Not very good news
Posted 12 hours ago
Julian had his third MRI today since his treatment ended last January and we were anticipating another good report, however, they did see something suspicious on his lower spine that wasn't there before. It's a small spot, about the size of a rice kernel. So the plan is for him to have surgery on Nov. 5 plus a lumbar puncture to see if any cancer cells are floating around in the spinal fluid. They will analyze the growth and we'll know what it is. We will have a meeting with Dr. Shen next week to discuss treatment options in more detail. If it turns out that the growth is a return of the cancer, we're looking at chemo and radiation again and the cure rate drops pretty significantly. If, God willing, "all" he needs is surgery, he'll be able to return to school in about one week. We haven't said anything to either of the boys yet. Probably won't until later next week. We want to keep their routines as normal as possible. Julian has been so happy lately, enjoying school and the routine that he is in. Did not think we would be crossing this bridge so soon.
Friday, October 29, 2010
Monday, October 11, 2010
Back to School - A message from Andrea
Back to school, September 8.
I cannot believe it's been over two months since our last update. Well, these two photos sort of say it all: Julian celebrated his 7th birthday (and had a great time at his party!) and a few days later he started first grade at the same school as Nolan, Mariners Christian School. I think we were pinching ourselves the first few days of school; was this really happening? We sort of held our breath expecting a phone call at any time to come and pick him up, that he was too tired or that there may have been some other difficulty. But no such calls. How blessed we are that our son is able to return to school with his peers. And he is able to have the same first grade teacher as Nolan had three years ago, a wonderful, seasoned teacher who is supportive of his special needs. We know there are all kinds of 'late effects' of the treatment that may (or peprhaps, will) develop, but we're taking things one day/week/month at a time, and are so enjoying Julian and his new and better life now!
His next MRI is Oct. 28. We hope and pray that this one, just like the others since his treatment finished, will show no changes. Thank you for joining us in this prayer. Prayer is powerful!!!!
I cannot believe it's been over two months since our last update. Well, these two photos sort of say it all: Julian celebrated his 7th birthday (and had a great time at his party!) and a few days later he started first grade at the same school as Nolan, Mariners Christian School. I think we were pinching ourselves the first few days of school; was this really happening? We sort of held our breath expecting a phone call at any time to come and pick him up, that he was too tired or that there may have been some other difficulty. But no such calls. How blessed we are that our son is able to return to school with his peers. And he is able to have the same first grade teacher as Nolan had three years ago, a wonderful, seasoned teacher who is supportive of his special needs. We know there are all kinds of 'late effects' of the treatment that may (or peprhaps, will) develop, but we're taking things one day/week/month at a time, and are so enjoying Julian and his new and better life now!
His next MRI is Oct. 28. We hope and pray that this one, just like the others since his treatment finished, will show no changes. Thank you for joining us in this prayer. Prayer is powerful!!!!
Thursday, July 15, 2010
MRI IS CLEAR! A message from Rich and Andrea - July 14, 2010
MRI is clear!
Posted 14 hours ago
Praise God! Julian's most recent MRI looked great! Thank you for your prayers. He did well through the procedure and we are grateful to have received word today that the results were great. Every day is a gift in my book!
Posted 14 hours ago
Praise God! Julian's most recent MRI looked great! Thank you for your prayers. He did well through the procedure and we are grateful to have received word today that the results were great. Every day is a gift in my book!
Dear Friends - A Message from Andrea July 7, 2010
Dear Friends,
I can’t tell you how wonderful it is to live a ‘normal’ life again. There are moments when my mind goes back to the months not long ago when Julian was in the throes of chemotherapy and I remember how it would be for him at night, sleeping attached to a feeding tube and an IV, full of meds and often waking up during the night nauseated, and I look at him now, sleeping peacefully all night long. It is hard to comprehend that his life and quality of life were so radically different then. I think he has forgotten much of it, which is a great blessing to us all, and is now focused on just being a kid and doing what kids do: play.
He recently had his first haircut since his hair grew back and he looks very handsome. His hair has come back a slightly more wiry texture, and a little darker, but he usually wears a cap to keep the sun off or it would probably be blonder. While he doesn’t have all his energy or appetite back, he is enjoying many routine things: playing for hours with Legos (of course!), being silly with his brother, chasing birds, coloring, etc.
We just returned from something that wasn’t routine: our Make-a-Wish trip to Disneyland! Julian hadn’t been there since he was 9 months old so it was all new to him. They put us up for 5 nights at the Paradise Pier Hotel and we were so well-treated! Our trip included a special visit with Julian’s favorite characters Buzz and Woody, and the boys got to go behind the scenes to decorate cakes with the Disney pastry chef and staff. In addition to three days at Disneyland Resort, we went to Knott’s and Medieval Times. Equally as fun as the amusement parks were the late afternoons when we would come back to the hotel and jump in the pool! This was Julian’s first time in a pool in two years! He especially enjoyed the “shakoozi” and Nolan loved the water slide. Thank you to all the special people at Make-a-Wish and Disneyland Resort for creating an experience for us that we’ll never forget! We are still on Cloud 9 from it.
While we try and move on, there are unavoidable reminders of the past, like his next brain/spine MRI which is this Friday. Once again, he will have to be fully sedated because it would be too difficult for him to lay perfectly still for 90 minutes in a loud, hot tube. When he gets older, he may be able to do so, but he is still too young at this point. We would ask your prayers for that whole sedation process to go smoothly and that there would be no changes from the last MRI.
We also request prayers that he be independent enough for first grade. He still has a few skills to re-learn but is a little reluctant to do so. We also pray that he can handle a full, 6.25-hour day at school. Rich and I go back and forth on whether we think he is up to the task. But, we've enrolled him in a 1-week summer school class and a weeklong Vacation Bible School program so we'll see how he does in either of those.
Well, that is our quick update. If there is such a thing as “normal,” we are humbled and thankful to be able to report that things are still that way!
Blessings,
Andrea Dunn
I can’t tell you how wonderful it is to live a ‘normal’ life again. There are moments when my mind goes back to the months not long ago when Julian was in the throes of chemotherapy and I remember how it would be for him at night, sleeping attached to a feeding tube and an IV, full of meds and often waking up during the night nauseated, and I look at him now, sleeping peacefully all night long. It is hard to comprehend that his life and quality of life were so radically different then. I think he has forgotten much of it, which is a great blessing to us all, and is now focused on just being a kid and doing what kids do: play.
He recently had his first haircut since his hair grew back and he looks very handsome. His hair has come back a slightly more wiry texture, and a little darker, but he usually wears a cap to keep the sun off or it would probably be blonder. While he doesn’t have all his energy or appetite back, he is enjoying many routine things: playing for hours with Legos (of course!), being silly with his brother, chasing birds, coloring, etc.
We just returned from something that wasn’t routine: our Make-a-Wish trip to Disneyland! Julian hadn’t been there since he was 9 months old so it was all new to him. They put us up for 5 nights at the Paradise Pier Hotel and we were so well-treated! Our trip included a special visit with Julian’s favorite characters Buzz and Woody, and the boys got to go behind the scenes to decorate cakes with the Disney pastry chef and staff. In addition to three days at Disneyland Resort, we went to Knott’s and Medieval Times. Equally as fun as the amusement parks were the late afternoons when we would come back to the hotel and jump in the pool! This was Julian’s first time in a pool in two years! He especially enjoyed the “shakoozi” and Nolan loved the water slide. Thank you to all the special people at Make-a-Wish and Disneyland Resort for creating an experience for us that we’ll never forget! We are still on Cloud 9 from it.
While we try and move on, there are unavoidable reminders of the past, like his next brain/spine MRI which is this Friday. Once again, he will have to be fully sedated because it would be too difficult for him to lay perfectly still for 90 minutes in a loud, hot tube. When he gets older, he may be able to do so, but he is still too young at this point. We would ask your prayers for that whole sedation process to go smoothly and that there would be no changes from the last MRI.
We also request prayers that he be independent enough for first grade. He still has a few skills to re-learn but is a little reluctant to do so. We also pray that he can handle a full, 6.25-hour day at school. Rich and I go back and forth on whether we think he is up to the task. But, we've enrolled him in a 1-week summer school class and a weeklong Vacation Bible School program so we'll see how he does in either of those.
Well, that is our quick update. If there is such a thing as “normal,” we are humbled and thankful to be able to report that things are still that way!
Blessings,
Andrea Dunn
Thursday, May 20, 2010
Jammin' for Julian - A Message from Rich and Andrea
Jammin'
Dear Friends,Jammin' for Julian II last Sunday was wonderful! The young performers were just terrific and they inspired us all! Thank you to all the incredible singers and musicians who are using their talents in such a generous way. We raised $4,000 which will be divided among five non-profits to further assist families in the community. I have to tell you, it was pretty therapeutic to be able to focus our eyes on the needs of others, rather than our own! Julian enjoyed the concert and especially standing on stage with me. Nolan had great fun with his cousins (thanks Jordan for your awesome singing!) and friends sitting together from Little League (go Orion!). Our sweet neighbor, Lauren, and her parents, set up a beautiful lemonade stand -- complete with hot soup because the weather was quite chilly -- and together with a wonderful bake sale raised about $800 toward the total. Thanks to special volunteers and family helpers! Emcee Tom Johnson was awesome again. Thanks for jammin' with us!!! (P.S. The entire concert was filmed by Win Hodge and is uploaded on Ben Blackstone's website www.benblackstone.net. By the way, Ben is doubly talented: a terrific ballplayer and an amazing pianist. Thanks Blackstones!)
Dear Friends,Jammin' for Julian II last Sunday was wonderful! The young performers were just terrific and they inspired us all! Thank you to all the incredible singers and musicians who are using their talents in such a generous way. We raised $4,000 which will be divided among five non-profits to further assist families in the community. I have to tell you, it was pretty therapeutic to be able to focus our eyes on the needs of others, rather than our own! Julian enjoyed the concert and especially standing on stage with me. Nolan had great fun with his cousins (thanks Jordan for your awesome singing!) and friends sitting together from Little League (go Orion!). Our sweet neighbor, Lauren, and her parents, set up a beautiful lemonade stand -- complete with hot soup because the weather was quite chilly -- and together with a wonderful bake sale raised about $800 toward the total. Thanks to special volunteers and family helpers! Emcee Tom Johnson was awesome again. Thanks for jammin' with us!!! (P.S. The entire concert was filmed by Win Hodge and is uploaded on Ben Blackstone's website www.benblackstone.net. By the way, Ben is doubly talented: a terrific ballplayer and an amazing pianist. Thanks Blackstones!)
Thursday, April 15, 2010
MRI IS CLEAR! A message from Rich and Andrea - April 15, 2010
MRI is clear!
Posted 16 hours ago
So thankful. Julian's MRI from yesterday is clear! Dr. Shen said it was very good news because it was his first one since the chemo stopped and usually if they were going to see something they would see it now. We are very happy!!!
“Great is His faithfulness. His mercies are new every morning.” Lamentations 3:23.
Posted 16 hours ago
So thankful. Julian's MRI from yesterday is clear! Dr. Shen said it was very good news because it was his first one since the chemo stopped and usually if they were going to see something they would see it now. We are very happy!!!
“Great is His faithfulness. His mercies are new every morning.” Lamentations 3:23.
Tuesday, April 13, 2010
A Time for New Beginnings - A message from Rich and Andrea - April 13, 2010
Posted 16 hours ago
Dear Friends,
Spring is definitely a time of new beginnings. The flowers are blooming; the sun is warming things up; a pair of duckies has been visiting our front yard recently looking for bread scraps; and Easter was beautiful. It has truly been a time of rejuvenation for us. It all started two Fridays ago when Julian had his NG tube removed. We had been anticipating this for weeks and it finally happened. For the first time in 15 months, he has not been connected at night to a pump of one sort or another. No more alarms, beeps, bags and tubes! He is eating OK, preferring sweets to veggies, but he knows he needs to keep eating or that tube goes back in. Now he is asking when his other set of tubes, his central line, will be removed. He has started sleeping in his bunk bed again and Nolan is so happy to have his brother back. In more ways than ever, he is like a regular kid again. Tomorrow is his next MRI and in a few weeks a final infusion of antibiotic. Then his central line will be removed and our clinic visits will be reduced to monthly.
His hair is growing back, too, and his energy levels are increasing. He recently went to an Angel game with Rich (his first since March of 2008), and on Easter Sunday we went to church and had dinner with both sides of the family. That made up for last Easter when he woke up with a fever that put him in the hospital for about 9 days. We sure enjoyed spring break, too. We had lunch at Ruby’s Café at the end of the pier and saw a sea lion and a pod of dolphins nearby (I overheard someone at another table calling them a 'pod' so now I'm using that word). It was a cloudy, rainy day, and most people stayed away from the beach, but the sun broke out and it was gorgeous. The boys also got a close-up visit at a fire station (thanks Minda!) where the firefighters treated them like VIPs. And, Julian’s biggest wish was fulfilled last weekend: he has been aching to hold a baby chickie. We’ve seen them behind glass in incubators but we finally found some chicks at the Youth Expo that he could pet and hold. He was so happy. The boys also got to pet bunnies there and learned all about different rabbit breeds (for ‘future pet planning’). [Note to any of his nurses who might be reading this: I promise he washed his hands right afterwards followed by antibacterial gel!]
There is much more I can write but one thing I must include is that "Jammin’ for Julian II" is in the works. People have been asking us if we were going to do another one, so we’ve set 4 p.m. May 16 as the date and the location is going to be St. Mark’s Presbyterian in Newport Beach. The amazing young pianist, Umi Garrett, will be performing again (she will literally be stepping off an airplane that same day from an international performance)! This time, all the proceeds will benefit agencies that support families going through cancer (Miracles for Kids, Beckstrand Cancer Foundation, Kristies Foundation and Red Wagon Foundation). Updated info will soon be available on www.jamminforjulian.org.
Thank you for your continued prayers. His MRI is tomorrow and there will be many more to follow. Blessings to you!
Andrea, Rich & boys
Dear Friends,
Spring is definitely a time of new beginnings. The flowers are blooming; the sun is warming things up; a pair of duckies has been visiting our front yard recently looking for bread scraps; and Easter was beautiful. It has truly been a time of rejuvenation for us. It all started two Fridays ago when Julian had his NG tube removed. We had been anticipating this for weeks and it finally happened. For the first time in 15 months, he has not been connected at night to a pump of one sort or another. No more alarms, beeps, bags and tubes! He is eating OK, preferring sweets to veggies, but he knows he needs to keep eating or that tube goes back in. Now he is asking when his other set of tubes, his central line, will be removed. He has started sleeping in his bunk bed again and Nolan is so happy to have his brother back. In more ways than ever, he is like a regular kid again. Tomorrow is his next MRI and in a few weeks a final infusion of antibiotic. Then his central line will be removed and our clinic visits will be reduced to monthly.
His hair is growing back, too, and his energy levels are increasing. He recently went to an Angel game with Rich (his first since March of 2008), and on Easter Sunday we went to church and had dinner with both sides of the family. That made up for last Easter when he woke up with a fever that put him in the hospital for about 9 days. We sure enjoyed spring break, too. We had lunch at Ruby’s Café at the end of the pier and saw a sea lion and a pod of dolphins nearby (I overheard someone at another table calling them a 'pod' so now I'm using that word). It was a cloudy, rainy day, and most people stayed away from the beach, but the sun broke out and it was gorgeous. The boys also got a close-up visit at a fire station (thanks Minda!) where the firefighters treated them like VIPs. And, Julian’s biggest wish was fulfilled last weekend: he has been aching to hold a baby chickie. We’ve seen them behind glass in incubators but we finally found some chicks at the Youth Expo that he could pet and hold. He was so happy. The boys also got to pet bunnies there and learned all about different rabbit breeds (for ‘future pet planning’). [Note to any of his nurses who might be reading this: I promise he washed his hands right afterwards followed by antibacterial gel!]
There is much more I can write but one thing I must include is that "Jammin’ for Julian II" is in the works. People have been asking us if we were going to do another one, so we’ve set 4 p.m. May 16 as the date and the location is going to be St. Mark’s Presbyterian in Newport Beach. The amazing young pianist, Umi Garrett, will be performing again (she will literally be stepping off an airplane that same day from an international performance)! This time, all the proceeds will benefit agencies that support families going through cancer (Miracles for Kids, Beckstrand Cancer Foundation, Kristies Foundation and Red Wagon Foundation). Updated info will soon be available on www.jamminforjulian.org.
Thank you for your continued prayers. His MRI is tomorrow and there will be many more to follow. Blessings to you!
Andrea, Rich & boys
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
