MONDAY, MAY 30, 2011

Good evening.

First off, we did NOT go camping this weekend. The weather turned cold and VERY windy!!! The cold wasn't necessarily the problem, it was the wind. It was just too windy. So, we stayed home. But we did go to the Aces game on Saturday. That is a long story, so hold on. It was windy and raining when we left, so we had a feeling the game would be called. We got there and went to our suite to wait and see what would happen. We were glad we had the suite, it was warm and dry in there. Well, we saw that the infield cover was on, so we continued to suspect that the game would be called. Then some guys came out and started removing the cover........they needed to drain the water off of it. Then they covered the infield again. The game was supposed to start at 7:05, and around 7:15 they took the cover off the infield, folded it up, and then rolled it up to fit into it's case. Some players came out and were signing autographs, etc. Then I noticed they were unrolling the cover again. Then they proceeded to unfold it and put it back on the infield. It was still raining; then it turned to snow. Well, needless to say, they called the game around 8:30. So we didn't get to see the game. They played a double header on Sunday, but we didn't have tickets for that game. It was a very cold weekend. When I woke up on Sunday, it was snowing. Then it was windy, cloudy, rainy, snowy, etc. all weekend. Today was a better day, weather wise. It was still cold, but we had some blue skies. The unofficial first weekend of summer??? Not here!! We froze this weekend. But it was a nice 3-day weekend. We all enjoyed having the day off today. For dinner we had BBQ'd burgers, potato salad, baked beans, and fruit salad. My favorite thing about summer is the fruit!! We had watermelon, cantaloupe, apples, blackberries, raspberries, grapes, and strawberries in our fruit salad. Yumm-o!! It was a good day.

Well, scanxiety has hit us up the side of the head; big time!! Bryon and I were talking, and we are just so tired of living scan to scan. We are tired of being scared every 4 months. We are tired of never being able to relax. Basically, we are just tired. We know this will NEVER end. This is our life for as long as David is alive. Of course, we prefer this to the alternative, but still. Please pray for us. Please pray that the tumors in David's lungs are stable. Of course, we are praying for a miracle that the tumors are gone, but at least stable. Thank you.

We are so not looking forward to Friday. It is going to be such a long day. We will have to leave home at 4am. Of course, that means getting up around 3! And we have NO idea what time we will be home. It will be such an exhausting day. We really wish we could stay over night, even if we stayed Friday night, but we just can't! I would really covet your prayers for our safety. Again, thanks so much for your prayers.

David is so excited to be almost done with school. We can't believe how fast time is passing, and he graduates in less than 2 weeks!! He will be writing his speech this week. Please pray that God gives him the words to say; and that God calms his nerves when he is giving his speech. He is not looking forward to speaking, but he is so excited to graduate! We still can't believe it. Like I have said many times, he wasn't expected to live long enough to graduate, so for him to reach this milestone is a miracle. David is our miracle child, from conception on. I just can't express how big of a deal this is.

Please pray that David is able to concentrate this last week and a half of school. His last day is June 9th, and he is counting down the days!! He is so ready to be done with school. He hasn't really had a long break from school since he started High School! Since he was diagnosed in October of his Freshman year, he has had a rough road his entire High School 'career.' He isn't, at this time, planning on going to college, and I don't blame him. He needs a break! We will stand behind him and support him in whatever decision he makes.

That is about it for now. Thank you for all your prayers. Thank you for continuing to read this site. Thanks for 'being there' for us these past 3 1/2 years. Please don't give up on us, we still need your prayers. We especially need then when scan time comes around. Thank you for everything. Have a good week. God bless you all. We love you. {{hugs}}

Kristi and the Koury Klan


Whether their children are in remission, cured, or still in treatment, parents of kids with cancer never really relax. Your mind tells you if it happened once, it could happen again.

TUESDAY, MAY 24, 2011

Good evening.

Things are going the same around here. I can't believe that in a couple days my gorgeous granddaughter will be 4 months old!!! Where has the time gone?!?! I mean, this year is almost half over!! Wow. Sometimes I would like time to just slow down for just a little while. I can't believe how fast the time is going.

David is doing well in school. On that note, I have a prayer request; and some VERY exciting news! David was chosen to speak at his graduation! He was chosen based on scholarship, participation, and attendance. I was told (and I quote), "He is an exceptional student and an exceptional person and the school wants to recognize that :)." You all know how proud of him I am, and I just about busted my buttons when I received this notice!! I was blown away!! Remember, he is just barely 17! He is a year ahead of his age in school. And with all he's been through; just wow! Finally someone sees what we see in our fantastic son!! So, the prayer request is that he is able to do this. I mean, he will do it, but he is painfully shy and NOT looking forward to it! But he knows the honor it is to be chosen, and he will 'suck it up', like he always does, and do it!!! Please pray that he isn't too nervous and he does well. He knows all he has to do is read his speech, not memorize it, but he is still scared! We remind him that with all he has been through in the last 3 1/2 years, he can do this! We are just so unbelievably proud of him! What an honor! Yep, just gave me more reasons to puff my chest out and brag on my wonderful son!! Ok, I guess I am done.

We are going camping this weekend, and we can't wait!! David is very excited!! He has been bugging us for a long time, but it has been way too cold! It might be a bit chilly this weekend, but the trailer has a wonderful heater so we will be toasty warm. I can't believe it is already Memorial Day weekend, and almost June! We anticipate a wonderful weekend! Plus, the Aces gave the Northern Nevada Children's Cancer Foundation some tickets to the game on Saturday, so we are going! Just Bryon, David, and I. So we will leave our campsite for a few hours and have a blast at the baseball game! We will be having a fantastic weekend!! We can't wait!

I neglected to ask for prayer for something. On Friday, May 6th, we got a phone call that Bryon's oldest brother, Jim, had a massive heart attack and died. He was only 66 years old. He lived in Alaska, so Bryon was unable to go. They didn't have a service for him, but Bryon would have liked to have gone to be with Jim's wife and family. Jim and his wife, Pam, came down from Alaska two years ago; along with Bryon's sister, JoAnne. So we were able to spend some time with them, and we are really glad we did. Most of Bryon's family has made the effort to come see us since David's diagnosis, and I really appreciate that! They know that David's future is uncertain, and they wanted to see/meet him. They wanted him to know his relatives; on his dad's side of the family. They also realize our financial situation because of 10's of thousands of dollars in medical bills we have. So I am really glad we saw Jim 2 years ago. Please pray for the whole family; this was unexpected. He was fine the night before. Thank you.

That is about all that is happening in our lives at this moment. I am just enjoying having my precious granddaughter every day. I love taking care of her. I love her weight in my arms; and I miss it when she leaves. I love being a grandma; but I knew I would! I love being a mom, so of course I love being a grandma. 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.

WEDNESDAY, MAY 18, 2011

Good evening.

I'm sorry I haven't written in a while. Things here are going the same. David is finally doing better; not coughing as much. He still is NOT eating much, unless we force him! It is just so very frustrating. He does get hungry, he just has no appetite. Nothing sounds good to him. Even his favorite foods are not appealing to him. Please pray that his appetite will pick up. Thanks.

We got the news on his next scans. They will be June 3rd. It will be a long day, because we can't afford to go the night before. So we will have to get up super early, and get home at who knows what time! It will be a long exhausting (physically and emotionally) day. But, we have no choice. David will be having the normal chest CT, bone scan injection (so he will be radioactive for awhile), bone scan, oncology appointment, and blood draw. This time he will also have an echo. He has to have them every year for the rest of his life as chemo causes MANY late effects; one of them being heart issues. So, like I said, it will be a very long day. Please pray for all of us that day, for our safety as we drive to and from Oakland. I know we will all be really tired. *sigh*

I need prayer for something. When we sent out David's graduation announcements we were NOT using them to ask for anything. The reason we sent them out was just to let friends and family know what an incredible accomplishment David has achieved. I mean, he wasn't even expected to live to see his graduation. Well, we had someone refuse the announcement and returned it to us. I am really tired of people treating David like something you scrape off the bottom of your shoe because of how they feel about me or Bryon. How low is that? I need prayer for my attitude towards people who are like that. I am trying to be the person God wants me to be, and people like this person keep throwing a monkey wrench in my desires! I hope that makes sense. Let me make this abundantly clear: I want nothing from anybody! Partly because I don't want that held over my head. I have had too much held over my head for too long. If God blesses me (or my family) through someone else, I just pray that they give us that blessing with no strings attached! I have had way too many strings attached to 'gifts' and I can't do it anymore. Thank you for your prayers.

Please remember to keep Sara's family in your prayers. They are struggling trying to figure out their 'new' life. My heart aches for them. My heart aches for every family that loses a child from the same cancer my son is fighting. Too many children are being robbed of a future, and I am so sick of it!!

Please pray that David's scans come out stable. Please pray that the lung nodules have not grown, and that there are no additional ones. Also, please continue to pray for Rachel as she is still in the battle for her life. Thank you for your prayers.

Thank you for visiting and checking up on David and the Koury Klan. Have a good evening. God bless you all. We love you.

P.S.~~~Shayne, thank you for the very generous graduation gift you sent David. You will be getting a proper 'thank you' in the mail soon!

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!

MONDAY, MAY 9, 2011

Good evening.

First off, I would like to say Happy Mother's Day to all the mothers out there. Yeah, I know I am a day late, but, as the saying goes, better late than never, right? :)

I had a wonderful Mother's Day. The only 'dark' spot was I wasn't with Jeremy and Lucy. That is ok, because Lucy is a mother, too, so it wasn't just my day about me!! I did miss being with them, though. Here is what we did. Actually, the weekend started out with a ladies tea/luncheon on Saturday at church. It wasn't just for mothers, but for all women. So it was all 5 of us Koury women (well, females since it included Elena). We had a blast! It was a yummy luncheon with salad, lasagna, bread, fruit, and dessert. And, maybe the best part, it was served by the men!! Yep, that's right! The men served US ladies!! It was fun. Then yesterday, on Mother's Day, we went to Great America. The American Cancer Society puts on an event called 'Courageous Kids' on Mother's Day. We got to go for free!! Then David got a 'goodie bag' with lots of fun stuff, and a hat, and we got a family portrait of the 5 of us. That made me miss Jeremy and Lucy and Elena, because the picture will be missing them. But that is life. Children grow up and start a life of their own, and that is the way it should be. I totally understand that. Like I said, Lucy is a mother now, and the day is to honor her, too. Anyway, the day was so much fun. The weather was perfect! It was cloudy, breezy, patchy sun, and perfect!! And not crowded at all. The biggest crowd was in the picnic grounds where the ACS event was held. There were way too many families with a child with cancer!! Of course, one family is too many as far as I'm concerned. But anyway, we were fed a good lunch of BBQ'd chicken, hot dogs, rolls, potato salad, soda, ice cream, and I can't remember what else! It was such a fun day. We had to bring David's wheelchair; we knew he would never be able to walk around the park all day!! It was a really long day, tho. We left our house about 5:50am, got there about 10:15am, and got home at 12:00am this morning. We hit snow on the way over there. We are sooo used to going over the Sierra's in the snow; we have done that more than anything else!! Oh, and all the moms got a corsage of a red carnation with ribbons with 'courageous mom' printed on it. It was a very special day. My kids said that they didn't really miss camping, our normal Mother's Day tradition, they love going to Great America. The last time David was there he was 4 months old!! We will go camping soon. We thought we might go this weekend, but we have our quilt class this Saturday, so we might go camping the following weekend. Anyway, I hope all you mothers out there had a great day, I know I sure did!!

David is still coughing. I really hope he gets over this soon. He will be having scans the end of this month, and surgery next month. I really don't want him to be sick for his surgery!! Plus, I really don't want him to be sick for graduation! He has worked so very hard to graduate, I don't want anything to stand in the way!! With all the struggles he has been through, this graduation is such a big deal!! We are just so proud of him. He is continuing to do well in school, thank you for your prayers. Please keep the prayers coming for him; for school, his health, everything. We are still struggling with the eating thing. He told us last night on the way home from Great America (when we were trying to figure out where/what to eat) that he hates food. How many 17-year-old boys hate food?!?! We wish he was eating us out of house and home, like a 'normal' 17-year-old would be! Please pray for that area of his life. We are so very frustrated. Thank you for your continued prayers.

Thank you for visiting. Please continue to keep Sara's family in your prayers as they try to resume life without their precious daughter/sister. Have a blessed evening. God bless you all. We love you.

Kristi and the Koury Klan

4,000 children die from cancer each year. That's 11 children every single day, every single year!

Tuesday, May 3, 2011

Heavy heart tonight

Good evening.

I write this with a very heavy heart tonight. At 11:00 last night Sara lost her battle to this horrible monster. Even though we knew it was coming, it doesn't make it any easier when it does happen. Osteosarcoma sucks!! How many children have to die before we find a cure? How many parents have to bury their children? When a child dies of Osteosarcoma, it feels like one of mine. We are a family. A family none of us want to be a part of; but a family nonetheless. We each feel like we lost one of our own. I am so tired of losing our precious children to this horrible monster. I am also so glad that I had the opportunity to meet Sara. She was an amazing young woman. Please remember her family in your prayers as they go through this stage of their life. Thank you.

David is still very congested and coughing. He feels ok, with the exception of his chest hurting when he coughs. Please pray that he feels better soon! He is tired of coughing and blowing his nose. I am tired of worrying about those lung nodules! Having his chest congested just makes the concern that much greater!! Thanks for you prayers.

School is going well for David. Him graduating from High School is such an amazing thing for him. We keep remembering that he wasn't expected to live to see his graduation; so this is such a monumental event!! People have no idea how much this means! Thank you for your prayers for him during this time.

Thank you for visiting and checking in on David and the Koury Klan. Thank you for your prayers. Please remember to pray for Sara's family. God bless you all. We love you.

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.