strong and courageous: 900

Tuesday, August 5, 2008

900

Yesterday Isaiah had a checkup and CBC (complete blood count). His ANC was 900 and since his tummy is still bothering him, the doctor ordered a test to make sure he does not have a bacterial infection in his stomach. We are praying for no infection and for insight into the cause of his upset stomach.

Some of you have asked about his appointment with the orthopedic specialist. Thank you for your prayers. It has been worked out.

Isaiah's fractures are stable.

This is very good news.

No matter how many times we say it, we mean it with all our hearts: Thank you for reading the blog, supporting Isaiah, loving our family and praying for us as we continue this journey!

4 comments:

Anonymous said...: Thank you for sharing your lives with us as we learn to pray and expect great things from the Lord. Your family is a blessing for all of us.; August 5, 2008 at 4:42 PM
Anonymous said...: I'm blessed to hear the good new about Isaiah. Keep up the good work you young warrior. I'm thankful we have a blessed and reassuring GOD that loves us all unconditionally.

I'm also glad to hear you had a wonderful summer getting to do several things that were probably totally unexpected in the situation you are in.

Love and bless you all - Roxanne; August 5, 2008 at 6:30 PM
Auntie Angie said...: Isaiah bear, we love you and you are always in our thoughts. Happy Birthday to you today!!! We are happy for you to hear the good news, and we will keep praying for your tummy to feel better.
Miss you.....; August 6, 2008 at 4:55 PM
Cyn said...: Wow! That sounds like a great report. It's wonderful to hear that that fractures are stable, I know that was a big worry for you all.

As the school year approaches, please know that I am available should you need anything at all-even a ride home for Sienna.; August 6, 2008 at 9:21 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