Dear friends & family,
I just arrived at the Ronald McDonald house.My appointment is at 1o:15 tomorrow. We hope to be home tomorrow afternoon.Please pray that our appointment goes well. We also have the prayer pager! I will try to update my blog soon as possible.
love,
Julia!
Sunday, March 29, 2009
Thursday, March 26, 2009
Julia's GREAT NEWS!!
3/26/09
Dear friends & family,
I have got some GREAT news! Today is Thursday, and we will be going to Atlanta on Sunday, but...we got a call from the hospital today. They said that I was not having a bone marrow aspirate on Monday, because I already have less than 5% (leukemia cells) in my body (bone marrow sample). And they also changed the appointment from 12:30 to 10:15. We will only be doing blood draws and medicine through the port.
Love,
Julia
PRAISE THE LORD!!! This is the first step of becoming classified as a rapid responder!! Her next bone marrow aspiration will be on day 29, then we will hear results 7 days after. Those results will determine whether she is a rapid responder!! Thanks again for all of your prayers and we will keep you up to date.
Love,
Sharon & Jeff
Dear friends & family,
I have got some GREAT news! Today is Thursday, and we will be going to Atlanta on Sunday, but...we got a call from the hospital today. They said that I was not having a bone marrow aspirate on Monday, because I already have less than 5% (leukemia cells) in my body (bone marrow sample). And they also changed the appointment from 12:30 to 10:15. We will only be doing blood draws and medicine through the port.
Love,
Julia
PRAISE THE LORD!!! This is the first step of becoming classified as a rapid responder!! Her next bone marrow aspiration will be on day 29, then we will hear results 7 days after. Those results will determine whether she is a rapid responder!! Thanks again for all of your prayers and we will keep you up to date.
Love,
Sharon & Jeff
Monday, March 23, 2009
Julia's in Thomasville for 6 days!!
Dear friends & family,
I would have e-mailed you sooner, but I didn't have very much time. I was going to e-mail you right when I got home, but we were way too busy, so I will now. When we got home today, there was a package at our door...it was a prayer pager!! So now whenever you pray for me & you are near a phone, please call my pager. My pager number is : 504-0071. You do not have to call it. I thought it would just be interesting. Today our trip was a lot better than the first time. Thank you for following my blog, and you may all keep doing so.
Love your friend,
Julia
The words above are Julia's own words. Thanks to everyone again for all your prayers. I believe prayers helped her on her ride home today. They did another bone marrow aspirate and put medicine in her spine this morning while she was under conscious sedation and gaver her another treatment thru her port. Jeff & I were in the room with her the whole time. Some of her blood levels had dropped as I think they expected, but none seemed to bother the doctor. She will have another appointment next Monday, and we will find out later this week whether or not she will have another bone marrow aspiration. They told us that most children have to have this next bone marrow test, but some do not. It all depends on the percentage of leukemia cells seen in the marrow. We were so proud of her, she handled today so easily. She's been on somewhat of a high ever since she came out of sedation and has been very jabbery. I'm not sure if it's drug related or not but it's brought a lot of smiles to our faces. Thanks again to everyone!!
Love,
Sharon & Jeff
I would have e-mailed you sooner, but I didn't have very much time. I was going to e-mail you right when I got home, but we were way too busy, so I will now. When we got home today, there was a package at our door...it was a prayer pager!! So now whenever you pray for me & you are near a phone, please call my pager. My pager number is : 504-0071. You do not have to call it. I thought it would just be interesting. Today our trip was a lot better than the first time. Thank you for following my blog, and you may all keep doing so.
Love your friend,
Julia
The words above are Julia's own words. Thanks to everyone again for all your prayers. I believe prayers helped her on her ride home today. They did another bone marrow aspirate and put medicine in her spine this morning while she was under conscious sedation and gaver her another treatment thru her port. Jeff & I were in the room with her the whole time. Some of her blood levels had dropped as I think they expected, but none seemed to bother the doctor. She will have another appointment next Monday, and we will find out later this week whether or not she will have another bone marrow aspiration. They told us that most children have to have this next bone marrow test, but some do not. It all depends on the percentage of leukemia cells seen in the marrow. We were so proud of her, she handled today so easily. She's been on somewhat of a high ever since she came out of sedation and has been very jabbery. I'm not sure if it's drug related or not but it's brought a lot of smiles to our faces. Thanks again to everyone!!
Love,
Sharon & Jeff
Saturday, March 21, 2009
From Julia herself
March 21, 2009
Thank you for all of your prayers and I am doing quite well if I should say so myself.Feel free to e-mail me at my blogspot if you please.Thanks!
Love,
Julia
Thank you so much for all your prayers & support. We have been so touched by everyone's outpouring of love. We could definitely feel it while we were in Atlanta. We have been so glad to sleep in our own beds for a couple of nights. There's no place like home!!! We will be leaving tomorrow (Sunday) afternoon to head back to Atlanta. Julia has an appointment Monday morning at 8:00. They will be re checking her blood, bone marrow, and giving her more treatment at that appointment. If everything goes well at that appointment, we should be coming home that afternoon. Please pray for her blood counts to be good and for her to have a comfortable ride home. She was very uncomfortable coming home on Thursday, so we will talk to the doctors about that. We also want to pray for Julia to be a "rapid responder" with her chemo treatment. Julia has had a good week end at home, and we are so thankful for that. Again, thank you all for your support. We have never felt so loved.
Love,
Sharon & Jeff
John 11:4
Thank you for all of your prayers and I am doing quite well if I should say so myself.Feel free to e-mail me at my blogspot if you please.Thanks!
Love,
Julia
Thank you so much for all your prayers & support. We have been so touched by everyone's outpouring of love. We could definitely feel it while we were in Atlanta. We have been so glad to sleep in our own beds for a couple of nights. There's no place like home!!! We will be leaving tomorrow (Sunday) afternoon to head back to Atlanta. Julia has an appointment Monday morning at 8:00. They will be re checking her blood, bone marrow, and giving her more treatment at that appointment. If everything goes well at that appointment, we should be coming home that afternoon. Please pray for her blood counts to be good and for her to have a comfortable ride home. She was very uncomfortable coming home on Thursday, so we will talk to the doctors about that. We also want to pray for Julia to be a "rapid responder" with her chemo treatment. Julia has had a good week end at home, and we are so thankful for that. Again, thank you all for your support. We have never felt so loved.
Love,
Sharon & Jeff
John 11:4
Thursday, March 19, 2009
Julia was able to come home today for a couple of days! She was tolerating the chemo treatments well, so the doctors allowed her to come home for a couple of days! They will have to head back up on Sunday but I know Sharon, Jeff, and Julia must be so thankful to get to sleep in their own beds tonight! Please pray for them to get the rest they need while they are home. Thank you all for your continued prayers of support! We know that God has shared his grace and mercy with us over the last few days and has allowed Julia's body to accept the chemo well. We give God the honor and glory! We will post again tomorrow!
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
Wednesday, March 18, 2009 a.m. Julia is having pain with her port and with her hip where they took the bone marrow. She has been experiencing pain since Monday with the port which was to be expected. We are so thankful for all of the gifts, flowers, cards, balloons, emails and phone calls.
Wednesday March 18, 2009 approximately 3:00 p.m. Julia's doctors, after checking her out again, told us that they might allow Julia to come home tomorrow instead of Friday as previously thought. The doctors are encouraged by how she is responding to her treatment so this is very encouraging and wonderful news. We are all so very excited and thankful to God for his attention to the prayers that have been offered up. Thanks so much to all of you for your kind gifts, your emails, your phone calls, but most of all for praying to a God who is able. They will check Julia out again tomorrow and if she still appears to be doing well, then they will let her come home tomorrow. She will have to go back for treatments but we know they would enjoy a couple of days at home.
Wednesday March 18, 2009 approximately 3:00 p.m. Julia's doctors, after checking her out again, told us that they might allow Julia to come home tomorrow instead of Friday as previously thought. The doctors are encouraged by how she is responding to her treatment so this is very encouraging and wonderful news. We are all so very excited and thankful to God for his attention to the prayers that have been offered up. Thanks so much to all of you for your kind gifts, your emails, your phone calls, but most of all for praying to a God who is able. They will check Julia out again tomorrow and if she still appears to be doing well, then they will let her come home tomorrow. She will have to go back for treatments but we know they would enjoy a couple of days at home.
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
I ,(Melissa) talked with Sharon today and they seem to be holding up OK...considering. I am posting for now..... until Sharon or Jeff get to a point where they can take over. They are both overwhelmed with the schedule and the information that they are trying to consume at this time. She, Jeff and Julia are checking the site for your comments and I know that it means a great deal to them at this time! Thank you to each and everyone of you who are praying and offering your support!
We found out a little more today about the chemo treatments that Julia will be receiving this next 29 days. Sharon says... that this is the induction phase of the treatments. The Dr's are not talking much about what is beyond the next 29 days for now. Pray for Julia's little body to heal around the port area. They put the port for some of the chemo under her collar bone on her shoulder and you can imagine that this has been very disconcerting for an 8 year old, and it is very painful right now. Julia is having a hard time getting in and out of the bed and moving around in general. I know she must be sore from the bone marrow extraction and the spinal tap too but her discomfort is in the port area right now. So please pray for rapid healing in that area.
I found out today from Sharon that the results did show that the leukemia was in the bone marrow. However, they still send it off and examine it more closely for more detailed results and they will be getting those over the next couple of weeks. They also will be doing another spinal tap and bone marrow extraction on the 8th and 29th day of treatment according to Sharon's chart. So those results will continue to come in this month and will tell us if Julia is a rapid responder (which is what we need to pray for) or a slow responder...this is in response to the chemo treatments.
They began the chemo treatments yesterday during the surgery. Monday was Day 1. Apparently when they do the spinal tap they also give her a chemo treatment into the spinal chord. They do not think there are any leukemia cells in the spinal fluid at this time.... but if they do not treat that area then the leukemia could show up there later. Julia also received a chemo treatment through the port site last night.
So they will be treating the blood, the bone marrow and the spinal fluid (as I understand it).There are several methods of chemo treatments and a complicated schedule, Sharon and Jeff have alot to keep up with at this time.....I will try and list the schedule below for prayer purposes on the specific days...
Day 1, 8, 15, 22...they give her chemo through the port...(only a few cc's)
Day 4 or 5... she receives a chemo shot
Day 8, 29...another spinal tap and bone marrow extraction (chemo injection into spinal chord)
Days 1 - 28 ... steroid pills 2 X's a day for the 28 days (causes hunger and bloating)
I asked Sharon if the Dr's think she will get nauseous during this phase of the chemo, but they told them that pediatric patients usually do not have the nausea (they can ...but not usually) during the first 30 days. We will pray and claim that!
I am sorry if this is confusing...it is alot of information to share. Some of this may change as they go along but this is what the schedule is on Sharon's chart for now.
On a positive note.... Julia had a fairy godmother from Ireland come to visit her today in the hospital. (In honor of St. Patrick's day) and they had a couple of other visitors as well. I know that cheered her up some or at least got her mind of off things for a little while.
Please continue to pray for God's healing, a rapid response to the chemo, healing for the port site,.... peace, rest and strength for Sharon, Jeff and Julia.....a hedge of protection from other germs around all those that are with and around Julia..... the Doctors to have clarity of thought and good direction.
Your prayers are precious to us and much appreciated! Thank you every one!
We found out a little more today about the chemo treatments that Julia will be receiving this next 29 days. Sharon says... that this is the induction phase of the treatments. The Dr's are not talking much about what is beyond the next 29 days for now. Pray for Julia's little body to heal around the port area. They put the port for some of the chemo under her collar bone on her shoulder and you can imagine that this has been very disconcerting for an 8 year old, and it is very painful right now. Julia is having a hard time getting in and out of the bed and moving around in general. I know she must be sore from the bone marrow extraction and the spinal tap too but her discomfort is in the port area right now. So please pray for rapid healing in that area.
I found out today from Sharon that the results did show that the leukemia was in the bone marrow. However, they still send it off and examine it more closely for more detailed results and they will be getting those over the next couple of weeks. They also will be doing another spinal tap and bone marrow extraction on the 8th and 29th day of treatment according to Sharon's chart. So those results will continue to come in this month and will tell us if Julia is a rapid responder (which is what we need to pray for) or a slow responder...this is in response to the chemo treatments.
They began the chemo treatments yesterday during the surgery. Monday was Day 1. Apparently when they do the spinal tap they also give her a chemo treatment into the spinal chord. They do not think there are any leukemia cells in the spinal fluid at this time.... but if they do not treat that area then the leukemia could show up there later. Julia also received a chemo treatment through the port site last night.
So they will be treating the blood, the bone marrow and the spinal fluid (as I understand it).There are several methods of chemo treatments and a complicated schedule, Sharon and Jeff have alot to keep up with at this time.....I will try and list the schedule below for prayer purposes on the specific days...
Day 1, 8, 15, 22...they give her chemo through the port...(only a few cc's)
Day 4 or 5... she receives a chemo shot
Day 8, 29...another spinal tap and bone marrow extraction (chemo injection into spinal chord)
Days 1 - 28 ... steroid pills 2 X's a day for the 28 days (causes hunger and bloating)
I asked Sharon if the Dr's think she will get nauseous during this phase of the chemo, but they told them that pediatric patients usually do not have the nausea (they can ...but not usually) during the first 30 days. We will pray and claim that!
I am sorry if this is confusing...it is alot of information to share. Some of this may change as they go along but this is what the schedule is on Sharon's chart for now.
On a positive note.... Julia had a fairy godmother from Ireland come to visit her today in the hospital. (In honor of St. Patrick's day) and they had a couple of other visitors as well. I know that cheered her up some or at least got her mind of off things for a little while.
Please continue to pray for God's healing, a rapid response to the chemo, healing for the port site,.... peace, rest and strength for Sharon, Jeff and Julia.....a hedge of protection from other germs around all those that are with and around Julia..... the Doctors to have clarity of thought and good direction.
Your prayers are precious to us and much appreciated! Thank you every one!
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