The Pre-Dr. E Show

Tonight Jess and I were on the Pre-Dr. E Show. Tonight, at Saturday night service at church Eric Herrstrom (the pastor for Saturday night) did a mock late night tv show. Eric is getting a doctorate in theology so he was "Pre-Dr. E." Friends of ours went first. The husband found Jesus in prison and then married his second wife when he got out. Actually she's his first wife too, but remarried him when his life turned dramatically around. She speaks the truth when she says the man she remarried is not the same man she married the first time. Then Jess and I gave a short interview on how God has blessed us and gotten us through this year. A big part of that has been people that have done so much for us. The best part of the service was people praying over us. Jess and I are so grateful for the prayer warriors that "fight" on our behalf.

Thanksgiving

Jessa took her chemo pills yesterday for the first time. As the day wore on she became more and more tired and a little bit sick. I and the twenty-some people that had gathered at Jess's grandparents house thought that the chemo pill was going to have more effect on her than we thought. However, this morning (even after another dose) she was feeling just fine. Jess was the first to point out that her feeling badly was the result of the side-effects yesterday of the new medicine she took with her infusion yesterday and not the chemo pills. Despite not feeling completely herself Jess had a great time yesterday. The happiest I ever see her is when she is with her family and yesterday was no exception. I got to say the meal-time prayer yesterday and I think I echoed our family's feeling that this doesn't alter our faith in God to heal her and we our thankful that God will take us along this part of a very bumpy road just like we He has thankfully taken us through the last part.

This morning Jess is going shopping with two of her very good friends. I think she'll be fine, but I suggested she rent one of the motorized schooters I always see advertised for older folks. Only one of us thought that was funny and it wasn't her. It's amazing to me how strong she is even when she is weak. I hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving yesterday.

Xeloda

It took awhile for our insurance approving the oral chemo medicine, Xeloda, yesterday. Jess was at the pharmacy for about two hours, but she got the approval. Since we made the deductible and the out-of-pocket expenses for the year a few months ago-- we pay for the medicine up front, but then get reimbersed. Back when I first started getting Jessa medicines I was shocked to be paying 3 or 4 hundred dollars for a prescription. Yesterday, we paid $1800. That's how much my '98 Mirage is worth! The pills are 500 mg (they are definitely horse pills) that are taken 5 at a time in the morning and 5 at a time at night. It is a good thing that Jess has now problem swallowing big pills. There are also the added benefit of not traveling to Dallas for a multi-hour treatment as there would be if they were administered as a liquid through her port. Happy Thanksgiving!

PET Scan results

The scan results revealed bone metastasis: tumor growth on her spine and clavicle. Jessica will be taking a chemotherapy pill on a cycle of two weeks on it one week off. She will get to keep her hair, but will experience sensitivity in her hands and feet. One of the things this means is that Jess will not be able to do any scrubbing which means Jess won't have to do the dishes. Right now as I write this Jess is getting the Herceptin infusion she was supposed to get plus another non-chemo medicine. Dr. Barbara Haley was very optimistic and Jess and I are too. The road Jess and I are travelling is a bumpy one, but we remain blessed beyond measure. With Thanksgiving tomorrow we are very, very thankful. Who is more prayed over than my wife? Who is braver than she is? Who has a god bigger than our God? I am thankful also for you dear reader, pray strong for us nad count your blessings.

Results from Scan Next Wednesday

This week has been a real whirlwind for our family. It is a wonder we have not yet been blown away yet from all our family's activities. However, I wanted to let you know (even as I am rushing out the door) that Jessa meets with her doctors on Wednesday so they can tell her the results of the scan. Speaking of the scan Jess said it went fine, but the stuff she had to drink for it tasted nasty (the bannana flavoring they added didn't help).

Scan tomorrow

Jess has her first scan tomorrow since we found out she was in remission. Before we believed that Jess would be healed; now that she's better-- it's weird but-- it's just as hard to have faith that she will stay in remission. In many ways cancer is never gone for anyone that has ever dealt with cancer. Every time we hear of someone with cancer it touches our family very deeply. It is particularly painful to hear of those dealing with terminal cancer. For those it must be even harder to hold onto their faith. For me faith is trusting in God when you don't understand why your world is having an eathquake.

We went to a Jeremy Camp concert last night. His music has very much ministered to our family. Since he lost his wife to cancer many of his songs deal with issues our family has faced, and so it was very powerful for Katelyn, Jessica, and I to be singing together knowing how it has touched each of us. The one song I sung with tears in my eyes is this one, entitled I Still Believe: I still believe in your faithfulness/I still believe in your truth/I still believe in your holy word/Even when I do not see/I'll still believe.

The Yikes on Halloween

Bryn (Belle from Beauty and the Beast) and Jadyn (Minnie Mouse)

Alive!

When Jess was first diagnosed with stage four breast cancer, a ton of people knew someone who had stage four breast cancer. Sometimes they knew someone else who had a different type of cancer, but also stage four. Jessica's conversation would always be very similar-- it would go something like this: O.P (Other Person): I know someone who had stage four breast cancer. Jess: Oh really, who? O.P: My (insert relative/friend/etc. here) Jess: How are they doing now? [long, uncomfortable pause] O.P. Well actually they've passed away, but I'm sure that won't be the case for you. Jess: Ummm...

In every one of these conversations and there were again a ton of them-- they always said the person they knew was now dead (Jess would like to interject here as I am reading this posting out loud to her so she can give it the OK that perhaps there were exceptions-- although she can't recall any of them right now-- Now she doesn't like my adendum and now she doesn't like me continuing to comment on this so I'm going to stop now)

Anyway, I don't think they were intentionally bringing up a dead person to discourage Jess, but I am very glad you now have a very different response when you meet someone who is diagnosed with stage four cancer. Future conversation: You: I know someone who was diagnosed with stage four breast cancer. O.P: Oh really who ? You: Jessica Kaylor O.P: How is she doing? You: She's alive and doing great!

Kaylor update

Jess had an appointment with her surgeon last week. I think it's a little strange that she meets with him every three months because she has never and will never have surgery because of the cancer. However, in normal cases the surgeon is kind of like the quarterback of medical treatment determining who the patient sees next. In Jessica's case though Dr. Haley has made most of the medical decisions and rightly so because it has been Dr. Haley that Jess has needed treament from.

Jess is having an infusion today. I love the sound of that word. It sounds so much better than chemo. The word"infusion" just rolls off the tongue. It makes it sound like Jess is going to something wildly fun and exotic instead of get a dose of Herceptin into her port. Jess told me this morning it would take about three hours from the time she checks in to the time she checks out. A lot nicer than then the all-day procedures she used to have to go through. Three hours will give Jess plenty of time to get caught up on her bible study and get some much needed alone time.

Jadyn turned four on Saturday. She and her friends went to a salon where they got to dress-up like princesses and get their hair, nails, and face done up. She looked absolutely gorgeous. We still don't have a digital camera, but I'll be able to put a picture soon because several people are going to email some to us.

Jadyn is getting surgery on her hip to correct the hip displasia she has battled for most of her life on January 3rd. Please pray that it is succesful this time.

Last night for Halloween Jadyn and Bryn went to a festival at our church and Katelyn went with a friend to go trick-or treating. It was appropriate that Katelyn went with a friend because Katelyn was Thing 1 and her friend Chandler was Thing 2 (from Dr. Seus). Bryn was Belle from Beauty and the Beast and Jadyn was Minnnie Mouse. They all looked fantastic.