strong and courageous: a great day

Sunday, June 8, 2008

a great day

11 comments:

Tami said...: congratulations Isaiah! Sorry we weren't there to be a part of your big day. You were kept in our prayers though... as you are every day! We hope to see you soon.

Love,

The Grays; June 9, 2008 at 7:01 AM
Amber said...: Way to go Isaiah! I am so proud of you! I wish I could have been there to witness this amazing event. Your love for Jesus continues to shine and be an inspiration for us all!; June 9, 2008 at 7:06 AM
Taria M. said...: What a perfect and beautiful day! :) CONGRATULATIONS my sweet little brother, Isaiah! I'm so happy for you!; June 9, 2008 at 8:02 AM
Jennifer said...: Praise Jesus!
Beautiful photos of a beautiful day.; June 9, 2008 at 9:08 AM
Michelle Coder said...: Blessings, Isaiah on your decision to be baptised. What a beautiful day of Love, Life and friendship in Christ.

Love Michelle; June 9, 2008 at 10:09 AM
Anonymous said...: Hey sweet boy,
We could not have been prouder of you more than we were yesterday. Your faith in God and the joy in your heart was clear for all of us to see. We love you so much!
Love,
Steve and Angela; June 9, 2008 at 11:12 AM
Auntie Angie said...: Congratulations Isaiah bear! Sorry we couldn't make it, but you were in our hearts this day. We are so proud of you, you are an amazing boy. Great pictures! WE hope to see you soon.

Love, The Wongs; June 9, 2008 at 10:01 PM
Anonymous said...: Yeah Isaiah! What a special day for you and your family. We are so happy for you. I can just feel the excitement of it all through the pictures! Love to the whole family. Dustin and Meghan Hein; June 10, 2008 at 7:17 AM
Anonymous said...: WOW!!!! What can I say other than I am deeply touched that you shared this with all of your blog family. We love you Isaiah and what a great and joyous day. XXX Hugs from San Diego * Anne Dease; June 10, 2008 at 2:19 PM
Kafkas said...: Isaiah, what a great day! I'm so proud of you and I'm sorry I couldn't be there! I love you lots! Janet; June 11, 2008 at 8:43 PM
Jacob said...: Hey Isaiah,

how are u doing having fun I hope your all right and having fun

jacob; June 13, 2008 at 8:51 AM

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