**A Paypal account has been set up to help pay for ongoing travel and medical expenses for David. Just click on the button below

Saturday, October 31, 2009

Saturday, October 31, 2009

Good evening.

Today was a better day for David. His fever is hovering right around 100 degrees. I am still giving him the Bactrim. He said his pain isn't as bad, but the leg still really throbs sometimes. He is still on the Percoset, even though he really doesn't like taking meds! I hope this isn't TMI, but he finally had a BM today!! After what happened last time with his limb-salvage (the intussusception) we were pretty anxious for his bowels to function properly!! Praise God everything seems to be working!! He is on a pretty strong dose of Colace as long as he is on the Percoset. Of course, he hasn't really been eating, so I guess if nothing is going in, nothing can come out, right? Anyway, we were happy about that!

David ate a little bit better today. I made breakfast burritos for brunch today, and he ate about half of it. Then for dinner I made orange chicken, rice, green beans, and salad. He had a fair amount of rice, a spoonful of green beans, and about 5 bites of chicken. I was sooo happy to see him eat! Thank you for your prayers for him. We tell him that each day will be better than the day before; but it is still so hard to see him suffering. He is such a great kid!!! I feel like my 'job' as his mom is to protect him from all the crap (excuse my language) that has been happening him the past 2 years. I just hate so much what he has been through. And what is still in store for him in the future. That is why I can't worry about the future; just take one day at a time.

Thank you for checking in on David and the Koury Klan. Thank you for your prayers; please keep them coming. We hope to go to church tomorrow, please pray that David is up to it (I will just drug him with lots of Percoset, lol). Have a good evening. God bless you all. We love you.

Kristi and the Koury Klan

Friday, October 30, 2009

Friday, October 30, 2009

Good evening.

David is doing a little bit better. His fever hasn't spiked again; it is hovering between 100 & 101 degrees. I have put him on the Bactrim I still have. He said he is achy, nauseous, and has chills. I hope the Bactrim will take care of whatever is trying to get him down. Thank you for your prayers.

I was so stressed yesterday I forgot to mention that it was one year ago yesterday that David got his broviac out!! Yay!

Please continue to pray for him. He still isn't eating like he should; like we need him to. Maybe once this 'bug' is gone he will start eating again. He is still in pain from the surgery, I can't even imagine going through what he has been through. He is allowed to put weight on his leg, he just is afraid to at this point. His muscles have atrophied quite a lot over the past 6 weeks that he has been unable to walk on his right leg. Please pray he is able to be walking again soon. I am so tired of my baby being unable to walk. I am so tired of watching my son go through what he has gone through. It doesn't matter how many surgeries he has, it doesn't get any easier watching them wheel him off to surgery. It doesn't get any easier to 'allow' them to do something to him that is going to cause him pain. It doesn't get any easier knowing my son is going to be cut up, and into, and his body scarred up. There are some wounds that time does NOT heal. It stinks knowing that we are forever parents of a child with cancer. Ok, maybe he doesn't have 'active' cancer (or however you want to say it); but cancer will forever be part of our life. We will go on and live our life, but there will always be this cloud hanging over our head~~~the cancer could always come back!! *sigh* That is why we try to life each day to the fullest.

Please continue to pray for our 'special request.' Also, please pray for our finances. David was taken off prilosec and put on a stronger dose of prevacid because the prilosec doesn't always work very well for him. He still often complaines of a stomache ache with the prilosec. Well, the prilosec costs us $5 co-pay for a 30 day supply. The prevacid is $90 co-pay for a 30 day supply!! But what are we to do? Please pray for us as the medical expenses just seem to grow, even though David is not in 'active' treatment at this time. Thanks for your prayers.

Thank you for checking in on David and the Koury Klan. Thank you for your prayers, please keep them coming. God bless you all. We love you.

Kristi and the Koury Klan


For the patients' parents, a cancer diagnosis can launch a balancing act between the toughness needed to hold together the family and demand the best medical care, and the gentleness needed to stay collected and positive with the child. The ordeal of treatments creates a bond among families who go through the experience.

Thursday, October 29, 2009

Thursday, October 29, 2009

Please pray for David. He isn't feeling well. I took his temperature, and it was 102.0 in one ear, and 102.8 in the other. I averaged it to be 102.4. I gave him some Tylenol; but if he isn't feeling better tomorrow, I will give Connie a call. Gee, could it be that having 2 sick babies in his room was not such a good idea?!?! He was there before they brought the babies into his room. I guess we will see how he is doing tomorrow. I will let you all know. Gotta go. Have a good night. God bless you all. Thanks for the prayers. We love you.

Kristi and the Koury Klan

Thursday, October 29, 2009

Good morning.

We are home!! They let us go yesterday. We figured they aren't doing anything for him there that I can't do for him here. Why waste the money staying in the hospital? Plus, now I have a sore throat and am not feeling the best~~~go figure. Two sick babies in the room with us? I couldn't get David out of there fast enough! It is a good thing he got a powerful antibiotic after surgery! The room situation was a major contributor to us leaving ASAP!! We had two nurses tell us they don't know why David was put there. Oh, well.

Bryon and I went upstairs to the 7th floor to say hi to a nurse David had back in Feb. 2008. She was the nurse who was the most pro-active about finding out what was wrong with David and why he was dying. She remembered David, she will never forget an intussusception in a 13-year-old child!! She said she had never seen it before, and has never seen it since! So it was good to see Amber.

They discharged us about 11:00. Then we had to go check out of the Family House. What that means for the S.F. Family House is clean the room (of course) and wash all the sheets and towels and put them back in the room. Well, by the time we got all that done; and had lunch while the laundry was washing; we left San Francisco at 3:45! If any of you get news from the Bay Area, you know the Bay Bridge was closed because it was broken. Well, that means we had to take the long way home. We stopped for a total of 1/2 hour to get gas and grab food to go; and we got home at 10:30 last night! We were soooooo exhausted!! It took almost 7 hours to go 4 hours away! But we were glad to be home.

For a year when David was on chemo it always snowed when we were gone, and then 'warmed up' when we got home. Well, it did it again! It snowed Tuesday night here! We missed it! Although there is still snow in our backyard. When we got home Bryon was saying that I will get David situated and he will start a fire. Well, Jeremy and Lucy had come over and started a fire for us! That was so sweet and thoughtful of them. So we came home to a blazing fire! Lucy said the house was 49 degrees!! It was so nice to come home to a warm fire. David just slept downstairs~~~he isn't into tackling the stairs yet.

The dressing change went well yesterday. His incision looks good. The doc put another dressing on it, and said we wouldn't need to change it unless it got really bad inside, and then in a week we can take it off for good. Well, it is weeping a little bit, but not too bad. The incision is the same length as the old one, minus about an inch at the top. David's pain is ok. The Percoset is working ok; just can't get his pain below a 2. But it is tolerable, so he is doing better. Thank you so much for your prayers. Keep them coming.

That is about all the news for now. Thank you for checking in on David and the Koury Klan. Have a good day. God bless you. We love you.

Kristi and the Koury Klan

Cancer is like a roadtrip. You begin your journey knowing the destination, but do not know what's in store. Detours, pot holes, exciting adventures around every turn! But you still drive on! (This pretty much sums it us for us!!)

Tuesday, October 27, 2009

Tuesday, October 27, 2009

Good afternoon. I will try this again.

We left Sunday after church. The sermon was good, and then there was a special prayer for David. That was very sweet. Then we left for San Francisco.

We got here around 5:30. We got a fantastic surprise when we checked into the Family House. We walked in the room and Jennifer said, "We have our own bathroom!" I thought she was kidding~~~~shouldn't kid about a thing like that, tho. But she wasn't kidding~~~a private bathroom attached to our room! For a year in Oakland we lived in the Family House with a community bathroom. It is amazing how something so 'simple' can make us soooo happy! But we got the biggest room, and it has a private bathroom. After we got settled in we went to Taco Bell for dinner. Then we just kinda vegged-out until bedtime.

About David's surgery. I was told his surgery was at 10am, so check in at 8am. Then I was told that surgery was at 12pm, and to check in at 10am. Then I got a letter saying surgery was at 10am; check in at 8am. So we got up (didn't sleep well, anyway) and got here at 8am. The receptionist said, "wow, you guys are here early," so I assumed the surgery time had been changed to 12pm. Well, we asked, and apparently David was scheduled for surgery at 2:10!!! Yeah, I guess we were there early! Well, Dr. O'Donnell came to see us around 11:30 or so and said they would be bringing David back in about an hour. Then David showed him his trick, and Dr. O just laughed! He said, "I have to get a picture of that! I have to show my Resident!" He loved it!! He thought it was great. Of course, it reinforced the need for the revision. So anyway, they took David into surgery at 1:30. Not too bad, I guess. But David was pretty hungry by that point. But he is such a great kid, he went back to surgery WITHOUT the versed! No 'happy medicine' for him this time. He was so scared, but so brave at the same time. Then they told us we could go back to the PACU at 4:00pm. Surgery was over!! YAY! We spent forever in there waiting for his room to be ready. The 7th floor (oncology floor) is full, and they put on the 6th floor. His nurse said they don't usually do the orthopedic oncology kids, so she wasn't 100% sure of the 'protocol' for his meds and stuff. Sounds strange, I guess you had to be there (lol). Anyway, our room is HORRIBLE!!! It is a room with 3 beds and NO bathroom! When we got here there was just one boy in the room. He was fine, his mom was fine, no complaints there. I just think it is really stupid to make these kids go down the hall to use a 'public' bathroom. Very strange. . . . . . . Anyway, things were going ok, at best, then at midnight they brought in a baby. A very sick, congested baby. A very cute, fussy baby. And NO PARENTS for said baby. So sad. But they moved him in the room at midnight like it was the middle of the afternoon!! They were soooooo loud! The other boy left this morning, and they brought another crib in here!! What is up with that?!?!? We are praying, HARD, that we get to go home tomorrow. David was in a LOT of pain this morning. They pulled the PCA around 7am. Then his pain got up to a 9 before they got oral meds on board. But you see, he had to eat something before he could take the oral meds. So now that he has the Percoset on board, he is doing better. The Physical Therapist just came by and David was up and walking. He walked across the room and back. YAY! He is doing great. He ate a pretty good lunch, for him, and we are on the 'every four hours' schedule for pain meds. I am so proud of him. He is doing fantastic. This morning they took off the knee immobilizer, and tomorrow morning they are going to take the dressing off and change the bandages. So we will see what his leg looks like. Oh, I forgot to tell you~~~~DAVID GOT TO KEEP HIS PROSTHESIS!!! Dr. O took it to pathology, they did their thing with it, then they cleaned it up, autoclaved it, and gave it to David. He was so excited about that! Thank you so much for your prayers to have him keep it. It is very strange to see it. It is very heavy! And it was definitely broken. Dr. O said he was surprised it didn't collapse after it broke. Still not exactly sure what happened. Except that it is David. But he (David) told us his new 'curve ball' was doing everything the right way! Doing everything the 'easy' way and having things go the way they are supposed to go. We totally approve of those curve balls! So that is the haps on the surgery.

Rachel is staying with David tonight. We are REALLY hoping to go home tomorrow. I know we are pre-approved to stay until Saturday, but we would really like to go home tomorrow. This surgery has gone much better, for David, than the last leg surgery. No intussusception this time!! Woo-hoo!! The pain is finally under control, and life is plugging along here. Please pray for a good night tonight. Please pray that they have a good night tonight. Please pray they get more sleep than I did (that shouldn't be too hard). And please pray that we are able to go home tomorrow. Thank you.

Thank you for checking in on David and the Koury Klan. God bless you all. We love you.

Kristi and the Koury Klan

P.S.~~They are bringing another patient in here. We gotta go home tomorrow!!

Monday, October 26, 2009

Monday, October 26, 2009

Good evening. I just wrote the whole events of the past two days~~~and lost it!! Grrr. I am tired, so I will put it all in a nutshell and write more details tomorrow. David's surgery went well. Please pray that his Dilaudid PCA helps; his pain at it's lowest is a 4 (on a 1-10 scale). They would like to discontinue the PCA tomorrow and just do oral Percoset. I am staying with him tonight. We got a fantastic room at the Family House; we got a lousy room in the hospital. I will write more details and fill in the blanks tomorrow.

Some very sad news; we lost another of our Osteo children today; Shane Christiansen. His website is; www.caringbridge.org/visit/1shane. Please pray for his family. Thank you for checking in on David, and thank you for your prayers. God bless you all. We love you.

Kristi and the Koury Klan

Saturday, October 24, 2009

Saturday, October 24, 2009

Good evening, everyone.

Today was a very busy day. Bryon worked all day. I donated blood this morning. My appointment was for 9:45, and I didn't get in the chair to start the donation until after 10:30! Of course I had better things to do than sit there, but oh well. Then I got home and David and I left to go to the Pumpkin Patch. We were told it was real close to where we live..........not so much. It was about 40 minutes away!! But that was ok. It was a little rough for David to be walking on the uneven ground with his crutches; but he managed. He got a good pumpkin. He said he doesn't want to carve it until we get home, tho. It will be after Halloween, but that is ok. Then we got home and Jennifer and I went and got some good walking shoes~~~~we will be doing a LOT of walking in San Francisco. The Family House is about 8 blocks away from the hospital; up and down hills. So we need good walking shoes. Bryon met us at Big 5 (he got some shoes, too). Then we went to church. It was soooooo good! The sermon really spoke to Bryon and me. Pastor John talked about prayer and why our prayers might not be being answered. The part that spoke to us was he said that when people tell you that the reason your very sick family member isn't healed is because you don't have enough faith, that is WRONG!!! It was a good sermon. Then we had dinner, and Rachel and I had to run to Walmart real quick for some last minute stuff. Now I am doing the laundry so we can finish packing. Whew. Busy day.

Please pray for us tomorrow. We will be leaving to go to San Francisco after we go to church. Please pray for a safe trip for us. Please cover David in lots of prayers~~~he is getting very nervous. He wishes he didn't have to go through this again. But he is such a great kid. I don't blame him for how scared he is getting. Please pray that this surgery is an easy surgery for him; NO complications!! I will try to post tomorrow and let you know how the trip went.

I will keep you all posted in the hospital as soon as I know anything. I will keep you abreast of the situation as it unfolds.

Thank you for checking in on David and the Koury Klan. Thank you for your love, prayers, and support. Have a good evening. God bless you all. We love you.

Kristi and the Koury Klan

Do not be afraid of tomorrow; for God is already there. ~Author Unknown

Friday, October 23, 2009

Friday, October 23, 2009

Good evening.

Today was a busy day. David had a pretty fun day. We went to his Physical Therapy office because he wanted to show Linda his new 'trick' that he does with his leg. He got the desired response from Linda, Amy, and Tanya. They were very freaked out by it!! And Mike, after he took pictures, said, "Put that thing away now!" It was quite funny. David got such a kick out of showing them what he can do.

Then we came home and dropped David off and Bryon and I took Berlynn to the boarders. They aren't open on weekends, so we had to drop her off today.

Then we came home and I finished making apple pies. I baked one last night because Jeremy and Lucy came over for dinner and we had a pie for dessert. I gave 3 of the frozen ones to Jeremy and Lucy, I baked one and gave it to my friend, and we now have 6 in the freezer!! Yay!

David had such a blast freaking out Jeremy and Lucy last night! He is such a goofy kid!! Typical teenage boy~~~~loves to make people scream when they see his trick!! He always gets exactly the response he wants from people!

Tomorrow Bryon has to work; and I am going to donate blood. After I donate I am going to take David to a pumpkin patch. My friend is going to take her kids, and we will caravan there. It will be fun. David picked out a 'ghost' pumpkin last year; so we will see what he gets this time.

I think that is about all that is happening in the Koury Cancer Ward. David is starting to get nervous about the surgery. Please pray hard for him. This sucks so bad. Thank you for checking in on David and the Koury Klan. Please keep him in your prayers. Please pray that this will be a 'cut and dry' surgery~~~~no complications!! No curve balls!! Thanks. Have a good night. God bless you. We love you.

Kristi and the Koury Klan

Courage is being afraid but going on anyhow. ~Dan Rather

Wednesday, October 21, 2009

Wednesday, October 21, 2009

Good evening.

We have had fairly uneventful days. Tonight was our support group meeting (missed you, Roseanne), and it was pretty good. David had Bible Study and thoroughly enjoyed it. He really enjoys going, and I am glad.

David is really getting the hang of online school. He is doing quite well. He is catching up quite fast. He is a great kid, and he tries so hard. Please continue to pray that he is able to get completely caught up with his peers. He really enjoys the Elluminate sessions. So that is how the school situation is coming along.

Tonight David showed us his new trick. The picture shows what he can do with his leg. Isn't it freaky!?!? When we got home from the support group meeting he was already home (Jennifer took the boys) and he showed us his new trick!! I about threw up when I saw him do it! He said it doesn't hurt at all when he does it; he can just feel the skin twisting. He is so goofy; he said it is kinda sad that he is getting the knee fixed!! He liked freaking out the kids at Bible Study! He like freaking out the adults, too. He is such a goofball. Jeremy and Lucy are coming over for dinner tomorrow night, David can't wait to show them what he can do!! Isn't he funny? Just had to tell you what he can do now. He said, "If the knee has to be broken, I might as well have fun with it!" And having fun he is!!!!

Thank you for checking in on David and the Koury Klan. Have a good evening and a good night's sleep tonight. God bless you all. We love you.

Kristi and the Koury Klan

P.S. Check out the new pictures!!

Monday, October 19, 2009

Monday, October 19, 2009

Good afternoon.

It is a beautiful day!! It is VERY windy, rainy, and gorgeous! All the beautiful leaves on the trees are almost gone. The wind has a way of removing all of them! But it is still a beautiful fall, so far.

We only have one more week with the broken knee!! Yay! I got all the paperwork today for David's surgery. It is to start at 10:00am on Monday, October 26. He is scheduled to be discharged on October 31st. We aren't holding our breath on that one, tho.......We know how David works! Hee-Hee! But that is the day he is scheduled to be released. We probably won't be home in time to greet the Trick-or-Treaters, though. By the time we get released, check out of Family House, and fight traffic~~~~we for sure won't be home before well after dark. But that is ok. Noreen, we are staying at the 10th street Family House. I wish we were at the Irving St. one! And I assume David will be on 7 long; that's where he was last time. That is the oncology floor of the Children's Hospital; and he is still a cancer patient; his surgery is 'cancer related;' so that is where I assume he will be. I am sooooo bummed that we will miss seeing you, again!! Hopefully we will be able to meet up soon!

I am sorry I didn't update over the weekend. A friend of mine graduated from a trade school, so she and her husband treated Bryon and I to a night (Saturday) at the El Dorado in Reno. The four of us had a really good time. But it made for a busy weekend. When we got home last night we were pretty tired. The girls took great care of David. I know I can trust them, so I don't worry about him when Bryon and I are gone. Of course, we don't really get a chance to get away much~~~don't have the money! So we really appreciated my friend doing that for us.

Friday I ended up making two more apple pies; actually Rachel helped me make one of them; so now I have four apple pies in the freezer!! All ready for the holidays!

Since I know God cares about all the details of our life, I have another prayer request for you. Please pray for our pets. We are just leaving the Chihuahua's and the cats at home; and we have to board Berlynn. She just can't be trusted to be home all day. The Chihuahua's will be lonely, but fine. They have the doggie door and the whole outside, plus the inside, so I don't worry too much about them. They don't destroy stuff. The cats are fine, too. But Berlynn, the German Shepherd, isn't trustworthy. So we have to board her. I didn't want to have to (it is quite expensive), but we just don't have much choice. I know I will be able to relax more and just focus on David if I am not concerned about what the dog is destroying at home! The dogs are used to me and David being home all day; for the most part; and Berlynn stresses too much when we are gone all day, and that is when she gets into trouble!! Please pray that they will all be ok, and that we can afford the boarding. Jeremy and Lucy will check on the dogs daily; and quite a few of my neighbors are home all day and will be watching the house; but that won't stop Berlynn from being a 'Holy Terror!' LOL Thank you for your prayers.

Thank you for checking in on David and the Koury Klan. Thank you for your love, prayers, and support. Have a good day, and a good night. God bless you all. We love you.

Kristi and the Koury Klan

Thursday, October 15, 2009

Thursday, October 15, 2009

Good evening.

It was another beautiful day today. David did well in school today. He is getting caught up.

I hope you all got a chance to view David's youtube video of his knee. Pretty freaky, huh? 11 more days until we get that knee fixed!! Woo-hoo! I have a strange prayer request for you. David wants to keep the prosthesis. Keep in mind, he kept his chest tube (from his right thoracotomy), and he kept his broviac. Selena (from Dr. O's office) said she will give Dr. 0 a 'heads up' and she will see what she can do to add the prosthesis to his 'collection' (her words!). Please pray that he will be able to keep it. I know it is a strange request, but my son is a goofball! Thanks for the prayers.

Please pray for Sara. She is struggling with this round of chemo. And please keep Sammie's family in your prayers. Her funeral is tomorrow. Emma's funeral was today; please continue to pray for her family. Thank you so much.

Thank you for checking in on David and the Koury Klan. Have a good night. Sleep tight. God bless you all. We love you.

Kristi and the Koury Klan

Thursday, October 15, 2009

Good morning.

Just a quick update to show you David's broken knee. Warning~~~this video is disturbing (except for the fact that the knee is fake!)

www.youtube.com/watch?v=potWkUXXyZI

Notice his hips are flat on the bed. YIKES!! Anyway, I just wanted you to see the 'trick' he can do with his leg. Aren't you glad you can't do that!?!?

Have a good day. God bless you.

Kristi and the Koury Klan

Wednesday, October 14, 2009

Wednesday, October 14, 2009

Good evening.

Today was a beautiful day here in Carson City. Cool, Cloudy, and Windy!!!! After the rain yesterday it was a gorgeous day today.

Today was spent making zucchini bread~~~~~all day! A friend of mine grew a zucchini in her garden; a HUGE zucchini!!! So today we made a bunch of zucchini bread. It is really good, too. I have quite a bit in the freezer! It was fun.

I got a call from UCSF today. David's surgery is on for October 26th at 10:00am. We have to be there at 8am to check him in. We will get the pre-op phone call the day or two before surgery. It is always a phone consult because we live so far away. I can't believe how fast the time is going!! It is amazing! We want the time to go fast to get this over with, but at the same time we are dreading this! I hope that makes sense. Just wanted you to know that we are right on schedule for the surgery.

Thank you for visiting and checking in on David and the Koury Klan. Have a good night. God bless you. We love you.

Kristi Koury

Tuesday, October 13, 2009

Tuesday, October 13, 2009

Good afternoon.

After the 'run around' with phone calls, our oncologist finally called me back this afternoon. She said she was sorry, she thought we already knew the answer. Anyway, the verdict is.........drum roll please........the scans are good. She said no change. No new metastases! We are breathing a little easier. It is just hard to be 'happy' when there is so much pain in our Osteo family right now. But we are relieved. Thank you for your prayers.

David is so funny. I called him to tell him the results, and he said, "cool." I told him he was clear for another 3 months and he said, "yay." That was it. We wanted to tell him in person, but it is too hard for him to get up and down the stairs on the crutches. We don't make him do it any more than he has to. Now we just have the surgery looming in his future. Poor kid. But at least we aren't looking at chemo any time soon!! Again, thank you for your prayers.

It has been a gorgeous fall day today. It has been raining all day~~~very hard at times! We need the rain for a good base of moisture for the snow!! Can't wait until it is snowing. When the sky is all dreary-looking the trees look so much more vibrant! The fall colors this year are amazing!! God is awesome!!

Thanks for checking in; I need to go make dinner. I am making Chunky Chicken Potato Soup for dinner on this cold, wet night!! Perfect! Thank you again for the prayers, love, and support. Keep them all coming! Have a good night. God bless you all. We love you.

Kristi and the Koury Klan

The National Cancer Institutes federal budget is about $5 Billion. Less than 3% of the budget goes towards all pediatric cancers combined. The rest goes toward adult cancers. Breast cancer alone receives 12%. Prostate cancer receives 7%.

Monday, October 12, 2009

Monday, October 12, 2009

Sorry for the second update tonight.

It was two years ago today that we were sent to Oakland Children's Hospital. We only knew David had a 'bone tumor' we had NO idea what was in store for us.........

Can't believe it has been two years!

Monday, October 12, 2009

Good evening.

This has been a tough week for our Osteo family. We have lost four children in four days. We lost Emma and Sammie on Friday; Cullen on Sunday; and little Ben today. My stomach hurts and my heart aches for these families. This has GOT to stop!! We have GOT to find a cure for this monster!

We still don't know the results of David's scans. I called Children's Hospital and she transferred me to Renown. She thought David had his scans here. So I talked to Tia and she said she will call Children's and let them know that we had the scans in Oakland, not Reno. Then Children's called me back and said that they put a call in to Connie (who is out of state) and told her that we are anxious for the results. She said that she will try to call Renown and have Tia give us the results. Well, I never heard from Tia. So. . . . we are still in limbo. But I know Connie will call me tomorrow; she already said she would when I talked to her last week. I am trying to relax; but it is so hard with all the recent deaths! FAR too many!!! Of course, one would be too many. I will post as soon as I find out anything about David's scans. Thank you for the prayers. And please pray for the families of these four children (by the way, Ben has a twin brother) as they try to go on without their precious children. Thanks.

I have to brag on my daughter. When we got home on Saturday, Rachel had made an apple pie; all by herself!! I am so proud of her. It was very good, too. So, good job, Rachel!!!

I really don't have much else to say. Just trying to process all the facts of four children in four days dying of a disease that is a part of my life!! A disease that could be, even now, lurking in my son's body. Please continue to pray for us. Thank you.

Thank you for checking in on David and the Koury Klan. Have a good night. God bless you all. We love you.

Kristi and the Koury Klan

Sunday, October 11, 2009

Sunday, October 11, 2009

Quick update~~~it is late and we are tired.

Please pray for us as we get the news tomorrow about the results of David's scans. Please pray for us that we will be able to deal with whatever those results are. We are nervous, of course, but still trusting God. Thank you for your prayers; keep them coming. I will post tomorrow when I find out what the results are. Have a good night. God bless you. We love you. Thanks for checking in.
{{hugs}}

Kristi and the Koury Klan

Friday, October 9, 2009

Friday, October 9, 2009

Good afternoon.

We are sitting here in Emeryville at the Courtyard. David is done with all his testing. He had the injection for the bone scan at 8:00 (Bryant and Christine always get us in early!!). They were hoping to get us in to an earlier CT~~~not to be. So after the injection we walked down to the cardio area and asked what time David's echo was scheduled for. They said 2:15; but since we were there already maybe they would be able to do it then. So we waited and had his echo around 9ish. Oh, when Christine gave David the injection for the bone scan she left the IV in his arm because they were told that CT was with contrast (it wasn't). David was unable to use his crutches, so we got a wheelchair for him. Anyway, then we went to the cafeteria and hung out there. His CT appointment was for 10:00; so at 10:05 we went back to Radiology. Well, they still weren't ready for David. We sat there until around 10:40 when Christine came and said she would have time to do David's bone scan while they were finishing up with the baby that they were doing a CT scan on. So we went and got David's bone scan. Then they were ready for the CT scan. So he had the CT scan (where they removed the IV). After that we walked across the street to find out what time the audio was scheduled for. Well, the orders were NOT received for an audio for David. It was around 12:00 by that time. So the receptionist suggested that we go get some lunch and come back and they will try to squeeze David in before 4:00. So we went to the cafeteria again, and ate lunch. Then we were back in the clinic at 12:55. We were squeezed in at 1:15!! YAY!! So after he had his audio we were out of there!!! All his scans are done! Woo-Hoo!! The only one we know the results of for sure is the audio~~~his hearing hasn't changed; he still has 'selective hearing.' Otherwise his hearing is perfect!! Thank you Jesus for that! We did see Dr. Raphael in the cafeteria, and we should know the results of all the other scans on Monday. Keep praying! Thanks.

I didn't sleep well at all last night. I did get up at 2:30am so we could leave at 3:30am. I was checking my email (via my phone) all night as two of our osteo children were in the fight for their lives. Well, Emma died at 1:30am; and Sammie died at 3:00am. I guess my heart was just unsettled all night; so was my mind. I just couldn't shut my mind off. I just kept praying for the families of these two precious girls. Emma went peacefully; not so much with Sammie. Sammie fought so hard. My heart is just breaking for the families of these two little girls. I know the girls are no longer in pain; but the pain for the families continues; and intensifies. Please continue to pray for the Hartsfield and Koertzen families. Their websites are:

www.caringbridge.org/visit/sammiehartsfield &
www.caringbridge.org/visit/emmakoertzen.

Our Osteo family has lost WAY too many children this year. Just since David was diagnosed we have lost over 25 children that I know of. This sucks! Pardon my language, but there is no other way to say it. 'Cancer' is not a nice word. And it definitely doesn't belong next to a child's name!! I NEVER thought I would be saying 'David' and 'Cancer' in the same sentence. I am so sad and angry at the same time!! Thank you for your prayers. Keep them coming for these two families, and for all the other families fighting cancer! Thank you.

Thank you for checking in on David and the Koury Klan. I will close before I ramble even more than I already have~~~I am so tired. Have a good evening. God bless you all. We love you.

Kristi and the Koury Klan

Thursday, October 8, 2009

Thursday, October 8, 2009

Good afternoon.

I have heard from the moms of Jenna and Sonya. They both had clear scans!! Thank you for praying for them. Now it is David's turn. We are praying for clear scans. We were told that to get him clear a year after treatment would be a BIG thing. Partly because they didn't expect him to make it past this past summer. Guess what? He is still here. Of course, that in essence means he is on 'borrowed time' but we don't dwell on that. I know that God is in control; but I am still a human. I don't have a crystal ball, I don't know the future. No human being does. I pray that David will be fine, but I don't KNOW that, NOBODY does!!! I just have to trust that I will be able to handle whatever comes my way.

On that note; please, please continue to pray for Sammie and her family. She is having a very rough time. Her parents are worn out. She doesn't have much time left. Here is her site, again. www.caringbridge.org/visit/sammiehartsfield. We have been told that death from Osteosarcoma is a very painful death. They are trying to get and keep her comfortable. Please pray for her. She is only 12. Thanks.

We will be leaving tomorrow at 3:30am. Please pray for a safe trip for us. We are going to try to go to bed early tonight~~~~we will see how that works out!! I have all the laundry done, just the packing left to do. It will be an overnighter. We don't really have the money to do that, but we can't drive home tomorrow after getting up so early and having a full day of testing for David. We have to check into Children's Hospital at 8:30; things start at 9:00. David has to have the injection for the bone scan (that wonderful radioactive junk), that takes a while to get through his system; while we are waiting he has the CT scan; and I am not sure when the audio and echo are. The audio is in a different part of the hospital (across the street in the clinic) so we will be all over the place. Please pray that David will be able to handle all the walking we will have to do. He is on crutches, of course, and he gets tired easy as it is. Walking on the crutches just takes a lot of his energy!! And with his lack of energy now........just please pray that he won't be too tired. Thank you.

I actually made 2 apple pies today~~~put them in the freezer. Gotta make some more, just not today. Need to use the apples before they go bad. The kids want me to make some more apple butter.......we'll see. It has been a busy day.

Please pray for Jennifer. She is sick. She stayed home from work this afternoon. It is a cold, and we are keeping her away from David! We can't have him getting sick; not with surgery looming!! Please pray that she feels better soon, and that David stays healthy. At least he already had his flu shot! We get ours next Friday.

Well, I will post tomorrow, if we aren't too tired. I will let you know how the tests went; and if we know anything. Please keep us in your prayers. Thank you so very much. Have a good evening and a good night. Thank you for checking in on David and the Koury Klan. God bless you all. We love you.

Kristi and the Koury Klan

Wednesday, October 7, 2009

Wednesday, October 7, 2009

Quick update~~~I made a mistake last night. It was Nick and Taylor who have received bad scans, not Kenny and Taylor. Sorry, Nick! I knew it didn't sound right when I wrote it, but I was having a scanxiety moment and wrote the wrong name down! Thanks for understanding.

Have a good day everyone!

Kristi

Tuesday, October 6, 2009

Tuesday, October 6, 2009

Good evening.

Today has been a rough day. We found out that there are now 3 more children who are losing their battle to this dreaded disease. Please remember to pray for the families of Sammie, Ben, and Emma. All of these children are under 13. They are so young. And a couple more have received bad scans~~Kenny and Taylor. Our Osteo family is having a really bad week. Jenna had scans today (don't know the results, yet) and Sonya has scans tomorrow. Please pray that these young women get good results, and that David gets good news on Friday. Well, we won't know the results of David's scans on Friday~~~we will probably know on Monday. Thank you for your prayers for our osteo family members. Also, please remember to keep Shane in your prayers; he has a tumor that has totally invaded one of his lungs. When he does any kind of activity he needs the oxygen. Thank you again for your prayers.

I talked to Connie today. She was quite surprised that David's knee is broken. When I told her he has to have the implant replaced, her words were, "I am so sorry." Then she asked how David is doing with that news. That is one of the reasons we love her; she really cares about David. And as a mom, when someone cares about your child, they hold a special place in your heart!! She said that she is going away for the weekend; and won't be back until Tuesday; so we can just call Dr. Hastings' office to get the results of David's scans. But she said she will be calling anyway when she gets back. The 'scanxiety' is really kicking in!! It doesn't help that so many children are not doing well.

Today marks the one year anniversary of our last chemo trip to Oakland. One year ago today we came home from David's last chemo. As of today David has been out of treatment for as long as he was in treatment. He was in treatment for a year; and he has been out of treatment for a year. Wow. Like I said before, sometimes it seems like just yesterday, and at other times it seems like a lifetime ago. *sigh*

To those of you who have posted in the guestbook; thank you for the support, understanding, and encouragement. You all have proven what I said to be true, it happened to you. You truly understand how tough this is. I even had a 'friend' say to me, "Better you than me!" What is that all about!?!? I would rather it be me than my son, that is for sure!!! Anyway, I am sorry that these things have happened to you, too, but it does make me feel not so alone in my struggles.

Thank you again for all your love, prayers, and support. Thank you for visiting and checking in on David and the Koury Klan. Please continue to pray for us and all these other families.

Kristi and the Koury Klan

Monday, October 5, 2009

Monday, October 5, 2009

Good evening.

It was a gorgeous day today. Cold, cloudy, and beautiful. We had a fire in the fireplace all day. It is so cozy in the house, while it is wintry outside. But, it is supposed to get into the low 70's later in the week. Gotta love Northern Nevada!!

David had a pretty good day. He did school, as usual. He had two elluminate classes today~~one in English and one in Math. He is getting caught up. He will get 'behind' again when he has surgery; but that can't be helped. He will do school as he is recovering, if he feels like it. I am NOT going to push it. He will be recovering from a very major surgery, for crying out loud! So we will play it all by ear.

I am getting so frustrated with this stupid cancer! We found out another one of our osteo family members had scans today; didn't get such good news. This cancer is so persistent and deadly! Please pray for our children!

We have been chatting with our osteo family via our support group website; and it is so interesting how things are the same for most of us. The abandoned friends, family, and co-workers. Not all of us have been abandoned by all the above, but we all have been abandoned by some. It is very interesting. Our children can't run away from what's going on, but the people who aren't involved do. You would think that friends and family would be there for you no matter what, wouldn't you? But I have found that not to be true. Very sad. Please pray for our osteo family members, especially the children, as they (we) all deal with the feelings of abandonment. Like I have said before, I guess it just gets too hard for people to stick around. The novelty wears off, and they are tired of the day-to-day c**p that we deal with. They only want to hear when things are going good. They don't REALLY care enough to stick around when things aren't going so good. Too bad our children can't just 'check out' like the friends/family/etc. do. You truly do find out who your friends are; and those who truly love your child. And those who truly love you, too! But we have all decided that the ones who abandon us are the true losers! They miss the opportunity of watching our children battle this cancer with courage, bravery, and determination! And from mere children!!! I am so proud of all of our osteo children. They are our families. They rejoice with us, weep with us, and are there for us~~~always! I want to say 'Thank you' to my osteo family members. And all my 'C' family members; it doesn't have to be just osteo.

Please continue to pray for our 'special request.' Bryon got an email from the lawyer, and things are moving. Thank you.

I need to go make David a milkshake. Thank you for checking in on David and the Koury Klan. Have a good evening. God bless you. We love you.

Kristi and the Koury Klan

P.S.~~Happy Birthday yesterday to my brother, Mike, and my niece, Ashley!! I hope you had a good one!

Friday, October 2, 2009

Friday, October 2, 2009

Good evening.

Bryon and I were talking today, and we were commenting on what a wonderful child David is. He just does everything that is asked of him, no matter what. He didn't complain when he found out he had to have the revision. He is not happy about it, but he didn't fuss, fight, argue, get angry, nothing. He is so incredible. I, on the other hand (if I was him), would want to say,'just leave it broke until you put in the permanent implant.' I mean, he knows he has to have this revision, AND another one in a couple years. And he just takes everything in stride. I am just blown away by that child of mine. He impresses the heck out of me! He is one amazing young man, let me tell you!

We had a fantastic answer to prayer today. The social worker at UCSF paved the way to get us in the Family House!! Woo-Hoo!! Bryon talked to the guy at the Family House this morning and we are in. We were totally not expecting that! So we will be able to stay there after all. Jill, thanks again for all you did to get us the discounted rate at the Hyatt! I want to publically thank you; you went above and beyond the 'call of duty' to help us. Us Osteo family members need to stick together, don't we? So that is a load off my shoulders. Thank you for the prayers.

We are getting some firewood tomorrow, yay! It is getting very cold here, and we LOVE it! Fall is finally here. They are predicting snow for us on Saturday night into Sunday morning! The high for Sunday could only be in the high 40's!! I love fall, it is my favorite season (with winter in a very close second)!! David is happy, he loves having a fire every day. We have had a fire the last 2 days, so we really need the firewood. Thank you in advance, Alan and the men from Life Point church (formerly CVC).

Please continue to pray for Sammie. She is struggling big time right now. Please keep her family in your prayers. Thank you.

Please continue to pray for our 'special request.' Thank you. Wylene, thank you for all the cards and money that you send David. Please forgive me for not thanking you sooner. David loves getting mail, and being a kid, loves money! lol. Thank you for thinking of him.

Thank you for checking in on David and the Koury Klan. Have a good night. God bless you. We love you. {{hugs}}

Kristi and the Koury Klan