty bad at golf, but I'm thankful I have a patient husband who will let me play with him!), my awesome daughters, my husband who is my best friend in the whole world and STILL makes me laugh so hard that I cry, my family and my friends (old and new) who are a large part of everything in me that is good and fun, our church and "my Bible study ladies" who have prayed Peyton and her friends through so much, this website so we could share Peyton's journey with so many, Peyton, Logan, Griffin, Weston and Courtney for personally showing me bravery and for the friendships forged with your courageous families, and for Jesus who would catch me everytime I fell, then for setting me back on the rock to try again and again...
We hope all of you take time to think about what you are thankful for, and like us, thank God for it all.
On a VERY serious note...there is a BIG Thanksgiving tradition here in Texas. Yes, the annual A&M/UT football game. It will be played on Friday. It is significant every year, but this year, it is more so. Dane is a big Aggie (Texas A&M) fan and Courtney is a HUGE Longhorn (University of Texas) fan. This game will be the pinnacle of Dane and Courtney's relationship as it is what drew our families together in the first place. Go back in time with me if you will...
We're early into Peyton's treatment. We're sitting in clinic minding our business when in walks the coolest young woman ever--Courtney. She's dressed in head to toe Longhorn stuff. Dane, being an Aggie fan, decides it's perfectly okay to start ragging on Courtney for her choice of clothes, and a friendship was born. Never mind that Dane got his Aggie self chewed out by his football-neutral wife for picking on a fellow patient in a CANCER CLINIC!!! But if he hadn't, then we wouldn't have gotten to know Courtney and her family, and how dull would our lives be I ask?
Back to present time...Dane and Courtney have a friendly bet riding on this football game. If the Aggies win, Courtney has to wear an A&M sweatshirt every time she goes to clinic--not good! I think her body will reject anything maroon and white if you want to know the truth. If the Longhorns win, Dane has to wear a UT Sweatshirt, and then go sit with Courtney in clinic everytime she checks in! So, you can imagine what we will be doing on Friday (my guess is buying Dane a Longhorn sweatshirt--hahahahaha!!) So, good luck you guys, and may the best fan win.
Hope everyone has a super Thanksgiving.
Marni
We found a cool website you should check out. Go to Live Strong and learn about cancer resources and read inspiring cancer survivor stories. This site is run by the Lance Armstrong Foundation. Also, be sure and order your yellow bracelet while you're there. The Live Strong bracelets are $1.00 and proceeds go to cancer research.
Please be sure and scroll down to see our (ever-growing) list of friends who need your prayers. Much love to you all!
Please sign the guestbook and let us know you were here. Peyton loves it when we read her what you wrote.
Also, please visit our online Family and Friends Photo Album
Please remember in prayer, our friends from Children's Medical: Weston, Lauryn, Griffin, Tyler, Courtney, Jorge, Alex, Derek, Alexis, Amber, Sara, Kevin, Kelsey, Forest, Megan, Eric, Mackenzie, Jordan, Micah, Jordan, Stephen and all the other brave cancer kids out there fighting such a tough battle. Please also pray for Logan, Jonathon, Jasmine, Lucas, and Trenton for their continued remission and Elisha for his continued health and success in his hematology(GVHD)treatment and Cameron, for his battle against CCSK. Bless you all!
When we started this page, we were discouraged to find no other CaringBridge pages for CCSK kids--and then, we found Andy. His mom had a list of other sites for kids with CCSK, and sent us the link. I should have put this link up months ago...Bless you, Terry, for giving us a way this last year to check on these other amazing kids and their progress
We have several Caring Bridge friends we keep in contact with and check on daily. Their stories are inspirational, and they all can use our prayers, so here they are. I'm sure I will (sadly) be adding to this list quite often.
Angel Justin
Justin is the son of Peyton's Chemo Angel, Susan. Even though we never got to meet Justin, we are sure he knows Peyton. Susan and I have found many connections between our special kids, and the best explanation is that God and Justin led our families to each other.
Hannah
Hi, my name is Hannah Glenn and this is my story of the ongoing journey to beat a rare childhood cancer. I was diagnosed with Neuroblastoma stage 1V on June 8, 2002 at 22 months of age.
Jacob
We lost this link a long time ago and I really missed checking in on this sweet boy. Jacob's mom signed the guestbook and I was so happy to find them again!
Lauren
Welcome to Laurens Web Page. It has been provided to keep family and friends updated about our Child. Lauren was diagnosed with bilateral wilms tumor stage V favorable histology in October 2003
LaKota
This is a special family to me. LaKota lost a brother, she never knew, to AML in 1990. He was very sensitive to the effects of chemo and couldn't tolerate his treatment. Now LaKota has AML and is showing to have the same sensitivity. Her mom is asking for prayers for earthly healing. LaKota recently had a blood cord transplant. Please pray for LaKota's new cells to grow, grow, grow. She's also in some pain right now and needs our prayers for relief.
Kate
Welcome to our 6 year old daughter Kate's Web Page. We are writing this to keep family and friends, both old and new, updated on how Kate is doing in her battle with Kidney Cancer, a stage II Wilms tumor.
Angel Miranda Rae
Miranda Rae Went to be with Jesus on June 5, 2004. God was faithful to His promise to cure Miranda of her cancer. She flies free of pain and worry and will live in glory forever as a precious 4 year old. Please pray for her parents, Martin and Gail and for her older brother Dylan.
Kaidrie
We have started this page to help keep
our friends and family updated on Kaidrie,
who was diagnosed with a
diffuse pontine glioma on March 12, 2004.
RachelJoy
Welcome to the webpage of one of God's miracle children. RachelJoy weighed 1 lb. 6 oz. at birth, and she continues to cope daily with many conditions that leave her medically fragile. She is refusing to give up. Her enthusiasm and tenacity for life
continue to surprise her doctors. The Lord is RachelJoy's strength. Each day is a gift from Him.
Julianna Banana
Hello everyone, welcome to my web page! My name is Julianna and I live in Winnipeg, Canada, home of Winnie the Pooh. I'm 3 years old, brown hair and brown eyes, single and a non-smoker. My turn-ons include pink clothes, Barbie toys and playing. My turn-offs are medicine and when my brother stands in front of the tv. Please stop by from time to time and see what I'm up to :-)
Angel Cheyenne
This page was created to help Cheyenne’s family and friends share in her daily experiences as she courageously battles this terrible beast of a tumor that threatens one to two hundred children each year.
Angel Connor
Welcome to Connor's web page of healing.
Connor has rhabdomyosarcoma, a rare form of cancer found in children.
We established this site to keep family and friends updated on his road to recovery.
Angel Zachary
This page was designed to update friends and family on Zachary's fight against Hemophagocytic Lympho Histiocytosis.
Boogie
Boogie-man (Dillion) has the sweetest smile. He and his mom check on Peyton almost everyday. You won't be able to have a bad day after reading his site and seeing what a gift from God he is.
Jenna
Everday That There IS A Battle, I OverCome It With A Positive Attitude and My Smile!
Katia
Little Katia is so special to us. She is such a fighter and her site is a wealth of information on other Caring Bridge patients.
Angel Ian
Ian passed away from earth at just after 6 this morning, Father's Day. Brian and I and his Aunt Lauren were with him. We told him in those last moments how much we loved him, and to go and fly with the angels
Nicole
Welcome to Nicole's webpage. Nicole was first diagnosed with an "inoperable" brainstem tumor, technical name is a low-grade brainstem astrocytoma -- focal intrinsic tumor of the pontomedullary junction, when she was 3 1/2 on July 1st 1992. Nicole is now 15 years old and continues to battle this disease. This website is dedicate to her continued journey. I have hope that Nicole will win this battle. My prayers go out to all the families and loved ones that share this fight with us.
Craiggy
Craig, who is 6 years old, was diagnosed in early August with type-B stage 4 Lymphoma
The Strength of an Egg By
Juliet Freitag
Parents of children with cancer, or really any serious condition, are often referred to or viewed as having strength "like a rock." Albeit flattering, it isn't quite true.
It is more like the strength of an egg. An egg, you ask? Yes! If you'll think about it, you'll see my point. An egg has a polished, smooth outer appearance, with no cracks or weak spots visible. It seems almost inconceivable that the inside might not be so smooth or solid.
Most children, at some point are shown the famous egg trick. An egg set at just the right angle can withstand enormous amounts of pressure and cannot be cracked or broken. Yet the same egg, tapped gently at an ever slightly different angle, will break. The contents, once so neatly concealed, will come spilling out. The no longer perfect shell will be crushed. It looks so fragile that it seems inconceivable that it ever held any strength.
A rock, on the other hand, is solid all the way through. To break it is almost impossible. If you succeed, you will find that there is nothing inside but more rock.
It takes a lot more than pure hardness to hold the hand of hope. Parents of children with cancer are not solid all the way through. We hurt, we fear, we cry, we hope. It takes a very careful balancing act to keep the shell from being shattered. "Balancing an egg" while running a household, going for doctors' visits and hospital stays, keeping the family together, and holding on to the constantly unraveling ties of your sanity can be very tricky indeed! Occasionally, the angle will be off and the shell will break, shattering hope and all the neatly secured appearances of a truly fragile existence.
Unlike Humpty Dumpty, though, parents of kids with cancer will pick themselves up and put themselves back together again. OVER and OVER again...........
Thursday, November 11, 2004 12:29 AM CST
Sometimes He lets the storm rage and calms His child.
Ben's mom emailed me and she has also updated his page. Ben has relapsed. Please lift him up in prayers as he starts his next fight.
For many months now, you've read about Lauryn on our Children's prayer list. I spoke with Lauryn's parents yesterday and she has relapsed as well (brain tumor). Please also pray for her as she starts her next round of chemo.
Our bright spot for yesterday was Courtney. She's checked in for round 2 and her doctors told her that round 1 already shrunk the spot on her liver. Griffin is feeling better and his legs aren't hurting. Thank you for praying him through.
That's all I can manage now, I'll try and update later...
*******************************************************
Blessed be Your name, in the land that is plentiful, where Your streams of abundance flows, blessed be Your name...
As you can tell from the last journal entry, we've recently had to deal with too many special people in our lives paying the ultimate price for their disease. It gets more and more painful everyday to lose one child after another to a disease that MUST be stopped.
And blessed be Your name, when I’m found in the desert place, though I walk through the wilderness, blessed be Your name…
When Dane and the girls and I started down this road together last year, Peyton was our introduction into a world I scarcely knew existed--childhood cancer. I always assumed it was incredibly rare, and that all children had leukemia. It never really occurred to me that kids get cancers that are far more aggressive or deadly than even the scariest ALL or AML. But as we made friends through the hospital and Caringbridge, I realized how very wrong I was. Jakey Bear was our first Caringbridge friend that we lost, and we lost him to a vicious brain tumor that as of now, has no cure but Heaven. It was a cruel wake up call that cancer does kill children sometimes. Because of Jake and his site, we went on to find many, many other friends, and slowly, we have now started to lose some of them. In the last several months we said goodbye to Paige, Miranda, Ian, Connor and Cheyenne--all to cancer (see links below). I never got to meet these children, I just had the privilege of reading their stories, praying for them, and occasionally exchanging heartfelt emails with their hopeful, yet fearful parents. Frankly there have been many, many other kids I've kept up with and then lost, but sometimes I would find them as they were end-stage and it was too painful to list them on Peyton's page only to lose them a very short time later.
And blessed be Your name, when the sun‘s shining down on me, when the world‘s all as it should be, blessed be Your name..
Next came a tougher wake up call. Many kids listed on this page are now personal friends of ours. We get together at each other's homes, we talk on the phone, we share our souls--we are friends in the purest sense of the word. And they all have or had cancer. Dane and I love Weston, Griffin, Logan and Courtney as if they are our own. And as people who love them in a way as if they belonged to us, we won‘t stand to lose any one of them to cancer. And so, with God's guidance, we intend to do what it takes to support research to effectively treat and ELIMINATE cancer from this planet. It's no longer about being satisfied with seeing Peyton in remission, we want ALL children in remission, and to stay there.
And blessed be Your name, on the road marked with suffering, though there’s pain in the offering, blessed be Your name…
Dane and I have seen the grieving faces of parents as they buried their beautiful, warrior of a daughter. We have held the hands of parents whose child is in the midst of an invasive Bone Marrow Transplant and its horrible side effect in hopes of saving his young life. We have looked into the eyes of parents who are watching their child stare down the same cancer for the third time and seeing their fear and knowing that they wonder if this battle will be the last. We have listened to the anguish of parents who were so grateful their child has beaten his cancer but who watched him suffer through the trauma of treatment and angst over the long term side effects that are inevitable. We have seen a remarkable and beautiful young woman put her dreams of college, and all that goes with that experience, on hold while she battles her cancer--again. And make no mistake, ALL the parents of these precious fighters live and breathe a reality of what cancer can do to a young body and mind. Two of these loved ones are fighting relapses, which I know is every cancer parent’s worst nightmare. And we can't take it anymore.
Every blessing you pour out, I’ll turn back to praise. When the darkness closes in Lord, still I will say; Blessed be the name of the Lord, blessed be your name. Blessed be the name of the Lord, blessed be Your glorious name
Childhood cancer: Did you know that 1 in 330 children will be diagnosed with some form of cancer by age 20? Let that thought sink in. But now think about this; children get cancer when their brain and body are at their most critical development phase. Many children and young adults are subjected to aggressive chemotherapy and oftentimes radiation, on a body that is still trying to grow and in a brain that is still developing. Pediatric Oncologists will be the first to tell you they are unsure of all the long term effects of cancer treatments in kids. As one of Peyton’s doctors put it, “I don’t know what the full spectrum of long term effects for Peyton’s future is, given the aggressive level of treatment she’s been subjected to, but I know that we’ve given her the best possible treatment to help ensure that her future will exist”. We agree that the level of treatment Peyton received was in her very best interest, and we hope God will allow her to grow old and one day barely recall what she went through medically, but should saving her and all the others like her have to come with a trade off of future harm, or for many, potentially deadly consequences? All of these kids have already sacrificed a normal childhood, but now they are left to grow up with altered bodies, neurotoxicity, and yes, even higher risk for secondary cancers later in life due to the high doses of chemo and radiation. How's that for some warped irony?
You give and take away, You give and take away…
Adult cancer: In contrast, 1 in 3 adults get cancer, (77 per-cent of on-sets occurring after age 55). Given the sheer numbers of people that effects, that does make adult cancer research seem more critical of our research and money. But does that really make sense? Should relieving cancer victims, of any age, be a contest when it comes to money and research opportunites? Shouldn’t we all benefit from research, not just those in the “majority”? The last two weeks have been enlightening, and I dare say, a betrayal, to Dane and I. Organizations we trusted to use our money, and more importantly, our daughter’s story, to wage war on cancer are not treating childhood cancer with the same level of research funding as adult cancer. To us, that is nothing short of unacceptable. How do you justify spending more money on adults based on the amount of people afflicted. At least the benefactors of this cancer research have experienced adulthood, many kids in the childhood cancer world don't see high school. One organization I contacted listed the “big 4 cancers” if you will, they funnel the bulk of their donations to: Colon, Prostate, Breast and Lung. Every one of them are vicious cancers and every one of them deserves funding to eliminate them and improve treatments for current patients, but these are almost exclusively adult cancers. And while there are always exceptions, most, but not all, are brought about by lifestyle choices. Childhood cancer is dominated by leukemias, brain tumors and cancers of the nervous system, the lymphatic system, kidneys, bones and muscles . Childhood cancer is the 6th most common form of cancer in the entire cancer category (adult and children) but it is receiving less than 5 percent of the overall funding taken in by the organization I spoke with. And that is where the betrayal set in for us.
My heart will choose to say, “Lord blessed be Your name”…
I strongly encourage everyone to donate time and money to researching a cure for cancer. It’s all destructive and brings on so much fear and sadness, and it must be stopped. But God has given Dane and I a heart for CHILDREN with cancer, and that is where our loyalty will lie from this point on. After much research and prayer, Dane and I have found an amazing organization dedicated solely to funding childhood cancer. We encourage you to visit CureSearch and start getting involved. Our friends and families and cancer patient families are now aware of this site and many are already signing up to get involved. There are numerous ways you can help, the most immediate being donations. There is also an online gift shop where you can purchase art created by childhood cancer fighters and survivors. You can sign up to become an advocate and start an emailing or letter writing campaign to our government officials and insist childhood cancer be funded as adequately as adult cancer. God has also laid on my heart many, many times about the importance of blood and platelet donations. ALL of “our kids” have needed blood and platelets while in treatment, so this hits close to home for me. I also strongly encourage you to become a bone marrow donor. For transplant kids, it is literally a matter of life or death to receive healthy donor marrow. If you are pregnant, consider donating your cord blood to save a life. Go to the National Marrow Donor Program to find more information about cord blood donation and marrow donation.
Blessed be the name of the Lord, blessed be Your name. Blessed be the name of the Lord, blessed be Your glorious name.
And as always, we know that this cancer and what it does to not only the victims, but those who love them as well, will never go away until we commit to pray it off this planet. The Bible tells us, “Ask and it will be given; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks, receives; he who seeks, finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.” (Matthew 7:7-8, NIV) We just need to be asking. All of us. And God’s Word promises us, it will be given. Cancer is a big, powerful disease, but we have a bigger and merciful God and His son, Jesus, is the ultimate healer. “What is impossible with men, is possible with God”. (Luke 18:27, NIV). Now go. Write checks, register to donate blood, platelets and marrow. Become an advocate for a child whose voice is not being heard in the cancer funding world. And pray…humble yourselves and pray.
Marni
We found a cool website you should check out. Go to Live Strong and learn about cancer resources and read inspiring cancer survivor stories. This site is run by the Lance Armstrong Foundation. Also, be sure and order your yellow bracelet while you're there. The Live Strong bracelets are $1.00 and proceeds go to cancer research.
Please be sure and scroll down to see our (ever-growing) list of friends who need your prayers. Much love to you all!
Please sign the guestbook and let us know you were here. Peyton loves it when we read her what you wrote.
Also, please visit our online Family and Friends Photo Album
Please remember in prayer, our friends from Children's Medical: Weston, Lauryn, Griffin, Tyler, Courtney, Jorge, Alex, Derek, Alexis, Amber, Sara, Kevin, Kelsey, Forest, Megan, Eric, Mackenzie, Jordan, Micah, Jordan, Stephen and all the other brave cancer kids out there fighting such a tough battle. Please also pray for Logan, Jonathon, Jasmine, Lucas, and Trenton for their continued remission and Elisha for his continued health and success in his hematology(GVHD)treatment and Cameron, for his battle against CCSK. Bless you all!
When we started this page, we were discouraged to find no other CaringBridge pages for CCSK kids--and then, we found Andy. His mom had a list of other sites for kids with CCSK, and sent us the link. I should have put this link up months ago...Bless you, Terry, for giving us a way this last year to check on these other amazing kids and their progress
We have several Caring Bridge friends we keep in contact with and check on daily. Their stories are inspirational, and they all can use our prayers, so here they are. I'm sure I will (sadly) be adding to this list quite often.
Angel Justin
Justin is the son of Peyton's Chemo Angel, Susan. Even though we never got to meet Justin, we are sure he knows Peyton. Susan and I have found many connections between our special kids, and the best explanation is that God and Justin led our families to each other.
Hannah
Hi, my name is Hannah Glenn and this is my story of the ongoing journey to beat a rare childhood cancer. I was diagnosed with Neuroblastoma stage 1V on June 8, 2002 at 22 months of age.
Jacob
We lost this link a long time ago and I really missed checking in on this sweet boy. Jacob's mom signed the guestbook and I was so happy to find them again!
Lauren
Welcome to Laurens Web Page. It has been provided to keep family and friends updated about our Child. Lauren was diagnosed with bilateral wilms tumor stage V favorable histology in October 2003
LaKota
This is a special family to me. LaKota lost a brother, she never knew, to AML in 1990. He was very sensitive to the effects of chemo and couldn't tolerate his treatment. Now LaKota has AML and is showing to have the same sensitivity. Her mom is asking for prayers for earthly healing. LaKota recently had a blood cord transplant. Please pray for LaKota's new cells to grow, grow, grow. She's also in some pain right now and needs our prayers for relief.
Kate
Welcome to our 6 year old daughter Kate's Web Page. We are writing this to keep family and friends, both old and new, updated on how Kate is doing in her battle with Kidney Cancer, a stage II Wilms tumor.
Angel Miranda Rae
Miranda Rae Went to be with Jesus on June 5, 2004. God was faithful to His promise to cure Miranda of her cancer. She flies free of pain and worry and will live in glory forever as a precious 4 year old. Please pray for her parents, Martin and Gail and for her older brother Dylan.
Kaidrie
We have started this page to help keep
our friends and family updated on Kaidrie,
who was diagnosed with a
diffuse pontine glioma on March 12, 2004.
RachelJoy
Welcome to the webpage of one of God's miracle children. RachelJoy weighed 1 lb. 6 oz. at birth, and she continues to cope daily with many conditions that leave her medically fragile. She is refusing to give up. Her enthusiasm and tenacity for life
continue to surprise her doctors. The Lord is RachelJoy's strength. Each day is a gift from Him.
Julianna Banana
Hello everyone, welcome to my web page! My name is Julianna and I live in Winnipeg, Canada, home of Winnie the Pooh. I'm 3 years old, brown hair and brown eyes, single and a non-smoker. My turn-ons include pink clothes, Barbie toys and playing. My turn-offs are medicine and when my brother stands in front of the tv. Please stop by from time to time and see what I'm up to :-)
Angel Cheyenne
This page was created to help Cheyenne’s family and friends share in her daily experiences as she courageously battles this terrible beast of a tumor that threatens one to two hundred children each year.
Angel Connor
Welcome to Connor's web page of healing.
Connor has rhabdomyosarcoma, a rare form of cancer found in children.
We established this site to keep family and friends updated on his road to recovery.
Angel Zachary
This page was designed to update friends and family on Zachary's fight against Hemophagocytic Lympho Histiocytosis.
Boogie
Boogie-man (Dillion) has the sweetest smile. He and his mom check on Peyton almost everyday. You won't be able to have a bad day after reading his site and seeing what a gift from God he is.
Jenna
Everday That There IS A Battle, I OverCome It With A Positive Attitude and My Smile!
Katia
Little Katia is so special to us. She is such a fighter and her site is a wealth of information on other Caring Bridge patients.
Angel Ian
Ian passed away from earth at just after 6 this morning, Father's Day. Brian and I and his Aunt Lauren were with him. We told him in those last moments how much we loved him, and to go and fly with the angels
Nicole
Welcome to Nicole's webpage. Nicole was first diagnosed with an "inoperable" brainstem tumor, technical name is a low-grade brainstem astrocytoma -- focal intrinsic tumor of the pontomedullary junction, when she was 3 1/2 on July 1st 1992. Nicole is now 15 years old and continues to battle this disease. This website is dedicate to her continued journey. I have hope that Nicole will win this battle. My prayers go out to all the families and loved ones that share this fight with us.
Craiggy
Craig, who is 6 years old, was diagnosed in early August with type-B stage 4 Lymphoma
The Strength of an Egg By
Juliet Freitag
Parents of children with cancer, or really any serious condition, are often referred to or viewed as having strength "like a rock." Albeit flattering, it isn't quite true.
It is more like the strength of an egg. An egg, you ask? Yes! If you'll think about it, you'll see my point. An egg has a polished, smooth outer appearance, with no cracks or weak spots visible. It seems almost inconceivable that the inside might not be so smooth or solid.
Most children, at some point are shown the famous egg trick. An egg set at just the right angle can withstand enormous amounts of pressure and cannot be cracked or broken. Yet the same egg, tapped gently at an ever slightly different angle, will break. The contents, once so neatly concealed, will come spilling out. The no longer perfect shell will be crushed. It looks so fragile that it seems inconceivable that it ever held any strength.
A rock, on the other hand, is solid all the way through. To break it is almost impossible. If you succeed, you will find that there is nothing inside but more rock.
It takes a lot more than pure hardness to hold the hand of hope. Parents of children with cancer are not solid all the way through. We hurt, we fear, we cry, we hope. It takes a very careful balancing act to keep the shell from being shattered. "Balancing an egg" while running a household, going for doctors' visits and hospital stays, keeping the family together, and holding on to the constantly unraveling ties of your sanity can be very tricky indeed! Occasionally, the angle will be off and the shell will break, shattering hope and all the neatly secured appearances of a truly fragile existence.
Unlike Humpty Dumpty, though, parents of kids with cancer will pick themselves up and put themselves back together again. OVER and OVER again...........
Friday, November 5, 2004 1:48 PM CST
Dane and I have 2 important prayer requests. The first one is for Ben. The suspicious spot on his lung is actually a mass in his chest cavity. He is having surgery Friday morning to remove whatever it is. PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE pray for this mass to be benign. Check Ben's page for updates, but if I hear from Ben's mom first, I'll update here.
Our second request is for Courtney. The round of chemo she finished last week has been rough on her the last few days. She's suffering low counts, having some pain, feeling tired and has very little appetite. Courtney's previous treatments weren't so harsh to her, so this is an adjustment. Courtney is incredibly special to us and we can't stand to see her feel so bad. Please join us in praying her through these symptoms and continue to ask God to use this treatment to cure Courtney once and for all. Courtney, I know you check this page when you're feeling good and we want you to know that you've got lots of prayers going up for you from our friends, family, church family and faithful Caringbridge friends. We love you.
UPDATE: Zachary unexpectedly left us yesterday morning to go live with Jesus. Zachary has been linked off of this page for many months. His sweet little face stole my heart the first time I saw his page. Zachary battled a rare blood disorder and was such a fighter until the end.
UPDATE: Griffin's very good friend Paige passed away this morning. Please keep her family in your prayers and lift Griffin, Monique and Barry up as well. Griffy, I'm so sorry baby. No child your age should have to lose a friend.
***********************************
To those of you who still wish to read about Disney, the entry can be found at the "Read Journal History" link.
As much as I would have liked to have left the magic of the Disney trip in place for a while longer, too much has happened this week to not post this message. Rest assured, Peyton is just fine, but many ones that we love are not...
I don't really know where to start except to say that cancer has aggressively dominated the lives of some of our precious Caring Bridge and Children's Hospital friends and I know Dane joins me in saying, we've had enough!! How many more children have to sacrifice their childhood, their health or their lives to this wretched beast of a disease??
So many friends and their families need our prayers more than ever, so let's start with that:
Cheyenne left this earth and the body that was failing her to go live in glory forever. While that thought warms my soul to its very core, the thought that her parents are left here to go on without her until they go to live with Jesus makes my heart ache so bad. Dane and I went to Cheyenne's funeral, and although it wouldn't be fair to say no child was ever more loved, this child had captured the hearts of so many! What a blessing and a privilege it was to be in Cheyenne's church and hear about what a ministry she had, how she loved Jesus with all her heart, and how she never let cancer beat her. Her parents and sisters, and brother were holding up so remarkably through that tough day, but I know that the toughest days are yet ahead. Please continue to pray for her family, visit her site and sign the guestbook, and on behalf of Cheyenne's family, please pray for an earthly cure to the brain tumor that lashed out at her and others that she loved (Diffuse Pontine Glioma)
Connor also went to be with Jesus. He too knew our Savior and is free. I know he is with Cheyenne and all his other friends and I know because he is absent from the body, he is in the presence of God. Please pray for his parents and grandparents as they pick up the pieces of their lives over the loss of their ONLY child. Ask God to cradle them in peace until they see Connor again, and they will! On Connor's behalf, please pray for an earthly cure to the cancer that has denied us Connor's sweet presence on earth (Rhabdomyosarcoma)
Kaidrie continues to do well and her tumor is stable, but when I heard about Cheyenne, my next thought was for Kaidrie. She battles the same cancer as Cheyenne, and as of yet, there is no cure for it. How is that possible in our age of technology?? Yet it is. Amber, Kaidrie's mom, is underdstandably terrified. Her and her husband's world was shattered upon Kaid's diagnosis, and now it has crashed down around them since Cheyenne's passing hit so close to home. I told Amber that I don't possess the words to help her, but that I would pray continually for this tumor to leave Kaidrie and for the doctors to discover whatever valuable information needed to stop this cancer. Please join us in praying for Kaidrie, her parents and her sister. They need a miracle and we need to be asking God for that miracle.
Kevin is a friend of ours from clinic. He's been on our prayer list since the beginning of this site. Our prayers for Kevin are being answered. He finished treatment in September and is NED (no evidence of disease), but at such a high price has Kevin beaten his cancer. Kevin's mom Jennifer and I spoke early this week and as a result of aggressive chemo Kevin received (frighteningly the same Peyton took) his heart is permanently damaged. Kevin is facing a future that includes a heart transplant. He's a little boy who wants to be cancer free and to play soccer. Cancer slowed him down for so many months while he was required to remain non-ambulatory to give his tumor site the healing it needed. Now, he can't cross a room without becoming winded due to his failing heart. Please pray for a cure for Kevin's cancer (Ewing's Sarcoma) so other sweet children don't have to face it or the sometimes devastating side effects of the powerful chemo it takes to stop it. Please also pray for Kevin to remain cancer-free so his body doesn't have to tolerate any more trauma.
Ben is a CCSK kid and he is two years off of therapy, but in a recent scan, a suspicious spot showed up on his lung. We have been in prayer for Ben that this spot is harmless and cancer has not crashed into his life again. I know his parents need you to pray for the same thing. It is here that Dane and I also ask for your prayers. Ben had what Peyton did and being confronted with the thought of a potential relapse in a CCSK child is hard to hear. Dane and I have given the fear about Ben and Peyton over to God, but we worry nonetheless. Keep checking Ben's sites for updates on his secondary scans and please ask God to move in a powerful way in keeping Ben cancer free.
Courtney---she was able to be our bright spot in this awful week. You know how some people seem to have a light about them? Courtney is one of those people. She is the beautiful young lady in the picture with Peyton at the top of this page. She's been given a chance to send her cancer packing for good with the blessing of a new treatment. Peyton and "My Courtney" as she is known in our lives, became fast friends many months ago. Many of you may remember seeing her pictures and updates about her in previous entries. She and Peyton share a connection that we won't ever understand (as people who haven't had cancer) but we are privileged to witness everytime they are together. We need you to pray for Courtney. Please ask for this treatment to heal her, for her to not suffer any adverse effects from the chemo, and for strength for her incredible family; Kelly, Britney, Paige, Nanny, and Pops.
And of course, don't forget "our boys", Weston, Griffin and Logan and their wonderful families.
Thank you all for the prayers you lift up for those listed above. I don't think there is anything more loving you can do for another person than to approach God on their behalf and ask for intervention. Please remember ALL people who are battling cancer, but especially the kids...
Go see the photo page and see some pictures we have of our special friends. Next entry, we're gonna tackle how we're going to stop childhood cancer, who is and isn't helping in the fight and what you can do to make a difference.
Marni
We found a cool website you should check out. Go to Live Strong and learn about cancer resources and read inspiring cancer survivor stories. This site is run by the Lance Armstrong Foundation. Also, be sure and order your yellow bracelet while you're there. The Live Strong bracelets are $1.00 and proceeds go to cancer research.
Please be sure and scroll down to see our (ever-growing) list of friends who need your prayers. Much love to you all!
Please sign the guestbook and let us know you were here. Peyton loves it when we read her what you wrote.
Also, please visit our online Family and Friends Photo Album
Please remember in prayer, our friends from Children's Medical: Weston, Lauryn, Griffin, Tyler, Courtney, Jorge, Alex, Derek, Alexis, Amber, Sara, Kevin, Kelsey, Forest, Megan, Eric, Mackenzie, Jordan, Micah, Jordan, Stephen and all the other brave cancer kids out there fighting such a tough battle. Please also pray for Logan, Jonathon, Jasmine, Lucas, and Trenton for their continued remission and Elisha for his continued health and success in his hematology(GVHD)treatment and Cameron, for his battle against CCSK. Bless you all!
When we started this page, we were discouraged to find no other CaringBridge pages for CCSK kids--and then, we found Andy. His mom had a list of other sites for kids with CCSK, and sent us the link. I should have put this link up months ago...Bless you, Terry, for giving us a way this last year to check on these other amazing kids and their progress
We have several Caring Bridge friends we keep in contact with and check on daily. Their stories are inspirational, and they all can use our prayers, so here they are. I'm sure I will (sadly) be adding to this list quite often.
Angel Justin
Justin is the son of Peyton's Chemo Angel, Susan. Even though we never got to meet Justin, we are sure he knows Peyton. Susan and I have found many connections between our special kids, and the best explanation is that God and Justin led our families to each other.
Hannah
Hi, my name is Hannah Glenn and this is my story of the ongoing journey to beat a rare childhood cancer. I was diagnosed with Neuroblastoma stage 1V on June 8, 2002 at 22 months of age.
Jacob
We lost this link a long time ago and I really missed checking in on this sweet boy. Jacob's mom signed the guestbook and I was so happy to find them again!
Lauren
Welcome to Laurens Web Page. It has been provided to keep family and friends updated about our Child. Lauren was diagnosed with bilateral wilms tumor stage V favorable histology in October 2003
LaKota
This is a special family to me. LaKota lost a brother, she never knew, to AML in 1990. He was very sensitive to the effects of chemo and couldn't tolerate his treatment. Now LaKota has AML and is showing to have the same sensitivity. Her mom is asking for prayers for earthly healing. LaKota recently had a blood cord transplant. Please pray for LaKota's new cells to grow, grow, grow. She's also in some pain right now and needs our prayers for relief.
Kate
Welcome to our 6 year old daughter Kate's Web Page. We are writing this to keep family and friends, both old and new, updated on how Kate is doing in her battle with Kidney Cancer, a stage II Wilms tumor.
Angel Miranda Rae
Miranda Rae Went to be with Jesus on June 5, 2004. God was faithful to His promise to cure Miranda of her cancer. She flies free of pain and worry and will live in glory forever as a precious 4 year old. Please pray for her parents, Martin and Gail and for her older brother Dylan.
Kaidrie
We have started this page to help keep
our friends and family updated on Kaidrie,
who was diagnosed with a
diffuse pontine glioma on March 12, 2004.
RachelJoy
Welcome to the webpage of one of God's miracle children. RachelJoy weighed 1 lb. 6 oz. at birth, and she continues to cope daily with many conditions that leave her medically fragile. She is refusing to give up. Her enthusiasm and tenacity for life
continue to surprise her doctors. The Lord is RachelJoy's strength. Each day is a gift from Him.
Julianna Banana
Hello everyone, welcome to my web page! My name is Julianna and I live in Winnipeg, Canada, home of Winnie the Pooh. I'm 3 years old, brown hair and brown eyes, single and a non-smoker. My turn-ons include pink clothes, Barbie toys and playing. My turn-offs are medicine and when my brother stands in front of the tv. Please stop by from time to time and see what I'm up to :-)
Angel Cheyenne
This page was created to help Cheyenne’s family and friends share in her daily experiences as she courageously battles this terrible beast of a tumor that threatens one to two hundred children each year.
Angel Connor
Welcome to Connor's web page of healing.
Connor has rhabdomyosarcoma, a rare form of cancer found in children.
We established this site to keep family and friends updated on his road to recovery.
Angel Zachary
This page was designed to update friends and family on Zachary's fight against Hemophagocytic Lympho Histiocytosis.
Boogie
Boogie-man (Dillion) has the sweetest smile. He and his mom check on Peyton almost everyday. You won't be able to have a bad day after reading his site and seeing what a gift from God he is.
Jenna
Everday That There IS A Battle, I OverCome It With A Positive Attitude and My Smile!
Katia
Little Katia is so special to us. She is such a fighter and her site is a wealth of information on other Caring Bridge patients.
Angel Ian
Ian passed away from earth at just after 6 this morning, Father's Day. Brian and I and his Aunt Lauren were with him. We told him in those last moments how much we loved him, and to go and fly with the angels
Nicole
Welcome to Nicole's webpage. Nicole was first diagnosed with an "inoperable" brainstem tumor, technical name is a low-grade brainstem astrocytoma -- focal intrinsic tumor of the pontomedullary junction, when she was 3 1/2 on July 1st 1992. Nicole is now 15 years old and continues to battle this disease. This website is dedicate to her continued journey. I have hope that Nicole will win this battle. My prayers go out to all the families and loved ones that share this fight with us.
Craiggy
Craig, who is 6 years old, was diagnosed in early August with type-B stage 4 Lymphoma
The Strength of an Egg By
Juliet Freitag
Parents of children with cancer, or really any serious condition, are often referred to or viewed as having strength "like a rock." Albeit flattering, it isn't quite true.
It is more like the strength of an egg. An egg, you ask? Yes! If you'll think about it, you'll see my point. An egg has a polished, smooth outer appearance, with no cracks or weak spots visible. It seems almost inconceivable that the inside might not be so smooth or solid.
Most children, at some point are shown the famous egg trick. An egg set at just the right angle can withstand enormous amounts of pressure and cannot be cracked or broken. Yet the same egg, tapped gently at an ever slightly different angle, will break. The contents, once so neatly concealed, will come spilling out. The no longer perfect shell will be crushed. It looks so fragile that it seems inconceivable that it ever held any strength.
A rock, on the other hand, is solid all the way through. To break it is almost impossible. If you succeed, you will find that there is nothing inside but more rock.
It takes a lot more than pure hardness to hold the hand of hope. Parents of children with cancer are not solid all the way through. We hurt, we fear, we cry, we hope. It takes a very careful balancing act to keep the shell from being shattered. "Balancing an egg" while running a household, going for doctors' visits and hospital stays, keeping the family together, and holding on to the constantly unraveling ties of your sanity can be very tricky indeed! Occasionally, the angle will be off and the shell will break, shattering hope and all the neatly secured appearances of a truly fragile existence.
Unlike Humpty Dumpty, though, parents of kids with cancer will pick themselves up and put themselves back together again. OVER and OVER again...........
Thursday, October 28, 2004 11:59 PM CDT
UPDATE: Connor went to be with Jesus this morning. This has been such a painful week for our Caringbridge family, but our loss is heaven's gain. Please remember Rhonda and Eddie in your prayers as they go forward without Connor. Connor, you were bravery personified and we are going to miss you so much. Give Cheyenne and Jakey Bear a hug from us and take in all the glory in Jesus that is your deserved gift for your faithfulness.
UPDATE: Dane called me a little while ago and told me Cheyenne went to be with Jesus this morning. Cheyenne is a charter member of the "famous 5". When I first started checking in on other cancer kids through Caring Bridge, Cheyenne was one of the 5 kids I kept up with. Knowing that she was fighting a tumor that couldn't be cured on earth, Cheyenne still kept her smile and she and her dad never hesitated to email us or visit Peyton's site and brighten our day with a posting.
Go read Cheyenne's site. What Roy (her dad) wrote speaks volumes about the power and love of Jesus in those of us who believe. Cheyenne's link is below and I urge you to visit her site and give your condolences.
Cheyenne, my heart soars with the knowledge that you are with Jesus as I write this and that you are free from cancer. Roy, my heart breaks that your sweet daughter is gone, but I take comfort in knowing you will see her again.
---------------------------------------
The big day finally arrived for Peyton. She put on her Snow White dress (with matching Snow White shoes of course!) and walked out the front door. You should have seen her face when she saw 20 or so of her friends and family standing in the yard smiling at her. And then, she saw it. The horse-drawn carriage fit for a princess! Peyton's Wish Granter, Mike, pulled out all the stops for our awesome Make A Wish sendoff. Peyton, Lindsay, Aunt Stephanie, Daddy and I loaded up in the beautiful carriage and headed down the street to meet up with the car that was driving us to the next stop. As we rode down the street, neighbors came out to wave goodbye. As a bonus, Mike contacted Peyton's Pepaw and our good friend Kurt, both from the Midlothian Police Department, and asked them to give us a police escort. Peyton felt as if she were in a parade! We headed up the street, to the next block over, and what came into view, stunned us all. Mike arranged for the Midlothian High School band, the Drill Team, Varsity Cheerleaders, and dozens and dozens of family and friends to meet us in the parking lot of a neighborhood elementary school!
The band played "When You Wish Upon a Star" and there was not a dry eye to be found. The band, drill team and cheerleaders all presented Peyton with giant cards signed by each of them, gifts, and Disney Dollars for Peyton to spend as she wished (and she did!!) It was amazing!! For those of you who may not know about Friday nights in Texas at this time of year, football rules. For these young men and ladies to take precious time out on a football game night to come say goodbye to us was something we won't forget!
We hugged and kissed everyone goodbye, and loaded into a deluxe limo. The girls were estatic and played with all the buttons in the car ;) Our flight to Florida didn't leave until early the next morning, so Mike thougtfully booked us into a hotel room at the airport.
SATURDAY 5:30 am: We are up and out the door on our way to the airport! Peyton had never flown before and was very excited. Dane and I had never traveled with a hyper 4 year old in post 9-11 airport security, so we were a little wary! Everything went smoothly and soon, we were in the air. Peyton loved the airplane, and before long, she was dozing in Aunt Stephanie's lap.
10:00 am: We land and are greeted by Betty from Give Kids The World. GKTW is a resort exclusive to Make A Wish kids and their families. Betty holds up a large sign that says "Give Kids The World Welcomes Peyton White". Peyton is excited to see her name on this big poster. We met another Make A Wish family from the Dallas area. They flew in with us and Peyton and their wish kid, Henry, are the same age. The kids visited while we all found our luggage and headed down to find our rent car. Months ago, Peyton mentioned in passing to Mike that she wanted us to drive a gray minivan while we were in Florida. It was a silly little request and we thought nothing of it again, but does it surprise anyone that when we rounded the corner to claim our car, there was a gray minivan?? Peyton was so excited :) We loaded up into the van, and headed to Give Kids The World.
11:00 am: We arrive at GKTW and check in. As we are waiting in the van for Dane to check in, we see Elisha and his parents. Elisha is a hematology patient at our hospital and he and Peyton have become very good friends over the last several months. Elisha is 4 as well, and when we all found out we would be at Disney at the same time, the kids were THRILLED. We checked in, and drove to our bungalow. GKTW is set up to look like a small community that you might see in a movie. All the homes are painted in different pastel colors, with picket fences and well-manicured lawns. It was just precious. We were next door to Henry, across the street from Elisha and another wish kid from our hospital, Avery, was our neighbor on the other side.
1:00 pm: We are pigging out on all-you-can-eat ice cream at the GKTW Ice Cream Palace with Elisha and his mom and dad, Mary and Aaron. GKTW encourages you to come by often and indulge on the free ice cream, and boy, did we! After that, we all rode the carousel over and over, and then went to the Castle of Miracles to play in the enormous play rooms and dress up rooms! We spend the rest of the day swimming, playing putt-putt, playing in the arcade, riding the train around the village and hanging out over dinner.
7:00 pm: We head into the main part of the village and attend the outdoor party for Mayor Clayton. Mayor Clayton is a big rabbit and he's the mayor of the GKTW village. Miss Teen Orlando, Miss Teen Tampa, and Miss Teen Miami are there that night and they bring all the kids up to do various dances with them (cotton eyed joe, the chicken dance, macarena, etc.) Peyton and Elisha are dancing fools and we laugh so hard, we cry! We met a lot of neat families that night. It was almost like the feeling we got when we would be in the hospital playroom--parents who are scared, some who are permanently scarred by what they've watched their kids go through, but for now, just content to watch their children laugh and be a kid.
10:00 pm: We are wiped out and head to bed! Peyton has declared Sunday to be Magic Kingdom day at Disney World, so we nod off to the thoughts of Peyton finally meeting a princess the next day...
SUNDAY 8:30 am: We are out the door and heading toward Disney World. Elisha and his parents came along too. Peyton gets so excited when she sees the large sign welcoming us to Disney World's Magic Kingdom. We park and head in the gates. Peyton and Elisha each are wearing a badge that indicates they are wish kids, their names, and where they are from, and this badge proves to be magic as we enter in. Disney employees are trained to spot them and then treat those guests like royalty, and believe me, they do. As we came in the gates, we realized that some of the characters were out and signing autographs. Peyton immediately spots Belle from Beauty and the Beast, so we get in line. Within seconds, a Disney employee comes out of nowhere, bends down in front of Peyton and says, "Princess Peyton, we've been waiting for you, please come with me." He takes us to the front of the line, tells the next family about Peyton being a wish kid (and everytime this happended, the other families would be so gracious and understanding) and then Peyton meets Belle. Belle visits with her for a bit, signs her autograph book, and we take lots of video and pictures. But it doesn't stop there. A Disney employee, Rich, asks if he can take Peyton and Elisha around to meet the other characters who are out, so of course, we say yes. Peyton and Elisha met Aladdin and Daisy Duck. Of course we have great video and pictures of that too. Rich asked if could hang around for a little while and I told him we could. He said if we didn't mind the wait, we could meet Princess Aurora. I blurted out, "You mean Sleeping Beauty is coming out? She's the reason Peyton chose Disney World as her wish!" He said he would make sure Peyton got to meet with her, but in the meantime, offered to take us inside one the buildings so we would be comfortable while we waited. We are inside this marvelous hall with these beautiful Disney murals painted on the walls, and suddenly, out walks Sleeping Beauty in her beautiful pink dress and princess crown, and she says, "Where is princess Peyton? I hear that she is finally here to see me and I can't wait to meet her." I will try to type this next sentence but the tears are in the way. The look on Peyton's face as Sleeping Beauty not only is standing before her, but knows her name, was a look of such wonder and excitement, that it made this last year worth what it took to get here. Sleeping Beauty spent about 10 minutes with Peyton and Elisha asking them questions and answering theirs, taking lots of pictures, signing autographs then she gave them kisses on their cheeks and foreheads, and since she was wearing pretty pink lipstick, Peyton and Elisha had what they affectionately called "kissy prints". We were all on cloud nine the rest of the day. As a side note, I do have to mention here that although Peyton was incredibly excited about her encounter with Sleeping Beauty, Stephanie and Lindsay had these sappy, nostalgic looks on their faces as Sleeping Beauty spoke with them too. I guess we never get over the feeling of wanting to be a princess...
The rest of the day at Magic Kingdom was wonderful! Peyton finally got to see the castle at Magic Kingdom and was so blown away about how big it is. She just knew all the princesses were in there and would come out to see her before we went home. Peyton rode many rides because, thankfully, the height requirement for most rides is 40 inches, and Peyton is 40.5 inches! This child has no fear. She rode Splash Mountain--twice. Like Dane said, after you've stared down cancer, what's to be afraid of? She rode the Dumbo ride, the teacups (she thought it was fun to see how fast she could spin and make mommy dizzy!) the Peter Pan ride, the Winnie the Pooh ride, the Buzz Lightyear ride (Peyton and Elisha LOVED this ride. We rode it over and over. The Disney employees wouldn't even make us get off the ride, they'd just send us back through as many times as we wanted). Toward the end of our day, we noticed a line indicating another character was out, so we stopped to investigate. It was Jasmine from Aladdin. Elisha was screaming and jumping, he was so excited. Jasmine was under this pretty tent and she had on a beautiful costume. Again, a Disney employee took Peyton and Elisha to the front of the line and again, explained to the next family in line that Peyton and Elisha were wish kids. The moment we had with Jasmine was so precious. Jasmine was quite taken with Peyton and Elisha and gave them "kissy prints" and the kids were so happy and talking to Jasmine a millions miles a minute. Jasmine seemed to be getting emotional, so I looked away because if I started crying then, I likely wouldn't stop. So I looked toward the line of other families waiting, and they are all crying, so of course, I cried. Sometimes God uses the neatest situations to show you that there is still goodness in this world and there are people who will share you're joy, even when they are total strangers...
Magic Kingdom closed at 6:00 pm that day, so we started to head toward the gates about 5:30. We had two VERY happy but very tired kids who rode everything that we saw and met every character we ran across. Peyton fell asleep about 5:45 in her stroller. She kept sleeping as we boarded the ferry (the monorail was down for some reason), then the tram, then loaded her into the van, through the 20 minute drive to the village, and through us cleaning her up a little, changing her clothes and putting her to bed. No joke, this child slept from 5:45 pm on Sunday until 7:30 Monday morning! At 7:30, she was ready to go go go!!
Monday 8:00 am: We are heading to Epcot. This was Lindsay's favorite Disney park from when we took her a few years back, and we thought Peyton might really enjoy it. Elisha and his family decided to go to Animal Kingdom for the day, so it was just the 5 of us. As it turns out, Epcot is also Peyton's favorite park too. With Magic Kingdom being as awesome as it was with the treatment we received, I thought the trip was a good as it could be, but I was wrong...Epcot opens with a bus-load of Disney characters driving up to the entrance and singing a welcome song to the guests. These are characters from the days of when I was a kid; Mickey, Minnie, Goofy, Donald, Pluto, Jiminy Cricket, Captain Hook, etc. Peyton took one look at Mickey and said, "I wanna meet Mickey, please please please". If you've ever been to Disney, you know meeting Mickey is hard to come by. Lots of long lines and the characters only stay out so long. I told her we'd try.
We had a super morning. We rode Spaceship Earth, played at Innovations, had breakfast. Stephanie and Dane wanted to try Mission Space, so Peyton, Lindsay and I hung out while they rode it. Peyton made some friends from Georgia while we waited. 3 little girls about her age and they all played "chase" and "hide and seek". Dane and Stephanie came back and delcared Mission Space "awesome" and so Lindsay and I went to ride it. It is really cool. It's a ride where you and 3 other "passengers" are in a simulator and are to land your spaceship on Mars. Each passenger in the ride has a job title and a specific function in the ride. Very cool and very realistic, especially when you get to the zero gravity part. That is one cool simulator, because we were literally weightless and were it not for the harnesses, would have floated out of our seats. The landing was rough for me (I have motion sickness issues) but Lindsay and I had fun and Peyton was proud when I reported back that I didn't throw up on anybody!
When we were at Epcot a few years ago, we fell in love with this great ride called Test Track. In the ride, you are treated as live Crash Test Dummies. You are in a convertible car and taken through a series of tests that crash dummies and cars are given while they are being built (i.e. traction, braking with and without ABS, handling, heat and cold resisitance, and finally...speed. Peyton insisted she wanted to ride and she met the height requirement, so we rode. Stephanie and I sat in front with Peyton in the middle, and Dane and Lindsay sat in back. Peyton loved all the tests, but I was nervous about the end of the ride which takes you outside to a circular test track where the car reaches speeds of 65 mph and goes sideways on the curves. I don't know what I was thinking being nervous because Peyton LOVED it! She begged to ride again, so we did, and then again, and so we did.
We decided we would go to the other side of the park and visit the "countries". As we walked that way, we heard music. It was the busload of characters we saw early that morning. Dane picked Peyton up and jogged up to the area where the bus was coming so Peyton could wave to the characters. A Disney employee following the bus spotted Peyton's GKTW badge and motioned for Dane to follow her. Seconds later, all the characters hop off the bus and fan out to sign autographs. This sweet Disney lady that spotted Peyton took us to an area that was roped off from the crowds and told us to wait and she would send someone over to help us. That "someone" was Mickey Mouse!! I turned around and he's walking straight toward us and waving. I grew up when Disney and it's movies were all about Mickey, Minnie, Goofy, Donald and Pluto, so to see Mickey Mouse face to face stunned me so much, it made me cry :) Peyton was giddy and we have some terrific pictures of she and Mickey together. Mickey was so charming and attentive with Peyton and spent time with each of us. He hugged us all and gestured how happy he was to meet us. Such a moment... Peyton then got to meet Minnie, Jiminy Cricket and Donald Duck. Our Disney buddy told us that she wanted to move us to another area and she would have a couple of the characters come to visit us. She took us up to where the bus was parked, let Peyton play on the bus, honk the horn, etc. Soon Mickey was rallying the characters to get back on the bus since they had to leave. We figured we had a front row spot to wave goodbye to everyone, but we were wrong. Instead, the characters ALL came to where we were standing and mobbed us with hugs, kisses, autographs, high fives and photo ops before they left. We were all in tears (happy ones of course!) It was just the best! I have the best video footage of these characters hugging Dane and he has this same look on his face as the kids do when they meet their heroes :) Peyton was so excited she could hardly take it all in. When the craziness was over, the characters loaded onto the bus, drove away and blew kisses and waved to us until we couldn't see them anymore. What a great memory for us all, especially Peyton!
We headed over to the countries section of Epcot and had dinner at a Japanese Steak House. Peyton loves those kinds of restaurants since they cook your food at the table. The chef was a real ham and made the meal so much fun. We bummed around the countries for a while. Stephanie, Lindsay and I all got henna tatoos. Dane and Peyton were walking around and saw Jasmine! She visited with Peyton for a while, but I had the cameras so we didn't get picture. The Disney employee working with Jasmine told Dane to take Peyton down a little ways because Sleeping Beauty, Belle and Beast were out signing autographs. Dane came to get us and off we went! Apparently the Disney employee radioed ahead to tell Sleeping Beauty, Belle and Beast we were coming because they were waiting on us! We got lots of wonderful video and pictures. Beast was so sweet. He's huge, and Peyton briefly looked intimidated, but he kneeled down to hug Peyton and he was so gentle with her. He kissed her head and nose and played peek a boo with her.
After it got dark, Peyton wanted to ride Test Track again, so off we went. The attendant working the gate told us to go to the handicap entrance for special ride access, so we did. When we got to the handicap entrance, the employee there spotted the badge and offered us a tour of the ride control tower!! She gave us a wonderful tour of the control room and we met some awesome Test Track employees. They were so great! When they heard Peyton was there to ride for the 4th time, they got very excited. They put us directly on the ride and off we went. When the ride ended, one of the managers of the ride met us and asked if we wanted to go again. Of course, Peyton said yes, so off we went for ride number five!! After ride number five, the same manager smiled and waved at us and sent us on our way for ride number six!! When we reached the seatbelt safety check point, a sweet Test Track employee, Angelique (you get to know people's names when you ride with them 6 times!!) handed us a commemorative certificate. It said "In honor of your magical moment, we present this certificate to you in recognition of your 6th ride" It was made out to Peyton and was signed by the Test Track team. I ask you, just how awesome can Disney and it's wonderful employees be?? We were just bowled over at the little things everyone did to make this the best wish EVER!!
This day was even longer that the first (12 hours at Epcot!!) so we loaded up and headed back to the village. Again, Peyton sacked out before we got to the car and didn't wake up until the next morning.
TUESDAY 9:00 am: We're heading the MGM Grand. There are awesome rides there, and we hear that Ariel from the Little Mermaid hangs out there too. We immediately head to a neat ride called "The Great Movie Ride" Peyton liked it alot. It's a ride along tour through remakes of old movie sets. Dane, Stephanie and Peyton went to a show. They saw "The Little Mermaid Show" and Peyton loved it! Stephanie and I rode the Rock N Roller Coaster and Tower of Terror. I highly recommend them both! As we were walking through MGM, Stephanie spotted the "Mean Queen", as Peyton calls her, from Snow White. Peyton got her picture made, and looked a little spooked about being that close to the Queen. With the Queen about, that meant Snow White wouldn't be far away, and sure enough, she wasn't! Snow White and Dopey were so great with Peyton. Snow White called her Princess Peyton, gave her a kiss on the cheek and chatted with her about what it's like to be a princess. Peyton asked where the other 6 dwarves were and Snow White said they were at the cottage, but maybe she would see them later. After that, we got to meet Pocahontas, John Smith and Meeko. Pocahontas spotted Peyton as the Disney employees were ushering her back inside following an autograph session and she insisted on staying out longer just to meet Peyton. It was so nice of her! Peyton thought Pocahontas was very beautiful! We ate lunch, and then grabbed some great seats to the afternoon parade. Peyton was very excited at all the characters she got to see. When Snow White came by, she recognized Peyton and waved at her and blew kisses. Peyton was yelling at everyone around her saying, "Snow White saw me! She remembered me!!"
After the parade, Peyton said she was ready to go. She wanted to leave and go back to Epcot and ride Test Track again!! So we loaded up, headed back to Epcot and went to Test Track. The employees remembered her from the day before and gave us the royal treatment again. We ended up riding Test Track 3 more times for a grand total of 9 times! We were going for ride number ten, but it started lightning, so they shut the ride down. Before we left the ride, the Test Track team presented Peyton with a Mickey Mouse dressed in a Test Track uniform and a picture of us on the ride! We ended up exchanging email addresses with some of the employees so we could send them pictures and keep them posted on Peyton's progress! We called it a day shortly thereafter and headed to the village. We needed to rest up because the next day was going to be a big one for Princess Peyton!
WEDNESDAY 9:30 am: We are heading to the Grand Floridian hotel for a VERY special event. Make A Wish booked a tea party and luncheon for Peyton with Sleeping Beauty. This princess is the reason we came to Disney and we were very excited about the party. We told Peyton she needed to put on her pretty Sleeping Beauty dress and shoes because we were going somewhere special. When we told her it was a tea party with Sleeping Beauty, her face was priceless! Aunt Stephanie took Peyton to the tea party. When we arrived to drop them off, I knew it was going to be the best tea party ever. The room was exquisite. Everything was pink and white with beautiful flowers everywhere. Each girl got to take home a princess crown and a My Disney Girl doll dressed in a Sleeping Beauty dress with matching slippers, crown and scepter. Aunt Stephanie bought the doll Cinderella and Snow White dresses to match the dresses Peyton has. Peyton and Stephanie had tea, sandwiches and cake. They also got to have one on one time with Sleeping Beauty, and the photo you see at the top is from Peyton's time with her. Aunt Stephanie said there was a piano player at the tea and the girls would dance and twirl like little princesses. Stephanie and Peyton had a magical time!!
After the tea, we went back to the village to rest for a bit, and then we headed out to Magic Kingdom again to attend "Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party". Aaron, Mary and Elisha went too. This was such a neat event. It was from 4pm-midnight. Disney sold a select amount of tickets, so the crowds were significantly reduced. Peyton dressed up in her Cinderella dress and brought her new doll dressed in her little Cinderella dress. We had a wonderful time that night. We rode rides again, went and saw a 4-D show, a regular 3-D, but with scents, noise, and real effect like splashing water added in for extra effect. The show was called Philharmagic and it was the coolest of the shows we saw.
As luck would have it, the characters started lining up around the park to sign autographs. I found a park employee and asked if Cinderella would be making an appearance as that was the only princess Peyton hadn't seen yet. She told me Cinderella was out at that moment, pulled Peyton to the front of the line, and the rest is history. Aunt Stephanie and I agree this is our favorite princess encounter (and they were all amazing!). It was dark outside by then, but Cinderella was appearing in a large gazebo covered in tiny, white lights, and behind her was the most extraordinary, full-sized, pumpkin-shaped princess carriage you have ever seen. It was straight out of the movie. Cinderella was beautiful, and she and Peyton were precious together with Peyton dressed in her pretty Cinderella dress. Cinderella was so gracious and told Peyton how she had heard we were coming to visit and was patiently waiting for us to come see her. She told Peyton she had a beautiful dress. She even asked Peyton if she had troubles with losing her glass slipper as she went down stairs! It was so cute to see them interacting like real-live princesses! After we met Cinderella, we headed back to the Peter Pan ride to find Snow White with ALL seven dwarves. We stood off to the side and were watching the other kids interact with the dwarves because it was such a cute sight, when Bashful comes over, takes Peyton by the hand and leads her over to Snow White and the other dwarves. Bashful must have seen the badge, in the dark, from a decent distance away. Say what you want about the characters, but they make extraordinary efforts to seek out the wish kids. Snow White kissed Peyton's cheek and each of the dwarves kissed her hand and head. Snow White asked Peyton who her favorite dwarf was, and Peyton said "Grumpy" so Snow White called Grumpy over and we took pictures of Peyton with him, then we took some precious pictures of Snow White, Peyton and all the dwarves together. One of the pictures is on the photo page. It is so cute!
After riding another ride or two in Tomorrowland, we met back up with Elisha and his parents to watch the Halloween parade and fireworks. The fireworks were amazing. They were huge, elaborate and weren't just in one place in the sky, but all around us. I don't think Peyton and Elisha blinked during the entire show! After the fireworks, we got great seats for the parade. The kids were estatic. Many popular characters were in the parade and they were dressed in Halloween costumes. Several stopped by to shake hands or high five Peyton and Elisha. Many Disney villians were in the parade too. Peyton and Elisha looked a little nervous when they'd see Malificent (Sleeping Beauty) the witch (Snow White) or Cruella DeVil (101 Dalmatians) come by. If the villians got too close, Elisha would point his finger at them and say "Go Away". Peyton would tell him not to worry and that she would protect him, but her face didn't reflect the confindence her voice had ;) After the parade, the villians were signing autographs. Peyton and Elisha got brave enough to meet Malificent and Cruella and even Jafar (Aladdin). The funniest thing happened when the kids met Cruella. She gave each of the kids "kissy prints" with her bright red lipstick, and they started doing this silly little dance and jumping around and screaming about their kissy prints and how funny Cruella was when she made them say "puppies" as they smiled for the camera. By the end of this little episode, we're laughing so hard, we're in tears, the people in line are in hysterics and poor Cruella is desperately trying to stay in character but can't because our two little darlings just stole the show!
At midnight, we had two very tired but happy 4 year olds. It was time to say goodbye to Disney World. We took a few more pictures in front of the castle, and then headed back to the village.
THURSDAY 11:00 am: We are packed and checking out of Give Kids The World. We had a great time and they are such an amazing organization. They are run primarily through private donations and lots and lots of volunteers. They told us we would be welcome to come back to visit and have some ice cream and ride the carousel anytime we are back in Florida. We told them to count on a future visit from us! They gave us thoughtful gifts as we checked out, and we were on our way. Our flight wasn't scheduled to leave until 6:40 pm, so we decided to hang out in Downtown Disney. We played in Lego Land, visited tons of gift shops, a HUGE toy store, had a terrific lunch at the Rainforest Cafe, and then headed for the airport. We turned in the treasured gray minivan and headed in to the airport. Living near and flying out of DFW International Airport makes me have all new appreciation for how good we have it. At DFW, you go to the terminal representitive of the airline you are flying, check your luggage, clear security, get on a plane, and life is good. At Orlando International, by virtue of being in the airport, regardless of the airline you are flying, ALL passengers must use the SAME security gates. It was a nightmare of weary travelers, looooooong lines and, I must say, hostile airport workers. Poor Peyton set off the metal detector, but had nothing metal on her. We decided it was her glittery Strawberry Shortcake shoes. Peyton LOVES those shoes and when the security person (who lacked some basic social skills, such as speaking to passengers without glaring and growling) told Peyton to give her the shoes, Peyton thought she meant FOREVER. We had been going 100 miles an hour for 6 days, and Peyton's fatigue had reached it's boiling point. To put it bluntly, Peyton had a meltdown right there at security. I told the security lady that Peyton misunderstood about the shoes, we got Peyton calmed down, and we all finally got through security.
The flight home was nice. We sat one row beind first class so we had tons of leg room. A lady in first class saw Peyton and sent her a piece of chocolate cake from the swanky first class menu. We landed in Dallas about 9:15. We were welcomed home by Danny, Jenny and Alyssa, kids from our Young Adult Sunday School class. Danny borrowed his grandfather's Escalade so he could drive us home in style!! We were tired, but we were more happy than you can imagine! It's a week later, and Peyton is still smiling about her time with the princesses!
Make A Wish, you guys are amazing! Thank you for all you've done. Neighborhood Credit Union, thank you for picking up our tab so MAW can give another child a wish. Mike, you know how we feel about you and what you've done for us, and we are grateful you were our Wish Granter, and now we're grateful you are our friend. Disney World, you are the epitome of what magic is and what a heart you have for the ones who choose you as the ONE place in the whole world they want to visit, and to all of you who moved mountains to make this trip what it was for us, as Peyton's favorite princess song says,"A dream is a wish your heart makes", you made one little princesses dreams come true and made cancer a fading memory for us all. How do you say thank you for that? This experience is something we know Peyton will never forget. The cancer is gone, but meeting princesses, and getting treated like one, will stay with her a lifetime.
M-I-C (see you real soon) K-E-Y (Why, because we love you)...M-O-U-S-E :)
Love to you all,
Marni
We found a cool website you should check out. Go to Live Strong and learn about cancer resources and read inspiring cancer survivor stories. This site is run by the Lance Armstrong Foundation. Also, be sure and order your yellow bracelet while you're there. The Live Strong bracelets are $1.00 and proceeds go to cancer research.
Please be sure and scroll down to see our (ever-growing) list of friends who need your prayers. Much love to you all!
Please sign the guestbook and let us know you were here. Peyton loves it when we read her what you wrote.
Also, please visit our online Family and Friends Photo Album
Please remember in prayer, our friends from Children's Medical: Weston, Lauryn, Griffin, Tyler, Courtney, Jorge, Alex, Derek, Alexis, Amber, Sara, Kevin, Kelsey, Forest, Megan, Eric, Mackenzie, Jordan, Micah, Jordan, Stephen and all the other brave cancer kids out there fighting such a tough battle. Please also pray for Logan, Jonathon, Jasmine, Lucas, and Trenton for their continued remission and Elisha for his continued health and success in his hematology(GVHD)treatment and Cameron, for his battle against CCSK. Bless you all!
When we started this page, we were discouraged to find no other CaringBridge pages for CCSK kids--and then, we found Andy. His mom had a list of other sites for kids with CCSK, and sent us the link. I should have put this link up months ago...Bless you, Terry, for giving us a way this last year to check on these other amazing kids and their progress
We have several Caring Bridge friends we keep in contact with and check on daily. Their stories are inspirational, and they all can use our prayers, so here they are. I'm sure I will (sadly) be adding to this list quite often.
Angel Justin
Justin is the son of Peyton's Chemo Angel, Susan. Even though we never got to meet Justin, we are sure he knows Peyton. Susan and I have found many connections between our special kids, and the best explanation is that God and Justin led our families to each other.
Hannah
Hi, my name is Hannah Glenn and this is my story of the ongoing journey to beat a rare childhood cancer. I was diagnosed with Neuroblastoma stage 1V on June 8, 2002 at 22 months of age.
Jacob
We lost this link a long time ago and I really missed checking in on this sweet boy. Jacob's mom signed the guestbook and I was so happy to find them again!
Lauren
Welcome to Laurens Web Page. It has been provided to keep family and friends updated about our Child. Lauren was diagnosed with bilateral wilms tumor stage V favorable histology in October 2003
LaKota
This is a special family to me. LaKota lost a brother, she never knew, to AML in 1990. He was very sensitive to the effects of chemo and couldn't tolerate his treatment. Now LaKota has AML and is showing to have the same sensitivity. Her mom is asking for prayers for earthly healing. LaKota recently had a blood cord transplant. Please pray for LaKota's new cells to grow, grow, grow. She's also in some pain right now and needs our prayers for relief.
Kate
Welcome to our 6 year old daughter Kate's Web Page. We are writing this to keep family and friends, both old and new, updated on how Kate is doing in her battle with Kidney Cancer, a stage II Wilms tumor.
Angel Miranda Rae
Miranda Rae Went to be with Jesus on June 5, 2004. God was faithful to His promise to cure Miranda of her cancer. She flies free of pain and worry and will live in glory forever as a precious 4 year old. Please pray for her parents, Martin and Gail and for her older brother Dylan.
Kaidrie
We have started this page to help keep
our friends and family updated on Kaidrie,
who was diagnosed with a
diffuse pontine glioma on March 12, 2004.
RachelJoy
Welcome to the webpage of one of God's miracle children. RachelJoy weighed 1 lb. 6 oz. at birth, and she continues to cope daily with many conditions that leave her medically fragile. She is refusing to give up. Her enthusiasm and tenacity for life
continue to surprise her doctors. The Lord is RachelJoy's strength. Each day is a gift from Him.
Julianna Banana
Hello everyone, welcome to my web page! My name is Julianna and I live in Winnipeg, Canada, home of Winnie the Pooh. I'm 3 years old, brown hair and brown eyes, single and a non-smoker. My turn-ons include pink clothes, Barbie toys and playing. My turn-offs are medicine and when my brother stands in front of the tv. Please stop by from time to time and see what I'm up to :-)
Angel Cheyenne
This page was created to help Cheyenne’s family and friends share in her daily experiences as she courageously battles this terrible beast of a tumor that threatens one to two hundred children each year.
Angel Connor
Welcome to Connor's web page of healing.
Connor has rhabdomyosarcoma, a rare form of cancer found in children.
We established this site to keep family and friends updated on his road to recovery.
Zachary
This page was designed to update friends and family on Zachary's fight against Hemophagocytic Lympho Histiocytosis.
Boogie
Boogie-man (Dillion) has the sweetest smile. He and his mom check on Peyton almost everyday. You won't be able to have a bad day after reading his site and seeing what a gift from God he is.
Jenna
Everday That There IS A Battle, I OverCome It With A Positive Attitude and My Smile!
Katia
Little Katia is so special to us. She is such a fighter and her site is a wealth of information on other Caring Bridge patients.
Angel Ian
Ian passed away from earth at just after 6 this morning, Father's Day. Brian and I and his Aunt Lauren were with him. We told him in those last moments how much we loved him, and to go and fly with the angels
Nicole
Welcome to Nicole's webpage. Nicole was first diagnosed with an "inoperable" brainstem tumor, technical name is a low-grade brainstem astrocytoma -- focal intrinsic tumor of the pontomedullary junction, when she was 3 1/2 on July 1st 1992. Nicole is now 15 years old and continues to battle this disease. This website is dedicate to her continued journey. I have hope that Nicole will win this battle. My prayers go out to all the families and loved ones that share this fight with us.
Craiggy
Craig, who is 6 years old, was diagnosed in early August with type-B stage 4 Lymphoma
The Strength of an Egg By
Juliet Freitag
Parents of children with cancer, or really any serious condition, are often referred to or viewed as having strength "like a rock." Albeit flattering, it isn't quite true.
It is more like the strength of an egg. An egg, you ask? Yes! If you'll think about it, you'll see my point. An egg has a polished, smooth outer appearance, with no cracks or weak spots visible. It seems almost inconceivable that the inside might not be so smooth or solid.
Most children, at some point are shown the famous egg trick. An egg set at just the right angle can withstand enormous amounts of pressure and cannot be cracked or broken. Yet the same egg, tapped gently at an ever slightly different angle, will break. The contents, once so neatly concealed, will come spilling out. The no longer perfect shell will be crushed. It looks so fragile that it seems inconceivable that it ever held any strength.
A rock, on the other hand, is solid all the way through. To break it is almost impossible. If you succeed, you will find that there is nothing inside but more rock.
It takes a lot more than pure hardness to hold the hand of hope. Parents of children with cancer are not solid all the way through. We hurt, we fear, we cry, we hope. It takes a very careful balancing act to keep the shell from being shattered. "Balancing an egg" while running a household, going for doctors' visits and hospital stays, keeping the family together, and holding on to the constantly unraveling ties of your sanity can be very tricky indeed! Occasionally, the angle will be off and the shell will break, shattering hope and all the neatly secured appearances of a truly fragile existence.
Unlike Humpty Dumpty, though, parents of kids with cancer will pick themselves up and put themselves back together again. OVER and OVER again...........
Thursday, October 28, 2004 11:59 PM CDT
The big day finally arrived for Peyton. She put on her Snow White dress (with matching Snow White shoes of course!) and walked out the front door. You should have seen her face when she saw a 20 or so of her friends and family standing in the yard smiling at her. And then, she saw it. The horse-drawn carriage fit for a princess! Peyton's Wish Granter, Mike, pulled out all the stops for our awesome Make A Wish sendoff. Peyton, Lindsay, Aunt Stephanie, Daddy and I loaded up in the beautiful carriage and headed down the street to meet up with the car that was driving us to the next stop. As we rode down the street, neighbors came out to wave goodbye. As a bonus, Mike contacted Peyton's Pepaw and our good friend Kurt, both from the Midlothian Police Department, and asked them to give us a police escort. Peyton felt as if she were in a parade! We headed up the street, to the next block over, and what came into view, stunned us all. Mike arranged for the Midlothian High School band, the Drill Team, Varsity Cheerleaders, and dozens and dozens of family and friends to meet us in the parking lot of a neighborhood elementary school!
The band played "When You Wish Upon a Star" and there was not a dry eye to be found. The band, drill team and cheerleaders all presented Peyton with giant cards signed by each of them, gifts, and Disney Dollars for Peyton to spend as she wished (and she did!!) It was amazing!! For those of you who may not know about Friday nights in Texas at this time of year, football rules. For these young men and ladies to take precious time out on a football game night to come say goodbye to us was something we won't forget!
We hugged and kissed everyone goodbye, and loaded into a deluxe limo. The girls were estatic and played with all the buttons in the car ;) Our flight to Florida didn't leave until early the next morning, so Mike thougtfully booked us into a hotel room at the airport.
SATURDAY 5:30 am: We are up and out the door on our way to the airport! Peyton had never flown before and was very excited. Dane and I had never traveled with a hyper 4 year old in post 9-11 airport security, so we were a little wary! Everything went smoothly and soon, we were in the air. Peyton loved the airplane, and before long, she was dozing in Aunt Stephanie's lap.
10:00 am: We land and are greeted buy Betty from Give Kids The World. GKTW is a resort exclusive to Make A Wish kids and their families. Betty holds up a large sign that says "Give Kids The World Welcomes Peyton White". Peyton is excited to see her name on this big poster. We met another Make A Wish family from the Dallas area. They flew in with us and Peyton and their wish kid, Henry, are the same age. The kids visited while we all found our luggage and headed down to find our rent car. Months ago, Peyton mentioned in passing to Mike that she wanted us to drive a gray minivan while we were in Florida. It was a silly little request and we thought nothing of it again, but does it surprise anyone that when we rounded the corner to claim our car, there was a gray minivan?? Peyton was so excited :) We loaded up into the van, and headed to Give Kids The World.
11:00 am: We arrive at GKTW and check in. As we are waiting in the van for Dane to check in, we see Elisha and his parents. Elisha is a hematology patient at our hospital and he and Peyton have become very good friends over the last several months. Elisha is 4 as well, and when we all found out we would be at Disney at the same time, the kids were THRILLED. We checked in, and drove to our bungalow. GKTW is set up to look like a small community that you might see in a movie. All the homes are painted in different pastel colors, with picket fences and well-manicured lawns. It was just precious. We were next door to Henry, across the street from Elisha and another wish kid from our hospital, Avery, was our neighbor on the other side.
1:00 pm: We are pigging out on all-you-can-eat ice cream at the GKTW Ice Cream Palace with Elisha and his mom and dad, Mary and Aaron. GKTW encourages you to come by often and indulge on the free ice cream, and boy, did we! After that, we all rode the carousel over and over, and then went to the Castle of Miracles to play in the enormous play rooms and dress up rooms! We spend the rest of the day swimming, playing putt-putt, playing in the arcade, riding the train around the village and hanging out over dinner.
7:00 pm: We head into the main part of the village and attend the outdoor party for Mayor Clayton. Mayor Clayton is a big rabbit and he's the mayor of the GKTW village. Miss Teen Orlando, Miss Teen Tampa, and Miss Teen Miami are there that night and they bring all the kids up to do various dances with them (cotton eyed joe, the chicken dance, macarena, etc.) Peyton and Elisha are dancing fools and we laugh so hard, we cry! We met a lot of neat families that night. It was almost like the feeling we got when we would be in the hospital playroom--parents who are scared, some who are permanently scarred by what they've watched their kids go through, but for now, just content to watch their children laugh and be a kid.
10:00 pm: We are wiped out and head to bed! Peyton has declared Sunday to be Magic Kingdom day at Disney World, so we nod off to the thoughts of Peyton finally meeting a princess the next day...
SUNDAY 8:30 am: We are out the door and heading toward Disney World. Elisha and his parents came along too. Peyton gets so excited when she sees the large sign welcoming us to Disney World's Magic Kingdom. We park and head in the gates. Peyton and Elisha each are wearing a badge that indicates they are wish kids, their names, and where they are from, and this badge proves to be magic as we enter in. Disney employees are trained to spot them and then treat those guests like royalty, and believe me, they do. As we came in the gates, we realized that some of the characters were out and signing autographs. Peyton immediately spots Belle from Beauty and the Beast, so we get in line. Within seconds, a Disney employee comes out of nowhere, bends down in front of Peyton and says, "Princess Peyton, we've been waiting for you, please come with me." He takes us to the front of the line, tells the next family about Peyton being a wish kid (and everytime this happended, the other families would be so gracious and understanding) and then Peyton meets Belle. Belle visits with her for a bit, signs her autograph book, and we take lots of video and pictures. But it doesn't stop there. A Disney employee, Rich, asks if he can take Peyton and Elisha around to meet the other characters who are out, so of course, we say yes. Peyton and Elisha met Aladdin and Daisy Duck. Of course we have great video and pictures of that too. Rich asked if could hang around for a little while and I told him we could. He said if we didn't mind the wait, we could meet Princess Aurora. I blurted out, "You mean Sleeping Beauty is coming out? She's the reason Peyton chose Disney World as her wish!" He said he would make sure Peyton got to meet with her, but in the meantime, offered to take us inside one the buildings so we would be comfortable while we waited. We are inside this marvelous hall with these beautiful Disney murals painted on the walls, and suddenly, out walks Sleeping Beauty in her beautiful pink dress and princess crown, and she says, "Where is princess Peyton? I hear that she is finally here to see me and I can't wait to meet her." I will try to type this next sentence but the tears are in the way. The look on Peyton's face as Sleeping Beauty not only is standing before her, but knows her name, was a look of such wonder and excitement, that it made this last year worth what it took to get here. Sleeping Beauty spent about 10 minutes with Peyton and Elisha asking them questions and answering theirs, taking lots of pictures, signing autographs then she gave them kisses on their cheeks and foreheads, and since she was wearing pretty pink lipstick, Peyton and Elisha had what they affectionately called "kissy prints". We were all on cloud nine the rest of the day. As a side note, I do have to mention here that although Peyton was incredibly excited about her encounter with Sleeping Beauty, Stephanie and Lindsay had these sappy, nostalgic looks on their faces as Sleeping Beauty spoke with them too. I guess we never get over the feeling of wanting to be a princess...
The rest of the day at Magic Kingdom was wonderful! Peyton finally got to see the castle at Magic Kingdom and was so blown away about how big it is. She just knew all the princesses were in there and would come out to see her before we went home. Peyton rode many rides because, thankfully, the height requirement for most rides is 40 inches, and Peyton is 40.5 inches! This child has no fear. She rode Splash Mountain--twice. Like Dane said, after you've stared down cancer, what's to be afraid of? She rode the Dumbo ride, the teacups (she thought it was fun to see how fast she could spin and make mommy dizzy!) the Peter Pan ride, the Winnie the Pooh ride, the Buzz Lightyear ride (Peyton and Elisha LOVED this ride. We rode it over and over. The Disney employees wouldn't even make us get off the ride, they'd just send us back through as many times as we wanted). Toward the end of our day, we noticed a line indicating another character was out, so we stopped to investigate. It was Jasmine from Aladdin. Elisha was screaming and jumping, he was so excited. Jasmine was under this pretty tent and she had on a beautiful costume. Again, a Disney employee took Peyton and Elisha to the front of the line and again, explained to the next family in line that Peyton and Elisha were wish kids. The moment we had with Jasmine was so precious. Jasmine was quite taken with Peyton and Elisha and gave them "kissy prints" and the kids were so happy and talking to Jasmine a millions miles a minute. Jasmine seemed to be getting emotional, so I looked away because if I started crying then, I likely wouldn't stop. So I looked toward the line of other families waiting, and they are all crying, so of course, I cried. Sometimes God uses the neatest situations to show you that there is still goodness in this world and there are people who will share you're joy, even when they are total strangers...
Magic Kingdom closed at 6:00 pm that day, so we started to head toward the gates about 5:30. We had two VERY happy but very tired kids who rode everything that we saw and met every character we ran across. Peyton fell asleep about 5:45 in her stroller. She kept sleeping as we boarded the ferry (the monorail was down for some reason), then the tram, then loaded her into the van, through the 20 minute drive to the village, and through us cleaning her up a little, changing her clothes and putting her to bed. No joke, this child slept from 5:45 pm on Sunday until 7:30 Monday morning! At 7:30, she was ready to go go go!!
Monday 8:00 am: We are heading to Epcot. This was Lindsay's favorite Disney park from when we took her a few years back, and we thought Peyton might really enjoy it. Elisha and his family decided to go to Animal Kingdom for the day, so it was just the 5 of us. As it turns out, Epcot is also Peyton's favorite park too. With Magic Kingdom being as awesome as it was with the treatment we received, I thought the trip was a good as it could be, but I was wrong...Epcot opens with a bus-load of Disney characters driving up to the entrance and singing a welcome song to the guests. These are characters from the days of when I was a kid; Mickey, Minnie, Goofy, Donald, Pluto, Jiminy Cricket, Captain Hook, etc. Peyton took one look at Mickey and said, "I wanna meet Mickey, please please please". If you've ever been to Disney, you know meeting Mickey is hard to come by. Lots of long lines and the characters only stay out so long. I told her we'd try.
We had a super morning. We rode Spaceship Earth, played at Innovations, had breakfast. Stephanie and Dane wanted to try Mission Space, so Peyton, Lindsay and I hung out while they rode it. Peyton made some friends from Georgia while we waited. 3 little girls about her age and they all played "chase" and "hide and seek". Dane and Stephanie came back and delcared Mission Space "awesome" and so Lindsay and I went to ride it. It is really cool. It's a ride where you and 3 other "passengers" are in a simulator and are to land your spaceship on Mars. Each passenger in the ride has a job title and a specific function in the ride. Very cool and very realistic, especially when you get to the zero gravity part. That is one cool simulator, because we were literally weightless and were it not for the harnesses, would have floated out of our seats. The landing was rough for me (I have motion sickness issues) but Lindsay and I had fun and Peyton was proud when I reported back that I didn't throw up on anybody!
When we were at Epcot a few years ago, we fell in love with this great ride called Test Track. In the ride, you are treated as live Crash Test Dummies. You are in a convertible car and taken through a series of tests that crash dummies and cars are given while they are being built (i.e. traction, braking with and without ABS, handling, heat and cold resisitance, and finally...speed. Peyton insisted she wanted to ride and she met the height requirement, so we rode. Stephanie and I sat in front with Peyton in the middle, and Dane and Lindsay sat in back. Peyton loved all the tests, but I was nervous about the end of the ride which takes you outside to a circular test track where the car reaches speeds of 65 mph and goes sideways on the curves. I don't know what I was thinking being nervous because Peyton LOVED it! She begged to ride again, so we did, and then again, and so we did.
We decided we would go to the other side of the park and visit the "countries". As we walked that way, we heard music. It was the busload of characters we saw early that morning. Dane picked Peyton up and jogged up to the area where the bus was coming so Peyton could wave to the characters. A Disney employee following the bus spotted Peyton's GKTW badge and motioned for Dane to follow her. Seconds later, all the characters hop off the bus and fan out to sign autographs. This sweet Disney lady that spotted Peyton took us to an area that was roped off from the crowds and told us to wait and she would send someone over to help us. That "someone" was Mickey Mouse!! I turned around and he's walking straight toward us and waving. I grew up when Disney and it's movies were all about Mickey, Minnie, Goofy, Donald and Pluto, so to see Mickey Mouse face to face stunned me so much, it made me cry :) Peyton was giddy and we have some terrific pictures of she and Mickey together. Mickey was so charming and attentive with Peyton and spent time with each of us. He hugged us all and gestured how happy he was to meet us. Such a moment... Peyton then got to meet Minnie, Jiminy Cricket and Donald Duck. Our Disney buddy told us that she wanted to move us to another area and she would have a couple of the characters come to visit us. She took us up to where the bus was parked, let Peyton play on the bus, honk the horn, etc. Soon Mickey was rallying the characters to get back on the bus since they had to leave. We figured we had a front row spot to wave goodbye to everyone, but we were wrong. Instead, the characters ALL came to where we were standing and mobbed us with hugs, kisses, autographs, high fives and photo ops before they left. We were all in tears (happy ones of course!) It was just the best! I have the best video footage of these characters hugging Dane and he has this same look on his face as the kids do when they meet their heroes :) Peyton was so excited she could hardly take it all in. When the craziness was over, the characters loaded onto the bus, drove away and blew kisses and waved to us until we couldn't see them anymore. What a great memory for us all, especially Peyton!
We headed over to the countries section of Epcot and had dinner at a Japanese Steak House. Peyton loves those kinds of restaurants since they cook your food at the table. The chef was a real ham and made the meal so much fun. We bummed around the countries for a while. Stephanie, Lindsay and I all got henna tatoos. Dane and Peyton were walking around and saw Jasmine! She visited with Peyton for a while, but I had the cameras so we didn't get picture. The Disney employee working with Jasmine told Dane to take Peyton down a little ways because Sleeping Beauty, Belle and Beast were out signing autographs. Dane came to get us and off we went! Apparently the Disney employee radioed ahead to tell Sleeping Beauty, Belle and Beast we were coming because they were waiting on us! We got lots of wonderful video and pictures. Beast was so sweet. He's huge, and Peyton briefly looked intimidated, but he kneeled down to hug Peyton and he was so gentle with her. He kissed her head and nose and played peek a boo with her.
After it got dark, Peyton wanted to ride Test Track again, so off we went. The attendant working the gate told us to go to the handicap entrance for special ride access, so we did. When we got to the handicap entrance, the employee there spotted the badge and offered us a tour of the ride control tower!! She gave us a wonderful tour of the control room and we met some awesome Test Track employees. They were so great! When they heard Peyton was there to ride for the 4th time, they got very excited. They put us directly on the ride and off we went. When the ride ended, one of the managers of the ride met us and asked if we wanted to go again. Of course, Peyton said yes, so off we went for ride number five!! After ride number five, the same manager smiled and waved at us and sent us on our way for ride number six!! When we reached the seatbelt safety check point, a sweet Test Track employee, Angelique (you get to know people's names when you ride with them 6 times!!) handed us a commemorative certificate. It said "In honor of your magical moment, we present this certificate to you in recognition of your 6th ride" It was made out to Peyton and was signed by the Test Track team. I ask you, just how awesome can Disney and it's wonderful employees be?? We were just bowled over at the little things everyone did to make this the best wish EVER!!
This day was even longer that the first (12 hours at Epcot!!) so we loaded up and headed back to the village. Again, Peyton sacked out before we got to the car and didn't wake up until the next morning.
TUESDAY 9:00 am: We're heading the MGM Grand. There are awesome rides there, and we hear that Ariel from the Little Mermaid hangs out there too. We immediately head to a neat ride called "The Great Movie Ride" Peyton liked it alot. It's a ride along tour through remakes of old movie sets. Dane, Stephanie and Peyton went to a show. They saw "The Little Mermaid Show" and Peyton loved it! Stephanie and I rode the Rock N Roller Coaster and Tower of Terror. I highly recommend them both! As we were walking through MGM, Stephanie spotted the "Mean Queen", as Peyton calls her, from Snow White. Peyton got her picture made, and looked a little spooked about being that close to the Queen. With the Queen about, that meant Snow White wouldn't be far away, and sure enough, she wasn't! Snow White and Dopey were so great with Peyton. Snow White called her Princess Peyton, gave her a kiss on the cheek and chatted with her about what it's like to be a princess. Peyton asked where the other 6 dwarves were and Snow White said they were at the cottage, but maybe she would see them later. After that, we got to meet Pocahontas, John Smith and Meeko. Pocahontas spotted Peyton as the Disney employees were ushering her back inside following an autograph session and she insisted on staying out longer just to meet Peyton. It was so nice of her! Peyton thought Pocahontas was very beautiful! We ate lunch, and then grabbed some great seats to the afternoon parade. Peyton was very excited at all the characters she got to see. When Snow White came by, she recognized Peyton and waved at her and blew kisses. Peyton was yelling at everyone around her saying, "Snow White saw me! She remembered me!!"
After the parade, Peyton said she was ready to go. She wanted to leave and go back to Epcot and ride Test Track again!! So we loaded up, headed back to Epcot and went to Test Track. The employees remembered her from the day before and gave us the royal treatment again. We ended up riding Test Track 3 more times for a grand total of 9 times! We were going for ride number ten, but it started lightning, so they shut the ride down. Before we left the ride, the Test Track team presented Peyton with a Mickey Mouse dressed in a Test Track uniform and a picture of us on the ride! We ended up exchanging email addresses with some of the employees so we could send them pictures and keep them posted on Peyton's progress! We called it a day shortly thereafter and headed to the village. We needed to rest up because the next day was going to be a big one for Princess Peyton!
WEDNESDAY 9:30 am: We are heading to the Grand Floridian hotel for a VERY special event. Make A Wish booked a tea party and luncheon for Peyton with Sleeping Beauty. This princess is the reason we came to Disney and we were very excited about the party. We told Peyton she needed to put on her pretty Sleeping Beauty dress and shoes because we were going somewhere special. When we told her it was a tea party with Sleeping Beauty, her face was priceless! Aunt Stephanie took Peyton to the tea party. When we arrived to drop them off, I knew it was going to be the best tea party ever. The room was exquisite. Everything was pink and white with beautiful flowers everywhere. Each girl got to take home a princess crown and a My Disney Girl doll dressed in a Sleeping Beauty dress with matching slippers, crown and scepter. Aunt Stephanie bought the doll Cinderella and Snow White dresses to match the dresses Peyton has. Peyton and Stephanie had tea, sandwiches and cake. They also got to have one on one time with Sleeping Beauty, and the photo you see at the top is from Peyton's time with her. Aunt Stephanie said there was a piano player at the tea and the girls would dance and twirl like little princesses. Stephanie and Peyton had a magical time!!
After the tea, we went back to the village to rest for a bit, and then we headed out to Magic Kingdom again to attend "Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party". Aaron, Mary and Elisha went too. This was such a neat event. It was from 4pm-midnight. Disney sold a select amount of tickets, so the crowds were significantly reduced. Peyton dressed up in her Cinderella dress and brought her new doll dressed in her little Cinderella dress. We had a wonderful time that night. We rode rides again, went and saw a 4-D show, a regular 3-D, but with scents, noise, and real effect like splashing water added in for extra effect. The show was called Philharmagic and it was the coolest of the shows we saw.
As luck would have it, the characters started lining up around the park to sign autographs. I found a park employee and asked if Cinderella would be making an appearance as that was the only princess Peyton hadn't seen yet. She told me Cinderella was out at that moment, pulled Peyton to the front of the line, and the rest is history. Aunt Stephanie and I agree this is our favorite princess encounter (and they were all amazing!). It was dark outside by then, but Cinderella was appearing in a large gazebo covered in tiny, white lights, and behind her was the most extraordinary, full-sized, pumpkin-shaped princess carriege you have ever seen. It was straight out of the movie. Cinderella was beautiful, and she and Peyton were precious together with Peyton dressed in her pretty Cinderella dress. Cinderella was so gracious and told Peyton how she had heard we were coming to visit and was patiently waiting for us to come see her. She told Peyton she had a beautiful dress. She even asked Peyton if she had troubles with losing her glass slipper as she went down stairs! It was so cute to see them interacting like real-live princesses! After we met Cinderella, we headed back to the Peter Pan ride to find Snow White with ALL seven dwarves. We stood off to the side and were watching the other kids interact with the dwarves because it was such a cute sight, when Bashful comes over, takes Peyton by the hand and leads her over to Snow White and the other dwarves. Bashful must have seen the badge, in the dark, from a decent distance away. Say what you want about the characters, but they make extraordinary efforts to seek out the wish kids. Snow White kissed Peyton's cheek and each of the dwarves kissed her hand and head. Snow White asked Peyton who her favorite dwarf was, and Peyton said "Grumpy" so Snow White called Grumpy over and we took pictures of Peyton with him, then we took some precious pictures of Snow White, Peyton and all the dwarves together. One of the pictures is on the photo page. It is so cute!
After riding another ride or two in Tomorrowland, we met back up with Elisha and his parents to watch the Halloween parade and fireworks. The fireworks were amazing. They were huge, elaborate and weren't just in one place in the sky, but all around us. I don't think Peyton and Elisha blinked during the entire show! After the fireworks, we got great seats for the parade. The kids were estatic. Many popular characters were in the parade and they were dressed in Halloween costumes. Several stopped by to shake hands or high five Peyton and Elisha. Many Disney villians were in the parade too. Peyton and Elisha looked a little nervous when they'd see Malificent (Sleeping Beauty) the witch (Snow White) or Cruella DeVil (101 Dalmatians) come by. If the villians got too close, Elisha would point his finger at them and say "Go Away". Peyton would tell him not to worry and that she would protect him, but her face didn't reflect the confindence her voice had ;) After the parade, the villians were signing autographs. Peyton and Elisha got brave enough to meet Malificent and Cruella and even Jafar (Aladdin). The funniest thing happened when the kids met Cruella. She gave each of the kids "kissy prints" with her bright red lipstick, and they started doing this silly little dance and jumping around and screaming about their kissy prints and how funny Cruella was when she made them say "puppies" as they smiled for the camera. By the end of this little episode, we're laughing so hard, we're in tears, the people in line are in hysterics and poor Cruella is desperately trying to stay in character but can't because our two little darlings just stole the show!
At midnight, we had two very tired but happy 4 year olds. It was time to say goodbye to Disney World. We took a few more pictures in front of the castle, and then headed back to the village.
THURSDAY 11:00 am: We are packed and checking out of Give Kids The World. We had a great time and they are such an amazing organization. They are run primarily through private donations and lots and lots of volunteers. They told us we would be welcome to come back to visit and have some ice cream and ride the carousel anytime we are back in Florida. We told them to count on a future visit from us! They gave us thoughtful gifts as we checked out, and we were on our way. Our flight wasn't scheduled to leave until 6:40 pm, so we decided to hang out in Downtown Disney. We played in Lego Land, visited tons of gift shops, a HUGE toy store, had a terrific lunch at the Rainforest Cafe, and then headed for the airport. We turned in the treasured gray minivan and headed in to the airport. Living near and flying out of DFW International Airport makes me have all new appreciation for how good we have it. At DFW, you go to the terminal representitive of the airline you are flying, check your luggage, clear security, get on a plane, and life is good. At Orlando International, by virtue of being in the airport, regardless of the airline you are flying, ALL passengers must use the SAME security gates. It was a nightmare of weary travelers, looooooong lines and, I must say, hostile airport workers. Poor Peyton set off the metal detector, but had nothing metal on her. We decided it was her glittery Strawberry Shortcake shoes. Peyton LOVES those shoes and when the security person (who lacked some basic social skills, such as speaking to passengers without glaring and growling) told Peyton to give her the shoes, Peyton thought she meant FOREVER. We had been going 100 miles an hour for 6 days, and Peyton's fatigue had reached it's boiling point. To put it bluntly, Peyton had a meltdown right there at security. I told the security lady that Peyton misunderstood about the shoes, we got Peyton calmed down, and we all finally got through security.
The flight home was nice. We sat one row beind first class so we had tons of leg room. A lady in first class saw Peyton and sent her a piece of chocolate cake from the swanky first class menu. We landed in Dallas about 9:15. We were welcomed home by Danny, Jenny and Alyssa, kids from our Young Adult Sunday School class. Danny borrowed his grandfather's Escalade so he could drive us home in style!! We were tired, but we were more happy than you can imagine! It's a week later, and Peyton is still smiling about her time with the princesses!
Make A Wish, you guys are amazing! Thank you for all you've done. Neighborhood Credit Union, thank you for picking up our tab so MAW can give another child a wish. Mike, you know how we feel about you and what you've done for us, and we are grateful you were our Wish Granter, and now we're grateful you are our friend. Disney World, you are the epitome of what magic is and what a heart you have for the ones who choose you as the ONE place in the whole world they want to visit, and to all of you who moved mountains to make this trip what it was for us, as Peyton's favorite princess song says,"A dream is a wish your heart makes", you made one little princesses dreams come true and made cancer a fading memory for us all. How do you say thank you for that? This experience is something we know Peyton will never forget. The cancer is gone, but meeting princesses, and getting treated like one, will stay with her a lifetime.
M-I-C (see you real soon) K-E-Y (Why, because we love you...M-O-U-S-E :)
Love to you all,
Marni
We found a cool website you should check out. Go to Live Strong and learn about cancer resources and read inspiring cancer survivor stories. This site is run by the Lance Armstrong Foundation. Also, be sure and order your yellow bracelet while you're there. The Live Strong bracelets are $1.00 and proceeds go to cancer research.
Please be sure and scroll down to see our (ever-growing) list of friends who need your prayers. Much love to you all!
Please sign the guestbook and let us know you were here. Peyton loves it when we read her what you wrote.
Also, please visit our online Family and Friends Photo Album
Please remember in prayer, our friends from Children's Medical: Weston, Lauryn, Griffin, Tyler, Courtney, Jorge, Alex, Derek, Alexis, Amber, Sara, Kevin, Kelsey, Forest, Megan, Eric, Mackenzie, Jordan, Micah, Jordan, Stephen and all the other brave cancer kids out there fighting such a tough battle. Please also pray for Logan, Jonathon, Jasmine, Lucas, and Trenton for their continued remission and Elisha for his continued health and success in his hematology(GVHD)treatment and Cameron, for his battle against CCSK. Bless you all!
When we started this page, we were discouraged to find no other CaringBridge pages for CCSK kids--and then, we found Andy. His mom had a list of other sites for kids with CCSK, and sent us the link. I should have put this link up months ago...Bless you, Terry, for giving us a way this last year to check on these other amazing kids and their progress
We have several Caring Bridge friends we keep in contact with and check on daily. Their stories are inspirational, and they all can use our prayers, so here they are. I'm sure I will (sadly) be adding to this list quite often.
Angel Justin
Justin is the son of Peyton's Chemo Angel, Susan. Even though we never got to meet Justin, we are sure he knows Peyton. Susan and I have found many connections between our special kids, and the best explanation is that God and Justin led our families to each other.
Hannah
Hi, my name is Hannah Glenn and this is my story of the ongoing journey to beat a rare childhood cancer. I was diagnosed with Neuroblastoma stage 1V on June 8, 2002 at 22 months of age.
Jacob
We lost this link a long time ago and I really missed checking in on this sweet boy. Jacob's mom signed the guestbook and I was so happy to find them again!
Lauren
Welcome to Laurens Web Page. It has been provided to keep family and friends updated about our Child. Lauren was diagnosed with bilateral wilms tumor stage V favorable histology in October 2003
LaKota
This is a special family to me. LaKota lost a brother, she never knew, to AML in 1990. He was very sensitive to the effects of chemo and couldn't tolerate his treatment. Now LaKota has AML and is showing to have the same sensitivity. Her mom is asking for prayers for earthly healing. LaKota recently had a blood cord transplant. Please pray for LaKota's new cells to grow, grow, grow. She's also in some pain right now and needs our prayers for relief.
Kate
Welcome to our 6 year old daughter Kate's Web Page. We are writing this to keep family and friends, both old and new, updated on how Kate is doing in her battle with Kidney Cancer, a stage II Wilms tumor.
Angel Miranda Rae
Miranda Rae Went to be with Jesus on June 5, 2004. God was faithful to His promise to cure Miranda of her cancer. She flies free of pain and worry and will live in glory forever as a precious 4 year old. Please pray for her parents, Martin and Gail and for her older brother Dylan.
Kaidrie
We have started this page to help keep
our friends and family updated on Kaidrie,
who was diagnosed with a
diffuse pontine glioma on March 12, 2004.
RachelJoy
Welcome to the webpage of one of God's miracle children. RachelJoy weighed 1 lb. 6 oz. at birth, and she continues to cope daily with many conditions that leave her medically fragile. She is refusing to give up. Her enthusiasm and tenacity for life
continue to surprise her doctors. The Lord is RachelJoy's strength. Each day is a gift from Him.
Julianna Banana
Hello everyone, welcome to my web page! My name is Julianna and I live in Winnipeg, Canada, home of Winnie the Pooh. I'm 3 years old, brown hair and brown eyes, single and a non-smoker. My turn-ons include pink clothes, Barbie toys and playing. My turn-offs are medicine and when my brother stands in front of the tv. Please stop by from time to time and see what I'm up to :-)
Cheyenne
This page was created to help Cheyenne’s family and friends share in her daily experiences as she courageously battles this terrible beast of a tumor that threatens one to two hundred children each year.
Connor
Welcome to Connor's web page of healing.
Connor has rhabdomyosarcoma, a rare form of cancer found in children.
We established this site to keep family and friends updated on his road to recovery.
Zachary
This page was designed to update friends and family on Zachary's fight against Hemophagocytic Lympho Histiocytosis.
Boogie
Boogie-man (Dillion) has the sweetest smile. He and his mom check on Peyton almost everyday. You won't be able to have a bad day after reading his site and seeing what a gift from God he is.
Jenna
Everday That There IS A Battle, I OverCome It With A Positive Attitude and My Smile!
Katia
Little Katia is so special to us. She is such a fighter and her site is a wealth of information on other Caring Bridge patients.
Angel Ian
Ian passed away from earth at just after 6 this morning, Father's Day. Brian and I and his Aunt Lauren were with him. We told him in those last moments how much we loved him, and to go and fly with the angels
Nicole
Welcome to Nicole's webpage. Nicole was first diagnosed with an "inoperable" brainstem tumor, technical name is a low-grade brainstem astrocytoma -- focal intrinsic tumor of the pontomedullary junction, when she was 3 1/2 on July 1st 1992. Nicole is now 15 years old and continues to battle this disease. This website is dedicate to her continued journey. I have hope that Nicole will win this battle. My prayers go out to all the families and loved ones that share this fight with us.
Craiggy
Craig, who is 6 years old, was diagnosed in early August with type-B stage 4 Lymphoma
The Strength of an Egg By
Juliet Freitag
Parents of children with cancer, or really any serious condition, are often referred to or viewed as having strength "like a rock." Albeit flattering, it isn't quite true.
It is more like the strength of an egg. An egg, you ask? Yes! If you'll think about it, you'll see my point. An egg has a polished, smooth outer appearance, with no cracks or weak spots visible. It seems almost inconceivable that the inside might not be so smooth or solid.
Most children, at some point are shown the famous egg trick. An egg set at just the right angle can withstand enormous amounts of pressure and cannot be cracked or broken. Yet the same egg, tapped gently at an ever slightly different angle, will break. The contents, once so neatly concealed, will come spilling out. The no longer perfect shell will be crushed. It looks so fragile that it seems inconceivable that it ever held any strength.
A rock, on the other hand, is solid all the way through. To break it is almost impossible. If you succeed, you will find that there is nothing inside but more rock.
It takes a lot more than pure hardness to hold the hand of hope. Parents of children with cancer are not solid all the way through. We hurt, we fear, we cry, we hope. It takes a very careful balancing act to keep the shell from being shattered. "Balancing an egg" while running a household, going for doctors' visits and hospital stays, keeping the family together, and holding on to the constantly unraveling ties of your sanity can be very tricky indeed! Occasionally, the angle will be off and the shell will break, shattering hope and all the neatly secured appearances of a truly fragile existence.
Unlike Humpty Dumpty, though, parents of kids with cancer will pick themselves up and put themselves back together again. OVER and OVER again...........
Tuesday, October 26, 2004 10:14 PM CDT
So sorry about the delay in updating! I was waiting to get all the pictures so I could add them in too. I have roughly 150-200 pictures, and we have burned them to a CD. If you would like a CD, send me an email and I'll get one to you (friends, family, Wishgranters and Angels, it goes without saying that I have one ready for you, no need to ask!)
Please forgive me, but it's been a long day, and I need a little bit longer to finish writing the update with a day by day account of what we did. Seriously, I could write a book. But please know this: Peyton had the time of her life! She met ALL the princesses, and then some. Disney was so amazing to us and the people there went out of their way to make our little princesses' dream come true.
I should have details up by Thursday...
Prayer requests: Griffin and his family are heading to California for a family vacation. Please keep them in your prayers as they travel.
Connor needs our prayers as he has entered hospice care
Cheyenne is acting symptomatic of tumor change. Please pray for her health and peace for her family.
Courtney checked in today to start her clinical trial. Pray for this trial to be her earthly cure and for her body to tolerate the chemo. Also, BIG praises because the recent growth on her ovary was a benign cyst.
We love you all. I promise to have a super Disney update by Thursday.
Marni
We found a cool website you should check out. Go to Live Strong and learn about cancer resources and read inspiring cancer survivor stories. This site is run by the Lance Armstrong Foundation. Also, be sure and order your yellow bracelet while you're there. The Live Strong bracelets are $1.00 and proceeds go to cancer research.
Please be sure and scroll down to see our (ever-growing) list of friends who need your prayers. Much love to you all!
Please sign the guestbook and let us know you were here. Peyton loves it when we read her what you wrote.
Also, please visit our online Family and Friends Photo Album
Please remember in prayer, our friends from Children's Medical: Weston, Lauryn, Griffin, Tyler, Courtney, Jorge, Alex, Derek, Alexis, Amber, Sara, Kevin, Kelsey, Forest, Megan, Eric, Mackenzie, Jordan, Micah, Jordan, Stephen and all the other brave cancer kids out there fighting such a tough battle. Please also pray for Logan, Jonathon, Jasmine, Lucas, and Trenton for their continued remission and Elisha for his continued health and success in his hematology(GVHD)treatment and Cameron, for his battle against CCSK. Bless you all!
When we started this page, we were discouraged to find no other CaringBridge pages for CCSK kids--and then, we found Andy. His mom had a list of other sites for kids with CCSK, and sent us the link. I should have put this link up months ago...Bless you, Terry, for giving us a way this last year to check on these other amazing kids and their progress
We have several Caring Bridge friends we keep in contact with and check on daily. Their stories are inspirational, and they all can use our prayers, so here they are. I'm sure I will (sadly) be adding to this list quite often.
Angel Justin
Justin is the son of Peyton's Chemo Angel, Susan. Even though we never got to meet Justin, we are sure he knows Peyton. Susan and I have found many connections between our special kids, and the best explanation is that God and Justin led our families to each other.
Hannah
Hi, my name is Hannah Glenn and this is my story of the ongoing journey to beat a rare childhood cancer. I was diagnosed with Neuroblastoma stage 1V on June 8, 2002 at 22 months of age.
Jacob
We lost this link a long time ago and I really missed checking in on this sweet boy. Jacob's mom signed the guestbook and I was so happy to find them again!
Lauren
Welcome to Laurens Web Page. It has been provided to keep family and friends updated about our Child. Lauren was diagnosed with bilateral wilms tumor stage V favorable histology in October 2003
LaKota
This is a special family to me. LaKota lost a brother, she never knew, to AML in 1990. He was very sensitive to the effects of chemo and couldn't tolerate his treatment. Now LaKota has AML and is showing to have the same sensitivity. Her mom is asking for prayers for earthly healing. LaKota recently had a blood cord transplant. Please pray for LaKota's new cells to grow, grow, grow. She's also in some pain right now and needs our prayers for relief.
Kate
Welcome to our 6 year old daughter Kate's Web Page. We are writing this to keep family and friends, both old and new, updated on how Kate is doing in her battle with Kidney Cancer, a stage II Wilms tumor.
Angel Miranda Rae
Miranda Rae Went to be with Jesus on June 5, 2004. God was faithful to His promise to cure Miranda of her cancer. She flies free of pain and worry and will live in glory forever as a precious 4 year old. Please pray for her parents, Martin and Gail and for her older brother Dylan.
Kaidrie
We have started this page to help keep
our friends and family updated on Kaidrie,
who was diagnosed with a
diffuse pontine glioma on March 12, 2004.
RachelJoy
Welcome to the webpage of one of God's miracle children. RachelJoy weighed 1 lb. 6 oz. at birth, and she continues to cope daily with many conditions that leave her medically fragile. She is refusing to give up. Her enthusiasm and tenacity for life
continue to surprise her doctors. The Lord is RachelJoy's strength. Each day is a gift from Him.
Julianna Banana
Hello everyone, welcome to my web page! My name is Julianna and I live in Winnipeg, Canada, home of Winnie the Pooh. I'm 3 years old, brown hair and brown eyes, single and a non-smoker. My turn-ons include pink clothes, Barbie toys and playing. My turn-offs are medicine and when my brother stands in front of the tv. Please stop by from time to time and see what I'm up to :-)
Cheyenne
This page was created to help Cheyenne’s family and friends share in her daily experiences as she courageously battles this terrible beast of a tumor that threatens one to two hundred children each year.
Connor
Welcome to Connor's web page of healing.
Connor has rhabdomyosarcoma, a rare form of cancer found in children.
We established this site to keep family and friends updated on his road to recovery.
Zachary
This page was designed to update friends and family on Zachary's fight against Hemophagocytic Lympho Histiocytosis.
Boogie
Boogie-man (Dillion) has the sweetest smile. He and his mom check on Peyton almost everyday. You won't be able to have a bad day after reading his site and seeing what a gift from God he is.
Jenna
Everday That There IS A Battle, I OverCome It With A Positive Attitude and My Smile!
Katia
Little Katia is so special to us. She is such a fighter and her site is a wealth of information on other Caring Bridge patients.
Angel Ian
Ian passed away from earth at just after 6 this morning, Father's Day. Brian and I and his Aunt Lauren were with him. We told him in those last moments how much we loved him, and to go and fly with the angels
Nicole
Welcome to Nicole's webpage. Nicole was first diagnosed with an "inoperable" brainstem tumor, technical name is a low-grade brainstem astrocytoma -- focal intrinsic tumor of the pontomedullary junction, when she was 3 1/2 on July 1st 1992. Nicole is now 15 years old and continues to battle this disease. This website is dedicate to her continued journey. I have hope that Nicole will win this battle. My prayers go out to all the families and loved ones that share this fight with us.
Craiggy
Craig, who is 6 years old, was diagnosed in early August with type-B stage 4 Lymphoma
The Strength of an Egg By
Juliet Freitag
Parents of children with cancer, or really any serious condition, are often referred to or viewed as having strength "like a rock." Albeit flattering, it isn't quite true.
It is more like the strength of an egg. An egg, you ask? Yes! If you'll think about it, you'll see my point. An egg has a polished, smooth outer appearance, with no cracks or weak spots visible. It seems almost inconceivable that the inside might not be so smooth or solid.
Most children, at some point are shown the famous egg trick. An egg set at just the right angle can withstand enormous amounts of pressure and cannot be cracked or broken. Yet the same egg, tapped gently at an ever slightly different angle, will break. The contents, once so neatly concealed, will come spilling out. The no longer perfect shell will be crushed. It looks so fragile that it seems inconceivable that it ever held any strength.
A rock, on the other hand, is solid all the way through. To break it is almost impossible. If you succeed, you will find that there is nothing inside but more rock.
It takes a lot more than pure hardness to hold the hand of hope. Parents of children with cancer are not solid all the way through. We hurt, we fear, we cry, we hope. It takes a very careful balancing act to keep the shell from being shattered. "Balancing an egg" while running a household, going for doctors' visits and hospital stays, keeping the family together, and holding on to the constantly unraveling ties of your sanity can be very tricky indeed! Occasionally, the angle will be off and the shell will break, shattering hope and all the neatly secured appearances of a truly fragile existence.
Unlike Humpty Dumpty, though, parents of kids with cancer will pick themselves up and put themselves back together again. OVER and OVER again...........
Thursday, October 14, 2004 11:15 PM CDT
We're heading to Disney!! Peyton is so excited, it will be a small miracle if she sleeps tonight! We head out Friday afternoon. I know we will have a HUGE entry to make when we get back, but for now, we want to thank Make A Wish for your awesome trip for a very grateful family, thank you to Neighborhood Credit Union for stepping in to sponsor Peyton's MAW trip. By doing so, you freed up the money MAW would have paid for our trip and let that money go to fulfilling another child's wish. To us, that's like 2 wishes in 1! Bless you and your members for your generosity. Finally, thank you to Mike, the best Wish Granter that ever graced this earth. Mike has made this MAW experience awesome, and we haven't even left yet!! When we get back, I will fill you in on all Mike, his wife Debbie and their children Haley and Michael have done to make cancer a distant memory for us all.
And in the spirit of good news...Weston is NED (No Evidence of Disease)!! If this day gets any better, I may bust!! Sherrie called earlier to tell us Weston won't need radiation and his scans were clear, clear, clear. Weston has also been cut loose from clinic until next month. Sherrie doesn't know what she'll do with all that free time =)
Please say a prayer for Peyton's awesome Chemo Angel Susan on Sunday the 17th. It will be a tough day for her and her husband and we want to see them infused with peace and love.
We'll say "hello" to all the Disney princesses for you. Have a super week.
Marni
We found a cool website you should check out. Go to Live Strong and learn about cancer resources and read inspiring cancer survivor stories. This site is run by the Lance Armstrong Foundation. Also, be sure and order your yellow bracelet while you're there. The Live Strong bracelets are $1.00 and proceeds go to cancer research.
Please be sure and scroll down to see our (ever-growing) list of friends who need your prayers. Much love to you all!
Please sign the guestbook and let us know you were here. Peyton loves it when we read her what you wrote.
Also, please visit our online Family and Friends Photo Album
Please remember in prayer, our friends from Children's Medical: Weston, Lauryn, Griffin, Tyler, Courtney, Jorge, Alex, Derek, Alexis, Amber, Sara, Kevin, Kelsey, Forest, Megan, Eric, Mackenzie, Jordan, Micah, Jordan, Stephen and all the other brave cancer kids out there fighting such a tough battle. Please also pray for Logan, Jonathon, Jasmine, Lucas, and Trenton for their continued remission and Elisha for his continued health and success in his hematology(GVHD)treatment and Cameron, for his battle against CCSK. Bless you all!
When we started this page, we were discouraged to find no other CaringBridge pages for CCSK kids--and then, we found Andy. His mom had a list of other sites for kids with CCSK, and sent us the link. I should have put this link up months ago...Bless you, Terry, for giving us a way this last year to check on these other amazing kids and their progress
We have several Caring Bridge friends we keep in contact with and check on daily. Their stories are inspirational, and they all can use our prayers, so here they are. I'm sure I will (sadly) be adding to this list quite often.
Angel Justin
Justin is the son of Peyton's Chemo Angel, Susan. Even though we never got to meet Justin, we are sure he knows Peyton. Susan and I have found many connections between our special kids, and the best explanation is that God and Justin led our families to each other.
Hannah
Hi, my name is Hannah Glenn and this is my story of the ongoing journey to beat a rare childhood cancer. I was diagnosed with Neuroblastoma stage 1V on June 8, 2002 at 22 months of age.
Jacob
We lost this link a long time ago and I really missed checking in on this sweet boy. Jacob's mom signed the guestbook and I was so happy to find them again!
Lauren
Welcome to Laurens Web Page. It has been provided to keep family and friends updated about our Child. Lauren was diagnosed with bilateral wilms tumor stage V favorable histology in October 2003
LaKota
This is a special family to me. LaKota lost a brother, she never knew, to AML in 1990. He was very sensitive to the effects of chemo and couldn't tolerate his treatment. Now LaKota has AML and is showing to have the same sensitivity. Her mom is asking for prayers for earthly healing. LaKota recently had a blood cord transplant. Please pray for LaKota's new cells to grow, grow, grow. She's also in some pain right now and needs our prayers for relief.
Kate
Welcome to our 6 year old daughter Kate's Web Page. We are writing this to keep family and friends, both old and new, updated on how Kate is doing in her battle with Kidney Cancer, a stage II Wilms tumor.
Angel Miranda Rae
Miranda Rae Went to be with Jesus on June 5, 2004. God was faithful to His promise to cure Miranda of her cancer. She flies free of pain and worry and will live in glory forever as a precious 4 year old. Please pray for her parents, Martin and Gail and for her older brother Dylan.
Kaidrie
We have started this page to help keep
our friends and family updated on Kaidrie,
who was diagnosed with a
diffuse pontine glioma on March 12, 2004.
RachelJoy
Welcome to the webpage of one of God's miracle children. RachelJoy weighed 1 lb. 6 oz. at birth, and she continues to cope daily with many conditions that leave her medically fragile. She is refusing to give up. Her enthusiasm and tenacity for life
continue to surprise her doctors. The Lord is RachelJoy's strength. Each day is a gift from Him.
Julianna Banana
Hello everyone, welcome to my web page! My name is Julianna and I live in Winnipeg, Canada, home of Winnie the Pooh. I'm 3 years old, brown hair and brown eyes, single and a non-smoker. My turn-ons include pink clothes, Barbie toys and playing. My turn-offs are medicine and when my brother stands in front of the tv. Please stop by from time to time and see what I'm up to :-)
Cheyenne
This page was created to help Cheyenne’s family and friends share in her daily experiences as she courageously battles this terrible beast of a tumor that threatens one to two hundred children each year.
Connor
Welcome to Connor's web page of healing.
Connor has rhabdomyosarcoma, a rare form of cancer found in children.
We established this site to keep family and friends updated on his road to recovery.
Zachary
This page was designed to update friends and family on Zachary's fight against Hemophagocytic Lympho Histiocytosis.
Boogie
Boogie-man (Dillion) has the sweetest smile. He and his mom check on Peyton almost everyday. You won't be able to have a bad day after reading his site and seeing what a gift from God he is.
Jenna
Everday That There IS A Battle, I OverCome It With A Positive Attitude and My Smile!
Katia
Little Katia is so special to us. She is such a fighter and her site is a wealth of information on other Caring Bridge patients.
Angel Ian
Ian passed away from earth at just after 6 this morning, Father's Day. Brian and I and his Aunt Lauren were with him. We told him in those last moments how much we loved him, and to go and fly with the angels
Nicole
Welcome to Nicole's webpage. Nicole was first diagnosed with an "inoperable" brainstem tumor, technical name is a low-grade brainstem astrocytoma -- focal intrinsic tumor of the pontomedullary junction, when she was 3 1/2 on July 1st 1992. Nicole is now 15 years old and continues to battle this disease. This website is dedicate to her continued journey. I have hope that Nicole will win this battle. My prayers go out to all the families and loved ones that share this fight with us.
Craiggy
Craig, who is 6 years old, was diagnosed in early August with type-B stage 4 Lymphoma
The Strength of an Egg By
Juliet Freitag
Parents of children with cancer, or really any serious condition, are often referred to or viewed as having strength "like a rock." Albeit flattering, it isn't quite true.
It is more like the strength of an egg. An egg, you ask? Yes! If you'll think about it, you'll see my point. An egg has a polished, smooth outer appearance, with no cracks or weak spots visible. It seems almost inconceivable that the inside might not be so smooth or solid.
Most children, at some point are shown the famous egg trick. An egg set at just the right angle can withstand enormous amounts of pressure and cannot be cracked or broken. Yet the same egg, tapped gently at an ever slightly different angle, will break. The contents, once so neatly concealed, will come spilling out. The no longer perfect shell will be crushed. It looks so fragile that it seems inconceivable that it ever held any strength.
A rock, on the other hand, is solid all the way through. To break it is almost impossible. If you succeed, you will find that there is nothing inside but more rock.
It takes a lot more than pure hardness to hold the hand of hope. Parents of children with cancer are not solid all the way through. We hurt, we fear, we cry, we hope. It takes a very careful balancing act to keep the shell from being shattered. "Balancing an egg" while running a household, going for doctors' visits and hospital stays, keeping the family together, and holding on to the constantly unraveling ties of your sanity can be very tricky indeed! Occasionally, the angle will be off and the shell will break, shattering hope and all the neatly secured appearances of a truly fragile existence.
Unlike Humpty Dumpty, though, parents of kids with cancer will pick themselves up and put themselves back together again. OVER and OVER again...........
Sunday, October 10, 2004 11:03 PM CDT
From our friends in the awesome world of Caring Bridge, we have great news, and we have devastating news.
The good news, Kaidrie (see link below) had FANTASTIC results from her recent MRI. The tumor has reduced by 85 That is the hand of God, my friends. Kaidrie's tumor is inoperable, yet it is responding to treatment. She and Cheyenne are showing this beast of a cancer what fight is all about. Kaidrie, we have been lifting you up in prayer for months now, and you are living proof God hears us and has mercy on His own. We are SO happy for you and proud of how tough you are.
The devastating news. Connor (see link below) is being placed on hospice care. His cancer has spread to his lungs and liver. Conner has fought very hard and I think God just wants the ugliness to end. Please join us in praying for the Hunley's and for God's will for Conner. And while you're at it, please find a way to support childhood cancer research so no other family will go through this again...
****************************************************
5 days until Disney. Peyton is at Level Red with how excited she's getting. Lindsay is excited, but is not a huge fan of either packing or flying, so she's saving her enthusiasm for when we arrive in Florida! Aunt Stephanie is coming with us, and she is so excited too. Don't tell Peyton ;) but we have a special surprise for her when we're at Disney World. Peyton and Aunt Stephanie are having a private tea party and luncheon with Sleeping Beauty. We bought Peyton a Sleeping Beauty dress and shoes to wear to the tea party. No word yet on whether Stephanie is wearing a Sleeping Beauty dress or not. If she does, I will book it to a Kinko's post haste and post the pictures from Florida!!!
Please be sure and check in on our "other children". Weston is fighting a sinus infection, Griffin had a BMA (pray for great results) and Logan may go into thermo-nuclear meltdown soon because his Disney trip is coming up too and he's getting excited!
Courtney has pink hair (while her hair still hangs on) and she is doing well. She's back in treatment, but seems to be feeling well. She called last week and we talked and talked. It was SO great to hear how good she sounded. When we get back from Disney, she and her family are coming to visit us at church. We are very excited about that. Our Sunday School class kids are about Courtney's age and they are fervently praying for her. We're just waiting on the miracle...
We had our Relay for Life kickoff party last night. I encourage all of you to support your local Relay. It's goal is to raise money for cancer research. We are making large strides in the efforts to eradicate cancer from this planet. That will happen when we do two things: Pray it away, and give money to help research how to stop it. Please join us in doing both.
More updates before we leave, but if you are in the area, Peyton's AWESOME Wish Granter, Mike has planned a special going away for us, and we'd love to see you there. We will be leaving our house in a grand princess style...in a horse drawn carriage. The carriage will take us from our home to an elementary school on the next block where we will load into the car that will take us to the airport. If you need details about the time or location, email me. Have a super week!
Marni
We found a cool website you should check out. Go to Live Strong and learn about cancer resources and read inspiring cancer survivor stories. This site is run by the Lance Armstrong Foundation. Also, be sure and order your yellow bracelet while you're there. The Live Strong bracelets are $1.00 and proceeds go to cancer research.
Please be sure and scroll down to see our (ever-growing) list of friends who need your prayers. Much love to you all!
Please sign the guestbook and let us know you were here. Peyton loves it when we read her what you wrote.
Also, please visit our online Family and Friends Photo Album
Please remember in prayer, our friends from Children's Medical: Weston, Lauryn, Griffin, Tyler, Courtney, Jorge, Alex, Derek, Alexis, Amber, Sara, Kevin, Kelsey, Forest, Megan, Eric, Mackenzie, Jordan, Micah, Jordan, Stephen and all the other brave cancer kids out there fighting such a tough battle. Please also pray for Logan, Jonathon, Jasmine, Lucas, and Trenton for their continued remission and Elisha for his continued health and success in his hematology(GVHD)treatment and Cameron, for his battle against CCSK. Bless you all!
When we started this page, we were discouraged to find no other CaringBridge pages for CCSK kids--and then, we found Andy. His mom had a list of other sites for kids with CCSK, and sent us the link. I should have put this link up months ago...Bless you, Terry, for giving us a way this last year to check on these other amazing kids and their progress
We have several Caring Bridge friends we keep in contact with and check on daily. Their stories are inspirational, and they all can use our prayers, so here they are. I'm sure I will (sadly) be adding to this list quite often.
Angel Justin
Justin is the son of Peyton's Chemo Angel, Susan. Even though we never got to meet Justin, we are sure he knows Peyton. Susan and I have found many connections between our special kids, and the best explanation is that God and Justin led our families to each other.
Hannah
Hi, my name is Hannah Glenn and this is my story of the ongoing journey to beat a rare childhood cancer. I was diagnosed with Neuroblastoma stage 1V on June 8, 2002 at 22 months of age.
Jacob
We lost this link a long time ago and I really missed checking in on this sweet boy. Jacob's mom signed the guestbook and I was so happy to find them again!
Lauren
Welcome to Laurens Web Page. It has been provided to keep family and friends updated about our Child. Lauren was diagnosed with bilateral wilms tumor stage V favorable histology in October 2003
LaKota
This is a special family to me. LaKota lost a brother, she never knew, to AML in 1990. He was very sensitive to the effects of chemo and couldn't tolerate his treatment. Now LaKota has AML and is showing to have the same sensitivity. Her mom is asking for prayers for earthly healing. LaKota recently had a blood cord transplant. Please pray for LaKota's new cells to grow, grow, grow. She's also in some pain right now and needs our prayers for relief.
Kate
Welcome to our 6 year old daughter Kate's Web Page. We are writing this to keep family and friends, both old and new, updated on how Kate is doing in her battle with Kidney Cancer, a stage II Wilms tumor.
Angel Miranda Rae
Miranda Rae Went to be with Jesus on June 5, 2004. God was faithful to His promise to cure Miranda of her cancer. She flies free of pain and worry and will live in glory forever as a precious 4 year old. Please pray for her parents, Martin and Gail and for her older brother Dylan.
Kaidrie
We have started this page to help keep
our friends and family updated on Kaidrie,
who was diagnosed with a
diffuse pontine glioma on March 12, 2004.
RachelJoy
Welcome to the webpage of one of God's miracle children. RachelJoy weighed 1 lb. 6 oz. at birth, and she continues to cope daily with many conditions that leave her medically fragile. She is refusing to give up. Her enthusiasm and tenacity for life
continue to surprise her doctors. The Lord is RachelJoy's strength. Each day is a gift from Him.
Julianna Banana
Hello everyone, welcome to my web page! My name is Julianna and I live in Winnipeg, Canada, home of Winnie the Pooh. I'm 3 years old, brown hair and brown eyes, single and a non-smoker. My turn-ons include pink clothes, Barbie toys and playing. My turn-offs are medicine and when my brother stands in front of the tv. Please stop by from time to time and see what I'm up to :-)
Cheyenne
This page was created to help Cheyenne’s family and friends share in her daily experiences as she courageously battles this terrible beast of a tumor that threatens one to two hundred children each year.
Connor
Welcome to Connor's web page of healing.
Connor has rhabdomyosarcoma, a rare form of cancer found in children.
We established this site to keep family and friends updated on his road to recovery.
Zachary
This page was designed to update friends and family on Zachary's fight against Hemophagocytic Lympho Histiocytosis.
Boogie
Boogie-man (Dillion) has the sweetest smile. He and his mom check on Peyton almost everyday. You won't be able to have a bad day after reading his site and seeing what a gift from God he is.
Jenna
Everday That There IS A Battle, I OverCome It With A Positive Attitude and My Smile!
Katia
Little Katia is so special to us. She is such a fighter and her site is a wealth of information on other Caring Bridge patients.
Angel Ian
Ian passed away from earth at just after 6 this morning, Father's Day. Brian and I and his Aunt Lauren were with him. We told him in those last moments how much we loved him, and to go and fly with the angels
Nicole
Welcome to Nicole's webpage. Nicole was first diagnosed with an "inoperable" brainstem tumor, technical name is a low-grade brainstem astrocytoma -- focal intrinsic tumor of the pontomedullary junction, when she was 3 1/2 on July 1st 1992. Nicole is now 15 years old and continues to battle this disease. This website is dedicate to her continued journey. I have hope that Nicole will win this battle. My prayers go out to all the families and loved ones that share this fight with us.
Craiggy
Craig, who is 6 years old, was diagnosed in early August with type-B stage 4 Lymphoma
The Strength of an Egg By
Juliet Freitag
Parents of children with cancer, or really any serious condition, are often referred to or viewed as having strength "like a rock." Albeit flattering, it isn't quite true.
It is more like the strength of an egg. An egg, you ask? Yes! If you'll think about it, you'll see my point. An egg has a polished, smooth outer appearance, with no cracks or weak spots visible. It seems almost inconceivable that the inside might not be so smooth or solid.
Most children, at some point are shown the famous egg trick. An egg set at just the right angle can withstand enormous amounts of pressure and cannot be cracked or broken. Yet the same egg, tapped gently at an ever slightly different angle, will break. The contents, once so neatly concealed, will come spilling out. The no longer perfect shell will be crushed. It looks so fragile that it seems inconceivable that it ever held any strength.
A rock, on the other hand, is solid all the way through. To break it is almost impossible. If you succeed, you will find that there is nothing inside but more rock.
It takes a lot more than pure hardness to hold the hand of hope. Parents of children with cancer are not solid all the way through. We hurt, we fear, we cry, we hope. It takes a very careful balancing act to keep the shell from being shattered. "Balancing an egg" while running a household, going for doctors' visits and hospital stays, keeping the family together, and holding on to the constantly unraveling ties of your sanity can be very tricky indeed! Occasionally, the angle will be off and the shell will break, shattering hope and all the neatly secured appearances of a truly fragile existence.
Unlike Humpty Dumpty, though, parents of kids with cancer will pick themselves up and put themselves back together again. OVER and OVER again...........
Sunday, September 26, 2004 11:13 PM CDT
UPDATE, Friday October 1: The port is out!! Peyton did well during the surgery. As soon as she went back to the OR, I got a pager from the check-in desk and went downstairs to grab a quick cup of coffee and help Granny pick out a present for Pey from the gift shop. As I was pouring the coffee, the pager went off. Fearing the doctors ran into a problem, I rushed back upstairs only to find the surgery was over! The whole thing from anesthesia to port removal to the time the doctor had us paged was maybe 10 minutes.
The whole day felt like we had come full circle. When we were coming into the hospital, we saw Dr. Doom (we call her that because she was the Urology surgeon who removed the tumor and kidney and then proceeded to incorrectly tell Dane and I it was a Rhabdo tumor and Peyton had 2 years to live). That was the first time we'd seen her since she expertly removed the tumor last year--as badly as she scared us, we will forever be grateful to her for her expertise and steady hand in completely resecting that nasty tumor. We were also in the same surgical waiting area and used the same surgical recovery area. It was so strange to be revisiting those parts of the hospital and reliving those feelings from the last time Peyton was in surgery, but this time, we were at the end of our journey and it feels so good to see that port GONE!
Peyton is a little wobbly on her feet and is acting like a real stinker right now (typical for her after anesthesia). I'm desperately trying to get her to lay down and nap, but we'll see ;) Thank you all for your prayers for today's surgery.
PS--Happy Birthday Derek. Peyton says she loves you and since it's your birthday, she MIGHT give you kisses when she sees you next.
14 days until Disneyworld!! Peyton is getting so excited and our Wishgranter, Mike, has kicked it in to overdrive. He has surprises planned for Peyton on a weekly and sometimes daily basis until we leave!
Peyton will be having her port removed on Friday morning. Peyton doesn't always do well with anesthesia. It makes her nauseous afterward, so we'd appreciate your prayers for her to do well.
We go to clinic on Thursday to do her pre-op physical and bloodwork. We're hoping to see Courtney then. Sherrie saw her in clinic last week and said Courtney looked like she was feeling lousy. Please continue to pray for her.
This Friday was Midlothian's homecoming. That meant an opportunity for Mike to create another surprise for Peyton. Thanks to him and the sweet girls on the MHS varsity cheerleading squad, Peyton got to ride with the cheerleaders on a firetruck in the homecoming parade! She is STILL talking about it. The cheerleaders made her a mum and fussed over her so much, that her Granny and I were in tears! Peyton had the best time! Pictures are on the photo page. To the MHS cheerleaders and their sponsor, Ms. Chapman--you ladies are AWESOME. Peyton now wants to be a cheerleader and a princess!
On Saturday, we had a long overdue party at Build-A-Bear with Weston, Logan and Griffin. Their parents, brothers and sisters came too and we had the best time getting to play together outside of the hospital. I was so excited, I left my camera in the car, but my mom took a ton of pictures. She is burning them for me, so when I get them, I'll post them. We bought the kids matching shirts and took them to a photo place and had their pictures done together. They are too precious. I'll scan them and post them, but if you'll check Grif or Logan's sites, they may be there first.
That's it for now. We'll post more after Friday's surgery and of course, as we get closer to the big day of leaving for Disneyworld. Be blessed and have a great week!
Marni
We found a cool website you should check out. Go to Live Strong and learn about cancer resources and read inspiring cancer survivor stories. This site is run by the Lance Armstrong Foundation. Also, be sure and order your yellow bracelet while you're there. The Live Strong bracelets are $1.00 and proceeds go to cancer research.
Please be sure and scroll down to see our (ever-growing) list of friends who need your prayers. Much love to you all!
Please sign the guestbook and let us know you were here. Peyton loves it when we read her what you wrote.
Also, please visit our online Family and Friends Photo Album
Please remember in prayer, our friends from Children's Medical: Weston, Lauryn, Griffin, Tyler, Courtney, Jorge, Alex, Derek, Alexis, Amber, Sara, Kevin, Kelsey, Forest, Megan, Eric, Mackenzie, Jordan, Micah, Jordan, Stephen and all the other brave cancer kids out there fighting such a tough battle. Please also pray for Logan, Jonathon, Jasmine and Lucas for their continued remission and Elisha for his continued health and success in his hematology(GVHD)treatment and Cameron, for his battle against CCSK. Bless you all!
When we started this page, we were discouraged to find no other CaringBridge pages for CCSK kids--and then, we found Andy. His mom had a list of other sites for kids with CCSK, and sent us the link. I should have put this link up months ago...Bless you, Terry, for giving us a way this last year to check on these other amazing kids and their progress
We have several Caring Bridge friends we keep in contact with and check on daily. Their stories are inspirational, and they all can use our prayers, so here they are. I'm sure I will (sadly) be adding to this list quite often.
Angel Justin
Justin is the son of Peyton's Chemo Angel, Susan. Even though we never got to meet Justin, we are sure he knows Peyton. Susan and I have found many connections between our special kids, and the best explanation is that God and Justin led our families to each other.
Hannah
Hi, my name is Hannah Glenn and this is my story of the ongoing journey to beat a rare childhood cancer. I was diagnosed with Neuroblastoma stage 1V on June 8, 2002 at 22 months of age.
Jacob
We lost this link a long time ago and I really missed checking in on this sweet boy. Jacob's mom signed the guestbook and I was so happy to find them again!
Lauren
Welcome to Laurens Web Page. It has been provided to keep family and friends updated about our Child. Lauren was diagnosed with bilateral wilms tumor stage V favorable histology in October 2003
LaKota
This is a special family to me. LaKota lost a brother, she never knew, to AML in 1990. He was very sensitive to the effects of chemo and couldn't tolerate his treatment. Now LaKota has AML and is showing to have the same sensitivity. Her mom is asking for prayers for earthly healing. LaKota recently had a blood cord transplant. Please pray for LaKota's new cells to grow, grow, grow. She's also in some pain right now and needs our prayers for relief.
Kate
Welcome to our 6 year old daughter Kate's Web Page. We are writing this to keep family and friends, both old and new, updated on how Kate is doing in her battle with Kidney Cancer, a stage II Wilms tumor.
Angel Miranda Rae
Miranda Rae Went to be with Jesus on June 5, 2004. God was faithful to His promise to cure Miranda of her cancer. She flies free of pain and worry and will live in glory forever as a precious 4 year old. Please pray for her parents, Martin and Gail and for her older brother Dylan.
Kaidrie
We have started this page to help keep
our friends and family updated on Kaidrie,
who was diagnosed with a
diffuse pontine glioma on March 12, 2004.
RachelJoy
Welcome to the webpage of one of God's miracle children. RachelJoy weighed 1 lb. 6 oz. at birth, and she continues to cope daily with many conditions that leave her medically fragile. She is refusing to give up. Her enthusiasm and tenacity for life
continue to surprise her doctors. The Lord is RachelJoy's strength. Each day is a gift from Him.
Julianna Banana
Hello everyone, welcome to my web page! My name is Julianna and I live in Winnipeg, Canada, home of Winnie the Pooh. I'm 3 years old, brown hair and brown eyes, single and a non-smoker. My turn-ons include pink clothes, Barbie toys and playing. My turn-offs are medicine and when my brother stands in front of the tv. Please stop by from time to time and see what I'm up to :-)
Cheyenne
This page was created to help Cheyenne’s family and friends share in her daily experiences as she courageously battles this terrible beast of a tumor that threatens one to two hundred children each year.
Connor
Welcome to Connor's web page of healing.
Connor has rhabdomyosarcoma, a rare form of cancer found in children.
We established this site to keep family and friends updated on his road to recovery.
Zachary
This page was designed to update friends and family on Zachary's fight against Hemophagocytic Lympho Histiocytosis.
Boogie
Boogie-man (Dillion) has the sweetest smile. He and his mom check on Peyton almost everyday. You won't be able to have a bad day after reading his site and seeing what a gift from God he is.
Jenna
Everday That There IS A Battle, I OverCome It With A Positive Attitude and My Smile!
Katia
Little Katia is so special to us. She is such a fighter and her site is a wealth of information on other Caring Bridge patients.
Angel Ian
Ian passed away from earth at just after 6 this morning, Father's Day. Brian and I and his Aunt Lauren were with him. We told him in those last moments how much we loved him, and to go and fly with the angels
Nicole
Welcome to Nicole's webpage. Nicole was first diagnosed with an "inoperable" brainstem tumor, technical name is a low-grade brainstem astrocytoma -- focal intrinsic tumor of the pontomedullary junction, when she was 3 1/2 on July 1st 1992. Nicole is now 15 years old and continues to battle this disease. This website is dedicate to her continued journey. I have hope that Nicole will win this battle. My prayers go out to all the families and loved ones that share this fight with us.
Craiggy
Craig, who is 6 years old, was diagnosed in early August with type-B stage 4 Lymphoma
The Strength of an Egg By
Juliet Freitag
Parents of children with cancer, or really any serious condition, are often referred to or viewed as having strength "like a rock." Albeit flattering, it isn't quite true.
It is more like the strength of an egg. An egg, you ask? Yes! If you'll think about it, you'll see my point. An egg has a polished, smooth outer appearance, with no cracks or weak spots visible. It seems almost inconceivable that the inside might not be so smooth or solid.
Most children, at some point are shown the famous egg trick. An egg set at just the right angle can withstand enormous amounts of pressure and cannot be cracked or broken. Yet the same egg, tapped gently at an ever slightly different angle, will break. The contents, once so neatly concealed, will come spilling out. The no longer perfect shell will be crushed. It looks so fragile that it seems inconceivable that it ever held any strength.
A rock, on the other hand, is solid all the way through. To break it is almost impossible. If you succeed, you will find that there is nothing inside but more rock.
It takes a lot more than pure hardness to hold the hand of hope. Parents of children with cancer are not solid all the way through. We hurt, we fear, we cry, we hope. It takes a very careful balancing act to keep the shell from being shattered. "Balancing an egg" while running a household, going for doctors' visits and hospital stays, keeping the family together, and holding on to the constantly unraveling ties of your sanity can be very tricky indeed! Occasionally, the angle will be off and the shell will break, shattering hope and all the neatly secured appearances of a truly fragile existence.
Unlike Humpty Dumpty, though, parents of kids with cancer will pick themselves up and put themselves back together again. OVER and OVER again...........
Wednesday, September 15, 2004 1:32 PM CDT
SEPTEMBER IS CHILDHOOD CANCER AWARENESS MONTH. Chili's Restaurant is doing something great to help combat childhood cancer. Every day in September, you can give $1 for the opportunity to color the Chili's signature pepper logo. The goal of the promotion is to raise $2 million for St. Jude Hospital. On September 20, Chili's will give 100 percent of it's total daily sales to St. Jude to help fund childhood cancer research. Click here for details! Thanks Chili's for your support (and your great nachos too!) Mark your calendar and take the night off from cooking to go donate to a VERY worthy cause.
What a week! Good news is all around us. Weston is home and recovering nicely, Logan's port is out, Griffin is doing well (except for his sore hip caused by being a 6 year old boy who likes to rough and tumble) and Peyton is in remission. I just want to freeze time for a little bit and soak in the joy around us.
We called to schedule the port removal. No word yet, but Marcie and Sherrie warned me it took some time to get on the day surgery schedule. I plan on being a HUGE pest until they give us a date. Dr. Aquino has cut us loose until November. He is very pleased with Peyton's blood work, weight gain and progress and doesn't see any need in seeing her until she is due for her next set of scans.
Peyton's schedule for the next few years will be:
Year 1: Chest x-ray, abdominal ultrasound, abdominal CT, and bone scan every 3 months. 1 MRI per year
Year 2: Chest x-ray, abdominal ultrasound, abdominal CT, and bone scan every 6 months. 1 MRI per year
Year 3+: Chest x-ray, abdominal ultrasound, abdominal CT, and bone scan once a year. 1 MRI per year
Peyton will remain on a weekly antibiotic until the end of the year (to prevent a common strain of pneumonia) and that is all the meds she will need. Early next year, Peyton will be clear to get her 4 year booster shots since her immune system should be normal by then. She is gaining weight like crazy (you would too if you ate 3 bowls of Fruity Pebbles a day in addition to regular meals and hourly snacks. You think I'm kidding, but I'm not. You people should seriously consider buying stock in General Mills because we are going to put them over the top this year!) And, Peyton's hair is coming in very fast. It is already so thick, you can't see her scalp. It's still dark, but not as much as it was before. It's still too short to see if it will curl again or not. I sure do miss her long, blond curls, so we'll see if they come back.
Our lives are getting back into a routine that we are learning to love. I let go of the idea of getting "back to normal" because we are not the same people we were last year, and we are grateful for that, because we have done a lot of growing, spiritually. Now, I write that sentence and then I am going to tell you a story about what we've been up to, and you are going to say, "These people claim to have GROWN...SPIRITUALLY?"
Dane and I took the girls toilet papering! We didn't think this up on our own, but we did it nonetheless! Dane and I teach a Young Adult/College Sunday School class. For months, we were too tired, worried, whatever, to be the silly people we are. Now that God has released us from cancer, we are all too happy to go back to being goofballs again. Our class and some members of our youth group (about 12 total) wanted to go wrap some houses of church members and asked us to come along. So, we did. My new motto is "It's not fun unless the cops show up". This is my new motto because in the process of wrapping one of our intended targets, the local police did, in fact, bust us. He laughed at us, told us to make sure the toilet paper didn't blow into the neighbors' yard and went on his way. I have wrapped many houses since I was a kid in Jr. High, and never once did I get caught. Now, as a grown woman, I get busted. My buddies from school are casting their eyes down in shame.
We had the foresight to video the whole night and hosted a pizza and movie night at our house so we could laugh at our antics and critique on how we could have done better in our wrapping techniques. Lindsay was thrilled the older kids invited her along and she has picked up some impressive skills for future toilet papering events. Peyton just sat in the car with her dad and I and watched for nosy neighbors who might bust us, but when we got to the church the next morning, Peyton sang like a canary to all of our "victims" and told them that we were the culprits. Now we are known as Dane and Marni Whitecloud (after the toilet paper brand). Such a legacy we are leaving to our children...But my point is, we are so incredibly grateful to have this feeling of freedom, and it is nice to be a family that laughs hysterically together---again.
Courtney will start chemo again this weekend. She checks in Saturday. Please pray for Courtney to handle this treatment well and for it to be her earthly cure. She's got waaaaaaay too much living to do and this cancer is slowing her down.
That's it for now. I'll be posting more soon. Have a great week. Go do something silly with your kids. They will think it's the coolest and nothing says "I love you" like teaching your child the proper way to throw a roll of Charmin into a 15 foot pecan tree ;)
Marni
We found a cool website you should check out. Go to Live Strong and learn about cancer resources and read inspiring cancer survivor stories. This site is run by the Lance Armstrong Foundation. Also, be sure and order your yellow bracelet while you're there. The Live Strong bracelets are $1.00 and proceeds go to cancer research.
Please be sure and scroll down to see our (ever-growing) list of friends who need your prayers. Much love to you all!
Please sign the guestbook and let us know you were here. Peyton loves it when we read her what you wrote.
Also, please visit our online Family and Friends Photo Album
Please remember in prayer, our friends from Children's Medical: Weston, Lauryn, Griffin, Tyler, Courtney, Jorge, Alex, Derek, Alexis, Amber, Sara, Kevin, Kelsey, Forest, Megan, Eric, Mackenzie, Jordan, Micah, Jordan, Stephen and all the other brave cancer kids out there fighting such a tough battle. Please also pray for Logan, Jonathon, Jasmine and Lucas for their continued remission and Elisha for his continued health and success in his hematology(GVHD)treatment and Cameron, for his battle against CCSK. Bless you all!
When we started this page, we were discouraged to find no other CaringBridge pages for CCSK kids--and then, we found Andy. His mom had a list of other sites for kids with CCSK, and sent us the link. I should have put this link up months ago...Bless you, Terry, for giving us a way this last year to check on these other amazing kids and their progress
We have several Caring Bridge friends we keep in contact with and check on daily. Their stories are inspirational, and they all can use our prayers, so here they are. I'm sure I will (sadly) be adding to this list quite often.
Angel Justin
Justin is the son of Peyton's Chemo Angel, Susan. Even though we never got to meet Justin, we are sure he knows Peyton. Susan and I have found many connections between our special kids, and the best explanation is that God and Justin led our families to each other.
Hannah
Hi, my name is Hannah Glenn and this is my story of the ongoing journey to beat a rare childhood cancer. I was diagnosed with Neuroblastoma stage 1V on June 8, 2002 at 22 months of age.
Jacob
We lost this link a long time ago and I really missed checking in on this sweet boy. Jacob's mom signed the guestbook and I was so happy to find them again!
Lauren
Welcome to Laurens Web Page. It has been provided to keep family and friends updated about our Child. Lauren was diagnosed with bilateral wilms tumor stage V favorable histology in October 2003
LaKota
This is a special family to me. LaKota lost a brother, she never knew, to AML in 1990. He was very sensitive to the effects of chemo and couldn't tolerate his treatment. Now LaKota has AML and is showing to have the same sensitivity. Her mom is asking for prayers for earthly healing. LaKota recently had a blood cord transplant. Please pray for LaKota's new cells to grow, grow, grow. She's also in some pain right now and needs our prayers for relief.
Kate
Welcome to our 6 year old daughter Kate's Web Page. We are writing this to keep family and friends, both old and new, updated on how Kate is doing in her battle with Kidney Cancer, a stage II Wilms tumor.
Angel Miranda Rae
Miranda Rae Went to be with Jesus on June 5, 2004. God was faithful to His promise to cure Miranda of her cancer. She flies free of pain and worry and will live in glory forever as a precious 4 year old. Please pray for her parents, Martin and Gail and for her older brother Dylan.
Kaidrie
We have started this page to help keep
our friends and family updated on Kaidrie,
who was diagnosed with a
diffuse pontine glioma on March 12, 2004.
RachelJoy
Welcome to the webpage of one of God's miracle children. RachelJoy weighed 1 lb. 6 oz. at birth, and she continues to cope daily with many conditions that leave her medically fragile. She is refusing to give up. Her enthusiasm and tenacity for life
continue to surprise her doctors. The Lord is RachelJoy's strength. Each day is a gift from Him.
Julianna Banana
Hello everyone, welcome to my web page! My name is Julianna and I live in Winnipeg, Canada, home of Winnie the Pooh. I'm 3 years old, brown hair and brown eyes, single and a non-smoker. My turn-ons include pink clothes, Barbie toys and playing. My turn-offs are medicine and when my brother stands in front of the tv. Please stop by from time to time and see what I'm up to :-)
Cheyenne
This page was created to help Cheyenne’s family and friends share in her daily experiences as she courageously battles this terrible beast of a tumor that threatens one to two hundred children each year.
Connor
Welcome to Connor's web page of healing.
Connor has rhabdomyosarcoma, a rare form of cancer found in children.
We established this site to keep family and friends updated on his road to recovery.
Zachary
This page was designed to update friends and family on Zachary's fight against Hemophagocytic Lympho Histiocytosis.
Boogie
Boogie-man (Dillion) has the sweetest smile. He and his mom check on Peyton almost everyday. You won't be able to have a bad day after reading his site and seeing what a gift from God he is.
Jenna
Everday That There IS A Battle, I OverCome It With A Positive Attitude and My Smile!
Katia
Little Katia is so special to us. She is such a fighter and her site is a wealth of information on other Caring Bridge patients.
Angel Ian
Ian passed away from earth at just after 6 this morning, Father's Day. Brian and I and his Aunt Lauren were with him. We told him in those last moments how much we loved him, and to go and fly with the angels
Nicole
Welcome to Nicole's webpage. Nicole was first diagnosed with an "inoperable" brainstem tumor, technical name is a low-grade brainstem astrocytoma -- focal intrinsic tumor of the pontomedullary junction, when she was 3 1/2 on July 1st 1992. Nicole is now 15 years old and continues to battle this disease. This website is dedicate to her continued journey. I have hope that Nicole will win this battle. My prayers go out to all the families and loved ones that share this fight with us.
Craiggy
Craig, who is 6 years old, was diagnosed in early August with type-B stage 4 Lymphoma
The Strength of an Egg By
Juliet Freitag
Parents of children with cancer, or really any serious condition, are often referred to or viewed as having strength "like a rock." Albeit flattering, it isn't quite true.
It is more like the strength of an egg. An egg, you ask? Yes! If you'll think about it, you'll see my point. An egg has a polished, smooth outer appearance, with no cracks or weak spots visible. It seems almost inconceivable that the inside might not be so smooth or solid.
Most children, at some point are shown the famous egg trick. An egg set at just the right angle can withstand enormous amounts of pressure and cannot be cracked or broken. Yet the same egg, tapped gently at an ever slightly different angle, will break. The contents, once so neatly concealed, will come spilling out. The no longer perfect shell will be crushed. It looks so fragile that it seems inconceivable that it ever held any strength.
A rock, on the other hand, is solid all the way through. To break it is almost impossible. If you succeed, you will find that there is nothing inside but more rock.
It takes a lot more than pure hardness to hold the hand of hope. Parents of children with cancer are not solid all the way through. We hurt, we fear, we cry, we hope. It takes a very careful balancing act to keep the shell from being shattered. "Balancing an egg" while running a household, going for doctors' visits and hospital stays, keeping the family together, and holding on to the constantly unraveling ties of your sanity can be very tricky indeed! Occasionally, the angle will be off and the shell will break, shattering hope and all the neatly secured appearances of a truly fragile existence.
Unlike Humpty Dumpty, though, parents of kids with cancer will pick themselves up and put themselves back together again. OVER and OVER again...........
Thursday, September 2, 2004 8:22 PM CDT
SEPTEMBER IS CHILDHOOD CANCER AWARENESS MONTH. Chili's Restaurant is doing something great to help combat childhood cancer. Every day in September, you can give $1 for the opportunity to color the Chili's signature pepper logo. The goal of the promotion is to raise $2 million for St. Jude Hospital. On September 20, Chili's will give 100 percent of it's total daily sales to St. Jude to help fund childhood cancer research. Click here for details! Thanks Chili's for your support (and your great nachos too!) Mark your calendar and take the night off from cooking to go donate to a VERY worthy cause.
Today is probably the best day of our lives. We met with Dr. Aquino and the bone scan was clear and he has declared Peyton in remission!
We have many things to tell you and we want to give you the rundown on Peyton's long-term roadmap, but for now, we just want to spend some time with our girls and with our loving God and praise Him on how very blessed we are to be in the place we are now. More updates soon, I promise...
Marni :)
We found a cool website you should check out. Go to Live Strong and learn about cancer resources and read inspiring cancer survivor stories. This site is run by the Lance Armstrong Foundation. Also, be sure and order your yellow bracelet while you're there. The Live Strong bracelets are $1.00 and proceeds go to cancer research.
Please be sure and scroll down to see our (ever-growing) list of friends who need your prayers. Much love to you all!
Please sign the guestbook and let us know you were here. Peyton loves it when we read her what you wrote.
Also, please visit our online Family and Friends Photo Album
Please remember in prayer, our friends from Children's Medical: Weston, Lauryn, Griffin, Tyler, Courtney, Jorge, Alex, Derek, Alexis, Amber, Sara, Kevin, Kelsey, Forest, Megan, Eric, Mackenzie, Jordan, Micah, Jordan, Stephen and all the other brave cancer kids out there fighting such a tough battle. Please also pray for Logan, Jonathon, Jasmine and Lucas for their continued remission and Elisha for his continued health and success in his hematology(GVHD)treatment and Cameron, for his battle against CCSK. Bless you all!
When we started this page, we were discouraged to find no other CaringBridge pages for CCSK kids--and then, we found Andy. His mom had a list of other sites for kids with CCSK, and sent us the link. I should have put this link up months ago...Bless you, Terry, for giving us a way this last year to check on these other amazing kids and their progress
We have several Caring Bridge friends we keep in contact with and check on daily. Their stories are inspirational, and they all can use our prayers, so here they are. I'm sure I will (sadly) be adding to this list quite often.
Angel Justin
Justin is the son of Peyton's Chemo Angel, Susan. Even though we never got to meet Justin, we are sure he knows Peyton. Susan and I have found many connections between our special kids, and the best explanation is that God and Justin led our families to each other.
Hannah
Hi, my name is Hannah Glenn and this is my story of the ongoing journey to beat a rare childhood cancer. I was diagnosed with Neuroblastoma stage 1V on June 8, 2002 at 22 months of age.
Jacob
We lost this link a long time ago and I really missed checking in on this sweet boy. Jacob's mom signed the guestbook and I was so happy to find them again!
Lauren
Welcome to Laurens Web Page. It has been provided to keep family and friends updated about our Child. Lauren was diagnosed with bilateral wilms tumor stage V favorable histology in October 2003
LaKota
This is a special family to me. LaKota lost a brother, she never knew, to AML in 1990. He was very sensitive to the effects of chemo and couldn't tolerate his treatment. Now LaKota has AML and is showing to have the same sensitivity. Her mom is asking for prayers for earthly healing. LaKota recently had a blood cord transplant. Please pray for LaKota's new cells to grow, grow, grow. She's also in some pain right now and needs our prayers for relief.
Kate
Welcome to our 6 year old daughter Kate's Web Page. We are writing this to keep family and friends, both old and new, updated on how Kate is doing in her battle with Kidney Cancer, a stage II Wilms tumor.
Angel Miranda Rae
Miranda Rae Went to be with Jesus on June 5, 2004. God was faithful to His promise to cure Miranda of her cancer. She flies free of pain and worry and will live in glory forever as a precious 4 year old. Please pray for her parents, Martin and Gail and for her older brother Dylan.
Kaidrie
We have started this page to help keep
our friends and family updated on Kaidrie,
who was diagnosed with a
diffuse pontine glioma on March 12, 2004.
RachelJoy
Welcome to the webpage of one of God's miracle children. RachelJoy weighed 1 lb. 6 oz. at birth, and she continues to cope daily with many conditions that leave her medically fragile. She is refusing to give up. Her enthusiasm and tenacity for life
continue to surprise her doctors. The Lord is RachelJoy's strength. Each day is a gift from Him.
Julianna Banana
Hello everyone, welcome to my web page! My name is Julianna and I live in Winnipeg, Canada, home of Winnie the Pooh. I'm 3 years old, brown hair and brown eyes, single and a non-smoker. My turn-ons include pink clothes, Barbie toys and playing. My turn-offs are medicine and when my brother stands in front of the tv. Please stop by from time to time and see what I'm up to :-)
Cheyenne
This page was created to help Cheyenne’s family and friends share in her daily experiences as she courageously battles this terrible beast of a tumor that threatens one to two hundred children each year.
Connor
Welcome to Connor's web page of healing.
Connor has rhabdomyosarcoma, a rare form of cancer found in children.
We established this site to keep family and friends updated on his road to recovery.
Zachary
This page was designed to update friends and family on Zachary's fight against Hemophagocytic Lympho Histiocytosis.
Boogie
Boogie-man (Dillion) has the sweetest smile. He and his mom check on Peyton almost everyday. You won't be able to have a bad day after reading his site and seeing what a gift from God he is.
Jenna
Everday That There IS A Battle, I OverCome It With A Positive Attitude and My Smile!
Katia
Little Katia is so special to us. She is such a fighter and her site is a wealth of information on other Caring Bridge patients.
Angel Ian
Ian passed away from earth at just after 6 this morning, Father's Day. Brian and I and his Aunt Lauren were with him. We told him in those last moments how much we loved him, and to go and fly with the angels
Nicole
Welcome to Nicole's webpage. Nicole was first diagnosed with an "inoperable" brainstem tumor, technical name is a low-grade brainstem astrocytoma -- focal intrinsic tumor of the pontomedullary junction, when she was 3 1/2 on July 1st 1992. Nicole is now 15 years old and continues to battle this disease. This website is dedicate to her continued journey. I have hope that Nicole will win this battle. My prayers go out to all the families and loved ones that share this fight with us.
Craiggy
Craig, who is 6 years old, was diagnosed in early August with type-B stage 4 Lymphoma
The Strength of an Egg By
Juliet Freitag
Parents of children with cancer, or really any serious condition, are often referred to or viewed as having strength "like a rock." Albeit flattering, it isn't quite true.
It is more like the strength of an egg. An egg, you ask? Yes! If you'll think about it, you'll see my point. An egg has a polished, smooth outer appearance, with no cracks or weak spots visible. It seems almost inconceivable that the inside might not be so smooth or solid.
Most children, at some point are shown the famous egg trick. An egg set at just the right angle can withstand enormous amounts of pressure and cannot be cracked or broken. Yet the same egg, tapped gently at an ever slightly different angle, will break. The contents, once so neatly concealed, will come spilling out. The no longer perfect shell will be crushed. It looks so fragile that it seems inconceivable that it ever held any strength.
A rock, on the other hand, is solid all the way through. To break it is almost impossible. If you succeed, you will find that there is nothing inside but more rock.
It takes a lot more than pure hardness to hold the hand of hope. Parents of children with cancer are not solid all the way through. We hurt, we fear, we cry, we hope. It takes a very careful balancing act to keep the shell from being shattered. "Balancing an egg" while running a household, going for doctors' visits and hospital stays, keeping the family together, and holding on to the constantly unraveling ties of your sanity can be very tricky indeed! Occasionally, the angle will be off and the shell will break, shattering hope and all the neatly secured appearances of a truly fragile existence.
Unlike Humpty Dumpty, though, parents of kids with cancer will pick themselves up and put themselves back together again. OVER and OVER again...........
Monday, August 30, 2004 0:00 AM CDT
Peyton's first post-treatment scan is set for Tuesday morning at 10:00 am. This will be the abdominal CT, with barium contrast (yuk!) and the NG tube used to administer it. I have EVERY assurance that Peyton's cancer is gone, because everything that God promises us is true (more on that later) but please pray for Peyton to do well with the contrast and sedation. Dane and I could also use prayers for a peaceful day as we go through the scan. We are apprehensive about being back in radiology--the whole place gives us both a post-traumatic-stress kinda feel.
Peyton's second scan is set for September 7th. The remaining two scans, MRI and skeletal series, have been eliminated from our protocol!! Dr. Aquino said the skeletal series isn't necessary because it shows the extent of growth delay, but Peyton actually grew over an inch during chemo, so it's silly to have a test that will confirm the obvious :) As for the MRI, hearing it had been eliminated was scary at first, but after hearing the doctors explanation, it makes sense. Most cancers are capable of metasis (spreading), even as the patient is taking chemo. Peyton's cancer had spread to her lymph nodes, which in turn meant the cancer could be lurking almost anywhere in her body--hence the chemo and radiation she received. Peyton's pre-treatment cranial MRI was negative of a brain tumor. CCSK cancer is not capable of firing off a brain tumor while the patient is on chemo, so since her MRI in December was clear, any one we would do now would be too. Peyton will be having MRI's of her head in the future, but for now, it's not necessary.
A few weeks before Peyton was diagnosed, some of our friends from church were shaken to their core when their healthy little boy, Nathan, developed an aggressive and fast moving form of pneumonia. Within hours, he was in ICU at Children's. Within a few days, the ICU doctors were telling Nathan's parents nothing medically more could be done, and they would make him comfortable until he died. Dane and I took turns going to the hospital to see Nathan and his parents, and we and our church prayed non-stop for a miracle. Around day 11, we got our miracle. Nathan turned the corner, and right before Christmas, he came home from the hospital. Nathan was still weak from his hospital stay, and with the holiday craziness, we had not been able to see Nathan since his release from the hospital. Then Peyton was admitted to Childrens' based on her diagnosis. On December 30, Peyton was scheduled to have a series of scans to determine the extent that the cancer had spread. Peyton's doctors told us that the bone and brain scans needed to be negative in order for Peyton to have a treatable form of CCSK. Dane was outside the door visiting and praying with people who came by to check on us. Peyton was asleep and I had all the lights out in her room. The only light coming in was from the hallway, as the door to her room was open. I was praying over Peyton and asking God to please let the bone and brain scans be negative and to give me assurance that although He knew our anguish was great, we trusted that Peyton belongs to Him and He would never forsake her or us. I knew that God could choose to take her, but I still asked God to hear my cries that she be spared and allowed to live out a long and happy life here with us. I opened my eyes, and Nathan was standing alone in the doorway. The light from the hallway was shining behind him, and he looked angelic--this moment will be burned in my memory forever. I knew then and I know now that God was promising me another miracle. He was saying to me, "I spared Nathan, and I will spare Peyton too." Now you understand what I meant earlier when I said I believe everything God promises us is true.
It was a rough weekend for Griffin. He was admitted for a fever. He had a seizure in the clinic, but he's okay. Our initial fear was a brain tumor, but the scans were negative!! Grif is getting high doses of antibiotics to fight off whatever infection presented the fever. The last word is that Griffin will be in for about 3 weeks :( Please keep praying for Griffin. Go look at his guestbook if you get the chance. Kindergarten and 1st Grade teachers from all over the country are checking on him and signing his guestbook! Isn't that the coolest?
Mr. Weston is done receiving his transplant. As of Saturday, the doctors were pulling the massive excess fluid off of him. By Saturday afternoon, he had lost over a pound in water weight!! This poor baby was so swollen from the chemo and was just miserable from being so puffy. Now we wait for the cells to grow and for his counts to rebound high enough to come home!! Let's pray he and his mom through these next weeks and get him home!!
Logan gets his port out in less than 2 weeks!! Yea :) He rescheduled his MAW Disney trip, and will be going the week after us--sooooo close!! Oh well. Now he doesn't have to share the attention of all those pretty princesses with Peyton :)
Thank you all for praying for us. Not only that, but for taking on the commitment to pray for "our boys" and the precious kids listed below. We consider prayer a privilege and a gift from the Holy Spirit. We also believe there is nothing stronger to defend us all from this sinful and scary world and all it offers.
It's late. I'm turing in now. An author once wrote about the phrase, "sleep tight". He thought that was silly. Why say sleep "tight" when that conjures up images of being tense and counterproductive to resting well? God is watching over you and He loves you more than you can imagine, and He is and always will be in the business of miracles. He wants you to know Him and make Him known. With that awesome fact floating around in your head, good night. Sleep loose.
Marni :)
We found a cool website you should check out. Go to Live Strong and learn about cancer resources and read inspiring cancer survivor stories. This site is run by the Lance Armstrong Foundation. Also, be sure and order your yellow bracelet while you're there. The Live Strong bracelets are $1.00 and proceeds go to cancer research.
Please be sure and scroll down to see our (ever-growing) list of friends who need your prayers. Much love to you all!
Please sign the guestbook and let us know you were here. Peyton loves it when we read her what you wrote.
Also, please visit our online Family and Friends Photo Album
Please remember in prayer, our friends from Children's Medical: Weston, Lauryn, Griffin, Tyler, Courtney, Jorge, Alex, Derek, Alexis, Amber, Sara, Kevin, Kelsey, Forest, Megan, Eric, Mackenzie, Jordan, Micah, Jordan, Stephen and all the other brave cancer kids out there fighting such a tough battle. Please also pray for Logan, Jonathon, Jasmine and Lucas for their continued remission and Elisha for his continued health and success in his hematology(GVHD)treatment and Cameron, for his battle against CCSK. Bless you all!
When we started this page, we were discouraged to find no other CaringBridge pages for CCSK kids--and then, we found Andy. His mom had a list of other sites for kids with CCSK, and sent us the link. I should have put this link up months ago...Bless you, Terry, for giving us a way this last year to check on these other amazing kids and their progress
We have several Caring Bridge friends we keep in contact with and check on daily. Their stories are inspirational, and they all can use our prayers, so here they are. I'm sure I will (sadly) be adding to this list quite often.
Angel Justin
Justin is the son of Peyton's Chemo Angel, Susan. Even though we never got to meet Justin, we are sure he knows Peyton. Susan and I have found many connections between our special kids, and the best explanation is that God and Justin led our families to each other.
Hannah
Hi, my name is Hannah Glenn and this is my story of the ongoing journey to beat a rare childhood cancer. I was diagnosed with Neuroblastoma stage 1V on June 8, 2002 at 22 months of age.
Lauren
Welcome to Laurens Web Page. It has been provided to keep family and friends updated about our Child. Lauren was diagnosed with bilateral wilms tumor stage V favorable histology in October 2003
LaKota
This is a special family to me. LaKota lost a brother, she never knew, to AML in 1990. He was very sensitive to the effects of chemo and couldn't tolerate his treatment. Now LaKota has AML and is showing to have the same sensitivity. Her mom is asking for prayers for earthly healing. LaKota recently had a blood cord transplant. Please pray for LaKota's new cells to grow, grow, grow. She's also in some pain right now and needs our prayers for relief.
Kate
Welcome to our 6 year old daughter Kate's Web Page. We are writing this to keep family and friends, both old and new, updated on how Kate is doing in her battle with Kidney Cancer, a stage II Wilms tumor.
Angel Miranda Rae
Miranda Rae Went to be with Jesus on June 5, 2004. God was faithful to His promise to cure Miranda of her cancer. She flies free of pain and worry and will live in glory forever as a precious 4 year old. Please pray for her parents, Martin and Gail and for her older brother Dylan.
Kaidrie
We have started this page to help keep
our friends and family updated on Kaidrie,
who was diagnosed with a
diffuse pontine glioma on March 12, 2004.
RachelJoy
Welcome to the webpage of one of God's miracle children. RachelJoy weighed 1 lb. 6 oz. at birth, and she continues to cope daily with many conditions that leave her medically fragile. She is refusing to give up. Her enthusiasm and tenacity for life
continue to surprise her doctors. The Lord is RachelJoy's strength. Each day is a gift from Him.
Julianna Banana
Hello everyone, welcome to my web page! My name is Julianna and I live in Winnipeg, Canada, home of Winnie the Pooh. I'm 3 years old, brown hair and brown eyes, single and a non-smoker. My turn-ons include pink clothes, Barbie toys and playing. My turn-offs are medicine and when my brother stands in front of the tv. Please stop by from time to time and see what I'm up to :-)
Cheyenne
This page was created to help Cheyenne’s family and friends share in her daily experiences as she courageously battles this terrible beast of a tumor that threatens one to two hundred children each year.
Connor
Welcome to Connor's web page of healing.
Connor has rhabdomyosarcoma, a rare form of cancer found in children.
We established this site to keep family and friends updated on his road to recovery.
Zachary
This page was designed to update friends and family on Zachary's fight against Hemophagocytic Lympho Histiocytosis.
Boogie
Boogie-man (Dillion) has the sweetest smile. He and his mom check on Peyton almost everyday. You won't be able to have a bad day after reading his site and seeing what a gift from God he is.
Jenna
Everday That There IS A Battle, I OverCome It With A Positive Attitude and My Smile!
Katia
Little Katia is so special to us. She is such a fighter and her site is a wealth of information on other Caring Bridge patients.
Angel Ian
Ian passed away from earth at just after 6 this morning, Father's Day. Brian and I and his Aunt Lauren were with him. We told him in those last moments how much we loved him, and to go and fly with the angels
Nicole
Welcome to Nicole's webpage. Nicole was first diagnosed with an "inoperable" brainstem tumor, technical name is a low-grade brainstem astrocytoma -- focal intrinsic tumor of the pontomedullary junction, when she was 3 1/2 on July 1st 1992. Nicole is now 15 years old and continues to battle this disease. This website is dedicate to her continued journey. I have hope that Nicole will win this battle. My prayers go out to all the families and loved ones that share this fight with us.
Craiggy
Craig, who is 6 years old, was diagnosed in early August with type-B stage 4 Lymphoma
The Strength of an Egg By
Juliet Freitag
Parents of children with cancer, or really any serious condition, are often referred to or viewed as having strength "like a rock." Albeit flattering, it isn't quite true.
It is more like the strength of an egg. An egg, you ask? Yes! If you'll think about it, you'll see my point. An egg has a polished, smooth outer appearance, with no cracks or weak spots visible. It seems almost inconceivable that the inside might not be so smooth or solid.
Most children, at some point are shown the famous egg trick. An egg set at just the right angle can withstand enormous amounts of pressure and cannot be cracked or broken. Yet the same egg, tapped gently at an ever slightly different angle, will break. The contents, once so neatly concealed, will come spilling out. The no longer perfect shell will be crushed. It looks so fragile that it seems inconceivable that it ever held any strength.
A rock, on the other hand, is solid all the way through. To break it is almost impossible. If you succeed, you will find that there is nothing inside but more rock.
It takes a lot more than pure hardness to hold the hand of hope. Parents of children with cancer are not solid all the way through. We hurt, we fear, we cry, we hope. It takes a very careful balancing act to keep the shell from being shattered. "Balancing an egg" while running a household, going for doctors' visits and hospital stays, keeping the family together, and holding on to the constantly unraveling ties of your sanity can be very tricky indeed! Occasionally, the angle will be off and the shell will break, shattering hope and all the neatly secured appearances of a truly fragile existence.
Unlike Humpty Dumpty, though, parents of kids with cancer will pick themselves up and put themselves back together again. OVER and OVER again...........
Friday, August 20, 2004 11:52 PM CDT
UPDATE: Well, I've created a self-fulfilling prophecy. Radiology called, and to say they botched Dr. Aquino's orders, is a mild understatement. Peyton's first scan is set for August 31 (Tuesday) at 9:30 am. This will be the Abdominal CT. This is also the one we dread given that we will have to use the NG tube for it. The second scan is set for September 7th at 8:30 am. This will be the Bone Scan. When I asked about the MRI and skeletal series, the response was, "What MRI and skeletal series?" Deep Sigh...Radiology claims it didn't receive orders for those 2 scans (which is wrong) and they couldn't get Peyton's appointments any closer together because they are just so busy. Have I mentioned this department is open 24 hours a day, and they STILL can't fit us in until September for the Bone Scan? I have a call in to the clinic for help in getting the MRI on the books, but I'm so frustrated. We'd like to get scanned and make sure all is well...After Dr. Aquino and I duke it out with Radiology, I'll post more.
PS--Weston begins his second transplant tomorrow afternoon (Thursday) at 2:00 pm. Please keep him in your prayers.
PPS--Our friend, Patrick (see link below) has VERY good news about his scans. The spot on his lung is negative and his MRI was great! As his mom said, the power of prayer is amazing :)
Peyton had her first clinic visit since finishing chemo. We paddled our way up to Children's yesterday (it was raining ridiculously hard all day) and sat in clinic for almost 5 hours. The upside is we got to hang out with Courtney and her mom and Griffin, Blake and Monique. Sherrie and Colton even made a brief appearance. Colton needed a hot dog, so they didn't get to stay long and visit :)
Peyton's labs looked very good. Her WBC was 4.7 (5 is normal). Her hemoglobin was 12.5. That might explain Peyton's running, giggling and ferocious appetite. Peyton never saw a hemoglobin level above 10 while she was in treatment. Her platelets were an impressive 437 and her ANC was 2790. We met with Dr. Aquino as we had some post-treatment questions. He assured us Peyton's counts would continue to climb over the next weeks, then level off and stay at normal levels. He has ordered the post-treatment scans, so now we are at the mercy of Radiology to get them scheduled. Ideally, Dr. Aquino wants the scans done in one day, but Children's Radiology doesn't know how to exist in a ideal world, so I've let the dream die of having her scans done all at once. The best I can imagine is two days with 2 scans per day. Dr. Aquino has ordered an abdominal CT, an MRI of her head, a bone scan, and a skeletal series. Peyton will have to be sedated for the CT scan, MRI and bone scan which is why Dr. Aquino wants them done in one day. Our only apprehension at this point is that Peyton will have to be given contrast for the CT scan. In a million years, we will never get Peyton to drink the contrast, so it looks like we'll have to put an NG tube in to administer it. (All the other parents with experience in watching their kids get the NG tube have just stopped reading this to say a quick prayer--thanks you guys!) For the rest of you, an NG tube (nasogastric tube) is inserted up the nose and fed down into the stomach. The contrast will be forced through the tube and into Peyton's stomach. Peyton had it done twice when we were confirming the tumor at diagnosis, and I'm ticked we have to put up with it again. It's barbaric if you ask me. Please pray for Peyton to handle the tubing procedure. We've already told her all about it, and she seems calm, but then again, we haven't done it yet.
Dr. Aquino listened to all our questions, answered them thoroughly, and gave his synopsis on how Peyton is doing now (fantastic), how she tolerated her chemo overall (better than expected), her chances of relapse (small chance, but if so, will likely occur the first 6-12 months after ending treatment), and how this will effect her in the long run (minimal long term effects, little memory of treatment the older she gets). Dr. Aquino is waiting to make sure her scans are clear, and then he will order Peyton's port to be removed--probably by mid to late September. He remembered that Peyton has her Make A Wish trip in October and wants the port out before she goes. We were glad to get answers to our questions and Dr. Aquino was pleased at how well Peyton is progressing. All in all, it was a good clinic day--just a long one ;)
Lindsay got to visit Kelsey tonight. She is doing well. She looks great and even ate well. She and Lindsay hung out for about 3 hours visiting and playing cards. Kelsey is doing homebound school this year because her in-patient schedule is too crazy to attend class everyday, so she enjoyed Lindsay giving her the run-down on all the new teachers, who likes who, who changed the most over the summer, etc. While Lindsay was with Kelsey, I was visiting with Sherrie and Weston. Weston didn't feel well the first few minutes I was there, but he had a bath and some more pain meds, and he was his old self. He was even shooting water at his unsuspecting doctors and nurse with an old saline syringe! Weston will finish his chemo soon, then he'll have a few days to recover, then he will receive his BMT on Thursday around 1:00 pm. Please continue to keep Weston in your prayers for a fast recovery and minimal side effects from the large doses of chemo he's taking right now. Also, his potassium level is acting up, and that is cause for some concern. Pray for his levels to settle down to avoid any problems or delays. Sherrie has to bathe Weston every 4 hours, and change his bedding every 4 hours. She looks good, but I know she has to be tired, so please pray for her strength to hold up.
One of our CCSK buddies, Patrick, has a suspicious spot on his lung. He's had such a spot before and it turned out to be a scar from previous chemo. His mom keeps reassuring herself with that, but nevertheless is worried. Please say a prayer for Patrick that the spot is harmless and that his mom will have peace until tests confirm what the spot is.
That's it for now. I'll let you know about scans when Radiology calls...
Marni
We found a cool website you should check out. Go to Live Strong and learn about cancer resources and read inspiring cancer survivor stories. This site is run by the Lance Armstrong Foundation. Also, be sure and order your yellow bracelet while you're there. The Live Strong bracelets are $1.00 and proceeds go to cancer research.
Please be sure and scroll down to see our (ever-growing) list of friends who need your prayers. Much love to you all!
Please sign the guestbook and let us know you were here. Peyton loves it when we read her what you wrote.
Also, please visit our online Family and Friends Photo Album
Please remember in prayer, our friends from Children's Medical: Weston, Lauryn, Griffin, Tyler, Courtney, Jorge, Alex, Derek, Alexis, Amber, Sara, Kevin, Kelsey, Forest, Megan, Eric, Mackenzie, Jordan, Micah, Jordan, Stephen and all the other brave cancer kids out there fighting such a tough battle. Please also pray for Logan, Jonathon, Jasmine and Lucas for their continued remission and Elisha for his continued health and success in his hematology(GVHD)treatment and Cameron, for his battle against CCSK. Bless you all!
When we started this page, we were discouraged to find no other CaringBridge pages for CCSK kids--and then, we found Andy. His mom had a list of other sites for kids with CCSK, and sent us the link. I should have put this link up months ago...Bless you, Terry, for giving us a way this last year to check on these other amazing kids and their progress
We have several Caring Bridge friends we keep in contact with and check on daily. Their stories are inspirational, and they all can use our prayers, so here they are. I'm sure I will (sadly) be adding to this list quite often.
Angel Justin
Justin is the son of Peyton's Chemo Angel, Susan. Even though we never got to meet Justin, we are sure he knows Peyton. Susan and I have found many connections between our special kids, and the best explanation is that God and Justin led our families to each other.
Hannah
Hi, my name is Hannah Glenn and this is my story of the ongoing journey to beat a rare childhood cancer. I was diagnosed with Neuroblastoma stage 1V on June 8, 2002 at 22 months of age.
Lauren
Welcome to Laurens Web Page. It has been provided to keep family and friends updated about our Child. Lauren was diagnosed with bilateral wilms tumor stage V favorable histology in October 2003
LaKota
This is a special family to me. LaKota lost a brother, she never knew, to AML in 1990. He was very sensitive to the effects of chemo and couldn't tolerate his treatment. Now LaKota has AML and is showing to have the same sensitivity. Her mom is asking for prayers for earthly healing. LaKota recently had a blood cord transplant. Please pray for LaKota's new cells to grow, grow, grow. She's also in some pain right now and needs our prayers for relief.
Kate
Welcome to our 6 year old daughter Kate's Web Page. We are writing this to keep family and friends, both old and new, updated on how Kate is doing in her battle with Kidney Cancer, a stage II Wilms tumor.
Angel Miranda Rae
Miranda Rae Went to be with Jesus on June 5, 2004. God was faithful to His promise to cure Miranda of her cancer. She flies free of pain and worry and will live in glory forever as a precious 4 year old. Please pray for her parents, Martin and Gail and for her older brother Dylan.
Kaidrie
We have started this page to help keep
our friends and family updated on Kaidrie,
who was diagnosed with a
diffuse pontine glioma on March 12, 2004.
RachelJoy
Welcome to the webpage of one of God's miracle children. RachelJoy weighed 1 lb. 6 oz. at birth, and she continues to cope daily with many conditions that leave her medically fragile. She is refusing to give up. Her enthusiasm and tenacity for life
continue to surprise her doctors. The Lord is RachelJoy's strength. Each day is a gift from Him.
Julianna Banana
Hello everyone, welcome to my web page! My name is Julianna and I live in Winnipeg, Canada, home of Winnie the Pooh. I'm 3 years old, brown hair and brown eyes, single and a non-smoker. My turn-ons include pink clothes, Barbie toys and playing. My turn-offs are medicine and when my brother stands in front of the tv. Please stop by from time to time and see what I'm up to :-)
Cheyenne
This page was created to help Cheyenne’s family and friends share in her daily experiences as she courageously battles this terrible beast of a tumor that threatens one to two hundred children each year.
Connor
Welcome to Connor's web page of healing.
Connor has rhabdomyosarcoma, a rare form of cancer found in children.
We established this site to keep family and friends updated on his road to recovery.
Zachary
This page was designed to update friends and family on Zachary's fight against Hemophagocytic Lympho Histiocytosis.
Boogie
Boogie-man (Dillion) has the sweetest smile. He and his mom check on Peyton almost everyday. You won't be able to have a bad day after reading his site and seeing what a gift from God he is.
Jenna
Everday That There IS A Battle, I OverCome It With A Positive Attitude and My Smile!
Katia
Little Katia is so special to us. She is such a fighter and her site is a wealth of information on other Caring Bridge patients.
Angel Ian
Ian passed away from earth at just after 6 this morning, Father's Day. Brian and I and his Aunt Lauren were with him. We told him in those last moments how much we loved him, and to go and fly with the angels
Nicole
Welcome to Nicole's webpage. Nicole was first diagnosed with an "inoperable" brainstem tumor, technical name is a low-grade brainstem astrocytoma -- focal intrinsic tumor of the pontomedullary junction, when she was 3 1/2 on July 1st 1992. Nicole is now 15 years old and continues to battle this disease. This website is dedicate to her continued journey. I have hope that Nicole will win this battle. My prayers go out to all the families and loved ones that share this fight with us.
Craiggy
Craig, who is 6 years old, was diagnosed in early August with type-B stage 4 Lymphoma
The Strength of an Egg By
Juliet Freitag
Parents of children with cancer, or really any serious condition, are often referred to or viewed as having strength "like a rock." Albeit flattering, it isn't quite true.
It is more like the strength of an egg. An egg, you ask? Yes! If you'll think about it, you'll see my point. An egg has a polished, smooth outer appearance, with no cracks or weak spots visible. It seems almost inconceivable that the inside might not be so smooth or solid.
Most children, at some point are shown the famous egg trick. An egg set at just the right angle can withstand enormous amounts of pressure and cannot be cracked or broken. Yet the same egg, tapped gently at an ever slightly different angle, will break. The contents, once so neatly concealed, will come spilling out. The no longer perfect shell will be crushed. It looks so fragile that it seems inconceivable that it ever held any strength.
A rock, on the other hand, is solid all the way through. To break it is almost impossible. If you succeed, you will find that there is nothing inside but more rock.
It takes a lot more than pure hardness to hold the hand of hope. Parents of children with cancer are not solid all the way through. We hurt, we fear, we cry, we hope. It takes a very careful balancing act to keep the shell from being shattered. "Balancing an egg" while running a household, going for doctors' visits and hospital stays, keeping the family together, and holding on to the constantly unraveling ties of your sanity can be very tricky indeed! Occasionally, the angle will be off and the shell will break, shattering hope and all the neatly secured appearances of a truly fragile existence.
Unlike Humpty Dumpty, though, parents of kids with cancer will pick themselves up and put themselves back together again. OVER and OVER again...........
Tuesday, August 17, 2004 10:06 PM CDT
Weston checked in today for his second transplant. Today he had his central line put back in, and tomorrow he should start chemo. This transplant is supposed to be stronger than the first one, so please pray for him to tolerate this treatment and for it to be the earthly miracle he needs to keep his cancer gone! Of course, I'll keep updating about Weston's treatment, but you can check his site too with updates from his mom. His link is listed below.
Griffin is home from the hospital. He was in all weekend for a fever spike. He's feeling fine and is still able to receive his chemo from home so it doesn't interfere with his school schedule and family time. What a blessing. Griffin had scans late last week and should be getting word this week on how he's responding to treatment. Please pray that his current course of treatment is fighting his cancer. He's had to endure this garbage for so long now and it seems so unfair.
We are also asking for prayers for Lindsay's friend Kelsey. In the interest of her privacy, I won't get detailed about Kelsey's battle, but please pray for her chemo to start working. I just get so frustrated and angry that cancer goes after our kids. It hurts me to watch the kids go through treatment, it hurts me to watch their parents worry and cry and it hurts me that Lindsay not only had to put up with her sister's cancer, but also her friends' cancer. It's a surreal existence for Lindsay sometimes. If you ever thought cancer just effects the one stricken with the disease, think again. It cuts a large swath across many, many hearts.
STILL no word on when scans are. I guess no news is good news. We have a clinic appointment Thursday morning. Maybe we'll have a definitive date(s) then. Peyton will have her blood counts checked, have a quick port flush, and then Dane and I can sit down with our doctor with this big list of post-treatment questions we have. In the meantime, we are settling in nicely to a new routine that doesn't revolve around twice-weekly clinic appointments and low white blood counts. It's strange, but nice.
Lindsay started school Monday. She's in 3 pre AP (advanced placement) classes (English, Math and Science), is working as an aide to the Science Department and is on the yearbook staff. She has classes with all her friends, except Erin and Jessie, but at least she gets to see them at lunch. All in all, she's loving 8th grade. It's nice to see her flourishing now that treatment is over. It's been a rotten 8 months, and it's so amazing to see her accept that our old way of life doesn't exist anymore, and to be okay with that. We all seem to have carved out our own new way of thinking and relating to the rest of the world since cancer bullied it's way in to our lives, and of the 4 of us, Lindsay seems to be the best at it! We are so proud of the young woman she's becoming. When I picked her up from school on the first day, she was telling me about a new girl who just moved here from Oregon. Lindsay's friends from her lunch table were asking the new girl the usual "getting to know you" questions. All Lindsay wanted to talk to her about was if she and her family went to church and if they had found one here since the move. 30 seconds after meeting this girl, Lindsay is giving her the rundown on service times and Youth activities for our church! This is why Lindsay is such a cool kid. Jesus is at the forefront of her brain all the time :) And she's fearless in her efforts to tell people about Him.
Hope this finds you well. Hug your kids. They are such a gift!
Marni
We found a cool website you should check out. Go to Live Strong and learn about cancer resources and read inspiring cancer survivor stories. This site is run by the Lance Armstrong Foundation. Also, be sure and order your yellow bracelet while you're there. The Live Strong bracelets are $1.00 and proceeds go to cancer research.
Please be sure and scroll down to see our (ever-growing) list of friends who need your prayers. Much love to you all!
Please sign the guestbook and let us know you were here. Peyton loves it when we read her what you wrote.
Also, please visit our online Family and Friends Photo Album
Please remember in prayer, our friends from Children's Medical: Weston, Lauryn, Griffin, Tyler, Courtney, Jorge, Alex, Derek, Alexis, Amber, Sara, Kevin, Kelsey, Forest, Megan, Eric, Mackenzie, Jordan, Micah, Jordan, Stephen and all the other brave cancer kids out there fighting such a tough battle. Please also pray for Logan, Jonathon, Jasmine and Lucas for their continued remission and Elisha for his continued health and success in his hematology(GVHD)treatment and newly-diagnosed, Cameron, for his battle against CCSK. Bless you all!
We have several Caring Bridge friends we keep in contact with and check on daily. Their stories are inspirational, and they all can use our prayers, so here they are. I'm sure I will (sadly) be adding to this list quite often. When I have more time :) I promise to get these in an organized drop-down list, but maybe this can do for now:
Angel Justin
Justin is the son of Peyton's Chemo Angel, Susan. Even though we never got to meet Justin, we are sure he knows Peyton. Susan and I have found many connections between our special kids, and the best explanation is that God and Justin led our families to each other.
Hannah
Hi, my name is Hannah Glenn and this is my story of the ongoing journey to beat a rare childhood cancer. I was diagnosed with Neuroblastoma stage 1V on June 8, 2002 at 22 months of age.
Lauren
Welcome to Laurens Web Page. It has been provided to keep family and friends updated about our Child. Lauren was diagnosed with bilateral wilms tumor stage V favorable histology in October 2003
LaKota
This is a special family to me. LaKota lost a brother, she never knew, to AML in 1990. He was very sensitive to the effects of chemo and couldn't tolerate his treatment. Now LaKota has AML and is showing to have the same sensitivity. Her mom is asking for prayers for earthly healing. LaKota recently had a blood cord transplant. Please pray for LaKota's new cells to grow, grow, grow. She's also in some pain right now and needs our prayers for relief.
Kate
Welcome to our 6 year old daughter Kate's Web Page. We are writing this to keep family and friends, both old and new, updated on how Kate is doing in her battle with Kidney Cancer, a stage II Wilms tumor.
Angel Miranda Rae
Miranda Rae Went to be with Jesus on June 5, 2004. God was faithful to His promise to cure Miranda of her cancer. She flies free of pain and worry and will live in glory forever as a precious 4 year old. Please pray for her parents, Martin and Gail and for her older brother Dylan.
Kaidrie
We have started this page to help keep
our friends and family updated on Kaidrie,
who was diagnosed with a
diffuse pontine glioma on March 12, 2004.
RachelJoy
Welcome to the webpage of one of God's miracle children. RachelJoy weighed 1 lb. 6 oz. at birth, and she continues to cope daily with many conditions that leave her medically fragile. She is refusing to give up. Her enthusiasm and tenacity for life
continue to surprise her doctors. The Lord is RachelJoy's strength. Each day is a gift from Him.
Julianna Banana
Hello everyone, welcome to my web page! My name is Julianna and I live in Winnipeg, Canada, home of Winnie the Pooh. I'm 3 years old, brown hair and brown eyes, single and a non-smoker. My turn-ons include pink clothes, Barbie toys and playing. My turn-offs are medicine and when my brother stands in front of the tv. Please stop by from time to time and see what I'm up to :-)
Cheyenne
This page was created to help Cheyenne’s family and friends share in her daily experiences as she courageously battles this terrible beast of a tumor that threatens one to two hundred children each year.
Connor
Welcome to Connor's web page of healing.
Connor has rhabdomyosarcoma, a rare form of cancer found in children.
We established this site to keep family and friends updated on his road to recovery.
Zachary
This page was designed to update friends and family on Zachary's fight against Hemophagocytic Lympho Histiocytosis.
Boogie
Boogie-man (Dillion) has the sweetest smile. He and his mom check on Peyton almost everyday. You won't be able to have a bad day after reading his site and seeing what a gift from God he is.
Jenna
Everday That There IS A Battle, I OverCome It With A Positive Attitude and My Smile!
Katia
Little Katia is so special to us. She is such a fighter and her site is a wealth of information on other Caring Bridge patients.
Angel Ian
Ian passed away from earth at just after 6 this morning, Father's Day. Brian and I and his Aunt Lauren were with him. We told him in those last moments how much we loved him, and to go and fly with the angels
Nicole
Welcome to Nicole's webpage. Nicole was first diagnosed with an "inoperable" brainstem tumor, technical name is a low-grade brainstem astrocytoma -- focal intrinsic tumor of the pontomedullary junction, when she was 3 1/2 on July 1st 1992. Nicole is now 15 years old and continues to battle this disease. This website is dedicate to her continued journey. I have hope that Nicole will win this battle. My prayers go out to all the families and loved ones that share this fight with us.
Craiggy
Craig, who is 6 years old, was diagnosed in early August with type-B stage 4 Lymphoma
The Strength of an Egg By
Juliet Freitag
Parents of children with cancer, or really any serious condition, are often referred to or viewed as having strength "like a rock." Albeit flattering, it isn't quite true.
It is more like the strength of an egg. An egg, you ask? Yes! If you'll think about it, you'll see my point. An egg has a polished, smooth outer appearance, with no cracks or weak spots visible. It seems almost inconceivable that the inside might not be so smooth or solid.
Most children, at some point are shown the famous egg trick. An egg set at just the right angle can withstand enormous amounts of pressure and cannot be cracked or broken. Yet the same egg, tapped gently at an ever slightly different angle, will break. The contents, once so neatly concealed, will come spilling out. The no longer perfect shell will be crushed. It looks so fragile that it seems inconceivable that it ever held any strength.
A rock, on the other hand, is solid all the way through. To break it is almost impossible. If you succeed, you will find that there is nothing inside but more rock.
It takes a lot more than pure hardness to hold the hand of hope. Parents of children with cancer are not solid all the way through. We hurt, we fear, we cry, we hope. It takes a very careful balancing act to keep the shell from being shattered. "Balancing an egg" while running a household, going for doctors' visits and hospital stays, keeping the family together, and holding on to the constantly unraveling ties of your sanity can be very tricky indeed! Occasionally, the angle will be off and the shell will break, shattering hope and all the neatly secured appearances of a truly fragile existence.
Unlike Humpty Dumpty, though, parents of kids with cancer will pick themselves up and put themselves back together again. OVER and OVER again...........
Monday, August 9, 2004 11:18 PM CDT
WESTON UPDATE: Urine test is clear, x-rays are clear and the bone scan is clear!! Weston continues to be "no evidence of cancer". What a HUGE praise. Thank you all for your prayers--they worked and our God is an awesome God! :) Weston checks in next Tuesday for his next BMT. I'll update when more happens.
A few postings back, I began mentioning Jacob. He's the little boy who has fought his entire life against a rare heart disease. I came to know about him through the wonderful saleslady, Judy, that Peyton and I met at the Brighton store last month. Judy and her daughter Kendra (Jacob's Aunt)emailed me today to tell me Jacob went home to be Jesus today. Please pray for peace and understanding for his parents. I have had the pleasure of being a part of this family's email updates about Jacob, and their level of Christian faith is amazing. They are hurting, but they know they'll see Jacob again.
I don't know why God has to sometimes take our children home, but I know for the first time in his short, short life, Jacob is free!! Fly with the angels, precious little one.
Please continue to remember Perry's mom and dad as they carry on without their precious boy.
Courtney went home from the hospital last week. She finally felt better following her surgery and she got to go home!! She and Peyton checked out each other's stomach scars to see whose was better. We think Courtney wins! We'll keep you posted about how Courtney's recovering. Of course, Courtney could do that if she'd ever start her own Caringbridge page (wink)--it's okay Courtney, we're just teasing you. You know we love updating everyone about you. We're so glad you're home where you belong. We'll call and check on you and see if we can't at least coordinate our next clinic visit at the same time.
Dane and I saw Kevin's parents at the childhood cancer conference this weekend. All of our prayers have been answered. Kevin's scans are clear!! Isn't that awesome? Last September when Kevin was diagnosed, the doctors told Kevin's parents there wasn't much hope, but now, the scans are clear. Prayer and the mercy of God are so powerful!! I know I speak for Kevin's parents when I say thank you for lifting Kevin up in prayer.
Dane and I went to Austin for the weekend. The American Cancer Society hosted it's annual Parent/Teacher Childhood Cancer Conference, and it was wonderful. Dane and I learned so much this weekend. Some of it was so helpful and fascinating and some of it was so very hard to hear. There were other parents at the conference whose children were many months or years out of treatment and shared their children's long-term known side effects. We knew chemo would be the earthly cure Peyton needed, but we also knew she would pay a price for having large doses of chemo put in her body while she was in a critical growth and development phase. As I said in an earlier post, we'll deal with whatever long term effects that neurotoxicity (permanent effects of chemo and radiation on a developing body and brain) has dealt Peyton, but we are apprehensive about how her body and brain will be affected. At the least, we know she should get a hearing test. One mom's story about her daughter's reaction to noise and the diagnosis of hearing loss has us concerned. Peyton is reacting the same way this woman's daughter is. This conference also stressed the need for early detection and intervention of neurotoxicity. We are investigating the idea of occupational and maybe physical therapy to head off any problems Peyton may develop. One chemo drug, Vincristine, has effected Peyton's fine motor skills. The motor skills issues should be short term, but we met with some parents whose children are feeling the effects years later. Since motor skills are still developing at Peyton's age, we want to head off any problems before they are too far gone. What was such a surprise to us, was learning that ALL children who receive chemo and radiation have some form of neurotoxicity. The level nor length of treatment is a factor of long term effects--it's a medical fact that all children suffer the effects. Each child us unique, but in talking to other parents and a few childhood cancer survivors who were present, short term memory loss, reading comprehension problems and hearing issues seem to be very prominent. We are asking the hospital to give Peyton a neuropyschological exam to see where she stands now, and then go from there. Dane and I talked about this alot, and our position about chemo, radiation, and what the long term neurotoxicity will do is this: God led us to treat Peyton with chemo and radiation. He led us through her treatment, and He will lead us through whatever obstacles she will suffer as a result. Bottom line--she's alive to deal with any effects, and that's a gift we can be grateful for every day.
Still no word on when scans are yet. We're just going about our clinic-free days until we get the call.
Marni
PS--Brenda and Edward, we are so blessed to have met you this weekend. We can't wait to get together again. You were such a source of encouragement and great advice. We enjoyed meeting another couple who deal with their child's illness acknowledging God as the great physician, and keeping a sense of humor when the rest of the world would cry :)
We found a cool website you should check out. Go to Live Strong and learn about cancer resources and read inspiring cancer survivor stories. This site is run by the Lance Armstrong Foundation. Also, be sure and order your yellow bracelet while you're there. The Live Strong bracelets are $1.00 and proceeds go to cancer research.
Please be sure and scroll down to see our (ever-growing) list of friends who need your prayers. Much love to you all!
Please sign the guestbook and let us know you were here. Peyton loves it when we read her what you wrote.
Also, please visit our online Family and Friends Photo Album
Please remember in prayer, our friends from Children's Medical: Weston, Lauryn, Griffin, Tyler, Courtney, Jorge, Alex, Derek, Alexis, Amber, Sara, Kevin, Kelsey, Forest, Megan, Eric, Mackenzie, Jordan, Micah, Jordan, Stephen and all the other brave cancer kids out there fighting such a tough battle. Please also pray for Logan, Jonathon, Jasmine and Lucas for their continued remission and Elisha for his continued health and success in his hematology(GVHD)treatment and newly-diagnosed, Cameron, for his battle against CCSK. Bless you all!
We have several Caring Bridge friends we keep in contact with and check on daily. Their stories are inspirational, and they all can use our prayers, so here they are. I'm sure I will (sadly) be adding to this list quite often. When I have more time :) I promise to get these in an organized drop-down list, but maybe this can do for now:
Hi, my name is Hannah Glenn and this is my story of the ongoing journey to beat a rare childhood cancer. I was diagnosed with Neuroblastoma stage 1V on June 8, 2002 at 22 months of age.
Lauren
Welcome to Laurens Web Page. It has been provided to keep family and friends updated about our Child. Lauren was diagnosed with bilateral wilms tumor stage V favorable histology in October 2003
LaKota
This is a special family to me. LaKota lost a brother, she never knew, to AML in 1990. He was very sensitive to the effects of chemo and couldn't tolerate his treatment. Now LaKota has AML and is showing to have the same sensitivity. Her mom is asking for prayers for earthly healing. LaKota recently had a blood cord transplant. Please pray for LaKota's new cells to grow, grow, grow. She's also in some pain right now and needs our prayers for relief.
Kate
Welcome to our 6 year old daughter Kate's Web Page. We are writing this to keep family and friends, both old and new, updated on how Kate is doing in her battle with Kidney Cancer, a stage II Wilms tumor.
Angel Miranda Rae
Miranda Rae Went to be with Jesus on June 5, 2004. God was faithful to His promise to cure Miranda of her cancer. She flies free of pain and worry and will live in glory forever as a precious 4 year old. Please pray for her parents, Martin and Gail and for her older brother Dylan.
Kaidrie
We have started this page to help keep
our friends and family updated on Kaidrie,
who was diagnosed with a
diffuse pontine glioma on March 12, 2004.
RachelJoy
Welcome to the webpage of one of God's miracle children. RachelJoy weighed 1 lb. 6 oz. at birth, and she continues to cope daily with many conditions that leave her medically fragile. She is refusing to give up. Her enthusiasm and tenacity for life
continue to surprise her doctors. The Lord is RachelJoy's strength. Each day is a gift from Him.
Julianna Banana
Hello everyone, welcome to my web page! My name is Julianna and I live in Winnipeg, Canada, home of Winnie the Pooh. I'm 3 years old, brown hair and brown eyes, single and a non-smoker. My turn-ons include pink clothes, Barbie toys and playing. My turn-offs are medicine and when my brother stands in front of the tv. Please stop by from time to time and see what I'm up to :-)
Cheyenne
This page was created to help Cheyenne’s family and friends share in her daily experiences as she courageously battles this terrible beast of a tumor that threatens one to two hundred children each year.
Connor
Welcome to Connor's web page of healing.
Connor has rhabdomyosarcoma, a rare form of cancer found in children.
We established this site to keep family and friends updated on his road to recovery.
Zachary
This page was designed to update friends and family on Zachary's fight against Hemophagocytic Lympho Histiocytosis.
Boogie
Boogie-man (Dillion) has the sweetest smile. He and his mom check on Peyton almost everyday. You won't be able to have a bad day after reading his site and seeing what a gift from God he is.
Jenna
Everday That There IS A Battle, I OverCome It With A Positive Attitude and My Smile!
Katia
Little Katia is so special to us. She is such a fighter and her site is a wealth of information on other Caring Bridge patients.
Angel Ian
Ian passed away from earth at just after 6 this morning, Father's Day. Brian and I and his Aunt Lauren were with him. We told him in those last moments how much we loved him, and to go and fly with the angels
Nicole
Welcome to Nicole's webpage. Nicole was first diagnosed with an "inoperable" brainstem tumor, technical name is a low-grade brainstem astrocytoma -- focal intrinsic tumor of the pontomedullary junction, when she was 3 1/2 on July 1st 1992. Nicole is now 15 years old and continues to battle this disease. This website is dedicate to her continued journey. I have hope that Nicole will win this battle. My prayers go out to all the families and loved ones that share this fight with us.
Craiggy
Craig, who is 6 years old, was diagnosed in early August with type-B stage 4 Lymphoma
The Strength of an Egg By
Juliet Freitag
Parents of children with cancer, or really any serious condition, are often referred to or viewed as having strength "like a rock." Albeit flattering, it isn't quite true.
It is more like the strength of an egg. An egg, you ask? Yes! If you'll think about it, you'll see my point. An egg has a polished, smooth outer appearance, with no cracks or weak spots visible. It seems almost inconceivable that the inside might not be so smooth or solid.
Most children, at some point are shown the famous egg trick. An egg set at just the right angle can withstand enormous amounts of pressure and cannot be cracked or broken. Yet the same egg, tapped gently at an ever slightly different angle, will break. The contents, once so neatly concealed, will come spilling out. The no longer perfect shell will be crushed. It looks so fragile that it seems inconceivable that it ever held any strength.
A rock, on the other hand, is solid all the way through. To break it is almost impossible. If you succeed, you will find that there is nothing inside but more rock.
It takes a lot more than pure hardness to hold the hand of hope. Parents of children with cancer are not solid all the way through. We hurt, we fear, we cry, we hope. It takes a very careful balancing act to keep the shell from being shattered. "Balancing an egg" while running a household, going for doctors' visits and hospital stays, keeping the family together, and holding on to the constantly unraveling ties of your sanity can be very tricky indeed! Occasionally, the angle will be off and the shell will break, shattering hope and all the neatly secured appearances of a truly fragile existence.
Unlike Humpty Dumpty, though, parents of kids with cancer will pick themselves up and put themselves back together again. OVER and OVER again...........
Tuesday, August 3, 2004 12:00 AM CDT
UPDATE: I couldn't manage to update about this yesterday, but thankfully Sherrie updated on Weston's site and I hope you all saw it. Little Perry earned his well-deserved angel wings yesterday. He was being treated at Children's too and had been fighting so hard. God brought him home where he will not hurt anymore and Perry is finally free of the body that was failing him. Please pray for his parents, Bart and Candi, as they go on without Perry.
We saw Courtney yesterday and again today. She improves a little more each day. She still hurts, but if she can eat and keep everything down, the doctors will cut her loose from the hospital on Friday. Please pray for Courtney's pain and nausea to subside so she can go home.
Weston will check in next Tuesday for his 2nd BMT. Please keep him in your prayers for this transplant to finish off his fight with cancer. I will update more as it gets closer to day zero.
We're home from the beach!! Peyton really enjoyed it and pictures will be forthcoming--after I attack these massive piles of laundry staring me down :)
Some updates: I haven't seen Kevin's mom. I only really get to talk to her at clinic, and we haven't been in over a week. I should see her this weekend at a childhood cancer conference we are attending. I promise to get an update on Kevin then. Please pray for his tumors to leave and never come back.
Courtney is in the hospital. She had surgery last Tuesday morning. Courtney had a total of 25 tumors removed!! That still staggers me. Right now, Courtney is in pain from the surgery. Her surgeon did a whole lot of exploring while he had her on the table, and it appears he was successful in removing everything he could see. I don't have any word on any post-op scans, but Peyton and I will be going to see her tonight and I will get another update. Peyton really misses Courtney and took great pains in finding her the perfect gift at the beach. Peyton is so excited about going to see her and giving her the presents she picked out. Please pray for Courtney's level of pain and for the tumors to be gone and to stay gone.
Some of you may remember me mentioning our encounter a few weeks back with a sweet saleslady at a local mall. She saw Peyton's little bald head and we struck up a conversation about God and His healing of sick children. We also talked about her daughter's nephew Jacob. Well, I got a letter from our sweet saleslady (her name is Judy, by the way). She and I have been emailing. Isn't God amazing?? Jacob is suffering from a very rare heart disease and is slowly earning his angel wings. Judy keeps me posted and asks that we continue to pray for Jacob's peaceful passing and for his parents to be able to handle God's decision should He bring Jacob home. Please remember them in prayer. I will update about Jacob as I get more info.
In our last loooong update, I deliberately left out a few people because I wanted to mention them specifically and their special contributions to our journey through cancer.
Dane and I want to thank Drs. Bob Felty and Chad Coleman. They are our family doctors and have been so wonderful to us, even before Peyton was sick. When Peyton presented with blood in her urine, it was a Sunday, so I called a local emergency room. The nurse I spoke with told me blood in the urine wasn't a big deal and it was likely a bladder infection or UTI. When I called Dr. Coleman on Monday morning, he wanted to see Peyton right away. He was calm, but told us that bloody urine in a child is never "no big deal". He drew blood, and bless him, he used Emla cream to numb Peyton's arm before sticking her because "No child should have to feel a needle stick this close to Christmas", and said we should have some results by the next day or two when the cultures would have time to grow or not. Dr. Coleman knew he would be out the next 2 days due to the Christmas holidays, but promised he would keep in contact with the lab and with us. The bleeding was worse the day after Christmas, so we went back to the doctor. Dr. Felty knew about Peyton's situation and had already consulted with the lab and Dr. Coleman for results. The blood failed to grow a culture, so we knew it wasn't an infection we were looking for. Dr. Felty said that Peyton's symptoms could mean a cyst, so he felt around on her belly and back, and detected what we now know to be the tumor. He sent us to Children's right away and called ahead to inform the Urologist what Peyton's symptoms were and to let her know we were waiting for admittance through the ER. Both Dr. Felty and Dr. Coleman have continued to follow Peyton throughout these last months. Were it not for them and their dilligence to find out what was wrong, we could have lost precious time in finding the culprit. We could have been subjected to numerous, useless tests in the ER had you not honed in on an area of concern. I have lost count of how many horror stories I have heard from other parents about how their children were misdiagnosed for weeks or months. Not us. God blessed us with these two godly men who cared enough for Peyton to keep going until they were sure of her diagnosis--and it was Christmas. How easy it would have been to put us off until after the holidays. They are dads too, and I know they thought like dads as they helped us get to the bottom of Peyton's symptoms. We know God blesses you both because you are both good Christian men, but please know we pray for your continued blessings for what you have done for us. As a post-script, there are two neat coincidences with these two doctors. Peyton had a team for Relay for Life. The Chairpersons for the event were Jimmy and Shannon Beaudoin. Shannon is Dr. Felty's nurse. Peyton has a Child Life Specialist at Children's. Her name is Ashleigh. Ashleigh will be marrying Dr. Coleman's brother later this year. As I said in the last post, it's not a small world, He's a big God.
When Peyton was first diagnosed, Dane's mother signed Peyton up with a wonderful organization called Chemo Angels which brought two very special people into our lives. Judy is Peyton's card angel. I chuckle everytime Judy sends Peyton something because it is always much more than a card. She sends gifts like stickers, coloring books, crayons, etc, and without fail, she sends it twice a week. It is the highlight of Peyton's week to get the gifts from her "Ms. Judy". The cards and gifts always seem to coordinate with clinic and hospital visits, so it was extra nice to come home to a present or two. Judy is so creative too. She wrote Peyton a poem and sent it in a little purple frame with princess decals, and recently, she sent us a photo album of her, her family and her home. Peyton got the biggest kick out of putting faces to names of people who loved her enough to send her cards and presents. Judy is from Massachusettes and Peyton likes looking at a map to see how far away Judy lives. Judy, thank you for all you have done for us. I know your main motivation must have been that you are a mother and grandmother and you know that children shouldn't have to be sick. Taking the time to buy and mail cards and gifts have meant so much to us. Sometimes it was hard to remember what a good world we have when something bad like childhood cancer exists in it, but you were a reminder to us that good does come from bad. Thank you for all you have done. Thank you for always remembering Lindsay also and knowing this was hard on her too. We owe you and your family so much for your love and support of us and especially Peyton.
Susan is the other special person that found us through Chemo Angels. Susan came into our lives in January. She sent gifts and uplifting notes to Peyton two times a week and always at the perfect times! She also always remembered Lindsay and would send notes and gifts to her too. She has been so positive and uplifting for us through this time. Peyton just loves her "Ms. Susan" and gets so excited at seeing her return address sticker on the packages she sends. Susan and I have had many email conversations and a while back, we had a conversation that forever changed how Dane and I will feel about her and what she has done for Peyton. I knew Susan lived in New York and is married to a wonderful man named Anthony and has a young son named Justin. What I didn't know until recently, is that Justin earned his angel wings last October--from cancer. God willing, Dane and I have many many days left on this earth, but we will spend everyone of them thanking God for Susan and Anthony. We are in awe of how Susan could take on the task of "angeling" Peyton when the grief over losing her own child is still so new. Susan believes Justin hand-picked Peyton for her to angel to, and we do too. Dane and I have had some private email correspondence where we told Susan how we feel about her and what she's done, but publically, let us say to you, Susan, that we love you and cannot thank you enough for your sweet letters to Peyton, the thoughtful gifts, and for reaching out to another child with cancer, when that had to be so hard for you to re-live. Susan deliberately didn't tell us about Justin for so long because she didn't want us to be confronted with the fact that God has to take some of his cancer babies home. As a mom, I told Susan that I cannot imagine how hard it was for her to not be able to share stories about her son with me. That's what mommies do. We talk incessantly about our kids. But Susan didn't do that until the time was right. She kept the focus of our relationship on Peyton because she believes that is what she is meant to do. What an amazing person you are Susan. Yesterday would have been Justin's 3rd birthday. To everyone reading this, please stop what you are doing, and say a prayer for Susan and Anthony. These last few days have been hard and they deserve to be infused with the peace that can only come from God. Susan told me it would be okay to link to Justin's site from here, and it is my honor to finally do so. Please go to Justin's site, to read about this special family's incredible journey and see for yourself how blessed we are to have them in our lives.
BIG thank you's to Peyton's team of Oncologists: Dr. Victor Aquino (primary Oncologist), Dr. Dan Bowers, Dr. Jonathan Wickiser, Dr. LaJuan Jones, Dr. Scott Cameron, Dr. Patrick Leavey, Dr. Andy Collier, and Dr. Matther Porteus. There are many wonderful Oncologists at Children' and these were the doctors we had the most contact with. Throught the last several months, we were blessed by the presence of these fine men and women and their support of what Peyton was going through and what we were up against. Thank you for not only sharing your knowledge of cancer and what it can and cannot do, but also for your unwavering confidence in the treatment course that was best for Peyton. This was an incredibly rare cancer, and you never batted an eye at how it was beatable and treatable. Also, thank you to the comforting presence of the nurses at CCBD (clinic) and the AWESOME 10th floor nurses. To Joe Don Cavender (RN PNP)and Julie Steele (RN PNP)--many hospital stays and clinic days, you gave us such comfort and peace with your assurance that Peyton was tolerating treatment so well. You spent above-and-beyond-the-call-of-duty time with us and we are so grateful. (Another cool coincidence??--Joe Don and Dane used to play football against each other in high school!!) Andrea Windich (RN CPON)--our friend, and the world's greatest Oncology Nurse, what would we have done without you? You are so great to Peyton. You were generous with your love and kisses to Peyton and with sharing your faith and love of Jesus, and your friendship with Dane and I. To our beloved nurses on the 10th floor--you are the reason we survived in-patient treatment! You made us all feel comfortable and relaxed about treatment. You are the reason Peyton actually looked forward to hospital stays. We love you Tami, Mary, Paige, Phyllis, Stacy, Lizzie, Amy, Amanda, Amanda, Alexis, Heather, Mel, Jessica, Donna Donuts, Ignacio, Allen, Cindy, and Karley. Thank you to the wonderful housekeeping staff. You not only went to great lengths to take care of us and our rooms, but you never failed to ask how we were and how Peyton's treatment was going. Thank you to Lucy for your smiling face and kindness everytime we checked in upstairs. Thank you to our awesome lab team (clinic) for making the finger pokes as quick and painless as possible. Thank you to Karen for remembering us each clinic check-in and giving Peyton a hello hug everytime you saw her. Thank you to Torri for taking such good care of Peyton while in triage. You always let Peyton help you with the blood pressure cuff and scale and made her feel part of the process. Thank you to Kristin and Shawnna. These special, special ladies are Peyton's Child Life Specialists. Shawnna taught Peyton invaluable breathing techniques and taught her to keep herself calm during scary times (like port accessing and de-accessing, breathing treatments and finger pokes). These skills were a life-saver. Your help meant the difference between a rough, scary six months, or a smooth sailing six months like we had. Thank you for your wisdom and friendship. Kristin, thank you for making clinic something we all actually looked forward to. You let Peyton be your helper when it came time to clean up, and being a helper is Peyton's favorite thing to do. Thank you for your friendship and your skills with with children. You helped us pass many a long day in clinic. Thank you both for answering the call to work with children. I imagine your job can be so hard because it's not something you leave at the door when you go home, but you told me the good far outweigh the bad, and we are all blessed to have you and benefit from your gifts of compassion and love.
Thank you to those who financially, and otherwise, support Children's Medical Center of Dallas. Our first reaction at learning of Peyton's cancer was, "Do we need to go to St. Judes, to LA or to New York?" Our doctors assured us we were in the absolute best place we could be. How right they were! We had the most intelligent, cutting edge, medical facility and staff in our own backyard. We've heard stories that would curl your toes about children being treated at adult hospitals, and being treated as if they were small adults!! Now that we know how very different childhood cancer is to adult cancer, we fully appreciate how lucky we are to have Children's. To only live 40 minutes from this amazing hospital and it's doctors and nurses was one of the biggest blessings we could ask for.
And, finally, thank you to North Texas Make A Wish and our AWESOME wish granter, Mike. Our sweet social worker Amanda, turned Peyton's name in to MAW early in her treatment, and Mike called us to tell us she had been accepted into the program. Mike has been calling and visiting us for months now. He always has a gift for both the girls when we see him. He and his family were at Relay with us too. Somedays, I can't tell who is more excited about Peyton's MAW trip to Disney, Peyton or Mike! You will be hearing much more about Mike as we get closer to the trip, but for now, Mike thank you for all you have done. Thank you for your enthusiasm and your strong desire to give Peyton a wish that will overshadow any awfulness she's had to endure. Thank you to your beautiful wife and children for keeping up with us too and making this a family event. We hope to have the 4 of you in our lives forever.
We still aren't sure when the post-treatment scans will be. Likely they will take place later this month. If they are clear, we will finally hear the word REMISSION. When I know more about when the scans are, I'll let you all know. Until then, we are just hanging out and trying to get our bearings now that treatment is over...
Marni
We found a cool website you should check out. Go to Live Strong and learn about cancer resources and read inspiring cancer survivor stories. This site is run by the Lance Armstrong Foundation. Also, be sure and order your yellow bracelet while you're there. The Live Strong bracelets are $1.00 and proceeds go to cancer research.
Please be sure and scroll down to see our (ever-growing) list of friends who need your prayers. Much love to you all!
Please sign the guestbook and let us know you were here. Peyton loves it when we read her what you wrote.
Also, please visit our online Family and Friends Photo Album
Please remember in prayer, our friends from Children's Medical: Weston, Lauryn, Griffin, Tyler, Courtney, Jorge, Alex, Derek, Alexis, Amber, Sara, Kevin, Kelsey, Forest, Megan, Eric, Mackenzie, Jordan, Micah, Jordan, Stephen and all the other brave cancer kids out there fighting such a tough battle. Please also pray for Logan, Jonathon, Jasmine and Lucas for their continued remission and Elisha for his continued health and success in his hematology(GVHD)treatment and newly-diagnosed, Cameron, for his battle against CCSK. Bless you all!
We have several Caring Bridge friends we keep in contact with and check on daily. Their stories are inspirational, and they all can use our prayers, so here they are. I'm sure I will (sadly) be adding to this list quite often. When I have more time :) I promise to get these in an organized drop-down list, but maybe this can do for now:
Hi, my name is Hannah Glenn and this is my story of the ongoing journey to beat a rare childhood cancer. I was diagnosed with Neuroblastoma stage 1V on June 8, 2002 at 22 months of age.
Lauren
Welcome to Laurens Web Page. It has been provided to keep family and friends updated about our Child. Lauren was diagnosed with bilateral wilms tumor stage V favorable histology in October 2003
LaKota
This is a special family to me. LaKota lost a brother, she never knew, to AML in 1990. He was very sensitive to the effects of chemo and couldn't tolerate his treatment. Now LaKota has AML and is showing to have the same sensitivity. Her mom is asking for prayers for earthly healing. LaKota recently had a blood cord transplant. Please pray for LaKota's new cells to grow, grow, grow. She's also in some pain right now and needs our prayers for relief.
Kate
Welcome to our 6 year old daughter Kate's Web Page. We are writing this to keep family and friends, both old and new, updated on how Kate is doing in her battle with Kidney Cancer, a stage II Wilms tumor.
Angel Miranda Rae
Miranda Rae Went to be with Jesus on June 5, 2004. God was faithful to His promise to cure Miranda of her cancer. She flies free of pain and worry and will live in glory forever as a precious 4 year old. Please pray for her parents, Martin and Gail and for her older brother Dylan.
Kaidrie
We have started this page to help keep
our friends and family updated on Kaidrie,
who was diagnosed with a
diffuse pontine glioma on March 12, 2004.
RachelJoy
Welcome to the webpage of one of God's miracle children. RachelJoy weighed 1 lb. 6 oz. at birth, and she continues to cope daily with many conditions that leave her medically fragile. She is refusing to give up. Her enthusiasm and tenacity for life
continue to surprise her doctors. The Lord is RachelJoy's strength. Each day is a gift from Him.
Julianna Banana
Hello everyone, welcome to my web page! My name is Julianna and I live in Winnipeg, Canada, home of Winnie the Pooh. I'm 3 years old, brown hair and brown eyes, single and a non-smoker. My turn-ons include pink clothes, Barbie toys and playing. My turn-offs are medicine and when my brother stands in front of the tv. Please stop by from time to time and see what I'm up to :-)
Cheyenne
This page was created to help Cheyenne’s family and friends share in her daily experiences as she courageously battles this terrible beast of a tumor that threatens one to two hundred children each year.
Connor
Welcome to Connor's web page of healing.
Connor has rhabdomyosarcoma, a rare form of cancer found in children.
We established this site to keep family and friends updated on his road to recovery.
Zachary
This page was designed to update friends and family on Zachary's fight against Hemophagocytic Lympho Histiocytosis.
Boogie
Boogie-man (Dillion) has the sweetest smile. He and his mom check on Peyton almost everyday. You won't be able to have a bad day after reading his site and seeing what a gift from God he is.
Jenna
Everday That There IS A Battle, I OverCome It With A Positive Attitude and My Smile!
Katia
Little Katia is so special to us. She is such a fighter and her site is a wealth of information on other Caring Bridge patients.
Angel Ian
Ian passed away from earth at just after 6 this morning, Father's Day. Brian and I and his Aunt Lauren were with him. We told him in those last moments how much we loved him, and to go and fly with the angels
Nicole
Welcome to Nicole's webpage. Nicole was first diagnosed with an "inoperable" brainstem tumor, technical name is a low-grade brainstem astrocytoma -- focal intrinsic tumor of the pontomedullary junction, when she was 3 1/2 on July 1st 1992. Nicole is now 15 years old and continues to battle this disease. This website is dedicate to her continued journey. I have hope that Nicole will win this battle. My prayers go out to all the families and loved ones that share this fight with us.
Craiggy
Craig, who is 6 years old, was diagnosed in early August with type-B stage 4 Lymphoma
The Strength of an Egg By
Juliet Freitag
Parents of children with cancer, or really any serious condition, are often referred to or viewed as having strength "like a rock." Albeit flattering, it isn't quite true.
It is more like the strength of an egg. An egg, you ask? Yes! If you'll think about it, you'll see my point. An egg has a polished, smooth outer appearance, with no cracks or weak spots visible. It seems almost inconceivable that the inside might not be so smooth or solid.
Most children, at some point are shown the famous egg trick. An egg set at just the right angle can withstand enormous amounts of pressure and cannot be cracked or broken. Yet the same egg, tapped gently at an ever slightly different angle, will break. The contents, once so neatly concealed, will come spilling out. The no longer perfect shell will be crushed. It looks so fragile that it seems inconceivable that it ever held any strength.
A rock, on the other hand, is solid all the way through. To break it is almost impossible. If you succeed, you will find that there is nothing inside but more rock.
It takes a lot more than pure hardness to hold the hand of hope. Parents of children with cancer are not solid all the way through. We hurt, we fear, we cry, we hope. It takes a very careful balancing act to keep the shell from being shattered. "Balancing an egg" while running a household, going for doctors' visits and hospital stays, keeping the family together, and holding on to the constantly unraveling ties of your sanity can be very tricky indeed! Occasionally, the angle will be off and the shell will break, shattering hope and all the neatly secured appearances of a truly fragile existence.
Unlike Humpty Dumpty, though, parents of kids with cancer will pick themselves up and put themselves back together again. OVER and OVER again...........
Thursday, July 15, 2004 3:06 PM CDT
UPDATE: We had another clinic visit today and Peyton's ANC is 20,000! As you'll recall anything above 500 is out of the danger zone for infection, so Peyton's okay ;) Peyton's favorite part of this news is this means we are done with the shots...forever. Peyton woke up from her nap today and said, "No more shots forever and ever mommy--give me some taters for no more shots!!" (If you don't know what "taters" are, go find a teenager and they can fill you in) We have promised Peyton that when chemo is over, we would head to the beach, so come Wednesday, we're outta here. I'll post pictures when we get back!
On a serious note, I have two very big prayer requests for our buddies at Children's and one big praise...Kevin had scans today. I told his mom that we would pray for good results. She said that would be nice because if the scans are bad, Kevin is out of medical options. He's only 8. Please pray for God to give Kevin an earthly miracle and ask for peace for his parents too. Courtney--most of you have seen a few mentions of Courtney on this site. She is 18 and is fighting her cancer beast for the second time. Her last set of scans were not good. Her tumors are growing. Courtney is so special to us and Peyton talks about her all the time. In the short period of time we have gotten to know her, she has amazed us with her perserverance and smiles. Please pray for these tumors to go away and let her get on with life without chemo. Mom, grandma and her 2 sisters need prayers for peace too. I'll update about Kevin and Courtney as I get more news.
And now the praise--Weston gets his walking papers on Tuesday morning!! He should be released in the morning and gets to finally go home. I don't know who is more excited about him going home, mom or Weston :) Please pray for his health to get better and better so he can have some much deserved down-time until his next transplant.
*******************************************************
When sorrows like sea billows roll;
Whatever my lot, Thou hast taught me to say,
It is well, it is well with my soul.
At 7:00 pm on December 26, 2003, my 2 daughters, my mom, my sister, Dane and I were outside playing on the playground at Children's Medical Center of Dallas. We were waiting to be seen in the ER for some relatively minor blood in Peyton's urine. Earlier in the day, our doctor felt a small lump on Peyton's right kidney and felt it was likely a cyst, but we should have it looked at just in case. By 7:00 am, December 27, 2003, a Urologist was placing CT films on a light board and telling us we were looking at a large and aggressive cancerous tumor.
It has been an amazing 6 months and 18 days. Peyton has responded well to treatment. There were many vicious chemo side effects that could have come our way, but they didn't. For that we can only thank our loving God for hearing our pleas and answering them so faithfully. Some statistics: Peyton endured 8 large rounds of chemo, plus weekly chemo in the clinic, 2 blood transfusions, 2 fever spikes due to low counts, 2 treatment delays due to low counts, 2 "bonus" hospital stays due to low counts, 80 GCSF shots to elevate her blood counts, 2 finger pokes per week to check her blood count level, 3 CT Scans, 2 MRI's, 4 ultrasounds, 7 chest and abdomen x-rays, a bone scan, a bone marrow aspiration, major surgery to remove her right kidney and the tumor that was destroying it, 6 days of radiation--and now, we are done. Our doctors don't know the full scope of what long term side effects Peyton might have. Hearing loss, fertility issues, delayed growth
development and attention disorders are real possibilities, but we'll deal with that if it comes. There are no words to suffice what gratitude, relief, and praise we have for our friend and savior, Jesus, for leading us through these last months with the promise of healing and mercy.
On that terrible day of diagnosis, I begged God for peace to help our family through whatever we were about to go through. And peace, indeed, He gave us. Dane and I always had the understanding that we were to learn something from God through Peyton's cancer, and we did. God grew us spiritually, as a couple, and as better parents. He gave us many opportunities to minister to other families, and even staff and many others ministered to us as well. We were blessed then, and continue to be now because of the special people who are now forever part of our lives.
God brought 3 very special families into our lives, and although we wish cancer wasn't what we all had in common, we are nevertheless grateful for the love that is
coming out of something so scary. Marcie, Wally and Logan; we are so grateful to know you and we love you all so much. Your trust in Jesus to heal Logan (and He did!) was inspiring to us and your friendship to us, and your love and concern for Peyton has touched us in ways that only other cancer parents would understand. We marvel at how God worked to place us in the same place at the same time and then have us strike up a conversation that led us through months of emails and visits so we could love and support each other. Monique, Barry, Griffin and Blake; you are all so special to us because God moved you all the way to Texas so we could meet you and be amazed at your family, your strength and your miraculous, fighter of a 6 year old. You have been traveling this road a lot longer than any of us, and yet you are so positive and focused. Griffin is a walking, talking testimony to the power
of God over disease and we are so blessed you show that to us everytime we get together. We love you all. Daryl, Sherrie, Chelsea, Heather, Kristina, Colton, and precious little Weston; Your family coming into our lives was a direct result of prayer. The first months of Peyton's diagnosis was so lonely for us at times. We were constantly in clinic, at radiation, or in the hospital and we rarely left the house because Peyton felt so lousy. I specifically asked God to lead me to someone who understood what it was like to be the mother of a cancer kid, and then I met Sherrie. As an added measure to ensure we would meet, God made sure that I had a friend who happened to know a friend of Sherrie's.
Some might say, "it's a small world", but it's not a small world, He's a big God...Weston was diagnosed within days of Peyton, Weston and Peyton have the same primary Oncologist, and therefore have the same clinic days. In 6 months and 18 days, Peyton has only been in the hospital once when Sherrie and Weston weren't there too. Sherrie and I had decided that if we have to be in the hospital, at least we're in together and we can hang out or hang on, depending on the reason for the stay. In such a short period of time, Sherrie has become one of the most important people in my life and at any given time, she knows what I'm feeling when I can't explain to anyone else, and vice versa. So many set backs in Weston's recovery, and yet your faith never wavers. We know you and Daryl get scared and discouraged, but you
rally everytime. Your faith and patience stun us at times. Continue to give God control, keep loving each other and your wonderful kids, and wait in expectation of the miracle God will show you. We love all of you very much.
We would never have made it through this journey as well were it not for the love and help of our families and our friends. Many of you put your lives on hold while you helped us with whatever need we had. To our parents, thank you for loving our girls so much. Thank you for coming to the hospital every time we were in, calling everyday to check on us, watching the girls when Dane and I needed some time to go out and enjoy each other, keeping and entertaining Lindsay while we were in for hospital stays, and most importantly, praying for us and loving us and the girls in a way no other human beings could. How hard it must have been for you to not only watch your granddaughters hurt and struggle, but to watch your children hurt and struggle as well. But you set those feelings aside to help us when we needed it most.
Stephanie, you have both impressed and amazed me through these last months. You are more than just a sister to me,
you are my closest friend. Dane and I depended on you for so much, and you always came through. We love you very much. There isn't anything we can do to repay all of you except to celebrate defeat of Peyton's cancer with you.
Please know that this experience was made much better because of all of you.
To our church family; we never knew the depth of your love and commitment to the four of us until Peyton got sick. You have come through in ways that will amaze us as long as we walk the earth, and then beyond: Meals, housecleaning, visits, phone calls, cards, gifts, encouragement and powerful prayer like we have never experienced. 1 Corinthians, chapter 12 talks about the church being the body of Christ. Specifically, verse 26 says of the church body, "If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it." And that's what you've done for us.
You cried with us when we were scared or sad, and you rejoice with us now that treatment is finally over. Dane and I have watched God move in our church in awesome ways as the result of Peyton's cancer. We thank you for showing Jesus' love to us as we've journeyed.
To our angels in blue; thank you to the wonderful men and women of the Dallas Police Department for rallying together for the sake of a little girl. Thank you to Sally and Dave who were so understanding and flexible about Dane's schedule so he could be with his family when we needed him the most. Thank you to the officers who came to the hospital to not only cheer up Peyton, but came bearing gifts for all the other patients in the HemOnc clinic and HemOnc 10th floor. Thank you to the Dallas Police Association, Wish Upon a Star and all the kind souls who donated money to Peyton's chili cook-off
so that money for medical bills would be one less thing for us to worry about. Thank you to the Youth Operations for the bake sale and for being the first to show us that the department wasn't going to let us go down this road alone. So many of you are like family to us, and how blessed we are to have you in our lives.
Thank you, Lindsay for staying brave during this time. You had to sacrifice a lot while daddy and I were away so much and taking care of Peyton. While we had some tough times, you have kept your focus on Jesus and knew that someday this would be over. This was a lot to deal with, but you did it. You are a super big sister and daughter. We love you very much. Dane, there is nobody else that I could have gone through this with. I have loved you since I was a kid, and you have never let me down. Now that we are on the other side of this, I can see cleary that you and I are extensions of each other. You knew just what to say and do to comfort me or make me laugh when we were having the bad days. I love you. Peyton, you are so brave and you never questioned why you had to deal with cancer and chemo. What a testimony you have to share with the world, and you are only 4! God has such great things planned for you. In 6 short months, we have watched you inspire and amaze all kinds of people. We are so blessed God has entrusted you and your sister to us.
I've saved the best for last. To God, who is able to do immeasurably more than we can ask or imagine...we praise You and thank You and love You so much for Your presence, mercy, and love. Thank You for hearing our cries and prayers and answering them in ways we couldn't have imagined. Thank You for sending Your Son to die so we could live. Thank You for the righteous and loving
people we have in our lives and for the new ones you continue to bring into our lives. Who are we that you should pour out blessing after blessing and forgive us of our stumbles and sins? Thank You for knowing how it feels to see your child suffer and therefore showing us how to make it for Your glory. Thank You for loving our girls more than we ever could and for being in complete control of Peyton's healing and peace. To our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ...You told us on that that darkest moment after Peyton's surgery, "Do not be afraid", and then released Your peace into us so we wouldn't be.
Of all the blessings you've given us in these months, that one is the most precious and we are so grateful. Thank you for drawing us nearer to you. Thank You for knowing that although we would have to walk through the darkness for a while, you would lead the way to the other side. Thank you for Your very real and very strong presence. Thank You for being the center of our family, our lives, and for dying for us so that we have the assurance that we will one day be taken from this place where people suffer, hurt, fear, rage, and have no hope, to live with you for eternity. We love you for who You are and what You do
for Your children.
We go to clinic next week for counts. I'll update more then...May the peace and love that only comes from God be with everyone who sees this page.
Marni
Please be sure and scroll down to see our (ever-growing) list of friends who need your prayers. Much love to you all!
Please sign the guestbook and let us know you were here. Peyton loves it when we read her what you wrote.
Also, please visit our online Family and Friends Photo Album
Please remember in prayer, our friends from Children's Medical: Weston, Lauryn, Griffin, Tyler, Courtney, Jorge, Alex, Derek, Alexis, Amber, Sara, Kevin, Kelsey, Forest, Megan, Eric, Mackenzie, Jordan, Micah and all the other brave cancer kids out there fighting such a tough battle. Please also pray for Logan, Jonathon, Jasmine and Lucas for their continued remission and Elisha for his continued health and success in his hematology(GVHD)treatment and newly-diagnosed, Cameron, for his battle against CCSK. Bless you all!
We have several Caring Bridge friends we keep in contact with and check on daily. Their stories are inspirational, and they all can use our prayers, so here they are. I'm sure I will (sadly) be adding to this list quite often. When I have more time :) I promise to get these in an organized drop-down list, but maybe this can do for now:
Hi, my name is Hannah Glenn and this is my story of the ongoing journey to beat a rare childhood cancer. I was diagnosed with Neuroblastoma stage 1V on June 8, 2002 at 22 months of age.
Lauren
Welcome to Laurens Web Page. It has been provided to keep family and friends updated about our Child. Lauren was diagnosed with bilateral wilms tumor stage V favorable histology in October 2003
LaKota
This is a special family to me. LaKota lost a brother, she never knew, to AML in 1990. He was very sensitive to the effects of chemo and couldn't tolerate his treatment. Now LaKota has AML and is showing to have the same sensitivity. Her mom is asking for prayers for earthly healing. LaKota recently had a blood cord transplant. Please pray for LaKota's new cells to grow, grow, grow. She's also in some pain right now and needs our prayers for relief.
Kate
Welcome to our 6 year old daughter Kate's Web Page. We are writing this to keep family and friends, both old and new, updated on how Kate is doing in her battle with Kidney Cancer, a stage II Wilms tumor.
Angel Miranda Rae
Miranda Rae Went to be with Jesus on June 5, 2004. God was faithful to His promise to cure Miranda of her cancer. She flies free of pain and worry and will live in glory forever as a precious 4 year old. Please pray for her parents, Martin and Gail and for her older brother Dylan.
Kaidrie
We have started this page to help keep
our friends and family updated on Kaidrie,
who was diagnosed with a
diffuse pontine glioma on March 12, 2004.
RachelJoy
Welcome to the webpage of one of God's miracle children. RachelJoy weighed 1 lb. 6 oz. at birth, and she continues to cope daily with many conditions that leave her medically fragile. She is refusing to give up. Her enthusiasm and tenacity for life
continue to surprise her doctors. The Lord is RachelJoy's strength. Each day is a gift from Him.
Julianna Banana
Hello everyone, welcome to my web page! My name is Julianna and I live in Winnipeg, Canada, home of Winnie the Pooh. I'm 3 years old, brown hair and brown eyes, single and a non-smoker. My turn-ons include pink clothes, Barbie toys and playing. My turn-offs are medicine and when my brother stands in front of the tv. Please stop by from time to time and see what I'm up to :-)
Cheyenne
This page was created to help Cheyenne’s family and friends share in her daily experiences as she courageously battles this terrible beast of a tumor that threatens one to two hundred children each year.
Connor
Welcome to Connor's web page of healing.
Connor has rhabdomyosarcoma, a rare form of cancer found in children.
We established this site to keep family and friends updated on his road to recovery.
Zachary
This page was designed to update friends and family on Zachary's fight against Hemophagocytic Lympho Histiocytosis.
Boogie
Boogie-man (Dillion) has the sweetest smile. He and his mom check on Peyton almost everyday. You won't be able to have a bad day after reading his site and seeing what a gift from God he is.
Jenna
Everday That There IS A Battle, I OverCome It With A Positive Attitude and My Smile!
Katia
Little Katia is so special to us. She is such a fighter and her site is a wealth of information on other Caring Bridge patients.
Angel Ian
Ian passed away from earth at just after 6 this morning, Father's Day. Brian and I and his Aunt Lauren were with him. We told him in those last moments how much we loved him, and to go and fly with the angels
Nicole
Welcome to Nicole's webpage. Nicole was first diagnosed with an "inoperable" brainstem tumor, technical name is a low-grade brainstem astrocytoma -- focal intrinsic tumor of the pontomedullary junction, when she was 3 1/2 on July 1st 1992. Nicole is now 15 years old and continues to battle this disease. This website is dedicate to her continued journey. I have hope that Nicole will win this battle. My prayers go out to all the families and loved ones that share this fight with us.
Craiggy
Craig, who is 6 years old, was diagnosed in early August with type-B stage 4 Lymphoma
Stephen
Stephen was diagnosed in April of 2003 with Embryonal Rhabdomyosarcoma (of the orbit). We have completed a year long protocol that included chemo and radiation. He finished treatment the end of March of this year. Scans are clear, hair is growing, weight is being gained. It has been quite a ride, he is fine,but we all remain forever changed.
The Strength of an Egg By
Juliet Freitag
Parents of children with cancer, or really any serious condition, are often referred to or viewed as having strength "like a rock." Albeit flattering, it isn't quite true.
It is more like the strength of an egg. An egg, you ask? Yes! If you'll think about it, you'll see my point. An egg has a polished, smooth outer appearance, with no cracks or weak spots visible. It seems almost inconceivable that the inside might not be so smooth or solid.
Most children, at some point are shown the famous egg trick. An egg set at just the right angle can withstand enormous amounts of pressure and cannot be cracked or broken. Yet the same egg, tapped gently at an ever slightly different angle, will break. The contents, once so neatly concealed, will come spilling out. The no longer perfect shell will be crushed. It looks so fragile that it seems inconceivable that it ever held any strength.
A rock, on the other hand, is solid all the way through. To break it is almost impossible. If you succeed, you will find that there is nothing inside but more rock.
It takes a lot more than pure hardness to hold the hand of hope. Parents of children with cancer are not solid all the way through. We hurt, we fear, we cry, we hope. It takes a very careful balancing act to keep the shell from being shattered. "Balancing an egg" while running a household, going for doctors' visits and hospital stays, keeping the family together, and holding on to the constantly unraveling ties of your sanity can be very tricky indeed! Occasionally, the angle will be off and the shell will break, shattering hope and all the neatly secured appearances of a truly fragile existence.
Unlike Humpty Dumpty, though, parents of kids with cancer will pick themselves up and put themselves back together again. OVER and OVER again...........
Monday, July 12, 2004 2:59 PM CDT
Peyton's ANC is 4650, so we are a definite go for our last round of chemo. That felt so good to type, I'm gonna do it again...LAST ROUND OF CHEMO!!
We have about a million things to say since our last update, but for now, we just wanted to let you know we are checked in and ready to go. We are in Room 412 (10th floor baby!!) and the phone number is 214-456-7012.
Peyton is having watermelon right now and she is doing her pre-chemo hydration. In about an hour or two, she'll start her chemo. We should finish up her last chemo on Wednesday about 11:00 am (CDT). We'll get checked out of here around 8:00 or 9:00 on Wednesday night.
Give me a day or so, and I'll update again. We love you all.
Marni
PS--Weston is back in the hospital. He has a line infection. The anti-biotics the doctors are using are causing him some heart rate and blood pressure issues, but Weston has to stay on the anti-biotics in order to fight the infection. Please pray for the infection to leave NOW so Weston came get off the meds that are bothering his little body.
Please be sure and scroll down to see our (ever-growing) list of friends who need your prayers. Much love to you all!
Please sign the guestbook and let us know you were here. Peyton loves it when we read her what you wrote.
Also, please visit our online Family and Friends Photo Album
Please remember in prayer, our friends from Children's Medical: Weston, Lauryn, Griffin, Tyler, Courtney, Jorge, Alex, Derek, Alexis, Amber, Sara, Kevin, Kelsey, Forest, Megan, Eric, Mackenzie, Jordan, Micah and all the other brave cancer kids out there fighting such a tough battle. Please also pray for Logan, Jonathon, Jasmine and Lucas for their continued remission and Elisha for his continued health and success in his hematology(GVHD)treatment and newly-diagnosed, Cameron, for his battle against CCSK. Bless you all!
We have several Caring Bridge friends we keep in contact with and check on daily. Their stories are inspirational, and they all can use our prayers, so here they are. I'm sure I will (sadly) be adding to this list quite often. When I have more time :) I promise to get these in an organized drop-down list, but maybe this can do for now:
Hi, my name is Hannah Glenn and this is my story of the ongoing journey to beat a rare childhood cancer. I was diagnosed with Neuroblastoma stage 1V on June 8, 2002 at 22 months of age.
Lauren
Welcome to Laurens Web Page. It has been provided to keep family and friends updated about our Child. Lauren was diagnosed with bilateral wilms tumor stage V favorable histology in October 2003
LaKota
This is a special family to me. LaKota lost a brother, she never knew, to AML in 1990. He was very sensitive to the effects of chemo and couldn't tolerate his treatment. Now LaKota has AML and is showing to have the same sensitivity. Her mom is asking for prayers for earthly healing. LaKota recently had a blood cord transplant. Please pray for LaKota's new cells to grow, grow, grow. She's also in some pain right now and needs our prayers for relief.
Kate
Welcome to our 6 year old daughter Kate's Web Page. We are writing this to keep family and friends, both old and new, updated on how Kate is doing in her battle with Kidney Cancer, a stage II Wilms tumor.
Angel Miranda Rae
Miranda Rae Went to be with Jesus on June 5, 2004. God was faithful to His promise to cure Miranda of her cancer. She flies free of pain and worry and will live in glory forever as a precious 4 year old. Please pray for her parents, Martin and Gail and for her older brother Dylan.
Kaidrie
We have started this page to help keep
our friends and family updated on Kaidrie,
who was diagnosed with a
diffuse pontine glioma on March 12, 2004.
RachelJoy
Welcome to the webpage of one of God's miracle children. RachelJoy weighed 1 lb. 6 oz. at birth, and she continues to cope daily with many conditions that leave her medically fragile. She is refusing to give up. Her enthusiasm and tenacity for life
continue to surprise her doctors. The Lord is RachelJoy's strength. Each day is a gift from Him.
Julianna Banana
Hello everyone, welcome to my web page! My name is Julianna and I live in Winnipeg, Canada, home of Winnie the Pooh. I'm 3 years old, brown hair and brown eyes, single and a non-smoker. My turn-ons include pink clothes, Barbie toys and playing. My turn-offs are medicine and when my brother stands in front of the tv. Please stop by from time to time and see what I'm up to :-)
Cheyenne
This page was created to help Cheyenne’s family and friends share in her daily experiences as she courageously battles this terrible beast of a tumor that threatens one to two hundred children each year.
Connor
Welcome to Connor's web page of healing.
Connor has rhabdomyosarcoma, a rare form of cancer found in children.
We established this site to keep family and friends updated on his road to recovery.
Zachary
This page was designed to update friends and family on Zachary's fight against Hemophagocytic Lympho Histiocytosis.
Boogie
Boogie-man (Dillion) has the sweetest smile. He and his mom check on Peyton almost everyday. You won't be able to have a bad day after reading his site and seeing what a gift from God he is.
Jenna
Everday That There IS A Battle, I OverCome It With A Positive Attitude and My Smile!
Katia
Little Katia is so special to us. She is such a fighter and her site is a wealth of information on other Caring Bridge patients.
Angel Ian
Ian passed away from earth at just after 6 this morning, Father's Day. Brian and I and his Aunt Lauren were with him. We told him in those last moments how much we loved him, and to go and fly with the angels
Nicole
Welcome to Nicole's webpage. Nicole was first diagnosed with an "inoperable" brainstem tumor, technical name is a low-grade brainstem astrocytoma -- focal intrinsic tumor of the pontomedullary junction, when she was 3 1/2 on July 1st 1992. Nicole is now 15 years old and continues to battle this disease. This website is dedicate to her continued journey. I have hope that Nicole will win this battle. My prayers go out to all the families and loved ones that share this fight with us.
Craiggy
Craig, who is 6 years old, was diagnosed in early August with type-B stage 4 Lymphoma
The Strength of an Egg By
Juliet Freitag
Parents of children with cancer, or really any serious condition, are often referred to or viewed as having strength "like a rock." Albeit flattering, it isn't quite true.
It is more like the strength of an egg. An egg, you ask? Yes! If you'll think about it, you'll see my point. An egg has a polished, smooth outer appearance, with no cracks or weak spots visible. It seems almost inconceivable that the inside might not be so smooth or solid.
Most children, at some point are shown the famous egg trick. An egg set at just the right angle can withstand enormous amounts of pressure and cannot be cracked or broken. Yet the same egg, tapped gently at an ever slightly different angle, will break. The contents, once so neatly concealed, will come spilling out. The no longer perfect shell will be crushed. It looks so fragile that it seems inconceivable that it ever held any strength.
A rock, on the other hand, is solid all the way through. To break it is almost impossible. If you succeed, you will find that there is nothing inside but more rock.
It takes a lot more than pure hardness to hold the hand of hope. Parents of children with cancer are not solid all the way through. We hurt, we fear, we cry, we hope. It takes a very careful balancing act to keep the shell from being shattered. "Balancing an egg" while running a household, going for doctors' visits and hospital stays, keeping the family together, and holding on to the constantly unraveling ties of your sanity can be very tricky indeed! Occasionally, the angle will be off and the shell will break, shattering hope and all the neatly secured appearances of a truly fragile existence.
Unlike Humpty Dumpty, though, parents of kids with cancer will pick themselves up and put themselves back together again. OVER and OVER again...........
Saturday, July 3, 2004 0:46 AM CDT
1 in-hospital treatment to go and counting...4 days until Peyton's 4th birthday!
What a week!! Peyton had her counts done in clinic on Thursday. I don't know what her ANC is, but her WBC is 25,000! Last week her WBC was .4, so I guess it's safe to assume she's fine now ;) We were hoping that we would finally get to meet Griffin while we were in clinic, and we did!! Griffin's (see link below) family just moved here from California and will be treated at Children's just like Peyton. We have been getting to know Griffin and his family through their website for a few months now, so when we finally got to visit, it was like we were old friends!! Griffin and his brother Blake are too cute for words. For those of you nearby, we can't wait for you to meet this special family.
Speaking of special families...Sherrie (Weston's mom) came down to clinic to see us and she was able to meet Griffin and his family too. After clinic, I went up to see Weston. He looks better every time I see him. His doctors are still talking about letting him go next week. His counts are coming up a little everyday and soon this BMT will be a distant memory. I couldn't be more excited if he were my own.
We also saw Courtney in clinic. She was doing great. She told us she is done with the chemo that makes her so sick and wipes out her counts. She will now be taking meds that are much easier on her. Her most recent scans were clear (Woo hoo!!) and she will be having exploratory surgery soon to make sure there aren't any more cancer cells lurking. She isn't done with treatment yet, but her protocol is about to get much easier for her. We were so thrilled to hear her good news.
We finished VBS at church on Thursday night. We've had it every night since Sunday and it was a blast. Peyton had a lot of fun. On the last night, she won a door prize. She won a VBS t-shirt, and was excited about that because only the adult volunteers had the shirts. She wouldn't take it off that night until daddy got home to see her in it!! I'll post a picture of Peyton and I in our official shirts. Lindsay was at Jr. High Impact all week. It's VBS for the 6th, 7th, and 8th graders. Lindsay had so much fun and learned a lot, and she had a life-impacting week with God. It's a wonderful story, but I wouldn't do it justice because it belongs to her, so maybe someday I can talk her into posting her thoughts. I'm exhausted, because every night, the youth group kids went out together after VBS--and come 11:30 or midnight, I'd be driving somewhere to pick her up!! One night they all went to see Spiderman 2. Lindsay gives it two big thumbs up and highly recommends it to you all. It's nice to know the hype was worth it.
I'll close with a story brought about by the grace of God and Peyton's little bald head. The girls and I were shopping today. We were in a store when a saleslady ambles over to offer her help. I told her I was looking for a gift and we struck up a nice conversation. Out of nowhere, our conversation turns to children who are ill, and about then, Peyton takes her hat off...Our saleslady, Judy, said she had chills at how God was able to show her that she could ask me, a total stranger, to pray for a sick child in her life when she saw Peyton take her hat off. Peyton and her little bald head again opened the door for us to talk to someone in need of prayer. (Remember the restaurant story from several weeks ago?) Judy told me she has a great-nephew named Jacob (age 2) and he is rapidly earning his angel wings from a rare heart disease that has threatened him since birth. I promised her I'd pray and get our friends doing the same. Please lift him up and his heartbroken parents as well. He's so sick, and of course his family is praying for a miracle, but they also have accepted that God may need Jacob with Him instead. In turn, Judy now knows Peyton's name and situation and will be praying for her and asking her friends to do the same. We marveled at how God led two of His own toward each other in a crowded mall so they could exchange prayer requests. Such blessings I am given by our God who owes me nothing, but yet He pours out His love and grace on me because He loves me more than I can imagine. Such blessings...
Hope everyone has a great holiday weekend. We are out of town starting Monday the 5th and not back until Friday the 9th. If time permits, I'll update the site, but if I don't, you'll know why.
Take some time today to thank our God for the miracles He is making in the lives of our Caring Bridge friends and Children's Medical friends.
--Marni
Please be sure and scroll down to see our (ever-growing) list of friends who need your prayers. Much love to you all!
Please sign the guestbook and let us know you were here. Peyton loves it when we read her what you wrote.
Also, please visit our online Family and Friends Photo Album
Please remember in prayer, our friends from Children's Medical: Weston, Lauryn, Griffin, Tyler, Courtney, Jorge, Alex, Derek, Alexis, Amber, Sara, Kevin, Kelsey, Forest, Megan, Eric, Mackenzie, Jordan, Micah and all the other brave cancer kids out there fighting such a tough battle. Please also pray for Logan, Jonathon, Jasmine and Lucas for their continued remission and Elisha for his continued health and success in his hematology(GVHD)treatment and newly-diagnosed, Cameron, for his battle against CCSK. Bless you all!
We have several Caring Bridge friends we keep in contact with and check on daily. Their stories are inspirational, and they all can use our prayers, so here they are. I'm sure I will (sadly) be adding to this list quite often. When I have more time :) I promise to get these in an organized drop-down list, but maybe this can do for now:
Hi, my name is Hannah Glenn and this is my story of the ongoing journey to beat a rare childhood cancer. I was diagnosed with Neuroblastoma stage 1V on June 8, 2002 at 22 months of age.
Lauren
Welcome to Laurens Web Page. It has been provided to keep family and friends updated about our Child. Lauren was diagnosed with bilateral wilms tumor stage V favorable histology in October 2003
LaKota
This is a special family to me. LaKota lost a brother, she never knew, to AML in 1990. He was very sensitive to the effects of chemo and couldn't tolerate his treatment. Now LaKota has AML and is showing to have the same sensitivity. Her mom is asking for prayers for earthly healing. LaKota recently had a blood cord transplant. Please pray for LaKota's new cells to grow, grow, grow. She's also in some pain right now and needs our prayers for relief.
Kate
Welcome to our 6 year old daughter Kate's Web Page. We are writing this to keep family and friends, both old and new, updated on how Kate is doing in her battle with Kidney Cancer, a stage II Wilms tumor.
Angel Miranda Rae
Miranda Rae Went to be with Jesus on June 5, 2004. God was faithful to His promise to cure Miranda of her cancer. She flies free of pain and worry and will live in glory forever as a precious 4 year old. Please pray for her parents, Martin and Gail and for her older brother Dylan.
Kaidrie
We have started this page to help keep
our friends and family updated on Kaidrie,
who was diagnosed with a
diffuse pontine glioma on March 12, 2004.
RachelJoy
Welcome to the webpage of one of God's miracle children. RachelJoy weighed 1 lb. 6 oz. at birth, and she continues to cope daily with many conditions that leave her medically fragile. She is refusing to give up. Her enthusiasm and tenacity for life
continue to surprise her doctors. The Lord is RachelJoy's strength. Each day is a gift from Him.
Julianna Banana
Hello everyone, welcome to my web page! My name is Julianna and I live in Winnipeg, Canada, home of Winnie the Pooh. I'm 3 years old, brown hair and brown eyes, single and a non-smoker. My turn-ons include pink clothes, Barbie toys and playing. My turn-offs are medicine and when my brother stands in front of the tv. Please stop by from time to time and see what I'm up to :-)
Cheyenne
This page was created to help Cheyenne’s family and friends share in her daily experiences as she courageously battles this terrible beast of a tumor that threatens one to two hundred children each year.
Connor
Welcome to Connor's web page of healing.
Connor has rhabdomyosarcoma, a rare form of cancer found in children.
We established this site to keep family and friends updated on his road to recovery.
Zachary
This page was designed to update friends and family on Zachary's fight against Hemophagocytic Lympho Histiocytosis.
Boogie
Boogie-man (Dillion) has the sweetest smile. He and his mom check on Peyton almost everyday. You won't be able to have a bad day after reading his site and seeing what a gift from God he is.
Jenna
Everday That There IS A Battle, I OverCome It With A Positive Attitude and My Smile!
Katia
Little Katia is so special to us. She is such a fighter and her site is a wealth of information on other Caring Bridge patients.
Angel Ian
Ian passed away from earth at just after 6 this morning, Father's Day. Brian and I and his Aunt Lauren were with him. We told him in those last moments how much we loved him, and to go and fly with the angels
Nicole
Welcome to Nicole's webpage. Nicole was first diagnosed with an "inoperable" brainstem tumor, technical name is a low-grade brainstem astrocytoma -- focal intrinsic tumor of the pontomedullary junction, when she was 3 1/2 on July 1st 1992. Nicole is now 15 years old and continues to battle this disease. This website is dedicate to her continued journey. I have hope that Nicole will win this battle. My prayers go out to all the families and loved ones that share this fight with us.
Craiggy
Craig, who is 6 years old, was diagnosed in early August with type-B stage 4 Lymphoma
The Strength of an Egg By
Juliet Freitag
Parents of children with cancer, or really any serious condition, are often referred to or viewed as having strength "like a rock." Albeit flattering, it isn't quite true.
It is more like the strength of an egg. An egg, you ask? Yes! If you'll think about it, you'll see my point. An egg has a polished, smooth outer appearance, with no cracks or weak spots visible. It seems almost inconceivable that the inside might not be so smooth or solid.
Most children, at some point are shown the famous egg trick. An egg set at just the right angle can withstand enormous amounts of pressure and cannot be cracked or broken. Yet the same egg, tapped gently at an ever slightly different angle, will break. The contents, once so neatly concealed, will come spilling out. The no longer perfect shell will be crushed. It looks so fragile that it seems inconceivable that it ever held any strength.
A rock, on the other hand, is solid all the way through. To break it is almost impossible. If you succeed, you will find that there is nothing inside but more rock.
It takes a lot more than pure hardness to hold the hand of hope. Parents of children with cancer are not solid all the way through. We hurt, we fear, we cry, we hope. It takes a very careful balancing act to keep the shell from being shattered. "Balancing an egg" while running a household, going for doctors' visits and hospital stays, keeping the family together, and holding on to the constantly unraveling ties of your sanity can be very tricky indeed! Occasionally, the angle will be off and the shell will break, shattering hope and all the neatly secured appearances of a truly fragile existence.
Unlike Humpty Dumpty, though, parents of kids with cancer will pick themselves up and put themselves back together again. OVER and OVER again...........
Monday, June 28, 2004 3:45 PM CDT
1 in-hospital treatment to go and counting...9 days until Peyton's 4th birthday!
Speaking of birthday's, we'll start having the official celebration for Peyton's 4th year of "princess-ness" when we are done with chemo. We have a lot of activities going on until we check back in, so we are going to wait until the week after her birthday to party down! It will be extra special because we will be DONE WITH TREATMENT!!! Yea!! :)
We did not have Peyton's counts done this morning. It was storming like crazy and we didn't want to risk driving into Dallas in that weather. Peyton's clinic nurse told us last week it wasn't necessary to be seen until this Thursday, so we just skipped today! Peyton acts like a new child from the way she was last week, so we're thinking her counts are just fine. They had the potential to double everyday over the last few days, so we're having faith that is just what they've done.
Peyton started VBS yesterday. Mrs. Lisa, her previous Sunday School teacher is her VBS teacher, so you can imagine how glad we all are. Lindsay is participating in the Jr. High version of VBS and I am helping teach 5th graders. Dad works nights so he can't help out :( We are in VBS every night this week, so we are busy and proud of it!!
Check Weston's site for further updates, but the latest is that his treatment gave him awful mouth sores! Not a surprise to the doctors, but tough for Weston nevertheless. He is on some medicine to control the pain. The good news is that his counts should start to rebound in the next few days (according to the transplant nurse) and all indications are that Weston should go home next week!!!
We go to clinic on Thursday morning. I'll update when her labs are in. Make it a great week!
--Marni
Please be sure and scroll down to see our (ever-growing) list of friends who need your prayers. Much love to you all!
Please sign the guestbook and let us know you were here. Peyton loves it when we read her what you wrote.
Also, please visit our online Family and Friends Photo Album
Please remember in prayer, our friends from Children's Medical: Weston, Lauryn, Griffin, Tyler, Courtney, Jorge, Alex, Derek, Alexis, Amber, Sara, Kevin, Kelsey, Forest, Megan, Eric, Mackenzie, Jordan, Micah and all the other brave cancer kids out there fighting such a tough battle. Please also pray for Logan, Jonathon, Jasmine and Lucas for their continued remission and Elisha for his continued health and success in his hematology(GVHD)treatment and newly-diagnosed, Cameron, for his battle against CCSK. Bless you all!
We have several Caring Bridge friends we keep in contact with and check on daily. Their stories are inspirational, and they all can use our prayers, so here they are. I'm sure I will (sadly) be adding to this list quite often. When I have more time :) I promise to get these in an organized drop-down list, but maybe this can do for now:
Hannah
Hi, my name is Hannah Glenn and this is my story of the ongoing journey to beat a rare childhood cancer. I was diagnosed with Neuroblastoma stage 1V on June 8, 2002 at 22 months of age.
Lauren
Welcome to Laurens Web Page. It has been provided to keep family and friends updated about our Child. Lauren was diagnosed with bilateral wilms tumor stage V favorable histology in October 2003
LaKota
This is a special family to me. LaKota lost a brother, she never knew, to AML in 1990. He was very sensitive to the effects of chemo and couldn't tolerate his treatment. Now LaKota has AML and is showing to have the same sensitivity. Her mom is asking for prayers for earthly healing. LaKota recently had a blood cord transplant. Please pray for LaKota's new cells to grow, grow, grow. She's also in some pain right now and needs our prayers for relief.
Kate
Welcome to our 6 year old daughter Kate's Web Page. We are writing this to keep family and friends, both old and new, updated on how Kate is doing in her battle with Kidney Cancer, a stage II Wilms tumor.
Angel Miranda Rae
Miranda Rae Went to be with Jesus on June 5, 2004. God was faithful to His promise to cure Miranda of her cancer. She flies free of pain and worry and will live in glory forever as a precious 4 year old. Please pray for her parents, Martin and Gail and for her older brother Dylan.
Kaidrie
We have started this page to help keep
our friends and family updated on Kaidrie,
who was diagnosed with a
diffuse pontine glioma on March 12, 2004.
RachelJoy
Welcome to the webpage of one of God's miracle children. RachelJoy weighed 1 lb. 6 oz. at birth, and she continues to cope daily with many conditions that leave her medically fragile. She is refusing to give up. Her enthusiasm and tenacity for life
continue to surprise her doctors. The Lord is RachelJoy's strength. Each day is a gift from Him.
Julianna Banana
Hello everyone, welcome to my web page! My name is Julianna and I live in Winnipeg, Canada, home of Winnie the Pooh. I'm 3 years old, brown hair and brown eyes, single and a non-smoker. My turn-ons include pink clothes, Barbie toys and playing. My turn-offs are medicine and when my brother stands in front of the tv. Please stop by from time to time and see what I'm up to :-)
Cheyenne
WELCOME TO CHEYENNE’S PAGE
This page was created to help Cheyenne’s family and friends share in her daily experiences as she courageously battles this terrible beast of a tumor that threatens one to two hundred children each year.
Connor
Welcome to Connor's web page of healing.
Connor has rhabdomyosarcoma, a rare form of cancer found in children.
We established this site to keep family and friends updated on his road to recovery.
Zachary
This page was designed to update friends and family on Zachary's fight against Hemophagocytic Lympho Histiocytosis.
Boogie
Boogie-man (Dillion) has the sweetest smile. He and his mom check on Peyton almost everyday. You won't be able to have a bad day after reading his site and seeing what a gift from God he is.
Jenna
Everday That There IS A Battle, I OverCome It With A Positive Attitude and My Smile!
Katia
Little Katia is so special to us. She is such a fighter and her site is a wealth of information on other Caring Bridge patients.
Angel Ian
Ian passed away from earth at just after 6 this morning, Father's Day. Brian and I and his Aunt Lauren were with him. We told him in those last moments how much we loved him, and to go and fly with the angels
Nicole
Welcome to Nicole's webpage. Nicole was first diagnosed with an "inoperable" brainstem tumor, technical name is a low-grade brainstem astrocytoma -- focal intrinsic tumor of the pontomedullary junction, when she was 3 1/2 on July 1st 1992. Nicole is now 15 years old and continues to battle this disease. This website is dedicate to her continued journey. I have hope that Nicole will win this battle. My prayers go out to all the families and loved ones that share this fight with us.
Craiggy
Craig, who is 6 years old, was diagnosed in early August with type-B stage 4 Lymphoma
Juliet Freitag
Parents of children with cancer, or really any serious condition, are often referred to or viewed as having strength "like a rock." Albeit flattering, it isn't quite true.
It is more like the strength of an egg. An egg, you ask? Yes! If you'll think about it, you'll see my point. An egg has a polished, smooth outer appearance, with no cracks or weak spots visible. It seems almost inconceivable that the inside might not be so smooth or solid.
Most children, at some point are shown the famous egg trick. An egg set at just the right angle can withstand enormous amounts of pressure and cannot be cracked or broken. Yet the same egg, tapped gently at an ever slightly different angle, will break. The contents, once so neatly concealed, will come spilling out. The no longer perfect shell will be crushed. It looks so fragile that it seems inconceivable that it ever held any strength.
A rock, on the other hand, is solid all the way through. To break it is almost impossible. If you succeed, you will find that there is nothing inside but more rock.
It takes a lot more than pure hardness to hold the hand of hope. Parents of children with cancer are not solid all the way through. We hurt, we fear, we cry, we hope. It takes a very careful balancing act to keep the shell from being shattered. "Balancing an egg" while running a household, going for doctors' visits and hospital stays, keeping the family together, and holding on to the constantly unraveling ties of your sanity can be very tricky indeed! Occasionally, the angle will be off and the shell will break, shattering hope and all the neatly secured appearances of a truly fragile existence.
Unlike Humpty Dumpty, though, parents of kids with cancer will pick themselves up and put themselves back together again. OVER and OVER again...........
Thursday, June 24, 2004 5:26 PM CDT
1 in-hospital treatment to go and counting...(Can you believe it??)
And it's at this point, Peyton would like me to tell you it is 13 days until her 4th birthday. She made her princess debut into our world on July 7, 2000. Peyton has decided that age 4 is when you are officially condsidered a "big girl, like Lindsay" and is counting the days. We're a little concerned she is going to expect the same privileges that Lindsay (age 13) has, but I guess we'll cross that bridge when we come to it ;)
There's good news and there's bad news. The bad news is Peyton's high-counts streak has been broken. We had labs done in clinic today and her ANC is 104 (anything below 500 is high risk for infection). The good news is her monocytes are high which probably means her counts have dropped as low as they plan to and are likely on their way back up. Her WBC is .4, her Hemoglobin is 9.9 and her platelets are 150. Aside from her WBC, the other counts are pretty good.
Peyton really hasn't acted neutropenic, so we were surprised to hear her counts were low. She was feeling crummy the first few days after we came home from the hospital, but that subsided by Monday. Since then, she seemed a little tired at times, but no real clue that her counts had fallen. Considering she had her "big chemo" for this last round, we are glad that her ANC only dropped to 104. The last time this kind of chemo dropped her counts, it took her ANC to 3!! Now we pray she doesn't get a fever while her counts are this low, or we will be getting a "bonus" 48 hours back in the hospital ;)
I've told many of you that Peyton hasn't been eating well since we got home. I was sure she was losing weight again and have been putting everything in front of her that has fat and calories. When she was weighed in clinic today, she had lost weight, but only 8 oz!!! Today, she has been eating pretty well. I'm starting to wonder if her counts started dropping really, really early in the treatment cycle and this accounts for the tiredness and loss of appetite. If I'm right, then I won't be getting a mother-of-the-year award any time soon because we've taken Peyton out several times this week and exposed her to every germ that exists. Yesterday, she went with Lindsay and I to youth group and then a bunch of us went to McDonald's afterwards..yes, McDonald's...GERM CENTRAL!! My consolation is, this is the last time Peyton's counts should drop because her next treatment has chemo that's kind to her counts, and of course, it's her last chemo ever!!!!
Here are our prayer requests before I move on to the Weston update :) Please pray for Peyton's counts to come back up quickly. She is supposed to start Vacation Bible School on Sunday night and she is so excited. We don't want her to miss anything; My friend Suzy has told me about a little girl who is newly diagnosed and is being treated at Children's. Her name is Micah and she is 4. Please keep her in your prayers for quick and complete healing; We have a CaringBridge buddy named Griffin. His link is below. We feel like we already know him because we've been talking to his family through the guestbooks and email. Griffin and his family are moving from California to the Dallas area on Saturday. Griffin will be treated at Children's. Please pray for a safe move for his family and peace of mind for his parents. They are moving due to a job transfer and I'm sure they must have some apprehension about being in a new home and a new hospital while Griffin is still in treatment.
Weston Update: I went to visit with Weston and Sherrie while Dane was in clinic with Peyton. Sherrie was there, but I don't know where Weston was. There was this little lump under a blue blanket that occassionally would say "I want Jello", but no sign of Mr. Weston...Sherrie said Weston didn't have the best night, but he was feeling good this morning. He had a headache and couldn't get comfortable enough to sleep, so he and Sherrie were up alot last night. The doctors were able to get the right meds in him, so he seemed better when I saw him. He even briefly played peek-a-boo with me. His overall counts are still down, but they should start to come up pretty soon. Please pray for his headaches to stay gone, for he and Sherrie to get some sleep, and for those counts to skyrocket back up so they can go home. Keep in your thoughts the maintenance and security staff at Children's because if they set off any more HOURLY fire drills that wake Weston up, they are going to have to deal with his mom!!
Visit Weston's site (link below) for more detailed and frequent updates. I'll update about Peyton's counts early next week when she has clinic again. Have a super week. We love you all!
Please be sure and scroll down to see our (ever-growing) list of friends who need your prayers. Much love to you all!
Please sign the guestbook and let us know you were here. Peyton loves it when we read her what you wrote.
Also, please visit our online Family and Friends Photo Album
Please remember in prayer, our friends from Children's Medical: Weston, Lauryn, Griffin, Tyler, Courtney, Jorge, Alex, Derek, Alexis, Amber, Sara, Kevin, Kelsey, Forest, Megan, Eric, Mackenzie, Jordan, Micah and all the other brave cancer kids out there fighting such a tough battle. Please also pray for Logan, Jonathon, Jasmine and Lucas for their continued remission and Elisha for his continued health and success in his hematology(GVHD)treatment and newly-diagnosed, Cameron, for his battle against CCSK. Bless you all!
We have several Caring Bridge friends we keep in contact with and check on daily. Their stories are inspirational, and they all can use our prayers, so here they are. I'm sure I will (sadly) be adding to this list quite often. When I have more time :) I promise to get these in an organized drop-down list, but maybe this can do for now:
Hannah
Hi, my name is Hannah Glenn and this is my story of the ongoing journey to beat a rare childhood cancer. I was diagnosed with Neuroblastoma stage 1V on June 8, 2002 at 22 months of age.
Lauren
Welcome to Laurens Web Page. It has been provided to keep family and friends updated about our Child. Lauren was diagnosed with bilateral wilms tumor stage V favorable histology in October 2003
LaKota
This is a special family to me. LaKota lost a brother, she never knew, to AML in 1990. He was very sensitive to the effects of chemo and couldn't tolerate his treatment. Now LaKota has AML and is showing to have the same sensitivity. Her mom is asking for prayers for earthly healing. LaKota recently had a blood cord transplant. Please pray for LaKota's new cells to grow, grow, grow. She's also in some pain right now and needs our prayers for relief.
Kate
Welcome to our 6 year old daughter Kate's Web Page. We are writing this to keep family and friends, both old and new, updated on how Kate is doing in her battle with Kidney Cancer, a stage II Wilms tumor.
Angel Miranda Rae
Miranda Rae Went to be with Jesus on June 5, 2004. God was faithful to His promise to cure Miranda of her cancer. She flies free of pain and worry and will live in glory forever as a precious 4 year old. Please pray for her parents, Martin and Gail and for her older brother Dylan.
Kaidrie
We have started this page to help keep
our friends and family updated on Kaidrie,
who was diagnosed with a
diffuse pontine glioma on March 12, 2004.
RachelJoy
Welcome to the webpage of one of God's miracle children. RachelJoy weighed 1 lb. 6 oz. at birth, and she continues to cope daily with many conditions that leave her medically fragile. She is refusing to give up. Her enthusiasm and tenacity for life
continue to surprise her doctors. The Lord is RachelJoy's strength. Each day is a gift from Him.
Julianna Banana
Hello everyone, welcome to my web page! My name is Julianna and I live in Winnipeg, Canada, home of Winnie the Pooh. I'm 3 years old, brown hair and brown eyes, single and a non-smoker. My turn-ons include pink clothes, Barbie toys and playing. My turn-offs are medicine and when my brother stands in front of the tv. Please stop by from time to time and see what I'm up to :-)
Cheyenne
WELCOME TO CHEYENNE’S PAGE
This page was created to help Cheyenne’s family and friends share in her daily experiences as she courageously battles this terrible beast of a tumor that threatens one to two hundred children each year.
Connor
Welcome to Connor's web page of healing.
Connor has rhabdomyosarcoma, a rare form of cancer found in children.
We established this site to keep family and friends updated on his road to recovery.
Zachary
This page was designed to update friends and family on Zachary's fight against Hemophagocytic Lympho Histiocytosis.
Boogie
Boogie-man (Dillion) has the sweetest smile. He and his mom check on Peyton almost everyday. You won't be able to have a bad day after reading his site and seeing what a gift from God he is.
Jenna
Everday That There IS A Battle, I OverCome It With A Positive Attitude and My Smile!
Katia
Little Katia is so special to us. She is such a fighter and her site is a wealth of information on other Caring Bridge patients.
Angel Ian
Ian passed away from earth at just after 6 this morning, Father's Day. Brian and I and his Aunt Lauren were with him. We told him in those last moments how much we loved him, and to go and fly with the angels
Nicole
Welcome to Nicole's webpage. Nicole was first diagnosed with an "inoperable" brainstem tumor, technical name is a low-grade brainstem astrocytoma -- focal intrinsic tumor of the pontomedullary junction, when she was 3 1/2 on July 1st 1992. Nicole is now 15 years old and continues to battle this disease. This website is dedicate to her continued journey. I have hope that Nicole will win this battle. My prayers go out to all the families and loved ones that share this fight with us.
Craiggy
Craig, who is 6 years old, was diagnosed in early August with type-B stage 4 Lymphoma
Juliet Freitag
Parents of children with cancer, or really any serious condition, are often referred to or viewed as having strength "like a rock." Albeit flattering, it isn't quite true.
It is more like the strength of an egg. An egg, you ask? Yes! If you'll think about it, you'll see my point. An egg has a polished, smooth outer appearance, with no cracks or weak spots visible. It seems almost inconceivable that the inside might not be so smooth or solid.
Most children, at some point are shown the famous egg trick. An egg set at just the right angle can withstand enormous amounts of pressure and cannot be cracked or broken. Yet the same egg, tapped gently at an ever slightly different angle, will break. The contents, once so neatly concealed, will come spilling out. The no longer perfect shell will be crushed. It looks so fragile that it seems inconceivable that it ever held any strength.
A rock, on the other hand, is solid all the way through. To break it is almost impossible. If you succeed, you will find that there is nothing inside but more rock.
It takes a lot more than pure hardness to hold the hand of hope. Parents of children with cancer are not solid all the way through. We hurt, we fear, we cry, we hope. It takes a very careful balancing act to keep the shell from being shattered. "Balancing an egg" while running a household, going for doctors' visits and hospital stays, keeping the family together, and holding on to the constantly unraveling ties of your sanity can be very tricky indeed! Occasionally, the angle will be off and the shell will break, shattering hope and all the neatly secured appearances of a truly fragile existence.
Unlike Humpty Dumpty, though, parents of kids with cancer will pick themselves up and put themselves back together again. OVER and OVER again...........
Friday, June 18, 2004 12:04 AM CDT
*UPDATE: Forgive me for not getting this info out sooner:
Ian (see his link below)passed away from earth at just after 6 this morning, Father's Day. Brian and I and his Aunt Lauren were with him. We told him in those last moments how much we loved him, and to go and fly with the angels
*UPDATE: Weston is done with his transplant! The process was quick, and thank You God, problem-free. Please pray for the marrow to do exactly as God would have it to do and for Weston's counts to rebound quickly so he can go home. I'll update as his mom gives me the info. You can also read Sherrie's updates and all about Weston's journey on the link below.
1 in-hospital treatment to go and counting...(Can you believe it??)
We should be home from the hospital late this afternoon. Overall, this visit went well. Peyton had a few bouts with nausea and vomitting for a couple of nights, but once the nurses got the right combo of meds in her, she was just fine. However, in a stroke of management genious, the hospital decided that 1:30 AM would be the ideal time to have maintenance come to our hall and work on the electricity. Not 1, but 2 nights in a row, we were awakenend over and over to VERY LOUD alarms going off when the power would blink. For real entertainment, maintenance would occassionally shut the power off completely. Nothing like being in a room with windows that don't open, in the middle of June, and having no air conditioning...We're really looking forward to a quiet, uneventful night in our own beds.
Tomorrow we will start Peyton on her GCSF shots and attend clinic 2 days a week and see how her counts do. In the past, this course she just completed has made her ANC almost non-existent, but the last 5-day didn't phase her counts at all. Please pray for Peyton to have another treatment that leaves her counts alone!
Peyton enjoyed this visit because we had lots and lots of visitors. Several friends from church came to see us as well as Granny, Grammy, Gramps and Aunt Stephanie. Many of "our kids" from the youth group and Children's Church came to hang out with us. Peyton has colored window markers and we turned all of the kids loose on the huge windows in our room. They drew Peyton pictures, wrote her sweet notes and scripture, and Lindsay would write jokes for her. All the nurses and doctors commented on how festive Peyton's room looked this week.
Logan was in clinic on Wednesday for chemo. When he was done, he and his parents came up to visit. They came right when the youth kids were here and it was like a big party complete with food from McDonald's. Logan seemed tired from his big day in clinic, but he looked great. In talking to his mom, Marcie, we realized that Peyton and Logan would finish chemo about 2 weeks apart . As Marcie put it, "July is going to be a great month for us!" Amen!!
Weston checked in Tuesday afternoon for surgery. He had a new central line put in. This one is smaller than the one before. He did well through the surgery. He was in some pain for a while, but his doctors were able to get it under control pretty fast. As a big blessing to us, we were put in the BMT hall for this hospital stay and we have been only 2 doors down from him. Weston is now starting his first phase of his BMT (bone marrow transplant). Weston started his mega-doses of chemo on Wednesday morning and will likely receive his BMT next week. Right now, Weston's counts are dropping due to the large amount of chemo he is receiving. He will receive his transplant, and then we all wait for the marrow to grow, his counts to rebound, and for him to come home! These next weeks are going to be hard (and that is possibly the biggest understatement I have ever made) for Weston and his family, especially his mom, who will be staying with him in the BMT hall. The side effects from the massive rounds of chemo he's getting aren't going to be easy on Weston's little body or his parents' well-being. So...we need to storm heaven with prayers for Weston. Dane and I are specifically committed to praying for Weston's body to accept the transplant with no problems, for no vicious side effects from the chemo, for his counts to rebound quickly, for this to be Weston's earthly cure from cancer, and for peace and strength for Weston, his parents and his family. Please join us in asking for all these things in Jesus' precious name. I want to say a special thank you to our church and to the Wednesday Morning Ladies Bible Study. Thank you for gathering in Jesus' name, and praying for Weston.
Thank you all for your guestbook entries, emails, calls, and most of all, prayers. May God give you the peace and joy in your heart that He has given to us.
Please be sure and scroll down to see our (ever-growing) list of friends who need your prayers. Much love to you all!
Please sign the guestbook and let us know you were here. Peyton loves it when we read her what you wrote.
Also, please visit our online Family and Friends Photo Album
Please remember in prayer, our friends from Children's Medical: Weston, Lauryn, Griffin, Tyler, Courtney, Jorge, Alex, Derek, Alexis, Amber, Sara, Kevin, Kelsey, Forest, Megan, Eric, Mackenzie, Jordan and all the other brave cancer kids out there fighting such a tough battle. Please also pray for Logan, Jonathon, Jasmine and Lucas for their continued remission and Elisha for his continued health and success in his hematology(GVHD)treatment and newly-diagnosed, Cameron, for his battle against CCSK. Bless you all!
We have several Caring Bridge friends we keep in contact with and check on daily. Their stories are inspirational, and they all can use our prayers, so here they are. I'm sure I will (sadly) be adding to this list quite often. When I have more time :) I promise to get these in an organized drop-down list, but maybe this can do for now:
Hannah
Hi, my name is Hannah Glenn and this is my story of the ongoing journey to beat a rare childhood cancer. I was diagnosed with Neuroblastoma stage 1V on June 8, 2002 at 22 months of age.
Lauren
Welcome to Laurens Web Page. It has been provided to keep family and friends updated about our Child. Lauren was diagnosed with bilateral wilms tumor stage V favorable histology in October 2003
LaKota
This is a special family to me. LaKota lost a brother, she never knew, to AML in 1990. He was very sensitive to the effects of chemo and couldn't tolerate his treatment. Now LaKota has AML and is showing to have the same sensitivity. Her mom is asking for prayers for earthly healing. LaKota recently had a blood cord transplant. Please pray for LaKota's new cells to grow, grow, grow. She's also in some pain right now and needs our prayers for relief.
Kate
Welcome to our 6 year old daughter Kate's Web Page. We are writing this to keep family and friends, both old and new, updated on how Kate is doing in her battle with Kidney Cancer, a stage II Wilms tumor.
Angel Miranda Rae
Miranda Rae Went to be with Jesus on June 5, 2004. God was faithful to His promise to cure Miranda of her cancer. She flies free of pain and worry and will live in glory forever as a precious 4 year old. Please pray for her parents, Martin and Gail and for her older brother Dylan.
Kaidrie
We have started this page to help keep
our friends and family updated on Kaidrie,
who was diagnosed with a
diffuse pontine glioma on March 12, 2004.
RachelJoy
Welcome to the webpage of one of God's miracle children. RachelJoy weighed 1 lb. 6 oz. at birth, and she continues to cope daily with many conditions that leave her medically fragile. She is refusing to give up. Her enthusiasm and tenacity for life
continue to surprise her doctors. The Lord is RachelJoy's strength. Each day is a gift from Him.
Julianna Banana
Hello everyone, welcome to my web page! My name is Julianna and I live in Winnipeg, Canada, home of Winnie the Pooh. I'm 3 years old, brown hair and brown eyes, single and a non-smoker. My turn-ons include pink clothes, Barbie toys and playing. My turn-offs are medicine and when my brother stands in front of the tv. Please stop by from time to time and see what I'm up to :-)
Cheyenne
WELCOME TO CHEYENNE’S PAGE
This page was created to help Cheyenne’s family and friends share in her daily experiences as she courageously battles this terrible beast of a tumor that threatens one to two hundred children each year.
Connor
Welcome to Connor's web page of healing.
Connor has rhabdomyosarcoma, a rare form of cancer found in children.
We established this site to keep family and friends updated on his road to recovery.
Zachary
This page was designed to update friends and family on Zachary's fight against Hemophagocytic Lympho Histiocytosis.
Boogie
Boogie-man (Dillion) has the sweetest smile. He and his mom check on Peyton almost everyday. You won't be able to have a bad day after reading his site and seeing what a gift from God he is.
Jenna
Everday That There IS A Battle, I OverCome It With A Positive Attitude and My Smile!
Katia
Little Katia is so special to us. She is such a fighter and her site is a wealth of information on other Caring Bridge patients.
Angel Ian
Ian passed away from earth at just after 6 this morning, Father's Day. Brian and I and his Aunt Lauren were with him. We told him in those last moments how much we loved him, and to go and fly with the angels
Nicole
Welcome to Nicole's webpage. Nicole was first diagnosed with an "inoperable" brainstem tumor, technical name is a low-grade brainstem astrocytoma -- focal intrinsic tumor of the pontomedullary junction, when she was 3 1/2 on July 1st 1992. Nicole is now 15 years old and continues to battle this disease. This website is dedicate to her continued journey. I have hope that Nicole will win this battle. My prayers go out to all the families and loved ones that share this fight with us.
Craiggy
Craig, who is 6 years old, was diagnosed in early August with type-B stage 4 Lymphoma
Juliet Freitag
Parents of children with cancer, or really any serious condition, are often referred to or viewed as having strength "like a rock." Albeit flattering, it isn't quite true.
It is more like the strength of an egg. An egg, you ask? Yes! If you'll think about it, you'll see my point. An egg has a polished, smooth outer appearance, with no cracks or weak spots visible. It seems almost inconceivable that the inside might not be so smooth or solid.
Most children, at some point are shown the famous egg trick. An egg set at just the right angle can withstand enormous amounts of pressure and cannot be cracked or broken. Yet the same egg, tapped gently at an ever slightly different angle, will break. The contents, once so neatly concealed, will come spilling out. The no longer perfect shell will be crushed. It looks so fragile that it seems inconceivable that it ever held any strength.
A rock, on the other hand, is solid all the way through. To break it is almost impossible. If you succeed, you will find that there is nothing inside but more rock.
It takes a lot more than pure hardness to hold the hand of hope. Parents of children with cancer are not solid all the way through. We hurt, we fear, we cry, we hope. It takes a very careful balancing act to keep the shell from being shattered. "Balancing an egg" while running a household, going for doctors' visits and hospital stays, keeping the family together, and holding on to the constantly unraveling ties of your sanity can be very tricky indeed! Occasionally, the angle will be off and the shell will break, shattering hope and all the neatly secured appearances of a truly fragile existence.
Unlike Humpty Dumpty, though, parents of kids with cancer will pick themselves up and put themselves back together again. OVER and OVER again...........
Monday, June 14, 2004 11:48 PM CDT
2 in-hospital treatments to go and counting...
Let's get new business over so we can talk about the fun stuff--Relay for Life! We were admitted today for our next-to-the-last in-patient treatment!! We are in room 415. The number is 214-456-7015. We'll be here until Friday afternoon.
Relay was a blast and a huge financial success. The books on the event won't close until the end of August, but so far, the take for this event is over $182,000!! Isn't that awesome? Here is a rundown of the day:
We checked in about 5:30 on Friday afternoon, put Peyton's purple survivor shirt on, and headed over to the survivor reception. That lasted all of 5 minutes because Peyton saw the "bounce house" and promptly blew off the reception and other survivors who wanted to visit with her so she could go jump in the bounce house :) After the reception/jumping, we were ready to start the Survivor Lap.
Before the lap, our event chairpersons, Jimmy and Shannon introduced Peyton to the crowd and named her the official honorary chair person for the event. We then took our place on the track and headed out with the other survivors for the first lap. I have tried to think of words to describe that first lap, but the words don't come. The best I can explain is that it was a combination of feelings: sadness that so many people were in purple shirts because that meant too many people had to fight cancer, pride that these same people are, in fact, victorious over cancer, and hope, knowing Peyton will continue to walk as a survivor year, after year, after year...
We were blessed to walk the lap with many special survivors, but we were doubly blessed to walk (and I use that term lightly since Princess Peyton rode in her wagon with a perfected parade-wave!) with two in particular. Weston was there and made the first lap with us. It was so amazing to have him there. He is going to beat his cancer and show it what it means to win! The other special survivor is our pastor, Wes. In September, it will be 5 years since he beat Hodgkins!! He has been a testament, to us, of the faith in our God who heals. We have told Wes that it was no accident that he, and he alone, was with Dane and I that awful December morning when the surgeon showed us Peyton's CT scans...and this weekend we walked together in celebration of he and Peyton being survivors. It's a memory that will be burned in my mind forever.
We spent the next several hours walking and visiting with our team. We had the best time with all of you that came out. A big thank you to those who supported TeamPeyton by walking with us, donating money in Peyton's name, and by prayer. An extra-special thank you to those who came and hung out with us or stopped by to visit us at CampPeyton. There are too many of you to mention and I will feel so bad if I forget someone, but you know who you are and we are so grateful for your presence that night. We do want to say a special thank you to Mike and his beautiful wife and children for coming. Mike is Peyton's Make-A-Wish, wish granter, or as Peyton affectionately calls him, Mike the Disney guy. We also were so glad to see Dr. Felty. My family kept hugging and thanking him once I told them who he was. He is so special to us because he found the lump on Peyton's kidney and immediately sent us to Children's for confirmation of what it was. Were it not for him, we could have lost weeks or longer trying to discover what Peyton's symptoms were about.
After dark, it was time for the luminaria ceremony. Event volunteers, Jenny and Michael, asked Dane and I to speak about why we chose to relay. My sister videoed the event, or I would not be able to remember half of what I said. What I do remember is having the privilege of publicly thanking our God and our savior, Jesus for the strength and peace given to us these last months. Jenny then asked Peyton if she would like to sing a song and to our ASTONISHMENT, she said yes! Peyton sang "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star" for the LARGE crowd and it sounded just like the angels singing. We couldn't believe she did it. After we left the stage, Peyton asked when she could sing another song! I think we've created a monster :)
Peyton had so much fun "camping out" and was so well behaved! She stayed up until after midnight, and then went into the tent to sleep, but those of us who opted to camp out for the night stayed up ALL NIGHT. We fulfilled the event goal of having someone from our team on the track at all times. Not an easy feat, but we did it. We enjoyed fellowship, yummy snacks, good music and watching all the people walk for such a great cause. It was something else to see God give us that special 12 hours as a result of something as awful as cancer. We're hooked for life and TeamPeyton will be a regular fixture at future Relay events.
Here are a few of my favorite highlights of the evening, and most of these may be inside jokes for the core crowd that stayed up all night, but if you were there, I hope these memories make you smile like they do for me...
"Big hair" due to the high humidity
2 words--the dingo
The neighboring camp with great coffee
The damp chairs and tent due to the high humidity
Suffering through some interesting karaoke together
Almond-stuffed olives
Justin's slave driving--ooops, I mean leadership in making sure we stayed on our walking schedule
Oh my goodness--is it 1000 umidity out here or what??
Flawless execution of cake walking skills that garnered us a couple of great desserts
Endless laps looking at the luminarias
Sore feet from walking so much, sore cheeks from laughing so hard
Did I mention the humidity?
To Jimmy and Shannon--I would never have guessed this was your first year to chair Relay had you not told us early on. You did such a fantastic job. The event was flawless, fun and a financial success. I hope you guys are getting some rest after all the hard work you put in this last year.
Don't forget to pray for Weston. He checks in tomorrow for his Bone Marrow Transplant. This stay will mark the beginning of the 3 week hospital stay I have mentioned many times before. He will also be having surgery to repair or replace his central line tomorrow. Please pray they will get his central line problem fixed correctly so it won't be an issue anymore.
Have a great week. Go see the new photos. My mom took the best pictures, so as soon as I get them, I'll post more.
Please be sure and scroll down to see our (ever-growing) list of friends who need your prayers. Much love to you all!
Please sign the guestbook and let us know you were here. Peyton loves it when we read her what you wrote.
Also, please visit our online Family and Friends Photo Album
Please remember in prayer, our friends from Children's Medical: Weston, Lauryn, Griffin, Tyler, Courtney, Jorge, Alex, Derek, Alexis, Amber, Sara, Kevin, Kelsey, Forest, Megan, Eric, Mackenzie, Jordan and all the other brave cancer kids out there fighting such a tough battle. Please also pray for Logan, Jonathon, Jasmine and Lucas for their continued remission and Elisha for his continued health and success in his hematology(GVHD)treatment and newly-diagnosed, Cameron, for his battle against CCSK. Bless you all!
We have several Caring Bridge friends we keep in contact with and check on daily. Their stories are inspirational, and they all can use our prayers, so here they are. I'm sure I will (sadly) be adding to this list quite often. When I have more time :) I promise to get these in an organized drop-down list, but maybe this can do for now:
Hannah
Hi, my name is Hannah Glenn and this is my story of the ongoing journey to beat a rare childhood cancer. I was diagnosed with Neuroblastoma stage 1V on June 8, 2002 at 22 months of age.
Lauren
Welcome to Laurens Web Page. It has been provided to keep family and friends updated about our Child. Lauren was diagnosed with bilateral wilms tumor stage V favorable histology in October 2003
LaKota
This is a special family to me. LaKota lost a brother, she never knew, to AML in 1990. He was very sensitive to the effects of chemo and couldn't tolerate his treatment. Now LaKota has AML and is showing to have the same sensitivity. Her mom is asking for prayers for earthly healing. LaKota recently had a blood cord transplant. Please pray for LaKota's new cells to grow, grow, grow. She's also in some pain right now and needs our prayers for relief.
Kate
Welcome to our 6 year old daughter Kate's Web Page. We are writing this to keep family and friends, both old and new, updated on how Kate is doing in her battle with Kidney Cancer, a stage II Wilms tumor.
Angel Miranda Rae
Miranda Rae Went to be with Jesus on June 5, 2004. God was faithful to His promise to cure Miranda of her cancer. She flies free of pain and worry and will live in glory forever as a precious 4 year old. Please pray for her parents, Martin and Gail and for her older brother Dylan.
Kaidrie
We have started this page to help keep
our friends and family updated on Kaidrie,
who was diagnosed with a
diffuse pontine glioma on March 12, 2004.
RachelJoy
Welcome to the webpage of one of God's miracle children. RachelJoy weighed 1 lb. 6 oz. at birth, and she continues to cope daily with many conditions that leave her medically fragile. She is refusing to give up. Her enthusiasm and tenacity for life
continue to surprise her doctors. The Lord is RachelJoy's strength. Each day is a gift from Him.
Julianna Banana
Hello everyone, welcome to my web page! My name is Julianna and I live in Winnipeg, Canada, home of Winnie the Pooh. I'm 3 years old, brown hair and brown eyes, single and a non-smoker. My turn-ons include pink clothes, Barbie toys and playing. My turn-offs are medicine and when my brother stands in front of the tv. Please stop by from time to time and see what I'm up to :-)
Cheyenne
WELCOME TO CHEYENNE’S PAGE
This page was created to help Cheyenne’s family and friends share in her daily experiences as she courageously battles this terrible beast of a tumor that threatens one to two hundred children each year.
Connor
Welcome to Connor's web page of healing.
Connor has rhabdomyosarcoma, a rare form of cancer found in children.
We established this site to keep family and friends updated on his road to recovery.
Zachary
This page was designed to update friends and family on Zachary's fight against Hemophagocytic Lympho Histiocytosis.
Boogie
Boogie-man (Dillion) has the sweetest smile. He and his mom check on Peyton almost everyday. You won't be able to have a bad day after reading his site and seeing what a gift from God he is.
Jenna
Everday That There IS A Battle, I OverCome It With A Positive Attitude and My Smile!
Katia
Little Katia is so special to us. She is such a fighter and her site is a wealth of information on other Caring Bridge patients.
Ian
Welcome to Ian's Web Page. It has been provided to keep friends and family updated about Ian during his treatment for rhabdomyosarcoma.
Nicole
Welcome to Nicole's webpage. Nicole was first diagnosed with an "inoperable" brainstem tumor, technical name is a low-grade brainstem astrocytoma -- focal intrinsic tumor of the pontomedullary junction, when she was 3 1/2 on July 1st 1992. Nicole is now 15 years old and continues to battle this disease. This website is dedicate to her continued journey. I have hope that Nicole will win this battle. My prayers go out to all the families and loved ones that share this fight with us.
Craiggy
Craig, who is 6 years old, was diagnosed in early August with type-B stage 4 Lymphoma
Juliet Freitag
Parents of children with cancer, or really any serious condition, are often referred to or viewed as having strength "like a rock." Albeit flattering, it isn't quite true.
It is more like the strength of an egg. An egg, you ask? Yes! If you'll think about it, you'll see my point. An egg has a polished, smooth outer appearance, with no cracks or weak spots visible. It seems almost inconceivable that the inside might not be so smooth or solid.
Most children, at some point are shown the famous egg trick. An egg set at just the right angle can withstand enormous amounts of pressure and cannot be cracked or broken. Yet the same egg, tapped gently at an ever slightly different angle, will break. The contents, once so neatly concealed, will come spilling out. The no longer perfect shell will be crushed. It looks so fragile that it seems inconceivable that it ever held any strength.
A rock, on the other hand, is solid all the way through. To break it is almost impossible. If you succeed, you will find that there is nothing inside but more rock.
It takes a lot more than pure hardness to hold the hand of hope. Parents of children with cancer are not solid all the way through. We hurt, we fear, we cry, we hope. It takes a very careful balancing act to keep the shell from being shattered. "Balancing an egg" while running a household, going for doctors' visits and hospital stays, keeping the family together, and holding on to the constantly unraveling ties of your sanity can be very tricky indeed! Occasionally, the angle will be off and the shell will break, shattering hope and all the neatly secured appearances of a truly fragile existence.
Unlike Humpty Dumpty, though, parents of kids with cancer will pick themselves up and put themselves back together again. OVER and OVER again...........
Tuesday, June 8, 2004 9:13 PM CDT
**UPDATE Kaidrie's (see link below) MRI's were not good. In addition to that, her parents are understandably not handling the news well. Please pray for Kaid to be freed from this cancer and for her parents to find renewed peace in Jesus.
*We have a new friend named Cameron. He was just diagnosed in April with CCSK. As you know, this cancer is so rare, we rarely find others in the same boat as us (it's part of the reason that Jonathon is extra-special to us). Cameron doesn't have a site yet. If he gets one, I'll post the link. In the meantime, please pray for him, his mom and his sister as they embark on his treatment and into this scary new world.
2 in-hospital treatments to go and counting...
Thank you all for your prayers for our special friend Miranda. She passed so peacefully and is about to embark on her first of eternal, awesome, summers with Jesus. Please continue to lift up her family Martin, Gail and Dylan for peace.
What a nice day we had today. It's been, um....raining. We're pretty sure we have gills now, but we'll see. You have to understand that June in Texas is not known for it's rain, so when we see as much of it as we have lately, it's something to bore...I mean, write to you about. To spend the day doing something fun, the girls and I went to a nearby town to go to the library. Peyton and I wore this library out before she got sick and we haven't been back in a while. It felt so normal (there goes that word again) to be there. Peyton was enamored with the library's pet Gecko. Now she wants one. I kept explaining that a Gecko was awfully expensive kitty food for us to be getting for our our cat Gizmo, but that went over her head.
After the library, we went to the Bead Barn. The girls love to make jewelry. Peyton is making me a bracelet, watching Fairly Odd Parents, and complaining it's been a whole hour since her last snack as I type this. My little princess is becoming such a multi-tasker! After the Bead Barn, we went across the street to this neat store called Mosaic Madness. We'd never been there before, but we will be back. Such a great way to spend a hot (or rainy) Texas day. Peyton made a "Jesus Cross" out of pastel mosaic tiles and Lindsay made a sunflower for her room. We have to go back tomorrow to grout the fine pieces of art, so pictures will be forthcoming. After that, we bummed around a few antique stores where the girls found a few little things. I should stop talking about our day now because daddy is at work, no doubt reading this, and saying, "HOW MUCH MONEY DID YOU SPEND TODAY, LOVE OF MY LIFE??"
This will be my last entry before Relay for Life. We are so excited. We want to send out BIG hugs and thanks to our friend in Christ, Daryl from Victory Promotions. His company made our cool campsite banner for the Relay. Thank you, Daryl, for your creativity and generosity. While we're talking about generous people, let me say thank you to Jimmy and Shannon Beaudoin for everything they have done to make Peyton's team what it is. I signed up for a relay team and then promptly started to slack on my duties since we were busy with Peyton and her clinic and hospital schedule. Jimmy and Shannon have essentially run everything that I should have been and for that, we are so thankful. Next year, I am going to be the most organized team captain you have, I SWEAR! :) Thank you, also, to Jenny Due for her support and promotion with the luminaria purchases and for doing something special for Peyton for the luminaria ceremony. We don't know what you have in store, but I know it will be wonderful. Lastly, thank you to our awesome members of TeamPeyton. There are special family and life-long friends on our team and then there are people signed on to our team we don't even know. They just felt the need to stop cancer in it's slimy tracks and are doing so by supporting our team. Thank you all, and know how much we love and thank you. We have been watching the weather and it looks like a sunny, not-so-hot day for Friday, so we are going to have a ball! Thank you God! Look for us at the relay. We're the ones with the really cool banner and lots of pink stuff laying around. Does ANYONE know where we can get pink tiki-torches and grill?
Weston, his brother, and parents are coming for Relay!! We are so happy. Those of you that will be in attendance are in for a real treat. Peyton and Weston are extraordinary kids, but put them together, and they are the cutest couple you have ever seen. Peyton will be so so much sweeter to Weston when she sees him because he won't be attached to an IV pole. Peyton hen pecks him about running around with his pole trailing behind him when we're in the hospital together :) She's going to make someone a great wife someday ;)
I'll close for now. Peyton is pushing for a "run for the border" if you get my advertising drift. Gotta love this new appetite stimulant she's on! :) Sleep well and love your kids this week.
We are rapidly coming up on our local Relay for Life (June 11-12). I hope everyone has found a team to support. Cancer research needs our money to put an end to parents having to see the looks on doctors faces as they give them the scariest news you can imagine. As long as I live, I will never forget the look on the surgeon's face as she came to tell us the CT Scan showed a large tumor...
Please be sure and scroll down to see our (ever-growing) list of friends who need your prayers. Much love to you all!
Please sign the guestbook and let us know you were here. Peyton loves it when we read her what you wrote.
Also, please visit our online Family and Friends Photo Album
Peyton's daddy, sister and I have formed a team through Relay for Life. It is a wonderful event sponsored by the American Cancer Society that raises money for cancer research. Our team is called TeamPeyton and we will be participating in the Ellis County relay on June 11 and 12. If you are interested in joining our team, creating your own team (in Ellis County) or donating money to Relay for Life, please contact Jimmy and Shannon Beaudoin at 972.723.2407 or email at beaudoin_shannon@yahoo.com. This is a awe-inspiring event and most money raised funds research at local facilities. Children's Medical Center (where Peyton receives treatment) is a Phase I facility. This means groundbreaking research treatment is performed at Children's and that happens when money is funneled into research. If you can help, please do.
Please remember in prayer, our friends from Children's Medical: Weston, Lauryn, Griffin, Tyler, Courtney, Jorge, Alex, Derek, Alexis, Amber, Sara, Kevin, Kelsey, Forest, Megan, Eric, Mackenzie, Jordan and all the other brave cancer kids out there fighting such a tough battle. Please also pray for Logan, Jonathon, Jasmine and Lucas for their continued remission and Elisha for his continued health and success in his hematology(GVHD)treatment and newly-diagnosed, Cameron, for his battle against CCSK. Bless you all!
We have several Caring Bridge friends we keep in contact with and check on daily. Their stories are inspirational, and they all can use our prayers, so here they are. I'm sure I will (sadly) be adding to this list quite often. When I have more time :) I promise to get these in an organized drop-down list, but maybe this can do for now:
Hannah
Hi, my name is Hannah Glenn and this is my story of the ongoing journey to beat a rare childhood cancer. I was diagnosed with Neuroblastoma stage 1V on June 8, 2002 at 22 months of age.
Lauren
Welcome to Laurens Web Page. It has been provided to keep family and friends updated about our Child. Lauren was diagnosed with bilateral wilms tumor stage V favorable histology in October 2003
LaKota
This is a special family to me. LaKota lost a brother, she never knew, to AML in 1990. He was very sensitive to the effects of chemo and couldn't tolerate his treatment. Now LaKota has AML and is showing to have the same sensitivity. Her mom is asking for prayers for earthly healing. LaKota recently had a blood cord transplant. Please pray for LaKota's new cells to grow, grow, grow. She's also in some pain right now and needs our prayers for relief.
Kate
Welcome to our 6 year old daughter Kate's Web Page. We are writing this to keep family and friends, both old and new, updated on how Kate is doing in her battle with Kidney Cancer, a stage II Wilms tumor.
Angel Miranda Rae
Miranda Rae Went to be with Jesus on June 5, 2004. God was faithful to His promise to cure Miranda of her cancer. She flies free of pain and worry and will live in glory forever as a precious 4 year old. Please pray for her parents, Martin and Gail and for her older brother Dylan.
Kaidrie
We have started this page to help keep
our friends and family updated on Kaidrie,
who was diagnosed with a
diffuse pontine glioma on March 12, 2004.
RachelJoy
Welcome to the webpage of one of God's miracle children. RachelJoy weighed 1 lb. 6 oz. at birth, and she continues to cope daily with many conditions that leave her medically fragile. She is refusing to give up. Her enthusiasm and tenacity for life
continue to surprise her doctors. The Lord is RachelJoy's strength. Each day is a gift from Him.
Julianna Banana
Hello everyone, welcome to my web page! My name is Julianna and I live in Winnipeg, Canada, home of Winnie the Pooh. I'm 3 years old, brown hair and brown eyes, single and a non-smoker. My turn-ons include pink clothes, Barbie toys and playing. My turn-offs are medicine and when my brother stands in front of the tv. Please stop by from time to time and see what I'm up to :-)
Cheyenne
WELCOME TO CHEYENNE’S PAGE
This page was created to help Cheyenne’s family and friends share in her daily experiences as she courageously battles this terrible beast of a tumor that threatens one to two hundred children each year.
Connor
Welcome to Connor's web page of healing.
Connor has rhabdomyosarcoma, a rare form of cancer found in children.
We established this site to keep family and friends updated on his road to recovery.
Zachary
This page was designed to update friends and family on Zachary's fight against Hemophagocytic Lympho Histiocytosis.
Boogie
Boogie-man (Dillion) has the sweetest smile. He and his mom check on Peyton almost everyday. You won't be able to have a bad day after reading his site and seeing what a gift from God he is.
Jenna
Everday That There IS A Battle, I OverCome It With A Positive Attitude and My Smile!
Katia
Little Katia is so special to us. She is such a fighter and her site is a wealth of information on other Caring Bridge patients.
Ian
Welcome to Ian's Web Page. It has been provided to keep friends and family updated about Ian during his treatment for rhabdomyosarcoma.
Nicole
Welcome to Nicole's webpage. Nicole was first diagnosed with an "inoperable" brainstem tumor, technical name is a low-grade brainstem astrocytoma -- focal intrinsic tumor of the pontomedullary junction, when she was 3 1/2 on July 1st 1992. Nicole is now 15 years old and continues to battle this disease. This website is dedicate to her continued journey. I have hope that Nicole will win this battle. My prayers go out to all the families and loved ones that share this fight with us.
Craiggy
Craig, who is 6 years old, was diagnosed in early August with type-B stage 4 Lymphoma
Juliet Freitag
Parents of children with cancer, or really any serious condition, are often referred to or viewed as having strength "like a rock." Albeit flattering, it isn't quite true.
It is more like the strength of an egg. An egg, you ask? Yes! If you'll think about it, you'll see my point. An egg has a polished, smooth outer appearance, with no cracks or weak spots visible. It seems almost inconceivable that the inside might not be so smooth or solid.
Most children, at some point are shown the famous egg trick. An egg set at just the right angle can withstand enormous amounts of pressure and cannot be cracked or broken. Yet the same egg, tapped gently at an ever slightly different angle, will break. The contents, once so neatly concealed, will come spilling out. The no longer perfect shell will be crushed. It looks so fragile that it seems inconceivable that it ever held any strength.
A rock, on the other hand, is solid all the way through. To break it is almost impossible. If you succeed, you will find that there is nothing inside but more rock.
It takes a lot more than pure hardness to hold the hand of hope. Parents of children with cancer are not solid all the way through. We hurt, we fear, we cry, we hope. It takes a very careful balancing act to keep the shell from being shattered. "Balancing an egg" while running a household, going for doctors' visits and hospital stays, keeping the family together, and holding on to the constantly unraveling ties of your sanity can be very tricky indeed! Occasionally, the angle will be off and the shell will break, shattering hope and all the neatly secured appearances of a truly fragile existence.
Unlike Humpty Dumpty, though, parents of kids with cancer will pick themselves up and put themselves back together again. OVER and OVER again...........
Friday, June 4, 2004 10:25 PM CDT
***Saturday, June 5, 2004 9:52 AM CDT
Please see the latest entry on Miranda's page...
This is John Shively, Martin's brother, entering this journal entry.
At about breakfast time this morning, Miranda passed away. She was with her mother and father and many family members through the night and into the morning...that is to say she was in good company.
Funeral arrangements are pending at this moment and I will post that information as soon as it becomes available. In the place of flowers, I do know that Martin and Gail have a charity that they would prefer you consider. I will post the appropriate information for that charity as soon as I have all of the details.
*We have a new friend named Cameron. He was just diagnosed in April with CCSK. As you know, this cancer is so rare, we rarely find others in the same boat as us (it's part of the reason that Jonathon is extra-special to us). Cameron doesn't have a site yet. If he gets one, I'll post the link. In the meantime, please pray for him, his mom and his sister as they embark on his treatment and into this scary new world.
2 in-hospital treatments to go and counting...
Sorry for the long lapse in updates. I'm getting my act together finally. It's been an interesting week. Peyton is feeling great and is eating us out of house and home :) She's had a few down moments--her allergies are bugging her and she was pretty nauseous this morning.
When the clinic reported how well her ANC looked--23,000--a personal best for Peyton, they told us we could skip the next two clinic visits since her counts aren't likely to fall too low before we start our next chemo. On one hand, we are loving this new found freedom of no clinic, but on the other, it's forcing us to live normally--and I don't think I was ready for the mixed emotions of that. For me, I don't know what normal feels like anymore, so I am re-inventing the idea of "normal". I'm optimistic about it...I think.
My mom, Lindsay, and some friends of ours and I took Peyton to a local water park this week. I used multi-layers of SPF 6,000,000 (okay it was only SPF 50!) and you would never know Peyton was in the sun. Peyton's doctors frown on sun exposure during chemo, so I knew if she was the slightest bit sun-kissed, the doctors would be on me like ducks on a junebug (hey, I live in semi-rural Texas. It's a legit saying where I'm from) Peyton LOVED the water park. She is a huge fan of the wave pool. She's so fearless--does not get that from me. Her bravery is serving her so well these days.
Peyton has decided that in addition to being a princess, she is also a cheerleader. I found her a cute cheerleading outfit and she loves to wear it. My mother is a reformed ;) cheerleader sponsor at her high school and was able to score us some authentic varsity squad poms. Peyton is thrilled. Last night, she did about an hours worth of loud and proud cheers--all of them made up. As my sister commented, "so this is what an ANC of 23,000 looks like." Did I mention that Peyton is VERY energetic right now??
Next week, I think we're going to ride the train from Dallas to Ft. Worth and hang out at Aunt Stephanie's. We are also going to try to go see Peyton's friend Rylan. He used to live across the street from us, but they moved a couple of months ago. It will be a fun road trip. Of course, Friday is Relay for Life. We are REALLY excited about that. Dane and I have friends coming in to town that we haven't see in light years and if he's feeling well enough, Weston and his wonderful family are coming out too. Peyton will be walking in the survivor lap at 7:00 pm on Friday. If you are in our area, we invite you to come out and see her and all the other brave souls who have stared down the cancer beast and are winning. We will be the ones in the camp site with all the princess garb :)
Love your kids this week. Don't forget to pray for Miranda and visit her site for updates. Love to you all.
We are rapidly coming up on our local Relay for Life (June 11-12). I hope everyone has found a team to support. Cancer research needs our money to put an end to parents having to see the looks on doctors faces as they give them the scariest news you can imagine. As long as I live, I will never forget the look on the surgeon's face as she came to tell us the CT Scan showed a large tumor...
Please be sure and scroll down to see our (ever-growing) list of friends who need your prayers. Much love to you all!
Please sign the guestbook and let us know you were here. Peyton loves it when we read her what you wrote.
Also, please visit our online Family and Friends Photo Album
Peyton's daddy, sister and I have formed a team through Relay for Life. It is a wonderful event sponsored by the American Cancer Society that raises money for cancer research. Our team is called TeamPeyton and we will be participating in the Ellis County relay on June 11 and 12. If you are interested in joining our team, creating your own team (in Ellis County) or donating money to Relay for Life, please contact Jimmy and Shannon Beaudoin at 972.723.2407 or email at beaudoin_shannon@yahoo.com. This is a awe-inspiring event and most money raised funds research at local facilities. Children's Medical Center (where Peyton receives treatment) is a Phase I facility. This means groundbreaking research treatment is performed at Children's and that happens when money is funneled into research. If you can help, please do.
Please remember in prayer, our friends from Children's Medical: Weston, Lauryn, Griffin, Tyler, Courtney, Jorge, Alex, Derek, Alexis, Amber, Sara, Kevin, Kelsey, Forest, Megan, Eric, Mackenzie, Jordan and all the other brave cancer kids out there fighting such a tough battle. Please also pray for Logan, Jonathon, Jasmine and Lucas for their continued remission and Elisha for his continued health and success in his hematology(GVHD)treatment and newly-diagnosed, Cameron, for his battle against CCSK. Bless you all!
We have several Caring Bridge friends we keep in contact with and check on daily. Their stories are inspirational, and they all can use our prayers, so here they are. I'm sure I will (sadly) be adding to this list quite often. When I have more time :) I promise to get these in an organized drop-down list, but maybe this can do for now:
Hannah
Hi, my name is Hannah Glenn and this is my story of the ongoing journey to beat a rare childhood cancer. I was diagnosed with Neuroblastoma stage 1V on June 8, 2002 at 22 months of age.
Lauren
Welcome to Laurens Web Page. It has been provided to keep family and friends updated about our Child. Lauren was diagnosed with bilateral wilms tumor stage V favorable histology in October 2003
LaKota
This is a special family to me. LaKota lost a brother, she never knew, to AML in 1990. He was very sensitive to the effects of chemo and couldn't tolerate his treatment. Now LaKota has AML and is showing to have the same sensitivity. Her mom is asking for prayers for earthly healing. LaKota recently had a blood cord transplant. Please pray for LaKota's new cells to grow, grow, grow. She's also in some pain right now and needs our prayers for relief.
Kate
Welcome to our 6 year old daughter Kate's Web Page. We are writing this to keep family and friends, both old and new, updated on how Kate is doing in her battle with Kidney Cancer, a stage II Wilms tumor.
Angel Miranda Rae
Miranda Rae Went to be with Jesus on June 5, 2004. God was faithful to His promise to cure Miranda of her cancer. She flies free of pain and worry and will live in glory forever as a precious 4 year old. Please pray for her parents, Martin and Gail and for her older brother Dylan.
Kaidrie
We have started this page to help keep
our friends and family updated on Kaidrie,
who was diagnosed with a
diffuse pontine glioma on March 12, 2004.
RachelJoy
Welcome to the webpage of one of God's miracle children. RachelJoy weighed 1 lb. 6 oz. at birth, and she continues to cope daily with many conditions that leave her medically fragile. She is refusing to give up. Her enthusiasm and tenacity for life
continue to surprise her doctors. The Lord is RachelJoy's strength. Each day is a gift from Him.
Julianna Banana
Hello everyone, welcome to my web page! My name is Julianna and I live in Winnipeg, Canada, home of Winnie the Pooh. I'm 3 years old, brown hair and brown eyes, single and a non-smoker. My turn-ons include pink clothes, Barbie toys and playing. My turn-offs are medicine and when my brother stands in front of the tv. Please stop by from time to time and see what I'm up to :-)
Cheyenne
WELCOME TO CHEYENNE’S PAGE
This page was created to help Cheyenne’s family and friends share in her daily experiences as she courageously battles this terrible beast of a tumor that threatens one to two hundred children each year.
Connor
Welcome to Connor's web page of healing.
Connor has rhabdomyosarcoma, a rare form of cancer found in children.
We established this site to keep family and friends updated on his road to recovery.
Zachary
This page was designed to update friends and family on Zachary's fight against Hemophagocytic Lympho Histiocytosis.
Boogie
Boogie-man (Dillion) has the sweetest smile. He and his mom check on Peyton almost everyday. You won't be able to have a bad day after reading his site and seeing what a gift from God he is.
Jenna
Everday That There IS A Battle, I OverCome It With A Positive Attitude and My Smile!
Katia
Little Katia is so special to us. She is such a fighter and her site is a wealth of information on other Caring Bridge patients.
Ian
Welcome to Ian's Web Page. It has been provided to keep friends and family updated about Ian during his treatment for rhabdomyosarcoma.
Nicole
Welcome to Nicole's webpage. Nicole was first diagnosed with an "inoperable" brainstem tumor, technical name is a low-grade brainstem astrocytoma -- focal intrinsic tumor of the pontomedullary junction, when she was 3 1/2 on July 1st 1992. Nicole is now 15 years old and continues to battle this disease. This website is dedicate to her continued journey. I have hope that Nicole will win this battle. My prayers go out to all the families and loved ones that share this fight with us.
Craiggy
Craig, who is 6 years old, was diagnosed in early August with type-B stage 4 Lymphoma
Juliet Freitag
Parents of children with cancer, or really any serious condition, are often referred to or viewed as having strength "like a rock." Albeit flattering, it isn't quite true.
It is more like the strength of an egg. An egg, you ask? Yes! If you'll think about it, you'll see my point. An egg has a polished, smooth outer appearance, with no cracks or weak spots visible. It seems almost inconceivable that the inside might not be so smooth or solid.
Most children, at some point are shown the famous egg trick. An egg set at just the right angle can withstand enormous amounts of pressure and cannot be cracked or broken. Yet the same egg, tapped gently at an ever slightly different angle, will break. The contents, once so neatly concealed, will come spilling out. The no longer perfect shell will be crushed. It looks so fragile that it seems inconceivable that it ever held any strength.
A rock, on the other hand, is solid all the way through. To break it is almost impossible. If you succeed, you will find that there is nothing inside but more rock.
It takes a lot more than pure hardness to hold the hand of hope. Parents of children with cancer are not solid all the way through. We hurt, we fear, we cry, we hope. It takes a very careful balancing act to keep the shell from being shattered. "Balancing an egg" while running a household, going for doctors' visits and hospital stays, keeping the family together, and holding on to the constantly unraveling ties of your sanity can be very tricky indeed! Occasionally, the angle will be off and the shell will break, shattering hope and all the neatly secured appearances of a truly fragile existence.
Unlike Humpty Dumpty, though, parents of kids with cancer will pick themselves up and put themselves back together again. OVER and OVER again...........
Monday, May 31, 2004 8:37 PM CDT
***Our little Caring Bridge friend, Miranda Rae, is not doing well at all. Her dad indicates it could be a matter of days or hours before she goes home to live with Jesus. I know that this turn of events is NOT what any of us wanted to happen when we prayed for her healing, but God is faithful to ALL His promises and WILL heal her. He will heal her when He brings her to heaven to live with Him. Please pray for Gail and Martin to have the strength and peace to let her go. Go hug your kids and thank God for them...
2 in-hospital treatments to go and counting...
UPDATE: We heard from the clinic yesterday. Peyton's ANC is 23,638!! Her WBC is 17.9. Suffice to say, we get to stop the GCSF shots :-)
What a busy weekend! Several of our kids from youth group graduated over the last few days and they kept us busy with ceremonies, parties, senior day at church, etc...
Peyton is still feeling well. She is eating great and has felt good enough to go to the park for a little bit and go swimming a couple of times. She really likes the water, but gets so cold easily, so she won't stay in too long. It's so strange, but since starting chemo, she gets cold very easily. It must be one of the MANY great side effects this chemo does to her little body.
I can tell summer is here. Lindsay is out of school and we've hardly seen her!! She is off at various friends' houses. It's so nice to see her being normal and having fun with her friends and not worrying about Peyton. Peyton goes back in to the clinic Tuesday morning for a finger stick (or stinger fickin as Peyton calls it) to see how her counts are. If they're good enough, we can stop the GCSF shots until the next round of chemo. I'll let you know how the counts are when the labs are in.
We are closing in on the Relay for Life. Peyton is so excited at the prospect of camping out during Relay. Daddy and I are excited about the prospect of seeing all the other survivors and walking with Princess Peyton on the survivor lap. We were scheduled to be in the hospital for chemo on the weekend of Relay, but Peyton's primary Oncologist knew it was important for us to be at Relay, so he is letting us delay the treatment a few days. The extra good news is that puts us in the hospital when Weston is in next. Peyton and Weston won't get to see each other because Weston will be in isolation for his BMT, but Weston's mom and I can see each other and hopefully give her a break from being stuck in isolation too. Don't forget to keep praying for Weston as his transplant approaches. Weston's tumor is gone because we have asked God to heal him and we need to keep asking God to make this transplant end Weston's cancer once and for all. While you have God's ear, don't forget to pray for our very special friends listed below. They all need God's healing hand and some of them need a miracle.
Thanks for continuing to sign the guestbook. We have made so many wonderful new friends that way. Have a super week. Hug a veteran and thank them for their sacrifices. We love you all. Until next time...
We are rapidly coming up on our local Relay for Life (June 11-12). I hope everyone has found a team to support. Cancer research needs our money to put an end to parents having to see the looks on doctors faces as they give them the scariest news you can imagine. As long as I live, I will never forget the look on the surgeon's face as she came to tell us the CT Scan showed a large tumor...
Please be sure and scroll down to see our (ever-growing) list of friends who need your prayers. Much love to you all!
Please sign the guestbook and let us know you were here. Peyton loves it when we read her what you wrote.
Also, please visit our online Family and Friends Photo Album
Peyton's daddy, sister and I have formed a team through Relay for Life. It is a wonderful event sponsored by the American Cancer Society that raises money for cancer research. Our team is called TeamPeyton and we will be participating in the Ellis County relay on June 11 and 12. If you are interested in joining our team, creating your own team (in Ellis County) or donating money to Relay for Life, please contact Jimmy and Shannon Beaudoin at 972.723.2407 or email at beaudoin_shannon@yahoo.com. This is a awe-inspiring event and most money raised funds research at local facilities. Children's Medical Center (where Peyton receives treatment) is a Phase I facility. This means groundbreaking research treatment is performed at Children's and that happens when money is funneled into research. If you can help, please do.
Please remember in prayer, our friends from Children's Medical: Weston, Lauryn, Griffin, Tyler, Courtney, Jorge, Alex, Derek, Alexis, Amber, Sara, Kevin, Kelsey, Forest, Megan, Eric, Mackenzie, Jordan and all the other brave cancer kids out there fighting such a tough battle. Please also pray for Logan, Jonathon, Jasmine and Lucas for their continued remission and Elisha for his continued health and success in his hematology(GVHD)treatment. Bless you all!
We have several Caring Bridge friends we keep in contact with and check on daily. Their stories are inspirational, and they all can use our prayers, so here they are. I'm sure I will (sadly) be adding to this list quite often. When I have more time :) I promise to get these in an organized drop-down list, but maybe this can do for now:
Hannah
Hi, my name is Hannah Glenn and this is my story of the ongoing journey to beat a rare childhood cancer. I was diagnosed with Neuroblastoma stage 1V on June 8, 2002 at 22 months of age.
Lauren
Welcome to Laurens Web Page. It has been provided to keep family and friends updated about our Child. Lauren was diagnosed with bilateral wilms tumor stage V favorable histology in October 2003
LaKota
This is a special family to me. LaKota lost a brother, she never knew, to AML in 1990. He was very sensitive to the effects of chemo and couldn't tolerate his treatment. Now LaKota has AML and is showing to have the same sensitivity. Her mom is asking for prayers for earthly healing. LaKota recently had a blood cord transplant. Please pray for LaKota's new cells to grow, grow, grow. She's also in some pain right now and needs our prayers for relief.
Kate
Welcome to our 6 year old daughter Kate's Web Page. We are writing this to keep family and friends, both old and new, updated on how Kate is doing in her battle with Kidney Cancer, a stage II Wilms tumor.
Miranda Rae
Miranda Rae is really struggling with pneumonia right now. Her dad's latest entry, frankly, scared me. He made reference to Miranda Rae coming home from the hospital, but only so she could die at home. PLEASE pray for her. Her little body is too weak to fight off the infection she has. This baby needs a miracle and we need to be asking God for it.
Kaidrie
We have started this page to help keep
our friends and family updated on Kaidrie,
who was diagnosed with a
diffuse pontine glioma on March 12, 2004.
RachelJoy
Welcome to the webpage of one of God's miracle children. RachelJoy weighed 1 lb. 6 oz. at birth, and she continues to cope daily with many conditions that leave her medically fragile. She is refusing to give up. Her enthusiasm and tenacity for life
continue to surprise her doctors. The Lord is RachelJoy's strength. Each day is a gift from Him.
Julianna Banana
Hello everyone, welcome to my web page! My name is Julianna and I live in Winnipeg, Canada, home of Winnie the Pooh. I'm 3 years old, brown hair and brown eyes, single and a non-smoker. My turn-ons include pink clothes, Barbie toys and playing. My turn-offs are medicine and when my brother stands in front of the tv. Please stop by from time to time and see what I'm up to :-)
Cheyenne
WELCOME TO CHEYENNE’S PAGE
This page was created to help Cheyenne’s family and friends share in her daily experiences as she courageously battles this terrible beast of a tumor that threatens one to two hundred children each year.
Connor
Welcome to Connor's web page of healing.
Connor has rhabdomyosarcoma, a rare form of cancer found in children.
We established this site to keep family and friends updated on his road to recovery.
Zachary
This page was designed to update friends and family on Zachary's fight against Hemophagocytic Lympho Histiocytosis.
Boogie
Boogie-man (Dillion) has the sweetest smile. He and his mom check on Peyton almost everyday. You won't be able to have a bad day after reading his site and seeing what a gift from God he is.
Jenna
Everday That There IS A Battle, I OverCome It With A Positive Attitude and My Smile!
Katia
Little Katia is so special to us. She is such a fighter and her site is a wealth of information on other Caring Bridge patients.
Ian
Welcome to Ian's Web Page. It has been provided to keep friends and family updated about Ian during his treatment for rhabdomyosarcoma.
Nicole
Welcome to Nicole's webpage. Nicole was first diagnosed with an "inoperable" brainstem tumor, technical name is a low-grade brainstem astrocytoma -- focal intrinsic tumor of the pontomedullary junction, when she was 3 1/2 on July 1st 1992. Nicole is now 15 years old and continues to battle this disease. This website is dedicate to her continued journey. I have hope that Nicole will win this battle. My prayers go out to all the families and loved ones that share this fight with us.
Craiggy
Craig, who is 6 years old, was diagnosed in early August with type-B stage 4 Lymphoma
Juliet Freitag
Parents of children with cancer, or really any serious condition, are often referred to or viewed as having strength "like a rock." Albeit flattering, it isn't quite true.
It is more like the strength of an egg. An egg, you ask? Yes! If you'll think about it, you'll see my point. An egg has a polished, smooth outer appearance, with no cracks or weak spots visible. It seems almost inconceivable that the inside might not be so smooth or solid.
Most children, at some point are shown the famous egg trick. An egg set at just the right angle can withstand enormous amounts of pressure and cannot be cracked or broken. Yet the same egg, tapped gently at an ever slightly different angle, will break. The contents, once so neatly concealed, will come spilling out. The no longer perfect shell will be crushed. It looks so fragile that it seems inconceivable that it ever held any strength.
A rock, on the other hand, is solid all the way through. To break it is almost impossible. If you succeed, you will find that there is nothing inside but more rock.
It takes a lot more than pure hardness to hold the hand of hope. Parents of children with cancer are not solid all the way through. We hurt, we fear, we cry, we hope. It takes a very careful balancing act to keep the shell from being shattered. "Balancing an egg" while running a household, going for doctors' visits and hospital stays, keeping the family together, and holding on to the constantly unraveling ties of your sanity can be very tricky indeed! Occasionally, the angle will be off and the shell will break, shattering hope and all the neatly secured appearances of a truly fragile existence.
Unlike Humpty Dumpty, though, parents of kids with cancer will pick themselves up and put themselves back together again. OVER and OVER again...........
Tuesday, May 25, 2004 11:35 AM CDT
2 in-hospital treatments to go and counting...
OTHER UPDATE: Peyton's ANC is 3300! She's doing very, very well. We are super-busy this weekend with graduations for some of our wonderful youth group kids, so I will update soon, I promise! In the meantime, I am leaving the Weston update in place because it is still the best news we've had all week! There's a new caring bridge link below. Please go say hello to our new friend Craiggy. His site is just beautiful.
UPDATE: THE TUMOR IS WESTON'S CHEST IS GONE!! Go to his page (see link below) to read the story. Thank You, Jesus, for answering our prayers for our precious baby Weston :)
Happy Birthday to Lindsay! It's the big "13" for her! I don't why Dane and I are scared of cancer when what we should be scared about is that we are the parents of a TEENAGER!!!!
To my oldest baby girl: I love you so much. You are such a source of pride to your daddy and I every day. We are proud of your faith in Jesus, your love for your little sister and your strength and patience through the worst 5 months of our lives. I know the beginning of this cancer was very rough on you, but these last several weeks you have handled the daily madness that is shots, appointments hospital stays, nausea, and worry with maturity far beyond your years. Happy birthday tater tot ;)
Peyton is doing well. She hasn't had any nausea since Sunday and seems to be feeling fine. She's been really chatty the last 2 days. She's still annoyed about our last hospital stay, but she's shakin' it off! This stay, we were put down on the Cardiology floor instead of upstairs on the Hem/Onc floor that we are used to. Guest Relations from the hospital heard from us on that one. Dane and I told them that the 10th floor is our comfort zone. It has all of our much-beloved nurses, other parents who are going through what we are, Peyton's friends and UNLOCKED linen closests. This last visit was a real pain. All the kids on our floor had hair ;) and everything was under lock and key. We had to ask our poor nurses for everything. We are used to being self-sufficient when we are in the hospital and I know our nurses did not go to 4 years of college to learn how to bring me extra towels and a pillow! It also was so lonely being away from our "family" in Hem/Onc. We're hoping this new experiment in moving chemo patients to the 8th floor was very temporary. If Weston's mom, Lucas's mom, Jordan's mom and I have anything to do with it, we'll be back on the 10th in no time!
Weston is gearing up for his bone marrow transplant in early June. He is in clinic almost everyday this week for tests and bone marrow draws. Please pray for all the tests and draws to go well as he heads down the home stretch for his transplant. Please take time now and ask God for this transplant to be Weston's earthly cure from this cancer monster.
I talked to Elisha and his mom today. Elisha is doing well. He was excitedly telling me about his upcoming trip to see Mickey Mouse. Elisha's mom, Mary, has asked me to pray for insurance approval for a treatment that could rid Elisha's little body of the GVHD (Graft's vs. Host disease). The insurance has denied this treatment before due to the cost. Ironically, the insurance has probably paid 10 times the cost of the treatment just to patch him up as opposed to spending this money that will likely cure him.
Peyton and I are headed off to the park! We go in Thursday for counts, so I'll post after we know what those are.
We are rapidly coming up on our local Relay for Life (June 11-12). I hope everyone has found a team to support. Cancer research needs our money to put an end to parents having to see the looks on doctors faces as they give them the scariest news you can imagine. As long as I live, I will never forget the look on the surgeon's face as she came to tell us the CT Scan showed a large tumor...
Please be sure and scroll down to see our (ever-growing) list of friends who need your prayers. Much love to you all!
Please sign the guestbook and let us know you were here. Peyton loves it when we read her what you wrote.
Also, please visit our online Family and Friends Photo Album
Peyton's daddy, sister and I have formed a team through Relay for Life. It is a wonderful event sponsored by the American Cancer Society that raises money for cancer research. Our team is called TeamPeyton and we will be participating in the Ellis County relay on June 11 and 12. If you are interested in joining our team, creating your own team (in Ellis County) or donating money to Relay for Life, please contact Jimmy and Shannon Beaudoin at 972.723.2407 or email at beaudoin_shannon@yahoo.com. This is a awe-inspiring event and most money raised funds research at local facilities. Children's Medical Center (where Peyton receives treatment) is a Phase I facility. This means groundbreaking research treatment is performed at Children's and that happens when money is funneled into research. If you can help, please do.
Please remember in prayer, our friends from Children's Medical: Weston, Lauryn, Griffin, Tyler, Courtney, Jorge, Alex, Derek, Alexis, Amber, Sara, Kevin, Kelsey, Forest, Megan, Eric, Mackenzie, Jordan and all the other brave cancer kids out there fighting such a tough battle. Please also pray for Logan, Jonathon, Jasmine and Lucas for their continued remission and Elisha for his continued health and success in his hematology(GVHD)treatment. Bless you all!
We have several Caring Bridge friends we keep in contact with and check on daily. Their stories are inspirational, and they all can use our prayers, so here they are. I'm sure I will (sadly) be adding to this list quite often. When I have more time :) I promise to get these in an organized drop-down list, but maybe this can do for now:
Hannah
Hi, my name is Hannah Glenn and this is my story of the ongoing journey to beat a rare childhood cancer. I was diagnosed with Neuroblastoma stage 1V on June 8, 2002 at 22 months of age.
Lauren
Welcome to Laurens Web Page. It has been provided to keep family and friends updated about our Child. Lauren was diagnosed with bilateral wilms tumor stage V favorable histology in October 2003
LaKota
This is a special family to me. LaKota lost a brother, she never knew, to AML in 1990. He was very sensitive to the effects of chemo and couldn't tolerate his treatment. Now LaKota has AML and is showing to have the same sensitivity. Her mom is asking for prayers for earthly healing. LaKota recently had a blood cord transplant. Please pray for LaKota's new cells to grow, grow, grow. She's also in some pain right now and needs our prayers for relief.
Kate
Welcome to our 6 year old daughter Kate's Web Page. We are writing this to keep family and friends, both old and new, updated on how Kate is doing in her battle with Kidney Cancer, a stage II Wilms tumor.
Miranda Rae
Miranda Rae is really struggling with pneumonia right now. Her dad's latest entry, frankly, scared me. He made reference to Miranda Rae coming home from the hospital, but only so she could die at home. PLEASE pray for her. Her little body is too weak to fight off the infection she has. This baby needs a miracle and we need to be asking God for it.
Kaidrie
We have started this page to help keep
our friends and family updated on Kaidrie,
who was diagnosed with a
diffuse pontine glioma on March 12, 2004.
RachelJoy
Welcome to the webpage of one of God's miracle children. RachelJoy weighed 1 lb. 6 oz. at birth, and she continues to cope daily with many conditions that leave her medically fragile. She is refusing to give up. Her enthusiasm and tenacity for life
continue to surprise her doctors. The Lord is RachelJoy's strength. Each day is a gift from Him.
Julianna Banana
Hello everyone, welcome to my web page! My name is Julianna and I live in Winnipeg, Canada, home of Winnie the Pooh. I'm 3 years old, brown hair and brown eyes, single and a non-smoker. My turn-ons include pink clothes, Barbie toys and playing. My turn-offs are medicine and when my brother stands in front of the tv. Please stop by from time to time and see what I'm up to :-)
Cheyenne
WELCOME TO CHEYENNE’S PAGE
This page was created to help Cheyenne’s family and friends share in her daily experiences as she courageously battles this terrible beast of a tumor that threatens one to two hundred children each year.
Connor
Welcome to Connor's web page of healing.
Connor has rhabdomyosarcoma, a rare form of cancer found in children.
We established this site to keep family and friends updated on his road to recovery.
Zachary
This page was designed to update friends and family on Zachary's fight against Hemophagocytic Lympho Histiocytosis.
Boogie
Boogie-man (Dillion) has the sweetest smile. He and his mom check on Peyton almost everyday. You won't be able to have a bad day after reading his site and seeing what a gift from God he is.
Jenna
Everday That There IS A Battle, I OverCome It With A Positive Attitude and My Smile!
Katia
Little Katia is so special to us. She is such a fighter and her site is a wealth of information on other Caring Bridge patients.
Ian
Welcome to Ian's Web Page. It has been provided to keep friends and family updated about Ian during his treatment for rhabdomyosarcoma.
Nicole
Welcome to Nicole's webpage. Nicole was first diagnosed with an "inoperable" brainstem tumor, technical name is a low-grade brainstem astrocytoma -- focal intrinsic tumor of the pontomedullary junction, when she was 3 1/2 on July 1st 1992. Nicole is now 15 years old and continues to battle this disease. This website is dedicate to her continued journey. I have hope that Nicole will win this battle. My prayers go out to all the families and loved ones that share this fight with us.
Craiggy
Craig, who is 6 years old, was diagnosed in early August with type-B stage 4 Lymphoma
Juliet Freitag
Parents of children with cancer, or really any serious condition, are often referred to or viewed as having strength "like a rock." Albeit flattering, it isn't quite true.
It is more like the strength of an egg. An egg, you ask? Yes! If you'll think about it, you'll see my point. An egg has a polished, smooth outer appearance, with no cracks or weak spots visible. It seems almost inconceivable that the inside might not be so smooth or solid.
Most children, at some point are shown the famous egg trick. An egg set at just the right angle can withstand enormous amounts of pressure and cannot be cracked or broken. Yet the same egg, tapped gently at an ever slightly different angle, will break. The contents, once so neatly concealed, will come spilling out. The no longer perfect shell will be crushed. It looks so fragile that it seems inconceivable that it ever held any strength.
A rock, on the other hand, is solid all the way through. To break it is almost impossible. If you succeed, you will find that there is nothing inside but more rock.
It takes a lot more than pure hardness to hold the hand of hope. Parents of children with cancer are not solid all the way through. We hurt, we fear, we cry, we hope. It takes a very careful balancing act to keep the shell from being shattered. "Balancing an egg" while running a household, going for doctors' visits and hospital stays, keeping the family together, and holding on to the constantly unraveling ties of your sanity can be very tricky indeed! Occasionally, the angle will be off and the shell will break, shattering hope and all the neatly secured appearances of a truly fragile existence.
Unlike Humpty Dumpty, though, parents of kids with cancer will pick themselves up and put themselves back together again. OVER and OVER again...........
Sunday, May 23, 2004 2:39 PM CDT
2 in-hospital treatments to go and counting...
Just a quick update to let you know we are home! Peyton did well in her treatment. She was nauseated this morning and vomitted a few times, but I think we got the right combination of meds in her and she's fine now.
We're tired and I have laundry to catch up on, so I'm gonna keep this one short, but I'll update more in a day or so.
We have a new name in our Children's Medical prayer list. Her name is Jordan. Please remember to pray for her. Lucas, listed below, has been declared in remission!!! Thank you God! He will coninue to be in treatment for a while, but their is no evidence of disease. Lucas has ALL (leukemia) so this is wonderful news about his status.
We are rapidly coming up on our local Relay for Life (June 11-12). I hope everyone has found a team to support. Cancer research needs our money to put an end to parents having to see the looks on doctors faces as they give them the scariest news you can imagine. As long as I live, I will never forget the look on the surgeon's face as she came to tell us the CT Scan showed a large tumor...
Please be sure and scroll down to see our (ever-growing) list of friends who need your prayers. Much love to you all!
Please sign the guestbook and let us know you were here. Peyton loves it when we read her what you wrote.
Also, please visit our online Family and Friends Photo Album
Peyton's daddy, sister and I have formed a team through Relay for Life. It is a wonderful event sponsored by the American Cancer Society that raises money for cancer research. Our team is called TeamPeyton and we will be participating in the Ellis County relay on June 11 and 12. If you are interested in joining our team, creating your own team (in Ellis County) or donating money to Relay for Life, please contact Jimmy and Shannon Beaudoin at 972.723.2407 or email at beaudoin_shannon@yahoo.com. This is a awe-inspiring event and most money raised funds research at local facilities. Children's Medical Center (where Peyton receives treatment) is a Phase I facility. This means groundbreaking research treatment is performed at Children's and that happens when money is funneled into research. If you can help, please do.
Please remember in prayer, our friends from Children's Medical: Weston, Lauryn, Griffin, Tyler, Courtney, Jorge, Alex, Derek, Alexis, Amber, Sara, Kevin, Kelsey, Forest, Megan, Eric, Mackenzie, Jordan and all the other brave cancer kids out there fighting such a tough battle. Please also pray for Logan, Jonathon, Jasmine and Lucas for their continued remission and Elisha for his continued health and success in his hematology(GVHD)treatment. Bless you all!
We have several Caring Bridge friends we keep in contact with and check on daily. Their stories are inspirational, and they all can use our prayers, so here they are. I'm sure I will (sadly) be adding to this list quite often. When I have more time :) I promise to get these in an organized drop-down list, but maybe this can do for now:
Hannah
Lauren
LaKota
Kate
Miranda Rae
Kaidrie
RachelJoy
Julianna Banana
Cheyenne
Connor
Zachary
Boogie
Jenna
Katia
Ian
Nicole
Juliet Freitag
Parents of children with cancer, or really any serious condition, are often referred to or viewed as having strength "like a rock." Albeit flattering, it isn't quite true.
It is more like the strength of an egg. An egg, you ask? Yes! If you'll think about it, you'll see my point. An egg has a polished, smooth outer appearance, with no cracks or weak spots visible. It seems almost inconceivable that the inside might not be so smooth or solid.
Most children, at some point are shown the famous egg trick. An egg set at just the right angle can withstand enormous amounts of pressure and cannot be cracked or broken. Yet the same egg, tapped gently at an ever slightly different angle, will break. The contents, once so neatly concealed, will come spilling out. The no longer perfect shell will be crushed. It looks so fragile that it seems inconceivable that it ever held any strength.
A rock, on the other hand, is solid all the way through. To break it is almost impossible. If you succeed, you will find that there is nothing inside but more rock.
It takes a lot more than pure hardness to hold the hand of hope. Parents of children with cancer are not solid all the way through. We hurt, we fear, we cry, we hope. It takes a very careful balancing act to keep the shell from being shattered. "Balancing an egg" while running a household, going for doctors' visits and hospital stays, keeping the family together, and holding on to the constantly unraveling ties of your sanity can be very tricky indeed! Occasionally, the angle will be off and the shell will break, shattering hope and all the neatly secured appearances of a truly fragile existence.
Unlike Humpty Dumpty, though, parents of kids with cancer will pick themselves up and put themselves back together again. OVER and OVER again...........
Sunday, May 23, 2004 2:39 PM CDT
Just a quick update to let you know we are home! Peyton did well in her treatment. She was nauseated this morning and vomitted a few times, but I think we got the right combination of meds in her and she's fine now.
We're tired and I have laundry to catch up on, so I'm gonna keep this one short, but I'll update more in a day or so.
We have a new name in our Children's Medical prayer list. Her name is Jordan. Please remember to pray for her. Lucas, listed below, has been declared in remission!!! Thank you God! He will coninue to be in treatment for a while, but their is no evidence of disease. Lucas has ALL (leukemia) so this is wonderful news about his status.
We are rapidly coming up on our local Relay for Life (June 11-12). I hope everyone has found a team to support. Cancer research needs our money to put an end to parents having to see the looks on doctors faces as they give them the scariest news you can imagine. As long as I live, I will never forget the look on the surgeon's face as she came to tell us the CT Scan showed a large tumor...
Please be sure and scroll down to see our (ever-growing) list of friends who need your prayers. Much love to you all!
Please sign the guestbook and let us know you were here. Peyton loves it when we read her what you wrote.
Also, please visit our online Family and Friends Photo Album
Peyton's daddy, sister and I have formed a team through Relay for Life. It is a wonderful event sponsored by the American Cancer Society that raises money for cancer research. Our team is called TeamPeyton and we will be participating in the Ellis County relay on June 11 and 12. If you are interested in joining our team, creating your own team (in Ellis County) or donating money to Relay for Life, please contact Jimmy and Shannon Beaudoin at 972.723.2407 or email at beaudoin_shannon@yahoo.com. This is a awe-inspiring event and most money raised funds research at local facilities. Children's Medical Center (where Peyton receives treatment) is a Phase I facility. This means groundbreaking research treatment is performed at Children's and that happens when money is funneled into research. If you can help, please do.
Please remember in prayer, our friends from Children's Medical: Weston, Lauryn, Griffin, Tyler, Courtney, Jorge, Alex, Derek, Alexis, Amber, Sara, Kevin, Kelsey, Forest, Megan, Eric, Mackenzie, Jordan and all the other brave cancer kids out there fighting such a tough battle. Please also pray for Logan, Jonathon, Jasmine and Lucas for their continued remission and Elisha for his continued health and success in his hematology(GVHD)treatment. Bless you all!
We have several Caring Bridge friends we keep in contact with and check on daily. Their stories are inspirational, and they all can use our prayers, so here they are. I'm sure I will (sadly) be adding to this list quite often. When I have more time :) I promise to get these in an organized drop-down list, but maybe this can do for now:
Hannah
Lauren
LaKota
Kate
Miranda Rae
Kaidrie
RachelJoy
Julianna Banana
Cheyenne
Connor
Zachary
Boogie
Jenna
Katia
Ian
Nicole
Juliet Freitag
Parents of children with cancer, or really any serious condition, are often referred to or viewed as having strength "like a rock." Albeit flattering, it isn't quite true.
It is more like the strength of an egg. An egg, you ask? Yes! If you'll think about it, you'll see my point. An egg has a polished, smooth outer appearance, with no cracks or weak spots visible. It seems almost inconceivable that the inside might not be so smooth or solid.
Most children, at some point are shown the famous egg trick. An egg set at just the right angle can withstand enormous amounts of pressure and cannot be cracked or broken. Yet the same egg, tapped gently at an ever slightly different angle, will break. The contents, once so neatly concealed, will come spilling out. The no longer perfect shell will be crushed. It looks so fragile that it seems inconceivable that it ever held any strength.
A rock, on the other hand, is solid all the way through. To break it is almost impossible. If you succeed, you will find that there is nothing inside but more rock.
It takes a lot more than pure hardness to hold the hand of hope. Parents of children with cancer are not solid all the way through. We hurt, we fear, we cry, we hope. It takes a very careful balancing act to keep the shell from being shattered. "Balancing an egg" while running a household, going for doctors' visits and hospital stays, keeping the family together, and holding on to the constantly unraveling ties of your sanity can be very tricky indeed! Occasionally, the angle will be off and the shell will break, shattering hope and all the neatly secured appearances of a truly fragile existence.
Unlike Humpty Dumpty, though, parents of kids with cancer will pick themselves up and put themselves back together again. OVER and OVER again...........
Thursday, May 20, 2004 6:09 PM CDT
New Photos!
Griffin's cancer is back (see his link below). It's essentially everywhere but his brain. He starts chemo next week, so please pray for him. Also, if you have time, go sign his guestbook so Griffin and his family know that we are all behind him and praying for him. This morning Dane told me that he will forever pray for all children with cancer, but that God laid it on his heart that he isn't praying big enough. We need to commit to praying HARD for a cure for cancer. Please join us in doing this. Griffin, we love you and will be praying for this chemo to stop this monster in it's tracks.
--------------------------------------------
3 in-hospital treatments to go and counting...
Counts are good and we have been admitted for Peyton's next round of chemo. We'll be here until Saturday night. Peyton had a big day and breezed through it like the trooper that she is! She had to do her breathing treatment in the submarine and also had an echocardiogram to see if the chemo had caused any heart damage. The echo was negative!
Weston is out of the hospital. He did well through his surgery. We saw him in clinic this morning. He was tired, but he looked great! He's sore from the surgery, so please pray for his pain to ease up quickly. Please continue to pray for his upcoming bone marrow transplant as well. Sherrie, the HemOnc people have COMPLETELY changed the protocol for all the patients getting chemo. ALL chemo patients (except BMT kids) now stay on the 8th floor instead of the 10th. Call me, girl, because you have GOT to hear about this!!
I'm in the playroom updating this, so I'll close for now so I don't hog the computer :) I'll update more soon. Our room phone number is 214-456-7806 if you need us. Much love!
PS--Peyton was featured in an article in the Midlothian Today paper. Here's the link: http://www.todaynewspapers.net/MDLTHN.HTM
PSS--The quote in the article that says Peyton is "plugging people's heart streams" should say "tugging people's heart strings". We did the interview on a cell phone and I was SLIGHTLY misquoted ;) Oh yeah, and they shaved a few years off of Dane's age ;) He doesn't mind though!!
We are rapidly coming up on our local Relay for Life (June 11-12). I hope everyone has found a team to support. Cancer research needs our money to put an end to parents having to see the looks on doctors faces as they give them the scariest news you can imagine. As long as I live, I will never forget the look on the surgeon's face as she came to tell us the CT Scan showed a large tumor...
Please be sure and scroll down to see our (ever-growing) list of friends who need your prayers. Much love to you all!
Please sign the guestbook and let us know you were here. Peyton loves it when we read her what you wrote.
Also, please visit our online Family and Friends Photo Album
Peyton's daddy, sister and I have formed a team through Relay for Life. It is a wonderful event sponsored by the American Cancer Society that raises money for cancer research. Our team is called TeamPeyton and we will be participating in the Ellis County relay on June 11 and 12. If you are interested in joining our team, creating your own team (in Ellis County) or donating money to Relay for Life, please contact Jimmy and Shannon Beaudoin at 972.723.2407 or email at beaudoin_shannon@yahoo.com. This is a awe-inspiring event and most money raised funds research at local facilities. Children's Medical Center (where Peyton receives treatment) is a Phase I facility. This means groundbreaking research treatment is performed at Children's and that happens when money is funneled into research. If you can help, please do.
Please remember in prayer, our friends from Children's Medical: Weston, Lauryn, Logan, Griffin, Tyler, Courtney, Jorge, Alex, Derek, Alexis, Amber, Sara, Kevin, Kelsey, Forest, Lucas, Megan, Eric, Mackenzie and all the other brave cancer kids out there fighting such a tough battle. Please also pray for Jonathon and Jasmine for their continued remission and Elisha for his continued health and success in his hematology(GVHD)treatment. Bless you all!
We have several Caring Bridge friends we keep in contact with and check on daily. Their stories are inspirational, and they all can use our prayers, so here they are. I'm sure I will (sadly) be adding to this list quite often. When I have more time :) I promise to get these in an organized drop-down list, but maybe this can do for now:
Hannah
Lauren
LaKota
Kate
Miranda Rae
Kaidrie
RachelJoy
Julianna Banana
Cheyenne
Connor
Zachary
Boogie
Jenna
Katia
Ian
Nicole
Juliet Freitag
Parents of children with cancer, or really any serious condition, are often referred to or viewed as having strength "like a rock." Albeit flattering, it isn't quite true.
It is more like the strength of an egg. An egg, you ask? Yes! If you'll think about it, you'll see my point. An egg has a polished, smooth outer appearance, with no cracks or weak spots visible. It seems almost inconceivable that the inside might not be so smooth or solid.
Most children, at some point are shown the famous egg trick. An egg set at just the right angle can withstand enormous amounts of pressure and cannot be cracked or broken. Yet the same egg, tapped gently at an ever slightly different angle, will break. The contents, once so neatly concealed, will come spilling out. The no longer perfect shell will be crushed. It looks so fragile that it seems inconceivable that it ever held any strength.
A rock, on the other hand, is solid all the way through. To break it is almost impossible. If you succeed, you will find that there is nothing inside but more rock.
It takes a lot more than pure hardness to hold the hand of hope. Parents of children with cancer are not solid all the way through. We hurt, we fear, we cry, we hope. It takes a very careful balancing act to keep the shell from being shattered. "Balancing an egg" while running a household, going for doctors' visits and hospital stays, keeping the family together, and holding on to the constantly unraveling ties of your sanity can be very tricky indeed! Occasionally, the angle will be off and the shell will break, shattering hope and all the neatly secured appearances of a truly fragile existence.
Unlike Humpty Dumpty, though, parents of kids with cancer will pick themselves up and put themselves back together again. OVER and OVER again...........
Wednesday, May 19, 2004 9:12 AM CDT
New Photos!
UPDATE: Please start praying. Griffin's cancer is back. It's essentially everywhere but his brain. He starts chemo next week. This morning Dane told me that he will forever pray for all children with cancer, but that God laid it on his heart that he isn't praying big enough. We need to commit to praying HARD for a cure for cancer. Please join us in doing this. Griffin, we love you and will be praying for this chemo to stop this monster in it's tracks.
--------------------------------------------
3 in-hospital treatments to go and counting...
The Lord willing and the creeks don't rise, we check in tomorrow for our next treatment. Peyton's counts are very good, we just won't know if they are good enough for treatment until her blood work comes back tomorrow. If her ANC is above 950, we're go for launch! This treatment will be a 3-day one. The 3-days are kind to Peyton's counts, but tough on her tummy, so please pray the new anti-nausea medicine does it's job.
Weston is back in the hospital. He has a hole in his central line. He is having surgery (probably as I write this) to replace the line. His counts are lousy, so his mom and dad are nervous about Weston having surgery with a his body at high risk for infection. It was a worse risk to leave the bad line in while waiting for his counts to rebound, so this surgery is the lesser of two evils. Please pray for the surgery to be uneventful, for Weston's counts to finally come back up and for peace for his parents while they deal with one problem after another. Weston's family is such a blessing to ours and I just know God put them in our lives so all of us could join Weston's family and church in praying for his complete and timely healing.
We had a great week. A busy one, which is why I took so long to update. Peyton went to a birthday party on Saturday for her friend Pierce. Happy Birthday Pierce!! On Sunday, we went to church, then out to Coach's and Grammy Kay's house to celebrate an early birthday for Lindsay. We met their neighbors from across the street. They let Peyton have a pretty rose from their garden and then we all stood on their porch and prayed for Peyton. It was such a touching moment. It's amazing the people God will place in your path just when you need them! Sunday night, we came back to church to see our Youth Group perform a dinner theater. The kids put on the performance to raise money for a mission trip to Romania in July. Dane was supposed to go on this trip, but with Peyton's treatments, he isn't. We are so excited for these awesome teenagers who are pumped up about going and sharing the gospel with the people of Romania. Yesterday, Peyton and I planted some new flowers in the back yard. They look great and Peyton is quite the gardener. Roscoe, however, isn't. He's still a puppy, and thought it would be cute to rip open and dump out a 10 pound bag of potting soil all over the deck. Peyton and I had to send dad to Home Depot for more! This morning, Roscoe got into a tugging match with a big pot of Petunia's we planted and the Petunia's lost!! I managed to re-plant them before Peyton saw it, and the flowers don't seem to be too worse for the wear!
Peyton felt a little puny this morning and got sick a few times as a result. She's sound asleep and I'm tired too, so I'll close for now. I'll update more, hopefully from the hospital! Much love to you all!
We are rapidly coming up on our local Relay for Life (June 11-12). I hope everyone has found a team to support. Cancer research needs our money to put an end to parents having to see the looks on doctors faces as they give them the scariest news you can imagine. As long as I live, I will never forget the look on the surgeon's face as she came to tell us the CT Scan showed a large tumor...
Please be sure and scroll down to see our (ever-growing) list of friends who need your prayers. Much love to you all!
Please sign the guestbook and let us know you were here. Peyton loves it when we read her what you wrote.
Also, please visit our online Family and Friends Photo Album
Peyton's daddy, sister and I have formed a team through Relay for Life. It is a wonderful event sponsored by the American Cancer Society that raises money for cancer research. Our team is called TeamPeyton and we will be participating in the Ellis County relay on June 11 and 12. If you are interested in joining our team, creating your own team (in Ellis County) or donating money to Relay for Life, please contact Jimmy and Shannon Beaudoin at 972.723.2407 or email at beaudoin_shannon@yahoo.com. This is a awe-inspiring event and most money raised funds research at local facilities. Children's Medical Center (where Peyton receives treatment) is a Phase I facility. This means groundbreaking research treatment is performed at Children's and that happens when money is funneled into research. If you can help, please do.
Please remember in prayer, our friends from Children's Medical: Weston, Lauryn, Logan, Griffin, Tyler, Courtney, Jorge, Alex, Derek, Alexis, Amber, Sara, Kevin, Kelsey, Forest, Lucas, Megan, Eric, Mackenzie and all the other brave cancer kids out there fighting such a tough battle. Please also pray for Jonathon and Jasmine for their continued remission and Elisha for his continued health and success in his hematology(GVHD)treatment. Bless you all!
I have several Caring Bridge friends we keep in contact with and check on daily. Their stories are inspirational, and they all can use our prayers, so here they are. I'm sure I will (sadly) be adding to this list quite often. When I have more time :) I promise to get these in an organized drop-down list, but maybe this can do for now:
Hannah
Lauren
LaKota
Kate
Miranda Rae
Kaidrie
RachelJoy
Julianna Banana
Cheyenne
Connor
Zachary
Boogie
Jenna
Katia
Ian
Nicole
Juliet Freitag
Parents of children with cancer, or really any serious condition, are often referred to or viewed as having strength "like a rock." Albeit flattering, it isn't quite true.
It is more like the strength of an egg. An egg, you ask? Yes! If you'll think about it, you'll see my point. An egg has a polished, smooth outer appearance, with no cracks or weak spots visible. It seems almost inconceivable that the inside might not be so smooth or solid.
Most children, at some point are shown the famous egg trick. An egg set at just the right angle can withstand enormous amounts of pressure and cannot be cracked or broken. Yet the same egg, tapped gently at an ever slightly different angle, will break. The contents, once so neatly concealed, will come spilling out. The no longer perfect shell will be crushed. It looks so fragile that it seems inconceivable that it ever held any strength.
A rock, on the other hand, is solid all the way through. To break it is almost impossible. If you succeed, you will find that there is nothing inside but more rock.
It takes a lot more than pure hardness to hold the hand of hope. Parents of children with cancer are not solid all the way through. We hurt, we fear, we cry, we hope. It takes a very careful balancing act to keep the shell from being shattered. "Balancing an egg" while running a household, going for doctors' visits and hospital stays, keeping the family together, and holding on to the constantly unraveling ties of your sanity can be very tricky indeed! Occasionally, the angle will be off and the shell will break, shattering hope and all the neatly secured appearances of a truly fragile existence.
Unlike Humpty Dumpty, though, parents of kids with cancer will pick themselves up and put themselves back together again. OVER and OVER again...........
Thursday, May 13, 2004 3:35 PM CDT
New Photos!
3 in-hospital treatments to go and counting...
Peyton's counts are fantastic!! I just don't know what to say. I've asked members of our church and everyone who visits this page to pray for Peyton's counts because these last 2 weeks should have been really rough on her, but I have to say, this is the best she has looked or felt since before diagnosis!! We went in to clinic today for blood counts and her WBC (white blood count)was 17.9. Four days ago, her WBC was 3.9. There could be medical explanation as to why this last, harsh treatment didn't make her sick and make her counts bottom out, but I know this was God hearing our prayers to watch over Peyton and keep her well. Thank you so much for your continuous prayer intervention for Peyton. We will go back Monday for more counts just to see how she's doing and next Thursday we should check in for her 3 day treatment.
We went to see Weston after we left clinic today. He's still in the hospital for the fever spike earlier this week. He's been fever-free since yesterday, so it looks like he'll get his walking papers tomorrow! Weston is set to have his BMT (bone marrow transplant) on June 8. Please, please pray for Weston and his family for 2 things: 1) Weston and mom will be cooped up in isolation on the BMT hall for 3 weeks. Weston's brother and sisters will not be allowed to visit because the BMT hall has restrictions to visitors under age 13. Sherrie (Weston's mom) will essentially be in lock down with a 2 year old, so I think the prayer needs there are pretty obvious ;) 2) Please pray that God will allow this BMT to be the cure Weston needs to finish up with this dumb cancer and let him get back to being the energetic, precious baby that he is.
We are rapidly coming up on our local Relay for Life (June 11-12). I hope everyone has found a team to support. Cancer research needs our money to put an end to parents having to see the looks on doctors faces as they give them the scariest news you can imagine. As long as I live, I will never forget the look on the surgeon's face as she came to tell us the CT Scan showed a large tumor...
On a happier note, we had the neatest thing happen to us recently. My sister and I took Lindsay and Peyton out to eat. As it is becoming more and more the norm, Peyton whipped off her hat in the restaurant. There was a young woman a few tables away that kept looking at Peyton. People do that a lot--to the point that some days I want to put a T-shirt on Peyton that says, "Yes, it's cancer!" Anyway...after a few minutes this young woman came over to our table and knelt down in front of Peyton and said, "I think you are the prettiest and bravest little girl I've ever seen". She then asked me if Peyton is taking chemo. I told her "yes" and she began to tell me that Peyton is an answer to a prayer. This young woman was diagnosed with cancer a few weeks ago. She's scared, but confident that she can handle whatever cancer is going to throw at her. She wants to take on her disease in a manner that will make God and her family proud, so she asked God to show her someone that has the right spirit and spunk to win the fight, and then we walked into that restaurant, bald head and all! This young woman's name is Natasha and I ask that you pray for her and pray that she will be strong in her fight. She was supposed to get married last weekend, but had to temporarily put that off while she begins treatment... I used to think about how chemo and many other medicines have "side effects" and by virtue, the term "side effects" is never indicative of anything good. Then I think about all the amazing "side effects" we have experienced through cancer. Thanks to God, we have met people we never would have and I have watched God use my precious 3 year old to answer prayers of people we don't know. Isn't it awesome how God can make so many blessed side effects come out of something so awful??
Please be sure and scroll down to see our (ever-growing) list of friends who need your prayers. Much love to you all!
Please sign the guestbook and let us know you were here. Peyton loves it when we read her what you wrote.
Also, please visit our online Family and Friends Photo Album
Peyton's daddy, sister and I have formed a team through Relay for Life. It is a wonderful event sponsored by the American Cancer Society that raises money for cancer research. Our team is called TeamPeyton and we will be participating in the Ellis County relay on June 11 and 12. If you are interested in joining our team, creating your own team (in Ellis County) or donating money to Relay for Life, please contact Jimmy and Shannon Beaudoin at 972.723.2407 or email at beaudoin_shannon@yahoo.com. This is a awe-inspiring event and most money raised funds research at local facilities. Children's Medical Center (where Peyton receives treatment) is a Phase I facility. This means groundbreaking research treatment is performed at Children's and that happens when money is funneled into research. If you can help, please do.
Please remember in prayer: Weston, Lauryn, Logan, Griffin, Tyler, Courtney, Jorge, Alex, Derek, Alexis, Amber, Sara, Kevin, Kelsey, Forest, Lucas, Megan, Eric, Mackenzie and all the other brave cancer kids out there fighting such a tough battle. Please also pray for Jonathon and Jasmine for their continued remission and Elisha for his continued health and success in his hematology(GVHD)treatment. Bless you all!
Juliet Freitag
Parents of children with cancer, or really any serious condition, are often referred to or viewed as having strength "like a rock." Albeit flattering, it isn't quite true.
It is more like the strength of an egg. An egg, you ask? Yes! If you'll think about it, you'll see my point. An egg has a polished, smooth outer appearance, with no cracks or weak spots visible. It seems almost inconceivable that the inside might not be so smooth or solid.
Most children, at some point are shown the famous egg trick. An egg set at just the right angle can withstand enormous amounts of pressure and cannot be cracked or broken. Yet the same egg, tapped gently at an ever slightly different angle, will break. The contents, once so neatly concealed, will come spilling out. The no longer perfect shell will be crushed. It looks so fragile that it seems inconceivable that it ever held any strength.
A rock, on the other hand, is solid all the way through. To break it is almost impossible. If you succeed, you will find that there is nothing inside but more rock.
It takes a lot more than pure hardness to hold the hand of hope. Parents of children with cancer are not solid all the way through. We hurt, we fear, we cry, we hope. It takes a very careful balancing act to keep the shell from being shattered. "Balancing an egg" while running a household, going for doctors' visits and hospital stays, keeping the family together, and holding on to the constantly unraveling ties of your sanity can be very tricky indeed! Occasionally, the angle will be off and the shell will break, shattering hope and all the neatly secured appearances of a truly fragile existence.
Unlike Humpty Dumpty, though, parents of kids with cancer will pick themselves up and put themselves back together again. OVER and OVER again...........
Sunday, May 9, 2004 7:35 PM CDT
3 in-hospital treatments to go and counting...
UPDATE: Peyton went in this morning for blood counts. The last time Peyton had her 5 day treatment, her counts by now were awful. She had an ANC of 3, spiked a fever and spent 2 days in he hospital. Today, Peyton's ANC was 1275!! Her nurse thinks Peyton probably won't drop too low for this last round. Please keep praying for good counts. Thank you God!!
The prayers must be working. We are 10 days out from the first day of Peyton's last chemo, and Peyton is looking and feeling good! As of last Thursday, Peyton had gained another pound. She now weighs what she did when she was diagnosed!! We go in on Monday morning for blood counts, but I'll be very surprised if her counts are low.
Peyton has only been sick one day since she finished this last round of chemo. Other than that, she acts like her old self. Last night, she didn't sleep well. Her back was hurting due to the GCSF shots, so we let her sleep in this morning. After a dose of Tylenol and the heating pad, she was just fine. For those who don't know, GCSF is a daily shot Peyton takes for 10 days after stopping each round of chemo. GCSF helps her body produce white blood cells that keeps her counts from staying low for too long. Incidentally, Peyton doesn't make a peep during her shots. She is so brave.
Dane and I took Lindsay and our friend Danny to a Third Day concert on Friday night. We had so much fun. It was a wonderful experience to be outside on such a beautiful night and worshipping our Lord through such awesome music. Of course, I left my camera in the car ;) but I do have some pictures of us after the concert. I'll post one of them.
Happy Mother's Day. Please remember all the moms who are spending this day without their "angels". Extra special hugs to my favorite moms: Linda, Kay and Kathy.
I'll post more when we know more about Peyton's counts.
Please be sure and scroll down to see our (ever-growing) list of friends who need your prayers. Also, please read about Relay for Life. Our event will be coming up this summer and cancer research could really use your support. Much love to you all!
Please sign the guestbook and let us know you were here. Peyton loves it when we read her what you wrote.
Also, please visit our online Family and Friends Photo Album
Peyton's daddy, sister and I have formed a team through Relay for Life. It is a wonderful event sponsored by the American Cancer Society that raises money for cancer research. Our team is called TeamPeyton and we will be participating in the Ellis County relay on June 11 and 12. If you are interested in joining our team, creating your own team (in Ellis County) or donating money to Relay for Life, please contact Jimmy and Shannon Beaudoin at 972.723.2407 or email at beaudoin_shannon@yahoo.com. This is a awe-inspiring event and most money raised funds research at local facilities. Children's Medical Center (where Peyton receives treatment) is a Phase I facility. This means groundbreaking research treatment is performed at Children's and that happens when money is funneled into research. If you can help, please do.
Please remember in prayer: Weston, Lauryn, Logan, Griffin, Tyler, Courtney, Jorge, Alex, Derek, Alexis, Amber, Sara, Kevin, Kelsey, Forest, Lucas, Megan, Eric and all the other brave cancer kids out there fighting such a tough battle. Please also pray for Jonathon and Jasmine for their continued remission and Elisha for his continued health and success in his hematology treatment. Bless you all!
Juliet Freitag
Parents of children with cancer, or really any serious condition, are often referred to or viewed as having strength "like a rock." Albeit flattering, it isn't quite true.
It is more like the strength of an egg. An egg, you ask? Yes! If you'll think about it, you'll see my point. An egg has a polished, smooth outer appearance, with no cracks or weak spots visible. It seems almost inconceivable that the inside might not be so smooth or solid.
Most children, at some point are shown the famous egg trick. An egg set at just the right angle can withstand enormous amounts of pressure and cannot be cracked or broken. Yet the same egg, tapped gently at an ever slightly different angle, will break. The contents, once so neatly concealed, will come spilling out. The no longer perfect shell will be crushed. It looks so fragile that it seems inconceivable that it ever held any strength.
A rock, on the other hand, is solid all the way through. To break it is almost impossible. If you succeed, you will find that there is nothing inside but more rock.
It takes a lot more than pure hardness to hold the hand of hope. Parents of children with cancer are not solid all the way through. We hurt, we fear, we cry, we hope. It takes a very careful balancing act to keep the shell from being shattered. "Balancing an egg" while running a household, going for doctors' visits and hospital stays, keeping the family together, and holding on to the constantly unraveling ties of your sanity can be very tricky indeed! Occasionally, the angle will be off and the shell will break, shattering hope and all the neatly secured appearances of a truly fragile existence.
Unlike Humpty Dumpty, though, parents of kids with cancer will pick themselves up and put themselves back together again. OVER and OVER again...........
Thursday, May 6, 2004 0:09 AM CDT
3 in-hospital treatments to go and counting...
And the blessings keep rolling in for the bravest of cancer fighters...Logan's scans are clear of any cancer, and that, ladies and gentlemen, is what we call remission :) Go to his site (see below) to read the whole story. Please take a minute now to thank our faithful and loving God for the miracles He is working in Logan's life.
As anyone who has spent anytime on this site knows, Dane and Lindsay and I would not be functioning at all were it not for the strength and peace that only comes from knowing Jesus. I talk to Jesus every day and every day, He talks back, but not like He did today, so I must share. Peyton came with Lindsay and I to Youth Group tonight. We always start off with something fun, like a game, and then move in to a time of worship through music so we can get our hearts and minds focused on God and what He will say to us through our Youth Pastor, Keith. Tonight, Peyton asked me to pick her up and hold her just as we began to sing a favorite song of mine. The chorus goes:
It's all about you, Jesus
And all this is for You, for Your glory and Your fame
It's not about me, as if You should do things my way
For you alone are God and I surrender, to Your way
Peyton isn't very familiar with this song, but as I'm singing, she's singing along with me and the sense of Jesus standing right before us was simply overwhelming. Too many times I lose sight that this journey we're on isn't about what I want or think is best, but about what God knows is best for His plan with Peyton. I hope that I show Jesus, that because of His peace, "all this is for You, for Your glory and Your fame..." What seems to pop into my head a lot these days is that Satan actually thought he would get to me through Peyton's cancer. I'd like to say to these powers of darkness, hop the next train out of our world, because cancer and it's devastation won't win here.
I'm crawling down off the pulpit now. But when I encounter God as real as He was tonight, I feel compelled to share it with everyone. Good night. Be blessed...we are.
Please be sure and scroll down to see our (ever-growing) list of friends who need your prayers. Also, please read about Relay for Life. Our event will be coming up this summer and cancer research could really use your support. Much love to you all!
Please sign the guestbook and let us know you were here. Peyton loves it when we read her what you wrote.
Also, please visit our online Family and Friends Photo Album
Peyton's daddy, sister and I have formed a team through Relay for Life. It is a wonderful event sponsored by the American Cancer Society that raises money for cancer research. Our team is called TeamPeyton and we will be participating in the Ellis County relay on June 11 and 12. If you are interested in joining our team, creating your own team (in Ellis County) or donating money to Relay for Life, please contact Jimmy and Shannon Beaudoin at 972.723.2407 or email at beaudoin_shannon@yahoo.com. This is a awe-inspiring event and most money raised funds research at local facilities. Children's Medical Center (where Peyton receives treatment) is a Phase I facility. This means groundbreaking research treatment is performed at Children's and that happens when money is funneled into research. If you can help, please do.
Please remember in prayer: Weston, Lauryn, Logan, Griffin, Tyler, Courtney, Jorge, Alex, Derek, Alexis, Amber, Sara, Kevin, Kelsey, Forest, Lucas, Megan, Eric and all the other brave cancer kids out there fighting such a tough battle. Please also pray for Jonathon and Jasmine for their continued remission and Elisha for his continued health and success in his hematology treatment. Bless you all!
Juliet Freitag
Parents of children with cancer, or really any serious condition, are often referred to or viewed as having strength "like a rock." Albeit flattering, it isn't quite true.
It is more like the strength of an egg. An egg, you ask? Yes! If you'll think about it, you'll see my point. An egg has a polished, smooth outer appearance, with no cracks or weak spots visible. It seems almost inconceivable that the inside might not be so smooth or solid.
Most children, at some point are shown the famous egg trick. An egg set at just the right angle can withstand enormous amounts of pressure and cannot be cracked or broken. Yet the same egg, tapped gently at an ever slightly different angle, will break. The contents, once so neatly concealed, will come spilling out. The no longer perfect shell will be crushed. It looks so fragile that it seems inconceivable that it ever held any strength.
A rock, on the other hand, is solid all the way through. To break it is almost impossible. If you succeed, you will find that there is nothing inside but more rock.
It takes a lot more than pure hardness to hold the hand of hope. Parents of children with cancer are not solid all the way through. We hurt, we fear, we cry, we hope. It takes a very careful balancing act to keep the shell from being shattered. "Balancing an egg" while running a household, going for doctors' visits and hospital stays, keeping the family together, and holding on to the constantly unraveling ties of your sanity can be very tricky indeed! Occasionally, the angle will be off and the shell will break, shattering hope and all the neatly secured appearances of a truly fragile existence.
Unlike Humpty Dumpty, though, parents of kids with cancer will pick themselves up and put themselves back together again. OVER and OVER again...........
Monday, May 3, 2004 9:33 PM CDT
3 in-hospital treatments to go and counting...
Peyton did really well on this treatment. She seemed to tolerate the chemo very well and spent a great deal of time eating!! (See the new photo of a typical meal for Peyton this weekend). Her nurses were tickled pink to see how much she was eating. We got to see Weston and Sherrie a lot this weekend. I have a cute picture of Weston (aka Godzilla) so be sure and look at the photo page :)
Peyton's counts will likely get really bad in about a week. Sherrie and I even joked about seeing each other at the hospital early next week when Peyton and Weston spike fevers from their lousy counts!
We're going to attempt to have a quiet week and recover from five days of hospital food and sleeping on the floor ;) I'll post more when we go in for our blood work later this week.
Please be sure and scroll down to see our (ever-growing) list of friends who need your prayers. Also, please read about Relay for Life. Our event will be coming up this summer and cancer research could really use your support. Much love to you all!
Please sign the guestbook and let us know you were here. Peyton loves it when we read her what you wrote.
Also, please visit our online Family and Friends Photo Album
Peyton's daddy, sister and I have formed a team through Relay for Life. It is a wonderful event sponsored by the American Cancer Society that raises money for cancer research. Our team is called TeamPeyton and we will be participating in the Ellis County relay on June 11 and 12. If you are interested in joining our team, creating your own team (in Ellis County) or donating money to Relay for Life, please contact Jimmy and Shannon Beaudoin at 972.723.2407 or email at beaudoin_shannon@yahoo.com. This is a awe-inspiring event and most money raised funds research at local facilities. Children's Medical Center (where Peyton receives treatment) is a Phase I facility. This means groundbreaking research treatment is performed at Children's and that happens when money is funneled into research. If you can help, please do.
Please remember in prayer: Weston, Lauryn, Logan, Griffin, Tyler, Courtney, Jorge, Alex, Derek, Alexis, Amber, Sara, Kevin, Kelsey, Forest, Lucas, Megan, Eric and all the other brave cancer kids out there fighting such a tough battle. Please also pray for Jonathon and Jasmine for their continued remission and Elisha for his continued health and success in his hematology treatment. Bless you all!
Juliet Freitag
Parents of children with cancer, or really any serious condition, are often referred to or viewed as having strength "like a rock." Albeit flattering, it isn't quite true.
It is more like the strength of an egg. An egg, you ask? Yes! If you'll think about it, you'll see my point. An egg has a polished, smooth outer appearance, with no cracks or weak spots visible. It seems almost inconceivable that the inside might not be so smooth or solid.
Most children, at some point are shown the famous egg trick. An egg set at just the right angle can withstand enormous amounts of pressure and cannot be cracked or broken. Yet the same egg, tapped gently at an ever slightly different angle, will break. The contents, once so neatly concealed, will come spilling out. The no longer perfect shell will be crushed. It looks so fragile that it seems inconceivable that it ever held any strength.
A rock, on the other hand, is solid all the way through. To break it is almost impossible. If you succeed, you will find that there is nothing inside but more rock.
It takes a lot more than pure hardness to hold the hand of hope. Parents of children with cancer are not solid all the way through. We hurt, we fear, we cry, we hope. It takes a very careful balancing act to keep the shell from being shattered. "Balancing an egg" while running a household, going for doctors' visits and hospital stays, keeping the family together, and holding on to the constantly unraveling ties of your sanity can be very tricky indeed! Occasionally, the angle will be off and the shell will break, shattering hope and all the neatly secured appearances of a truly fragile existence.
Unlike Humpty Dumpty, though, parents of kids with cancer will pick themselves up and put themselves back together again. OVER and OVER again...........
Thursday, April 29, 2004 10:07 PM CDT
4 in-hospital treatments to go and counting...What a great time we had in clinic today! First of all, Peyton has gained another pound!! Thanks be to our loving a faithful God for this answered prayer. Peyton is now 32 lbs, only 2 pounds off of her pre-surgery weight! The next wonderful thing was that Dane's buddies from the Dallas Police Department surprised all the kids on the HemOnc and clinic floors with teddy bears! They all showed up in uniform and went around to all the patient rooms and clinic to visit with all the kids. Big hugs, kisses and many, many thanks to the officers that came: Shannon Fruge, Marissa Archivald, Sammy Sarmiento, Dave Pughes, Paul Park, and Jerry Rhodes. Thank you, Jerry, for organizing this wonderful event and thank you all for coming to make everyone's day a little better. The kids were thrilled! I've seen them walking in the halls and in the playroom with their new bears and they are in awe of the cool cops that gave them!
Please go see the new pictures. They highlight my favorite part of the day. You've read about Courtney on this page many times. She was in clinic with us today and she is in the pictures posted. She was such a good sport while these officers gave her the basics of a successful arrest, which included the all important lesson in choke-holds and handcuffing! Courtney, we had the best time visiting with you and your mom and grandmother today. We were so glad to see how good you are feeling. Good luck at the sports banquet and we can't wait to see pictures of your cool dress! Peyton was in her "no photos, please" mode so she isn't in any of the pictures, but I have some cute ones of she and Weston from the playroom. I will post them soon.
Peyton had her 1st round of the 5-day chemo about 3:30 today. She did just fine and has been eating all day! Our Wish Granter through Make-A-Wish came to visit Peyton today. Mike is awesome and he is going to make cancer treatment a dim memory for Peyton when he is done with all the wonderful surprises he has in store for her. For those who don't know, Peyton wants to see the Princesses, and has asked Mike to send us to Disney World. We'll go this fall. Thanks, Mike, for coming up here to visit us and bringing gifts for the girls. Thanks for also taking the time to visit with the other parents and answer questions about the amazing North Texas chapter of Make-A-Wish. Thanks, also, to Holly for coming up to see Peyton. We know your schedule is busy and we're glad you took the time to come. We hung out with Weston a lot today. He is feeling great and his line infection is responding beautifully to the antibiotics. Sherrie has been here with him since last Sunday and is likely going to be here through this Sunday. Please pray for her strength and that God will provide her with sufficient rest and energy to keep up with little Weston while they're cooped up here.
Thanks for checking in on us. We are in room 413 and the number is 214-456-7013 if you need us. I'll post more in a day or two. All our love to each of you.
Please be sure and scroll down to see our (ever-growing) list of friends who need your prayers. Also, please read about Relay for Life. Our event will be coming up this summer and cancer research could really use your support. Much love to you all!
Please sign the guestbook and let us know you were here. Peyton loves it when we read her what you wrote.
Also, please visit our online Family and Friends Photo Album
Peyton's daddy, sister and I have formed a team through Relay for Life. It is a wonderful event sponsored by the American Cancer Society that raises money for cancer research. Our team is called TeamPeyton and we will be participating in the Ellis County relay on June 11 and 12. If you are interested in joining our team, creating your own team (in Ellis County) or donating money to Relay for Life, please contact Jimmy and Shannon Beaudoin at 972.723.2407 or email at beaudoin_shannon@yahoo.com. This is a awe-inspiring event and most money raised funds research at local facilities. Children's Medical Center (where Peyton receives treatment) is a Phase I facility. This means groundbreaking research treatment is performed at Children's and that happens when money is funneled into research. If you can help, please do.
Please remember in prayer: Weston, Lauryn, Logan, Griffin, Tyler, Courtney, Jorge, Alex, Derek, Alexis, Amber, Sara, Kevin, Kelsey, Forest, Lucas, Megan, Eric and all the other brave cancer kids out there fighting such a tough battle. Please also pray for Jonathon and Jasmine for their continued remission and Elisha for his continued health and success in his hematology treatment. Bless you all!
Juliet Freitag
Parents of children with cancer, or really any serious condition, are often referred to or viewed as having strength "like a rock." Albeit flattering, it isn't quite true.
It is more like the strength of an egg. An egg, you ask? Yes! If you'll think about it, you'll see my point. An egg has a polished, smooth outer appearance, with no cracks or weak spots visible. It seems almost inconceivable that the inside might not be so smooth or solid.
Most children, at some point are shown the famous egg trick. An egg set at just the right angle can withstand enormous amounts of pressure and cannot be cracked or broken. Yet the same egg, tapped gently at an ever slightly different angle, will break. The contents, once so neatly concealed, will come spilling out. The no longer perfect shell will be crushed. It looks so fragile that it seems inconceivable that it ever held any strength.
A rock, on the other hand, is solid all the way through. To break it is almost impossible. If you succeed, you will find that there is nothing inside but more rock.
It takes a lot more than pure hardness to hold the hand of hope. Parents of children with cancer are not solid all the way through. We hurt, we fear, we cry, we hope. It takes a very careful balancing act to keep the shell from being shattered. "Balancing an egg" while running a household, going for doctors' visits and hospital stays, keeping the family together, and holding on to the constantly unraveling ties of your sanity can be very tricky indeed! Occasionally, the angle will be off and the shell will break, shattering hope and all the neatly secured appearances of a truly fragile existence.
Unlike Humpty Dumpty, though, parents of kids with cancer will pick themselves up and put themselves back together again. OVER and OVER again...........
Tuesday, April 27, 2004 4:54 PM CDT
4 in-hospital treatments to go and counting...Not much new to report, just gearing up for our next stay at our favorite weekend getaway, Children's Medical Center!! We will be checking in on Thursday and we'll be out on Monday afternoon. As always, the five day treatment contains the dreaded Etoposide drug which is detrimental to Peyton's white blood counts. Please pray for speedy count recoveries so we won't have to delay the next treatment in May due to a low ANC.
Weston was hospitalized this weekend for a possible blood infection. I've talked to his mom a few times and Weston is doing well. He started his next round of chemo today so they will still be in-patient when we check in. We are all happy that we'll get to hang out together, although the circumstances stink!
On Thursday, we will go to clinic for our weekly treatment and then be checked in to the hospital from there. We usually sit in clinic for a few hours until we get into a room and Peyton sometimes gets bored, but THIS week, something fun will be going on for Peyton and ALL her clinic friends. I'm not a liberty to discuss the specifics ;) but it deals with big-hearted police officers and their love for kids! When we get checked in and settled later this week, I'll let you know all about it.
Please be sure and scroll down to see our (ever-growing) list of friends who need your prayers. Also, please read about Relay for Life. Our event will be coming up this summer and cancer research could really use your support. Much love to you all!
Please sign the guestbook and let us know you were here. Peyton loves it when we read her what you wrote.
Peyton's daddy, sister and I have formed a team through Relay for Life. It is a wonderful event sponsored by the American Cancer Society that raises money for cancer research. Our team is called TeamPeyton and we will be participating in the Ellis County relay on June 11 and 12. If you are interested in joining our team, creating your own team (in Ellis County) or donating money to Relay for Life, please contact Jimmy and Shannon Beaudoin at 972.723.2407 or email at beaudoin_shannon@yahoo.com. This is a awe-inspiring event and most money raised funds research at local facilities. Children's Medical Center (where Peyton receives treatment) is a Phase I facility. This means groundbreaking research treatment is performed at Children's and that happens when money is funneled into research. If you can help, please do.
Please remember in prayer: Weston (www.caringbridge.org/tx/weston), Lauryn, Logan (www.caringbridge.org/tx/logancherry), Tyler, Courtney, Jorge, Alex, Derek, Alexis, Amber, Sara, Kevin, Kelsey, Forest, Lucas, Megan and all the other brave cancer kids out there fighting such a tough battle. Please also pray for Jonathon and Jasmine for their continued remission and Elisha for his continued health and success in his hematology treatment. Bless you all!
Juliet Freitag
Parents of children with cancer, or really any serious condition, are often referred to or viewed as having strength "like a rock." Albeit flattering, it isn't quite true.
It is more like the strength of an egg. An egg, you ask? Yes! If you'll think about it, you'll see my point. An egg has a polished, smooth outer appearance, with no cracks or weak spots visible. It seems almost inconceivable that the inside might not be so smooth or solid.
Most children, at some point are shown the famous egg trick. An egg set at just the right angle can withstand enormous amounts of pressure and cannot be cracked or broken. Yet the same egg, tapped gently at an ever slightly different angle, will break. The contents, once so neatly concealed, will come spilling out. The no longer perfect shell will be crushed. It looks so fragile that it seems inconceivable that it ever held any strength.
A rock, on the other hand, is solid all the way through. To break it is almost impossible. If you succeed, you will find that there is nothing inside but more rock.
It takes a lot more than pure hardness to hold the hand of hope. Parents of children with cancer are not solid all the way through. We hurt, we fear, we cry, we hope. It takes a very careful balancing act to keep the shell from being shattered. "Balancing an egg" while running a household, going for doctors' visits and hospital stays, keeping the family together, and holding on to the constantly unraveling ties of your sanity can be very tricky indeed! Occasionally, the angle will be off and the shell will break, shattering hope and all the neatly secured appearances of a truly fragile existence.
Unlike Humpty Dumpty, though, parents of kids with cancer will pick themselves up and put themselves back together again. OVER and OVER again...........
by: Martina McBride
In my daughter's eyes I am a hero
I am strong and wise and I know no fear
But the truth is plain to see
She was sent to rescue me
I see who I wanna be
In my daughter's eyes
In my daughter's eyes everyone is equal
Darkness turns to light and the world is at peace
This miracle God gave to me gives me strength when I am weak
I find reason to believe
In my daughter's eyes
And when she wraps her hand around my finger
Oh it puts a smile in my heart
Everything becomes a little clearer
I realize what life is all about
It's hangin' on when your heart has had enough
It's giving more when you feel like giving up
I've seen the light
It's in my daugter's eyes
In my daughter's eyes I can see the future
A reflection of who I am and what will be
Though she'll grow and someday leave
Maybe raise a family
When I'm gone I hope you see how happy she made me
For I'll be there
In my daughter's eyes
Thursday, April 22, 2004 11:07 PM CDT
Woohoo! Peyton's new counts are in and are at 6800! Again, the 3-day treatment was kind to Peyton's counts and she didn't get close to being neutropenic this time. Thank You, God, for this blessing. On an even better note, I think the appetite stimulant is FINALLY kicking in. Peyton has gained almost 3 pounds!! I was so happy when Torrie (our clinic tech)told us Peyton's weight today that I was jumping up and down and hugging Peyton. I'm sure the others in clinic thought I was crazy, but it's probably time for them to know the truth about me anyway!!
We saw Elisha at clinic today. He was looking handsome as ever. I got a big kiss and hug from him when he left. We should all be so lucky to get attention from such a handsome young man!
We also got to see Courtney. I talked to her and her family for a bit. Courtney's counts were down, but she said she felt okay. She had the neatest news. Her prom was last weekend and she was elected Prom Queen. You go Courtney!! Dane and I are excited at the prospect of her getting a website soon so we can check in on her more often. She's is one of bravest, prettiest and most inspiring young ladies we've ever met.
Peyton hit a neat landmark this week. She is involved in AWANA at church. Her age group is called Cubbies. Peyton LOVES being a Cubbie. She has a book, a vest and a bag and feels like such a big girl when she goes to class each week. She has weekly Bible verses to memorize. When Peyton got sick, she started to fall behind in class and I was worried she would not get to stay with her class if she kept missing class. Our AWANA director, Lynn, offered to let me help Peyton with her verses and sign off on them when she wasn't feeling well enough to come to class. Yesterday, Peyton finished her Cubbie book, and finished it with the rest of her class!! It's seems like a small accomplishment, but 4 months ago when we started this crazy journey we are on, I was feeling that we may never have completed this goal. God has been so faithful to His promises and here we are! Thank you Lynn, Merilee, Nancy, Phyllis, Karen, and Brandie for your love, patience and prayers for Peyton and getting her through her book and letting her maintain the normalcy that is so important to us right now.
Please be sure and scroll down to see our (ever-growing) list of friends who need your prayers. Also, please read about Relay for Life. Our event will be coming up this summer and cancer research could really use your support. Much love to you all!
Peyton's daddy, sister and I have formed a team through Relay for Life. It is a wonderful event sponsored by the American Cancer Society that raises money for cancer research. Our team is called TeamPeyton and we will be participating in the Ellis County relay on June 11 and 12. If you are interested in joining our team, creating your own team (in Ellis County) or donating money to Relay for Life, please contact Jimmy and Shannon Beaudoin at 972.723.2407 or email at beaudoin_shannon@yahoo.com. This is a awe-inspiring event and most money raised funds research at local facilities. Children's Medical Center (where Peyton receives treatment) is a Phase I facility. This means groundbreaking research treatment is performed at Children's and that happens when money is funneled into research. If you can help, please do.
Please remember in prayer: Weston (www.caringbridge.org/tx/weston), Lauryn, Logan (www.caringbridge.org/tx/logancherry), Tyler, Courtney, Jorge, Alex, Derek, Alexis, Amber, Sara, Kevin, Kelsey, Forest,Lucas, Megan and all the other brave cancer kids out there fighting such a tough battle. Please also pray for Jonathon and Jasmine for their continued remission and Elisha for his continued health and success in his hematology treatment. Bless you all!
Juliet Freitag
Parents of children with cancer, or really any serious condition, are often referred to or viewed as having strength "like a rock." Albeit flattering, it isn't quite true.
It is more like the strength of an egg. An egg, you ask? Yes! If you'll think about it, you'll see my point. An egg has a polished, smooth outer appearance, with no cracks or weak spots visible. It seems almost inconceivable that the inside might not be so smooth or solid.
Most children, at some point are shown the famous egg trick. An egg set at just the right angle can withstand enormous amounts of pressure and cannot be cracked or broken. Yet the same egg, tapped gently at an ever slightly different angle, will break. The contents, once so neatly concealed, will come spilling out. The no longer perfect shell will be crushed. It looks so fragile that it seems inconceivable that it ever held any strength.
A rock, on the other hand, is solid all the way through. To break it is almost impossible. If you succeed, you will find that there is nothing inside but more rock.
It takes a lot more than pure hardness to hold the hand of hope. Parents of children with cancer are not solid all the way through. We hurt, we fear, we cry, we hope. It takes a very careful balancing act to keep the shell from being shattered. "Balancing an egg" while running a household, going for doctors' visits and hospital stays, keeping the family together, and holding on to the constantly unraveling ties of your sanity can be very tricky indeed! Occasionally, the angle will be off and the shell will break, shattering hope and all the neatly secured appearances of a truly fragile existence.
Unlike Humpty Dumpty, though, parents of kids with cancer will pick themselves up and put themselves back together again. OVER and OVER again...........
by: Martina McBride
In my daughter's eyes I am a hero
I am strong and wise and I know no fear
But the truth is plain to see
She was sent to rescue me
I see who I wanna be
In my daughter's eyes
In my daughter's eyes everyone is equal
Darkness turns to light and the world is at peace
This miracle God gave to me gives me strength when I am weak
I find reason to believe
In my daughter's eyes
And when she wraps her hand around my finger
Oh it puts a smile in my heart
Everything becomes a little clearer
I realize what life is all about
It's hangin' on when your heart has had enough
It's giving more when you feel like giving up
I've seen the light
It's in my daugter's eyes
In my daughter's eyes I can see the future
A reflection of who I am and what will be
Though she'll grow and someday leave
Maybe raise a family
When I'm gone I hope you see how happy she made me
For I'll be there
In my daughter's eyes
Monday, April 19, 2004 5:37 PM CDT
We went in for counts today and Peyton is at 3100. This is down from last week but still well above normal for her. What we're assuming (and you know what that means!) is that Peyton's counts are as low as they are going to get, but we'll know that for sure on Thursday when we do counts again. If her counts are still holding then, we'll know she has hit her lowest for this last treatment and we can look forward to starting her in-patient treatment on the 29th. The next treatment will be the dreaded 5 day one, but she only has two more 5-day treatments to go. Yea!
We saw Weston at clinic today. He looks great and was dragging his IV pole behind him. They need to make turbo model poles to keep up with the energy level of this cutie! He was in to do the preliminary work up for his bone marrow procedures. Go to his site at www.caringbridge.org/tx/weston and you can read up on how his next few treatments will go. Please pray for Daryl and Sherrie (Weston's dad and mom) as they go through these next several days. Weston will be subjected to chemo and lots of other procedures to get his little body ready for his transplant this summer.
If you get a chance to pick up this month's Reader's Digest, please do so. The theme for this months edition is "America's 100 Best". On page 86 is a story about Hope Stout. Hope had Osteosarcoma and earned her well-deserved angel wings in January of this year. Her mom, Shelby, and I have been emailing for a few months now and this family has faith and strength I can only hope to have. If you want to read more about Hope's extraordinary journey and the lives she is STILL changing, go visit her site at www.caringbridge.org/nc/hope.
Please be sure and scroll down to see our (ever-growing) list of friends who need your prayers. Also, please read about Relay for Life. Our event will be coming up this summer and cancer research could really use your support. Much love to you all!
Peyton's daddy, sister and I have formed a team through Relay for Life. It is a wonderful event sponsored by the American Cancer Society that raises money for cancer research. Our team is called TeamPeyton and we will be participating in the Ellis County relay on June 11 and 12. If you are interested in joining our team, creating your own team (in Ellis County) or donating money to Relay for Life, please contact Jimmy and Shannon Beaudoin at 972.723.2407 or email at beaudoin_shannon@yahoo.com. This is a awe-inspiring event and most money raised funds research at local facilities. Children's Medical Center (where Peyton receives treatment) is a Phase I facility. This means groundbreaking research treatment is performed at Children's and that happens when money is funneled into research. If you can help, please do.
Please remember in prayer: Weston (www.caringbridge.org/tx/weston), Lauryn, Logan (www.caringbridge.org/tx/logancherry), Tyler, Courtney, Jorge, Alex, Derek, Alexis, Amber, Sara, Kevin, Kelsey, Forest,Lucas, Megan and all the other brave cancer kids out there fighting such a tough battle. Please also pray for Jonathon and Jasmine for their continued remission and Elisha for his continued health and success in his hematology treatment. Bless you all!
Juliet Freitag
Parents of children with cancer, or really any serious condition, are often referred to or viewed as having strength "like a rock." Albeit flattering, it isn't quite true.
It is more like the strength of an egg. An egg, you ask? Yes! If you'll think about it, you'll see my point. An egg has a polished, smooth outer appearance, with no cracks or weak spots visible. It seems almost inconceivable that the inside might not be so smooth or solid.
Most children, at some point are shown the famous egg trick. An egg set at just the right angle can withstand enormous amounts of pressure and cannot be cracked or broken. Yet the same egg, tapped gently at an ever slightly different angle, will break. The contents, once so neatly concealed, will come spilling out. The no longer perfect shell will be crushed. It looks so fragile that it seems inconceivable that it ever held any strength.
A rock, on the other hand, is solid all the way through. To break it is almost impossible. If you succeed, you will find that there is nothing inside but more rock.
It takes a lot more than pure hardness to hold the hand of hope. Parents of children with cancer are not solid all the way through. We hurt, we fear, we cry, we hope. It takes a very careful balancing act to keep the shell from being shattered. "Balancing an egg" while running a household, going for doctors' visits and hospital stays, keeping the family together, and holding on to the constantly unraveling ties of your sanity can be very tricky indeed! Occasionally, the angle will be off and the shell will break, shattering hope and all the neatly secured appearances of a truly fragile existence.
Unlike Humpty Dumpty, though, parents of kids with cancer will pick themselves up and put themselves back together again. OVER and OVER again...........
by: Martina McBride
In my daughter's eyes I am a hero
I am strong and wise and I know no fear
But the truth is plain to see
She was sent to rescue me
I see who I wanna be
In my daughter's eyes
In my daughter's eyes everyone is equal
Darkness turns to light and the world is at peace
This miracle God gave to me gives me strength when I am weak
I find reason to believe
In my daughter's eyes
And when she wraps her hand around my finger
Oh it puts a smile in my heart
Everything becomes a little clearer
I realize what life is all about
It's hangin' on when your heart has had enough
It's giving more when you feel like giving up
I've seen the light
It's in my daugter's eyes
In my daughter's eyes I can see the future
A reflection of who I am and what will be
Though she'll grow and someday leave
Maybe raise a family
When I'm gone I hope you see how happy she made me
For I'll be there
In my daughter's eyes
Thursday, April 15, 2004 4:32 PM CDT
ANC is 8000!! As a refresher or a crash course for you new visitors, an ANC above 500 means Peyton is not at risk for infection. The last time we had a 3 day treatment (like we finished this weekend) Peyton never fell below 4000, so let's pray for another round of good counts.
We've had a busy couple of days. Peyton went to Bible study with me on Wednesday morning. She got to see her friends for a while. On Wednesday afternoon, we met Kirby, Karley and Rylan at McDonald's for lunch and then we went to AWANA Wednesday night. Today, we had our usual clinic day and quick chemo treatment. Peyton got her monthly breathing treatment today and thank goodness it was Randy who was our respiratory therapist! We had someone different last month and Peyton was not amused by that! Peyton had a low dose of Vincristine today and will not need another clinic dose for 5 weeks!! That means 5 weeks of NO port accessing while we are in clinic (port accessing is when the nurses insert a needle and inject her chemo directly into the port-a-cath that is surgically implanted in her chest). Of course she'll still have her port accessed when we check in for in-patient treatment, but now Peyton will get stuck by needles less and less as we go forward.
Clinic was, as always, a chance for us to see Peyton's buddies. Weston and his mom were in. Weston looks great and his counts are good. He had a platelet transfusion a few days back and his levels are much better now. Weston entertained us by doing his customary laps around the waiting room, down the treatment hall and back up the check-in hallway. Just watching him makes me tired!! Sherrie and I got to visit for a bit. She brought Peyton and Lindsay each a gift. The Teel's are such a sweet family. In the midst of their own worries, they still think of our girls and we are blessed to know them. Sherrie and I have decided that if we all have to go through the awfulness that cancer brings, then we are going to thumb our noses at the idea of being too sad and devastated to see the good things that have happened, namely creating friendships that will last a lifetime and beyond. We also saw Elisha and his mom and dad. Elisha was in a great mood today and let me hug and kiss on him before he left! I have new pictures that I will post later. They are of Elisha and Kristen (Child Life Specialist). Peyton wouldn't get in the picture with them! But, I do have one of Peyton and Weston. It's cute so be looking for it later...
I'll update more later. Please be sure and scroll down to see our (ever-growing) list of friends who need your prayers. Also, please read about Relay for Life. Our event will be coming up this summer and cancer research could really use your support. Much love to you all!
Peyton's daddy, sister and I have formed a team through Relay for Life. It is a wonderful event sponsored by the American Cancer Society that raises money for cancer research. Our team is called TeamPeyton and we will be participating in the Ellis County relay on June 11 and 12. If you are interested in joining our team, creating your own team (in Ellis County) or donating money to Relay for Life, please contact Jimmy and Shannon Beaudoin at 972.723.2407 or email at beaudoin_shannon@yahoo.com. This is a awe-inspiring event and most money raised funds research at local facilities. Children's Medical Center (where Peyton receives treatment) is a Phase I facility. This means groundbreaking research treatment is performed at Children's and that happens when money is funneled into research. If you can help, please do.
Please remember in prayer: Weston (www.caringbridge.org/tx/weston), Lauryn, Logan (www.caringbridge.org/tx/logancherry), Tyler, Courtney, Jorge, Alex, Derek, Alexis, Amber, Sara, Kevin, Kelsey, Forest,Lucas, Megan and all the other brave cancer kids out there fighting such a tough battle. Please also pray for Jonathon and Jasmine for their continued remission and Elisha for his continued health and success in his hematology treatment. Bless you all!
Juliet Freitag
Parents of children with cancer, or really any serious condition, are often referred to or viewed as having strength "like a rock." Albeit flattering, it isn't quite true.
It is more like the strength of an egg. An egg, you ask? Yes! If you'll think about it, you'll see my point. An egg has a polished, smooth outer appearance, with no cracks or weak spots visible. It seems almost inconceivable that the inside might not be so smooth or solid.
Most children, at some point are shown the famous egg trick. An egg set at just the right angle can withstand enormous amounts of pressure and cannot be cracked or broken. Yet the same egg, tapped gently at an ever slightly different angle, will break. The contents, once so neatly concealed, will come spilling out. The no longer perfect shell will be crushed. It looks so fragile that it seems inconceivable that it ever held any strength.
A rock, on the other hand, is solid all the way through. To break it is almost impossible. If you succeed, you will find that there is nothing inside but more rock.
It takes a lot more than pure hardness to hold the hand of hope. Parents of children with cancer are not solid all the way through. We hurt, we fear, we cry, we hope. It takes a very careful balancing act to keep the shell from being shattered. "Balancing an egg" while running a household, going for doctors' visits and hospital stays, keeping the family together, and holding on to the constantly unraveling ties of your sanity can be very tricky indeed! Occasionally, the angle will be off and the shell will break, shattering hope and all the neatly secured appearances of a truly fragile existence.
Unlike Humpty Dumpty, though, parents of kids with cancer will pick themselves up and put themselves back together again. OVER and OVER again...........
by: Martina McBride
In my daughter's eyes I am a hero
I am strong and wise and I know no fear
But the truth is plain to see
She was sent to rescue me
I see who I wanna be
In my daughter's eyes
In my daughter's eyes everyone is equal
Darkness turns to light and the world is at peace
This miracle God gave to me gives me strength when I am weak
I find reason to believe
In my daughter's eyes
And when she wraps her hand around my finger
Oh it puts a smile in my heart
Everything becomes a little clearer
I realize what life is all about
It's hangin' on when your heart has had enough
It's giving more when you feel like giving up
I've seen the light
It's in my daugter's eyes
In my daughter's eyes I can see the future
A reflection of who I am and what will be
Though she'll grow and someday leave
Maybe raise a family
When I'm gone I hope you see how happy she made me
For I'll be there
In my daughter's eyes
Monday, April 12, 2004 9:24 PM CDT
Let me start out with a big thank you and praise to our faithful and loving Lord. Peyton had a sonogram on Friday morning. We were looking to see if there was any re-growth of the cancer or any new masses we should be concerned about. Her sonogram was of the area where her right kidney used to be, her left kidney, renal artery and bladder. The tests were clear clear clear!!
We're home and things are certainly looking better! As you know from the last posting, Peyton is getting to back off of one of her chemo drugs, but now, we have better news! We have been pretty concerned about Peyton's weight for a while now. She's down 4 pounds from her pre-surgery weight, plus, she's grown an inch since January. Given that, she looks too scrawny. Peyton has a team of 14 doctors. We see them in various rotations, but Peyton's primary oncologist saw her Thursday for the first time in a probably 5 weeks. When he walked in to the treatment room, he flinched. He didn't like how skinny she has gotten. He ordered a new med that gives her an appetite. Let me tell you, it works! She has only been on it 2 days, but with this pace, she'll be a linebacker's size by the end of the month!! We are SO happy that she is eating so well. The second bit of good news is that Peyton is on a new anti-nausea drug that is working wonders. Peyton took Doxirubin for this last treatment and it does a real number on her belly. With this new medicine, she has yet to be sick. Thank you God for answering our worried prayers about Peyton's weight and reaction to her treatment!
Other than our good news about the medicines, Dane, Peyton and I agree that this was our best hospital visit yet! Peyton felt so good, and she was in a fantastic mood for the whole 3 days. Our buddy Elisha was next door and we got to see him and spend some time with his family. I have pictures posted of he and Peyton, so be sure and check them out. Joey and Cody came to visit us Friday. They are friends of ours from our church's youth group. They graciously gave up their school holiday to come hang out with us at the hospital for a few hours. Peyton was glad they came to see her and she flirted shamelessly with them. I think now that Joey and Cody got a look at all the cute nurses and Child Life Specialists, they will be visiting more ;) Thanks for coming to see us guys. We love you both! Grammy Kay, Coach, Bruce, Granny, Rocky and Aunt Stephanie all came up for visits too, so we were pretty social this visit!
I heard from Sherrie, Weston's mom. Weston is doing fine. He needed a platelet transfusion, but his counts weren't too low to have to worry about a hospital stay as as a result. Yea!! Weston has a clinic appointment on Thursday when we do, so we'll get to see him. Elisha will be there too, so it should be a fun day!
We had a great Easter. We were so happy to be at church Sunday morning despite getting home around just before midnight on Saturday. Peyton and Lindsay looked so pretty in there Easter dresses. It was too cold and rainy here for a outdoor hunt, so the Easter Bunny hid his eggs in the house. Grammy made us a yummy lunch too. We went to Granny and Rocky's for dinner. Today, we slept in because Lindsay didn't have school and we were pooped!
Please pray for Jake Griffin's family (www.caringbridge.org/page/jakegriffin) Jake earned his angel wings a few days ago. He spent Easter in the arms of his Savior, but I know his parents are missing him so much. They have astounding faith in the Lord and will see Jake again, but please pray for their peace until that time. Thank you for your conitnued prayers. We love you all!
Peyton's daddy, sister and I have formed a team through Relay for Life. It is a wonderful event sponsored by the American Cancer Society that raises money for cancer research. Our team is called TeamPeyton and we will be participating in the Ellis County relay on June 11 and 12. If you are interested in joining our team, creating your own team (in Ellis County) or donating money to Relay for Life, please contact Jimmy and Shannon Beaudoin at 972.723.2407 or email at beaudoin_shannon@yahoo.com. This is a awe-inspiring event and most money raised funds research at local facilities. Children's Medical Center (where Peyton receives treatment) is a Phase I facility. This means groundbreaking research treatment is performed at Children's and that happens when money is funneled into research. If you can help, please do.
Please remember in prayer: Weston (www.caringbridge.org/tx/weston), Lauryn, Logan (www.caringbridge.org/tx/logancherry), Tyler, Courtney, Jorge, Alex, Derek, Alexis, Amber, Sara, Kevin, Kelsey, Forest,Lucas, Megan and all the other brave cancer kids out there fighting such a tough battle. Please also pray for Jonathon and Jasmine for their continued remission and Elisha for his continued health and success in his hematology treatment. Bless you all!
Juliet Freitag
Parents of children with cancer, or really any serious condition, are often referred to or viewed as having strength "like a rock." Albeit flattering, it isn't quite true.
It is more like the strength of an egg. An egg, you ask? Yes! If you'll think about it, you'll see my point. An egg has a polished, smooth outer appearance, with no cracks or weak spots visible. It seems almost inconceivable that the inside might not be so smooth or solid.
Most children, at some point are shown the famous egg trick. An egg set at just the right angle can withstand enormous amounts of pressure and cannot be cracked or broken. Yet the same egg, tapped gently at an ever slightly different angle, will break. The contents, once so neatly concealed, will come spilling out. The no longer perfect shell will be crushed. It looks so fragile that it seems inconceivable that it ever held any strength.
A rock, on the other hand, is solid all the way through. To break it is almost impossible. If you succeed, you will find that there is nothing inside but more rock.
It takes a lot more than pure hardness to hold the hand of hope. Parents of children with cancer are not solid all the way through. We hurt, we fear, we cry, we hope. It takes a very careful balancing act to keep the shell from being shattered. "Balancing an egg" while running a household, going for doctors' visits and hospital stays, keeping the family together, and holding on to the constantly unraveling ties of your sanity can be very tricky indeed! Occasionally, the angle will be off and the shell will break, shattering hope and all the neatly secured appearances of a truly fragile existence.
Unlike Humpty Dumpty, though, parents of kids with cancer will pick themselves up and put themselves back together again. OVER and OVER again...........
by: Martina McBride
In my daughter's eyes I am a hero
I am strong and wise and I know no fear
But the truth is plain to see
She was sent to rescue me
I see who I wanna be
In my daughter's eyes
In my daughter's eyes everyone is equal
Darkness turns to light and the world is at peace
This miracle God gave to me gives me strength when I am weak
I find reason to believe
In my daughter's eyes
And when she wraps her hand around my finger
Oh it puts a smile in my heart
Everything becomes a little clearer
I realize what life is all about
It's hangin' on when your heart has had enough
It's giving more when you feel like giving up
I've seen the light
It's in my daugter's eyes
In my daughter's eyes I can see the future
A reflection of who I am and what will be
Though she'll grow and someday leave
Maybe raise a family
When I'm gone I hope you see how happy she made me
For I'll be there
In my daughter's eyes
Thursday, April 8, 2004 5:24 PM CDT
We finally got checked in for our next round of chemo. Peyton's counts were good. I don't know the ANC but her WBC was 6.9. As I write this, Peyton has received one of her meds and is in the middle of another. Peyton's clinic nurse Andrea hates to see Peyton feeling so puny from the Doxirubicin (which we will get today) so she found Peyton an extra anti-nausea to add in with the Zofran. Let's pray it works because the Dox does a number on poor Peyton's tummy!
Dr. Aquino told us some good news today. Peyton is far along enough in her treatment that she can back off the dosage and frequency of one of her chemo drugs. Many of you have heard me grinch about Vincristine. It's main side effect (albeit not permanent) is nerve ending damage. Peyton has had a pretty significant drop in her fine motor skills and her coordination has suffered. She trips and falls down easily and bumps into things frequently. Just as things were getting bad, our treatment protocol calls for us to only take this drug once a month as opposed to once a week and the dosage will be lower. For me, this feels like a small light at the end of this very dark tunnel. I am actually getting to visualize what life after treatment might feel like :)
Peyton's buddy Elisha is in-patient with us. He is our next door neighbor!! We are going to have so much fun while we're here. Elisha doesn't get to leave until Monday so please pray for his parents Mary and Aaron since they won't be able to spend Easter at church and at home.
We saw Weston, Sherrie and Daryl at clinic today. They have encouraging news about Weston, but I'll wait until Sherrie posts to Weston's site before I get into it. Weston got a blood transfusion today. That could mean a fever spike so please pray that it won't so Weston won't have to be hospitalized. Also pray for Sherrie and Daryl's strength, because new blood makes Weston feel VERY active. If you knew how energetic Weston already is, you'd know what I mean ;)!!
We have a new family we'd like you to add to your prayers. Please lift up Lucas. He was diagnosed on Monday will Leukemia (ALL).
I'll close now. Princess Peyton needs more ice cream!! It's working though. She's gained a pound since last week. Much love to you all.
Please remember Jesus is the reason for the Easter season!
Peyton's daddy, sister and I have formed a team through Relay for Life. It is a wonderful event sponsored by the American Cancer Society that raises money for cancer research. Our team is called TeamPeyton and we will be participating in the Ellis County relay on June 11 and 12. If you are interested in joining our team, creating your own team (in Ellis County) or donating money to Relay for Life, please contact Jimmy and Shannon Beaudoin at 972.723.2407 or email at beaudoin_shannon@yahoo.com. This is a awe-inspiring event and most money raised funds research at local facilities. Children's Medical Center (where Peyton receives treatment) is a Phase I facility. This means groundbreaking research treatment is performed at Children's and that happens when money is funneled into research. If you can help, please do.
Please remember in prayer: Weston (www.caringbridge.org/tx/weston), Lauryn, Logan (www.caringbridge.org/tx/logancherry), Tyler, Courtney, Jorge, Alex, Derek, Alexis, Amber, Sara, Kevin, Kelsey, Forest, and Lucas and all the other brave cancer kids out there fighting such a tough battle. Please also pray for Jonathon and Jasmine for their continued remission and Elisha for his continued health and success in his hematology treatment. Bless you all!
Juliet Freitag
Parents of children with cancer, or really any serious condition, are often referred to or viewed as having strength "like a rock." Albeit flattering, it isn't quite true.
It is more like the strength of an egg. An egg, you ask? Yes! If you'll think about it, you'll see my point. An egg has a polished, smooth outer appearance, with no cracks or weak spots visible. It seems almost inconceivable that the inside might not be so smooth or solid.
Most children, at some point are shown the famous egg trick. An egg set at just the right angle can withstand enormous amounts of pressure and cannot be cracked or broken. Yet the same egg, tapped gently at an ever slightly different angle, will break. The contents, once so neatly concealed, will come spilling out. The no longer perfect shell will be crushed. It looks so fragile that it seems inconceivable that it ever held any strength.
A rock, on the other hand, is solid all the way through. To break it is almost impossible. If you succeed, you will find that there is nothing inside but more rock.
It takes a lot more than pure hardness to hold the hand of hope. Parents of children with cancer are not solid all the way through. We hurt, we fear, we cry, we hope. It takes a very careful balancing act to keep the shell from being shattered. "Balancing an egg" while running a household, going for doctors' visits and hospital stays, keeping the family together, and holding on to the constantly unraveling ties of your sanity can be very tricky indeed! Occasionally, the angle will be off and the shell will break, shattering hope and all the neatly secured appearances of a truly fragile existence.
Unlike Humpty Dumpty, though, parents of kids with cancer will pick themselves up and put themselves back together again. OVER and OVER again...........
by: Martina McBride
In my daughter's eyes I am a hero
I am strong and wise and I know no fear
But the truth is plain to see
She was sent to rescue me
I see who I wanna be
In my daughter's eyes
In my daughter's eyes everyone is equal
Darkness turns to light and the world is at peace
This miracle God gave to me gives me strength when I am weak
I find reason to believe
In my daughter's eyes
And when she wraps her hand around my finger
Oh it puts a smile in my heart
Everything becomes a little clearer
I realize what life is all about
It's hangin' on when your heart has had enough
It's giving more when you feel like giving up
I've seen the light
It's in my daugter's eyes
In my daughter's eyes I can see the future
A reflection of who I am and what will be
Though she'll grow and someday leave
Maybe raise a family
When I'm gone I hope you see how happy she made me
For I'll be there
In my daughter's eyes
Tuesday, April 6, 2004 5:28 PM CDT
It's been pretty low key around here the last few days. Peyton's appetite is back! She eats 2 or 3 plates of macaroni and cheese a day! She is also eating a lot of ice cream and Peyton has NEVER liked ice cream a day in her life. We are just so grateful that she is putting on a little weight before we go back in for treatment. Please pray for her counts to be high enough to start chemo again. Any delay in treatment can mean those nasty cancer cells will have time to regroup and attack, and delays also mean less of a normal (whatever that means!) summer schedule for us as a family. We have promised Lindsay and Peyton a trip to Destin, Florida when treatment is over and more delays in treatment might put us to August before we are done with treatment. For those of you familiar with Texas schools, early August is when the new school year starts and Lindsay will have to be here to begin her year as an 8th grader!...
We are still enjoying our visit with Old Gran. We haven't done much, but at least we're enjoying some family time together. I think it has been good for Old Gran to see Peyton and how she's feeling good right now. Tomorrow, Peyton goes to AWANA. She doesn't have to memorize her Bible verse this week, because we are ahead by a week! On Thursday, we check back in to the hospital (hopefully) for our 3 day treatment. We'll be home in time for church on Easter Sunday. Peyton has a pretty pink Easter dress with matching accessories. Peyton ought to blend in well that day since everyone will be wearing pretty hats!
Big hugs and kisses to Susan and Judy, Peyton's chemo angels. They have sent beautiful Easter goodies to the girls.
Please remember Jesus is the reason for the Easter season!
Peyton's daddy, sister and I have formed a team through Relay for Life. It is a wonderful event sponsored by the American Cancer Society that raises money for cancer research. Our team is called TeamPeyton and we will be participating in the Ellis County relay on June 11 and 12. If you are interested in joining our team, creating your own team (in Ellis County) or donating money to Relay for Life, please contact Jimmy and Shannon Beaudoin at 972.723.2407 or email at beaudoin_shannon@yahoo.com. This is a awe-inspiring event and most money raised funds research at local facilities. Children's Medical Center (where Peyton receives treatment) is a Phase I facility. This means groundbreaking research treatment is performed at Children's and that happens when money is funneled into research. If you can help, please do.
Please remember in prayer: Weston (www.caringbridge.org/tx/weston), Lauryn, Logan (www.caringbridge.org/tx/logancherry), Tyler, Courtney, Jorge, Alex, Derek, Alexis, Amber, Sara, Kevin, Kelsey and all the other brave cancer kids out there fighting such a tough battle. Please also pray for Jonathon and Jasmine for their continued remission! Bless you all!
by: Martina McBride
In my daughter's eyes I am a hero
I am strong and wise and I know no fear
But the truth is plain to see
She was sent to rescue me
I see who I wanna be
In my daughter's eyes
In my daughter's eyes everyone is equal
Darkness turns to light and the world is at peace
This miracle God gave to me gives me strength when I am weak
I find reason to believe
In my daughter's eyes
And when she wraps her hand around my finger
Oh it puts a smile in my heart
Everything becomes a little clearer
I realize what life is all about
It's hangin' on when your heart has had enough
It's giving more when you feel like giving up
I've seen the light
It's in my daugter's eyes
In my daughter's eyes I can see the future
A reflection of who I am and what will be
Though she'll grow and someday leave
Maybe raise a family
When I'm gone I hope you see how happy she made me
For I'll be there
In my daughter's eyes
Sunday, April 4, 2004 2:48 PM CDT
What a great weekend we've had! Since Peyton couldn't check in for treatment, we decided to make the best of this "free" week! Peyton and Lindsay's great-grandmother (my grandmother) is staying with us for a while. She hasn't seen the girls in a while since our schedule is so crazy. Peyton and Old Gran (as the girls call her) have been busy playing kitchen, dolls, and telling stories. Tomorrow, we're going to go get our flowers and get them planted. Peyton loves to get our flowers from Home Depot and loves to work in the flower beds, so it should be a fun day for her.
We went to church this morning. Peyton misses seeing her Sunday School class when she's too sick to come. Mrs. Lisa wasn't there--she's feeling a little puny due to the new baby in her tummy! Peyton is so excited Mrs. Lisa is going to have a baby. Peyton says it's a girl and her name should be Ashley :)
Yesterday, we went to the park to play while Lindsay was at her cancer sibling class. Lindsay had fun and I think she got a lot out of the class. Thank you to Shawnna and Ashley for putting on this event. I think it is so great that you guys understand how hard it is to be the brother or sister of a cancer kid and how they need attention and help too.
Please pray for Weston and his parents as they sit down this week to see where his treatments should go. Please pray for the doctors to have God's wisdom behind all their decisions and for peace of mind for Sherrie and Daryl.
Happy Sunday to you all. Much love.
New photos are posted, so check them out...
Peyton's daddy, sister and I have formed a team through Relay for Life. It is a wonderful event sponsored by the American Cancer Society that raises money for cancer research. Our team is called TeamPeyton and we will be participating in the Ellis County relay on June 11 and 12. If you are interested in joining our team, creating your own team (in Ellis County) or donating money to Relay for Life, please contact Jimmy and Shannon Beaudoin at 972.723.2407 or email at beaudoin_shannon@yahoo.com. This is a awe-inspiring event and most money raised funds research at local facilities. Children's Medical Center (where Peyton receives treatment) is a Phase I facility. This means groundbreaking research treatment is performed at Children's and that happens when money is funneled into research. If you can help, please do.
Please remember in prayer: Weston (www.caringbridge.org/tx/weston), Lauryn, Logan (www.caringbridge.org/tx/logancherry), Tyler, Courtney, Jorge, Alex, Derek, Alexis, Amber, Sara, Kevin, Kelsey and all the other brave cancer kids out there fighting such a tough battle. Please also pray for Jonathon and Jasmine for their continued remission! Bless you all!
by: Martina McBride
In my daughter's eyes I am a hero
I am strong and wise and I know no fear
But the truth is plain to see
She was sent to rescue me
I see who I wanna be
In my daughter's eyes
In my daughter's eyes everyone is equal
Darkness turns to light and the world is at peace
This miracle God gave to me gives me strength when I am weak
I find reason to believe
In my daughter's eyes
And when she wraps her hand around my finger
Oh it puts a smile in my heart
Everything becomes a little clearer
I realize what life is all about
It's hangin' on when your heart has had enough
It's giving more when you feel like giving up
I've seen the light
It's in my daugter's eyes
In my daughter's eyes I can see the future
A reflection of who I am and what will be
Though she'll grow and someday leave
Maybe raise a family
When I'm gone I hope you see how happy she made me
For I'll be there
In my daughter's eyes
Thursday, April 1, 2004 3:11 PM CST
We're not in the hospital after all! Peyton's counts are good, just not good enough to start her next treatment...Her WBC (white blood count) was a little low, so her overall ANC (absolute neutrophil count) was only 880. The ANC has to be 1000 before the doctors are comfortable starting chemo. We will go back to clinic next Thursday and if her counts are better (which they should be) then we will proceed. This seems to be our pattern now...We have the 5 day, our counts get ridiculously low, we spike a fever, have an unexpected hospital stay, then get a free week for the 3 day since her counts are low from the 5 day! Oh well...As of now, we will be for treatment on April 8 and again on April 29. This bumps our projected treatment end date to mid-July--but who knows ;)
We didn't get to stay for treatment, but it was a good reunion day for us:
We got to see Weston. He came down to see us while we were in clinic waiting on blood tests. He looks great and seemed to be in good spirits. Sherrie (Weston's mom) looked good too. She's anxious--She and Daryl are still waiting to hear the results of Weston's bone marrow biopsy. Preliminary results look good, but it coud be later today before we know. PLEASE keep Weston and his family lifted in prayer. They have been so strong and faithful and it will be an enormous comfort to them to know that the chemo is working.
We saw Elisha in clinic, but didn't get to visit him because he spiked a fever. I got to visit with his mom and she says Elisha started to feel crummy today. Elisha is a hemotology patient (his picture is on the Peyton's photo page) and he can't afford fevers any more than our cancer friends can. Elisha will be admitted until the fever origin is known so please pray for him and his wonderful family, Mary (mom) and Aaron (dad.
We also got to see Tyler and Courtney. Courtney is getting her treatment all day today and she says this combo of meds makes her feel really rotten. Courtney is a senior and should be enjoying her last days as a high schooler, not getting chemo. Please pray for her to feel good and for her counts to not hassle her (only for you Courtney, will I say this HOOK EM' HORNS!!--I live with Aggie fans, so that likely will get me in trouble!)
Tyler looked great too. His hair is growing back. He had to have surgery last week to install a new port because his old port developed a blood clot. His chemo has been delayed 3 weeks as a result. Please pray for his counts to rebound as too long of a delay in treatment can be bad for his progress. Tyler's dad is getting a new job that let's them save up to move closer to Dallas. Please keep Tyler's parents and their finances in your prayers so they can move closer to the hospital. Tyler has a younger brother and sister, so all the traveling can be tough on this sweet family.
Lauryn is doing very well and it looks like she is finally going home today. Yea Lauryn!! Logan, if only you had been there, our day would have been complete! ;) We miss you, but we're glad you are home where you belong enjoying this beautiful weather.
Lindsay has a friend from her school named Kelsey. Kelsey fought cancer and whipped it into remission. This week, her family found out that she has relapsed...please pray for her strength and acceptance to take this monster head on again.
I love my life and I thank God everyday for it, but somedays, I don't think I can take another day in a world where children get cancer--and not just once. I just can't stand to see these babies and young people have to fight so hard--but they are so brave, and they do. If you do nothing else today, please do this--hug and kiss your kids and treat them as the gifts from God that they are. Thank you for checking in on us and thank you for the prayers of our very brave friends who need a miracle.
Love to you all.
New photos are posted, so check them out...
> Peyton's daddy, sister and I have formed a team through Relay for Life. It is a wonderful event sponsored by the American Cancer Society that raises money for cancer research. Our team is called TeamPeyton and we will be participating in the Ellis County relay on June 11 and 12. If you are interested in joining our team, creating your own team (in Ellis County) or donating money to Relay for Life, please contact Jimmy and Shannon Beaudoin at 972.723.2407 or email at beaudoin_shannon@yahoo.com. This is a awe-inspiring event and most money raised funds research at local facilities. Children's Medical Center (where Peyton receives treatment) is a Phase I facility. This means groundbreaking research treatment is performed at Children's and that happens when money is funneled into research. If you can help, please do.
Please remember in prayer: Weston (www.caringbridge.org/tx/weston), Lauryn, Logan (www.caringbridge.org/tx/logancherry), Tyler, Courtney, Jorge, Alex, Derek, Alexis, Amber, Sara, Kevin and all the other brave cancer kids out there fighting such a tough battle. Please also pray for Jonathon and Jasmine for their continued remission! Bless you all!
>
by: Martina McBride
In my daughter's eyes I am a hero
I am strong and wise and I know no fear
But the truth is plain to see
She was sent to rescue me
I see who I wanna be
In my daughter's eyes
In my daughter's eyes everyone is equal
Darkness turns to light and the world is at peace
This miracle God gave to me gives me strength when I am weak
I find reason to believe
In my daughter's eyes
And when she wraps her hand around my finger
Oh it puts a smile in my heart
Everything becomes a little clearer
I realize what life is all about
It's hangin' on when your heart has had enough
It's giving more when you feel like giving up
I've seen the light
It's in my daugter's eyes
In my daughter's eyes I can see the future
A reflection of who I am and what will be
Though she'll grow and someday leave
Maybe raise a family
When I'm gone I hope you see how happy she made me
For I'll be there
In my daughter's eyes
Monday, March 29, 2004 10:02 PM CST
Another big day :) Peyton and I spent the day with our friends Lily and Jennifer. Lily and Peyton jumped on the trampoline (or jumpoline as Peyton calls it!), playing "kitchen" and dress up. They also caught up on their favorite "Nick Jr." shows. Peyton is eating better today. She ate pizza for breakfast, french fries at lunch, a taco and chocolate shake at Lily's house and pizza again for dinner. For a snack, she even choked down a PediaSure. She seems to be feeling better. I saw hints of the old Peyton "spark" in her today. On Wednesday, we are going to a picnic with my Bible study group. It's beautiful weather here and we are trying to soak it all in before we check back in.
Peyton checks back in Thursday the 1st for her 4th round of chemo. This is a 3 day treatment. Weston (www.caringbridge.org/tx/weston) will be in too, so we'll get to hang out together. Lindsay and Weston's brother Colton are going to a cancer sibling class the hospital is hosting, so that should be fun for them!
New photos are posted, so check them out...
> Peyton's daddy, sister and I have formed a team through Relay for Life. It is a wonderful event sponsored by the American Cancer Society that raises money for cancer research. Our team is called TeamPeyton and we will be participating in the Ellis County relay on June 11 and 12. If you are interested in joining our team, creating your own team (in Ellis County) or donating money to Relay for Life, please contact Jimmy and Shannon Beaudoin at 972.723.2407 or email at beaudoin_shannon@yahoo.com. This is a awe-inspiring event and most money raised funds research at local facilities. Children's Medical Center (where Peyton receives treatment) is a Phase I facility. This means groundbreaking research treatment is performed at Children's and that happens when money is funneled into research. If you can help, please do.
Please remember in prayer: Weston (www.caringbridge.org/tx/weston), Lauryn, Logan (www.caringbridge.org/tx/logancherry), Tyler, Courtney, Jorge, Alex, Derek, Alexis, Amber, Sara, Kevin and all the other brave cancer kids out there fighting such a tough battle. Please also pray for Jonathon and Jasmine for their continued remission! Bless you all!
>
by: Martina McBride
In my daughter's eyes I am a hero
I am strong and wise and I know no fear
But the truth is plain to see
She was sent to rescue me
I see who I wanna be
In my daughter's eyes
In my daughter's eyes everyone is equal
Darkness turns to light and the world is at peace
This miracle God gave to me gives me strength when I am weak
I find reason to believe
In my daughter's eyes
And when she wraps her hand around my finger
Oh it puts a smile in my heart
Everything becomes a little clearer
I realize what life is all about
It's hangin' on when your heart has had enough
It's giving more when you feel like giving up
I've seen the light
It's in my daugter's eyes
In my daughter's eyes I can see the future
A reflection of who I am and what will be
Though she'll grow and someday leave
Maybe raise a family
When I'm gone I hope you see how happy she made me
For I'll be there
In my daughter's eyes
Sunday, March 28, 2004 11:26 PM CST
>What a weekend! We are NEVER busy, but this weekend was crazy. For the most part, Peyton felt well enough to go have fun, but her appetite is still lousy. Tonight, however, Peyton had 2 pieces of pizza and a dessert, so maybe she's getting the munchies again.
Here is a rundown of our fun weekend: On Friday night, Dane and I went to a Camp John Marc fundraiser at the Adolphus Hotel. The fundraiser was for a camp for kids with different cancers and burn victims. It was a black-tie event, so we got to get dressed up. We stayed overnight at the Hyatt, so it was a nice break for us to do something by ourselves. The event was called "Chef Showcase" and featured local chefs (including our church buddy Willam Koval, Executive Chef for The Adolphus Hotel)whipping up their various specialties. The food was SO good, but we didn't win the Lexus SUV in the raffle;) That would have paid off a LOT of chemo bills for us and our buddies :)!! We did eat some of the best dessert pastries ever! William, I know God gives us all talents, but we sure are glad one of yours is culinary skills, and we occasionally get to partake of them!
On Saturday, Peyton, Mommy and Aunt Stephanie (Lindsay was helping her friend Erin show rabbits at a 4H event this weekend--Erin sold 2 rabbits and placed well in the competition--go Erin!) went to the park to play and to have a picnic. After that, we went to Peyton's friend Jacob's birthday party. Jacob and Peyton have been friends their entire lives. Dane always gives Jacob a hard time because he is always kissing on Peyton! Happy 3rd big boy!! We also got to see Jacob's Mimi. She was in from San Antonio and brought Peyton cards and drawings from her very special Girl Scout troop. Yvonne, I haven't forgotten about the picture I owe you. I'll get it done and emailed tomorrow!!
Saturday night, Peyton and I went with our friends Lisa and Cassidy to the circus! Peyton had never been to one before and she has talked about it non-stop ever since. The girls wanted to do the "Bounce House" but the kids were pretty big in there (and I was worried about Peyton's port) so we did pony rides instead. I have cute pictures, so I'll post them soon. Peyton liked the tigers and the "pretty girls who twirled around from the ceiling", but she wasn't keen on the clowns!!
On Sunday morning, we went to a garage sale fundraiser for Peyton's friend Logan (www.caringbridge.org/tx/logancherry). We met Logan and his mom and dad at clinic one day. The garage sale was a blast and Peyton ate a hot dog, so we were happy. Lindsay talked her dad into a new puppy. His name is Roscoe or Oreo, depending on who you ask! Peyton likes the name Oreo and is sticking to it!! Lindsay likes Roscoe, so we'll see who wins this fight! The dog is a Border Collie mix and is pretty cute. Logan and Peyton got to play while we visited with Logan's family. Grammy and Gramps came too and got to meet Logan's Nana. I think they bonded as only grandmothers of cancer kids could. The garage sale had lots of good stuff and quite a crowd turned out. I hope Logan's family raised millions :) because they deserve every penny of it!
We capped off our weekend with a really neat event at our church. The Power Team has been appearing at local schools and our church for the last week and Peyton finally felt well enough to go. The Power Team is the amazing group of men and women who travel the country doing super-human feats such as breaking 100 lb blocks of ice and stacks of cinder blocks with their bare hands, bending steel rods and snapping wooden baseball bats in half. When they appeared at our church, they also showed their purpose was not just to entertain us, but to teach all who came to see the show about the gospel of Jesus. Some friends of ours at church told us that this week, the Power Team led upwards of 600 people to the Lord! What an awesome God we serve!!! We were all amazed by the Power Team and I just cried and cried at the number of people who came down front for the invitational. Some days when Peyton is feeling really bad, it's easy to forget how much good exists in this bad world. Tonight reminded me. Also, Dane, the girls and I have missed church a lot in these last 3 weeks because Peyton has felt so bad. Tonight, God really re-charged our batteries by getting us in to church to hear and see His miracles in action. Thank you to Wes and all of our dear friends who came up to us tonight and gave us bear hugs and told us how much they love and miss us. These simple things are part of what keeps us going these days.
Peyton checks back in Thursday the 1st for her 4th round of chemo. This is a 3 day treatment. Weston (www.caringbridge.org/tx/weston) will be in too, so we'll get to hang out together. Lindsay and Weston's brother Colton are going to a cancer sibling class the hospital is hosting, so that should be fun for them!
Next posting will have new pictures and details on the chili cook-off (now that I know I'll have all the right names of people to thank!) Until then, take care and love to you all!
> Peyton's daddy, sister and I have formed a team through Relay for Life. It is a wonderful event sponsored by the American Cancer Society that raises money for cancer research. Our team is called TeamPeyton and we will be participating in the Ellis County relay on June 11 and 12. If you are interested in joining our team, creating your own team (in Ellis County) or donating money to Relay for Life, please contact Jimmy and Shannon Beaudoin at 972.723.2407 or email at beaudoin_shannon@yahoo.com. This is a awe-inspiring event and most money raised funds research at local facilities. Children's Medical Center (where Peyton receives treatment) is a Phase I facility. This means groundbreaking research treatment is performed at Children's and that happens when money is funneled into research. If you can help, please do.
Please remember in prayer: Weston (www.caringbridge.org/tx/weston), Lauryn, Logan (www.caringbridge.org/tx/logancherry), Tyler, Courtney, Jorge, Alex, Derek, Alexis, Amber, Sara, Kevin and all the other brave cancer kids out there fighting such a tough battle. Please also pray for Jonathon and Jasmine for their continued remission! Bless you all!
>
by: Martina McBride
In my daughter's eyes I am a hero
I am strong and wise and I know no fear
But the truth is plain to see
She was sent to rescue me
I see who I wanna be
In my daughter's eyes
In my daughter's eyes everyone is equal
Darkness turns to light and the world is at peace
This miracle God gave to me gives me strength when I am weak
I find reason to believe
In my daughter's eyes
And when she wraps her hand around my finger
Oh it puts a smile in my heart
Everything becomes a little clearer
I realize what life is all about
It's hangin' on when your heart has had enough
It's giving more when you feel like giving up
I've seen the light
It's in my daugter's eyes
In my daughter's eyes I can see the future
A reflection of who I am and what will be
Though she'll grow and someday leave
Maybe raise a family
When I'm gone I hope you see how happy she made me
For I'll be there
In my daughter's eyes
Wednesday, March 24, 2004 10:44 AM CST
>We're going home!! Peyton's ANC is 1204--well above the 500 mark, so we are out of danger for infection. She hasn't run a fever since Tuesday morning, so we are in the clear. The final answer on the fever is that the transfusion was the culprit. It was worth it though because Peyton is her old self again since she got her "new blood".
Peyton had a great stay. We got to see her buddies Elisha and Sara, and rumor has it that Logan is coming up later after his clinic visit.
A big thank you to Grammy, Gramps, Aunt Stephanie, Granny, Rocky, Coach, Grammy Kay and Bruce. They called and checked on us a lot and helped out with Lindsay for our unscheduled visit. Thank you also to Sherrie (Weston's mom), Anne (Jonathon's mom), and Marcie (Logan's mom) for keeping up with us everyday and sending prayers and encouraging words to us for Peyton. As the only other mom's who truly understand what Peyton deals with some times, your words and love mean the world to us.
We'll update more later in the week. Make this day a great one! Love you all.
> Peyton's daddy, sister and I have formed a team through Relay for Life. It is a wonderful event sponsored by the American Cancer Society that raises money for cancer research. Our team is called TeamPeyton and we will be participating in the Ellis County relay on June 11 and 12. If you are interested in joining our team, creating your own team (in Ellis County) or donating money to Relay for Life, please contact Jimmy and Shannon Beaudoin at 972.723.2407 or email at beaudoin_shannon@yahoo.com. This is a awe-inspiring event and most money raised funds research at local facilities. Children's Medical Center (where Peyton receives treatment) is a Phase I facility. This means groundbreaking research treatment is performed at Children's and that happens when money is funneled into research. If you can help, please do.
Please remember in prayer: Weston (www.caringbridge.org/tx/weston), Lauryn, Logan (www.caringbridge.org/tx/logancherry), Tyler, Courtney, Jorge, Alex, Derek, Alexis, Amber, Sara, Kevin and all the other brave cancer kids out there fighting such a tough battle. Please also pray for Jonathon and Jasmine for their continued remission! Bless you all!
>
by: Martina McBride
In my daughter's eyes I am a hero
I am strong and wise and I know no fear
But the truth is plain to see
She was sent to rescue me
I see who I wanna be
In my daughter's eyes
In my daughter's eyes everyone is equal
Darkness turns to light and the world is at peace
This miracle God gave to me gives me strength when I am weak
I find reason to believe
In my daughter's eyes
And when she wraps her hand around my finger
Oh it puts a smile in my heart
Everything becomes a little clearer
I realize what life is all about
It's hangin' on when your heart has had enough
It's giving more when you feel like giving up
I've seen the light
It's in my daugter's eyes
In my daughter's eyes I can see the future
A reflection of who I am and what will be
Though she'll grow and someday leave
Maybe raise a family
When I'm gone I hope you see how happy she made me
For I'll be there
In my daughter's eyes
Tuesday, March 23, 2004
>We are back in the hospital for a fever spike :( Peyton went to clinic Monday for her counts and her hemoglobin was a little low. The doctors gave us the option of a blood transfusion, so we agreed. Peyton was feeling lousy and we knew the blood would make her better. As luck would have it, her fever spiked during the transfusion. The fever is likely the result of the transfusion, but her counts are REALLY low now, so we couldn't take the chance. We are taking 3 strong anti-biotics and waiting to see if the blood grows a culture. So far the cultures are negative, but we won't be released until the cultures are negative for 48 hours.
On a happier note, Peyton is feeling SO good. She ordered pancakes, sausage, eggs, biscuits, and juice for breakfast. She also got chips and a Sprite to eat until her breakfast arrived. She hasn't had an appetite for over a week, so we are thrilled the appetite is back! As of now, we are happy about our choice to transfuse because she is a new child today!!
We'll update more later. We are in room 401 if you need us. The number is 214-456-7001. Love to you all.
> Peyton's daddy, sister and I have formed a team through Relay for Life. It is a wonderful event sponsored by the American Cancer Society that raises money for cancer research. Our team is called TeamPeyton and we will be participating in the Ellis County relay on June 11 and 12. If you are interested in joining our team, creating your own team (in Ellis County) or donating money to Relay for Life, please contact Jimmy and Shannon Beaudoin at 972.723.2407 or email at beaudoin_shannon@yahoo.com. This is a awe-inspiring event and most money raised funds research at local facilities. Children's Medical Center (where Peyton receives treatment) is a Phase I facility. This means groundbreaking research treatment is performed at Children's and that happens when money is funneled into research. If you can help, please do.
Please remember in prayer: Weston, Lauryn, Logan, Courtney, Jorge, Alex, Derek, Jonathon, Alexis, Amber, Sara and all the other brave cancer kids out there fighting such a tough battle. Bless you all!
>
by: Martina McBride
In my daughter's eyes I am a hero
I am strong and wise and I know no fear
But the truth is plain to see
She was sent to rescue me
I see who I wanna be
In my daughter's eyes
In my daughter's eyes everyone is equal
Darkness turns to light and the world is at peace
This miracle God gave to me gives me strength when I am weak
I find reason to believe
In my daughter's eyes
And when she wraps her hand around my finger
Oh it puts a smile in my heart
Everything becomes a little clearer
I realize what life is all about
It's hangin' on when your heart has had enough
It's giving more when you feel like giving up
I've seen the light
It's in my daugter's eyes
In my daughter's eyes I can see the future
A reflection of who I am and what will be
Though she'll grow and someday leave
Maybe raise a family
When I'm gone I hope you see how happy she made me
For I'll be there
In my daughter's eyes
Friday, March 5, 2004 1:18 PM CST
What a blessed day we are having! Peyton went in yesterday for her weekly treatment and blood counts. Due to a slight snafu, we didn't get her results until today, but they were worth the wait! For the 3 day treatment Peyton received in mid-February, her ANC did not get below 4000. (FYI, anything below 500 puts us in the high risk category for infection). As some of you may recall, on the treatment before this, Peyton's ANC hit 21! We can only hope the rest of her 3 day treatments will have this same effect. For now, we are just so grateful because we have had 2 weeks of high counts, and 2 weeks of having a normal life! What BIG praises we owe to God for this!
Peyton got to go back to AWANA this week. She has missed being at church on a regular basis. It was a great night to go. We were there for the annual Grand Prix Race. All the kids build toy cars from kits and then race them (Congratulations to Britanny!!) Peyton got to visit with her friends and her Sunday School teacher, Mrs. Lisa, and eat all the hot dogs and coke she could stand! It was a great night. Today, we are spending some time playing in the back yard on her swing set and Peyton helped mommy stain a new shelf for the kitchen. We also went next door and had a wonderful visit with our sweet neighbors, Mr. and Mrs. Rule. The sun is finally out, it's 70 degrees and Peyton feels good. We serve an awesome God!
The Wish Upon a Star benefit chili cook-off is next Saturday. It seems to be shaping up into an awesome event. Peyton will be in the hospital and unable to attend, but Grammy and Gramps are going to stay with Peyton so Mommy, Daddy and Lindsay can come and thank everyone (and enjoy some fantastic chili!) The men and women of Wish Upon a Star, Dallas Police Association, and the Dallas Police Department are extraordinary. I know I have said this to a few of you already, but when we see what you have done for us and what you continue to do for us, you make us fully understand the phrase, "Our cup runneth over". May God bless all of you.
We also want to thank the students, faculty and staff of Cleburne High School. Peyton's Grammy teaches English there (It's also Mommy's and Aunt Stephanie's alma mater) and they have rallied around Peyton in ways that make our heads spin! They have held bake sales, had a penny drive, a raffle, sent cards, emails, gifts--all to a little girl who most of them don't even know. If you ever think this generation doesn't have what it takes to make a difference in our world, you haven't met the kids at CHS. We have been blessed with donations from the Annex staff, the Exchangettes, and now, some of the local elementary schools are reaching out to help Peyton. Thank you to Cooke Elementary and Gerard Elementary for all you are doing. This posting is in no way meant to act as a sufficient "thank you" for what you all are doing, but I wanted all the hundreds of people who access Peyton's site each week to know what you are doing for us. Also, a big thank you to the very kind gentleman who won the Annex raffle, but donated his winnings back to Peyton. I hesitate to use your name here without your permission, but please know how generous and thoughtful that was of you! Now that Peyton's treatment course is stablizing, we are trying to work out a time to come to visit our new friends at CISD. We'll keep you posted on when we'll be there!
We check in Thursday for a 5 day treatment. This treatment will include 2 heavy-duty meds, so please keep Peyton (and her blood counts) in your prayers. Peyton is looking forward to her next visit. She likes seeing all her friends and getting to go to the playroom to make crafts!
In closing, we'd like to send out a huge WAY TO GO for our friend Jonathon. He has been fighting CCSK since last summer and he just finished his last round of chemo. Godspeed little man! You are such a testimony to us and how this monster we call cancer can temporarily hurt our bodies, but it cannot hurt our spirit.
Monday, March 1, 2004 3:22 PM CST
HOORAY! Peyton's nurse called today and said her "counts" are great. That means no more SHOTS! We're not sure if the good counts mean that they've already dropped and rebounded, or if it's because this treatment was 3 days, rather than 5. But who cares?! Every day she feels well, and doesn't have to have those old shots, is a fantastic day! AND - TODAY IS MOMMY MARNI'S BIRTHDAY! HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU! I'm sure these good blood counts were the best of presents!
I got to play with Peyton today, and was there to see this brave little girl take her GCSF shot. The whole family is very brave, because Daddy has to give her the shot, and Mommy has to hold her while she gets injected. She didn't cry at all, and I told her she was my hero!
We'll have another blood draw on Thursday, so everyone keep your fingers crossed and remember Pey in your prayers. The next in-hospital Chemo treatment is scheduled for March 11th - this one will be for 5 days.
If anyone out there makes a great batch of chili - please don't be shy! The DPA is hosting a benefit chili cook-off for Peyton, and they are 'calling all cooks.' The address is listed above, or you can e-mail me for more info. We hope to see everyone there!
LOVE AND THANKS TO ALL OF YOU FOR YOUR UNWAVERING SUPPORT OF OUR FAMILY!
Friday, February 27, 2004 4:33 PM CST
Peyton is finally feeling a little better. She had a BIG day today. Peyton went to McDonald's and played with her friends Kirby, Karley, and Sydney. It was just like old times! After that, Peyton's friends came over to her house to see her pretty, new room! They played tea party, kitchen and ate popsicles together! After they left, Peyton and mommy ran a few errands and then spent some time outside on her Dora the Explorer bicycle because it is so pretty out today!
We are learning just how unpredictable these confounded blood counts are. On her last treatment, by this time she was VERY neutropenic (counts in the high risk for infection range). We went to our weekly clinic visit yesterday expecting to be low and found out her counts were quite high. Mommy felt bad because she had been keeping Peyton cooped up in the house to avoid germs. As it turns out, she was fine all along! Her counts will likely drop by Saturday night/Sunday morning and she SHOULD be back in the acceptable range again by late next week. We'll get a few days breather, and then we'll check back into the hospital on March 11.
We were hoping Peyton could make an appearance at the chili cook-off benefit for her, but we'll still be in for treatment. Grammy and Gramps have offered to come stay with Peyton at the hospital for a while so Mommy and Daddy can go thank all the WONDERFUL police officers for all they are doing to help our angel.
Peyton made a new friend at her weekly clinic visit. His name is Logan. He had to have his kidney removed because of a Wilm's tumor. He's 3 just like Peyton, and he's pretty new to this experience. He's so brave and he is going to have a complete healing just like Peyton! Please pray for Logan and his mom and dad as they all adjust to this new way of (temporary) life. Peyton's other friend Lauryn is scheduled for a stem cell transplant next month. She'll have to be in the hospital a while, but we know she will be protected by our loving God. Please keep her and her family in your prayers too.
Peyton has a new "online quilt" from a neat organization called Quilts of Love. To view it, go to:
http://quiltsoflove.com/quilt_2004/peytonNW/peyton.html
Love to you all!
Tuesday, February 24, 2004 9:29 AM CST
Peyton is home! She didn't tolerate this treatment as well as the first one, but she's such a trooper and her spirits are still high. Peyton has battled nausea and vomitting since Friday. The Doxirubicin isn't settling well with her tummy. In talking to some of the other parents of kids on Doxirubicin, this is pretty normal. Fortunately we have some great medicine to counter-act the effects of this chemo treatment.
Peyton is happy to announce she doesn't have to take the yucky pink medicine anymore. Peyton takes Bactrim (a strong antibiotic) 3 days a week to ward off commom strains of pneumonia. Peyton's doctors have decided that the Bactrim is keeping her blood and ANC counts low, so she won't take it anymore. What she will do instead is take a monthly breathing treatment that will have the same benefits as the antibiotic.
The breathing treatment is quite an adventure! Peyton wears a cherry scented mask that delivers a vapor-like medicine as she sits inside a large treatment machine affectionately known as "The Yellow Submarine". The treatment machine resembles a small submarine. It has 3 large windows and a couple of chairs. Peyton and Mommy and Peyton's Child Life Specialist, Kristen, sat inside the machine and watched TV through the windows. Peyton's silly Daddy and her even sillier nurse, Randy, were outside the machine acting like they were swimming and scuba diving! Peyton thought it was funny!
Peyton's counts should start to drop on Wednesday the 25th and hopefully will be back in the normal range by March 4th or 5th. Until then, Mommy and Daddy will give Peyton daily GCSF injections to keep her counts from staying low for too long. The injections worked very well last treatment and we anticipate they will continue to do so. She is so brave with her shots and hardly gets upset at all.
Thank you for continuing to pray for us. Peyton is doing well and we attribute that to the intervening prayers you are making on her behalf. Please pray for all of Peyton's brave friends who are battling cancer: Derek, Jorge, Alex, Lauryn, Weston, Alexis, Tyler, Hannah, and Jonathon (Jonathon is another CCSK fighter from California. He is a few days away from his last treatment!! His family has been wonderful in keeping our spirits up and telling us what we might expect since he is further up the path in this journey. Thank you guys! We love you).
Much love to you all!
Saturday, February 21, 2004 8:21 PM CST
Hi Everyone! First of all, there are new photos of Pey's hospital stay this week in the Photo Album!
She began Round 2 of in-hospital Chemo on Thursday, and will come home this evening. Everything went well, although the Doxirubicin made her, in her words, a little sick. Kids are so resilient! Right after she "got a little sick," she immediately began eating spaghetti! There were no further nausea incidents during this trip. I believe they must be giving her some medicine that makes her extremely chatty! Every nurse, doctor, child life rep. and total stranger who walked in the room was greeted with Pey's life story, and a million questions! Grammy is now "genius girl," Rocky spent a lot of time in the corner for various and sundry Peyton Rules infractions, and Gramps ended up having his 39TH (no doubt) birthday party at Chuck E. Cheese's. I'm sure this was his first choice, and Peyton had nothing at all to do with this decision.
Friends Stephanie, Joe and Zachary stopped by to visit. Pey is quite smitten with Zach, and one of the photos shows him helping her get her baby doll, doll clothes, etc. in order. He's quite the gentleman! Also, friend Holly was steadfast and true this weekend. Holly, you're a gem!
Peyton's favorite "mail lady" delivered two packages while she was undergoing chemo. One from her Chemo Angel - she had great fun playing with stickers, bright pink pens, and a darling little notebook. Her Card Angel sent a "paint your own cookie" - of......guess who...........drum roll, please - Dora, the Explorer.
We're glad this last treatment is history, and now we begin the dreaded "how low will they go" game with blood counts.
Thanks for all your wonderful messages in the guest book. We read them each and every day, and thank God for such good friends - both old and new!
LOVE TO ALL !
Monday, February 16, 2004 10:43 AM CST
There's not much new to report today, but there are some new photos in the photo album. Thanks to Aunt Steph for keeping me in new pictures.
Pey looks TOO CUTE in her hats! I know you'll all agree!
The next hospital chemo visit is SCHEDULED for this Thursday - we're quickly discovering that everything regarding treatment is tentative, based on blood counts, etc. We're all learning that patience is, indeed, a virtue (one that this Granny lacks)!
Keep those prayers coming! We appreciate each and every one.
Love to all.
Friday, February 13, 2004 8:36 PM CST
Happy Valentine's Day to all!
Peyton didn't get to start Round 2 of Chemo on Thursday. Her blood counts were too low, so they have delayed treatment for another week. They weren't dangerously low (she's not neutropenic), but low enough that they didn't want to start her three day treatment. The doctors say that this is not at all unusual, and could happen again during the course of 6 months chemo.
In one respect, we're glad that Pey gets a week of rest - with no shots and no hospital stay. On the other hand, we know this will draw her treatment out longer. So, for those of you who are keeping track of her chemo treatments, at this point, you can add a week to each date posted in a previous journal entry.
She's feeling quite well - eating and sleeping well on most days. She tires easily, of course, and she's loving her hats! This Granny got to have a tea party with her the other day. She's very particular about how she serves tea! One MUST have cream and sugar, and when I asked for a 'crumpet,' she looked at me like I'd lost my mind, and handed me a plastic cookie!
Thanks again for all of your continued prayers and support. We appreciate each and every one of you!
Tuesday, February 10, 2004 1:19 PM CST
Hello everyone! Well, Peyton is sporting beautiful hats and flashing everyone that winning smile (well, almost everyone and almost all of the time:o) She checks back into Children's for her next "sleep over" this Thursday, and this treatment will only last three days. All is well -the blood counts are up, and unless something changes drastically over the next couple of days, all systems are go for this next round of chemo.
This entry will be a feeble attempt to thank everyone for all of the wonderful blessings bestowed on Peyton and the rest of our family. Stay with me here, because every time I think about all that's happened in the last few weeks, I get all teary-eyed, and words fail me.
TO: THE DALLAS POLICE DEPARTMENT - You guys are absolutely the BEST! Your support for Dane, his wife, and his children is constant and unfailing. 'Above and beyond the call of duty' doesn't even begin to describe the kindness and love you have bestowed upon all of us. To mention only a few names (and I'm sure Marni will add many more to this list): THE BAKE SALE LADIES - and of course, all of you who bought cookies,cakes, and the like. We love you! And to the anonymous lady who bought a VERY expensive cup of coffee and brought Pey the beautiful stuffed horse, please know that we will never forget you, and Peyton was seen on TV later that day playing with that very same horse. I was told you disappeared before Pey got over her shyness enough to thank you - so - THANK YOU FROM ALL OF US!
TO: All of those officers who stayed by Dane, Marni, and Lindsay's side during Peyton's surgery and aftercare - you are all angels! THANK YOU! To mention a few - Sally, Dave, Paul, Stephanie & Joe, and many more I'm sure I met, but whose names escape me at this moment.
Many thanks to Chris and Lisa Young and Albertson's. Lisa's spaghetti was one of the few things Pey would eat for several days.
TO: CLEBURNE HIGH SCHOOL FACULTY AND STUDENTS - You are all incredible! If we ever needed proof that people are inherently good - you all have certainly proven the point. You have rallied around Linda and David Williams, (Grammy and Gramps to Peyton), Marni, Dane, Lindsay and Peyton with unbelievable generosity and kindness.......and we are forever in your debt.
TO: A very kind lady named Tammy B., who ignored her own struggle with cancer long enough to write a wonderful letter to Dane and Marni, enclosing a donation. The letter brought tears to all of us, and we wish you every blessing during your tough struggle. You are truly a wonderful, amazing woman!
TO: ONCE AGAIN, FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH OF OVILLA, TX. What wonderful friends you have been to our family. It doesn't seem to matter what the family needs at any given moment - someone from the church always saves the day! God has certainly blessed this congregation with awesome people.
AND.......to all of you who have sent cards,letters, flowers, gifts, wonderful meals, messages through this website - we are eternally grateful.
On a very personal note (I can do that, you see, because I'm granny), I want to thank Linda Williams for understanding as only a grandmother can. I know she worries and frets and paces like I do. Thank you, Linda, for your shoulder. We probably know best how strong this little girl is, and what wonderful things she has taught us in her 3 1/2 years on this earth! Also, Aunt Stephanie, thanks for holding my hand during tough hospital times. I think we were both scared to death, and you were there for me to hold on to. Lindsay and Peyton couldn't have a better Aunt - and I'm sure you're mom and dad, and your sister and brother-in-law greatly appreciate all the love you have for your nieces. You're a great kid! (Sorry, but to me you're still a kid!)
TO PEYTON'S CHEMO ANGEL AND CARD ANGEL! Peyton loves it when the "mail lady" comes every day. There are always wonderful surprises at mail time! And thank you so much for remembering Lindsay, as well. You are both truly God's angels on earth.
I know Marni and Dane want to add to these 'thank-you' notes, and will do so. In the meantime, please accept the heartfelt thanks of Peyton and Lindsay's "Granny." I believe Peyton is much braver than the rest of us combined, and when I find myself raging against this disease, and the chemo effects, I just remember her prayer before meals - "Thank you God for this food, and for your Son, Jesus!" Also, Pey's sister, Lindsay, has a note on her wall that says, "If God brings you to it - He will bring you through it." He has brought us to it, and He WILL bring Peyton and the rest of us through it. We know He has very special purposes for this beautiful child.
WE LOVE YOU ALL........
Thursday, February 5, 2004 1:38 PM CST
We got through our last hospital stay very well. The blood failed to grow a culture, so we were negative to any infection. Peyton's blood counts and ANC counts dropped pretty low, but she has rebounded nicely. She didn't act tired or sick during her "neutropenic" stage. The blood transfusion worked very well. Within an hour of gettting the blood, she was running around and eating very well! Peyton tells us that the new blood she got made her bigger and taller :)
On a really cool note, our Oncology floor kids were treated to a Sunday afternoon surprise. Sting (the Grammy award winning singer) came to see all the children. We have pictures and will be posting them soon. Most of the kids are too young to have appreciated his visit and who he is, but the nurses and the parents were ecstatic!!
Peyton's hair is really coming out now. It was starting to look a little straggly, so Peyton talked mom into a new cut, but the big catch was--Peyton cut her hair herself! Peyton assures her mommmy that she will NEVER cut her hair again, unless she has permission. Mommy just hopes she hasn't created a monster by letting Peyton play beauty shop this one time!
Peyton will check back in to the hospital on February 12. This will only be a 3 day treatment, so we'll be home on Valentine's Day. Don't forget about the Carter Blood account we've established. All blood donated in her name will be credited to Peyton's account. Any type donated not compatible to Peyton's type will be used for others in need, but Peyton's family will still receive the monetary credit.
Thank you all for the continued prayers. They are working and we are so blessed by our God who hears and answers our needs. We are also blessed for all of you and the love you show us daily.
A BIG thank you, also, to the outstanding men and women of the Dallas Police Department for all they are doing for Peyton and her family and to the amazing students and faculty at Cleburne High School. We will be posting a journal entry soon dedicated solely to what our wonderful police family and these outstanding teenagers and teachers have done and continue to do for us.
Friday, January 30, 2004 2:18 PM CST
Last night, Peyton spiked a temperature, and the doctor thought she should go to the emergency room. Since her blood counts are so low, due to Chemo, we have to be very careful to watch for infection - symptomized by fever.
Once at the hospital, they determined that she needed to be admitted, and today, it was decided that she needed a blood transfusion. She will probably be at the hospital until at least Sunday. She's handling all of this very well (much better than the rest of us)! According to all of the hospital personnel, this is to be expected periodically during Chemo treatment. We, of course, were hoping that transfusion would never be necessary.
NOW - we have opened an account in Peyton's name at the Carter Blood Center. Anyone who would like to donate blood for Peyton may go to any Carter Blood Center location, and give them either her Sponsor Number - which is 039903, or give them her full name - Peyton Nicole White. Any blood donated will go specifically for her use, and may be used for up to one year.
As always, thanks for all of your prayers and wonderful messages on her Guest Book.
Wednesday, January 28, 2004 8:27 PM CST
Today was a very big day for Peyton,Mom and Dad. Pey felt good enough to accompany her folks to a benefit bake sale at the Dallas Police Dept. SO many people took time to bake homemade goodies for the sale, and it was a huge success! Many thanks to everyone who contributed baked goods, and to those who bought them. A big THANK YOU, also, to the Adolphus Hotel, who came to the rescue with six beautiful cakes when the supply of goodies was running low!
Friends at the Dallas Police Dept., First Baptist Church in Ovilla, and everywhere else, are absolutely the world's BEST! No words can explain how grateful we all are for your constant love, support and prayers.
Peyton became a T.V. star today, when Channel 11 News in Dallas covered the bake sale for the 'inspiring moments' segment of their newscast. The piece documented how the members of the department stepped up to the plate to help, when one of their own had a sick child. It was a very touching piece. To Stephanie Jones, and all the others who poured their time and energy into this benefit, thank you. You are truly angels!
Peyton is feeling fairly well. We are holding our breath to see how she does during the 'low blood count' days, which are supposed to happen between 10-14 days after her chemo treatments. Dad has been giving the protein shots every day (more painful for him than Peyton), and each day she takes it a little easier. Her hair is becoming, hmmmmmmmmmmmm, what can I call it? Probably spotty :o) It doesn't seem to bother her in the least. Oh, the joy of being only three!
And so, we continue. Next chemo treatment scheduled for the second week of February. We'll keep you posted, and thanks to everyone who has signed the Guestbook. We all get great comfort from your kind wishes and prayers.
Sunday, January 25, 2004 8:04 PM CST
It's Sunday evening, four days into Peyton's first five day hospital stay. Thankfully, she has done very well during this first chemo treatment. She has been sleeping well, and eating well the entire time. (I guess eating lots of chicken and ketchup is eating well :o) The anti-nausea medicine appears to be doing it's job. She is losing her hair quickly, and does her 'hair trick' for almost everyone who walks into the room. The 'hair trick' consists of reaching up to her head, pulling out a small handful of hair and handing it to the unsuspecting victim! Her comment to me was, "Granny, my hair is going out, and I'm gonna be bald!" It doesn't seem to bother her, because she's very excited about the many hats she will be wearing.
Dane and Marni were instructed in the art of giving injections this weekend, as Peyton will need protein shots for 10 days after the Chemo treatment. Also, between 10 and 14 days after treatment, her blood count will drop very low,and it will be imperative that she not be exposed to any illness. The risk of infection during this time period is great, and the family will need to avoid contact with anyone who is sick. They will go home tomorrow, and return in about 3 weeks for treatment #2.
Many of you already know that a benefit bake sale will be held at the Dallas Police Department on Wednesday, January 28th. What a wonderful, caring group of people Dane works with every day. So eat cookies, cakes, and all things 'non-Atkins!' Also, their church family, First Baptist Church in Ovilla, has been absolutely awesome through this whole ordeal. They are constantly there to support the whole family. Pastor Wes and the entire congregation have been "Johnny on the Spot" whenever the family needed anything at all.
Heartfelt thanks go out to each and every one of you for your prayers, visits, gifts, and all the other kindnesses you've shown during this difficult time.
By the way - please sign the guest book when you visit! The whole family loves reading your greetings, and reading them to Peyton!
We'll keep you all updated! Love from all of us to all of you!
Friday, January 23, 2004 6:43 AM CST
Pey is handling her hospital visit with her usual style and grace. So far, she's eating very well, her blood counts are excellent, and her last test - the bone scan - was negative!
Mom and Dad would like everyone to know her in-hospital Chemo schedule for the duration of her treatment. These dates are tentative, depending on blood counts (a low white blood count could delay treatment for a week or so). In-hospital treatment will end on June 24, 2004, and all treatment should be complete by July 8, the day after Peyton's 4th birthday. What a celebration that will be!
In-hospital treatment weeks:
February 12
March 4
March 25
April 15
May 6
May 27
June 7
Right now, one hospital stay is for 5 days, and the next will be for 3 days, then 5 days, then 3 days, and so forth.
Again, thanks for all your prayers, and we'll keep you updated.
Thursday, January 22, 2004 6:59 AM CST
Hi all, and thanks for the great response to Peyton's page! There are some new photos in the album today, compliments of Aunt Stephanie. We will probably change these often so all of you can see how cute she looks with MUCH shorter hair, and lots of cute hats!
Today is 'back to the hospital' day. Dad says it's going to be really tough to take her in today, as she's been feeling so GOOD for the last few days - eating well, playing, and just being her Pey Pey self. We all know that the end is worth the means, and as Aunt Lisa says, "Keep your eye on the prize!"
As time goes by, I'm sure we'll all become experts in blood counts, etc., but today, we just want her to get through this 5 days with as little discomfort as possible. All the nurses and doctors at Children's are simply amazing. And many thanks, again, to Dr. Felty in Midlothian for recognizing an abnormality during his examination of Peyton, and sending her immediately to the right place!
More info to come after this hospital stay, and thanks to each and every one of you for your prayers, get-well wishes, and other kindnesses too numerous to mention.
Tuesday, January 20, 2004 12:32 AM CST
Since 12/27/03, a great deal has happened. 3 1/2 year old Peyton has been through surgery to remove her right kidney, 6 radiation treatments, and 3 chemo treatments. Today, she is scheduled for a bone scan (all other scans are negative, thank God), and on Thursday, she re-enters Children's for her first five day round of Chemotherapy.
She has started losing her hair, so yesterday she received her very first haircut, and she is sure she looks just like "Dora the Explorer!"
Her Daddy is a Dallas police officer, and her mom is a 'domestic engineer!' They will take turns spending 24 hour shifts by Peyton's side. We'll let you know how it goes. So far, the only nausea she has experienced has been from the anesthesia during radiation treatments. Other than that, she is sometimes tired and lethargic, probably also from anesthesia side effects.
Click here to go back to the main page.
----End of History----
| Privacy Policy | Sponsorship/Donations | About Us | Contact Us | FAQs | ||
| Copyright © 1997-2003 CaringBridge Nonprofit Organization, All rights reserved. | ||