It’s been a LONG time since I’ve posted but today brings great news!!…Eli finished his treatments! After 38 months, he’s D.O.N.E. and we couldn’t be more thankful! His final dose of chemo was received November 21st. It’s a wrap folks!
In typical Eli fashion, he completed a Lego set while waiting;) He’s also chosen for his Make-A-Wish to tour the Lego Headquarters in Denmark. Since Lego only allows 144 people the inside tour per year, this year was already full so we’re slated for June 2020.
We decided to be done with this all in one fell swoop so after chemo headed over and had his port removed. Woohoo! Surgery was fairly quick and easy;)
Lil’ man was still drowsy when we got to go back into recovery…
And who, of all people, should we find back in recovery!!!…Mr. Mastrogiacomo! Such a warrior for Jesus! He came over and prayed over Eli, which just about made my heart burst. God knew my mama heart needed that. Honestly, He just doesn’t miss the details;)
We had to return on December 27th for bloodwork AND for him to be considered in REMISSION!!!!!!!! Yay!!! At Beaumont they have the kids ring the bell three times at the end of treatment, receive a toy (Legos, of course;)) and get pictures, hugs, etc. Lots of tears and sweet words for our special boy! What a trooper!
We had some very special people pray over Eli at an End-of-Chemo Thanksgiving celebration. We wanted powerful words of life spoken over him as well as to thank God and so many people that stepped in as burden bearers over the last three years. We simply couldn’t have done this on our own….so thank you also for praying over Eli and our family!
And of course, there were Legos! What’s a party without Legos?!?!
Such a cathartic moment for our entire family; not gonna lie… I just came home and wept. But this whole journey has grown our family in such amazing, life-altering ways that I can’t even begin to fully explain, still processing. And what’s interesting is that my experience is clearly much different than Eli’s experience. When someone you love has cancer, it touches everyone that’s in close proximity to that person…and frankly, lovely people that don’t even know you, but hear about your story.
Below have been some of our favorite verses that have carried us; may they bless you as well.
Psalms 103:2-4 – Praise the Lord, my soul, and forget not all his benefits— who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with love and compassion
Romans 8:28 – And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.
Jeremiah 29:11 – For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.
Exodus 14:14 – The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still.
THANK YOU from our entire hearts! May God bless you and keep you all the days of your life;)
Just a lil’ pic of the most handsome, bold, brave, warrior I know to end this season of the blog;) Who knows what the next chapter will bring, but we’re ready! xoxo-Team Medford
It’s been FIVE months since I’ve blogged- yikes! Time flys! During this time Eli’s been on and off his chemotherapy protocol as his liver has become very inflamed and toxic after 23 months of treatment;(… which is why we’re asking for prayers. He’s currently off chemo until 8/21 to give his liver some time to recover. In the last week his immunocompromised body has managed to pick up the beginning stages of pneumonia as well as croup! So needless to say he’s not been feeling his best. Prayers for his overall health would be GREATLY appreciated;)
Eli also celebrated his 7th birthday at the end of May! We couldn’t have been more thankful to spend the day honoring him;) It was awesome getting some genuine smiles!
He finished his Awana’s year with honors and a speaking part! He seems to have a gift for memorizing Scripture;) Woohoo Eli!
A HUGE highlight for our family this summer was spending several days with some amazing friends, the LaCroixs, in their home state of CA! We adopted Jack & Eli together five and half years ago;) Many of you know how reserved and quiet Eli can be but within minutes he and Jack were inseparable; soul brothers. It was interesting to watch. It was such sweet times with sweet people. I so wish we lived closer. We’ve been home for several weeks and Eli continues to ask when we’ll get to see Jack again. Not soon enough….
Our fams together at a fruit tasting and tour. It was AWESOME! Thanks, Doug;)
We’ve also been able to get some hiking in which is so good for his body! It strengthens him physically and mentally. It’s been inspiring to see him accomplish some physical treks that he didn’t think he could do but his BOLDNESS pulled him through… as well as some gummy bears;)
We’re just at a time again when we’re feeling weary and so very done with cancer and all that comes with it. We’re dreaming of days when Eli feels good every single day he wakes up, with no more hospital appointments, ER visits, needles, spinal taps, blood draws, vomiting, nausea, steroids, chemo. We really despise cancer and the toll it takes on the people you love the most, and the strangers your heart breaks for.
“But Jesus looked at them and said, With men it is impossible, but not with God; for with God all things are possible.” Mark 10:27
You have been assigned this mountain to show others it can be moved. -Anonymous
It’s been a few months since I’ve blogged on Eli’s journey. I feel monotonous posting as his treatment continues to be the same, although I shouldn’t as each day looks different for him and us. Some days are amazing and one would never guess in a million years what he’s walking through, while other days are long, painful and just plain hard on him. Each of us chose our ‘word’ for 2017 and Eli picked BOLD: not hesitating or fearful in the face of actual or possible danger or rebuff; courageous and daring; necessitating courage and daring; beyond the usual limits of conventional thought or action. Such a fitting adjective for this little guy;) Soooo… in honor of his BOLDNESS I’ll blog on some of his accomplishments and our fun over the last few months rather than the sad, hard side of treatment!
Eli’s ‘word’ for 2017!
He’s taking swim lessons with Miss Sam and doing awesome! It’s taken Eli a long time- 5 years to be exact, to be ready to learn to swim. It’s just not been his thing, however, living on the lake, it’s always been my thing for him simply from a safety standpoint! He’s floating and going under water and jumping in and diving for rings and swimming half the length of the pool, and everything else I’ve been impatiently waiting for him to do!!! Lets just say he’s been getting a lot of praise around here for his swimming;)
Despite our not-so-great-skiing winter, Eli has progressed quite well! He’s able to hold his own… now we just need to wait for next winter to rain down mass amounts of snow for us!
He’s also participated in Kids Kicking Cancer as well as some of their social events, like a Detroit Piston’s game.
We’ve had some unbelievably warm temperatures this winter so Eli’s enjoyed playing outside with Baylor… who returns to Leader Dogs for the Blind in April, which is SO BITTERSWEET!! He’s been the BEST dog EVER! God’s got big plans for this very special puppy!
We were in the midst of planning our dream trip when Eli was diagnosed. We put it on hold for about eight months and then just decided that life’s short, he’s in a good place right now, received a thumbs up from his oncologist so dove back into planning mode…well, Jody plans and I pack;) We’d been saving airline miles to head to New Zealand for several years and finally had enough so… we went. We made a pit stop in Tokyo, Japan because it was on the way and “we’re so close”… that’s my line to Jody when we’re within 10 hours of any country we haven’t yet visited;) We were there for a little less than three days and to be honest, we were pretty jet lagged so my facts and timeline may be a little remiss. We toured Tokyo with a lovely gentleman named Mr. Somo. It was an incredible 7 HOUR walking tour- yes, SEVEN HOURS! Jody had more faith in us than we could muster. The one thing I can tell you about Tokyo is that it is probably the cleanest city we’ve ever visited. I’m kind of a germ-phobe and I could’ve eaten off the subway floors! No lie! Everything was glistening… yet there were no garbage cans to be found ANYWHERE! Truly amazing to me.
On the subway with Mr. Somo.
Lunch at an authentic Japanese noodle bar.
Cool Chinese dude
Visiting the statue of Hachiko, the dog who waited for his owner at the Shibuya subway station for more than nine years after his owner’s death. He’s a symbol of loyalty and fidelity in Japanese culture.
Shibuya Crossing; this is reportedly the busiest intersection in the world. It was INSANE!
From Tokyo we flew 10 hours south to Auckland, New Zealand where we stayed for about 24 hours and then boarded a short flight to the south island of New Zealand. Our goal was to tour the south island, which is known for its natural beauty and hiking. And it sure was BEAUTIFUL! It’s pretty desolate along the coast so we stayed in everything from hostels to tents to hotels. Our first stay was in a snazzy hostel called Jucy Snooze… yes, you read correctly JUCY SNOOZE. I have to be honest, we were a little nervous about staying in a hostel with strangers with the kids but God was good and we ended up with a sweet French couple that spoke as much English as Lexie speaks French so all was good! There were eight ‘pods’ per room and the kids LOVED this place! It was super clean and safe so this mama was A-ok!
Eli thought he’d died and gone to heaven; his own private spaceship!
There was an Antarctica museum/experience close to Jucy Snooze so we ventured over to check it out and found out that McMurdo Station is an American Naval base right across the street that flies people/supplies to Antarctica! One day….
They had huskies here and this guy was my fav… clearly the feelings were mutual;)
We drove through Arthur’s Pass which is the highest pass across the Southern Alps. We visited Pancake Rocks, which Eli thought was hysterical.
We fed eels- sorry , they’re still a yuck for me!
Hiked to Frantz Joseph glacier….
Hiked to Fox Glacier and had the amazing privilege of seeing and HEARING an avalanche!
Thankfully we took along our photographer, Lexie;) She was able to capture some gorgeous scenery.
A hike into the mountains…
We eventually made it to the adrenaline capital of the world, Queenstown. Little too touristy for our taste but fun just the same. We opted for the original jet boat tour along the Shotover River… WOW! I’ve always had a lead foot so I think I have some career options there!
And Lexie chose to bungy jump off the Kawarau Bridge, which was the first site for bungy jumping. I couldn’t help but wonder who the first young man was that decided it’d be outrageous entertainment to tie rope to their feet and jump just for the fun of it?!?! I have to admit that I worked for a bungy jumping company in college one summer but the thought of my daughter jumping caused me serious anxiety!! And she was as cool as a cucumber and as graceful as a dove… totally from her daddy;)
We ‘glamped’ in this incredible tent with true furniture, beds, bunkbeds, etc. This was definitely a first! I have to plug AirBnB here because this is why I love this company so much; truly original, authentic properties. I also have to mention that New Zealand is an incredibly diverse country- LOVED THIS!!- and the couple we rented this tent from owned a Thai restaurant that we visited. We had the best Thai food, outside of Thailand, that we’ve ever eaten! And they were authentic New Zealanders, not Thais!
And this video is for pure laughter… enjoy;) The family Sriracha Challenge!
We kayaked…
Took a boat tour of Milford Sound where we were fortunate to have phenomenal weather; the first sunny day since Christmas! They said it’s usually so cloudy that you can’t see the tops of the mountains.
A picnic lunch spot…. ahhhh, just majestic.
Of course we had to tour the Cadbury chocolate factory in Dunedin on the eastern coast! We were all in sugar comas by the time we exited;/
I had to take some pictures of the city landscape in ChristChurch. They’re still doing some serious rebuilding from the 2010 and 2011 earthquakes. So very sad. They’ve acquired quite a character of perseverance there though. One area that we loved was a shopping mall called Re:Start built entirely of shipping containers; it was beyond creative and entrepreneurial.
We had a quick 24 hour layover in Sydney, Australia so had to grab a quick picture at the Opera House;) Sydney was warm and sunny so we enjoyed a perfect day at Manly Beach via a ferry boat ride.
We were able to enjoy some low key family times as well as create some amazing family memories;) We’re in a huddle presently with some amazing couples and are currently encouraging/challenging each other to make time for margin and rest in our family lives…we’ve realized that’s one of the top reasons we enjoy traveling so much. It allows us to create intentional family time, family identity, rest and margin… ahhhh. We’re at peace when we’re traveling;)
One other fun thing about our time in NZ and Australia… it was over Chinese New Year!! They receive tons of Chinese tourists during this time so every place was decorated to the gills to honor them.
Unfortunately we had to return home so Eli could receive chemo and a lumber puncture;( Good news is there continues to be no leukemia cells found in his blood- seriously Praise Jesus!! Bad news, he grew just enough to have all his chemotherapy and steroid dosages increased…again;( It’s been a rough few weeks for him as his body adjusts to the higher levels of drugs, but he’s tough and God is good!
Aunt Andrea came down to hang with us so these two goofballs had a photo shoot;-) Crack me up! She filled his lil’ love tank to the brim with games, good books and loads of snuggles;)
Eli asked if he could be paid to pick up sticks in the yard and I said “YES, sir!” Being the youngest and fairly physically weak oftentimes we, unfortunately, overlook him in the heavy chore department so this was a great way to sow into some good ole’ manual labor! Wish I would’ve taken a final pic but his stick pile was HUGE when he was finished. He toured the yard gathering sticks for an HOUR! We were super proud of him!
Another major highlight for Eli, and honestly, the rest of us!, was getting to meet Ellie Holcomb after her concert at 20 Front Street!! She is truly ordained and has such a gift for both music and preaching God’s Word! We’ve loved one of her songs, Find You Here, only to find out last night that she wrote it for her father when he was diagnosed with cancer. Honestly!
We continue to thank God for your interceding over Eli and our family! I hope I can convey how appreciative of you that we are! Prayers in the area of continued medication adjustment for Eli and how his body metabolizes these drugs would be appreciated.
Joshua 1:9 “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous (BOLD). Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.” Parenthesis mine.
“Cancer is only going to be a chapter in my life and not the whole story.” by Joe Wasser, a Lymphoma Club
2016 been’s a good year but we’re ready to close the door and continue moving forward! Although we probably shouldn’t be too focused on Eli’s end of treatment, we tend to long for November 18, 2018. So, we look ahead;-) We ended this year with a few big accomplishments! Eli graduated from speech therapy after four years! We’ll miss Mrs. King immensely as she’s been an amazing teacher to Eli and friend to our family;-)
And we celebrated Eli’s FIVE year Gotcha Day on December 5th! Time sure does fly! We honestly often forget that he’s not been with us since birth; God did such a work when He knitted Eli into our family;-) We celebrated with Thai food…close to Chinese, right?!?!….a favorite cake and family time. We always recount the day through pictures and sweet memories;-)
Gotcha Day December 5, 2011… the first time I held Eli;-)
We had the privilege of having dinner after one of Emily’s soccer games with my sister, Andrea, and her husband, Paul. They drove all the way over to cheer the Warriors on!
We had our annual cookie-fest! This year I helped Eli choose a rather basic ‘cookie’ as last year he went a lil’ Pinterest-y on me and it caused me great anxiety when his cookie didn’t look exactly like the photo! This year he all but did his recipe on his own;-)
We were also able to attend a tour at the Detroit Parade Company. It was AWESOME! We’re not a huge parade family but I’ve heard such great things about this tour that I figured it’d be worth checking out. It’s downtown in a huge, old car factory. It lasted about an hour and our docent was spectacular! She’s been a clown as well as an admin for the company for many years so she really had the scoop on everything. So… all you local fams, it really is worthwhile!
Thank you to the Youngs! We borrowed your idea of turning our gingerbread making evening into a contest: boys vs girls. There were just too many hands working to make one gingerbread home enjoyable! So Jody and Eli constructed one and the girls and I whipped out the other one and then we asked a handful of trusted, unbiased souls to vote. I may have to rethink this next year as this brought out some competitive spirits around here (Jody!!!)! Girls won by a major landslide!!! Not really, but we did win;-)
Also enjoyed our tradition of a day in Frankenmuth with Jody’s parents. The kids pick out an ornament at Bronner’s, we have lunch, pig out on a donut as big as our heads at Zehnders and partake in some Christmas shopping. It’s always a good time!
We snuck in a quick trip to CUBA!!! It’s literally been one of Jody’s dream destinations; he mentioned it on one of our first dates! I remember thinking he was nuts! So he’s just been waiting patiently;-) Some of the major airlines began flying there recently so we snagged some tickets and went down to check it out….. and it’s AMAZING! Untouched, lovely, pure, beautiful are just a few of the adjectives we’d use to describe this country and its people. What made our trip even more exciting was the fact that Fidel Castro passed away two days before we arrived so it made getting around in a communist country all the more adventurous! Most businesses, including their banks, were closed! Argh. We stayed in a residential area with the most awesome family! They loved the kids!!! They value family and friendship!
We had Roberto as our driver in his 1952 Chevy! The kids got to experience first hand how to manually roll down a window;-) Hysterical.
Their beaches are pristine; some of the best we’ve ever had the honor to enjoy!
and ate…
We snorkeled…
and ate…
and swam in a cenote that was ICE cold and breathtaking…
and ate…
Do you see a theme?!?! The food was YUMMY! If you love to travel, head to Cuba! It’s safe, family friendly, very reasonably priced and just flat out fun! In fact, Eli asked if we could “move there for 10 years”! Jody said yes.
Christmas was celebrated with some special people we love and cherish… like the Coes:)
and Ms. Lisa…
and the Hughes’ that came home from China for a few;-) Boy do we miss you guys!! They were reminiscing how most Chinese people pose with the peace sign around their face while taking pictures so Eli decided to show us what it looked like;-)
Eli participated in the Christmas Eve service and then enjoyed his most favorite part of the night when everyone lights their candle and sings…although I have to admit that one eye is constantly on my youngest child during this time to make sure he doesn’t burn the church down while seeing how far he can tilt the lil’ plastic holder and watch the hot liquid wax run down at an angle, all the while the large flame is ever-nearing the seat in front of him! We keep it exciting around here;-) Look at that precious face!!
Many memories were made this Christmas season, which we’re thankful for;-) Eli continues his chemo treatment according to protocol. He’s gained another pound so hanging tight at 39 lbs! His nausea has been very manageable so THANK YOU for your continued prayers on that. He struggled with a major mouth sore for almost a month before Christmas but now that’s gone so another thing to be appreciative of! Overall, no complaining here! Everyone’s in a good place right now. Prayers over Eli’s health during the winter season are appreciated. His immune system is compromised and although we don’t want to live in fear of living life, this does require us to be wise as we go about our days;-) THANK YOU;-)!
Hope everyone had a Merry Christmas and a happy New Year! xo~ Team Medford
Hardships often prepare ordinary people for an extraordinary destiny- C.S. Lewis
Team Medford LOVES the fall! The weather, apples, football, pumpkins, raking leaves, hot teas and soups, campfires and Halloween (Jody’s birthday!!!!!) This fall was special too as it was Eli’s first soccer season. He’s been begging to play for the last two years as he’s watched Emily enjoy it so much… so it was finally his turn. Jody stepped up to coach Eli’s team of 10 six and seven year old boys; it was truly like herding cats, and at times somewhat painful to watch, but Jody was a trooper and led his lil’ team of boys to a winning season! In true democratic Parks and Rec form the name Fluffy Unicorns was chosen! Go Fluffy Unicorns😉 Absolutely hysterical!!
Eli received chemo through his port on September 27th. Emily joined us that day and we had the privilege of getting photos taken by Flashes of Hope. They transformed the waiting room into a studio and a back room into a hair and makeup room and blessed all the families that day with mini makeovers and pictures;-) It was beyond kind!
Every 30(-ish) days he receives Vin Christine (chemo) in a liquid form that’s pushed through the larger shot-looking tube below into his port. It’s short and sweet and after seeing his oncologist to go over his numbers, we’re sent on our way until the next month.
We took advantage of one of the beautiful fall days and went to the pumpkin patch. This is a highlight for Eli and the girls. Eli takes this very seriously; he deliberated hard several times but ended up with the guy on the right….only to drop him on our way out and break the stem. He was pretty sad but we told him it was still the perfect pick so he cheered back up.
We were able to head down to Texas toward the end of October to visit three more of our awesome National Parks: Guadalupe Mountains, Carlsbad Caverns and Big Bend. As always, they each had their own special flair and draws. We rented a RV MUCH to Eli’s delight. He asks, at least weekly, if we can buy a RV so he was completely in his element;-) Guadalupe Mountains offered great hiking, great temps and great family time! Eli did AMAZING!! He hiked 7 MILES this particular day! His strength and persistence is ever increasing.
Our next stop was at Carlsbad Caverns just over the New Mexico border. The cavern’s over 1,000 feet deep and boasts the largest underground chamber in the U.S. The descent into the cavern was steep, dark, smelly and, to be honest, pretty creepy but once we got into the cavern and our eyes adjusted, it was BEAUTIFUL! Clearly our photos don’t do it justice. March through October the park offers a nightly bat program where thousands of bats fly out to look for their evening meal about dusk (couldn’t take pics of this). The bat program was Eli’s favorite activity of the trip!
Our next stop was WAY south to the US/Mexico border at Big Bend National Park. It was HOT, HOT, HOT! Due to the heat we were only able to get a few short hikes in during the am. Not sure what we were expecting but it was crazy to see just how close we were to Mexico at this particular spot. The kids could literally throw rocks to the other side of the Rio Grande. In the below pic, we hiked to a natural hot spring on the bank of the Rio Grande. It was about 107 degrees and the air temp was around 100 degrees; Eli submerged himself! We were all dying… in fact, the girls stuck their feet in the cool river.
Jody found McDonald Observatory in Fort Davis so we decided to stop and do a Star Party on our way back to El Paso. It’s an organized research unit of the University of Texas and they offer the opportunity to look through their ginormous telescopes at different stars, planets and galaxy. Jody and Lexie absolutely loved this! It was definitely a highlight for them;-) The pic below is from pretty far away but it’s two of their bigger telescopes. And of course we had to buy a sticker book to rehash it all;-)
And the final stop on our trip was at Balmorhea State Park that boasted an awesome 20-25 foot natural hot spring that you could dive and snorkel in due to all the fish and turtles! The girls especially enjoyed their time in it. Unfortunately we didn’t know it’d be that cool of a stop so only left ourselves a few hours. Eli was a little more content to sun himself along the side. And I had to include their pink notice regarding their “guest” swimmers on occasion!! WHAT?!?! This mama’s eyes were PEELED!
Another unfortunate event was Eli had chemo the morning after we returned;( It was uneventful, thankfully. Although he did gain another 2 lbs! Woohoo! He’s up to 38lbs now;-) Dr. Gowans isn’t super concerned with his nausea and vomiting due to his weight gain so we’re just continuing to pray for a divine intervention;-)
We celebrated Halloween as it’s Jody’s birthday so adds a little extra excitement around here;-) Eli was a SWAT police officer and wore it proudly. We did some trick-r-treating with some neighbors. The kids set off at a dead run as they only get an hour to collect as much candy as possible. I, personally, am very thankful for the one hour rule! It’s disconcerting how much candy these children can amass in one hour! What in the world?!?! I was able to convince/coerce each of them into selling me a gallon bag filled to the brim of their candy. Yes, I will stoop to that level; it’s worth every penny.
And funny on the timing of it but Eli had his final cavity repaired on Tuesday morning as well as a clean slate of health on his teeth cleaning. Our prayers were answered for no additional cavities! Thank you, Jesus! And on a fun note, Kids Kicking Cancer asked our family to attend a Piston’s game on Wednesday night. Jody took Eli and Emily and had a fabulous time! Thank you, KKC!
I’ll end this post hoping to make you smile;-)…. I let Eli be in charge of my phone one afternoon while driving in TX and this is what I found….
…apparently he’s into selfies;-)!! Lol….
Please pray for a complete and miraculous end to his nausea and vomiting. He’s doing great overall because he’s TOUGH but it would be such a blessing for him to feel good all day, every day! Thank you!
“In the day when I cried out, you answered me, and made me bold with strength in my soul.” Psalm 138:3
It’s been 365 days since Eli was diagnosed with ALL (Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia). A day that changed so much in so may ways… both positive and negative. My TimeHop app pulled up pictures from a year ago and it brought back such strong emotions and tears, but also loads of praise and thankfulness. While they don’t refer to him as ‘in remission’ while he’s still receiving treatment, his blood remains cancer free and that’s awesomely amazing! (pics from a year ago)
Eli received chemo through his port August 1st and 29th and will return September 27th. He continues his daily oral chemo at home. The latest medically with Eli is that he reached 35.6lbs! Which is great, however, it was the next threshold for increasing all his medications and we weren’t aware of that;( So, it was a bummer. All three of his chemos and steroids were elevated to the next dosage….(sigh). The last three weeks have been hard on his body again… inconsistent vomiting and fevering and lots of nausea again although there are times of great energy and focus!
We were able to visit Isle Royale National Park and Voyagers National Park in August. Overall Eli had an incredible trip with great spurts of energy for hiking and swimming.
We stopped to stretch our legs and have dinner in Mackinaw City as well as a stop in Duluth, MN to spend some time with our sweet friends, the Nelsons!
We also celebrated a momentous occasion when Eli lost his first tooth on the ferry ride to Isle Royale! Unfortunately we didn’t have his special pillow with us so we replayed the whole thing when we returned home;-)
Had to include some fun food/eating pics of Eli since his appetite comes and goes with his steroid usage (1 week out of each month). As much as we dislike the steroids, it makes him ravenous, which is crazy because he typically has such a small appetite;-) Some of his intense facial expressions in the below pictures crack us up!
Coach Jake from Wales came back for a visit, which is always a highlight for Eli;-)
And an afternoon of beach time with Curtis always brings smiles and creativity galore!
Unfortunately, Eli had FIVE cavities- ugh;( We were informed by his oncologists that chemo deteriorates tooth enamel. WHAT?!?! Thankfully we see Dr. Dillingham and he handled Eli beautifully!
A huge thank you to Ms. Cobb and Miss Jessie for letting the kids come and love on the newest additions to Leader Dog! Eli fell in love and showed complete favoritism to Mr. Orange. Free puppy therapy for him 😉
Emily had a soccer tournament in Petoskey last weekend so we took an extra day and headed to Mackinaw Island. Eli loved everything about it… the biking, ROCKS, food, ROCKS, ferry ride, and a few more ROCKS!
Eli has 26 months and one day left of chemo! Woohoo! We’re counting it down to keep our sanity;-) Please pray for his body to strengthen & fight despite the increased chemo/steroid dosing. Please pray for the nausea to stop altogether. Please join us in claiming Eli to remain cancer free for the rest of his life. Please pray over his adult teeth! Please praise God on our behalf for current peace in the midst of this journey! Appreciate your calls, texts, emails and cards! You all rock!!
Psalm 105:1 “Oh give thanks to the Lord; call upon his name; make known his deeds among the peoples!”
It’s been waaayyyy too long since I’ve posted but in all honesty, there’s not been much going on from a medical standpoint…. which is a huge blessing in and of itself;-) I do need to correct my date error from my last post; I stated Eli would be undergoing treatment until November of 2019 but it will only be until November of 2018!! BIG difference;-)
All in all, Eli continues to plod along… although he’s only having to visit clinic for chemo once per month, we are having to go and get blood count checks every two weeks as his counts, specifically neutrophils and white blood cells, have been on the lower end. Not low enough to suspend or lower his chemo but enough that they’d just like to keep their eye on him. Fine by us;-)
His energy level and spirits are good; he typically only struggles with stomach issues all day on Tuesdays and Wednesday mornings due to a higher dose of a specific oral chemo on Monday nights. Otherwise, one would never know his story. His hair’s come back baby fine. The girls enjoy running their hands through it, which he never objects to;-)
Just a brief highlight reel of Eli’s shenanigans over the last few weeks with the biggest and most celebrated being my sister’s and Paul’s wedding where he had the honored position of ring bearer wearing his appropriately chosen Superman socks complete with red capes;-)!!! Now the kids have an Uncle Paul- yay!
We’ve been able to enjoy time with special friends and frog catching,
hosting British soccer coaches and snuggle time with cousins,
picking up our newest addition, future Leader Dog, Baylor,
strawberry picking with Papa and tubing with Jake, Tom and Emily,
4th of July with family and firetrucks, paddle board lounging with Hannah,
building complicated Hot Wheel loop tracks with Keaton and playing cards with Coach Craig,
cheesy smiles at clinic and loving the fact that ‘Henry’, the sweet lil Golden Retriever that our friends Ms. Rebecca & Miss Jessie allowed Eli to name back in January, is being showcased on the new Leader Dog vehicles (far right),
piggyback rides with Coach Tom and late evening boat rides with Mrs. Keating,
slip-n-slides at church BBQs and majestic sandcastles with moats… and dinosaurs!,
and this handsome lil guy that’s fighting an epic battle with such a sense of strength and confidence. Please continue to pray for him; we GREATLY appreciate you and your interceding! Thank you;-)
“Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results.” James 5:16
Well, it was a great run! In case you didn’t know… Team Medford has an addiction to our National Parks. We LOVE them;-) We have a goal of hitting all 59 of them before Lexie leaves our home, which seems to be approaching at ever hastening speeds, so there’s no time like the present! We’re only about half done so we need to get on it! Having Eli romp around in the dry desert air was healing to his body and soul! It was H.O.T! Like up to 110 degrees hot! It was awesome!
We started at Death Valley National Park in Nevada…the hottest, driest and lowest place in North America. There honestly wasn’t much hiking we could do as the temps were just too hot! We took a trek to the salt flats there and did some car touring instead. The kids enjoyed tasting the salt (see Emily below)! Road pic compliments of Lexie, our future National Geographic photographer;-)
After that we headed further west to Channel Islands National Park off the coast of California. We chose to take a 3 hour boat ride and visit Santa Rosa Island. It was stunning and one of the more secluded national parks we’ve been to. There’s nothing like a national park being on the ocean! We enjoyed some hiking, picnicking, playing on the beach and some serious marine-life sightings on the boat to and fro.
Next we headed to Disneyland for lil’ mister’s 6th birthday. He requested a visit to see Mickey and had he not been persevering though cancer treatment these last 8 months, I would’ve never even considered it. But, glad we did as he/we had an awesome day! And yes, we are ‘that’ family that has Disney shirts on…. albeit not matching;) I can only take so much.
We also had to do a quick tourist stop at the Hollywood sign. The kids were expecting to stand on it and take selfies so were quite shocked at the distance between them and the infamous sign;-) You may need your magnifying glass to see it!
Finally we headed down to Tuscon, Arizona to Saguaro National Park. Home of the Saguaro cactus/cacti/cactuses (we had quite the discussion about the spellings/pronunciations!)! We had a family cacti ‘arm’ contest going and Emily took it with a 23 arm sighting win! It was a huge cactus!
We also hauled birthday celebrations across the country to celebrate this sweet pea turning 13 and our handsome lil’ guy turning 6! Wowzers;-)!
Being away allowed us to focus on some super intentional family time, which was GREAT! We’re very grateful for it;-) It gave some of us renewed strength to begin treatment again. For others of us, it allowed more time for anxiety to creep in as the Maintenance Phase date approached. So…Eli began treatment yesterday. His remaining protocol will be chemo through his port every 30 days, 5 days each month of steroids, daily ingestion of two types of oral chemo and spinal taps once every three months. This will end in September 2019, if all goes according to plan. We’re praying for strength, health and complete healing as sometimes they see kids fall backwards with their counts as they begin this phase. We have faith that Eli’s counts will stay put, if not increase. Eli goes back to clinic in two weeks to make sure his counts are reasonable. If his counts have slipped they’ll reassess the dosages on all the different chemos.
Our friend, Lois, sent this Scripture that she heard on a radio broadcast given by a mother that has a daughter fighting leukemia as well. I loved it and claimed it too! “When they drink deadly poison, it will not harm them at all.” Mark 16:18.
Well, it’s official… Eli’s made it to the Maintenance Phase of protocol, which entails once per month chemo through his port and one spinal tap, five days per month of an oral steroid and daily oral chemo for the remaining two and half years (boo hiss!). He was supposed to begin May 23rd but we asked for an extension and were blessed with it so he now has a FULL MONTH off! Praise God with all that I am!! So, he doesn’t have to return until June 6th- seriously! I’m giddy as I type;-) So now we’re snatching the fam and heading outta Dodge for a bit. Heading West to enjoy some of God’s creation and warmth… for the love of Pete, it’s been snowing/hailing here today! Yes, May 15th and it’s S.N.O.W.I.N.G. I may just pack us all up and not return… haven’t totally decided yet.
Mr & Mrs Carpenter sent another package of chemo gifts for Eli;-) Thanks Amy & Nathan! It’s perfect because they typically send some sort of craft and it keeps him occupied while he’s getting treatment… this time he built and painted a car! He was pretty psyched!
He continues to struggle with the smell of the alcohol but didn’t vomit this time so appreciate all of you who prayed against this on his behalf- THANK YOU!! Jody was able to get some sweet pics of him as we don’t a) want to be taking pics while he’s totally down and out and b) posting pics of him totally down and out. Emily made some split pea soup and he LOVED it so we packed him a little thermos full for after his spinal tap; he has to fast on those days until after the procedure so he’s usually pretty hungry.
Ms. Kayla and Ms. Anne pictured below with Eli;-)
Another day of support for our goalie, Em! Woohoo! This was last week… My hands were so frozen from sitting in the snow today that I couldn’t even take pics;-( Plus Eli was so bundled you wouldn’t have recognized him! Ms. Lisa brought him a crazy blue push up sucker that may have been confiscated later in the day.
Yes, ma’am… Mr. Eli needed a HAIRCUT! Ms. Shelly was super excited to have him back in her chair;-) He’s wanting to rock a mohawk for Aunt Andrea’s June 4th wedding…we’ll see how much hair we can grow between now and then!
Had to post this pic because it makes me laugh;)!! Ms. Lisa got Eli this little back scratcher and advised him that he may be able to make a lil’ extra cash from it…so, our lil’ entrepreneur has been doing just that! Jody pays him $1 to scratch his back for a few minutes every now and then!! It’s a win-win!
Aunt Andrea came down for an evening so Eli was able to get some snuggling in;-) They were deep in conversation at this point….
Thank you, Pagel family for the fun Penguin book! This is a great series that Eli’s into right now;-) And on the rare days it’s warm enough to get outside, we take advantage! Em and Eli took a break from some lake adventures for a quick lunch on the deck.
Eli and Emmy finished Awanas this past week and despite having to miss often Eli was committed to finishing his book and his review verses, sometimes via FaceTime (thank you technology!). He planted 39 verses in his heart this year and also earned the ‘Perseverance Award’. Super proud of them both!!
My mom helped Eli make, and surprise me with, this adorable candy flower arrangement for Mother’s Day! He was SO EXCITED to present this to me;-) It was awesome and I felt very loved;-) He’s a crazy crafter, people!!
Eli turns six on May 26th so we did some early celebrating with the grandparents this weekend since we’ll be gone on his special day. He received some super fun and thoughtful gifts!
We were able to get a little date in at Starbucks; he was chillin’ with his frap;-)
We’re asking for continued prayer over Eli’s body. Although we’ve hit a major milestone in his protocol, he’s still far from done. Please pray for him as the Holy Spirit leads you. Thank you as you’re all precious and dear to us and please know your prayers sustain us!
“Even to your old age and gray hairs I am He, I am He who will sustain you. I have made you and I will carry you; I will sustain you and I will rescue you.” ~ Isaiah 46:4. Eaton, you carry me when I need it most. Much love…xo
Eli continues to have good and bad days. Being able to be outdoors has done wonders for him, so we’re thankful for the nicer weather. He has treatment every 10 days currently. He’s been having issues with the iodine/alcohol they use to clean his port/lines the last few times but this past treatment the smell actually caused him to dry heave and then vomit;( He cannot stand the smell anymore. This week they’re going to try having him wear a mask coated with his choice of lipsmaker chap stick; they have fun flavors/smells like root beer, watermelon, etc so please join us in prayer over this. It’s proving to be quite anxiety provoking for him to the point he doesn’t want to go to clinic. The nurses said this is pretty common at this point in the process as the children associate the smell with pain;/ Ugh;( It just makes my heart ache.
His appetite is still pretty low.. he’s hanging in around 33lbs. He’s in a yogurt and toast with butter phase; wish it was more, but I’ll take what I can get right now.
Nurse Ann gave him a sucker after he threw up to give him a new taste in his mouth.
The lake is really mucky right now from all the leaves that blew in during the fall but Eli and Keaton (neighbor) were traipsing through it like bulldozers! Ewww….!
I was able to catch a sweet moment between Lexie and Eli while sharing a snack in the hammock;-) Despite there being seven years between them, they are two peas in a pod in MANY ways!
Eli was able to get some lovin’ in with his fav lil’ pup, Ella! She’s pretty spastic but calms right down when Eli hops up in the reflexology chair and stays put during his treatment time. They shared a snack of mixed nuts;-) And the second pic is of me coning his ears. The oncologist said his ears were full of wax so he was excited to get his lil’ ears coned. It’s very relaxing to him;-)
Kind of surprising to me but his counts are showing he’s neutropenic still (low blood counts= staying away from public places). So we’ve been making fun in the quiet places of our lives;-) Our awesome neighbors, the Pikals, made Eli an indoor kinetic sand tub back in the fall and it’s one of his favorite inside activities. And TRAINS- oh Mona!- does this kid LOVE trains!!! Apparently, Papa read him a book about a grandpa building a train track over the kitchen sink so that’s exactly what they did! Eli, of course, didn’t want to take it apart so there may have been some bribing involved….
Eli received THE MOST CREATIVE package in the mail last week from his fav, Mr. Henry Keating;-) Seriously, Keatings… awesome idea!! We’ve never received a ball through the mail before;-)!
I have two favorite pics this time…. I was able to capture this sweet moment between Ms. Lisa and Eli. He wasn’t feeling all that great on this particular day, so Ms. Lisa was loving on him;-)
And this beauty from my oldest beauty… Lexie has quite an artistic eye with photography these days;-) She and Eli were enjoying some sibling time, chalking up the driveway.
Emmy’s soccer season began so we comprise her cheerleading section along with some rockin’ friends and family… and a cowbell, of course! Is any sporting event complete without one?!?! Jody would say definitely not!! Lexie and Eli seemingly ate their way through the game last week so I clearly need to pack some yummies for this weekend!
I’m specifically feeling very weary and defeated… fear’s been creeping in here and there. I’m worrying…. about his anxiety, his organs, his brain, a reoccurrence, learning disabilities from the chemo, and on and on. There’ve been days with tears and feelings of overwhelming grief as we struggle to participate in treating our son in ways that don’t always feel right to us but are out of our control. We could use prayer in this area, please and thanks;-)
“Sometimes, real superheroes live in the hearts of small children fighting big battles.” ~Anonymous
“Now glory be to God! By His mighty power at work within us, He is able to accomplish infinitely more than we would ever dare to ask or hope.” Eph 3:20
I had to take some pictures of the city landscape in ChristChurch. They’re still doing some serious rebuilding from the 2010 and 2011 earthquakes. So very sad. They’ve acquired quite a character of perseverance there though. One area that we loved was a shopping mall called Re:Start built entirely of shipping containers; it was beyond creative and entrepreneurial.
Eli was able to get some lovin’ in with his fav lil’ pup, Ella! She’s pretty spastic but calms right down when Eli hops up in the reflexology chair and stays put during his treatment time. They shared a snack of mixed nuts;-) And the second pic is of me coning his ears. The oncologist said his ears were full of wax so he was excited to get his lil’ ears coned. It’s very relaxing to him;-)
birdiewatchers 