Thursday, April 28, 2011

Good evening.

I am so sorry I haven't written in such a long time. I can't believe how fast the time is passing! I can't believe my precious granddaughter is 3 months old already!!

David is sick as I write this. So is Jennifer, and I think that is how he got sick. It is 'just' a cold, but (as any cancer mom will tell you), you still freak out when your cancer kids are sick. David is all congested and coughing, and with those lung mets. . . . . it is just scary. I know he was sick not that long ago, and that makes it rather disturbing for us, too. Please pray that he is able to kick this cold to the curb; fast!! Thanks. Oh, and please pray that Jennifer feels better, too.

David only has 6 weeks of school left! Unbelievable. Where, or where has the time gone? It is just speeding past so fast. My days are filled with taking care of Emilee and Elena; and soon I will be adding another child to the mix; little Isaac. He is 2 months older than Elena, so he just turned 5 months old. I will be very busy! What was I thinking?!?! LOL. It will be fun, I am sure. Interesting, but fun. There are people who think I don't do anything all day. Actually, someone told my son that his mom doesn't go to work, so she doesn't do anything all day. Keep in mind, when he was told that I was taking care of a 2-month-old boy AND 11-month-old twin girls!!! I know I can handle it when I get Isaac, it will just take some adjustment. Please pray that I will be able to give the quality care to Emilee, Elena, and Isaac that I want to give them. Thanks.

My heart is heavy again tonight. We lost another Osteo child yesterday. Her name was Sara Corbelli (not the same Sara I have asked prayer for). Her CB site is www.caringbridge.org/visit/saraco if you would like to visit. Please pray for her family. Thank you.

Thanks for visiting and checking in. Please remember to pray for Sara Swenson and Rachel. Thank you. Have a good evening. God bless you all. We love you.

Kristi and the Koury Klan

Today, up to 75% of the children with cancer can be cured, yet, some forms of childhood cancers, like osteosarcoma, have proven so resistant to treatment that, in spite of research, a cure is illusive.

Good evening.

David is on Spring Break, and very excited about that!

Jennifer and I went to our quilt class on Saturday morning, and we made Easter table runners! It was so much fun! We took Elena with us so my friend (she is 'grandma Eileen' to Elena) could have some 'baby time.' She isn't a grandma, yet, and wants to be; so I am more than willing to share Elena with her. We had a great morning.

David would like to thank everyone for their birthday wishes, and cards, and money. He had a good birthday. We celebrated his and Rachel's birthdays together this past Saturday. I made fajitas for dinner (their choice), and they chose a funfetti cake with lemon frosting. It was all 8 of us here celebrating both the birthdays. I don't like combining birthdays, but it just couldn't be helped this year. It was a good celebration. Like I said, David wasn't supposed to live to see his 17th birthday, so we celebrate each day we have with him. He knows this cancer could (and might) take his life, so we cherish each and every day we have with him. We cherish each and every day we have will all of our children.

David received his graduation announcements in the mail today! It is so surreal that my baby is graduating from high school~~and a year early! I am just so proud of him. He has fought so hard to live, and to keep up with his schooling. We never were able to get Senior pictures of him in his cap and gown taken, so Lucy is going to take some for us! I will post them when we have them done.

David is also on Spring Break from Bible study this week, too. That is bittersweet for me. I know how much he loves going, but it saves us the gas to make the trip down to Gardnerville and back. With the price of gas going through the roof.......we are struggling to make that trip twice a week every week!! But, we do what we have to do for him. And it is so good for him to be with his peers. *sigh*

Thanks for visiting and checking in on David and the Koury Klan. God bless you all. We love you.
{{hugs}}

Kristi and the Koury Klan

Osteosarcoma (osteogenic sarcoma) is a highly malignant tumor. It characteristically presents between the ages of 10 and 30 years and has a male predominance. The tumor is usually treated with wide tumor resection and adjunctant chemotherapy. Despite treatment the prognosis is poor and a fatal outcome is the rule.

Monday, April 11, 2011

Good evening, everyone. Well, today is David's last day being 16. Tomorrow he will be 17 years old. I can't believe my baby is 17 years old. Where did the time go? It seems like just yesterday he was Elena's age!! And he graduates from high school 2 months from today!! They say that the older you get the faster time goes~~~isn't that the truth! *sigh* It is wonderful that David will see his 17th birthday; they said he wouldn't live this long. We are so thankful for each and every day we have with him. Of course, we are thankful for each and every day we have with all of our children; but we have extra reason to be thankful that David is still alive. School is going well for him. Like I said, he graduates 2 months from today, but he has less than 2 months of school left. The last day of school is June 9th. This school year has just screamed by! Amazing. Thank you for your prayers for him, please keep them up! David has 'good' and bad days regarding his dog. Her birthday was yesterday, and he put a sad face on the calendar. He tries to be strong; but he is like me, he stuffs his emotions. I know he really misses her. It is different around here without her. Please continue to pray for him. Thanks. Thank you for checking in on David and the Koury Klan. Have a good evening. Please continue to keep Sara and Rachel in your prayers. Thank you for your love, prayers, and emotional support. God bless you all. We love you. Kristi and the Koury Klan Survival rates for children with localized osteosarcoma are at about 70 percent, compared to 15 percent in the early 1960s. Survival rates for children with metastatic disease are about 30 percent.

Wednesday, April 6, 2011

Good evening.

I can't believe it has been so long since I updated! Time is just going by so fast!! We have been busy. I am loving taking care of my beautiful granddaughter while my son and daughter-in-love are at work. Every day David says how much he loves her. She is such a good baby; and a silly one at that!! She is getting to be so much fun. She smiles a lot now. It is so wonderful to see that beautiful, toothless smile!! She has brought a lot of joy to our lives. I thank God every day for her. The Koury family has been blessed so much by that precious baby. Oh, she is up to 11 pounds 12 ounces and 23 inches long now!! She also got her shots last week; poor baby. But she handled them like a trooper. She is such a good baby.

David received his cap and gown in the mail. Wow, I can't believe he will graduate from high school in just a little over 2 months!! And he will turn 17 in just 6 short days. Where has the time gone? It has been almost 3 1/2 years since his diagnosis. 3 1/2 years ago yesterday is the day I took him to the doctor because his knee was starting to swell. 3 1/2 years ago our lives changed forever. Wow, has it really been that long? And at the same time, it seems like it has been so much longer ago than that. I am so thankful that David is doing as well as he is. Praise God! David is continuing to do well in school. He wrote his fictional book jacket, and did his verbal reading of it, and he got a 94%. We told him we didn't really care what grade he got, it wouldn't make him fail the course. But, of course we were happy for another A!! He is doing so incredibly well in school considering all he's been through. We couldn't be prouder of him. I just can't believe my baby is graduating from high school!! How can my kids be getting so old, I'm not! lol. David still has that cough. He is sleeping with his humidifier on, I just hope that it is helping. Our weather is changing (the beauty of northern Nevada), and we are expecting snow tomorrow. Earlier this week it has been beautiful, and David and I have been going for walks outside. We just put the girls in the twin stroller I have, leash up the 2 dogs, and we are off. We don't walk fast, or far (David doesn't have the stamina to do much), but we get out in the fresh air. And it is good for the babies to be outside. Then when we get home (after Emilee's nap) we go outside in the front yard. I bring Elena's baby swing outside, and Emilee plays with chalk or the tricycle, or whatever. I guess those days are over for a little while. But that is how it is here. We have been known to have snow well into spring! I remember 6" of snow on Mother's Day!! So we take advantage of the nice days when we can. David's leg gets really tired rather quickly, but I am hoping that the walking will help that happen less. Walking outside is so much more fun than walking on the treadmill!! So we have been enjoying the spring weather, while it lasted. It will be back. Winter just hates to let go!!

Please continue to keep the Koury family in your prayers. Thanks for visiting and checking up on David and the Koury Klan. Please, please continue to pray for Sara and Rachel. Thank you so much for your prayers, they are very much appreciated.

Have a good evening. God bless you all.

We love you. Kristi and the Koury Klan

Research on the emotional impact of childhood cancer finds that parents and siblings report even greater longterm emotional impacts than the diagnosed child.