Saturday, December 24, 2011

It's a Wonderful Life UPDATED February 11, 2012

This Christmas time, I thought I'd offer a tale from a friend of mine, Glen, who's friends with someone who is in need of prayers in a desperate time.

I felt this was timely in the sense that... we take so much for granted, and perhaps focus on the wrong things at this time of year.  We have so much and are thankful for far too little, and sometimes need a nudge to point out how lucky we have it.  Indeed, for most of us, it's a wonderful life.

I receive e-mails from Glen, requesting prayers for a little 11 year old girl named Rachel.  I invite you to join us.  I've included the Bible quotes that Glen includes at the conclusion of each of his e-mails.

I will update this thread as news becomes available.

May God bless you all.


Prayer to Saint Peregrine

Dear Apostle of Emilia and member of the Order of Mary, you spread the Good News by your word and by your life witnessed to its truth. In union with Jesus crucified, you endured excruciating sufferings so patiently as to be healed miraculously of cancer in the leg. If it is agreeable to God, obtain relief and cure for Rachel and keep us all from the dread cancer of sin. Amen.



Good morning,

A good friend of mine Debbie has e-mailed and asked me add a little girl to our church prayer list.
I have added a copy of her e-mail below, (in blue), and ask that you keep Rachel in your prayers also.

I thank you for taking the time to stand with us in prayer.
May GOD bless you.

"Jesus Never Fails"
 Glen

"Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life."

John 5:24

Good morning,

Here is the latest update from Rachel's mom.
  • the calm after the storm...
Today started a little rocky...several sick episodes through the night into the morning.  Chemo is done for this round and she has completed the cycle.  We are just hung up with the chest tube and healing of the lung area.  So it looks like we will be celebrating Thanksgiving here at Yale.  Rachel is frustrated and depressed at the news.  We are hopeful that maybe a late day departure on Thanksgiving is possible.  So prayers for the healing of her chest and her spirit....Thank you for all your love...Susan 

"Jesus Never Fails"
 Glen


"The LORD is righteous in all his ways, and holy in all his works."

"The LORD is nigh unto all them that call upon him, to all that call upon him in truth."

"He will fulfil the desire of them that fear him: he also will hear their cry, and will save them."

"The LORD preserveth all them that love him: but all the wicked will he destroy
.”

Psalm 145:17-20

Good evening

Here is the latest on Rachel.
Back to the ER
Rachel is experiencing the very unpleasant side-effects of her Chemo treatment.   She must eat and drink to prevent dehydration but has been plagued with vomiting.  She also has the very sore throat and mouth that can occur with the very strong therapy she is receiving.  She doesn't want to swallow at all.  Today Susan was pleading with her to at least drink something and explaining that she would have to be hospitalized if she didn't.  She told her mother she doesn't care anymore.  This is very difficult to hear and very early in this long battle she faces. 
Susan did get the "on call" Dr and they told her to take Rachel to the ER.  They will administer fluids and evaluate whether or not she needs to be admitted. 
We need prayers for Rachel's Spirit as well as her body. 

For rest and restorative healing.

Thank you to every person who is praying and leaving encouraging messages for her and Susan.  It means more than you know.
Aunt Debby

"Jesus Never Fails"
 Glen
"For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life."

Romans 5:19

Hello,


This is the latest news from Rachel.


This is Rachel...Just want everyone to know that I am feeling better!  
Thanks for the prayers.  
It is easier to swallow now and I hope I can go home tomorrow.  
I am still afraid to eat or drink because I still am vomiting every time I try to eat or drink.  
But the pain is better and my blood counts are coming up.  
It will be nice to go home and not feel so sick.  

Miss all of you…Rachel


"Jesus Never Fails"
 Glen

 “He that believeth on Him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.”

John 3:18

Good evening,

Here is the latest news about Rachel.

Celebrating victories one day at a time...
Today was a good day for Rachel...She actually ate 3 small meals and rejoiced that there was no pain when she swallowed...an awesome victory!!!  The food tasted really good to her and it was so joyful as a mother to see her savor it.  We started the day with a trip to school to enjoy her siblings Christmas concert.  She got to spend some time with her classmates and thoroughly enjoyed the interaction of long missed friends. 
We have yet to confirm an appt at Sloan but we are hopeful to hear from them before weeks end and procure one for Monday.  If that happens, then we will push Rachel's 2nd chemo start date back one day.   Although we were disappointed to have not heard from Sloan ...we were thrilled to have heard from Mark Herzlich himself!!!!   Apparently  Rachel's diagnosis was passed on, by friends with connections, to Brown University staff who then gave the information to Mark's brother Brad, and he shared Rachel's story with Mark.  Then Mark graciously sent us an e-mail asking about her and encouraged her 'to stay strong in the tough times' and that he and his family would be praying for her.  Both Rachel and I were grinning ear to ear and felt like her story just came full circle in an odd way.  God is so good! 
Thank all of you again for diligence on Rachel's behalf to lift her up in prayer that the mighty Father would heal her and continue to strengthen her in, mind, body and spirit.  We thank Him for all the small victories as we look forward to winning the war...To God Be The Glory…Amen


"Jesus Never Fails"
 Glen
"For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him:"

Colossians 1:16

Hello,

Here is the latest on Rachel.

Day 2 complete but not without some causalities. She vomited again last night and felt pretty nauseous this morning.  They added benadryl to the list of other anti-nausea drugs she has been taking.  She seems to be a little better right now. We are on the kytril, aloxi and marinol plus now benadryl just to battle the nausea!!!!
So we will be leaving Thursday evening after midnight....then up and driving by 6:15am to Sloan.  It will be a difficult week for Rachel but we hope it will be rewarded with wisdom....
We will keep you posted on the prognosis of chemo day 3...until then...many many thanks for your continued prayers…Susan


"Jesus Never Fails"
 Glen
"Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen."

Hebrews 11:1

Good afternoon,

Here is the latest with Rachel.


Complications

Rachel had a tough night and got her IV tubing caught on the bathroom door and pulled the Broviac port out of her chest and lost consciousness.  She is OK but we are waiting for her to be scheduled for the surgery needed to re-insert the Broviac ASAP.  Prayers that this will happen soon and without complication so that she can still make her appointment with the Sloan team tomorrow morning.

Bless you All.
"Jesus Never Fails"
 Glen

“For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God”
“For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord”
“But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us”
“For whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved”

Romans 3:23, 6:23, 5:8, 10:13

Good morning,

More from Rachel's mom.

When it rains it pours...
Day 3 of chemo just did not end well to say the least...We have been sharing our hospital room since the first day and have had 2 different roomates.  The room is very small and tight for the hospital beds by themselves, let alone to accomodate 2 addtional parents.  The bathroom is the size of a postage stamp and requires a scientific calculator to navigate a person with an IV pole into it and shut the door.  It was challenging to manage under normal circumstances much less nauseous, weak and unstable.  In addition the bathroom was on the other side of the room about 12 feet from her bed side. Her IV bags are hooked to pumps that must be plugged and unplugged from the wall EVERY time she goes to the bathroom. The base of the IV pole is 20" in diameter with five wheel spokes which hang-up on everything!!!  So after the final bags of chemo were dispensed she once again headed to the bathroom at 3:45 in the morning, in the dark. And upon her return to bed one of her many IV tubes got tangled in the wheel base of the pole and yanked the broviac clean out of her body.  Rachel was in virtual disbelief, as was I, and she just started to cry.  She was so worn out, it was the last thing we needed to happen.  The silver lining was that the chemo round was completely done so the rest of the fluid could be dispensed through an IV in her arm.  By morning a decision was going to have to be made as to when to replace the broviac....her counts were ok at the moment but will continue to decline.  Then we have a confirmed appt at Sloan first thing Friday morning...things were not looking good and Rachel was finding it difficult to hold it together.   She once again headed to the bathroom around 8am and felt very faint when she started to come back.  The 2 nurses happened to be in the room attending to her and quickly grabbed a chair for her.  She said she just wanted to get back to the bed...12 feet away...so as she was heading back with the nurses assisting her. She could not stay balanced so I grabbed her from the front and her eyes rolled back in her head her lips went blue and she turned to ash right before my eyes.  We could not keep her on her feet as she slithered to the ground they grabbed the O2 and and she regained consciousness.  They did a chest x-ray to check the site where the broviac was pulled out. Thankfully all was ok. They decided her broviac would be replaced on Dec. 30th just before her next chemo round.  Rather than put her through the procedure today and possibly delay our departure. The timing is palitable because she was going to have to have her bone marrow tested again before the next round and that is performed under anesthesia.  The unfortunate part is that she will have to go to clinic and have blood draws 2/3 times before then to check her counts and that will require her to be poked.  Something she does not look forward to.  But she will be HOME and free of any dangling attachments...at least for a little while.   And maybe that can be a Christmas and birthday gift to her.  
We will be leaving Yale this evening a little bit sooner...9:30ish.   She has not vomited today, she does not feel completely free of nausea but seems to be managing.  The mucous is accumulating in her mouth but no sores...we pray that will be the extent of it.
I did discuss my concerns with the broviac procedure.  I requested it to be preformed by an experienced surgeon and not by the first surgeon.  I was all done with my daughter being used as a guinea pig for teaching purposes.  They said she was not and the previous surgeon was very practiced in the procedure.  I certainly was not in agreement and made my feelings loud and clear,,,Shirley would have been proud.  So I did meet the surgeon who would be placing her new broviac tube and she seemed very confident and well experienced.  Let's pray that to be true.
Sorry for the very lengthy update...it represents the day we have had!     Off to Sloan in the morning.  My prayer is that the day will move efficiently and not be too tiresome for Rachel, she has battled enough.
Many thanks for all your many prayers...Susan
"Jesus Never Fails"
 Glen

"For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him:"


Colossians 1:16

Good evening,

Here is the latest from Rachel's mom.

Sloan...a journey for wisdom...a call to serve
We did make it to Sloan on Friday...I am so sorry for the long delay in my update.  I was struggling with the overwhelming weight of the decision.  Dr. Meyers was very thorough in his discussion with us.  He plans on sending a full report to Yale with his thoughts and recommendations.  Rachel and I go back to Yale tomorrow for a clinic visit.  I hope to discuss things with her doctor then.  Dr. Meyers is in favor of a more aggressive chemo regimen than what she is currently being given. This is due to the advanced stage of the sarcoma.   This regimen could be adopted and followed by her doctor at Yale or we could transfer her care entirely down to Sloan.  A decision that comes with great sacrifice for our entire family...Sloan operates as an out-patient hospital.  Which means you travel to Sloan for your chemo by day and go home in the evening with your backpack of fluids and meds to return again in the morning.  The report time is between 7/8 am and leaving between 5/6 pm.  It is 67 miles one way not calculating traffic time.  You can overnight at Sloan or they do have accommodations at the Ronald Macdonald house.  This requires some form of payment depending on your income.  A W-2 is required to qualify.  The chemo is a 21 day cycle with 4 straight days of the chemo followed by 2 visits per week to check her counts.  There will also be ongoing tests scheduled in between at random times.  Fevers are common side effect of this process and any fever over 100.4 sends her back to the hospital for a minimum 48 hour stay.   So I know you understand my massive struggle to make this decision.  I am so torn with the weight of it on ALL my children.  And in all of that I must fly for insurance purposes. 
Rachel continues to struggle with vomiting since we left Yale on Thursday night.  Her abdominal muscles are so sore because of it.  Today, she is a bit better and she is trying to drink some.  She does feel the sores in her mouth starting to return.  Ironically while at Sloan we discovered that they prefer a double access port as opposed to a broviac.  I could not help but feel God's hand in this decision calling us to Sloan, by the fluke of Rachel's broviac being yanked out.  She was not so sure she wanted one but they did let her talk to a girl there who had one which was helpful. 
So we are still waiting for God's wisdom as we proceed.  Not for sure where we are headed but more and more signs seem to be leading us to Sloan. 
As some of you may know already, our nanny Camilia is pregnant and about to give birth to her second child Jan. 4th.  She is such an integral part of my children's lives and her temporary absence will be a huge loss at this time.  So, it brings me to my plea for your help.  We will need to have someone or several someones willing to come along side of us and help.  I do not wish to displace Nathan and Isabella to numerous households because it will be too disruptive to them.  An occasional sleepover here and there are certainly helpful and welcomed but for day to day my heart’s desire is for them to stay in their home. I would like to maintain as much normalcy as possible for them.   My hope is to have an individual come and stay with us for a duration of time who is flexible and willing to handle the many complicated requirements of this journey.  It will require parenting, cooking, cleaning and nursing all at once.  Not to mention occasional and unpredictable emergencies and trips to NY when needed.  A lot to ask I know but if you know of someone willing please send them our way.
That is the latest for now, thank you my dear friends.  Would not make it without your love and support...Susan   

"Jesus Never Fails"
 Glen
"Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.  For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places."

Ephesians 6:11-12

Good evening,

Here is the latest news on Rachel.

Mercy and Grace . . .
Rachel and Susan spent the day at Yale getting platelettes because her blood levels were low.  It has been a difficult few days with the recurring mucositis and ongoing bone pain.  They were released today at 5pm and arrived home only to find that Rachel has a fever and they must return to Yale for a manditory 48 hour hospital stay. 
We need prayer for Rachel's body and her spirit as she is so fearful that she will not be home for Christmas or her 12th birthday on December 26th.
"I'll Be Home For Christmas" has new meaning for us.
Dear Lord, Show us Your mercy and grace as we prepare to celebrate the anniversary of the Savior's birth.  May we all feel the deep love of heaven come down this Christmas and forever more.
The Brinkmans and O'Donnells



"Jesus Never Fails"
 Glen
"
The LORD is gracious, and full of compassion; slow to anger, and of great mercy."

"The 

LORD is good to all: and his tender mercies are over all his works
."

Psalm 145:8-9

UPDATE!  GREAT NEWS!  Dec. 26, 2011

Good morning,

This is from Rachel's mother.

Home for Christmas...God is good...
Dear Friends,
Rachel and I are still at Yale this morning...she is doing much better.  She has received lots of blood and platelets, along with antibiotics.  They just told us that we would be going home later today. We are so thrilled!!!  It was not looking good yesterday but today is a new day and I know it was through the prayers of all of you that she made the turn.  She will have to return again on Tuesday to clinic for more blood and platelets. But for now all is well. Thank you to all of you who donate blood, such a blessing.   So we have many things to be grateful for and to spend it home together as a family is immeasurable.  Merry Merry Christmas to all of you.  Your faithfulness to stand with us during this time is a Christmas gift we will never forget...
Much love...Susan 


"Jesus Never Fails"
 Glen

"Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me."
"To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne."


Revelation 3:20-21
----------------------------------------------

Keep praying, it works!!!  - Mike


-----------------------------------------------


UPDATE  Dec. 27, 2011


Good morning,

Here is a note from Debbie about Rachel.

I really have nothing to add of my own except to echo Debbie's words "THANK YOU JESUS!"


Joy, Joy, Joy . . .

Rachel had her clinic visit this morning to check her blood levels and they are GREAT!  She does not have to stay and have whole blood OR platelets today!  This is incredible news and we are so grateful to all of you for keeping us in your prayers. 

Rachel had a really nice pre-Christmas surprise when her Mom brought her a tiny blanket with a wiggling chihuahua puppy inside.  She was overjoyed and stunned at the same time.  Rachel named her Chloe.  Chloe is black and white and has been a great boost to the morale at the Brinkman home. 

She looks forward to her birthday party tomorrow with friends and family and the arrival of Big brother Dan from Phoenix.

We are so very thankful that she is having a healthy week.  Such a Great Blessing and our very own Christmas Miracle.

Thank You, Jesus.



"Jesus Never Fails"
 Glen
"
Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates?
"

2 Corinthians 13:5
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
UPDATE

There are two updates in this notice, the first from Dec. 30, 2011; the second from January 8, 2012.

Good morning,

Here an up date on Rachel for her mom.


Prayers for a Happy and Healthy New Year...

Hello friends and family...tomorrow Rachel goes in for the installation of her port and a bone marrow biopsy to check the effectiveness of the first 2 rounds of chemo.  The results won't be back for at 3 days.  Then after her surgery they will repeat the CT scan, MRI and bone scan she had before her treatments.  It will be a long day, she is feeling good but does have a cold starting.  She has had a good few days and we are just soaking it up.  Chloe has been such a joy for all of us but especially for Rachel.  Who would have thought you could deliver such joy in a 3lb package!  I will post pictures soon, just need to get my technical helper on that.  That is not my strong suit. 

 We are going to stay at Yale for now, and continue her treatments.  After much thought, discussion and prayer, we feel it is the best decision for the entire family.  Her doctor at Yale is confident that they can perform the same chemo protocol recommended by Sloan.  In fact they use the same protocol when dealing with localized Ewing's.  The Sloan recommendation is for more aggressive chemo doses.  The difference being one of her current chemo drugs being increased by 3X's what she is receiving now.  We ask for prayer that Rachel can handle the stepped up formula both physically and mentally.  I thank all of you for your constant prayers, they mean so much. 

 Our New Year will begin with a bang as her 3rd round of the new chemo formula starts on Jan 3rd.  But we are so hopeful that this year will deliver us a miracle and we choose to celebrate in anticipation of that!   So join with us as we celebrate a very Happy New Year.  To God be the Glory...much love, Susan  
"Jesus Never Fails"
 Glen

"Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me."

Psalm 23:4

Good evening,


Here is the latest new about Rachel.


Home again...
Rachel is home again after her 3rd round of chemo.  We came home this morning at 8:45am.  It has been a bit of a victory so far in that she did not battle the nausea as severely.  She hung on the threshold of feeling nauseous but never vomited.  The chemo round felt very long for Rachel, and she struggled with depression.  We won't know if the mucositis has returned until a few days from now.  Rachel did a very good job at trying to keep her mouth clean with frequent brushing in hopes to combat the mucositis.  While we were at Yale she was able to meet Casey.  She is a twelve year old girl battling osteo sarcoma.  She was diagnosed in June and is a few months ahead of Rachel in treatments.  It was good for both of the girls to meet and share their stories.  We are hopeful that this is a turning point with Rachel and her body has somehow adjusted to the treatments.  Our prayer is that the mucositis does not return and she can remain home until her next round of chemo...thank you all for your unending prayers and love...Susan     


"Jesus Never Fails"
 Glen

"For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him:"


Colossians 1:16

---------------------------------------------------------------------------


UPDATE  Jan. 13, 2012


My friend Glen has another update on Rachel's fight with cancer.


Good evening,

More news about Rachel.
Please be in prayer she is having a tough time.


battle weary...

Rachel had a rough 36 hours.  We are back at Yale today.  It was a scheduled clinic appt.  Last night Rachel was battling a fever and we knew that meant we would be staying after clinic and not returning home.  Rachel cried herself to sleep from frustration, exhaustion, dehydration, nausea and pain.  She just kept repeating that she could not do it anymore.  This of course is the infamous 'day 10' which is when she bottoms out and her counts are the lowest.  They are giving her all they can in the support of returning her to a restorative state.  We just have to wait for Rachel's body to respond.  We hope to be home sometime over the weekend.  Her spirits are very low.  The mucositis returned with the same intensity, just had some relief with its duration.  She was spared a few days of it on the front side.  We have been hydrating Rachel at home on an IV drip through the night which has been helpful but that alone cannot sustain her.  She is unable to eat at all and is continuing to lose body mass.  So we will now be giving her TPN in an IV overnight which will support her nutritionally through this process.  In addition they will be able to add an antacid to the TPN formula, customizing it to her needs to help relieve some pain from the mucositis.  Our hope is that this new support will bridge Rachel between chemo cycles so she can be home as much as possible and feel better too.

Our heartfelt thanks to each and every one of you who carry us in your hearts and prayers on a daily basis .  It truly is the sustaining force that supports us through this journey.  So so many of you have sent gifts and cards and lovely notes and stories over the past several weeks and they have all been received with such humble gratitude.  The outpouring of love is difficult to put in words.  Both Rachel and I are overwhelmed with the love of those we know and those we have never met.  So please know that all of it means so much.  I apologize for not being able to formally send all the many 'thank yous' necessary but we will be forever grateful for your kindness and love....many many thanks and bless you all...Susan   



"Jesus Never Fails"
 Glen
"Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.  For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places."

Ephesians 6:11-12

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------


UPDATE January 17, 2012


There are two updates from two e-mails from Glen about Rachel.  She needs your support and prayers quite desperately.  




Hello,

Here is the latest on Rachel.
I am afraid that she is still very week and depressed.


Our sweet Rachel is still in the hospital at Yale.  She is battling some kind of infection/fever and cannot be released until her vitals are normal.

She is very weak and depressed and desperate to go home but her white count is still very low, she is recieving TPN (intravenous nutrition) antibiotics and oxygen throughout the night.  The Dr feels that she is just too vulnerable to be released and would only have to return very quickly for more of the same.

Rachel's sister, Isabella had her 7th birthday party on Saturday and we are so grateful to Ms Ahrens and Mrs Korman for staying with Rachel so that Susan could go home on Saturday and take care of all the preparations.  You can imagine how much sadness Nathan and Isabella are also experiencing with their Mother and Sister away. 
Lord, we ask for respite and healing of body and spirit for Rachel and Susan, Nathan and Isabella. 
We remain humbled and so very grateful for all the prayers and well wishes and for ALL of you who are helping with the practical, day-to-day needs of the family. 
There ARE Angels all around us.
Debbie O'Donnell





"Jesus Never Fails"
 Glen


"The LORD is righteous in all his ways, and holy in all his works."

"The LORD is nigh unto all them that call upon him, to all that call upon him in truth."

"He will fulfil the desire of them that fear him: he also will hear their cry, and will save them."
"The LORD preserveth all them that love him: but all the wicked will he destroy
.”

Psalm 145:17-20

Good afternoon,

More new about Rachel.

Rachel was delivered the news that she would be staying yet another day or two in the hospital...shrinking her hope of being able to go home and experience at least one week of normalcy.  She often tells me she does not remember what it feels like to 'feel good'.  She lives to experience the joy of eating and drinking her favorite foods without the pain of swallowing or distortion of taste.  And with the 4th round of chemo starting on the 24th her hopes are diminishing.  Her counts are still down and below minimums  to be discharged.  Our hope is to have her home by Thursday.  I will be flying tomorrow and appreciate all of you who will be helping in my absence.  Nathan and Isabella have been struggling with my extended absence.   I battle with finding the balance to be a mother to all of them.   We know this is a journey for all of us and we so appreciate all of you partnering with us as we find our way through it.   Prayers for a turn in Rachel's counts.   Bless all of you...Susan  





"Jesus Never Fails"
 Glen


"The LORD is righteous in all his ways, and holy in all his works."

"The LORD is nigh unto all them that call upon him, to all that call upon him in truth."

"He will fulfil the desire of them that fear him: he also will hear their cry, and will save them."
"The LORD preserveth all them that love him: but all the wicked will he destroy
.”

Psalm 145:17-20
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

UPDATE February 3, 2012


There are actually two letters from Glen included in this posting.  The first from  January 26, the next from February 1.  Please keep your prayers coming for dear little Rachel.


Good morning,

Here is the latest news on Rachel.

Rachel is off to clinic tomorrow to check her counts...if they are good she stays for round 4 of chemo.  If she has not recovered she waits until Monday.  She is still struggling to swallow and has really not been able to experience relief from the mucositis as she has in the past. Because of this it is difficult to find the motivation to prepare for the next round.  We were given the good news before we left the hospital that the chemo has been effective and all her scans and test results show that the sarcoma mass is shrinking.  She still has a spot on her lung but the main mass on her right thigh has been significantly reduced.  God is good.  Thank you to all our faithful prayer partners for hanging in there with us...your love and support continues to carry us through...Much love...Susan 

"Jesus Never Fails"
 Glen

“For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God”
“For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord”
“But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us”
“For whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved”



Romans 3:23, 6:23, 5:8, 10:13

Good evening,

Here is the latest about Rachel's from her mom.
Please be in prayer for her this evening and in the coming days.

Rachel is just finishing round 4 tonight.   Her last chemo drug will finish dispensing close to midnight followed by an hour of IV flush, thereafter we will head home sometime in the wee hours of the morning  She has been doing OK this round.  Her nausea increases as the chemo builds in her system so by the end she feels her worst.  I am so proud of her because she has kept up with her mouth swishes (to help manage the mucositis) and has also been swallowing a sucralfate liquid (to help combat the acid burning in her GI track).  Both of these practices are very difficult for Rachel under normal circumstances let alone when she is so sick.  My prayer is that God will honor her gallant efforts with the reward of 'no mucositis'.  I leave tomorrow for DFW to complete my recurrent training, so I am grateful for the timing to be able to bring her home before my departure. I will be bringing Rachel back to clinic on Friday morning to check her counts.  We hope to keep Rachel home for an extended stay without an unscheduled hospital stay before her next round of chemo..  I believe this too will restore her spirits and give her the inner strength to continue the fight.  As for now we look forward to getting home sleeping in our own beds, reconnecting with her siblings and spending time with Chloe!!!  Thanks again to all of you for prayers and many thanks to those of you who stand in for me in my absence both at home and at the hospital...Much love and gratitude...Susan

"Jesus Never Fails"
 Glen
"I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me."

Philippians 4:13
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The latest on Rachel.  God bless her.  Please, please pray.
Sent by Mr. Spence on Feb. 6, 2011.


Hello,

Here is the latest on Rachel.
Also sent along a photo.
My heart stumbles for words as I think of what she is enduring.
Truly it is beyond my comprehension, but my LORD knows her plight and she knows HIM, so all is well with her soul.

Rachel is back at Yale today to check her counts.  We prepared ourselves to stay and packed accordingly.  She has had a very rough week at home, lots of vomiting, pain from the mucositis, and overall pain from the physical demand on her weakened body.  This morning she woke very listless despite the TPN supplement through the night.  I checked her temp and she was 103.7...way over the minimum for her, so I prepared Rachel for the inevitable.  She will be getting admitted at clinic today after they boost her with fluids antibiotics and platelets.  This will be a minimum stay of 48 hours but that will probably extend to the weekend.  We both know how difficult it is to stay here when it is unscheduled.  But even Rachel knows when she feels this bad that Yale is the best place to be.  So thank you so much for all your love and continued prayer.  As Rachel progresses through the chemo cycles her body becomes more and more compromised from the consistent bombardment.  Her ability to recover is significantly reduced each time.  I ask for prayer for her to 'mentally endure' which has become the toughest part of the battle....Bless all of you for standing with us...Susan

"Jesus Never Fails"
 Glen

“Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works.”
“Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble.”
“But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?”

James 2:18-20
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Rachel's saga continues.  She is certainly proving an inspiration to us, for me I can say for sure.  The Brock Lesnars of the world have got NOTHING on her in toughness.


There are two updates I just got from Mr. Spence:


Hello,

Rachel is out of ICU but other problems keep confronting her.

Rachel was moved from ICU to the regular floor Thursday evening.  Her BP counts stabilized and they were able to identify the bacteria in her blood as staph, strep and e-coli. In addition to the pneumonia she was diagnosed with.  They are pounding her with antibiotics to combat everything.  She is still very uncomfortable with her mouth sores from the mucositis.  Last night they did a CT scan of her head, chest and pelvis because she was still developing fevers.  The worst part was having to drink the contrast, about 12 ounces.  With tears she persevered and got it down.  This morning the doc came in to inform us that she has appendicitis and a sinus infection..The appendix being more of a concern at the moment.  The surgical team will be looking at the scan and deciding when and what to do.  In the mean time they will be boosting her platelets and blood in preparation of the surgery.  We anticipate the surgery to be soon, either today or tomorrow.  There is a slight chance she may just be treated with antibiotics  Doctor just this moment came back in and confirmed the appendix surgery for today at 2pm.  They will be able to remove it laparoscopically.  Rachel is calm and handling it all quite well.  We have know idea when we will be leaving the hospital and that is the most difficult part.  The rest of her infections should be arrested by the plethora of antibiotics she has been taking. 
 So grateful for all of you and I thank all of you for the help over this past week with care for all my children and Chloe.   I also want to thank you for the gifts Rachel has received. Rachel has also requested that she not be gifted with any more for she has been showered with your love and care and appreciates all she has been given.  We love you all...and will keep you posted as best I can...Susan 
"Jesus Never Fails"
 Glen
"Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.  For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places."

Ephesians 6:11-12

Good evening,

Rachel is out of surgery.

Rachel had her surgery and all is well tonight.  The doctor said her appendix was in the very beginning stages of infection and he applauded the tech for their ability to read the scan and detect the problem.  She even got to examine her extracted appendix in the recovery room.  She asked to keep it but the request was denied.  I think Rachel is being prepared for a life in the medical field.  She does not seem to flinch at anything and constantly seeks the details about all the procedures being preformed on her. We are grateful that this cup has passed and she is on the road to recovery fom this dreadful list of infections!  Thanks for the continued prayer and words of encouragement.....Susan 

"Jesus Never Fails"
 Glen

Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light. 

Matthew 11:28-30
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