Hi! I just wanted to send a quick update out and let everyone know that David's MRI results were clear!! Thanks for all the prayer. It was an abnormally smooth day, and we were really grateful for all the prayer.
We did not do David's eye exam last week because he ended up getting the croup and they didn't feel comfortable putting him under anesthesia. So, his appointment has been rescheduled for October 1.
Thanks again,
-Kim
Monday, September 13, 2010
Saturday, August 21, 2010
Upcoming Events
Hi Folks,
I know that it has been quite some time since I have updated, but I have been so busy!
We are all doing well! Rob and I are both starting to reach something like normal most days (although some of the stress related ailments still rear their ugly heads now and then). The big kids (and I) have started in on their new adventure of homeschooling already. We are slowly adding subjects week by week so that we can sort of ease into the routine of things.
David is doing very well. He is still having some issues with his prosthetic being comfortable for more than about 12 hours before needing to be taken out and washed, but relatively small problems considering the past 3 years.
We would appreciate your prayers for us all as David will be having another exam under anesthesia on September 3, and then an MRI and oncology visit on September 10. I still get very nervous about these and how they will go, so pray for them to go smoothly for him and that the results will still be that he is all clear!
Thank you all for your continued prayer and support. I will update you after his exams to let you know how they all went.
-Kim
I know that it has been quite some time since I have updated, but I have been so busy!
We are all doing well! Rob and I are both starting to reach something like normal most days (although some of the stress related ailments still rear their ugly heads now and then). The big kids (and I) have started in on their new adventure of homeschooling already. We are slowly adding subjects week by week so that we can sort of ease into the routine of things.
David is doing very well. He is still having some issues with his prosthetic being comfortable for more than about 12 hours before needing to be taken out and washed, but relatively small problems considering the past 3 years.
We would appreciate your prayers for us all as David will be having another exam under anesthesia on September 3, and then an MRI and oncology visit on September 10. I still get very nervous about these and how they will go, so pray for them to go smoothly for him and that the results will still be that he is all clear!
Thank you all for your continued prayer and support. I will update you after his exams to let you know how they all went.
-Kim
Friday, May 28, 2010
David Turns 3!
I felt like I needed to write a little bit on the occasion of David's birthday! Sunday, May 30, our little guy turns 3!!
As I've been thinking about this blog, lots of things have been streaming through my head. I realized several days ago that I had not read any of my past blogs, so I forced myself to go back and read them all from start to finish (minus this one of course). Needless to say, it was very difficult for me. Many of the things written about in those blogs were hard enough to live through, much less remember. As part of my coping, I haven't let my mind contain anything but the current day, the current moment. But, I realize that now, in order to heal and to go on, I have to let myself remember. I have to look back on what has happened, the pain, the victory, the ways God has moved, and I have to let myself remember all of it.
I won't relive it all here in this post for you. If you are so inclined, you may go back and read what I have written in the past. But, I did want let you in on a little bit of what we remember. So, I have made a slide show of some of our favorite and not so favorite pictures. I am certain that some of you will not be able to view this, but I hope that many of you will.
We feel such great joy and thankfulness on this mile stone birthday. A year ago, we were facing 6 more months of chemo and 23 days of radiation. It was a scary time. In some ways, it will always be a scary time as we don't know what the next exam/MRI/blood test will hold. But, God has given us a joy in each day that I don't think we would have been able to have without having lived through all of this. I admit that my soul still feels raw. Maybe that is a good thing. Maybe it needs to stay that way.
Again, we are grateful to everyone who has shared with us in any way. We appreciate you all more than you will ever know.
If you can't view the video embedded here, you can enter this web address in your browser
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MjMl51_E_-U
I hope you all enjoy! We are celebrating life!!
-Kim
"The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you. Do not be afraid, do not be discouraged." Deutoronomy 31:8
As I've been thinking about this blog, lots of things have been streaming through my head. I realized several days ago that I had not read any of my past blogs, so I forced myself to go back and read them all from start to finish (minus this one of course). Needless to say, it was very difficult for me. Many of the things written about in those blogs were hard enough to live through, much less remember. As part of my coping, I haven't let my mind contain anything but the current day, the current moment. But, I realize that now, in order to heal and to go on, I have to let myself remember. I have to look back on what has happened, the pain, the victory, the ways God has moved, and I have to let myself remember all of it.
I won't relive it all here in this post for you. If you are so inclined, you may go back and read what I have written in the past. But, I did want let you in on a little bit of what we remember. So, I have made a slide show of some of our favorite and not so favorite pictures. I am certain that some of you will not be able to view this, but I hope that many of you will.
We feel such great joy and thankfulness on this mile stone birthday. A year ago, we were facing 6 more months of chemo and 23 days of radiation. It was a scary time. In some ways, it will always be a scary time as we don't know what the next exam/MRI/blood test will hold. But, God has given us a joy in each day that I don't think we would have been able to have without having lived through all of this. I admit that my soul still feels raw. Maybe that is a good thing. Maybe it needs to stay that way.
Again, we are grateful to everyone who has shared with us in any way. We appreciate you all more than you will ever know.
If you can't view the video embedded here, you can enter this web address in your browser
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MjMl51_E_-U
I hope you all enjoy! We are celebrating life!!
-Kim
"The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you. Do not be afraid, do not be discouraged." Deutoronomy 31:8
Monday, May 3, 2010
Crazy
Hi There!
Do you ever have those weeks that you just can't seem to find your head? I have been having that feeling lately.
I guess I should start out by saying that David's exam went very well last week. Everything was clear and looking fine, so we are so grateful for that! He was a brave little trooper!
The big kids are in their last full month of school for the year! This makes me excited since I find it very hard to make them go to sleep before the sun even sets. The summer will be a great time for them, and I am looking forward to it too!
Hannah is going to be attending a special magnet school next year to be in the highly gifted program. (I can't remember if I told you all that before or not). Needless to say, we are proud of her and we are also glad that she has the opportunity in this school district to get this kind of teaching!
Isaac was going to be going with Hannah, but he has still continued to struggle a bit in math. We started him in school the day after he turned 5, so some of this may just be an age/maturity issue. But, Rob and I both feel that if he is behind now, he will just continue to be behind. So....we are going to take him out of public school and homeschool him next year. This is an exciting but intimidating proposition for me. I am currently trying to figure out what the best curriculum mix will be to help him be successful. Isaac is a great boy, but we both fear that he is just not built in a way that will succeed in public school. Our plan is to homeschool for one year and then see if he can re-enter public school in the 2nd grade, but we will play that part by ear. I think this will be a great year for Isaac, and David will enjoy having his brother home during the day!
Rob and I are doing alright. We have both had some interesting health issues. Rob has been diagnosed with Irritable Bowel Syndrome. This is a catch all term for - very stressed out stomach :-). I have had some similar bowel issues, heart palpitations, and a spasming muscle in my back. We have both been suffering from insomnia. After several visits by each of us to the doctor, we have been found to likely have our own little versions of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. The doctor thinks that our bodies are likely just reacting to the stress that they have been under for the past 3 years. And, although it is nice to know what is going on with us, it is a very frustrating place to be. The lack of sleep alone makes it hard to cope with simple daily tasks, and likely worsens the other symptoms we've been having. We would both appreciate your prayers for us in this area.
On a brighter note, we are loving the warmer weather! We are loving our house and the lovely neighborhood that we are in. We are especially loving our church and the dear dear friends we've made there! The sunshine has been beautiful, and it is fun to see what flowers will bloom in our yard. In spite of our bodies, we feel blessed to have this life!
We also feel blessed to have all of you! Your caring and prayer has been the lifeline that has kept us going. You are all very precious to our family!
I don't know what is going to happen next. I know David has some appointments in the next few months, but I can't remember when they are. I'll keep you updated!
-Kim
Do you ever have those weeks that you just can't seem to find your head? I have been having that feeling lately.
I guess I should start out by saying that David's exam went very well last week. Everything was clear and looking fine, so we are so grateful for that! He was a brave little trooper!
The big kids are in their last full month of school for the year! This makes me excited since I find it very hard to make them go to sleep before the sun even sets. The summer will be a great time for them, and I am looking forward to it too!
Hannah is going to be attending a special magnet school next year to be in the highly gifted program. (I can't remember if I told you all that before or not). Needless to say, we are proud of her and we are also glad that she has the opportunity in this school district to get this kind of teaching!
Isaac was going to be going with Hannah, but he has still continued to struggle a bit in math. We started him in school the day after he turned 5, so some of this may just be an age/maturity issue. But, Rob and I both feel that if he is behind now, he will just continue to be behind. So....we are going to take him out of public school and homeschool him next year. This is an exciting but intimidating proposition for me. I am currently trying to figure out what the best curriculum mix will be to help him be successful. Isaac is a great boy, but we both fear that he is just not built in a way that will succeed in public school. Our plan is to homeschool for one year and then see if he can re-enter public school in the 2nd grade, but we will play that part by ear. I think this will be a great year for Isaac, and David will enjoy having his brother home during the day!
Rob and I are doing alright. We have both had some interesting health issues. Rob has been diagnosed with Irritable Bowel Syndrome. This is a catch all term for - very stressed out stomach :-). I have had some similar bowel issues, heart palpitations, and a spasming muscle in my back. We have both been suffering from insomnia. After several visits by each of us to the doctor, we have been found to likely have our own little versions of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. The doctor thinks that our bodies are likely just reacting to the stress that they have been under for the past 3 years. And, although it is nice to know what is going on with us, it is a very frustrating place to be. The lack of sleep alone makes it hard to cope with simple daily tasks, and likely worsens the other symptoms we've been having. We would both appreciate your prayers for us in this area.
On a brighter note, we are loving the warmer weather! We are loving our house and the lovely neighborhood that we are in. We are especially loving our church and the dear dear friends we've made there! The sunshine has been beautiful, and it is fun to see what flowers will bloom in our yard. In spite of our bodies, we feel blessed to have this life!
We also feel blessed to have all of you! Your caring and prayer has been the lifeline that has kept us going. You are all very precious to our family!
I don't know what is going to happen next. I know David has some appointments in the next few months, but I can't remember when they are. I'll keep you updated!
-Kim
Friday, April 16, 2010
Exam
Hi! I know it has been awhile since I have updated you all on the goings on.
David is doing really well. It is amazing how he has grown in the past few months. His vocabulary is exploding and he loves to sing songs to us! He has been well for a good long while - not even any colds!
We are all enjoying the warm spring weather and the beautiful flowers! David loves to be outside, and is quite a tough little outdoorsman!
We are taking the little guy back for a routine eye exam on April 30. We are hoping that this can be the last exam that we will have to do under anesthesia as David should start to be able to understand enough to cooperate for an in office exam by the next time we need it.
The big kids are doing really well in school and we are very proud of them!
Rob and I are doing alright. I think that the stress of the past 2.5 years has started to have it's effects on both of us - manifesting itself in irritable bowl syndrome, sleeplessness, indigestion, heart palpitations, and the like. It has been an ordeal for both of us to deal with these physical issues now that the main portion of the stress is over. But, we have found a great doctor who is walking us through these issues, and hopefully we will be able to get back to a healthy state again soon. We would appreciate your prayers on these issues for us, though!
We are looking forward to the summer when the kids are out of school. We are loving our house and our great yard - although we have quite a large poison ivy issue that we are trying to get under control. The yard is going to take a lot of work in order to get it completely usable, but we are loving it anyway! Rob loves being so close to work, and I love the convenience of Clemmons. I am just a couple of miles away from any and everything that I could possibly need. It is such a difference from where we were in Greensboro!
I hope the spring finds you all well!
-Kim
David is doing really well. It is amazing how he has grown in the past few months. His vocabulary is exploding and he loves to sing songs to us! He has been well for a good long while - not even any colds!
We are all enjoying the warm spring weather and the beautiful flowers! David loves to be outside, and is quite a tough little outdoorsman!
We are taking the little guy back for a routine eye exam on April 30. We are hoping that this can be the last exam that we will have to do under anesthesia as David should start to be able to understand enough to cooperate for an in office exam by the next time we need it.
The big kids are doing really well in school and we are very proud of them!
Rob and I are doing alright. I think that the stress of the past 2.5 years has started to have it's effects on both of us - manifesting itself in irritable bowl syndrome, sleeplessness, indigestion, heart palpitations, and the like. It has been an ordeal for both of us to deal with these physical issues now that the main portion of the stress is over. But, we have found a great doctor who is walking us through these issues, and hopefully we will be able to get back to a healthy state again soon. We would appreciate your prayers on these issues for us, though!
We are looking forward to the summer when the kids are out of school. We are loving our house and our great yard - although we have quite a large poison ivy issue that we are trying to get under control. The yard is going to take a lot of work in order to get it completely usable, but we are loving it anyway! Rob loves being so close to work, and I love the convenience of Clemmons. I am just a couple of miles away from any and everything that I could possibly need. It is such a difference from where we were in Greensboro!
I hope the spring finds you all well!
-Kim
Friday, March 5, 2010
Good News!
Hi everyone,
Please excuse this post if it is somewhat disjointed, but I wanted to let you know that we just got home from David's first off chemo MRI.
It was CLEAR!!!
Also his blood tests were clear, so that is great! His counts seem to have recovered very nicely.
It was a very long and tiring day, and my head is so tired.
Tomorrow, we all head up to VA to attend the funeral of my Uncle Mark - my Dad's brother. Although he will be missed, it is a comfort to us to know that he is with the Lord and that he is not in any more pain or discomfort.
Thanks for all the prayers, I'll try to update you a little more soon when I can think better.
-Kim
Thursday, February 18, 2010
One Down and ?????? to go.
Yesterday, I took David for his follow up visit with the Radiation Oncologist. Since our move, each of these trips takes about 4 total hours of driving, so even for the easy visits it is a strain.....I hate driving.
But yesterday was great. We made great time - even got there early. All the nurses and therapists were so happy to see David. They all came in to see him. He was a little overwhelmed in the beginning, but was giving everyone hugs and kisses when we left.
The Rad. Onc. doctor was really pleased with his progress. We don't have to go back to see her again for another year. We will likely have follow up visits with her for many years since some of the potential side effects of radiation tend to show up only after a long time.
Our next big appointment is in a few weeks for the MRI. I am feeling nervous about this one mostly because I know that David is going to have to have an IV placed, and it will be traumatic. But I am taking one day at a time and praying that they will be able to place the IV with extreme speed on that day.
Other things:
Hannah has the opportunity to transfer next year to a school for Gifted Children. The school is just down the street from Baptist Hospital. Rob would be able to drop her off on the way to work, so it would be fairly convenient. There are a lot of variables involved in making the decision, but we have a deadline to apply for her to go there, so we need speedy wisdom. We would appreciate prayer for us as we try to weigh all the variables and make the best decision.
Isaac is continuing to struggle a bit in school. It is not serious at this point, but I am pretty much at a loss as to how to help him. He has huge difficulty in focusing, and thus has not been getting his work at school done on time. Homework time is also quite frustrating - it takes him such a long time that he is beginning to resent it since it cuts into his after school play time so much. I will be having a conference with his teacher sometime soon to get her perspective on things. We would also appreciate your prayers on this issue. Pray that we can figure out what is going on, and that we would be able to come up with some good ways to help Isaac be successful in school.
I'll update again soon!
-Kim
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