She Got Her Chemo!!!

Again, we thank God for caring for Ashley. He has protected her from the virus that Megan had last week, and today her counts were high enough that the doctor decided to give her chemo (off schedule). If you remember, last week, the doctor told us that the chemo would be bumped to the end of treatment, but after some discussion, he decided it would be more beneficial to give Ashley chemo today when her counts are up, instead of waiting another 3 weeks without chemo. Ashley's ANC this week was 1344! I was reminded that God is working in our little girl and that He is also working in Tad and I. He is teaching us to trust him and that nothing is too hard for Him. "When doubts filled by mind, your comfort gave me renewed hope and cheer."
Psalm 94:19

Thank you for continuing to pray for us. We pray that Ashley's side effects from this chemo will be minimal and that the chemo will destroy any cancer cells remaining. We ask God to put a wall of protection around Ashley, guarding her from illness. Also, that her RBC, WBC, and ANC will continue to grow and stay strong.

This is a picture I took of Ashley, today. As you can see, she is feeling pretty good right now, even after chemo and a flu shot!!

Thanks for your prayers!

What a Week!

This week has been a challenge. Megan (our oldest daughter), came down with a stomach virus on Sunday that lasted 48 hours. We had to keep her separated from Ashley for 2 full days. It was tough. My mom took Ashley and Cade for a day while I scoured the entire house with every disinfectant that I had. I cleaned every light switch, door knob, floor, counter, etc until my hands were raw. We've been praying and waiting and are grateful that the rest of us have not gotten sick. Praise God for keeping us well.

Today, Ashley had her clinic appointment and we found that her ANC (neutrophil count, infection fighters) went down pretty low. She was at 700 today. We were so disappointed. The doctor wouldn't allow Ashley to get the heavy chemo (AMD) today, but he did give her a stronger dose of VCR because that chemo doesn't affect the counts much. I guess what discouraged us the most was that the strong chemos that she has missed will now be added to the end of the chemo schedule. So instead of Ashley's final chemo dose being on Jan. 10, it has been extended 6 weeks later, to include a chemo (DOX-O) on Jan. 31 and a chemo (AMD) on Feb. 21. The doctor said that he thinks her counts are low because she is probably fighting a virus.

Please pray that Ashley's ANC counts go up. Her RBC (Red blood cells) and hemoglobin both are great. It's the ANC that needs to be above 1000 in order for her to receive the strong chemo. When her counts are below 1000, risk of infection increases. So, I'm trying to get over my disappointment of a longer chemo treatment end date. I know that an extra month or two of treatment is not that much compared to a lifetime after, but it's just hard to accept. We just want to be done with being overcautious about germs and would love to have Ashley start Kindergarten sometime this Spring. Please pray for us.

We know that God has a plan and that He is taking care of Ashley and caring for us too.

This Week No Chemo, Counts Are Up

Yeah! No chemo this week! We went to clinic today for bloodwork and everything looks good. Ashley's ANC is up to 1430. We were glad to see that her ANC and WBC have gone up. Her RBC still looks fine, no need to transfuse. She has had so much energy lately. We have kept her inside for the last 2 weeks because her allergies had gotten so bad. It has defiantly helped. We think that the bad air from the fire down south was affecting her, so hopefully, in a few weeks she will be fine to be outside.

Next week Ashley will receive her next chemo. This will be a stronger dose of VCR (vincristine) combined with AMD (dactinomyicin). The doctor said that she will be "achy" and probably nauseated. Again, we pray that the side effects will be minimal.

We also ask that you pray for us to have wisdom. We are constantly having to make decisions about what is safe for Ashley to be around (germ wise) and balancing that with how to make her life feel normal. We thank God for giving Ashley, and all of us, health for the last 10 weeks. We pray that He will continue to shield us from the colds, flus, and viruses that are going around. It has been because of God's protection that Ashley has stayed well and we are grateful.

Please continue to pray for Ashley. We know that God hears every prayer.

Good Results

We finally got the results from Ashley's abdomen ultrasound and chest x-rays. Both tests showed there are no tumors.
PRAISE GOD from whom all blessings flow!!

Ashley Did Great!

Ashley completed her 11th treatment of chemo
today! It's hard to believe that we have finally reached this point of treatment. This is very exciting for us because it means she won't be receiving chemo every week. Chemo starts again in 2 weeks, but will only be given every third week.

Ashley did so well today with her ultrasound and chest x-ray. She was a little grumpy because she was hungry, but she cooperated with the nurse. The doctor told us that she would let us know the results of the tests by tomorrow. We will update the post tomorrow with the results.

Thank you for praying for Ashley. Please continue to pray that her ANC will go up. Also, Ashley needs to be drinking more, so pray that she cooperates with us. We are so thankful that God is giving her a fun loving attitude at home, a smile through the storm, and a heart that knows He is taking care of her. We are so glad that He is with us every step of the journey.