I thought I'd give an update on Caelan. He is continuing to do well, although you can tell that he often does not feel well because he gets so fussy and it is difficult to console him. But, we have only three more chemotherapy treatments to go, and then some final scans. Praise the Lord! Almost a year ago, we were facing what seemed to be an insurmountable challenge that was far to big for us. We were so grieved over what our little boy was going to face. In so many ways, this has been a terribly difficult year, but we have also experienced God's grace and presence like never before (I'll write some further reflections when we are actually finished with all of this). Our prayer continues to be for Caelan's strength and health, and that this cancer will not come back. Fear is starting to attack us in that area, so we would really appreciate your prayers. We are believing God for complete healing and are keeping our eyes fixed on Him, but in the back of our minds, we struggle with, "What if it came back? How could we go through this again?" It would be devastating, but we would have to keep looking to Jesus.
There is a family that is having to do just that right now. Please pray for a little girl named Kennis Nix and her family. Erika has met her and her mother while going to Birmingham to Children's Hospital every week. Kennis has gone through surgery and a year of chemo, but her cancer has returned. It is brain cancer and she just had to have surgery again. Kennis is 7 years old (the same age of my oldest daughter, Ashtyn), and she really needs our prayers. I thought you should read some of her story:
The surgery went well yesterday. They had to take off part of the bone plate(but reattached at end) to get to the tumor. When they were able to get to it, the tumor kind of popped out like the brain was pushing it out kind of miraculously-God is so good. They did a bone marrow check but will not know anything from that for a couple of days. Kennis was so brave going into surgery as well as afterwards. She was talking and resting some when Kasha and Kenny finally got to see her around 4 yesterday afternoon. Please keep the whole family in your prayers. It is so hard on all of them when they are not able to be with Kennis all the time. Pray that they get into a room soon. Pray that God heals her COMPLETELY-He can do ANYTHING. Praise God that the surgery went well.
Hello everyone- We are in room 440 on 4th tower. It is much better here than picu. Kennis is doing well. i have one tough little girl. They have discussed us coming home today we will have to wait on the doctor. Physical therapy has to come by this morning to see if she can walk on her own. She took a few steps yesterday so I think it will go well. We still have a long road ahead and to be honest we have all gotten a bit tired. Kennis really rested last night but has not eatten much at all. She is drinking well so they took her off iv fluids. I will try to get my "famous girl" to updated for herself today. She is so pround off all the messages she ask how many now. Thanks again have a blessed day Kasha
Wow I was so wrong with my message this morning. Kennis has had a very very difficult day. She will not walk and has no desire to leve her room. They have had to put her back on iv fluids because she refuses to drink anything. She sent Kenny to the store for whales and sunny d so we will see if that works. We will not be coming home today or until she begins to walk and drink. They would like her to eat. All she has eatten all day is a few of the whales and a choc.chip cookie and she has not drank anything. She is now trying a few sips of sunny d. She has to be drinking and going to the bathroom before we can go home. She was screaming and crying the morning for a long long time and Kenny and I are just beat down at this point. They have begun to discuss the next steps with us and it all sounds rough. We are checking on some things in seattle and in boston. Kassidy is having a really tough time now she was crying for me but does not want to be at the hospital anymore. They will take the dressing off Kennis' head in the morning and she is so so so scared. As you would image it is sore and she is on nothing for pain not even tylenol. Please pray for us it is wearing on us now and we really want a break. to be honest I would love to pick up and leave town or state with my family I know it sounds crazy you can not run from cancer. Kennis has to try to go potty Kasha
Kennis had a visit from Jacie this afternoon and boy oh boy did it help. Kennis drank and ate and walked. They have been able to unhook her from her fluids and she is eating a fudge pop now. We are doing much better now I hope it carries to in the morning she has to have her bandage removed. Kennis is acting much more like herself tonight. She has even smiled yeah yeah. Now I am waiting on the wonderful belly laugh she has. God Bless Kasha
Late last night Kennis had some questions for me. She wants to know if she has to start over with chemo. She said she is scared she will never have a normal life again. It all seems just too much for a baby to have to do. I tried to find the best words but I am not sure there are any. She said when she is away from here she sometimes gets to forget about this. I am going to try to get her out of here so she can have the best weekend possible.
Kennis was told she will get to go home some time today. We do not know what time it will be. They have to come in and take the last dressing off her head. She is scared so so so so scared of that. I will have to keep it clean at home and watch for infection she is at high risk because of low counts due to a year of chemo. We are to return to CH in a week to met with a few docs. Kennis is so brave. Most people would not be able to pull it all together as well as she does. We hope to be home soon. It will be good to be all together again. Kasha
We are at home!!!!!! The bandages are off and that was NO fun for anybody on the 4th tower. Kennis has to put up with so much and now we are on a new med that she has to take 3.5 tsp of 2 times a day. That is a Big dose for her to choke down. Havea good day GOD Bless Kasha
We are having a good day! We are laying in our bed watching cartoons in our pj's. It is amazing how much you appreciate the little things when they are taken from you. Hope you all have a great day and take time to count your blessings. Kasha
Again, you can read all of Kennis' journal written by her mother, Kasha, at KennisNix.com. Tears came to my eyes as I read about this little girls struggle. I guess that when you go through this, as a parent, you realize that much more how difficult it is and how close we all are to going through something like this. The "that could never happen to me" fog is lifted and you realize that we are all existing on the planet only because of God's grace. As Kennis starts over, may quick healing come to her body and my God bear up her and her family. God bless you, Kennis.
Please also pray for Cassie - a 2 year old little girl we met while Caelan was going through radiation. She finished in January (I think) then relapsed (more tumors showed up) and has just started over with treatment. She is a doll and so is her precious Mommy. They are both very brave and strong. Please pray that God will sustain them and help their family find ways to continue their lives (she has a brother around 18 mo. or so older than her) while fighting this cancer. They are believers, too.
And I want to thank God for his healing power for Britton Wade and Collette Pate. I went to college with Britton's father and he and his wife have been a very significant source of encouragement for us during this time, as has Collette's mom (Tammy) who we met here on the blog and then in person at Children's. Britton is a cancer survivor of a tumor in her liver (they removed 3/4 of it when she was a baby) and Collette is a nueroblastoma (one of the most difficult childhood cancers to treat) SURVIVOR. They are both BEAUTIFUL little girls who's stories of God's healing power bring us hope.
Posted by: Erika Cross | March 18, 2007 at 10:09 AM