Good News about Jadyn!

There have been quite a few nights when I have peeked in on the Yikes and they have been on their knees praying together. Jadyn has been asking a lot of questions about heaven, sadly because our Uncle James recently passed away. Well last week after the girls were in bed, Jadyn told me she wanted to ask me something, but then said never mind. A few minutes later she said she wanted to ask me again. She asked me how she could let Jesus in her heart. Of course I immediately asked if it was okay with her if mommy came too. She very shyly said "yes." She prayed a very simple prayer and afterwards Bryn was so excited she was jumping up and down and couldn't go to sleep.

Here's the latest Bryn story. Bryn frequently leaves off the final "r" in long words. Like she'll say "sista" or "foreva." Being the linguistic geek that I am when I was talking to Jess about this I told her that leaving the "r" off is non-rhotic which is how they talk in New York. Bryn just happened to walk in right as I was talking about it and she wanted to know what we were saying. She asked us, "New Yawk?" She would fit right in with our wonderful family in the big city!

Jessa's new treatment is Thursday. We'll let you know how it goes. Thank you for your prayers.

Switching Medicines

We got the scan results today from Dr. Haley. Over time, cancer cells build up resistance to chemo medicines, and we found out that is now the case with the chemo medicine Jess has been taking (Xeloda). There is a very small one (so small it can't be felt) under her arm in the nodes and another spot of more concern in her left hip. Fortunately, there are many chemo medicines that are still effective, and Jess is going to start a new one next week. This one is called Abraxane and its in the same family as the chemo medicine Jess was first on called Taxoteer. She'll have to go in every week (with every fourth week off) to get it through her port, but although its a stronger medicine Dr. Haley said Jess won't get nauseous this time and there is only a small chance of her losing her hair again. It definitely wasn't the news we were hoping for, but we remain hopeful of positive results from the new medicine of the course of the next three months (at the end of which Jess will get another scan).

Prayer Calendar for Us and the Curtis Family

Terre has been really sweet and has faithfully made a prayer calendar for us each week. She does a really nice job of getting it out to our Sunday class, but as you know I don't do such a good job of getting on here. Here is this week.

Monday - Pray that the Lord will instruct the Kaylors and Curtis' and they will not be shaken and rest secure. - Psm 16:7-9

Tuesday - Pray that they will come to the Lord when they are weary and burdened - Matt 11:28-29

Wednesday - Pray that both families know that nothing can separate them from the love of God - Rom 8:39

Thursday - Pray that Jess's cancer will be completely irradicated - John 5:8

Friday - Pray for hope - Heb 6:18-19

Saturday - Pray that the Lord's grace is sufficient for them, for when they are weak, He is strong - 2 Corin 12:9

Sunday - Pray that as a body of believers we will continue to lift these families up consistently - Ephes 6:18

Scan update

Hi there!

Well, today has been a lazy day. I love those. It helps that it is dreary and we are having a winter storm watch. For those of you in cold weather states, in Texas, that means we watch the sky for bits of ice and sleet to potentially fall, which never do but still send us all scampering to the store for essentials we might need over the "watch". Just wait, because I am downplaying the weather, we will get 5 inches of ice and I will be asking my neighbor for milk.

I went to my scan on Thursday. It was fairly uneventful. The only small glitch was I could not give a proper urine sample when asked. My scan was first and they have you eat or drink nothing as to not interfere with the results. When I arrive, they pump you full of contrast (I chose yummy banana). Then they have you empty your bladder before the hour-long test. No problem. Then, I went to my infusion, where I forgot they always ask for a specimen for a urinalysis. One of my drugs causes high protein levels and must be checked every time. Well, usually I prepare for this by drinking water on the way into Dallas. I cannot give freely like my husband and others in my family. I think my aunt (to remain nameless) could give a sample at any given moment. I however, cannot. In fact the mere thought of this brought back memories of my childhood crying in the doctors office, while my mother patiently ran water, wet my hands, and pushed fluids until I could perform correctly. Well, after 3 glasses of tea, 2 waters and 45 minutes, I was able to get on with my infusion. I think my grandmother was about to go give my sample for me.

As I am writing this, I am realizing that this might be awkward and you might not want to know (TMI). But, you have to admit that you would have been more disappointed if I would have said, "The scan was fine, no big news to report."


I will find out the results at my next appointment on the 23rd of this month. I am expecting good news!!

Happy New Year

We quickly discovered that DSL is only fast after you get it set up. First the equipment never made it to our house. Then they sent the equipment. Then Jess and I have felt the complete opposite of high tech savy as we tried to set it up: would that be low tech savy? Anyway, we're up and running now. Although, I think Jess has definitely missed the Internet the two weeks she has been without I think she will love cruising down the Electronic Highway on her new MAC laptop.

One more change on Jessa's big scan. It's now going to be on the 11th. Her infusion was already scheduled for that day, so Jess is getting it all done in one day now.

We were watching Kaylee and Zander yesterday and decided to take them out afterwords to get ice cream. Thirty minutes later they they and the Kaylor kids we're all playing on the outside playground there. Jadyn came up to me very distressed and said Zander said, that he was going to suck her butt. I went to find Zander. I hadn't gone but about five steps when I saw Zander with his hand up in the air like Dracula saying, "I want to suck your blood." I guess there a lot of things you never hear when you have all sisters , but I think this is probably the sort of thing that boys say all the time. Five minutes later after Jess explained the confusion to Jadyn, they were all back to happily playing.