Allergies?

Ashley was supposed to get DOX-O (strong chemo) today, but after looking at her counts, the doctor decided not to give it to her. Ashley's WBC and ANC were both very low. The doctor said that he didn't want her counts to drop any lower so he cancelled it. She still received VCR (chemo). She has been sneezing a lot these last 5 mornings, so the doctor said that allergies or a virus could be the cause for the extremely low counts. So this week, we are praying that she won't get sick and that her counts will go up. I guess that is our prayer every week, but again, we ask God to refuel the white blood cells so they can fight infection. Also, next week Ashley will have an ultrasound and cat-scan done to see if any of the tumor has spread. Please pray that the cancer cells are gone.

Next week is our last week of the 10 straight weeks of chemo. After that, she will receive chemo every 3 weeks (strong doses), until mid-January. We are a third of the way through this! Yeah!

Thanks for praying!!!
We thank God for knowing just what Ashley needs and taking care of her.

She's Got Energy!!

Ashley has had a great week. She has had so much energy and has wanted to play, play, play!
It is so neat to see her dancing, laughing, eating well, singing, and so full of excitement.

Ashley's weekly chemo went well today. She gained a pound this week! Her counts also look pretty good. Her red blood cell count and hemoglobin are still a little low, but not low enough for a transfusion. Please continue to pray that the RBC and hemoglobin go up. Ashley was very brave today, even with a different nurse and doctor. We are so proud of her. We thank God for giving her strength and courage.

Next Wednesday is another BIG chemo day. She will receive DOX-O and VCR. Please pray for Ashley next Wednesday, September 27. Pray that she will have minimal side effects from this treatment.

We are still taking life one day at a time which has been a good life lesson for us. Instead of worrying about our days, God is showing us that by handing Him our worries, He is faithful to give us His peace. Since Tad and I are typically overplanners, we never thought that we would get adjusted to staying home, not going out to eat, and not being involved in everything. We still get "stir crazy" and sometimes we get overwhelmed, but we are getting to know our kids better than ever before and are getting closer as a family. We are also noticing, that by slowing down we take the time to talk to God more and rely on Him and His promises. We realize that no one knows what tomorrow may bring, so we should live each day instead of just getting through each day.

Thanks for praying for us!

Doing Well

Ashley continues to be doing well. Her counts today were very similar to last weeks counts, even after having a pretty strong chemo last week. I can tell that she is more tired than usual today, so please pray for her to get the rest that she needs and that her hemoglobin will go up. Also, the cold season is beginning, so please pray that she says healthy.

Our Children's Pastor, "Teacher Annette" came with us to clinic today. That was so special for both Ashley and I. Ashley loved showing her around the oncology clinic and showed "Teacher Annette" how brave she was when getting poked. (picture on top left)

Ashley also had an exciting day last Thursday. She got to take "Teddy" home from Kindergarten and write about what she did with him in a journal. (picture on the top right) The next day, she got to go to her Kindergarten class and bring him back for the next student to take him home. This was so neat because all of the kids in her class knew who she was from the picture hanging in the classroom. She was a celebrity that day. It was the first time that she got to meet all of her classmates and she was thrilled. She also had a playday with a new friend from her classroom, Rachael, last week, and one with her good friend Kaylin. She was busy!!!

I am so grateful to have such wonderful friends and family who care about us. We are also blessed by our neighbors, who are bringing us meals on Wednesdays. Thank you to each one of you! God has put so many caring people around us, showing us His love. Again, thank you to every person who is reads this blog and is diligently praying for Ashley. You are helping our faith to grow. Please continue to pray.

God has continued to give us peace, and we are amazed by Him.

No Transfusion Today

We are so glad to tell you that Ashley's red blood cell count and hemoglobin went up enough that she didn't need a blood transfusion today. We praise God for answering our prayer.

Ashley had a pretty heavy chemo today, so please continue to pray that her side effects will be minimal. Also, that her counts will continue to go up.

As you can see from the picture, Ashley is feeling good and has had a lot more energy these last few days.

Thank you for continuing to pray for Ashley. We thank God for being the healer.