Chevy’s Path to Complete Healing

All,

.... with praise!

I praise the Lord today that we have a clearer understanding of Achie's treatment.  It's funny kinda sad that we had to consult with other doctors to arrive at this, but that's just the way it is.  I praise God that He continues to answer our prayers and provides Achie's oncologist with wisdom.  I feel impatient at times and want Achie to be healed fast, but I know that the Lord's ways are higher than ours and that His timing is perfect.  I pray for Achie's cough, that it will improve and disappear with this chemo, so that not only will she be more comfortable, but also that it will be a sign to us that she is markedly improving.  God has been so faithful, and while I have apprehensions about Achie's neutrophil count, I will lay those worries at His feet and trust that He is in control. 

In awe of His love,
Cheryl



Exodus 15:1-2

 1 Then Moses and the Israelites sang this song to the LORD :
       "I will sing to the LORD,
       for he is highly exalted.
       The horse and its rider
       he has hurled into the sea.

 2 The LORD is my strength and my song;
       he has become my salvation.
       He is my God, and I will praise him,
       my father's God, and I will exalt him.

Chevy is doing great!  God is good!  We are enjoying our last few days together.  Today, I wanted to share the sermon at our church yesterday.  www.mcleanbible.org.  On the bottom right corner is a section for recent sermons.  Click on the one dated 1/04 entitled Run with Perseverance by Jim Supp.  It is such a timely sermon for our family. 

Thank you, All, once again. for your unwavering prayers.  Let us know as well how we can pray for you.

Love,
Cheryl

Chevy's neutrophil count is at its all-time low today - ANC of 552.  Thus, her chemo with Erbitux was cancelled.  We are not disheartened, though, bec. the fellow said that give or take one week is okay.  We expect her counts to rise from here on because Day 14 after her major chemo day is the rock bottom.  Next Friday, Chevy is scheduled for her fourth major chemo cycle - Taxol, Carboplatin, Erbitux, and Zometa (for the bones).  We continue to praise the Lord that despite Chevy's low white count, she is in good spirits and has a high level of energy and appetite.  Her rash/acne continues but isn't as severe since we started treating it.  Her biggest bothersome symptom now is severe/intense itching of her hands and feet, especially the feet.  Peculiarly, this would happen only when we go out.  I am starting to think it might not be skin dryness but possibly a nerve thing (like paresthesia, or numbness and tingling).  Today, she had an echocardiogram done to assess the minimal fluid around her heart.  We will have the result in 2-3 days. 

I am enjoying sharing a room with her again now that my hubby is back home.  Also enjoying our favorite pastime, what sisters do best -- shopping!  :o)

We ask for your continued prayers for her white count, as well as guidance for her doctor (i.e., that she won't be slow in giving G-CSF when absolutely needed).  Her counts may drop even lower on her fourth major chemo cycle, because the bone marrow suppression effect is cumulative.  An ANC of below 500 is considered severe neutropenia.  Please pray that Chevy won't develop a fever or any major infection.  Please also pray that she won't miss any further chemo treatments or encounter any delays.

Thank you again.  May our Lord shower you with more blessings this new year.

A happy new year to everyone!  On behalf of Chevy and our entire family, thank you for all your love, support, and prayers. 

Chevy is scheduled for her third dose of Erbitux tomorrow.  Please pray that everything will go well and that her white count will be good enough to receive the drug. 

I wanted to share some notes that I have taken from a book on prayer that I've been recently reading (Prayer the Greatest Power by Selwyn Hughes).  I hope that it will encourage you to continue in prayer for my dear sister.

• "It is true that because God loves us He orders and arranges events in our lives that work for good whether we pray or not, but there are vast areas of life where things will not just happen -- unless we pray.  Let it stagger if you will, but the truth is that God has given us the freedom to affect the course of some events in His universe by our prayers."
• "God has foreordained certain things to happen, of course, but above and beyond that there are things which will come to pass only if we pray."
• "...we do not see greater changes for good in the world...because not enough prayer is being made."
• "There is a great difference between saying prayers and praying."
• "The kind of praying that reaches out and makes an impact upon the world of men and women is the fervent, believing, intercessory prayer ..."
• "Added to selfishness and egocentricity is the problem of praying merely from a sense of duty rather than experiencing in prayer a sense of wondrous relationship with God."
• "If prayer is conversation, then when we pray we ought to hear more than our own voice; we ought to hear His voice also."
  

             

S/p 3 cycles of Taxol and Carboplatin
S/p 2 cycles of Erbitux

Chevy's rash on her face has been steadily increasing/worsening...to our delight! :o)  This morning, the rash on her chest and back also increased.  We will start to treat it bec. it's like acne.  But we are very happy that this is a good sign that the Erbitux is working for her. :-)

David left for home this morning.  I am praying for comfort and safety on his trip, and that we won't miss each other too much until I'm home as well (1/10). 

Chevy is in good spirits.  As I write, we are getting ready to escape from our house for New Year's Eve, bec. there will be a thick smog surrounding the house from fireworks tonight.  So we will be checking in at a nearby hotel for some much-needed R&R. :o)  I praise the Lord that despite Achie's worsening cough (I think she's down with some virus or something), she doesn't have any fever or shortness of breath, and otherwise has very high energy.  She is still on prophylactic antibiotics.  Her appetite is great!  Her recent mouth sore has remained small and doesn't interfere with her eating.  This morning I am just overwhelmed by the Lord's goodness to us all.  Achie is looking great...I'm thankful to spend all this time with the entire family...and I'm thankful that my hubby was able to spend Christmas here as well...etc...etc... His blessings are as numerous as the stars! 

Please continue to pray that Chevy's third cycle with Erbitux will proceed as scheduled two days from now.  Thank you, All!  HAPPY NEW YEAR!!! 

Chevy's second cycle of Erbitux pushed through on Friday, 12/26, praise God!  Her WBC did drop a lot, but it was safe enough to give the Erbitux.  She is now on prophylactic antibiotics.  She is scheduled for her third cycle of Erbitux next Friday, 1/2.  Prayers are desperately needed as this is when her counts are expected to hit rock bottom.  Her doctor still didn't want to give G-CSF, and so we are praying that her third Erbitux won't be delayed (Please also pray that Chevy won't get extremely weak from low white counts, or get any infection.).  A major praise report -- Chevy has had a rash for a few days now.  It started on her chin and is now spreading a little to her chest and back.  This is the rash we have been praying for, which indicates that she is responding to Erbitux.  Please pray for comfort for her as the rashes are itchy.  Right now, we are not treating it.  Please also pray that the rash will be sufficient but not severe (Some patients get severe acne eruptions.).

Below is Chevy with her favorite (and only! ;-P) brother-in-law David, in her hospital room on Friday, awaiting chemo.  What was supposed to be a 2-4-hr endeavor turned into a 9-hr hospital ordeal bec. of staff delays, etc.  Chevy had to be admitted as the outpatient chemo center was closed for the holidays.  As I write, we are unsure if the outpatient center is closed as well on 1/2.  We are hoping it is open!!!  Please pray that Chevy will make wise use of all her time at the hospital, during chemo, etc., and that she won't allow things that are beyond her control to stress her.  Ditto for me, Cheryl, as I will be accompanying her on 1/2.

That evening, we had teppanyaki at Greenhills.  Thanks, Sa-i and Sa-i-tiu!

   

First of all, a very merry Christmas to everyone!

Achie was her best today in four days.  She was easily tired, yet in good spirits.  We exchanged Christmas presents in the morning.  (I gave her a Precious Moments figurine which said "You Have Touched So Many Hearts."  See pic below.)  Then we had lunch at Outback, feasting on Aussie fries and Kookabura wings!  On the way home, we picked up Krispy Kreme donuts.  Achie napped in the afternoon, then had her favorite noodles as a snack.  In the evening, we had dinner at my aunt's.  All throughout the day, we were filled with gratitude for the Lord's goodness and mercy.  Yes, eating is what the family does best...next only to loving! :D

Tomorrow, we leave early for the hospital.  Achie will get a CBC done.  If her WBC is sufficient, she will get her second dose of Erbitux.  She needs to be admitted to the hospital for this, as the outpatient chemotherapy center is closed for the holidays.  Please pray that everything will go smoothly (good white blood counts, room available immediately, timely chemotherapy, etc.) and that we can be out of the hospital by noon! 

Today, amidst all the gifts and Christmas trimmings, do remember the reason for it all -- Jesus!  To Him be all glory and praise!

Cheryl   

       

This morning, Chevy was still short of breath and mildly tachycardic.  Her BP was a bit lower than usual.  She would occasionally clutch her chest when she can't breathe and complained of her chest feeling heavy.  No fever.  Knowing that she had "minimal pericardial effusion" on her last chest CT, I was concerned about a cardiac tamponade.  She had a CBC done with showed no anemia or other possible cause of shortness of breath.  In fact, we praise God that her white count was even higher than her pre-chemo CBC last Thursday!  We thank God for bits of good news here and there that surely bring a lot of hope to Chevy on her journey through this valley.  She perked up after that!  :o)  We went to Gloria Maris for dinner and had Peking duck and lobster.  Yumm!!!  Achie had a lot to eat.  It is our prayer that the food will nourish her body and stimulate her bone marrow to produce lots and lots of cells!  We are fervently praying for continued good counts two days from now, when she is scheduled to have her second dose of Erbitux.  We also praise God that we are complete as a family this Christmas (This is my first Christmas home in 6 years!). 

We wish you all a merry Christmas!  May you all experience the joy and peace of Christ this season and always.

Cheryl