Central Line Removed!!

Christen had the central removed yesterday at UVa and was able to come home yesterday evening. We are all so happy for her since it was the last remaining vestige of the chemotherapy treatment that she endured this year and having it removed is another significant step for her toward returning to some semblance of normalcy. Of course things will never be completely the same for her as they were before, and in some significant senses that is a good thing, but she is very happy to be able to get back to "normal" life without a central line, etc.

In terms of the suspected line infection, it turned out that she did have a minor infection on the outside of the line which caused the tenderness. Thankfully the infection was not inside the line which would have been a much more serious thing which would have resulted in her staying in the hospital for a week to 10 days on powerful antibiotics. We are so thankful to God that was not the case.

Thanks to you all for the prayers and support. People tell us on a regular basis how much they pray for all of us and I can tell you for certain that God has been answering those prayers. How could we ever have made it without His strengthing hand? His grace towards us undeserving sinners has truly been amazing. Love like that can only be supernatural.

Steve & Debbie for the family

In Hospital

Please pray for Christen as she had to go back to UVa Saturday afternoon because of a possible infection in her central line. She is actually feeling fine, but because of the chance of a serious infection developing she has to stay in the hospital for 48 hours while they wait for the blood culture test results. Actually, the whole thing may likely turn into a blessing in disguise because they are talking about taking the line out on Monday, which she would love. We asked her recently what she wanted for Christmas, and the only answer we got out of her was "I want my central line out." Nothing else. She has been so good about not complaining about it, but it really is a terrible nuisance for her. The progress of taking a shower is about 10 times more complicated because of it, for instance. I'm sure that got old for her a long time ago.

We are expecting her to be able to come home on Tuesday.

Thanks!
Steve & Debbie

CT Final Report

Good news! Yesterday evening we received word from UVa on the CT results. The nodule on Christen's lung has not changed in size, and while they can't say for sure that it isn't a metastasis, they did say it doesn't have the appearance of being one and that it could be scar tissue or a collapsed air sack. The central line will be left in at least until the next scans are all done in January--full body bone scan, chest CT (again!), and leg x-rays. The platelet count is still only about half of what the lowest normal level would be, although it is increasing by small increments.

We are rejoicing in God's goodness to us, though undeserved, that we can anticipate spending the holidays together at home. It is a very big gift!

Steve & Debbie

CT Scan Result

Thanks for all the prayers for Christen's CT scan today. The initial report is that the nodule in the upper portion of her left lung has remained the same size. That is good news. We are thankful to God for this report. We should get the final report Tuesday of next week. Because her counts are still coming up slowly they will probably leave the central line in a little while longer. She would love to have it out, but seems content with the situation.

Christen and Debbie were able to visit many of their friends at UVa today. They had an enjoyable time reconnecting with many of the staff who graciously provided her care during this difficult year. We have been very blessed to receive such excellent care. Christen's hair is growing back nicely. She looks very beautiful.

Steve & Debbie

Update on Christen

It has been a while since we have posted so we wanted to give an update. Christen is still struggling with low counts. She had a bone marrow aspiration last week and the initial results came back fine. We are so thankful for that. However, she still tires very easily. This is likely caused by the low blood counts so we are hoping and praying that will change soon. Otherwise she is doing very well, and the whole family is enjoying being together again. We are returning to just dealing with all the "normal" issues of life for the most part, with the exception of a test here and there, and the worry about her counts. The next significant event for Christen will be chest CT on December 3rd. Please pray that the spot on her upper left lung will not have grown, and indeed that it will have disappeared.

Christen also just celebrated her 16th birthday this past Sunday. We feel very grateful to God for giving her another birthday. Each one is a gift. God used cancer to help us see that in a new way. She enjoyed the weekend also because she was able to attend a Harvest Ball Dance held at our church. We hope to publish pictures of the event soon.

Thank you for the continued prayer and encouragement. God has used all of you!

Steve & Debbie for the family.

We are Home!!!

Sorry for the delay in posting. We did make it home safely on Friday, and had a very nice relaxing weekend. Please pray for Christen as she works at returning to "normal" life now. Her energy level is still low since she has been through so much this year. It will probably take her at least 6 months to get back to normal levels of activity. Please also pray that her blood counts will continue to rise.

Thanks!
Steve & Debbie for the family

Meetings at MD Anderson Complete

We had our last meeting with the Dr. here at MD Anderson regarding Christen's situation. Her PET CT scan was clear, and they also agreed that the spot on the chest CT is too small to make a clear determination of what it is, so he wants to keep a close eye on it. She will have another chest CT the first part of December. We are really breathing a sigh of relief right now, almost pinching ourselves that there are no major issues on the horizon. Can it be true? Now we wait...

We also had a film crew in the room while we were meeting with the Dr. filming a documentary on the whole process of dealing with childhood cancer. They were very nice and supportive folks, and Christen was able to meet a college student who is an osteosarcoma survivor.

We are very glad to have made the contact with the Dr. here. He is an expert in the field of osteosarcoma and will be keeping track of Christen's case as time goes on. He gave us a number of options to consider should she have a recurrence and wants to get the red tape out of the way in VA so that she could receive further treatment there should it be needed. The meeting was very educational. It was definitely worth the trip down here.

Please continue to pray that Christen's counts will improve, and that she will have no recurrence either in her leg or lungs. Pray also for renewed strength since she still tires quickly. It will take her some time to get back to her old self.

Praise be to God. We give Him all the thanks. He has answered your prayers.

Steve & Debbie for the family

Counts On the Way Up

We received the results from yesterday's labs and are very grateful that Christen's counts have risen somewhat although still low. We are all rejoicing at this step up; she is sooo glad to be able to go out in public without a mask! This morning we went to The Galleria which Christen wanted to see as she said it is one of the largest malls in the U.S.

Late this afternoon, her PETCT was done. We will meet with the doctor Thursday morning after he has looked at the results. He will give us his thoughts then regarding what he believes to be the best course of action regarding further care. The PETCT will give a very good indication if there is any active cancer in her body at present. Statistically, she has a number of very big strikes against her for recurrence; however, we know that even this is under the control of a loving heavenly Father. It is not always easy to keep this in mind; but praise God, we do know it is true!

Tomorrow, we have "off." Pray for God's blessings on our time together and for wisdom for Dr. Anderson. Pray, too, for the scan results; and that in everything, God would be glorified. Christen remains her cheerful self inspite of all; and our other children seem to be hanging in there quite well.

Thanks to all for your prayers and support of our entire family!

First Meeting in Houston

We had our first meeting with the Dr. today. Christen also had x-rays taken, and will have a PET CT scan tomorrow afternoon. Once the Dr. has all the information in hand he will give us his opinion Thursday morning.

Thanks for the prayers and encouragements!

Steve & Debbie

Safely in Houston

We had a good flight to Houston today. The only little difficulty we encountered was Christen setting off the scanner while going through security. She was able to get through after they pulled her aside for additional screening. We met a nice family on the plane who took the time to give us information about the area around the hospital. It is an amazing thing to experience such acts of kindness from complete strangers.

The three of us enjoyed a nice evening relaxing, laughing, and joking together. Thanks be to God for the little moments of joy that He has given us in the midst of the trial. :-)

Please be in prayer for our meeting tomorrow morning with the Dr.

It turns out we didn't get to stay at the Ronald McDonald house because it is still closed due to damage from the recent hurricane.

Thanks!
Steve & Debbie and Christen

Off To Houston

We leave for the airport in the morning to fly to Houston for Christen's appointment with osteosarcoma specialist. Christens counts are still very low, so we are particularly concerned about her white cell count since she will be exposed to more germs in the airport and on the plane. An infection of any sort could be very dangerous for her.

After we return from Houston she is scheduled to receive a bone marrow aspiration. This will give the Dr. more information as he tries to determine what is causing her blood counts not to return to normal levels. Please pray that we will all have peace about this.

Steve & Debbie for the family

Blood Counts Still Low

We received the discouraging news today that Christen's blood counts are still low. She is still able to go to Houston this weekend, but she needs to be very careful about infection. She is really discouraged because it means she won't be able to do as much in Houston as she was hoping. :-( Please pray for God's peace to be upon her.

Steve & Debbie for the family

White Cell Count

Please pray that Christen's white cell count which has been unusually low since the the end of chemotherapy. The Dr. is not sure yet why it is still low. We are planning to travel to Houston on Sunday for our meeting, so pray her count will come up prior to the trip. If it doesn't come up she may have to wear a mask on the plane and be very careful about exposure to germs.

Thanks!
Steve & Debbie for the family

Back from CHOP

Christen had a very good appointment today with her surgeon in Philadelphia. He is very pleased with how she is progressing. Additionally she had a bone scan and chest CT this past Friday which we were worried about, but they both turned out to be clear. There were some unusual aspects of both scans that gave us some (well actually a lot of) concern. The CT scan report made mention of a small object in her lung. However they decided that it is most likely nothing of significance. We are so thankful beyond words for that. It is hard to describe how hard these tests are for us every time she has one. Thankfully Christen does a much better job with them than her parents do. :-)

Now we start getting ready for our trip to Houston this Sunday. Please pray for wisdom for all of us in this process.

Thanks!
Steve & Debbie for the family

Next Steps

The next phase of Christens treatment today is beginning today. She is at UVa today to get a chest CT, and a full body scan to see if there is any visible cancer activity anywhere in her body. Please pray that these tests would all come back negative. Also please pray that her blood counts would return to normal soon. They took an unexpected drop this week.

Christen returns to CHOP this coming Monday (10/6), and then we go to Houston October 12th for a consult with an osteosarcoma specialist about possible further treatment.

Thank you all so much for the continued prayer. We appreciate the prayers and encouragements which you regularly lift up our behalf. They mean so much to us.

Steve & Debbie for the family

Recovering

Christen is doing well recovering from the _last_ chemo treatment. She is feeling quite tired in general but is otherwise feeling OK. She is returning somewhat to "normal" life, taking classes, and doing homework, etc. She tires very easily and it will take some time before she is able to function at %100 strength. We are encouraged to see how she is progressing steadily on the road to recovery.

We are continuing to prepare for our trip to Houston in October to see the specialist at MD Anderson. We look forward to taking the next step in this incredible journey that God has put us on, and are very thankful that we have the opportunity to go there. Please pray for the many details that we still have to work out. It takes a surprising amount of work to get documents sent from one hospital to another, along with working out travel arrangements, etc.

Steve & Debbie for the family

Finished!!

Christen has completed her last treatment of chemotherapy. She came home yesterday afternoon, took a nap, then went out to Bible study in the evening. She is really looking forward to normal life, including the stress of getting homework done on time! :-)

We will continue to update the blog as things progress. Her next Dr. appointment is not until October which seems like an eternity compared to what she has been going through for the last 9 months. Please pray for all of us as we now turn our attention more fully to making plans for the trip to see the osteosarcoma specialist in Houston in October.

Thanks!
Steve & Debbie for the family

Chemo Finished Tomorrow?

God willing Christen will return home from her last chemotherapy treatment sometime tomorrow. We have seen God's hand at work through these difficult trials. We have been so amazed to see how He has sustained us thus far. Christen has been such an amazing trooper, going through so many difficult things with such an awesome attitude. She has been an amazing example to each of us of enduring trials with grace and peace, while maintaining a deep sense of trust in God, and without complaint. We know that it is because has been answering your many prayers. He _has_ heard, and He _has_ answered. He hasn't yet given us a clear sense of being free from cancer, but He has given us much grace through the trial. We will have to trust Him for working all of this for Christens good in His own perfect timing.

Thank you so much for all the prayer and support. The journey isn't over yet. We will be taking another trip to Philadelphia in October and then the week following we will be in Houston to consult with a Dr. about possible further treatment with a yet unreleased drug. Please pray for us as we seek to do what is best for Christen, that we will make wise decisions after carefully weighing the options and possibilities.

Steve and Debbie for the family.

Last Chemo Starts Today!

God willing, Christen begins her last chemotherapy treatment this morning! We had a delay of one day because the hospital didn't have room for her yesterday.

It is amazing to reflect on how God has sustained her and all of us through this entire ordeal. Each one of you have been such an important part of that. We appreciate more deeply than we can express the many prayers and acts of service.

Christen is really looking forward to feeling better. Her hair has actually already started growing back. She is getting around nicely but tires easily. Yesterday she went to some of her classes but after a few hours was too tired to go the evening class.

Please continue to pray for her transition back to "normal" life. Life will never the be the same as it was before but we know that God always does what is best and by His grace we trust Him.

Thanks!
Steve & Debbie

Christen is home

I apologize for not posting sooner, but Christen did come home Saturday night. She is doing well and will be going in for her last treatment Wednesday. Please pray for us as we consider possible further treatment which would possibly start sometime in October. I will post more on this subject as we learn more. We are planning to travel to M.D. Anderson in October to meet with a Dr. there to discuss it.

Steve & Debbie for the family

2nd to Last Treatment!

Quick update: Christen goes back to UVa today for her 2nd to the last chemo treatment! We are very much looking forward to being complete with this process though it will be a significant transition back to "normal" life, if you can call it that. :-)

Thanks for the prayer!

Steve & Debbie

Transfusion Today

Christen is at UVa receiving a blood transfusion this morning since her counts are so low. She is feeling quite bad so the transfusion should provide a welcome boost to her system. Please pray that she will not need to stay the night. She is currently scheduled to return for her next chemo treatment this coming Monday.

Debbie and Rebekah are with her today.

Thanks for the continued prayers!
Steve & Debbie for the family.

No Chemo Today

Because Christen's white count is so low she will not be starting her next round of chemotherapy today. She may be able to start this Thursday and there is a good chance that she won't be able to start until next Monday. Please pray that she will be able to avoid getting an infection and for peace of heart as she approaches the end of this major ordeal and looks forward to the return of some sense of normalcy.

Thanks!
Steve & Debbie for the family.

@ Home

Quick Update: Christen is at home this week, thankfully. She is having some trouble with nausea, but it hasn't been as bad as in the past. She may return for her next chemo treatment this coming Monday if her blood counts are good enough. Starting Monday would be 3 days earlier than originally scheduled, which we would like to do so that she won't miss as much school.

Thank you for the prayers. God is continuing to answer them.

Steve & Debbie for the family.

3, 2, 1 and She'll be Done!!!

Christen is at UVA--came in Thursday morning for chemo. After this, she'll only have two more treatments to go!!!! WOW!!!! She's doing fairly well and greatly looking forward to starting school as soon as she can. At Christen's request, Hannah was given special permission to stay with us this time at UVA. It has been fun having her here.

Christen walks without crutches. Her physical therapist still comes out twice a week as she still needs to overcome her "limp." Her home health care nurse also comes out about twice a week to do lab work. We've really enjoyed getting to know these wonderful ladies.

We can't thank you enough for your help this year. Christen has spent 120 days in the hospital and 101 days at home so far. Her siblings have been blessed thanks to God and His provision of wonderful second homes. Dad and brother, Louie, have done well "baching" it; although Dad did stay at UVA a couple of times allowing me a few extra days at home. We're STILL being blessed with meals. I've often wanted to feel guilty about being so lazy in this way, and yet have been so grateful for this huge blessing which gives me time when home to take care of other things. I know I am really spoiled...

Praying for God's blessings to be poured out to each one of you, Debbie

Prayer Answered

God answered prayer regarding Christen taking the test yesterday, though not in the way we expected. How often does that happen? :-) The NP called from UVA and wanted Christen to come in Wednesday afternoon to get a blood transfusion since her hemoglobin was so low, and then spend the night to start chemo the next morning. So Christen and Debbie drove down to the hospital yesterday afternoon rather than taking a placement test.

Christen will likely be starting chemo this morning, and will hopefully be able to leave the hospital some time this weekend.

Steve & Debbie for the family

Prayer Needed Today

Today Christen has to go in for a placement test at the local community college so she can take a class there this fall. I can't imagine how hard it would be for her to do her best on the test in midst of all she is going through. The chemo does make it hard to concentrate and think clearly. She is such a trooper though. She isn't complaining.

She goes back for her next chemo treatment tomorrow (Thursday) and will be in the hospital until at least Sunday.

Thank for the prayers!
Steve & Debbie for the family

Home Early!

God answered prayer and let Christen come home Sunday afternoon! This was the first time that her methetrexate level had dropped so quickly. Christen was very glad to get home. It made it even nicer that Louie, Laura, and Patricia were all there at UVA to receive the news and drive home with us. We had a very nice visit. Additionally, our dear friends at Mt. Zion gave Christen a really nice poster that they had made for her since she couldn't be at the VBS this year. That provided us a nice reminder of the LIGHT in the tunnel (thanks Sue).

Christen has 4 more treatments. She goes back in this coming Thursday and would love company. In some ways it gets harder every time.

She will be a week or two behind when school starts because the chemo treatments will (hopefully) be complete by the 1st or 2nd week of September. She is really looking forward to returning to "normal" life this fall, including school. Pray that she will be able to catch up quickly and have clarity of thought since the chemo effects the ability to concentrate.

Again, many thanks for your prayers. God truly answers them!

Steve & Debbie for the family

Back for chemo Thursday

It has been a while since we posted last. Needless to say things have been very busy for us. Christen goes in today for her next round of chemo therapy. She is doing well though she had some trouble with low blood counts this past week which delayed the start of this round of chemo.

After this chemo treatment she has 4 more treatments scheduled. We are starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel. Yay!!

Please continue to pray for all of us to keep our eyes on Jesus who is our only hope.

Steve & Debbie for the family

Christen Home

Christen came home Wednesday evening just in time to celebrate Louie's birthday and we all had a nice time together. She doesn't have to go back for more chemotherapy until July 21st. She could use prayer however since her headache and nausea have returned. We are expecting them to last a couple more days and then subside. Pray that will be the case.

Steve & Debbie for the family

Next Chemo Treatment Today

Christen and Debbie are back at UVA this morning for the next dose of chemotherapy. Christen did come home late Thursday evening last week and we all had a nice holiday weekend together. Christen was able to spend some time with her friends yesterday which was a nice change of pace for her.

We are hopeful that she will be able to come home from UVA Wednesday evening.

Thank you so much for the continued prayers and support!

Steve & Debbie

Better Today

Christen is doing much better today. Thank you for the prayers. She was actually hungry this morning which was a very nice change compared to recent days. Debbie is staying with her now and I'm back at work. The kids (except for Louie, who can take care of himself) are farmed out to their respective families. Having regular homes for each of the children has been such a tremendous gift to us. We are hoping that Christen will come home on Thursday this week since they have increased the hydration rate in order to get the chemo out of her system a little bit faster. Pray that will be the case.

Thanks!
Steve & Debbie

Back @ UVA

Christen is back in the hospital today, and has just finished receiving the next round of chemotherapy. Now she spends the next several days in the hospital waiting for the concentration of the chemo drug in her bloodstream to come down to a safe level. She is feeling very nauseated tonight and would appreciate prayer. I can't imagine what it must be like to be sick to one extent or another for months on end. Tonight has been one of her more difficult times. Pray that she will be able to get to sleep soon.

Thanks!!
Steve & Debbie

@ Home

A quick update: Christen and Debbie came home yesterday. We are glad to be together for the weekend. Christen starts another chemo treatment Monday morning and will likely be in the hospital until Thursday or Friday. She is very tired right now.

Steve & Debbie

Endurance

Christen is still at UVA recovering from her last dose of chemotherapy. Hopefully she will come home today. Please pray that God would give her the strength to endure as the length of this trial is getting more and more difficult. It is hard to imagine what it must be like for her. We know that God gives strength, so that is our prayer for her right now.

Christen's most recent x-ray of her knee and femur showed no tumor recurrence, for which we are extremely grateful to God. Please continue to pray that the cancer will not return, and that we will all have wisdom in making decisions regarding the remaining part of her treatment.

Steve & Debbie for the family

Faith

Christen and I are sitting here in the clinic at UVA awaiting the start of her next round of chemotherapy. She is spending the time doing some artwork. She is doing well today all things considered. She is in good spirits, and is feeling much better physically. Progress has been made in understanding the source of her headaches, and the antibiotic is doing a good job taking care of the cdiff. It looks like we will probably switch to Monday as the regular chemotherapy "start day" rather than Thursday. Switching back to Thursday would put another delay in the overall schedule which would result in her missing the first week or two of school in the fall. She is really looking forward to returning to normal life, even though that means schoolwork. :-)

Debbie stayed home today with Lori who is quite sick with a stomach bug. I'm sure all of you mothers reading this can appreciate how Debbie felt at the thought of leaving her baby girl sick at home, all the while wanting to be with Christen in the hospital for the start of more chemo. Alas, since she can't be in two places at once, Dad had to fill in. I'm not as good a nurse as Mom is, but I think Christen will be OK. :-)

Thank you all so much for the prayers. We are feeling them, and we would be lost without the grace and presence of our loving Savior. We are constantly reminded these days, in much deeper ways than normal, how helpless we are without God. Life is so fragile, and the time so short, and our flesh so weak. But, "I can do all things through Christ who stengthens me."

May He receive all the glory. His loving hand is an amazing, awesome, and sometimes fearful thing to see. Yet, we know by faith that even though He is "not a safe lion", He is good. He will do whatever He wills. For a person who loves to be in control that can be a very unsettling thing. Yet, by faith we know that He will always do what is best for us, and it is comforting to know that He has not sent us somewhere that He hasn't been before, and indeed He has promised to be with us every step of the way. He is walking with Christen, and all of us. He takes his children by the hand and leads them through. "Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me..." What more do we need? What need we fear? Sometimes we do fear just like the disciples in the boat during the storm, and His loving question to the disciples, "why are you afraid..." rings in our ears.

Pray that our faith would be strengthened and that He would be glorified through all that happens to us.

Steve & Debbie for the family.

P.S. Michelle, Christen says that it would be fun to go to Oxford. I think you would find her a willing captive if it meant the opportunity to visit you and Ben. :-)

Plans Changed!

Christen and Debbie went to UVA this morning to start her next round of chemotherapy, but since she is having intestinal trouble they decided to delay this round until next Monday, pending results of a test for cdiff. Christen is excited to get to spend the weekend at home. Thank you all the prayers. God is proving Himself (once again) to be worthy of our complete trust!

Steve & Debbie for the family

@Home

Christen was able to come home on Saturday, thankfully. She is struggling with migraine headaches and nausea, however. Please pray that we will be able to figure out what is triggering these, as they add yet another struggle for her to deal with.

Steve & Debbie for the family

Saturday Update

Thank you for the prayers! Christens neutrophil count jumped way up today so the Dr. is planning to let Christen come home today. Praise God for that. This unplanned stay in the hospital has been especially hard on her emotionally, so we are all _very_ glad that she should get home today.

Christen's last x-ray of her knee taken earlier this month had some potentially concerning spots regarding tumor recurrence, but the doctors all think that most likely the spots are actually not tumor but a non-cancerous growth caused by the trauma of the surgery. Please pray that will indeed be the case.

Regardless, we know that our loving Father has Christen in His hand and He will do whatever is best for her and all of us. Please pray that our faith and hope would be in Him, and not in anything else.


Steve & Debbie for the family

Quick Update

Please pray that Christen's neutrophil count will rise soon. It has been at zero for the last several days, and she can't leave the hospital until it has risen on two consecutive days. She is discouraged about being in the hospital and would really love to get out of there soon.

Steve

One Week at Home

We enjoyed spending one whole week at home! What a treat that was! It's great to see Christen hobbling along on only one crutch for balance/support. As always, there are ups and downs day to day in her progress, and she struggles with headaches and nausea. Early this morning we returned to UVA for needed transfusions and Christen also woke up with a fever, so she will need to stay in the hospital for several days. She would much rather be home but is such a trooper through all of this. We have to wait for blood cultures to come back determining if there is any kind of infection causing the fever, her blood pressure needs to stay stable, and her blood counts need to be increasing on their own before she can return home. We are scheduled to be back at UVA on the 19th for the first of three weeks in a row of chemo, so it would be nice to get back home before then. As of today, we have spent 92 days in the hospital and 70 days at home so far this year. We are very grateful for all of the support we have received from all of you in SO MANY ways making our lives much more bearable. Thank you, thank you, thank you.

Please continue to pray that the cancer be totally eradicated from her body.
Pray, too, that we will all keep our eyes fixed on Jesus. It is sometimes hard to see the beauty of life when death keeps shaking it's ugly fists tauntingly at you, yet we do have so much to be thankful for. Praise God we have a future and a hope in Him, and that He is victorious even over death.
I am continually reminded that this life is but a brief moment, then comes eternity.

Blessings to each one of you out there :-).

Debbie, for all of us

Visit @ CHOP

Christen had a good appointment with the orthopedic surgeon on Monday. He was very pleased with her progress and gave her approval to beginning working on walking without her crutches under the supervision of the physical therapist. We are very happy for her.

She is very wiped out from the effects of the last chemo treatment, however. She is such a trooper though. She didn't feel well the whole trip up and back yesterday, but she didn't complain.

Thank you so much for all the prayers. God is continuing to answer them.

Steve & Debbie for the family.

Home Today

Christen has received her last dose of cisplatin!!! She is very happy to have that behind her. She is scheduled to have chemo through the end of August, but at least she won't have any more doses of the worst of the chemo drugs.

She is doing reasonably well in the hospital. Nausea is the ever present struggle, but it hasn't been as bad as at times in the past. They are planning to let her go home today barring any unexpected events.

Tomorrow the three of us will drive up to Philadelphia for a follow-up appointment with the orthopedic surgeon. Her knee seems to be healing nicely and we are very much looking forward to her being able to walk on it without crutches soon.

We give praise to Jesus for sustaining us thus far. His grace is truly amazing.

Steve & Debbie for the family.

More Chemo Today

Since Christen's blood count numbers were good yesterday she will be returning to UVA for the next round of chemotherapy this morning. She will be having cisplatin, which is the one most difficult for her, so prayer will most certainly be needed and appreciated.

Thanks!
Steve & Debbie for the family

Back on Thursday?

Christen is scheduled to return for chemo on Thursday, but since her blood counts are low it is uncertain whether she will actually go. If not she will likely go in next Tuesday. Christen seems to be taking everything in stride at this point, though the trips back to the hospital are not easy. Knowing what is coming is difficult. There is not much to look forward to. She and Debbie have made a number of good friends there which helps a great deal to ease the pain of the chemo, and being away from home.

Christen's leg continues to strengthen everyday. We are hopeful that she will start walking without her crutches within the next couple of weeks!

Steve and Debbie for the family.

Home!

God gave us an unexpected gift of being able to go home a day earlier than we'd thought. Christen's counts are on the downward swing, so whether or not we go back on Thursday for chemo will depend on what the counts are on Wednesday morning. It's so good to be home! Thank you all for the MANY meals that you have so graciously and continuously provided. What a HUGE help!

Debbie for the family

All is Well

It's Saturday night and Christen and I have had a pretty uneventful day except that is for a wonderful breakfast complete with REAL dishes -plates, silverware and glasses brought to us by the "Chenette Catering Service"
:-)

We've enjoyed flowers freshly picked from our nurse's yard which she set up in the window across the hall from us so that Christen could see and enjoy them without bringing them into our room - beautiful, fragrant pink peonies.
Another dear friend here also brought us fresh fruit plates. Yesterday Jane, Anette and baby Jacqueline stopped in. We enjoyed baby Jacky's entertainment - she has quite the personality! Christen has enjoyed feeling special as she gets daily text messages from her older brother giving her updates on his travels, even got a picture of a beautiful park out in Colorado via cell phone. She hasn't felt great, but also hasn't felt horrible either -hasn't thrown up yet. She is so thankful that God has provided her with medicines for pain and nausea. Her leg is getting noticeably stronger each day which is a great encouragement to her.
Thank
you for your prayers. We know that God is with us and is answering.

Resting in Him,
Debbie

One more step forward...

Christen's chemo started at 5:30 pm. We arrived here at 8:00 am for an MRI, but as is so much of life, things always take more time than you expect.
She was nauseous and threw up on the way here - maybe what is called "anticipatory nausea" because she hadn't thrown up for some time. We are always glad though to see our friends when we come to UVA. God has allowed us to come to know so many precious people here.

Christen's leg has healed beautifully. She has to do exercises to strengthen it, and hasn't ditched her crutches yet - still working towards that. We have a wonderful physical therapist who comes to our house to help her. It's tough making yourself do exercises that bring you pain - "No pain, no gain," so they say. Pray that she will have the drive to be able to continue diligently exercising in the midst of feeling sick and tired and sick and tired of being sick. She can't wait to be able to just stand up and walk! It's a bit of a slow process. She is handling this entire ordeal very well and has an attitude of peaceful surrender to God, willing for whatever course He has planned for her life. She said, "Mom, if God wants me to die, it's ok." She has become soft clay in the Potter's hands. She has expressed interest in helping others understand themselves and their feelings, etc. better (studying psychology) and considers this experience to be a part of her training.

God is beautiful. Today after the MRI, we were heading down the hall and met up with one of the MRI techs - a middle aged man. He told Christen he hoped she would be feeling better, etc. I noticed a bible tucked under his arm along with some other stuff so asked him, "You're a believer?" He said, "You bet," and held up his hand on which was a yellow sticky note with Christen's name on it. He said, "I keep a list, and at night before I go to bed, I pray for all of the patients I've helped that day." What a blessing to meet a new brother and what a oneness we have because of Christ! He stopped and prayed a beautiful prayer for Christen right then and there.

God has surrounded us with His love and kindness shown to us in so many ways, namely the outpouring of love we have received from each one of you.
God says that it is more blessed to give than to receive. From the magnitude of receiving we have done, you all must be buried in blessings!
Each word and deed, so undeserved, can't be weighed for it's worth to us.
God knows each of you and won't forget your sacrifices for us.

Debbie for the family

Christen is Home

Christen did come home Monday afternoon, thankfully. She is not feeling well. However, nothing unusual or unexpected is happening so we are thankful for that. Please continue to pray for her spirits as well as the physical aspects of this trial. She has been through so much over the last 5 1/2 months.

She returns to UVA this Thursday for the next round of chemo.

Also, thanks for praying for us regarding which course of chemo to take. We did make a final decision not to continue on the study but rather to do the standard treatment. This means Christen should be done chemotherapy by the end of August.

Thanks!
Steve & Debbie

More Chemo

Christen is at UVA having received another dose of chemo this past Thursday. We are hoping that she will be able to come home tomorrow, but one never knows. We have to wait for the chemo concentration in her blood to drop below a certain level, and we have learned that it is hard to gauge when that will happen. She is doing as well as might be expected, chemo being what it is.

We have to make a final decision by Tuesday of this week on whether to continue with the study. We would appreciate continued prayer for wisdom.

Christen will hopefully come home tomorrow, and will return to UVA for the next dose of chemo on Thursday.

Thanks to all of you for the prayer and support.

Steve & Debbie

Get Ready, Get Set....

Here we go again---tomorrow morning early to UVA, our 2nd "home." We've had a wonderful break. Thank you, God. It's hard to get back into the chemo mode, but I know God has His blessings there for us as well. I just read recently in a book, Though I Walk Through the Valley, "Darkness brings out the stars and trouble brings out friends old and new and blessings never possible in sunnier times." How true. The stars don't come out until it's dark. Yes, it seems very dark sometimes, but there really are a lot of beautiful stars. Thank you, God, and thank you everyone. Pray that we will each go in God's strength. It looks like we will be going to UVA for the next three Thursdays for about five days each time. It's really rough on Christen, so I hate to even mention the much smaller "sacrifices" of the rest of us. God's grace has been more than sufficient for every day.

Debbie for the family

Grateful for Each Day

Christen has been home since last Tuesday evening!!! It has been wonderful to be home. I don't believe I've ever been so thankful to be able to just wash dishes and fold laundry--amazing how things can really change one's perspective.

THANK YOU ALL for your continued support and prayers. We feel God's answers to them. Christen was much better last Wednesday evening through Sunday.
One morning I was delightfully surprised to see her up and in the kitchen fixing her own breakfast and eating at the table---perhaps only the second time she's been up to doing that this year! She enjoyed reading a magazine, a little card making, and with the nurse's permission even made it out to the store (what girl doesn't want to shop?!) and to church on Sunday!
All of these were very special treats, not usually something she'd be up for or able to do.

Today, she wasn't feeling great at all and was very tired. Her labs this morning showed that levels had dropped over the weekend (as expected) thus bringing fatigue and a more careful check for fevers. She had to have lab work done twice today as the morning labs came back with alerts. We thought we might be headed back to UVA hospital this evening, but the 4:00 labs were ok. Thank you, God, for the gift of remaining at home another evening!

We still have to nail down a final decision for the remaining course of treatment. Christen returns for chemo on Thursday which likely runs back to back with the following treatments thus putting us in the hospital from the 15th of May through possibly June 2nd or 3rd with only a few days off.
It's been wonderful to have a little break. Pray for strength for Christen especially and for each of us.

As you think of Christen, would you also pray for another girl, Nicole, the same age in Philadelphia with the same cancer as Christen's and her family.
Her femur broke necessitating being bedridden. She'd just lost her father to cancer about a month ago, only a few weeks after being diagnosed herself.
I can't imagine...

"For You are my hope, O Lord God; You are my trust from my youth." Psalm
71:5


Debbie

Which Path to Take?

We are faced with making a decision about how to proceed with Christen's chemo treatment in light of the results of the pathology report regarding the tumor which was removed from her leg. The path forward is not clear, so we pray that God will help make a wise decision.

To bring everyone up to date, we did, thankfully, return home Tuesday after Christen received 2 units of blood and one of platelets. Christen has been struggling this week with a headache of the migraine sort, so pray that she will get some relief from that soon. Her next chemo treatment is scheduled to start the 15th. We have been so glad that she has been able to avoid an infection this time around. Please continue to pray that will be the case.

Steve & Debbie

Monday Evening

Thank you, all, for your prayers. God has allowed us to remain at home today so far. We will head to UVA early tomorrow morning for blood transfusions to help give Christen a boost to get through this tough time.
Hopefully this will only be an outpatient ordeal. This is a really great trial, but we know that God is far greater still. He has raised up an army of support for us in prayer and encouragement through you all. You are all on my heart, even though I've not responded to so many of you personally and yet have received so much from you. Please know that we've not forgotten your MANY kindnesses. Thank you for hanging in there with us for the long haul.

Steve & Debbie

Please Pray!

Christen has a fever this morning. Please pray specifically that it will stay below 100.4 degrees F. If it goes above that then we will likely have to take her back to UVA. We all very much want Christen to be able to stay at home until her next scheduled chemo treatment on 5/15/08. The days after receiving cisplatin are usually very difficult on her because her white blood cell count drops so low which greatly reduces her ability to fight infection.

Steve & Debbie

Saturday

I neglected to mention in the last post that Christen and Debbie had to spend one night at UVA Thursday because her electrolytes were low. She returned home Friday. It turns out that she also has another cdiff infection but thankfully they are letting her be at home with antibiotics rather than staying at the hospital to get over it.

We are very likely going to be doing the longer course of chemo which will run until the middle of November.

Our trust is that God is working His glorious and loving will in this situation and are so thankful that we can view this situation through the lens of the cross of Jesus. What might we be thinking if we had no Savior to deliver us from the guilt of sin? What if we didn't have the very Son of God interceding on our behalf before the throne of the Father, pleading that He has made us just before the Father because He paid our debt of sin and has given us His record of righteousness? The good news of Jesus dying to save sinners such as each of us makes a dramatic difference in the way in which we think about cancer. If God through Jesus has demonstrated such incredible love for us by giving His own Son to save us from the guilt of sin and make it so that we can spend eternity with Him, what can these terrible difficulties be but His loving Hand at work in us for our good? How can we think that He could be against us? Sometimes we are tempted to think it. We are sinful people, far from perfect. But His truth remains regardless of how we might feel. Adversity has a way of shaking us loose from placing our happiness in anything on this earth, and causing us to look up to Him. I suspect that He knows that we need that. Please continue to pray that we will keep our eyes on Jesus, the only One who is worthy of our trust, and is our only hope. This world is not our home. We are just passing through, and we are looking forward to what is to come.

Steve & Debbie for the family

Pathology Report

We met with Christen's oncologist today and received the report. The end result is that less than 10% of the tumor was killed by the pre-surgery course of chemo. Please pray for Christen and all of us as we absorb what this means and make decisions on how to proceed based on this result. And pray that we will rest in the will of our loving Father who always does that which is best for His children (Romans 8:28).

Steve & Debbie for the family

Meeting with Oncologist Today

We are scheduled to meet with Christen's oncologist at UVA today at 1:30 PM. He will give us the results of the pathology report on the tumor which was removed during her knee surgery and discuss the treatment plan from here out. We have two possible options, the standard treatment and the study treatment. The standard treatment will have Christen doing chemo through sometime in August, and the study treatment plan would mean chemo until October, along with some new chemo drugs. Pray for wisdom for all of us, and that God would be glorified whatever path He has for us to take.

Please continue to pray that Christen will not have a return of the intestinal infection that she has suffered with twice before, or a line infection, or any other type especially as we approach the days when her white blood cell counts go very low. Pray that we all will remember to be very sensitive to her need for everyone around her to practice good hygiene (clean hands, etc). This time around she is receiving GCSF shots which should be a big help to her white blood cell count, so we are hopeful that we can avoid a premature return to the hospital because of infection.

Thank you all so much for the continued prayers and encouragement. We are truly learning that we can do nothing without Jesus and that we must trust Him as our only true Hope. What other hope could a sinful, fallen, finite person have? None. But with Jesus we have all things! It is a wonderful thought beyond all description to think that the very God of heaven is looking down upon us with a wonderful Fatherly love, working all these things in each of our lives for our good.

For His Glory!
Steve & Debbie for the family

Back Home!

Just a quick update - Christen and Debbie arrived home Sunday evening at around 9:00 PM. We are all so glad to be back together and are thankful for all the support and encouragement we have received through you.

Please pray that Christen will be able to get through the nausea and low blood counts without getting another line infection.

Steve & Debbie for the family

Home Sunday?

We are hopeful that Christen will be able to come home from CHOP Sunday afternoon. I am driving up in the morning to pick them up. Please pray that all goes well at the hospital and that we will all be re-united tomorrow evening. It will have been two weeks since we have been together as a family. All the other kids and I have been home since Friday evening, but though we enjoy being together it is of course not the same with 2 family members still away.

It has been amazing to see how Jesus continues to be at work for our good, even though it has been very difficult. It does provide an amazing sense of peace to know that our Savior has us all in His loving Hands, and He will do whatever is best for us. Thank you so much for the encouragements and the many ways that you each have been a blessing to us.

Steve & Debbie for the family

First Chemo in Philadelphia

The last few days were spent getting ready for chemo---various tests, hearing, heart, kidneys, etc.; and getting moved down to the oncology floor all the while still being seen by the orthopedic doctors and physical therapists. Christen was settled into her new room last night; and after being given preliminary anti-nausea drugs today, slept most of the afternoon and evening. We finally started chemo around 6pm. I hope she will be able to sleep through the nausea though she did just have to ask for a dose of medicine to help with it (10:30pm). Maybe we could leave here Sunday afternoon???????

Thank you for all of your encouraging comments. Yes, it's wonderful to have a Savior, to know God and to be able to rest in His plans whatever they may be. We do hope and pray that Christen will live a long and full life for God's glory; and yet really, none of us know that we will be alive tomorrow.
To not have to fear death is a wonderful thing. To be able to know that God, in His great love, died to take our punishment; so that we could be set free, ALL of our sins erased--past, present, and future--able to enter heaven. I don't deserve such goodness!!!!

Well, I really must go and catch some sleep--not always easy to do.

Love to all of you,
Debbie

Tuesday Evening

Christen received her Continuous Passive Motion machine yesterday and is doing very well using it. She remains pleasant, going with the flow of things (which are almost always uncertain). We are blessed to meet many wonderful care givers and staff here while also missing our UVA group. I won't even get into how much we miss being at home with our immediate family and all of you!!!!!!! However, we rest in knowing that this is God's plan for now.

We still do not have the complete results back yet. The preliminary results are that 1/3 of the tumor cells have died. (No word yet on the possible skip lesion.) This puts Christen into the poor response group which has a 60% event-free survival rate. Only one-fourth to one-third of osteosarcoma patients do get a good response as the cancer is very aggressive. We all would have wanted to have heard of much better results, but we know that our true hope is in the Lord who made heaven and earth. His ways and plans are better than our own. He is working out His purposes for our good. We are all learning more about placing our joy in Him, and being more grateful for each blessing and gift He has given. Christen and I will be staying here in Philadelphia for her next chemo treatment which most likely will start tomorrow. This seemed to be the best choice with the least amount of upheaval, since we are still here. This is the really tough chemo which knocks her counts down to around 0. Pray that she'll be able to handle it well and that good healing will take place. Her surgery site looks beautiful---not to mention her smile :-).

Many thanks for your love and prayers.

Trusting in God's goodness,
Steve & Debbie

Monday Update

Christen is thankfully still sleeping soundly this morning. She is improving steadily, and the fact that she is able to sleep so well indicates that her pain is under control. She should receive the CPM (Continuous Passive Motion) machine today to move her knee back and forth so that she will have good range of motion in her knee when fully recovered. You can read here about it. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Continuous_passive_motion

Thanks for the continued prayers and encouragement. Hopefully we will find out more today about when we will get to go home.

Also, to answer a couple of questions that have arisen from recent posts, yes, she did eat the donut :-), and yes she was a little nauseous but not too bad (the Monday April 14th post) , and yes they did remove the suspected skip lesion. They have removed all known tumor from her body. We should find out if was indeed a skip lesion when we get the pathology report this week.

Steve & Debbie

Sunday Afternoon

Christen continues to improve with each day. She was able to get a very good night of rest. The Physical Therapy person came by this morning and helped Christen take a nice walk on her crutches around the hall. She is resting comfortably in her bed now doing facebook and such. She will have an ultra-sound on her leg today to make sure she doesn't have any clotting issues.

Louie, Hannah, Shaye, Jacob, and Abigail all came up to visit Christen yesterday afternoon. It was very nice to see Christen enjoying the fellowship.

Steve & Debbie for the family

Saturday AM Report

Christen continues to steadily improve. She had a reasonable nights sleep though not as good as the previous night. We are hoping to be able to come home on Monday, though we shall see. We have learned not to get our hopes up too much about a particular day. She still has few hurdles to cross before departure, but we are pleased with the progress she is making.

We have one particularly important prayer request to add to the rest: it is very important that her knee surgery area not get an infection because that could necessitate an amputation. The orthopedic team has been extremely careful to make sure that doesn't happen so we ask that you pray for that specifically and earnestly.

Thanks for your prayers and for letting us know that you are thinking about us. Your concern means so much to us.

Steve & Debbie

The Friday AM Report

Christen had a much better night. Her color is better this morning, and she is sitting up in bed acting like her usual, smiling, cheerful self. They made some changes to her pain management last night that seemed to work very well. Thank you for the prayers. It is not an easy job to make someone who has had such a large surgery feel comfortable, so we are very thankful for all the efforts that the folks here are putting into it.

We don't have a good idea yet of when Christen might be released, and where and when the chemo treatment next week will be administered. Please pray for wisdom about all that.

Steve & Debbie

Thursday PM

Another quick update: Christen has been struggling with pain all day. The staff here have settled on a plan of action which we hope will bring it down this evening and help her to sleep tonight. Please pray earnestly that will be so.

Thanks!
Steve & Debbie

Thursday AM after Surgery

Christen had another fairly difficult night. She really didn't fully get to sleep until around 4:45 AM and then they came in at 8 AM to give her more medications. She is very tired but the pain is still strong enough to keep her awake a lot of the time. They are giving her very strong medications already so that is an indication of the kind of pain she is having. We are very proud of her, though, because she really doesn't complain too much about it. She is sleeping now, and we hope she will be able to a lot this afternoon. She has only slept about 7 hours in the last 50 hours or so.

We have considered the possibility of doing Christen's next chemo treatment (cisplatin) while here if that would work better for Christen. It is due the week after surgery. Please pray that we will have wisdom about that.

On another note, we had the joy of seeing a previous very special nurse from our first time here in January, Vanessa, the first night we arrived in Christen's room. She was our nurse here last time.

The picture is of Christen and Debbie with the balloons she received from our brothers and sisters at GPC. Thanks, they brightened her day.

Steve & Debbie

Quick Update

Christen is feeling better this evening so we think she should be able to sleep. Please pray that will be so.

Thanks!
Steve & Debbie

Pain Control

Christen is still working on pain management. It is not terrible, but is still high enough that she is not really able to sleep for any extended period of time. She really needs to be able to sleep so please pray that she will get some this afternoon, evening, and tonight.

Thanks to everyone for the notes, cards, gifts, etc. On that note, since Christen's blood counts are sometimes low, the hospital has indicated that she is not allowed to have fresh flowers or greenery since they can carry bacteria which is problematic for oncology patients.

Thanks!
Steve & Debbie

Day After Surgery

Pain has been more of an issue since our last post. The "Pain Team" has been working this morning to help her manage it better. She also had a fever last night, which caused us some concern, but it has diminished this morning. It is a common occurrence after surgery but with all our recent travails it was a worrisome event. Christen has only been able to sleep 3 hours (other than surgery) since her arrival here yesterday morning, so pray that she will able to get some sleep today. She is very tired.

Thanks again for all the expressions of love, concern, and the prayer. It is a wonderful support to know that there are so many people praying and thinking about Christen.

Steve & Debbie

Prayers Answered

We have been amazed at how well Christen has done today. Jesus has answered your prayers. Her pain is well under control, and they are willing to do more if needed. She is feeling some pain now, but it is nothing compared to what she has experienced in the past. She is feeling very well, considering what she has been through today, talking, joking, and has started taking fluids this evening. We're sure, however, she will feel very tired tomorrow. She came to her room around 6:15 PM.

We are so thankful to God for how He has answered prayers. There must have been a lot of people praying given how well things have been today! The situation could be so much worse. "Relief" or "thankful" doesn't even begin to describe how we feel.

Feeling Very Blessed,
Steve & Debbie

In Recovery

Just a quick update. Christen went into recovery at 2:35 PM, and Debbie and I got to go into the recovery room with her at 4:05 PM. She is doing quite well. She is awake, talking, smiling, and generally making her parents quite happy to see her. :-) Praise God for His mercy. They are working very hard to manage her pain but it is quite high. They will hook her up to a pain pump soon. They are currently preparing to give her a blood transfusion since she lost quite a bit during surgery (not unexpected). She should be able to get out of the recovery area and up to her room within an hour or so.

Thanks again for all your prayers! God has been so merciful to her and us!

Steve & Debbie

Knee Surgery Complete

Dr. Dormans came by at 1:15 PM to report that the knee surgery is complete and everything went very well. We give praise to God that nothing unexpected came up and the Dr. feels that he was able to remove all of the tumor, and the endoprosthesis fit very well. It will take about a week to get the pathologist report back indicating how much of the tumor was killed by the chemo, and certainty that all of it was removed with clean margins of good tissue around the tumor site. We will also find out about the possible skip lesion then.

Dr. Dormans expects her to be up with crutches in a few days, and walking without them in 6 weeks. She will be very excited to hear that! She has been very anxious to be able to walk without crutches for a while now.

Thanks to God for answering prayers! May He be glorified.

Steve & Debbie

In Surgery

They wheeled Christen back to the Operating Room at 7:55 AM. The surgery will take at least 5 hours, and probably a little longer since they plan to put the broviac central line back in.

After today, the next big event will be getting the results of the tumor response to the chemo. We should have this within the next 2 weeks. Please pray that the spot on the bone above the main tumor site will not be a skip lesion. This is the spot that showed up on the first MRI which they thought it was an "artifact", but it also showed up on the 2nd MRI here at CHOP, so an "artifact" explanation is unlikely. If it is a skip lesion, that would indicate a poorer prognosis. We know God is in control, and loves Christen with an everlasting love from before the foundation of the world.

She is having a very painful procedure today. Pray that they will be able to manage her pain well. They decided to give her two special catheter's in her leg/torso area to deliver medication to block the nerve pathways in her leg.

Steve & Debbie

"I'm going to eat a donut"

When she woke up from a nap this afternoon Christen said the following, "I'm either really nauseous or really hungry, so I'm going to eat a donut to find out." :-) Christen is sometimes really discouraged, but also still has her funny sense of humor as indicated by the quote above.

We have to be at the hospital at 6 AM Tuesday morning, and she will be in surgery by 7:20 AM. She should be out of surgery by 1:30 PM or so. Please pray specifically for Dr. Dormans and the rest of the medical staff for wisdom and skill, and for Christen for good recovery. Pray also for a restful night tonight, especially since we have to be up very early in the morning.

Steve & Debbie for the family

In Philadelphia

We arrived safely in Philadelphia last night and are staying at the Ronald McDonald House. We have a couple of doctors appointments at CHOP today and then the rest of the time Christen will spend resting in preparation for surgery first thing tomorrow. Thank you for the prayers for us. We can tell that God is answering them.

We re-connected last night with a lady here whose family has a little girl who has been in the hospital for 7 months. Her mother has been here virtually the whole time. We first met her when we were here in January.

Please pray that Christen's heart will remain calm today as the surgery approaches. May she be able to see the smiling, saving face of her Savior and remember that He intercedes on her behalf before the very throne of God.

BTW, we did add a few new pictures to the photo album (see the link on the right near the top of the page).

Thanks!
Steve & Debbie

The Surgery Plans

Here is the surgery schedule as we know it now.

We will travel to Philadelphia Sunday afternoon and stay at the Ronald McDonald House Sunday night. We will spend Monday doing pre-surgery stuff at CHOP. Tuesday morning she will go into surgery, and we will be there most of the day waiting since it is a long process (removal of the tumor and then placement of the endo-prosthesis). It is hospital policy that only the parents can be in the waiting room during surgery so for those wanting to visit, Thursday or Friday will likely be best.

We are so thankful for God's daily sustaining of us thus far. It has been really amazing to experience His gracious presence. Times like this give us an opportunity to see it in a way that doesn't normally happen. Christen seems to be taking everything with a tremendous amount of calm and peace. She is certainly more calm than I would naturally be. We ask that you all continue to lift each of us up in prayer, and we are so thankful for how you have done so for us thus far. Without Jesus gracious hand there is no way we could make it.

Steve & Debbie

At CHOP this evening

Thankfully Christen is in Philadelphia this evening rather than Charlottesville. We are waiting while she is having her MRI. We will drive back home this evening after it is complete. Thank you for the prayer. Her temperature went to 100.3 in the evening but through the night it stayed around 99.4. Thankfully it never went to the 100.4 twice within 2 hours which would have caused us to go to UVA instead. Other than a few stressful moments this morning, things have gone pretty well.

Christen is quite tired. Pray that she will rest well on the way home.

Steve & Debbie

Christen is Home!

Christen arrived home yesterday (Wednesday) about 3:30 PM, something that we are very thankful for. Just being together is a rare thing these days, so we really enjoy it when we get it. She is still very weak, and has been struggling with a low-grade fever today. Please pray that it does not go above 100.4 deg because if it does that will necessitate a trip back to UVA, which would likely be a set-back in terms of the surgery.

We are scheduled to leave here early afternoon on Friday (tomorrow) for Philadelphia so that Christen can get her pre-surgery MRI at 7 PM. The current plan is to drive back home afterwards so we can be home on Saturday and Sunday morning. Please pray that Christen will be strong enough to do that, and that if we really should stay the weekend that it will be clear. We have to be back at the hospital on Monday morning 10 AM. Surgery is likely early Tuesday morning.

Please pray that her fever does not go up any further tonight because that would really complicate matters to say the least, and it is causing us a bit of stress as it hovers near the temperature where we might have to go back to the hospital at UVA. We will need to check it hourly through the night.

Steve & Debbie for the family

Return Home Delayed

Christen is still in the hospital this evening suffering with a bacteria infection which is a side-effect of one of the strong antibiotics she has to take because of the chemo. Never a dull moment around here it seems. :-) Thankfully, however, it looks like she will be able to come home tomorrow, and she is feeling better this evening after having felt quite poor all day.

Thank you for the prayers!

Steve & Debbie for the family

Still at UVA

Christen is doing fairly well with this round of chemo, all things considered. The side effects of the methotrexate are beginning to be more of a problem, but they are managing it with pain medication.

We have to wait for the methotrexate in her bloodstream to drop to an acceptable level before she can come home. Please pray that will happen quickly since we won't have much time at home before heading to Philly this Friday afternoon to get ready for the surgery, which is scheduled for next Tuesday.

Steve & Debbie for the family

Last Chemo Before Surgery

Christen is back at UVA today to receive her last chemo treatment before her knee surgery. She was sick this morning, and still feeling the side-effects from the last treatment so please be in prayer for her. She will likely be in the hospital until Monday or Tuesday of next week.

The current plan for the knee surgery is to go up to CHOP (Children's Hospital of Philadelphia) on Friday afternoon 4/11 for an MRI, stay the weekend in Philadelphia, and then be back at CHOP on Monday morning 4/14 for pre-surgery appointments, and then surgery the morning of 4/15.

Steve & Debbie

Finally Heading Home

Just a quick update: Christen and Debbie were finally given the OK to come home this evening. We are all so much looking forward to being together as a family. Please pray for Christen's transition back home, and then back to the hospital on Friday.

Steve & Debbie

Home Tomorrow?

Christen has done well through this last round of chemo treatment, which they administered on Friday. She is still in the hospital, though we are hopeful that she will be able to come home sometime tomorrow. Tomorrow morning will make 2 weeks straight that she and Debbie have been in the hospital. If Christen is able to come home tomorrow then we will have 3 full days together as a family before she goes back in for her next chemo (methotrexate) on Friday. We have 3 birthdays to celebrate (Isaac, Hannah, and Jordan) and an egg-hunt, which was missed over Easter, to fit in. Should be fun! :-)

April will be a big month for Christen. The tentative date for the knee surgery (in which the tumor will be removed and an endoprosthesis will be put in her leg) is April 15th. We will be in Philadelphia for probably 7 days. She will also go back for another round of the cisplatin, which is the "difficult" (they are all difficult, but some more so than others) chemo treatment. After the April cisplatin treatment she will have only one more of those left. The other chemo drugs she has received are difficult but not nearly so as the cisplatin, so we hope that the worst will be over once the cisplatin is completed.

Her tumor will be evaluated after the surgery to determine how much of it was killed by the chemo treatments. We are hoping that more than 90% of the tumor will have been killed since that is considered a good response, and indicates a much better long-term prognosis. The tumor response will also potentially determine how much more chemo she will receive after the surgery, and what kinds of chemo drugs they will administer.

So many folks have given us encouragement and support. Please know that we are so very thankful for all of it, and God has indeed used it to encourage us. He has shown Himself (and often through you guys) to be the ever-present and loving God through these days of trial and tears. They haven't been easy, but He has never forsaken us, or left us alone. We certainly have deserved to be forsaken, but His grace through Jesus is greater still than all our sin. What an amazing foundation we can rest on.

Steve & Debbie

PICC Line

Christen will be staying in the hospital to start her next round of chemotherapy on Friday. This means that she will in the hospital until at least this Sunday, and likely Monday.

She is doing well, all things considered. She had a PICC line inserted today in preparation for the next round of chemo since they had to remove her central line. The doctors are being very careful with bacteria, so they actually plan to remove the PICC line before she goes up to Philadelphia for the knee surgery. She slept most of the day as a result of the sedation they gave her for PICC line insertion procedure.

Please continue to pray for Christen and the family. This is the longest time we have all be separated, and there isn't much easy about this. We are so thankful, however, for the wonderful support we have received throughout.


Thanks!
Steve & Debbie

Easter

Thanks for the continued prayer for Christen. She is still in the hospital, hoping to come home Wednesday, but with the very real possibility that she will go right back on Thursday, depending on how her liver is doing. If her liver hasn't recovered enough then she could go on our church retreat this weekend, but on the other hand that would put another week delay in getting the chemo finished. Having said that, she REALLY REALLY would love to go on the retreat.

We had a very nice visit today as a family in Christen's hospital room. Everyone was there which I believe is the first time that we have all visited Christen at the same time. Louie(18), William(6), and Jordan(7) all traded punches with one another in their arms for a little entertainment. I felt bad for Louie since William's fist is so small and he was putting everything he had into the punch. :-) I think Louie will be OK though.

Please pray for Christen's spirits this evening. It is very hard for someone in her situation not to be discouraged.


Steve & Debbie for the family

Better

Christen is finally feeling better. She had her central line removed on Friday which they think was the source of the infection. She is on strong antibiotics and we hope they will re-place the line later this coming week. The bone pain is thankfully gone. It is simply incredible the number of side-effects that Christen has to fight with between the chemo drugs themselves, and all the other drugs they give her to fight the side-effects of the chemo.

We are so very thankful for God's presence with us, and for all the ways that He has encouraged us through your prayers and support. We can't begin to tell you how much it means to us.


Tomorrow the kids and I will go to see Christen and Debbie in the hospital tomorrow after church.

Steve for the family

Out of ICU, but not the Woods

Thankfully Christen is out of the ICU this evening and into a regular room. However she is really struggling with severe bone pain (a side effect of the medicine they are giving her to bring up her white blood cell count), and she is running another fever. :-(

Tomorrow they will remove her central line as they suspect that is the source of the recent infections. She will be in the hospital through at least Thursday of next week, and probably longer than that. :-(

Please pray for her. These are tall mountains for her to climb.

Steve & Debbie for the family

Still in ICU

Christen is still in the ICU this evening. They will hopefully let her go out onto the "floor" sometime tomorrow if her potassium level comes up. She will likely be in the hospital for the rest of this week. She is anxious to get out of ICU and to a normal room where she can have visitors. They thought for a while that she may have the flu but thankfully that turned out not to be the case. She has had wonderful nursing care in the ICU, for we which we are all thankful.

Please continue to be in prayer for her emotions and spirit as well as the physical issues. It is very hard to be in the hospital.

Thanks!
Steve & Debbie for the family

Oxygen

Christen was so much better today. Her temperature and blood pressure have returned to normal and she was able to eat a little food. She is still in the ICU and will remain there until at least tomorrow. Unfortunately she just this evening started having trouble with her oxygen level and a cough. They did an x-ray of her chest almost immediately, and it came back clear. So please pray that the doctors will be able to figure out what is causing this new difficulty. She just had a CT scan this evening so it might an allergic to the contrast.


Steve & Debbie for the family

In Christ Alone

"In Christ Alone my hope is found..."

Debbie and I went downstairs to eat dinner together and when we returned we were standing outside of Christen's room talking with a Dr. and we could hear some singing inside the room. When we walked in we found that it was Christen's new night nurse, Agnes, from South Africa, singing to her and with her the song "In Christ Alone." What an amazing joy and reminder that was to us of God's love, kindness, and presence with us every step of the way. She is a beautiful, sweet believer in Christ.

Christen will be here in the ICU for probably another couple of days. She will be receiving blood this evening. They think she has blood infection, which is actually very serious. Thankfully she is in good hands and has been in very good spirits. Please pray that she will recover quickly.

Since Christen has a serious infection and the ICU is fairly difficult to get into it would be best if visitors could wait until she gets out of the ICU and into a regular hospital room.


Steve & Debbie

Fever

Christen awoke today with a fever which necessitated a trip to the hospital. She is actually in the ICU now at UVA and will be here until at least tomorrow. This infection seems severe enough that they want to keep a close eye on her. She is running a high fever right now, so she really could use your prayers.

Thanks!

Steve & Debbie

Better Today

Christen is doing better today. Thank you for the prayers. She seems to have turned a corner today, so we are all very thankful for that. She came out and lounged/slept on the couch most of the afternoon and evening. It was good to see her in the living room with the rest of the family when I got home from work. She still isn't feeling great by any means, but the progress is heartening. Thank you for your cards and words of encouragement.

We received some pictures today of our friends Mallory and Stephanie from their weekend visit in Atlanta. We are so glad that those two got to meet! Thank you Susan for the pictures. For those who don't know, Mallory (1o years old) recently finished treatment for Ewing's sarcoma (similar to Christen's cancer), and Stephanie had Ewing's as a child, and just recently had heart surgery. (Stephanie is now a wife and mother, and a Pediatric Oncology Nurse Practioner.) Please pray for Mallory's full body scan next Tuesday to be cancer-free. Also continue to pray for Stephanie as she adjusts to her new sodium-free diet and low activity level and that she would not need a heart transplant.

We praise God that now we appreciate much more each day that we have together. Each day is a gift from God.

Steve & Debbie

Low Days

Christen is feeling very sick (though we are thankful that she hasn't actually thrown up) and is very tired of it. She said this evening, "I just want to be able to eat what I want when I want." Imagine not being able to enjoy food for days and days on end, with seemingly no end in sight. She is feeling very low. She spends most of the day sleeping. Her blood count numbers will start the drop over the next few days and should reach a low point on or about the 18th, so we all have to be careful about not exposing her to infections. We know that God is at work in her (and in us) through these days of suffering. Please pray that we all will look to Jesus with eyes of faith and see that "behind a frowning providence there hides a smiling face."

Steve & Debbie for the family

IV Pumps

IV pumps are great! We are so thankful to be able to give Christen extra needed fluids at home through IV, as she doesn't feel well enough to drink the amount her body needs. We are also thankful that the new medicine has worked thus far and although she feels awful, she hasn't thrown up. This is a tough, long ordeal, but God is able to give the strength we need to persevere.

Please know that each of you all out there are treasures to us, and you are often in my thoughts and prayers.

Debbie, for all

Sleep, Sleep, Sleep

Christen feels like she could sleep for years. She was telling us this evening that chemo is "very strange." It just completely wipes her out. I think it must be something that only those who have experienced it could understand. Praise God, she has not thrown up even once this time, though she has felt like sometimes. She actually ate some Chinese food this evening. What a wonderful difference this time has been so far compared with last time.

She and Debbie arrived home today about 5 PM. Each time she comes home it is difficult because she still isn't done the process. She knows she will have to go back. We are grateful, though, that she has wonderful doctors, nurses, and staff taking care of her at UVA. Our experience there has been very good (though the cancer treatments are very tough).

We can see the hand of God at work in so many ways. It is wonderful to be able to know and trust Him. He knows what He is doing.

Thank you for holding us up in your prayers and support during this time. He is certainly answering and blessing.

Steve & Debbie

Staying the Night

Thankfully Christen has done considerable better this time around, though we are not out of the woods yet. She is very tired this evening and has been sleeping all day, and hasn't felt well enough to do facebook, read, or watch TV. She is feeling nauseated this evening as well. Please pray that she will turn the corner and be able to come home tomorrow.

We are so thankful for all that God has done for us through the support we received from all of you. Please continue to lift Christen and the family up in your prayers.

Steve & Debbie

Doing Well

Christen is doing amazingly well in the hospital this time. She is on a new anti-nausea medication which seems to be working very well. She actually ate a Chipotle burrito last night! Thank you so much for the prayers. Please continue to lift her up. She will have another dose of cisplatin this afternoon.

Thanks!
Steve & Debbie

Difficult Chemo Starts Tomorrow

Christen and Debbie drive back to UVA in the morning to start Christen's next chemo treatment. She will likely be in the hospital at least through Sunday, we expect, though we are learning not to set our expectations too high about when things will actually take place. :-) This chemo will likely be more strenuous than the last two because she will be receiving cisplatin. Please pray that God will give Christen (and the rest of us as well) peace as she faces this. She has had this drug once before so she well knows what it means.

Steve & Debbie for the family

We're Home!!!

Christen and Debbie returned home at 3 PM today with much joy. It was so wonderful to be at home as a family this evening! Thank you for the prayers. We can attest to the fact that He does answer them. We got to meet some new friends this evening, Bob and Ann D., pictured here with Christen. Cancer is no doubt a truly awful thing to have but the Lord has a way of providing many new joys along the way, and one of the biggest ones we have had is meeting so many new friends. Thanks Bob and Ann for your ministry to us this evening in Jesus' name.

Please be praying for a few days of rest for Christen and the rest of us before we start the next chemo treatment on this coming Thursday.

Steve & Debbie for the family

Return Delayed

Christen had a slight setback this evening. She had a fairly rare complication to one of the nausea medications which caused very painful muscle contractions in her jaw. Thankfully that episode didn't last very long, but it was enough to make the Dr. decide to keep her overnight. :-( Thankfully she had some friends visiting at the time, so that eased the disappointment.

The rest of the kids and I were all home this evening, and that was very nice, though we really missed Debbie and Christen. God willing tomorrow we will all be together.

Please pray that Christen will be able to feel well over the next several days, and that we will all enjoy the time being together as a family.

Steve & Debbie

Home Tonight?

The Dr. just told us that there is a good chance that Christen will be able to come home this evening. Please pray that she continues to improve throughout the day.

Steve & Debbie

Still Waiting

Thank you so much for the prayers! Christen started taking a turn for the better last night, so we are cautiously hopeful that she will not have to go on the TPN. Debbie should be hearing from the Dr. sometime this morning about that.

Steve & Debbie

Prayer Needed

Christen really needs prayer today. Our Dr. just told us that all of Christen's counts are ok enough to go home. The thing that is keeping Christen in the hospital now is that she needs to be able to start eating some on her own and taking in enough liquid on her own. The Dr. said that today will be the determining factor---if she doesn't do better today, then they will have to put her on TPN (total parenteral nutrition) because it has been eight days since she's really been able to eat much of anything. If they do put her on TPN she will have to stay in the hospital for the first few days of it to make sure that she is progressing. Today could go either way. She is starting to get the mouth sores which probably also is indicative of what is going on inside her ---esophagus, etc.

So please pray that she will be able to eat and drink and keep it down! She is still very nauseated today. Debbie is coaxing her to drink fluids as much as she can.

Thanks,
Steve & Debbie

Still in Hospital

Thanks for your continued prayer for Christen. She is still in the hospital waiting for the intestinal bug to clear. As soon as it does she will get to go home since the Dr. decided to delay the next chemo treatment until next week which will give her a welcome break from the hospital.

Steve & Debbie

The Monday Blues

Today was blue Monday---for one thing, we're still here; for another thing, Christen was literally a little blue around the edges for lack of a high enough level of oxygen. Thankfully, our doctor this morning put her finger on the problem right away---methemoglobinemia, caused by Christen's one little once a day antibiotic pill called Dapsone. It can cause your iron in your blood to change so that the hemoglobin can't carry oxygen. This was confirmed by a blood test.

We are still not absolutely sure why the intestinal bleeding as all of the results haven't come back, but at this point the doctor thinks it probably is c-dif, an intestinal bug common in hospitals particularly to those with suppressed immune systems. Thankfully, the bleeding seems to have subsided after two days of intestinal rest which means that Christen couldn't have any food or drink in the last two days.:-( Hopefully they will be able to let her start eating lightly tomorrow.

Christen has mostly slept through both day and night for the past few days as she has been nauseous and the anti-nausea meds make you sleepy. She did wake up enough this afternoon for a little while to visit with her grandparents who dropped in and a little this evening to visit with her dad, but hasn't felt well enough to sit up in bed. She also was grateful to have Mr. Rice chauffeur her sister and friends down here for a short visit Sunday evening while she dozed in and out of the conversations.

We don't know yet when we will get to go home. She is still scheduled for chemo (the real tough one) this Thursday. It's possible that we won't get home before that starts. If not, I can see us still being here for the next seven days or so. Pray for contentment of heart to accept that "this is God's will concerning us" at this time; that we would allow Him to have His way with us. He is the Potter; we are the clay.

I am very thankful for the many ways throughout each day that God shows us His love in the midst of this trial. "It's as if God is placing sticky-notes in our lives as daily reminders of His presence and provision."
(C.J. Mahaney). We serve a risen Savior. He's alive and real!

Love and thanks to you all,
Debbie, for all of us

Prayer for Faith

God provided an wonderful encouragement to our faith this morning by way of a sermon by Paul Wolfe on Habakkuk 3:17-19.

Habakkuk 3:17 "Though the
fig tree should not blossom,
nor fruit be on the vines,
the produce of the olive fail
and the fields yield no food,
the flock be cut off from the fold
and there be no herd in the stalls,
18 yet I will rejoice in the Lord;
I will take joy in the God of my salvation.
19 God, the Lord, is my strength;
he makes my feet like the deer's;
he makes me tread on my high places."

It is tempting for us to think sometimes that God has "stepped over the line" if you will. That the hand we have been dealt is just too hard. That He has given us more than we can take. But in reality He hasn't done so. He promised not to give us more than we can handle. He doesn't want us to put our ultimate satisfaction in anything other than Him, as this passage points out. So Christen is dealing with cancer, and all the painful things the treatment brings about, and the rest of us have the pain of watching her go through it, and not knowing what the future holds, and having had life thrown on it's head in many respects.
Please pray for Christen, and for each of us, that we will have the faith and spirit that Habakkuk had.

An update on Christen's situation: she is still in the hospital, her chest scan was clear, but now we are dealing with a likely intestinal infection which will delay her release from the hospital. She has slept most of the day from the meds that she is being given. She also had a blood transfusion today to help her oxygen level. Pray that she will be able to come home tomorrow.

Debbie and Christen have really enjoyed the visitors. The hospital stays get more difficult every time, so the visitors really help.


Steve & Debbie

Quick Saturday Update

Christen slept most of the day again yesterday, but thankfully the nausea hasn't been as bad this time. She is feeling much better today, is sitting up in bed listening to music that Jacob gave her (thanks Jacob, she has really been enjoying it!!).

Christen for sure will not come home today, and it's doubtful tomorrow since her oxygen level has been lower and they are trying to figure out if she has a small clot in her lung. Please pray that gets resolved soon.

Thanks!

Steve & Debbie

Back in the hospital for round number 3

Christen and Debbie are settled back in the hospital at UVA for the 3rd round of chemo treatment. They spent most of the day waiting to get into the room where she will be staying, but they finally got there. I think it tried Mom's patience a little. :-)

Thank you all so much for the notes of encouragement. We receive a steady stream of cards in the mail, comments on the blog, e-mails, etc. and those are very encouraging. To know that you guys are walking with us is a wonderful blessing that we can't begin to describe. God is using each of you in a very real way.

They actual chemo is being administered now, so tomorrow will likely be a difficult day for Christen.

Steve & Debbie

3rd Chemo Starts Tomorrow

Christen's blood count numbers are good enough to start the next dose of chemo tomorrow. She will be having the same medicine as last time so we expect some nausea but not as bad as the first treatment. (The treatment next week will be the bad one again.) Thank you for your prayers.

She is feeling very discouraged this evening. Please pray for God's presence and comfort for her. One can only imagine what it must be like for her. She said that the worst part of the whole thing for her is all the things that she is missing. It feels like life is "going on without her" in a sense.

Psalm 61:1 "Hear my cry, O God,
listen to my prayer;
2 from the end of the earth I call to you
when my heart is faint.
Lead me to the rock
that is higher than I,
3 for you have been my refuge,
a strong tower against the enemy."

Steve & Debbie

Nausea and Weariness

Christen was very tired all day, struggled with nausea, and threw up twice. She was disappointed to not have been able to work on her school. We hope she will feel stronger tomorrow. Pray that her blood test results tomorrow would be good enough so that she can continue her next chemo treatment Thursday.

Steve & Debbie

Monday Update

Christen didn't feel well enough to go to classes today and slept most of the time. She is doing better than the 1st chemo treatment, thankfully, as this medicine was not as difficult as the last one. Pray that she will be well enough to go in for the next treatment this Thursday. She will be getting the same medicine again, but won't be quite as strong going into it.

Thank you for your prayers. One and a half months complete, hopefully only 8 and a half more to go.

Steve & Debbie

A Special Valentine

Well, Valentine's Day was the beginning of Christen's 2nd round of chemo. In the midst of a "bad" 4 day weekend, God provided many special signs of His love. The 4th floor oncology nurses all signed a Valentine's card for Christen. Then, upon entering her inpatient room, one of Christen's student nurses from several weeks back popped in briefly as she was leaving for the day. She said, "I heard you were coming in, and I wanted to give this to you." She had a beautiful hand made Valentine wrapped in a bow with a very pretty pair of pink Valentine's socks. Her card said that she and others were praying for Christen. God has His angels everywhere doesn't He! Little signs of His love being poured out through His people. It brings Christen and all of us so much thankfulness for God and for being a part of His family. Several of Christen's friends came on Valentine's evening. They brought flowers, a heart balloon, a movie, cupcakes, and party food and of course had a party! We'd just stepped out to go downstairs to the cafeteria, when the doctor came in to check on Christen and found them in the midst of their cupcakes. :-) The next night he stopped by to find a different set of girls---he said, "Wait a minute, you're not the same girls who were here last night, are you?" Our nurse gave us both a hug and a kiss when we left today. I must say that UVA has a wonderful set of nurses, medical students, nursing students, doctors, and personnel staff all the way around. We are very glad to be under their care.

We arrived home to a large pink box from our church all decorated with hearts and filled with cards, cookies, and gifts for everyone. Christen is blessed with prayers and friends far beyond what she could have ever imagined. She received a special card from one of her "blog followers" whom she's not yet met, but whose family has been praying for her. She has a mother praying for her whose daughter is friends with someone in Christen's class... I could go on and on, but it's just to say...God is truly wonderful. It is His moving and working in the hearts of so many...all of you. May He truly be magnified through Christen's present illness and through her life, and may many be brought to share in His amazing love because of this trial we've been allowed to go through.

Christen didn't attend youth group tonight in order to try avoiding catching the flu...sorry guys, yes, she is the cause of a number of the youth skipping out so as not to have her home alone---without friends that is :-). Thanks for so graciously giving them up for her cause...she is very grateful to have their wonderful presence!

Thank you, God, for your presence that never leaves us and and for YOUR NEVER ENDING LOVE to your children. Thank you for answering the prayers of so many and giving Christen strength and health and courage and trust in You.

For Christen and her family