strong and courageous: January 2009

Thursday, January 29, 2009

change of plans

Just a quick update: Isaiah was up most of the night with a really bad cough. We've moved his spinal tap to Monday so he doesn't have to fast while he's feeling so bad. Thanks for your comments and prayers of support!

Wednesday, January 28, 2009

spinal tomorrow

Thanks for checking in on the Oates! Life is full! Every day fills up fast with learning, big decisions, ongoing efforts to support the needs in our community, and the darn kitchen (I swear I just cleaned it! What happened?).

Isaiah is fighting a pretty bad cold and isn't feeling too well. We're scheduled for a spinal (fasting) tomorrow. He teared up when we told him - didn't cry - but definitely felt the weight. He's getting tired of the on-going, relentless nature of this battle and is really longing to "be done with leukemia."

I'm praying this for him today, and for us: "When I called, you answered me; you made me bold and stouthearted." - David, Psalm 138:3

Peace.

Sunday, January 18, 2009

good week

We're having a good week. Isaiah is feeling well. On Wednesday, as he was leaving for his appointment, I said, as I often do, "Be strong and courageous." He responded, "You be strong and courageous too."

Saturday, January 10, 2009

way, way up

I'm really sorry I didn't update this sooner. I had actually started a couple days ago but got distracted. We got good news Wednesday: Isaiah's counts have soared to 1900 from 300 just one week ago. We celebrated by going immediately to a big public pizza place with a big group of people! He's been able to play with cousins the last couple days and is excited to go to Emmaus tomorrow. I asked him why he was excited. He replied, "I've missed a lot of Sundays, Dad!"

Tuesday, January 6, 2009

appointment tomorrow (wednesday)

Isaiah is feeling a bit house-bound after several weeks of low blood counts. He's actually looking forward to his appointment tomorrow because he's confident his counts will be up and he'll be free to play with friends outside and to "go do stuff" with others. Much thanks to those of you who have helped with groceries during this season! We really appreciate your support.

bike ride near our home - late November

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