Christmas Update

I want to let everyone know how wonderful our Christmas weekend was . . . 

Ethan was happy and energetic and it was easy to forget that he is sick.  What a blessing to have some "normal" in the midst of all this.

  We have another week before his next admission, so we're enjoying every minute! 

 Thanks for all the prayers thus far.  They are not taken for granted!

  

Coming Home

Round one of chemo is done.  

Ethan should be home by 3:30 pm today. 

Yay!  

Pray that he doesn't get an infection as his white count drops over the next few weeks.

Update from Tegan

Greetings, all.

It is Friday evening and Jordan and I are in Ethan's hospital room (Karen was with him all morning and early into the afternoon; she's on her way over now!).  Ethan had surgery this morning to have a metaport installed in his chest, to which they hook up the I.V., for his chemo.

He just started his I.V. about 90 minutes ago.  They are giving him an intravenous course of two "protectant" drugs that are designed to minimize stress and toxicity to his kidneys and heart.  He'll be treated with that for another hour, and then will begin the actual chemo.  He's doing well.  The biggest frustration in his life is that he can't hook up his PS3 to the TV in his room!

He'll be in all day tomorrow and depending on how he responds to chemo, "hopefully" might be sent home Sunday afternoon.  His hope is that he'll be home on time to watch the Saints play at 1 pm (but it's doubtful).

Please pray that he responds to the medication well in terms of nausea and GI distress.  About 50% of patients make it thru this course without a lot of pain and distress.  We're hoping and praying that he'll be one of them.

FYI, probably all of my updates from here moving forward will be thru the blog rather than direct email.  So please do bookmark that page and check in regularly.

Enough for now.  Thanks again for your support.

More later,
Tegan

Evening Update

Ethan is doing great!  

He started chemo.

To see if Ethan is up for visitors, 

people can call his room 

[call 800-243-1455 and ask for his room (7261)] 

or text Tegan 917-7780. 

12/16 Update

Update:  Ethan is out of surgery and
is doing well!


Ethan is currently in the O.R. and will

probably be admitted to his room sometime

after lunch today.

Visitors?? 

YES!

  

Ethan would like to have visitors.  

Visiting hours are 9 am to 9 pm.  Try to text Karen first to let them know that you are 

going to visit.  

Karen's Cell #:  717-917-7781

If you cannot reach Karen, call Ethan's floor

at the hospital and ask for his room.

We will post the floor and room number

as soon as we know.

Good news!  

Ethan will be admitted this Friday, December 16th; he will hopefully be discharged on Monday, December 19th. 

This is good timing and an answered prayer!

Prayer Request

Pray that the surgeon can quickly schedule surgery for Ethan in order to put in a port for the chemotherapy.  

Once the port is in place the chemo can begin.

  Pray that the chemo can begin this weekend

 so Ethan can go to the August Burns Red concert on December 28th!

Sad News

I have to bring you up to speed on this past week in our lives:  Ethan has been diagnosed with osteosarcoma, a rare form of bone cancer that has developed in his left leg.  He will be facing chemo and surgery over the next year.  


We first got the news just last Friday and he's already been referred to a specialist (praise God that he is in Lancaster, b/c people come from all over to see him) who saw him Tuesday.  The CT scan he had showed no spreading of the disease into his lungs, which is a huge prognostic plus.  He had a biopsy yesterday, so he is on crutches for the next couple weeks while that heals.  He is going to have chemo at Hershey and our first appt. to go over all of that is this coming Monday.

At this point, right now, Tegan and I are as good as can be expected.  We totally love the surgeon.  The support we have had from the few who have known up to this point has been amazing.  

Tegan is pulling together something to have Pastor Kirk send out so that the rumor mill doesn't get away from us.  I'm still figuring out in my head a way to do updates.  

Ethan is doesn't like to talk about it tons, but on the surface is handling it ok, I guess.  He's quite upset that he will lose his hair; relieved that he will not lose his leg; incredibly scared at what the future holds . . . you understand, of course.  Jordan came home and is studying for finals and has to go back just for two days at the end of next week.  Then she's off til Feb., which is great.

So, that's it for now.  Thank you in advance for all your prayers and support.  Feel free to email me . . . talking on the phone makes it harder for me to control my emotions.