December 31, 2011

Happy New Years facebook friends and family! May the new year bring you happiness, opportunities, love, peace, and most of all health.

Last day of 2011! What a year!!!! Whewww, to tell you the truth; glad it's almost over.  There are just some things we won't miss from 2011.

As I sit here and reminisce the whole year gone by I have to say that it was one of the hardest years that our family has gone through.  BIG SIGH! If someone would had told me last New Years Eve that our family would be tried in ways anyone could ever fathom, I would have responded "you are crazy".  We were more focused last year on what to wear for our New Years Eve celebration. Wow, so different from today.

2011 had celebrations, accomplishments, new beginnings, heartaches, devastation, renewed faith in God, happiness, life lessons, strength, frustrations, and hope.  All of the events that have transpired during the year have made us stronger individuals and a closer family and showed us what really is important in life.

So thankful for the friends we've made along this journey this year.  Family and  friends you all have been amazing on all the support we have received from all of you.  We TRULY could not have done all this without you.  THANK YOU!!!! TO EACH ONE OF YOU from the bottom of our hearts.

Thank you all for believing in us.  It was hard to go against traditional medicine and against doctor's advice and follow what we believe is the right path and treatment for Kassidy.  We appreciate all of your support throughout this.  God showed us and gave us a way to be able to follow this antineoplaston method of treatment for Kass to allow for her to have a "good quality of life" while going thru treatment and hopefully after tumor is gone. This has always been our number one priority.  We want to give her a chance at a full life.

So we into 2012 as our year of HOPE!  I hope you keep fighting along with us and pray that the treatment keeps working.

This last week, the clinic called and informed that Kassidy's Alkaline Phosphatase (ALP) or liver enzymes were high on her blood test.  This could mean more tumor breakdown or just a growth spurt.  I would love to think it's more breakdown, we think she's tall enough already. :)  I guess we'll find out the week of January 17th when her next MRI appointment is.  We are keeping a close eye on that level of liver enzymes because if it goes 4 times the normal limit she will have to go off treatment to give her liver a break. So far it's only twice the normal amount so we continue with the treatment. Bottom line, we think good things are happening for her, just have to be patient.

Also, Ryan and I would love to have you guys help us with Kassidy's Make a Wish and also help other children with other life threatening diseases.  We have made up a Kassidy's Army team for  February 4th Make a Wish 5K run & 1 Mile FUN walk at Town Square.  We would love to support such a great cause and also represent as Kassidy's Army.  Please join our TEAM!!! Here is the link to register: http://www.RunForAWish.com/

Kassidy's New Year's resolution:
                                                    Getting rid of this tumor!

         Celebrating Kass for 2011

New Years Eve 2010

February 2011

March 2011

March 2011

April 2011

May 2011

June 2011

July 2011

August 2011

September 2011

October 2011

November 2011

December 2011

December 25, 2011

Just wanted to wish you ALL a Very Merry Christmas!!!!  We are having a wonderful time enjoying our whole family time together.  We are blessed this Christmas that Kass has been feeling pretty good.  She's been able to attend the Maaco Bowl Game with us, gone Xmas shopping with her brother, gone to Opportunity Village with her friends, and even gone on her first sleepover since her diagnosis at her club softball team Xmas party.  God has blessed us!

All Boised out for the Maaco Bowl.

Go Broncos!

We are extremely grateful to God that he has allowed for Kass to enjoy her Christmas break.  Especially when Easton and Bishop (kids with same diagnosis as Kass) are spending their Christmas in the hospital.  :(  Our prayers are with them!  We pray and hope for strength, healing, and that they keep the faith.

About a week ago we had the chance to go get our Christmas pictures done.  We usually do them ourselves, but we wanted something that would last forever and at the same time fun.  Our friends the Lowerys suggested Trish and Jared McMillen from Studio ATG.  What a GREAT time we had!  It was exactly what we needed, a casual, hillarious time.  These days we try to surround ourselves with positive energy.

MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE!!!

December 15, 2011

We are so excited this week that Kass was able to go back to school on Tuesday, just in time for ugly sweater day and her bowling match against Cimarron HS.   The sweater she got from my closet.  Shoot!!!  I've been keeping that sweater knowing that it's gonna come back in style. LOL!

She missed going to school Thursday, Friday and even Monday of this last week.  She had been battling headaches and nausea. :( At the beginning of the week we felt it was a flu bug and our doctor had told us that it was going around and that the bug seemed to start with a headache, but by Monday I wasn't so sure anymore.

Kass strutting her stuff on ugly sweater day.

While talking to another cancer mom on Monday, she said that she would give her son a small dose of decadron for a day and then wean him off the next day.  So, when I got the daily call from the clinic I asked if we could do something like this with Kass and they suggested I give her a small 1/2 mg in the morning and night and just 1/2 the next morning, just to help with the swelling in the brain which was most likely the culprit. She felt so much better the next day!! Gosh that steroid is just a necessary evil sometimes; at least she doesn't have to be on it long term, the natural anti-inflammatories I'm giving her seem to work most of the time.  They are definitely not as strong as decadron, but are keeping her away from long-term use of decadron and it's ugly side effects.  We pray that all this is showing tumor breakdown!  Which today I set the appointment for the next MRI on January 17.  Please, please, please God heal my baby!!!

On Saturday, we had such a great time at Sam's Club on Centennial selling Bulldawopoly and wrapping gifts for donations.  People were in great moods and always such a fun time with the great volunteers.  Which by the way we will be there again this Saturday from 11am till 3pm.  So come and get your Bulldawgopoly game for Christmas and your gifts wrapped!!!   We are so blessed that so many businesses have been so supportive throughout this ordeal.

The only problem we've had was with Cold Stone Creamery on North Durango Drive in the Kohl's shopping center.  One of our friends spoke to the manager and he verbally approved a fundraiser for Kass which was held the night of the Centennial Homecoming Game.  There was a pretty good attendance of our friends, family and Centennial students, but when it was time for us to pick up a check the owner told our friend who setup the fundraiser that it had NOT been approved through him first so he was not going to pay.  WOW!!!  We were so shocked and disappointed, especially since it used to be one of our favorite places for ice cream.  So many people even came to support Kass that night despite of the craziness of Homecoming.  Oh well karma is always around the corner.

We are so happy to have Kyle home from college for a month, he came home Wednesday early afternoon.  He was scheduled to come home Friday, but he finished his exams early and just wanted to be home.  He finished his semester with all A's, we are so proud of all his accomplishments.  We changed his plane ticket and here he is with a smile and great stories. He's such a breath of fresh air here at the house.  What a beautiful feeling it is to have all of my children under one roof just in time for Christmas.

December 8, 2011

Christmas is around the corner and it's been so hard getting in the Christmas mood this year.  We have nothing up, and usually by this time our house is completely decorated, lights are up and most shopping done.  So we decided to take part in Las Vegas Great Santa run/walk this year.  This fun run/walk is held the first Saturday of every December and it's held to try to break the World Record for the most Santas in one place.  I guess Ireland always beat us, but we wanted to help the Opportunity Village cause and bring in some Christmas spirit into our lives.  Nothing better than getting you in the Christmas mood than being around thousands of santas and happy people.

The gang at the Las Vegas Great Santa Run

We've had a pretty good last week since Kassidy's hemoglobin was a bit higher last Wednesday and she had been feeling better.  The day of the walk it was freezing so Kass decided to wear Ryan's big thick bulky Santa suit, it looked so cute on her and it kept her warm.  We met up with the Phillips, Heinz, Lopez family and our friend Paula and walked the mile walk. It took us a bit, but we all had a great time.  It definitely brought some joy into our lives.  What a fun event!

Kass was so tired after the walk.

On Tuesday, Kass called me from the nurses office and said she was not feeling well, she felt nauseous and the nurse said she looked flushed.  She didn't want to come home since later she had a bowling match and if she came home she could not participate.  My goodness this kid is stubborn!  She's just like her dad.  SHHHHH!!! So I told the nurse to please let her rest and sleep for awhile and to call me to see how she felt in an hour.  After 45 minutes she said she felt much better and her nausea had passed and went back to finish her day of school.  She's my tough fighter!  Her strength is amazing.

This week we have also had pretty good hemoglobin reading so we hope these drops levels of hemoglobins are issues of the past.  Hoping!  Starting next week I will only need to draw Kassidy's blood twice a week instead of three times a week.  We are happy about that.  I think it will help her hemoglobin levels as well.  The clinic has added iron supplements and vitamin C to help her body absorb iron better.  These seem to be helping some, plus I am cooking iron rich foods like crazy.

Today she stayed home because she had a little bit of a headache.  NO!!!!!! This always scares us  because it can be swelling of the brain from breakdown of the tumor.  But my gut tells me she's just fighting a little bug.  It is going around at school.  We are very fortunate that thus far she's been pretty healthy.  She's had bowling three times this week and after every match she comes homes and passes out, so I believe she does need some rest as well.  I didn't mind spending the whole day with her.  Most of our morning was spent cuddling in my big bed.  I'd say it was a great way to spend mother's day.  Today is mother's day in Panama.  Happy Mother's Day to all my paisan friends and family!

I do ask a favor to please keep two boys in your prayers as well.

Gage is a boy we met in Houston at the Burzynski clinic, he started treatment at the same time as Kass. Gage is 8 years old and has been fighting since he was 2 years old.   His tumor from his spine has disappeared, but he's had more tumor growth in his brain and the doctors are baffled because his labs are showing tumor breakdown.  Gage needs your prayers to guide his parents and doctors on what the next step is for Gage.  This sweet boy has had a long battle and I believe it's his turn for a miracle.

Gage's blog: http://www.carepages.com/carepages/rockshelterdeliverer/updates/3189981?client_code=tch&ipc=mur

Also, around Halloween time I got a call from a frantic mother asking what kind of treatment Kassidy was on.  This boy Jaxon is 10 years old and from here in Las Vegas and in February they found a brain tumor and he had surgery, chemo and radiation and again the tumor was back.  I could feel his mother's anguish, that feeling of despair we've felt before when we first found our the devastating news about Kassidy.  I shared all my knowledge with her and she said that it was funny how the Burzynski Clinic kept coming to mind and that she knew that that's where she needed to take Jaxon.  Well, they started treatment last Monday, but another MRI & Pet Scan were done when they arrived and tumor has grown again since his surgery this November 3rd.  That's a little over a month!  Please, this boy not only needs your prayers, but your monetary help.  His parents are devastated and they need a healing miracle as well.

Jaxon's website: http://strengthforjaxon.com/

Jaxon's facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/StrengthforJaxon?sk=wall