strong and courageous: quotes

Wednesday, February 13, 2008

quotes

Carmen and I took Isaiah to his appointment today. There was lots to do so we teamed-up. Throughout the day Isaiah had quite a bit to say.

"Do you know General Grievous?"

- to his nurse, refering to one of his new favorite Star Wars characters

"At least I have something to cheer it up!"

- after handing-out Hershey's valentines kisses to all the kids, nurses, and doctors in the clinic

"That's OK. I was sniffing for gas. I have a good nose."

- after being reminded that he had not looked both ways before crossing the street

"See these glasses? They make my pills look like dessert."

- as he began his nightly regimen wearing 3D glasses

"Dear Jesus, please let the day that I'm all done with leukemia come very, very soon."

- praying before dinner

6 comments:

Amber said...: Isaiah,

Your faith, sense of humor and heart for others puts a smile on my face and encourages me every time I think about you! Your spirit in contagious! Thank you for your incredible strength and undending faith....something I know that a lot of us admire and wish we had more of!; February 13, 2008 at 9:32 PM
mollyllilja said...: oh my goodness, laughing over the "I can smell gas" comment! SO funny. Maybe my kids have good noses too and don't need to look....
He is adorable, I am so glad he can keep his sense of humor. We too are praying that the end of ALL comes very, very quickly. Praying ever day.
Lots of love,
the Liljas; February 13, 2008 at 10:03 PM
mollyllilja said...: oh my goodness, laughing over the "I can smell gas" comment"! SO funny. Maybe my kids have good noses too and don't need to look....
He is adorable, I am so glad he can keep his sense of humor. We too are praying that the end of ALL comes very, very quickly. Praying ever day.
Lots of love,
the Liljas; February 13, 2008 at 10:04 PM
Anonymous said...: Happy Heart Day dear family....always thinking and praying for you. We send Valentines hugs from a soggy San Diego!!!! Anne and Jim XXX; February 14, 2008 at 7:06 AM
Anonymous said...: Isaiah,

My kids daddy is coming to visit your family today (Rob Ribbe). I know that if he knew one of his boys was praying for him, it would mean the world to him. A child's prayers for their parents are worth more than gold. You Isaiah are very rich...

Love,
Mrs. Ribbe; February 19, 2008 at 7:46 AM
Michelle Coder said...: Very Sweet. I love the "smell for gas" comment too. Sounds like you have a good nose, Isaiah.

We continue to pray for you and your sweet family.

Michelle; February 19, 2008 at 10:48 PM

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update on isaiah's progress

We're received quite a few questions recently about Isaiah's treatment. Here's a quick update:

Is he in remission?

Yes. He's officially been in remission since the 17th day after diagnosis, early June 2007.

Is he still on chemo?

Yes.

Mercaptopurin (chemo) daily, orally, with a 3 hour fast.

Methotrexate (chemo) weekly, orally.

Bactrim (antibiotic) daily, orally.

Dexamethasone (steroid) every 8 weeks, orally.

Vincristine (chemo) every 2 weeks, intraveinously.

Methotrexate (chemo) every 12 weeks, in the spinal fluid with a "spinal tap".

Currently he is at the clinic at Sutter Memorial every two weeks for a blood check, etc.

When's he done with treatment?

The protocol for boys with Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia is 36 months beginning after the initial 60 day treatment. We anticipate he'll be done with chemo at the end of July 2010.

Merry Christmas Friends!

Thank you to all of you who have sent us pictures and updates! It's great to see your faces once again. We've not been able to put something together this year (yet!), so here's a quick update for those who visit us here:

Carmen: doing a great job teaching our kids at home this year, running, hiked Half Dome, lovingly and consistently caring for all of us (and lots of others).

Sienna: super-creative and always nurturing, loves studying at home, played soccer, raised chickens and looking forward to horse-riding lessons in '09. See pictures of her 8th birthday here.

Isaiah: 08 highlights include playing t-ball, learning to swim, riding his bike, a trip to Disneyland, trip to Alabama, and lots of playing.

Nathan: ran a 25K trail run at Stinson Beach, loved our family vacation in San Diego, and is so grateful for our staff, church community, and the ongoing adventure of leading/serving Emmaus. Nate blogs very infrequently here; you can access his pod/vodcasts here.

2008!

There are many ways you can continue to pray for Isaiah. He has some exciting goals ahead in 2008!
Here is the list:

1)Get Strong! He does physical therapy at home 3-5 times per week and at the office 2 times per month.
2)Play Ball! He is working hard to get ready for T-Ball season. Pray he will play and that his compression fractures will heal.
3)Learn at Home! He is working on Kindergarten school work at home. Many factors make school work a challenge. Pray for a healthy brain and a desire to learn.

even more thank yous to...

the students of Amber Bobst's 2nd grade class from Eastside Christian School in Belleview, WA for the cards
all those who have contributed to our gas and groceries fund...you're keeping us going!
all the Emmaus families who have brought dinner to us in recent weeks
the Harrington family for the picnic package
Anne for the book and CD
The Hoke family for the birthday bird
Goebel, Linville, Nutti, and Ferrara families for the great gift certificate
Doris for the pint of ice cream
Emmaus for being the Church and supporting us in countless ways...for the gifts for Isaiah and Sienna...we're so thankful to be sharing life and discovering Jesus with you.
Betsy for the care package for the kids
Diane for the one-prize-a-day gift
Glenda for the beautiful superman quilt
Mrs. Liden for the SuperIsaiah cape and blanket
The Keaton Raphael Memorial Fund
everyone who is praying
friends and family for the financial support
Shirli and the Needle Arts Group for the blankets and hats
Susanna for the cleaning supplies
Susan, Laura, Sandie for nutritional help
Bob and Elaine for the motorhome
The Arena for the Batman blanket
Anne for the quilt
The Arena and The Ridge for supporting Carmen
Sunrise Church for the prayer quilt
Ms. Della Roca's 4th graders at St. Mary's for the beautiful cards
Josh and Lisa for the superman blanket