Ethan came home today.  Yay!  

He made it through another long week, but feels so much better now that he's home...and without mouth ulcers.  He doesn't eat much in the hospital anyway, but he made up for lost time when he got home.  So nice that he can chew again! :)

  

Please pray that his white count does not drop so low that he gets an infection.  This new chemo is likely to cause that.  If all goes well, he won't be admitted again until June 13th ....in 2 weeks! 

 

Thanks again for traveling this journey with us.  We are so thankful for God's provision of friends and prayer warriors!

 Ethan was admitted yesterday.  His mouth sores are almost totally resolved so his chemo wasn't delayed again.  

He started chemo around 4 am.  This is new chemo for him...this chemo is stronger and given daily for 5 days, so he'll likely feel sick the whole admission.  The anti-nausea meds cause him to sleep through most of it, so that's a plus!  

Please pray that he isn't sick every day and that his white blood cell count doesn't plummet after this week of chemo.  That is likely and therefore can make him more prone to infection than he was with the previous chemo drugs.  

Thanks for continued prayers and notes.  They are so appreciated.

Karen

Good news...

After a long discouraging week, Ethan finally has a pain management regimen that is working!  He still has sores, but the discomfort is much less.  He can talk now and drink without pain.  

Praise God that his spirits immediately improved today too!

Ethan's admission has been postponed till next Thursday, May 24th.  

They don't give additional chemo when someone has significant mouth sores, so even though that's a delay in his chemo schedule, it is also a relief.  

Please continue to pray for pain relief for him.  We are trying a variety of things and there isn't much that is effective.  Pray that this doesn't continue to drag him down...it's been a tough several days.

Rough couple of days for Ethan.  He was discharged yesterday, but ran a fever last night so he didn't feel well.  

Today he has some large mouth ulcers that are really sore.  He really seems discouraged today, as well.  

Prayers, please!!! 

He will be readmitted this Wednesday, the 16th,  

Ethan was admitted yesterday for chemo and will be readmitted next Wednesday as well.  Please pray that his nausea subsides more quickly.  He had an awful night and just feels awful.  

Now he starts to feel sick just going into clinic even before he gets any chemo at all....

Karen

Well it is with much higher spirits that I write this update . . . not that the situation has changed . . . just that the Holy Spirit and time have been at work in me.  With both come perspective!  

Ethan has regrouped quickly, given the less-than-encouraging news a few weeks ago.  As it has been since the start of this journey, Ethan's ability to be positive and brave has allowed the rest of our family to function from a place of hope rather than despair.  

We are moving forward with a new chemo schedule (not terrible, actually, but a few months longer.)   I have felt strengthened by recalling a conversation I had with an old college friend of mine several weeks ago.  He has a son in the Army and I asked him how he handled it when his son was deployed (20 y/o; in Afghanistan).  He looked at me, smiled and said, "I know that God is sovereign."  He went on to say that it's probably a good thing that his son has a curfew and a base restriction; he would worry more if he weren't in the Army!! :)  I can't tell you how many times I've reflected on that conversation in the past 2 weeks.

Specific prayer needs:  

1.  No more mouth sores, please!  He had a really bad mouth ulcer all week and it has been really painful.  It's finally resolving, but it was a reminder of how blessed he has been to not have had any up to this point.  He really could only eat smoothies with a spoon; even sucking through a straw hurt, let alone chewing anything!

2.  Next admission (methotrexate) on May 9th: that he would be discharged in 5 days instead of 6.  It gets to feel so long to be inpatient.

3.  Side effects:  that he will not suffer longterm side effects from any of these chemo drugs.  Some can be significant.

4.  School:  so far, so good, but we have a lot of English and Spanish to complete before Mt Calvary closes for the summer!!  

Thank you all for your prayers and support.  They never go unnoticed!

Love,