Cycle 1
I just spoke with the oncologist and have given my consent to begin Ash's chemotherapy treatment this morning. Yesterdays PET/CT Scan revealed no additional tumors in her lungs or abdomen. We have 4 identified areas and those are what we will be hoping to attack with her treatment.
The side effects of chemotherapy are horrible. I am sure many if not most of you have had a family member or have known someone who has been diagnosed with cancer and has had to endure a chemo cycle. The effects are the same for children and babies. Ash will lose her hair, become weak, feel nauseated, have difficulty sleeping, personality changes and mood swings, weight gain in her face(can you even imagine those puffy cheeks getting any bigger?), fever, chills, exhaustion, flu like symptoms and feelings of illness, night sweats, muscles aches and pains, swelling, diarrhea, be open to infection due to the very suppressed immune system, the list goes on and on. These are the minor side effects that she will struggle with. The list of possible major effects of the drugs are frightening. The one that hit me the hardest was infertility. The thought that my sweet little girl will one day grow up and be denied the opportunity to become a mommy is hard for her mommy to accept. As I struggled with this one a peace came over me in the middle of the night knowing that I could not love her any deeper had she come from my own womb rather than my heart. Ash will have the opportunity to have children. They will just grow inside of her heart instead of her womb. She will be a mommy someday if the Lord wills it.
I have a mixture of feelings inside of me. I am ready to go! I want to get started and kill those ugly cells. I want to do this so that she can come home to Texas. At the same time I am scared for her. My heart aches for the difficulty she will experience because of the drugs. I wish I could take this from her so that she would not have to endure any of it. If Ash does well and can stay infection free, virus free, maintain her fluid balance and full feeds then we will bring her home to finish her chemo in Texas. If everything happens beautifully for her during the first 2 cycles then home to Texas we will go. Please God, if it be your will allow us to move home.
Ash's chemotherapy will consist of 6 three week cycles. After her 18 week course of treatment our prayer is that the cancer will be gone, will not have spread, and will not come back. We would appreciate any time you would spend in prayer for her today. She is sleeping so peacefully and she looks just beautiful. She is wearing a pair of princess jammies and her little bunny slippers. She is ready to go. I believe in this little girl and I believe in the power of God. I think she can do this.
posted by Ashley @ 9:28 AM
22 Comments:
I will be praying today. So many have been praying for her. Prayer is so powerful. I hope she will invite all who have been following her journey to her wedding one day! Prayers for healing that only God can give...
Have you seen Facing the Giants? I saw it last night for the first time. A man in the movie told a story of two farmers in the midst of a terrible drought. They both prayed for rain. One sat inside while the other worked his field. When asked what he was doing, he replied, "I'm preparing my field for rain." We pray for God to hear us and bless us, but sometimes we forget to prepare ourselves to receive His blessing. We become so used to prayer and hardship that we tend to protect our hearts by preparing for the worst. So today my prayer for you is to start preparing your field for rain. He has HUGE plans in store for your family and for sweet Ashley. So get ready for His flood! =)
God bless you for the way you have handled this time. I cannot imagine what goes on inside of your heart each day. Yet you handle it with such grace and integrity. You are truly an inspiration.
Ash can do this because we are all praying her through and our Father is right there with her every step of the way. Dear God, I pray that you will keep your loving arms around Ash and Trish and Dave and the rest of the family during this latest struggle and most especially, Lord, I pray for Gherkin's little body to tolerate the Chemo without losing her ability to continue with full feeds. Please, Lord, I plead with you to have mercy on our precious little one today and in the days and nights to come. I pray for all the team members who manage Ashley's care; that you will guide and direct their every move. I pray for Ashley's comfort, dear Lord - please help her through this time as you have so much in times past; above and beyond what we can even envision and we will be so careful to always give you the glory and honor you deserve. We know that only You are the great and mighty physician and only You have brought her through so many obstacles before. We are nothing without You, dear Lord and we place all our trust and hope in You. Thank you in Jesus most precious and powerful name! Amen
Praying for Ashley as she fights this battle. God is always by her side.
Beleiving in you both and HIM! Still praying in Alabama!
Cancer is so limited.
It cannot cripple love.
It cannot shatter hope.
It cannot corrode faith.
It cannot eat away peace.
It cannot destroy confidence.
It cannot kill friendship.
It cannot shut out memories.
It cannot silence courage.
It cannot invade the soul.
It cannot reduce eternal life.
It cannot quench the spirit.
Compare the power of cancer with the power of God - Greater is He that is in you than he that is in the world.
May you be encouraged today. May you steel your heart for this next leg of the race - you ARE not alone in that Hospital room.
Praying the side effects are minimal and Ashley handles things in a manner only God can provide. Sending hugs and love on your journey! :) Tamara
Praying here in Omaha for Ashley's sweet sleep and maybe some for the mother too! Praying especially that the chemo drugs will be just like the army guys; running in to conquer the enemy and get out!
Hoping that the effects are manageable and that you both are on the road home to Texas soon, healthy and ready to face life to the fullest.
Call if you need anything.
Jill from Omaha
My father in law went through seven months of chemo for leukemia and never lost his hair. So maybe there are some symptoms Ashley won't experience.
I'm praying for that for her today.
And I'm praying for your peace, too!
Sending love and prayers from TX :)
Ashley can do this! WE believe in her because God will be there with her. Give those worries over (easier said than done)! He has brought her this far and He will bring her through this.! Dont worry about the future--Take care of Today! Get some rest -you will need it! We love you girls ! Good Luck, Keep fighting little pickle -we are here Praying for you! Maybe that cancer will disappear! God can still perform miracles that we cannot even imagine! He wants all of us to see HIM through Ashley -and it is working! HE HAS A PLAN. I agree with Sarah, some friends of ours 2 month old was just diagnosed with Leukemia, white cells 1.6 million, now after chemo down to 800 and doing well, HE HAS A BEAUTIFUL HEAD OF HAIR. his site is ethanpowell.com if you want to read encouragement on chemo treatments. He is a fighter like Ashley and she can get through this like he has! God is with them both.
Im praying for her, I hope this first cycle goes easy for her, without any side effects(if thats possible). Try to focus on all the positive things, and never give up. You two can do this, God is holding your hands.
Trish, you continue to amaze me every day that I read your blog. You continue to provide strength and hope no matter what the situation.
The Father will carry you through all this. We will continue to pray for your entire family.
We know a lady in our small town that was taken into surgery for cancer removal...and was sewn up and sent home to pass because it was everywhere.
That was over 20 years ago...and she is cancer free! I recently heard her speak at a luncheon for women's health. She said her faith grew by leaps and bounds during this time...she threw herself into her daily devotionals...focussing her quiet times on the stories of triumph in the Bible: David and Goliath, Jonah and the Whale, Rahab, Esther, etc.
She said that daily she went before the Throne remembering these stories of hardship and triumph...and imagined those cancer cells being beaten by the One who gave her Life.
None of us can imagine the journey you face daily. I know I sit in amazement at your faith, your testimony.
I too adopted a daughter...just 2 1/2 years ago. Since I found your story, I'm constantly in amazement that in our situation we aren't sitting where you are. I don't know that I could even face the hurdles you speak of...
Your story, your faith is stretching many of us. It is spreading the Good News. He is faithful. And I know that we will all be lifting up your family...as the hurdles are jumped and cleared.
Kristi in Texas
Praying indeed today, Trish. I know the side effects are frightening, but remember that it is required that all possible side effects be listed on these drugs- I pray that Ashley will not have to face very many of them. We love you all, very much.
PRAYING!!!!!!!!!!!!!
God can do this! And she carries Him with her, right there into the chemo room....right into the bed she lies in! I am praying more strongly for you than every before! Using the strengthened faith that has come in part from her very own story to lift you all up! xoxoxo
We will be praying whole heartedly for you.
we will be praying that God will supernaturally protect all the good cells and organs in her body from the poisons they are putting in her, and of course, praying that you get to go home!
Our hearts ache for what you both have to go through.
Thank you for sharing so much with us...strangers. Our family is praying very hard for y'all. I just wanted to share something with you that I found touching. My son (3.5 years) has been asking about your Ashley a lot. He prays for her every night. Well, yesterday he was sitting on our porch just talking for all he was worth. He was really getting into it. So, I thought he must be talking to someone. I asked him who he was talking to. He smiled and said, "I was praying for Baby Actually so that dear Jesus can make her all better. Jesus can make her better, huh Mommy?" I just got teared up and said that "Yes, baby, dear Jesus can make anything happen." So, thank you for giving me that special moment with my son. Know that he is praying very hard for your baby girl!
Trish:
I am praying for Ashley today. My husband and I prayed this morning for you and sweet Ashley. I am praying for strength, grace, and that she will be healed from this cancer.
I believe in Ashley. She's a fighter and has already come through so much!
Take care and hoping you can get some rest!
Shari
I lost one of my best friends last month to cancer. She was 31. She fought it long and hard for three years. Cancer set in when she became pregnant with her first child. She leaves behind two girls, Lindsey 3 and Maggie 19 months now. Babies that will probably never remember their mommy. It is an ugly monster. But the battle it worth every ounce you have.
I watched her experience almost every side effect that you listed. It will be tough. No way around it.
As for infertility, that is one that I battled with Ivey's diagnosis. Her birth slapped us with many things that many do not realize. She will never have children-period. Her infitility has been hard to accept. Maybe it has been selfish of me, but her children were also part of my plan for her. Ashley will be okay-this is one area that you will not have to deal with I pray. And if you do, please wait until it actually happens to worry about it. My husband tells me constantly to stop living what may or may not be. Just wait and live it only once. Don't relive something. Have faith+
Gwen
Praying extra for Ashley and her mommy today! (((hugs))) and prayers. Chandria
Yes ...we are still praying....praying for the cancer cells to be destroyed and never return...and for the side effects of this treatment process can be as minimal as possible for sweet ashley!!
and a side comment for "anonymous" who's son prayed on the porch to his "dear Jesus"...for "baby actually".....that is just precious!! you have quite a three year old there..."baby actually" is lucky to have a friend like him!!
Post a Comment
Subscribe to Post Comments [Atom]
<< Home