Pray For Sam

Do you guys remember Sam? Well, Sam had neuroblastoma as a baby and has been stable for the past 2 years. He is now somewhere around 4 years old and in his recent scans they noticed the stable spot has grown. He is scheduled for surgery tomorrow morning with a recovery of 2-3 days. Please pray the surgery goes smoothly and what they remove is NOT cancerous.

Here is what Casie his mom put up on their Facebook page Sams' Fans...

Sam is having surgery tomorrow to remove the spot on his kidney. Surgery is scheduled for 9:30 and he will be admitted for 2-3 days after. Please pray for a smooth and uneventful surgery and recovery, and that the biopsy will come back totally, unequivocally, definitively clean.

1 Samuel 12:16 ESV
Now therefore stand still and see this great thing that the Lord will do before your eyes.

Thank you for your prayers!
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Prayer Request

One of our blogging friends is in need of prayer. Lisa, Never Forsaken from My Hearts Home, has found out she has breast cancer and will be having a double mastectomy next week, December 26. Please pray for Lisa that the surgeon will remove all of the cancerous tissue, for a quick recovery and knowledge about the nature of this type of cancer. Please also pray for Lisa's family and friends as this news doesn't just affect Lisa and her husband Jeff, but her children, grandchildren and her family and friends.

Lisa has let us know that the cancer has not spread and is contained in the breast tissue. Praise GOD! Here is the comment Lisa left on her blog post Surgery Next Week!

A thousand thank you's are not enough to express my heartful of gratitude to my dear friends who are praying, and sharing scripture with me!
Brenda, those scriptures are only confirmation of what the Lord has been telling me since day one of this!
I have to Praise Jesus today....My x-ray and bloodwork came back...everything is normal including liver function and clear chest...This is big since this cancer usually goes after the liver...and into the chest wall!
I was so worried about that because I saw my chest x-ray and thought I saw spots on it (when I had it done)...and so I called the doctor today and they checked everything for me. This has eased my mind, and I am ready to go forward again!
Jesus still has me safe in His embrace...sometimes He carries me.
Blessings & Love!
I will keep you updated..here in the comments section.
I promise I won't make this blog all about cancer...It is all about Jesus and me!

Romans 12:12 ESV
Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer.

Thank you for your faithful prayers.

Praying and praying,
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Success!!

Thank you all for your prayers. Amy's surgery was a success!! Here is what Etta wrote on her Facebook page this morning.

Good morning everyone, I am sure you all know by now that Amy's surgery was a SUCCESS!!! She is alert and awake and she said she feels good. 80% of "Stanley" is gone, the other 20% was too risky to take out, too close to the nerves that control breathing and swallowing. But she is going to be in the hospital for 3 days and will then come home!!! THANK YOU JESUS & THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR PRAYERS!!

There is only a small bit of the tumor left, please pray that Father will remove this completely and that Amy will be cancer free.

Psalm 86:5 NLT
O Lord, you are so good, so ready to forgive, so full of unfailing love for all who ask for your help. 

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Wayne, Sam, Emily, Amy & Scarlett

Wayne:

Here is an update from Chelle about Wayne:

December 13th we were in for a one month checkup with the medical oncologist, Wayne mentioned about his back hurting so bad.  She immediately ordered an MRI that was done just over an hour later.  About 2 hours later the radiology oncologist telephoned to say the

cancer has spread into the spine.  We met with her the next morning to discuss plans to have 10 radiation treatments to help relieve the pain.  Just in the last few days the pain has gone into his right leg making it difficult to walk.  He will have a full body CT scan tomorrow and get the results on Monday the 24th.

Though we are surprised by all of this....GOD is not!  No matter what, we know GOD is in control and our faith and trust in HIM does not waver.

We know it has been your prayers going up to the LORD that has sustained us as we continue by faith to believe for Wayne's complete healing and for GOD to be glorified!!

Please continue to pray for Wayne and these scan results, thanks!!

Sam:

Scans are STABLE!! I know Cassie was hoping and praying for clear but stable is good!! Thank You Father!!

Emily:

Below, taken directly from Emily's blog: Emily had scans this week and they have come back showing new growth. :(

I can't remember what we were saying but I think it had something to do with the platelets and Dr. Sholler was standing there, and said "Well there is progression."  WHAT? WTF you have to be kidding me?  Im sorry you said what?  She indicated she has some more spots in her spine and some on her head.  Im sorry I can't be technical here and tell you were because this honestly wasn't the news we were expecting to hear.  We didn't want to look at the scans, and didn't even look at the report, because once again like 2 years ago everything seemed blurry again.  Tears began to flow and everything around us just seemed to stop. 

Emily has true progression these are spots that she has never had before.  I know that Dr. Sholler said they are only in the bone, so no soft tissue just cortical bone. She has been taken off the CH14.18 trial so no more inpatient at this time and all medicines such as GM-CSF and accutane have been stopped. Its not working because the disease is spreading. IT'S NOT WORKING DAMN IT.  We really thought the damn antibodies would clear us, what happened.  How?  Why?  

Today Emily is having a bone marrow test, please keep praying for her and seeking no cancer. Pray for the family as this has been 2 years of torture and to hear this news when they had such good hopes that all was well, well that just totally stinks. Thanks!

Amy:

Having brain surgery January 17 2013. Pray the surgeon removes all traces of cancer growth and Amy comes through this surgery without any issues at all. Thanks  So the doctor changed the surgery date to Jan 30th and set up our pre admission meeting for a week before on Jan 23rd. Im in the process of getting the MRI for that day also. I hope they can give me that day.

Scarlett:

Having surgery #14! Today, a port is placed in, pray for success and quick recovery. Chemo starts 2nd week of January.

Pathology results are not back yet but the doctors have good hope that the cells that are there were changed from the previous cancer.
Below taken from Scarlett's blog....

The doctors are expecting to see somewhat good news from this pathology - that the tumor cells have been altered in a way that makes it much less destructive, and easier to control.  Less likely would be an equally aggressive tumor as the original, which would be much more difficult to manage.  Worst case scenario, which no one expects based on the behavior we have seen over the last few months' MRI, would be the pathology shows this to be an even more aggressive version that would be nearly impossible to eradicate; treatment would be of little or no use.  

Pray there will be good outcomes for treatment. Thanks!!

Ephesians 3:14-19 NASB 

For this reason I bow my knees before the Father,

from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name,

that He would grant you,

according to the riches of His glory,

to be strengthened with power through His Spirit in the inner man,

so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith;

and that you, being rooted and grounded in love,

may be able to comprehend with all the saints

what is the breadth and length and height and depth,

and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge,

that you may be filled up to all the fullness of God.

Rejoicing and praying,

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Please Pray For Scarlett UPDATED

Scarlett is having brain surgery today. Here is what her mom had to say... UPDATED


The entire growth was removed, including some of the adjoining tissue that might harbor rogue cells.

The pathologist looked at a sample.  The initial impression is that we are again looking at glioblastoma multiforme (GBM).  Official diagnosis results will come in the next few days, but it is definitely some kind of tumor.  I have some particularly colorful words I could add here, but I'll keep it PG-rated for now.  

While they had her opened up, they used a mesh to help repair some of the unhealed soft spots on her skull.  This will hopefully help them heal stronger.

They expect her to be ready to go home Sunday or Monday.  

Her doctors at LPCH at Stanford are being informed, as well as samples sent soon to start developing their plan.  Her case will also be presented this Friday to a doctor we met at the Pablove conference in LA last month, who consults at Children's Oakland.  Basically, everyone is on it, and we should have a plan (or likely, a choice of plans...) soon.



Scarlett was taken into surgery around 9:30 am PST.  It's nearly 11, and we have not yet heard that the actual surgery has begun - they are still preparing, setting IVs and breathing tubes, etc.  The OR nurse will call us soon.

The neurosurgery team took on a very short case before Scarlett's, so we were delayed a bit.  It made for a very long morning, but everything went according to plan.

We signed consent for "brain tumor resection."  Seeing that instead of biopsy was a bit jarring - we've been avoiding the idea of a new tumor as much as we could, but I guess the doctors aren't.

The only question I had for the surgeon this morning was how much change was evident on yesterday's MRI compared to the last imaging in October.  He said very little, if any change.  This gives me a bit of hope - still very slow growing.  His words: "We're just going to get it out of there."  I can get on board with that.

Isaiah 26:3 KJV

Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace,

whose mind is stayed on thee:

because he trusteth in thee.

Father, Holy, Holy, Holy are You! Father, thank you for surgeons and hospitals, You are so good!! Lord, be with dear, sweet Scarlett and guide the surgeons hands as he preforms this surgery. Jesus, please place Your hands on the surgeons hands and remove this tumor completely from Scarlett's brain. Breathe Your life giving breath into Scarlett and reverse any damage done to her brain. Soak Scarlett in Your blood Lord, give her a blood transfusion! I bind cancer in the name of Jesus. Cancer be bound with chains that cannot be broken in Jesus' name. I cast you into the sulfurous pit and command you to not bother Scarlett again in the name of Jesus. Cancer, lose the power over Scarlett in the name of Jesus. 

Thank You Jesus for what You are going to do in Scarlett's life. Amen!

Praying and praying for you Scarlett.

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She Will Live!

Adorable Scarlett will be going in for surgery next week. Please keep her in your prayers. Here is what her mom said...

Scarlett is scheduled for surgery next week, on Wednesday, 12/12/12.  Hopefully, her neurosurgeon will be able to remove the entire mystery spot, and we will get some answers on what we are dealing with here.  They expect her to be in the hospital for 3-5 days, depending on how her body handles it all.She will have a "stealth" MRI the day before to map out the surgical zone.  He may or may not deal with some of the cranial bones that are not healing properly.

 Psalm 118:17 NASB

I will not die, but live,

And tell of the works of the LORD.

Praying and praying for you sweet Scarlett! 

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