David's Osteosarcoma Journey - Stable Disease in Lungs (Cancer Sucks!)

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 9, 2012

2012-02-09T23:08:00.000-08:00

Good evening.

Four years ago at this very moment David was being prepped for a CT scan of his belly. He was 5 days out from limb-salvage surgery, and he was extremely sick. His bowels hadn't woken up from surgery yet, and they didn't know why. He kept vomiting, and the tube down his nose into his belly was sucking green bile, so earlier in the day he had had an endoscopy, and they still didn't know what was wrong. They found a lot of internal trauma from vomiting, and his ulcer, but no conclusive reason why he was vomiting. After the endoscopy we noticed he was laying in a pool of blood, so they knew something was wrong! He had been given several blood transfusions throughout the 5 days, but he was still passing blood, and they didn't know why. So they decided (after multiple xrays every day) to do a CT of his belly. Then they found the intussusception. At midnight the pediatric surgeon came to David's room and told us they were gathering the surgical team together and they will be doing emergency surgery on David ASAP. They knew he had an intussusception, but they were also going to do some exploratory surgery while they were in there. That is when they removed 15 inches of his bowel and resected it. They told us he might come out of surgery with a colostomy, but he didn't. We were very thankful for that. They told us he was pretty bad off inside. Basically, he should have died. (Left untreated, a person will die within 2 to 5 days of an intussusception.) He was bleeding internally, and his bowels were extremely necrotic, and he should have died. My son has an incredible will to live! He is such a tough kid. These memories are difficult for us, but we are so glad they are just memories! David has been through so much, and we are so thankful he is still alive; and doing well. We praise God for the doctors and how they saved his life. Two very major surgeries in 6 days. David, thankfully, doesn't remember much about those 5 days. He does remember that the emergency surgery is the ONLY one of all 12 surgeries that he wasn't scared about. He just knew the surgery would take his pain away. Recovery was very difficult as he tried to heal from both of those back-to-back surgeries. My poor son's young body is so covered with scars; we call them 'war wounds.' He fought a battle, and (so far) won. We just pray he continues to win this battle. We remember this time like it was yesterday. Surgery started at 1:00am and ended at 5:30am. Bryon and I walked the halls of the hospital all night long. I think it was one of the longest nights of our lives! We are so thankful to be on the 'other side' of that nightmare! David medically should have been dead, but he's not! Praise God!!

I just thought I would post where we were 4 short (long?) years ago. I wanted to remind you old-timers (and inform newcomers) of how far David has come in his journey. Thank you for visiting and checking in on David. Thanks for reading. God bless you all. We love you.

(The picture above is the day after the emergency surgery)

Kristi and the Koury Klan

"We must be willing to let go of the life we have planned, so as to have the life that is waiting for us"~~E.M. Forster

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 2012

2012-02-04T22:32:00.000-08:00

Four Years Ago

Four years ago today David had his first limb

salvage surgery. Four years ago today was a VERY stressful day. We had to be at the hospital very early for surgery. David was

soooo scared! He was so funny; after they gave him the 'happy medicine' he was feeling better. He was still scared,

but the medicine helped calm him down a little bit. The surgery went well; but he was in recovery for about 5 or so hours because they couldn't stabilize him.

We didn't know at the time, but it was because he had developed a non surgery related complication~~~an intussusception.

We wouldn't know for 5 days what was wrong with him! But today marks the four year anniversary of the removal of David's right femur and knee (and lower quad muscle, and cancer), and replacing them with an artificial knee and a titanium rod. As Jeremy said, "It's only been 4 years already?" At times it seems like a lifetime ago; at other times it seems like such a short time ago. I have no concept of time anymore. Life was at such a seeming standstill for that year that David had chemo, and I feel like I lost a year of my life. So now I have no concept of time!! Anyway, I just wanted to let you know that it has been four years since David's first limb salvage surgery. Thanks for visiting and checking up on David. Have a good night. God bless you all.

We love you. Kristi and the Koury Klan
The only thing worse than being diagnosed with cancer is watching your child go through it.

MONDAY, JANUARY 16, 2012

2012-01-16T20:57:00.000-08:00

Good evening.

I am sorry I am so remiss in updating. We have been very busy.

This year is just motoring right along! January 6th was Bryon's birthday. It was a good day. Today is my firstborn child's birthday. Happy Birthday, Jeremy. I can't believe I have a 30-year-old son! How did that happen? I remember the day he was born like it was yesterday!! And in 8 days it is my and Bryon's anniversary! And in 10 short days my precious granddaughter turns 1!! Unbelievable!! See, it is a busy month.

David is doing ok, he is holding his own. He still doesn't eat much, however. We would really like to see his appetite pick up! Nothing appeals to him. It is so frustrating. Otherwise he is doing ok.

Please continue to pray for Fiona and for Rachel. These two beautiful girls are amazing. Rachel was able to graduate (early) from High School on Friday. It was on her 'bucket list' and I am so glad that she was able to fulfill that wish. This is what the paper said about her, "(Rachel ) Collett, who's under hospice care, might not make it to June, her original graduation date. So the Livonia Public Schools staff arranged a private graduation ceremony five months early just for her. She was wheeled onto the stage, wearing a red cap and gown, while a recording of 'Pomp and Circumstance' played softly in the background." I'm so happy she got to graduate, I know how important it was to her. The cancer is in her ribs, spine, hips, and lungs; and she is in pain. Please continue to pray for both of these girls. It is so hard for me to hear of kids suffering from the same monster that is laying stable in my son. I feel like he is a ticking time bomb~~~when will it come alive in him? We are always waiting for the other shoe to drop. *sigh* Anyway, I really appreciate the prayers for Rachel and Fiona.

We woke up to snow this morning! It has been cold, so it was a nice surprise. I forgot to tell you that the lowest temp we had last year was on Christmas Eve, the low was 1.1 degree!!! It is supposed to be 3 tonight, so we think it will be colder. The low Christmas Eve was predicted to be 8, so it is usually lower than they think it will be. We will see.

I have another prayers request that I can't divulge at this time. Since God knows what it is, please pray for God's will in this matter. Thanks.

Thanks for visiting. Have a good night. God bless you all. We love you.

Kristi and the Koury Klan

Cancer is a strange cell. You can go along for years in remission, and then one day it pops it's head up again. If you ever have it you will never be free of it. Pray for the day there will be a permanent cure. (I can't remember where I read this)

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 31, 2011

2011-12-31T21:53:00.000-08:00

Good evening.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

I am so sorry I haven't updated for so long. Life just gets in the way sometimes. I hope you all had a very Merry Christmas. I know we did. It was nice and quiet. I know that sounds funny; quiet with 8 of us!! It was Elena's first Christmas, and she was absolutely adorable!! It was so nice to have a baby in the house at Christmas again. We didn't have many gifts, but that is not what Christmas is about, anyway. Our income reversal was sudden, with no warning, so we weren't able to prepare so we would have money to buy gifts. But we still had a wonderful Christmas. One of the highlights of the day (besides Elena's first Christmas) was the fact that David was home! Four years ago we were in the hospital for Christmas; my poor baby getting chemo on Christmas. We celebrate every Christmas in a new way now. It isn't about the gifts we give (or don't give) each other; it is all about the gift that God gave us that Christmas so long ago. We always read the Christmas story and sing "Happy Birthday" to Jesus before we open gifts. All in all, it was a wonderful day. I hope you all had a great day, too.

Then we had my older daughter's birthday on the 28th. She had a good birthday. It was good to have all 8 of us together again!! We had a yummy dinner and she wanted apple pie for dessert! She doesn't like cake, crazy girl!!

We are really hoping that we have a better 2012 than we had 2011!! We are praying for a surgery-free year for David. He has had at least one surgery every year since 2007; and most years were multiple surgeries. Like in 2008 he had 6 surgeries!!! So we are praying that David can go this whole year without even one surgery!!! Please join us in that prayer! Thanks,

We can't believe that 2011 is almost over!! We are glad to see it go, in some respects. We are curious to see what God has in store for us this coming year. We know about some things that will happen, I will let you know when they happen, but I'm sure there will be some surprises. We just hope they are 'good' surprises!!

Please pray for some members of my family. We have some sickies; Elena is sick, Lucy is sick, Jennifer is sick, and David is sick! It is just a cold, but they are miserable! Please pray they get better real soon. Thanks.

Please continue to keep praying for Rachel. She is fighting hard, but is in so much pain. They are giving her IV pain meds around the clock, but it isn't always helping. Please pray for this precious child. Thank you.

I hope you all have a very Happy New Year. I pray that 2012 will be a good year. Thank you for visiting and checking up on David and the Koury Klan. God bless you all. We love you.

Kristi and the Koury Klan

"Everyone is suffering in this economic climate but parents of children with cancer are amongst the hardest hit."~~~Lorraine Clifton, chief executive of CLIC Sargent

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 13, 2011

2011-12-13T22:22:00.000-08:00

Good evening.

I am sorry I haven't updated in awhile, I have been very busy. I know some people think I am not busy because I don't work outside the home; but that is so not true. My son was even told once that his mom doesn't work, that his mom doesn't do anything. Keep in mind, when my son was told that I was babysitting a 2 1/2 month old boy and 11 month old twin girls!! Sure, now I only have my granddaughter, and David, but still. My granddaughter does not believe in sleeping! I am lucky to get 3 1/2 hours, TOTAL, from her all day!! Good thing she is a happy baby! I am having a blast with her, believe me, but she keeps me hopping!! Plus all the normal housework, cooking, cleaning, etc. I enjoy Elena so very much, and I wouldn't trade my busyness for the world! Priorities! I might not get all the housework done, but I enjoy playing with my little princess. And at the end of the day I am pretty tired, so that is why I haven't updated recently.

Tonight was the Northern Nevada Children's Cancer Foundation Christmas party. We had good food, and David got a $15 gift card. It will be our last year to go to that party, however. They have decided that they have to pare it down, so they are going by diagnosis date, and we will be 'phased out' next year. It is bittersweet. So we just enjoyed tonight.

I just want to say how much I appreciate my children. There was another income reversal in our family, very sucky timing, so this will be a small Christmas. The money we no longer have was money I was counting on for Christmas for my children, so we can't do what we planned. That being said, I want to say 'thank you' to my children for being so understanding. We have always focused on our Savior's birth at Christmas, after all, that is why we have Christmas!! But, as a mom, I want to give my children everything they want. Of course, I know that is not what's best for them, but I still want to!! So I want to brag on my kids and say how thankful and appreciative I am that they understand where we are financially. I have THE best kids ever!! Thank you Jeremy, Lucy, Jennifer, Rachel, and David. I love you all sooo much!

Please, please pray for one of my Osteo family members. I have asked for prayer for her before, her name is Rachel. She is in tremendous pain. Her latest scans show disease progression and she is home on hospice. She is about 6 weeks younger than David, just a 17-year-old child. Please pray for her parents as well as her. No child should have to go through what she is going through; and no parent should have to sit and helplessly watch their child suffer!! Osteosarcoma sucks!!! I wish I had never heard of Osteosarcoma. I am tired of reading about my family members suffering, children suffering and dying!! I hate it so much!! Please pray for Rachel and her family. My heart is just breaking, again. Thank you for your prayers.

Please continue to pray for Davids appetite. We are not happy about his 7 pound weight loss!! He is just not eating enough to just maintain his weight, and that does concern us. Please pray that he can gain the weight back that he lost. Thanks.

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

Kristi and the Koury Klan

Right now, this second, somewhere in America, there are 7 children fighting for their lives who won't live through the day.

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 28, 2011

2011-11-28T20:49:00.000-08:00

Good evening.

I hope you all had a nice Thanksgiving. We had a beautiful, quiet one. We did have a lot to be thankful for. David is still alive, his lungs are stable, and we have precious Elena. It was a great day. We were with the most important people to us. We had yummy food, including all the cookies Rachel made! We tried new recipes and we had fun. It was a great day.

Speaking of David's lungs, we found out why Renown freaked when they did the chest CT scan and saw his lungs. Connie always gives me the reports, so when I asked her for the report from Renown she said, and I quote, "I was afraid to give this one to you." You see, Oakland Children's is used to seeing David's lungs. They pretty much look for one thing, and that is cancer. Renown didn't know what they were looking for and they couldn't believe what they saw. The report said he has "hyperexpanded emphysematous lungs"~~~basically the lungs of someone with emphysema. They weren't expecting to see such 'damaged' lungs in a child. Oakland sees the same lungs, they are just more concerned with the cancer; which is stable!! Yay! But the report from Renown explained to us why he has no stamina, and why he gets fatigued so easily. His lungs are not in the best of shape! At least we have some answers about that. And the best news of all is the fact that the nodules in his lungs are stable! Thank you so much for all your prayers. I just wanted to let you know the information we found out.

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

Kristi and the Koury Klan

In almost all cases, childhood cancers arise from non-inherited mutations (or changes) in the genes of growing cells. As these errors occur randomly and unpredictably, there is currently no effective way to predict or prevent them.

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 24, 2011

2011-11-24T10:46:00.000-08:00

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

I know we have much to be thankful for. I hope you all have a wonderful day.

Kristi and the Koury Klan

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 22, 2011

2011-11-22T21:29:00.000-08:00

Good evening.

Yesterday was David's oncology appointment. We still didn't have any news about his scans. Connie said that they are understaffed at Children's and David's chest CT scan hadn't been read yet; neither had his bone scan. So she said that she was going to bug Dr. Martin to read the scan STAT! She was having David's previous bone scan sent to Renown so they could compare it with the new one and get it read! So we wait. During the exam Connie was a bit concerned about David's heart rate; it was very fast. She was going to put a pulse-ox on him, but she talked to Dr. Torkildson and he said to not worry about it at this time. David said he was very nervous about the outcome of his scans, and that could account for the rapid heart rate. Otherwise, he is doing ok. Well, ok considering he has lost 7 pounds!! We have got to get this kid eating. He weighs less than 130 pounds now. Please pray that his appetite will pick up and he will eat. Maybe with the holidays he will eat and gain some weight!!

Now, today Connie called and said that the scans were finally read!! WooHoo!! She said the scans are 'absolutely stable'! Yay! That was the best we could ask for. That is what we wanted to hear! Well, it would have been nice to hear NED (No Evidence of Disease), but we really weren't expecting that. At this point we are so happy to hear stable!! Praise Jesus! Whew. We will scan again in 4 months.

Connie said she was VERY frustrated about how this whole situation played out. She knows how scared we were, how frustrated we were, and how anxious we were for results. So, with that being said, she said we will do the chest CT scan at Oakland Children's from now on. We thought going to Renown would be easier; but it just didn't work out that way. We will still have to do the bone scan at Renown, on account of the fact that there is NO Nuclear Medicine Tech at Children's, but we will have to travel to Oakland for the chest CT. That kinda sucks, but we have to do what we have to do. It will be a financial strain, again, but we will do it for our son.

I want to say "Thank you" for all your prayers. I can't tell you how much it means to us to have you all praying for us. David impressed me last night. I was talking to him about how he felt about the appointment, and the waiting, and the rapid heart rate. I asked him if he is/was scared, and he said yes. I told him I am sorry, and he shrugged his shoulders and said, "oh well. Whatever happens, happens." This from my 17-year-old!! It made me proud of his attitude, and broke my heart at the same time. Cancer sucks! It has robbed him of his innocence. Kids his age think they are invincible; he knows he isn't. He can't be a regular kid. And I hate it! But I am so glad for the good news that we have dodged that bullet, again. David said we are getting really good at dodging that bullet, and we plan on continuing to do so!! Thank you so much, again, for all your prayers.

Thank you for checking in on David. Thank you for your prayers, love, and support. Thank you for being there for us. Have a good evening. God bless you all. We love you.

Kristi and the Koury Klan

The human spirit is stronger than anything that can happen to it. - C.C. Scott

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 15, 2011

2011-11-15T22:13:00.000-08:00

Good evening.

Please keep praying. I must preface what I am going to say by saying that Connie NEVER calls me with results unless I call her first, never! Well, she called me yesterday. That was already a bit scary. She said the echo looks good, whew! There are no results on the bone scan yet, so don't know anything about that. But, the chest CT is the issue. She said that there are some areas of concern, so Renown is burning a disc of the chest CT and sending it to Children's to have it read by their doctors. Now, I know that Renown doesn't know David's history, so they don't have a comparison chest CT, and David has had surgery on his lungs so there is scar tissue. Please remember, Connie never calls me!! Now, in our opinion, there is really no reason for her to call and tell me there is a problem if Children's is just going to read the chest CT. She could just tell me after the fact that they did that. Oh, David's oncology appointment has been changed to Monday, 11/21. Anyway, she could have just told us at his appointment that they saw something they didn't like so they sent a CD of the chest CT to Children's. We are rather concerned about his CT scan. Please continue to pray for David. Please pray that there are no new nodules in his lungs. I just can't emphasize how scary it is that Connie called me!! We are praying for God's will, and our acceptance of whatever that is. Please keep us in your prayers. Thank you.

Thank you for checking in. I will let you know as soon as I find out anything. Thank you for your prayers. God bless you all. We love you.

Kristi and the Koury Klan

Disease progression in the lungs is in fact, the primary cause of death in osteosarcoma - Meyers PA, Gorlick R: Osteosarcoma. Pediatr Clin North Am 1997; 44:973-989.

SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 13, 2011

2011-11-13T20:05:00.001-08:00

Good evening.

I am sorry I haven't updated before now, we have been very busy.

I finally got the call and David had his scans on Friday, 11/11/11. I wasn't able to let you know before hand as we were just too busy. He had them done at Renown in Reno. He had an echo at 10:00, chest CT around 1:30, and bone scan around 2:30. It went ok, but the echo seemed to take an awfully long time. It was really hard to go to Renown, because they don't know David's history. When the nuclear med tech was administering David's bone scan she said, "I see an injury to his femur...." I told her he has no femur! She asked what was in there and I told her a titanium rod. She said then she won't rescan looking for a bone! I thought, are you kidding me?!?! It was just frustrating because none of them know his history! *sigh* At least the scans are over, for now. They were kinda funny. They told us our co-pay was almost $3,000, and looked at us like "how would you like to pay that?" Pray we can come up with the money for that one! I guess our Christmas gift as a family is the fact that David is alive, and we have Elena!! Life is good.

David has his oncology appointment on the 29th, so I guess we will get the results then. I hate having to wait that long, but what can I do? Please pray that we get the results of 'stable' disease. Thanks.

Please, please pray for David. It has been a sucky day. I posted on Facebook that one of David's cats died tonight. It was my favorite cat, the kind of cat I always wanted! His name was Milo, and he was white with bright blue eyes! Beautiful cat! Please pray for David. He has, technically, lost 3 pets in the past 8 months. One of them was Jeremy's dog, but David loved Spike; and Spike lived here for 5 or so years before Jeremy took him to his house. Anyway, please pray for David. Thanks.

I am not really in a 'chatty' mood, so I will close for now. Thank you for visiting and checking up on David and the Koury Klan. God bless you all. We love you.

Kristi and the Koury Klan

Three out of every five children diagnosed with cancer suffer from long-term or late onset side effects.

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 7, 2011

2011-11-07T21:23:00.000-08:00

STILL NO NEWS!!!!

Good evening.

I am so very frustrated! I did hear from Connie a week and an half ago, and she said that there was no nuclear med tech at Children's......we already knew that but we couldn't tell her that. I have been in contact with Christine, the one who has always given David his bone scans, and I knew there wasn't a tech. I mentioned some changes that have happened at Children's, and Christine not being there is one of them. I am so sad about that. Anyway, Connie said that she would set everything up at Renown and she would call me back when she knew. Well, I haven't heard from her, so I called again on Friday. No answer, so I left ANOTHER message for her to call me. She hasn't called yet, so I will be calling again tomorrow. This is ridiculous! I am so frustrated. We are over 5 months since David's last scans, and over a year since his last echo (he has to have an echo every year). Please pray that I can get a hold of Connie and I can get some answers! Thanks.

David is doing ok, but he is coughing, which concerns us. That is another reason why he really needs the scans so we can see what is going on. The cough is worrisome to us. Other than that, he is doing ok. His leg still bothers him sometimes, but it always will. And now that we are really cold, his knee hurts. He still has a limp, always will. He is eating ok, but not great. I made pepper jack mac for him because he eats a lot (relatively speaking) of it because he loves it. Tonight I made white chili because he loves that, too. He had two bowls of chili tonight! Then he had a piece of my apple pie! Rachel and I have been making apple pies, and we have 7 in the freezer, I baked one tonight, I baked one yesterday, and there is still one waiting to be baked tomorrow for Jeremy and Lucy. We are set for apple pies for the holidays!! I like having my 'baking buddy' (Rachel) bake with me. Anyway, David is doing ok. He isn't sleeping very well, however. I don't know what that is all about. Please pray that we can get the scans so we can find out what is going on. After the scans David will have his oncology appointment and we will chat about these issues. Thanks.

Our weather is beautiful! We have had a couple days of snow, and it is still lingering in the backyard. Our front faces south, so the snow melts from the front first; which also includes our driveway! YAY! It is nice to have a driveway that the snow melts from! Anyway, it has been cold, so I am glad we have firewood.

I hope to have more news for you soon! Please pray that I can get some answers! Thanks. Please pray for Rachel, an osteo child in our osteo family. She is David's age, just a few weeks younger. She is struggling big time. She has more tumors in her arm, lungs, and she is in pain. Please pray that they can get her pain under control. This poor child has been fighting this monster for 6 years! Please keep her in your prayers. Thank you.

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

Kristi and the Koury Klan

If you're going through hell, keep going. ~Winston Churchill

MONDAY, OCTOBER 24, 2011

2011-10-24T20:55:00.000-07:00

Still No news!!

Good evening.

Well, I have called Connie 3 times and we still don't have a date for David's scans. I am getting pretty frustrated and angry!! I talked to Connie last Monday, and she said that she had received an email from radiology saying that everything was approved. But, since she was in Reno that day, she didn't know off hand what the date was. She said she didn't know why Children's hadn't called me. She said when she got back to Oakland Children's the next day she would look into it and call me. Well, that was a week ago, and I haven't heard from her, or from Children's! I called again this morning and left a message. Hopefully she will call me tomorrow. They are the ones who told us that David was high risk for recurrence and we needed to stay on top of things, and they are the ones dropping the ball! David needs the bone scan, chest CT, and an echo. As it is we live in 4 month increments, and this is just making it worse! Connie has always been on top of things, and I don't know what is going on. There have been some changes there, and it isn't the same as when we were there. Pray that I can connect with Connie tomorrow so we can get things figured out. Thanks.

As far as David's leg goes, it is much better. The pain kinda comes and goes, so it could be anything. He gets extremely stiff when he doesn't use it for awhile, and it gets sore when he does use it. Poor kid, can't win! At least he is off the crutches! That is a good thing. We would like to retire those crutches forever! We have already put the wheelchair and walker into storage, we can't wait for the crutches to join them!! Hopefully soon.

Things are going pretty much the same otherwise. Jennifer is still adjusting to her new place, she really misses that extra bedroom! Oh well, we all have to do what we have to do. My precious granddaughter will be 9 months old in two days! I can't believe it! She is so much fun, I really enjoy her. She is about to cut her second tooth! She is crawling all over the place and pulling herself up on everything! She wants to be a 'big girl' so badly; she refuses baby food. She doesn't want to be fed, she wants to do it herself. I made chunky chicken noodle soup and she loves it. I just cut everything up really small, and she eats it! She is crazy! It saves money, that's for sure. She will eat just about everything as long as it is small enough. Silly girl. I am having so much fun with her.

Friday we got a load of firewood. My babysitting money goes to buy firewood. We got 2 cords on Friday. We were so sore from loading, hauling, and stacking the wood. It was dumped in our driveway; I loaded the wheelbarrow, Bryon wheeled it to the backyard and dumped it, I wheeled the wheelbarrow back to the front to load it up again while Bryon stacked the wood. We had a pretty good system going. Then when David got up (the wood was delivered pretty early) he helped me load the wheelbarrow, and he also helped Bryon stack. His leg was VERY sore after that!! But we will be warm for a while. We buy a cord as often as we can.

Well, that is about all that is happening here. Thanks for checking in. Please continue to pray for the Koury Klan. Have a good evening. God bless you all. We love you.

Kristi and the Koury Klan

We are continuing to see late deaths of children presumed “cured” due to late relapses, toxicity and secondary malignancy.

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 13, 2011

2011-10-13T23:05:00.000-07:00

4 Years Ago

Good evening.

Bryon wrote the following yesterday, but I wasn't on my computer yesterday, so I will post it today. Here goes:

"We were supposed to go camping for the weekend, but David’s knee pain was uncontrollable so Kristi stopped by the doctor’s office to try to get him a prescription for pain meds. David’s appt. with the Orthopedic doctor here in Carson was scheduled for the following Monday.

Dr. Gentner (PCP here in Carson City) was extremely upset that the Orthopedist hadn’t seen him yet. He immediately started making several phone calls. He turned to Kristi and told her to get to Children’s Hospital Oakland. We had no idea where this hospital was (besides Oakland of course!). We had no idea what was in store for us. We were just told to get there quickly, there was a doctor waiting for us. We were told to pack clothing for about 4 days, we ended up being there for 2 weeks.

Over the course of the next 12 months David had 6 surgeries, and chemo (5 different drugs) 3 weeks out of 5 for 6 months, and 2 weeks out of 4 for 6 more months. The battle almost ended prematurely in February when David was literally minutes from death suffering from an intussusception.

4 years ago today we had no idea what osteosarcoma really was, besides being bone cancer. We had no idea he was metastatic. We had no idea his doctors and surgeon would tell us that he wouldn’t live long enough to do his make-a-wish cruise in the summer of 2009 (so he chose a shopping spree instead). We had no idea that we would lose family and what we thought were close friends due to the diagnosis. We had no idea that we would make new true friends and old friends from the past would be there for us when we needed it most. We had no idea how extremely awesome and supportive my coworkers are and what a loving family DPS really is. Finally, we had no idea how tough our son really is and what a strong will to live a scrawny little 13 yr old boy has. He is my hero.

4 years ago today our life was changed forever. Through all of the terror, pain, suffering and anxiety, we have truly been blessed!"

Four years ago today we were still dealing with David's pain. It has been a long four years. I thank those of you who have been faithful to us these four years. We aren't done with this cancer journey, never will be.

David is still dealing with pain and is still on crutches. He says the pain is so bad when he tries to stand on his leg that his knee buckles. We don't know what is going on, but Dr. O will be called in the morning. I also haven't heard back from Connie, yet. I will be calling her again tomorrow. Please pray that there is nothing wrong with David's leg. It is very concerning to us! We were just at the doctor (surgeon) on Friday and his leg/knee was fine! We will see what Dr. O says. I just really hate to think about an extra trip to San Francisco! We can't really afford to do that! *sigh*

Wylene, just google rotationplasty. It is an amputation, but with great mobility~~~more than David has now. It is not an attractive amputation, and it is very strange, but it is one David is sure is in his future. If there is a break or something with this new prosthesis, who knows? Maybe the rotationplasty will be sooner than we think! We would just covet your prayers for David at this time. Thank you so much.

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

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.

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 9, 2011

2011-10-09T20:07:00.000-07:00

FALL IS HERE!!

Good evening.

Fall is definitely here!! We even had snow on Thursday. It pretty much snowed all day. It was a warm snow, so it melted as soon as it hit the ground, but it sure was pretty!! It was cold, obviously. We had a fire in the wood burning stove! It will be getting warm this week, up into the 70's, but it was a nice taste of what is to come! And since it as been in the 20's overnite, I am hoping the pollen will be gone! Bryon said most of the rabbit brush is dying or already dead, and I am glad!! My eyes are sooooo itchy!! And I can't sleep because I can't breathe! And David is having a tough time sleeping, too. Please pray that we can be over these stupid allergies soon! Thanks.

David had a doctor appointment on Friday in Pleasanton (instead of San Francisco) with the surgeon. We had to leave at 4am so we could get there in time. We would have rather left the night before, but #1 we really couldn't afford it; and #2 David didn't want to miss Bible study Thursday night. So we left early Friday morning. We took Elena with us and she did fantastic! Poor baby was in the car a total of 9 hours and only fussed for maybe 30 minutes tops, TOTAL! She never had a meltdown, never really cried, just kinda fussed occasionally. We are so proud of her. And she sure was a hit at the doctors office. Anyway, it was a good appointment. Because our insurance has changed and there are so many out-of-pocket expenses now, Dr. O'Donnell said that to save us money he will have David come only once a year. Of course, if David has problems we will see him, but check-ups will be yearly now. So that will save us a bit of money, for sure. As far as David's leg goes, he is having a bit of 'trouble' with it. He still feels the pinching in his knee, and Dr. O said that is probably scar tissue under the kneecap. He said that eventually he will need to have the kneecap scraped, but for now he will kinda have to 'deal with it.' There is nothing the doctor can do now. Also, there is a spot on the scar that looks strange, and Dr. O said it is a stitch that is trying to work it's way out. He said just keep an eye on it, and if it turns red or starts draining fluid then give him a call. Otherwise, just let it be. He said that the area with the spot has had a lot of trauma, with all the lengthenings and all, so that is why it is having more difficulty healing. Overall, it was a good appointment. But David is having some trouble with the back of his knee now. He is back on crutches, again. Please pray that the pain goes away. If it doesn't get better, I will be calling the doctor. It could be the cold, but we don't know. Dr. O said that the cold probably bothers David because he is so thin (yeah, he has lost about 3-4 more pounds, GRRR) and the metal in his leg is closer to the surface. David has no lower quad muscle, so there is only skin between the outside and the metal rod! Please pray that his knee feels better. Thanks. So, we don't have to go back to Dr. O for a year! YAY!

I haven't heard from Connie on when David's scans are. I will be calling her tomorrow. It has been over 4 months now, and he needs the scans done! He also needs an echo; it has been a year since he had one. He has to have one every year, because one of the long-term side effects of chemo is heart issues. Please pray that I can get some answers from Connie. Thanks.

I posted a quote on my facebook that I got from a fellow Osteo mom, and I am going to re-post it here. Here goes:
Osteosarcoma doesn't have lifestyle risk factors, doesn't run in families, you can't cut your risk of getting it by eating vegetables or staying fit, there are no warnings or a certain age that you should start screening for it. There is also no world recognized symbol for awareness, nor new breakthroughs in the labs. The treatment is cut, poison, and burn (surgery, toxic chemo and radiation) and has been the same for over thirty years without ANY advances. Save the ta ta's? Some children never grow old enough to have them!
That is sooooo true. Please continue to get the word out about Childhood Cancer.

Four years ago today I got the phone call that David had a bone tumor. Four years ago yesterday David had his first (of many) MRI. The doctor called me the next morning (four years ago today) to tell me that David had a bone tumor. Four years ago today our world was turned upside down and our lives were FOREVER changed. Three years ago David completed chemo. He is alive today only by the grace of God; we were told he wouldn't live this long. Praise God they were wrong! We cherish every day we have with him, because we never know. Four years. I can't even imagine what my son has been through in the last four years, physically, mentally, and emotionally. He amazes us.

One thing that is concerning to us is that he has been talking a LOT about rotationplasty lately. We know he knows how limited his mobility is with the limb-salvage, and he would have much better mobility with the rotationplasty. He has said that he knows he will do it, he just doesn't know when, yet. Please pray for peace for my precious son as he makes decisions for his quality of life. It is his choice, it is his life. We made the decision for him to do limb-salvage, and we sometimes think it was the wrong decision. All I can say is please pray. Thanks.

That is about it for now. Thanks for visiting and checking in on David and the Koury Klan. Have a good evening. God bless you all. We love you.

Kristi and the Koury Klan

In almost all cases, childhood cancers arise from non-inherited mutations (or changes) in the genes of growing cells. As these errors occur randomly and unpredictably, there is currently no effective way to predict or prevent them

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 30, 2011

2011-09-30T22:05:00.001-07:00

Good evening.

SEPTEMBER, to many it is just another month - but to those who have a child with cancer or for TOO many of US who have lost a child/young adult to this monster. We know this month as:

CHILDHOOD CANCER AWARENESS MONTH

Below are some facts: Sadly we have been relaying these exact same facts now for years. Wouldn't you think that with all the research out there - these numbers would be changing...... they have not for the many with Osteosarcoma or the many other sarcomas - because these cancers receive only 1% of any money raised.

Heartbreaking isn't it!

The Facts:
- chances are about 1 in 300 children will be diagnosed with cancer before age 20
- Every day 46 children are diagnosed with cancer
- 1 in 4 of these children will die within 5 years
- 2 in 4 will survive 5 years but develop long-term, life-altering and threatening health problems
- Only 1 in 4 will survive 5 years without major problems
- There are no warning signs or unhealthy lifestyles. No regard to race, creed, color, religion, or socio-economic status.
-Most childhood cancers, like Osteo, are still being treated with 25 - 30 yr old treatments with nothing changed in their treatment chemos.
- 3% of all money raised for cancer goes to childhood cancers.

Despite these facts, childhood cancer is considered "rare". Yet, does two classrooms of children diagnosed with cancer every school day, with one-half of a classroom dying from cancer, sound "rare"? It’s “rare” only if it’s not happening to your child. But for over 12,500 children and families in America this year, it will not be "rare". Each will discover the desperate need for increased funding specifically for kid cancer research, while enduring the most devastating experience of their lives.

When many people hear childhood cancer, they may only think of St. Jude and TV ads with cancer kids with round faces (from steroids) and bald heads (from chemo). Yet while it is a leading childhood cancer research center, St. Jude doesn't work exclusively on cancer research and treats less than 5% of all children with cancer. Or perhaps you think of the American Cancer Society and its support for childhood cancer? Unfortunately, in 2008, with $1,078 million of public support; the ACS gave only $4.2 million to childhood cancer research, less than 1/2 a penny for each dollar of support.

Nearly 90 percent of cancer kids are treated by members of the Children's Oncology Group (COG), an international consortium of over 230 hospitals and doctors working together and cooperatively sharing results. This cooperative research allows COG to improve cure rates at a faster pace than any single institution could accomplish alone.

As a nation, shouldn't we prioritize saving our children? The facts on funding suggest we don't. So your help is needed. No child should ever have to ask, "Mom and Dad, what's hospice?"

Please help us cure childhood cancer:

Well, today is September 30th, the end of Childhood Cancer Awareness Month. So, how many of you heard anything about it this past month? Yeah, I didn't hear anything, either. My Facebook is full of gold ribbons; those people get it! They are parents of children with cancer. There are pink ribbons all over everywhere! On cat food, cat litter, salt and pepper shakers, water bottles, coffee cups, etc. EVERYWHERE!!! I don't remember seeing even ONE gold ribbon! The sad thing is, the pink ribbons all stand for support for the Susan G. Komen Foundation. Well, a little known fact of SGKF is that not all of the money they raise goes to breast cancer research. They spend millions of dollars a year on lawsuits! They sue anybody and everybody who uses the phrase "for the cure" (or any facsimile) in their fund raising. I will post a link to the report of what they do. I wish they would give the money that they waste on lawsuits to Childhood Cancer research!! It makes me so angry. I wonder if all the people who think they are supporting breast cancer research really know where their money is going. Yes, I am bitter about this. Our children need help! Our children need a cure! WAY more children die every day from childhood cancer than women. It is the 46/7 rule for kids. 46 children are diagnosed with cancer EVERY DAY, and 7 children die from cancerEVERY DAY! It has GOT to change!! I, for one, refuse to buy anything with a pink ribbon on it. And my favorite color is pink!! Sorry, I will get of my soapbox.
Here is a link reporting the activities of SGKF:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/12/07/komen-foundation-charities-cure_n_793176.html?ref=fb&src=sp&comm_ref=false

I can't believe this year is so close to being over. It is just screaming by! Our weather is definitely turning to fall!! I love it! All the trees are changing and it is gorgeous! Fall is my favorite season. the only bad part is my allergies are the worst in the fall! So we are living on Sudafed and Allegra (in generic form). Can't wait for the first freeze to kill all the stuff I am allergic to! Bryon and Jennifer are suffering, too. David is a little bit, but I have him pretty drugged up, too.

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

Kristi and the Koury Klan

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 25, 2011

2011-09-25T21:06:00.000-07:00

Sorry it's been so long

Good evening.

Wow, I can't believe it has been so long since I posted!! Things have been rather busy. My thoughts have been focused on this time of year, 4 years ago. David had already been to Urgent Care to see why his knee was hurting. That doctor told us he sprained it, as most 13-year-olds are prone to do. He said to ice it, wrap it, and for David to take Aleve for the pain. And it should be fine in 2 weeks; but IF not, take him to his primary care physician. Bryon and I went away for the weekend for my birthday, and I remember being worried about David the whole time. This has been a very long, and busy, 4 years. We still didn't know, at this time, that David had cancer, but we knew something wasn't right. Cancer was the absolute farthest thing from our minds! We would have NEVER guessed cancer!! Especially a cancer we have never heard of! Anyway, that is where my thoughts have been the last couple of weeks.

The end of September is approaching and Childhood Cancer Awareness Month has almost passed, largely unnoticed by society. The rush to shower us with pink in recognition of Breast Cancer Awareness month is reminiscent of the crowding away of pumpkins and scarecrows by Christmas trees and snowmen.

Except there's no pushing gold aside. The way is clear for pink. It is frustrating. I really don't blame most people, I wasn't aware that September is Childhood Cancer Awareness Month until it happened to me. I want more funding so there can be a cure, so no other parent has to hear the same words we heard almost 4 years ago. Please get the word out there!!

We have been busy, as I said before. Jennifer is trying to adjust to her new place. She really misses that second bedroom! We had to rent a storage place for some of our stuff, so she is storing some of her 'extra' stuff there, too. And with her helping to pay for it, it is a big help to us!! Poor thing had to move to a much smaller place, but she likes it. And it saves her money!!

David is doing ok. We are starting to get 'scanxiety' as his next set of scans are in less than 2 weeks!! It sucks that this NEVER gets any easier. Actually, as time goes by it can seem to get scarier. Remember, we were told that the word 'remission' is not used for Osteosarcoma. And David still is at high risk for recurrence (duh, it is back in his lungs) so we just pray those stable nodules in his lungs stay stable. It would be nice if they were to just disappear...... *sigh*

I can't believe my precious granddaughter will be 8 months old tomorrow!! Where has the time gone?!?! She is crawling, just cut a tooth, standing up on everything, and just as cute as can be!!

Please continue to pray for the Koury family as we face many changes in our life right now. I have a couple 'unspoken' prayer requests, God knows what they are. Please pray. Thank you.

Thanks for checking in. Have a great evening. God bless you all. We love you.

Kristi and the Koury Klan

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 12, 2011

2011-09-12T20:39:00.000-07:00

Good evening.

Sorry I haven't posted for so long; we have been very busy getting the house all cleaned. I honor of September being Childhood Cancer Awareness Month, I will re-post a 'poem' that I read a few years ago. It is VERY true, as any cancer mom (or dad) will tell you. It brings back many memories for me as I have been there! Here goes:

Cancer Moms I belong to a special group of women My friends and I have an amazing bond. We never wanted to be in this group, Yet we are in it, for life. Maybe we have met, maybe we haven’t, Yet our love for each other is boundless. We know the pain the other one feels, And we share our victories small or huge. Words like chemo, IV, Zofran , bald heads Are always parts of our conversations, As well as roidrage, tears, and meltdowns We always know where the closest puke bucket is, We can hold it in one hand and if necessary, Swallow the sandwich the other hand was holding. We can drive to the hospital , Park in the dark parking garage Make our way thru the halls of the hospital And to the appropriate floor, Settle in a room, turn the TV on, Give instructions to the head nurse, Silence loud beeping IV pumps,

Direct a wagon AND an IV pole To the playroom without hitting anything. Make our way back to the correct room. And all this, mind you, With our eyes closed, at any given time.

We know how to draw blood from lines Sticking out of little kids chests.

We can hold them down with one hand, While a nasogastric tube is inserted in their little nose,

And be on the phone with their dads at the same time. We can live for days on hospital food, And on maybe only one meal a day . We know the names of up to 20 different drugs, Their purpose, dosage and time to be taken. We are always on call, 24 hours a day , Seven days a week. We are used to not always looking our best, Hard to do with only a few hours of sleep. Make up , hair styling, skirts are words of the past . We have become addicted to texting , hospital, clinic, home, wherever… We talk sometimes at all hours of the night , We know we can count on someone to be up.

Then for one of us, the world stops .
She has to walk away, broken.
This job is over .
The job is over, but the fight is on. Remember, I said we were in this forever.
We are friends, sisters, temporary nurses, We are each others rock, each others punching bag, We listen, we vent, we cry, we laugh together . We share our lives and our deaths We share our pain and our victories. We are strong, but not by choice , Sometimes we win, sometimes we lose, But never are we defeated. We are not nurses. We are not doctors. We are cancer moms.....

I do not know who wrote that, so I don't know who to give the credit to, sorry. But I know any one of my fellow cancer moms could have written it. We live a life NONE of us want or planned. We know WAY too much about the 'medical field' without the formal training, we had to learn it the hard way. Please help raise awareness for Childhood Cancer. Please remember to pray for all my fellow cancer moms (and dads).

Thank you for checking in. Have a good night. God bless you all.
Kristi and the Koury Klan

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 6, 2011

2011-09-06T21:53:00.000-07:00

Good evening.

Thank you for your prayers for my granddaughter. A couple of the tests they ran came back negative/normal, they are still waiting results on another test. They hope to have the results of that test by the end of this week. Please continue to pray for Jeremy, Lucy, and Elena. Thank you.

I know childhood cancer isn't just about Osteosarcoma, but I am going to re-post something I posted a couple of years ago. It is a tribute to all the Osteo kids out there~~fellow members of a family none of us want to be part of. Here goes:

Osteosarcoma turns beautiful young children into warriors wise beyond their years. Fighting battles that only they can face. Deciding to endure, they hang up their lives on a hook in the corner. Soccer jerseys, football helmets, hockey sticks, basketballs, scooters, bicycles, dirt bikes, and Barbie dolls stand still and silent now. They are armed anew with the uniform of the cancer patient. Broviac catheters threaded deep into their chests, bald heads, bodies hairless and thin and covered with scars. Limping slowly and steadily on heroic limbs absent of their natural bones, they just keep moving forward. They are all tremendously brave kids. I know some of these kids; besides mine. Some I only know through a website; a couple others I know personally. I know these children's lives have forever been changed by an uninvited monster called Cancer~~Osteosarcoma in specific. These children live from hospital visit to hospital visit; chemo to chemo; and (in David's case) from surgery to surgery. And once treatment is over; from scan to scan~~for the rest of their lives!!! I don't know any adult that could handle the brutality of this life, and yet I watched my son and others endure it. Are they happy about it? NO! Do they do it anyway? Yes, they do. They put life into perspective. They prove what is really important and what is trivial. And I have seen more courage in the children that I have watched go through this than I have seen in all the adults in my life put together! I know I wouldn't handle it as well as these children have. I am so proud of David and the others! They are truly amazing children. I really wish all of you could know David and the other warriors~~you would be richly blessed by these children.

Childhood Cancer does all the above to all children, in different ways, but the end result is the same. They do put life into perspective. We MUST find a way to cure childhood cancer!! Please get the word out there! Please help raise awareness. We have this one month to do it. Then we will be pushed aside for pink and breast cancer. Please! All us cancer parents out there beg all of you to help! Our children are our future!

Thank you for visiting. God bless you all.

Kristi and the Koury Klan

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 3, 2011

2011-09-03T23:53:00.000-07:00

Good evening.

Before I post some facts about Childhood Cancer, I have a prayer request. Please pray for my precious granddaughter. She is having some problems, and they were at the hospital with her today. Please pray that the tests they ran come back negative. Thank you.

Here are some very interesting facts concerning Childhood Cancer. I think it is high time that it gets some attention. IT IS ABSOLUTELY A PLAGUE IN THE US: DID YOU KNOW? * In the U.S. almost 3000 children die from cancer each year, more than from asthma, diabetes, cystic fibrosis, congenital anomalies, and pediatric AIDS combined. * Cancer is the number one disease killer of children between ages of 1-20 *1 in 330 will be diagnosed with cancer by age 20. *The incidence of childhood cancer has increased EVERY year for the last 25 years! * In the past 25 years ONLY ONE new cancer drug has been approved for pediatric use. Since children can handle much more chemo than adults, most treatments are little more than mega doses of adult cancer chemotherapy treatments. The result of these high doses of chemo on children is a higher rate of secondary cancers. For reasons not fully known, teenagers experience the highest rate of secondary cancers as a result of the high dose chemotherapy treatments. *At the time of diagnosis in children, the cancer has already spread in 80% of the cases. That is compared to the 20% in adults *As a nation, we spend $14 BILLION per year on the space program, but only $35 MILLION on childhood cancer research per year. * 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%. *The government recently cut the budget for Childhood Cancer.
You can make a difference. Write to your representative and congressmen telling them you are outraged by these facts.

Thank you for visiting. Have a good evening. God bless you.

Kristi and the Koury Klan

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 1, 2011

2011-09-01T21:50:00.001-07:00

September is Childhood Cancer Awareness Month. Each day, 46 children are diagnosed with cancer. Each day, 7 children die as a result of childhood cancer. It is the number one killer disease of our children, more than more than from asthma, diabetes, cystic fibrosis, congenital anomalies, and pediatric AIDS combined. Did you know that 1 in 300 children will be diagnosed with cancer before age 20 and that 35-40,000 are in treatment every day? Yet only 3% of all cancer research money goes to childhood cancer. Our war against childhood cancer is vastly under-publicized and under-funded. It is the Inconvenient Truth America needs to be aware of.

I don’t know how many of you readers have ever been on a pediatric oncology floor. If you have ever walked the halls and seen the smiles or tears on the faces of these little fighters as they play on the little trikes and big wheels. How the moms and dads race behind them with the ever present IV pole. How they have little child-sized masks on because they are at high risk of infection. How the teens hang together and still try to be cool, even though they’re bald and ready to throw up at any time. How the teens have added words like methotrexate, hydration, and limb-salvage; and acronyms like ANC and GCSF to their vocabulary, instead of LOL and "sweet". How the poor little babies cry because they can't even relate what hurts. Or if you've ever seen a mom or dad alone in the parent room at 3 am, with their head in their hands, feeling alone, helpless, scared, and mad. I don't know if you've ever visited a Care Page or a Caring Bridge site besides this one, blogs where we tell our kid's stories. How many people do you know who have quit reading your blog because it is too uncomfortable (I know that first hand; a specific member of my family won't read this; someone who I thought would care about David. Guess I was wrong!)? I've seen it all and more. I have seen enough. I have lived through it. I am still living it. I will forever live it. My child is one of those teens, and I am one of those parents. We need awareness and funding. We need a cure!

Again, enough said. Thanks for visiting. God bless you all.

Kristi and the Koury Klan

WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 31, 2011

2011-08-31T22:17:00.001-07:00

September is here

Good evening.

September is a disease awareness month, which you probably recognized by the gold ribbons displayed on all the corporate advertising on TV and in magazines and the special media reports.

What's that? You haven't seen any? That's because, for some reason, this class of diseases attracts hardly any public attention.

If I said “pink ribbon,” you would have immediately thought of breast cancer. “Red ribbon” might be a little trickier, but eventually you would have come up with heart disease.

But the gold ribbon is nearly invisible.

It represents childhood cancers.

Today, as you read this, the equivalent of a classroom full of children will be diagnosed with cancer in the U.S., more than 12,400 a year. About 4,000 child cancer victims will die this year, making cancer the number one disease-related killer of children under 14.

While 75 percent of childhood cancer cases are curable, for some forms, a cure remains illusive.

Only one new cancer drug has been approved for pediatric use over the past two decades. For some of the rarest, but most deadly, childhood cancers, no new treatments have been introduced in more than three decades.

For every one child diagnosed with pediatric AIDS, 15 children are diagnosed with cancer, yet available funding dollars designated for research are vastly disproportionate: $595,000 for each AIDS victim and only $20,000 for each pediatric cancer victim.

Federal funding for breast cancer research is more than double that for all 12 major groups of pediatric cancer combined.

Even the American Cancer Society -- the outfit that professes to represent all cancers and provide support for everyone affected by the disease -- the organization for which we all come together and raise funds by holding a Relay each year -- has chosen not to recognize Childhood Cancer Awareness Month.

Go to www.cancer.org and what do you see? The banner at the top of the page is pink and touts the ACS' commitment to fighting breast cancer.

What if the focus that remains on breast cancer was turned to pediatric cancer?

I know millions of women are affected by breast cancer. But almost all of them are effectively treated.

Only thousands of kids are affected by cancer. But many -- perhaps most -- of them die.

If you are reading this, you know. You have traveled this tragic journey with us and you are aware of the impact of pediatric cancer on families.

Will you spread the word to someone who doesn't know today? Send an e-mail. Copy this to your blog, your facebook, your twitter. Write a letter to a corporation or a legislator. Or to an editor. Whatever it takes. Our children are our future. We need to help give them a chance to live. We need a lot more funding going to childhood cancer research. Please help.

That is it for today. Enough said. Thanks for visiting. God bless you.

Kristi and the Koury Klan

SUNDAY, AUGUST 28, 2011

2011-08-28T22:03:00.000-07:00

Good evening.

We had some exciting visitors last night and this morning. We finally met Tim and Jill Reamer from our support group website. They are from Minnesota and they were in CA visiting their daughter and decided to take the northern route home. So, they stopped by our house last night after they got into Carson City. Then they stopped my again this morning because we forgot to take pictures!! It was so wonderful to put a face to a name. They lost their son, Nick, to this monster called Osteosarcoma almost 18 months ago. It was so good to meet them, even though it felt like we were already old friends!!! We are members of the same family, a family none of us wants to be members of. They are great people, and we are glad we finally got to meet them.

I forgot to mention one thing about the fly fishing event. It is something that just wasn't right. Something that just broke my heart. As we were sitting at the table eating lunch, there were 2 little girls across from us. Adorable little girls. One was 7, and the other looked to be about 6. Anyway, as we were eating, the little girls were talking, and their conversation should NEVER have come out of little children's mouths. The seven-year-old had pretty long hair, and the other one had VERY short hair. Well, the one with the short hair asked the other one how long it took her hair to grow back. Then they were asking each other about chemo treatments, broviacs and ports, names of chemos, how long ago was their cancer, how old they were when they got cancer, and comparing scars. What the heck is that all about!?!?! Little children should know NOTHING about any of this!! It just wasn't right.

We only have a few days left of August, then we go on to September. I will be posting things I posted last year about what September is. A sneak preview, if you don't know, is that September is Childhood Cancer Awareness month. I will be posting things about what that means. Just so you know.

That is about it for now. Thank you for visiting and checking in on David and the Koury Klan. I hope you have a good evening. God bless you all. We love you.

Kristi and the Koury Klan

Right now, this second, somewhere in America, there are 7 children fighting for their lives who won't live through the day.

THURSDAY, AUGUST 25, 2011

2011-08-25T21:47:00.000-07:00

Good evening.

I am so sorry I haven't updated lately, we have been so busy.

Jennifer is completely out of her old apartment. And it is all cleaned. She just needs to turn in her keys! Now she is working on getting her new place set up. It is difficult going from a two-bedroom apartment down to one. She had to put some of her stuff in storage along with our stuff! But that is ok. She had to find a place with cheaper rent. She misses having that extra bedroom (David loved going over there to spend the night), but it is fine.

School started on Monday, and it is strange for me. For the first time in 24 years we don't have a child starting school! It is bittersweet for me. I just feel 'left out' of all the back-to-school hoopla. That is why it is bittersweet.

David is doing well. He is driving when he can, and he is a very good beginner driver. He really enjoys it. He even drove on the highway for quite a while on Saturday.

Saturday we went to the 'Reel Kids. Real Living' again this year. It is the fly fishing event we went to last year. David had a great time. He even caught a HUGE fish!! I will post pictures of it when I get them from Lizzie. He was the only child who caught a fish that whole morning!! His first fish got away, but he did land the huge one!! Woo-Hoo! It was great! It is catch and release, so we didn't get to eat the fish, but it was still fun. We didn't fish after lunch, David needed to go home. But he did drive home, and he did great! So he is doing great with his driving.

My beautiful granddaughter will be 7 months old tomorrow! I can't believe it! Where did the time go?!?! I am having so much fun with her.

Well, the summer is pretty much over. We are looking forward to fall and the start of the holiday season. We are a family that doesn't really like summer; but we have had a very mild summer. We can tell our tree is ready for fall, at least a third of the leaves are yellow!! And the grass is covered with leaves. It is beautiful. I just am not looking forward to the allergies!!

That is about all that is happening around here. Thank you for visiting and checking in on David and the Koury Klan. God bless you all. We love you.

Kristi and the Koury Klan

'When one door closes, another opens; but we often look so long and so regretfully upon the closed door that we do not see the one which has opened for us.'~~~Alexander Graham Bell

A good article on nutrition and how it relates to cancer

2011-08-22T20:26:00.000-07:00

The Benefits of Healthy Eating To Help Fight Cancer

For cancer patients who are looking to improve the quality of life during cancer treatments, nutrition can play a vital role in helping control this deadly disease. According to Cancer.gov, patients that are dealing with cancer should be concerned with minimizing the amounts of alcohol and sugar in the diet while eating healthy and increasing time that is spent exercising. These minor improvements in their diets can increase the body's natural healing abilities and may help fight cancer or help in the treatment process.

Alcohol plays a dangerous role in its association to many cancers such as breast cancer, testicular cancer, brain cancers, and mesothelioma. In addition, reducing the amount of alcohol that is consumed after treatment can help increase the chances of remission and the ability for treatment to be successful. If you must drink alcohol, it is suggested that patients limit the amount of alcohol consumed to one drink per day.

Patients that are dealing with terminal cancer can also help their body prolong this disease. Diets that are very high in sugar can reduce one’s life expectancy by helping aid the production of cancerous cells. Cancer cells are able to replicate faster when there are high amounts of sugar in the bloodstream. By limiting the amount of sugar that is ingested, the body is able to reduce the chances of redeveloping cancer after treatment. Diets of people are found to have minimal risks of cancer include lean meats, nuts, vegetables, whole grains, and fruits have a blood sugar level that is healthy at a level of between 50 and 90 mg/dL. Patients that consistently intake more sugar than average have an increased risk of developing cancer. Yes, it is a small increased risk, but that is still scary.

Exercise can also help protect the body from cancer by allowing the body to be in peak physical condition. Running, cycling, or swimming can all help strengthen the body's immune system, which may lead to a speedy recovery from treatments such as chemotherapy or radiation therapy. Aerobic exercise that lasts up to one hour may help significantly increase the chances for a full recovery from cancer. For cancer patients that are still weakened by treatment, working out slowly and gradually increasing intensity is often the best way to incorporate an exercise program into your life. Furthermore, a healthy diet that includes greens, fresh fruits, and lean meats will only further enhance the ability for the body to recuperate when dealing with cancer. Give your body the best chance it has at defeating this deadly disease.

By: David Haas

SATURDAY, AUGUST 13, 2011

2011-08-13T20:46:00.001-07:00

YAY

Good evening.

Sorry I didn't update last night with the news. David passed his permit test. In fact, he didn't even have to finish the test. In Nevada (and maybe other states, I don't know) if you get to the point in the test where you have answered enough questions correctly that it is impossible to fail, you are done! Even if there are still questions left. So, he didn't even have to finish the test! He was really excited. Up until a few weeks ago he just wasn't interested in driving, and now he is excited. Bryon took him driving today, and he said he really likes it! Bryon said he did a great job! I can't believe my baby is driving!! I am so glad we waited until he was ready, it is making for a much more positive experience for him. He can't wait to drive tomorrow. Please pray that he stays safe as he is behind the wheel. Thanks.

Today has been such a busy day, we are exhausted! After Bryon took David driving we borrowed Jeremy's truck and spent the afternoon moving Jennifer's stuff from her old place to her new place. We will be doing the same thing tomorrow. I hate moving. We hope to get the rest of her 'big' stuff moved tomorrow. Her place and our house are full of boxes!! But it will all be over soon!!

I just wanted you to know that David passed his test and he is now driving! Thank you so very much for your prayers. Thank you for checking in on David and the Koury Klan. God bless you all. We love you.

Kristi and the Koury Klan

'The world is full of suffering but it is also full of people overcoming it.'~~~Helen Keller

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THURSDAY, AUGUST 11, 2011

2011-08-11T21:25:00.000-07:00

Good evening.

Thank you for your prayers, David's leg feels much better. He thinks he just pulled the little muscle he has left in that upper thigh. He has no lower quad muscle, as you all know, he just has a bit of upper quad, and he thinks he pulled it. After being on crutches for a few days, his leg feels better. Thank you again for praying. Also, his knee looks great! That area is pretty much healed up. Yay!

We had a very busy weekend. We had a garage sale on Saturday morning~~~it went ok. Not great, but not too bad. We were able to get rid of some stuff. Other stuff we donated. Rachel sold some stuff and made $56!! So she did very well. We had to get up at 5:30 so we could get the stuff out there early; garage sale shoppers sure come early!! We closed up around 1:30 (I think) because we had to drive down to Gardnerville so David could walk the survivor lap for Relay for Life. He was so tired, and hot, that he wasn't feeling well. But he sucked it up and did it, like he always does. It wasn't that hot, but anything over 80 and he melts! Poor kid. Chemo really messed with his thermostat!! So we spent a bit of time at the Relay, then we came home. Then we had church on Sunday, and grocery shopping; since we couldn't do it on Saturday. Then Bryon and I went with some friends to get some frozen yogurt (yumm-o) early Sunday evening. We were so exhausted by Sunday night!! We will be having another garage sale, just don't know when. There are closets we haven't gone through yet. Hopefully it won't be such an exhausting weekend next time.

Please pray for David. He will be taking his driving permit test tomorrow. He has just NOT been interested in driving until recently. We didn't believe in pushing him; he is nervous because it is his right leg that has issues!! Please pray that he passes the test, then we can get him out learning to drive. Thanks for the prayers.

We got an EOB (Estimate of Benefits) from our insurance company on a claim they denied. They said they need more information on the 'accident' that caused this claim. Are they kidding me?!?!? Really? Cancer is an accident? Well, I guess it isn't an 'on purpose,' is it? Anyway, this claim was for $123,976.75!! This was for David's surgery in June. We are awaiting the phone call that asks the questions they want answered. This is not the first time they have pulled a stunt like this. Back when David was in treatment they denied a claim because David's hospital stay exceeded his pre-authorized limit. That is because they pre-approved a four day stay for a 5 day chemo infusion!! 5 day infusion means at LEAST 6 days in the hospital~~~what with all the hydration and all. *sigh* We know they will pay the bill, they just want to add stress to our lives!!

Well, that is about it for now. Please continue to keep the Koury family in your prayers. Thank you for visiting and checking in on David and the Koury Klan. Have a good evening. God bless you all. We love you.

Kristi and the Koury Klan

Detecting childhood cancers at an early stage, when the disease would react more favorably to treatment, is extremely difficult.

WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 3, 2011

2011-08-03T21:42:00.000-07:00

Please pray!

Good evening.

I have a prayer request for David. He is back on crutches, again. His leg hurts, and he is not sure why, or exactly where. His upper thigh hurts, he just isn't sure if it is his muscle or where the implant joins his femur. He has been doing a bit of physical therapy and he thinks it's possible he overdid it. Please pray that it feels better soon. He has had so much problem with that leg ever since his last surgery! I just don't know what to think! As if the chronic pain he is in isn't enough!! I am really sick of this! It is so frustrating. Poor kid. I am so sick and tired of seeing my son in pain!! Please pray that whatever is causing the pain is nothing major. Thanks.

As far as the incision and the infection goes, it looks so much better. The incision is 'open' where the blood and infection kept coming out, but I know that will heal up soon. Thank you so much for your prayers on that!

Linda, I know the economy is hard on us all. It just sucks, that's all. Wylene, you will always know what my address is. You are such a sweetheart to always think of David. You are such an encourager. He loves getting mail from you! You and Shayne always remember him, and he looks forward to the word searches!! So don't worry, you will always know.

Thank you for visiting and checking in on David. Thank you in advance for your prayers. I am just so tired of being concerned about that leg!! It's times like these when we wish we just would have amputated!! *sigh* Thanks again. Have a good evening. God bless you all. We love you.

Kristi and the Koury Klan

'We must be willing to get rid of the life we've planned, so as to have the life that is waiting for us.'~~~Joseph Campbell

Sunday, JULY 31, 2011

2011-07-31T23:15:00.000-07:00

Good evening.

I hope you are all doing well this evening. We have had a very busy weekend. Packing, storing, moving, getting ready for a garage sale; even Jennifer had to find a cheaper place to live! Our wonderful governor and legislators have just made our lives much harder!! Starting July 1st (a month ago) the new fiscal year started. What that meant for us is: Bryon has 6 furlough days a year, pay cut 4.5% (on top of the furloughs), insurance deductibles doubled, premiums raised, and coverage decimated. And that applies to Jeremy, Lucy, Jennifer, and Rachel, too. Doesn't that sound wonderful? Gas prices are going up, food prices are going up, and our income is going down! Yay! Can you hear the sarcasm?!?! Oh well, God always provides.

David is still having trouble with that knee. He did get some more stitch out of the incision where it was swollen. We are sure it was an infected stitch, but it is just worrisome. I have flushed it with peroxide, and put some triple antibiotic ointment on it with a mepore cover. Thankfully, it doesn't hurt him. I just wish it would heal up once and for all! Hopefully the medicine and the dressing I put on it will help it. Please pray that it heals up. Thanks.

Our weather has been usual summer weather. Actually, up until this week it was very mild! We had been having lows in the low 40's!! Bryon takes his motorcycle to work and he said it has been downright cold with the wind hitting him! Our highs had been in the 80's; but now they are in the 90's. But we have not had even one day 100 or above! This is the first year in 15 years that Reno didn't hit 100 degrees in July! And the hottest part of the year is over, so I don't think we will hit 100 this summer at all! YAY! I hate the heat! And David cannot handle it anymore, so I am glad that the days will slowly be getting cooler. Of course, our humidity is pretty low, too, so that helps a lot! I couldn't handle heat AND humidity! That is just nasty! I feel bad for the people who have to deal with the heat and humidity. I mean, when it is 98 degrees with a heat index of 113, that is just disgusting!! No thanks, not for me!! So we have had a relatively mild summer, and I am happy about that! I can't wait for fall, my favorite season. I know it is just around the corner! I hope you all are enjoying your summer.

This year is a weird year for me. For the first time in 24 years I do not have a child starting school. We don't have the 'back to school' excitement; and stress. It seems really weird. But it is good, just strange.

My little granddaughter is getting so big! I can't believe she is 6 months old already. Where did that time go?!?! She is halfway to her first birthday already! She is so much fun. I am enjoying taking care of her every day. She just gets more fun by the day. She isn't as stingy with her giggles anymore, she laughs so much more freely! And boy, do we love to hear her laugh! She is such a beautiful baby; and such a joy!

Well, that is about all that his happening in the Koury family. Thank you for visiting and checking up on David and the Koury Klan. Please remember to keep us all in your prayers. God bless you all. We love you.

Kristi and the Koury Klan

"Do not fear to step into the unknown. For where there is risk, there is also reward."~~~Lori Hard

SUNDAY, JULY 24, 2011

2011-07-24T22:37:00.000-07:00

Good evening.

I am so sorry I haven't updated for awhile, it has been VERY busy around here. Bryon was gone all last week, so I was a single mom again. He had to go to Sacramento for a training class, or just a class, I'm not sure. Anyway, as ALWAYS happens when he leaves, something went wrong. He left on Sunday afternoon, and on Monday night David came into my room at 12:30am to tell me that the swamp cooler made a weird noise and then it wasn't working anymore. I went downstairs and it sounded like it wanted to work, but couldn't. So I unplugged it and went to bed. The next morning I looked at the cooler and saw that the belt was broken; so I asked Jeremy if he would help me fix it. Of course, he said he would. After work we went to Lowe's and bought a belt and Jeremy put it on the cooler for me. I am not kidding when I say that EVERY time Bryon leaves something happens!! I am so glad that Jeremy was able to fix this problem!

Thursday David went camping with his Bible study group. It was VERY difficult for me to let him go, but I knew it would be good for him. Yes, I will admit that I have become over-protective of him. But he went and had a wonderful time! He even didn't want to come home!! I was sooooo glad to hear that! He loves camping, but he has never been camping without his family. He had a blast. Of course, he did get some mosquito bites, and a bit of a sunburn, but otherwise came home no worse for the wear. He came home on Saturday. Bryon came home on Friday evening, and I am glad to have him home. This weekend has been busy, as usual. Weekends are always too short around here!! But it is good to have Bryon and David home again. It was really weird being just me and Rachel Thursday night!

David is feeling ok. He said his leg feels much better; however there is an area of concern in the incision at his knee. There is a lump that he is able to squeeze junk out of. He has a few areas where there are stitches poking out of the skin, and we think the lump is just a stitch that is infected inside. They are dissolvable stitches under the skin, and sometimes they poke out through the incision. Anyway, please pray that the lump goes away, and that the stitch dissolves without any problems. It is difficult when the surgeon is 4 hours away!! Thank you for your prayers.

Please continue to pray for our family. Things are just very strange and bizarre around here. I can't go into details, but God knows. Please just pray that God's will will be done in our family. Thank you.

Thank you for visiting and checking in on David and the Koury Klan. Thank you for your continued prayers for us. Have a wonderful evening. God bless you all. We love you.

Kristi and the Koury Klan

Cancer is not God's will. The death of a child is not God's will. Death from automobile accidents are not God's will. The only God worth believing in does not cause the tragedies but lovingly comes into the anguish with us. ~ Madeline L'Engle

WEDNESDAY, JULY 13, 2011

2011-07-13T20:28:00.000-07:00

Good evening.

I have a quick update tonight. There is a verse in the Bible that that I have claimed as my verse for many years. It is Jeremiah 29:11, and it says, "'For I know the plans I have for you,' declares the Lord, 'plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope.'" I know that my son being diagnosed with cancer kinda throws a monkey wrench in my trusting God with this verse. But I am learning to trust God NO MATTER WHAT!! God is the only One who has NEVER let me down. I know it sometimes feels like He has, but I know He hasn't. He has everything under control. Anyway, there is another verse that is kind of backing this up. Please bear with me, my thoughts are rather jumbled and I am having a hard time putting them in order. Ok, the other verse is Ephesians 3:20, and it says, "Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think..." and verse 21 says, "...to Him be the glory...." and I am giving Him the glory. Suffice it to say that God has blessed us more abundantly than we could ever ask or think! I know I don't even deserve to go to God for anything, but He is there ready to bless me, anyway. I am so thankful for the way He has blessed us. I can't go into it, but I ask that you all praise God with me. We are just blown away by what God has done. Please, please give God praise and thanks along with us. Thank you.

David is doing ok. He is really not eating much. He doesn't eat breakfast at all, and very little lunch. He did have a whole hamburger and potato salad for dinner, so that is good. He isn't even eating his ice cream that much. *sigh* At least he is healing very well. There are still tons of scabs where the staples were, but at least his leg looks pretty good (considering).

That is all I have to say for tonight. Thanks for visiting and checking in on David and the Koury Klan. Have a good evening. God bless you all. We love you.

Kristi and the Koury Klan

“There has been a significant lack of progress during the last two decades in treating osteosarcoma,” said Ian Lewis, Professor of Cancer Studies at St. James University Hospital in Leeds, England

MONDAY, JULY 11, 2011

2011-07-11T21:13:00.000-07:00

Good evening.

Well, things have been weird around here. David is healing quite nicely. The scar is rather big and fat with a LOT of staple scars running up and down both sides. It looks like railroad tracks!! But he has his leg. Sometimes we think it would have been a LOT easier to have had his leg amputated, but we can't go back. We just move forward. David is struggling with some strange pain in his knee. He says it feels like it is pinching when he straightens his leg too fast; therefore, he is not walking normal, even normal for him. He know he just needs to 'walk it out' but that is difficult for him. He does try, however.

The 'weird' thing happened a few days ago. About 10:00pm Rachel told us that there was a fire truck and LOTS of police cars in front of the house next door. So Bryon and I went outside to see what was up. Well, the guy two doors up the street from us hung himself. That was a family that was ALWAYS fighting! We heard that the wife was/is bipolar. She told the police officer that she and her husband had been fighting for 4 days (more like 4+ years) and it was her fault he's dead. It was really sad. Bryon had just talked to the daughters of the guy (Steve) a couple of days before. Their dog was stuck in our other neighbors yard, and Bryon asked them to come get the dog. The girls were not home when their dad killed himself, fortunately. I struggle with suicide so much. I do understand depression (been there, done that), and I do know that people who commit suicide aren't in there 'right mind,' but still. It is such a selfish act! And we parents of children with cancer fight every day to keep our children alive! When someone throws their life away, I get very offended and angry. How dare they take such a precious gift and throw it away like that; when my son fights to live!!! Please pray for those teenage daughters. And maybe pray for me to have a little compassion...... :)

Another thing I am struggling with is people who don't follow through with what they say they are going to do. Please, if you tell someone you are going to do something for them, or be there for them, or even pray for them, please do it. We have had so many people promise us things and then never do it. People have made so many promises to us (and to David) you wouldn't believe it. I don't expect anything from anyone, even when they say they are going to do something. All I ask is that we can all be men/women of our word. If you really aren't going to do anything, don't say you are. That is one of the reasons I don't trust easily, or at all.

Please continue to pray for Rachel and the rest of our family. Thanks for visiting and checking in on David and the Koury Klan. Have a wonderful evening and a great day tomorrow. God bless you all. We love you.

Kristi and the Koury Klan

'The best way to keep one's word is not to give it.'~~~Napoleon Bonaparte

THURSDAY, JULY 7, 2011

2011-07-07T21:30:00.000-07:00

Good evening.

Sorry I didn't update last night; we got home rather late. Yesterday was not a fun day. On the way to San Francisco, we weren't that far from home, we were almost in what would have been a VERY horrible car accident. If it wasn't for Bryon swerving into the next lane, and the car that was turning into us stopping in our lane, it would have been bad. Praise God for His angels surrounding our car. It shook us up pretty bad, but everything was fine. Bryon did some wonderful evasive driving. Anyway, then we were stuck in road construction many times! And the usual California traffic. But it was Wednesday! We really hate California traffic!! When we were in Berkley we knew we weren't going to make it on time (even though we left in plenty of time to get there in time), so I called the office to let them know we were running late. We finally got there about 15 minutes late. They were glad we called to let them know we were running late, and we didn't wait long to get seen. David said the staple removal was the most painful he has had. They were pretty embedded in his skin. But they said the incision is completely healed and it looks great! We were happy about that. Then we were on our way home. We had packed lunch and ate it in the car on the way. Well, we were planning on being home relatively early, so we hadn't packed dinner. David was very carsick (both ways) so we had to find something he would eat. He chose Chipotle for dinner. He did eat 3 steak tacos, which we were happy about because he has lost weight. We are hoping to get that weight back on him! We didn't get home until almost 9:30, and we were tired. Traffic sucks, and road construction sucks! we spent over 10 hours in the car! Anyway, that is how yesterday went. And we are so glad it is over! David goes back to see Dr. O in October. So we are doctor free for the summer!! Woo-Hoo!!!

David's leg looks good, but the scar is pretty angry looking! It is a very ugly scar. Way too many staple marks on that skinny leg! But, he is walking better without those staples pulling! And he is able to take a regular shower! He is very excited about that! Can't say that I blame him. Please pray for his leg, however. He has a rash on it, and we are not sure why. It is along his scar on the inside of his leg. I have been putting hydrocortizone cream on it, he says it is really itchy. Please pray that it goes away! Thanks.

Please continue to pray for all of us, especially Rachel. There are decisions that need to be made, and we want to make sure we make the right ones. There have been some made, and it is a relief to have them made. The sad thing is, the right decision is usually the hardest one; it is turning out to be that way this time. I wish it wasn't that way....but it is. *sigh* Thank you for your prayers.

That is about it for tonight. Have a good night. Thanks for visiting and checking in on David and the Koury Klan. Thank you for all your prayers, please don't give up on us. I hope all of you who got Thank You cards enjoy the picture of David, we love his smile! God bless you all. We love you. {{hugs}}

Kristi and the Koury Klan

'Heaven is full of answers to prayer for which no one bothered to ask.'~~~Billy Graham

TUESDAY, JULY 5, 2011

2011-07-05T20:28:00.000-07:00

Good evening.

We leave at 9am tomorrow for San Francisco! Don't really want to go, but want those staples out of David's leg!! He is getting rather nervous about the removal, poor kid. I am so glad that this should be the last surgery on his leg for 10 years (give or take)!! Yay! Please pray for a safe trip for us to San Francisco and home tomorrow. It is going to be a long day. Thanks for your prayers.

Please keep praying for the requests I asked you to pray for. I know it might not seem fair that you don't know what you are praying for, but God does. Some of the decisions have been made, but there are still others we need God's direction on. Thank you so much for being there for us.

David finally got the 'thank you' cards written. I am sorry, but I was waiting to put pictures in them. So really it is my fault that they are late. But now they have been mailed. I want to thank each and every one of you who remembered him and sent him a gift~~it meant a lot to him.

Well, that is about all for now. Thank you for visiting and checking in on David and the Koury Klan. Have a good evening. God bless you all. We love you.

Kristi and the Koury Klan

Childhood cancer is devastating and creates unique pressures on the whole family.

MONDAY, JULY 4, 2011

2011-07-04T19:27:00.000-07:00

HAPPY 4TH OF JULY!! HAPPY INDEPENDENCE DAY!!!

Today is the day we celebrate our freedom!! We need to celebrate it while we still have it! I hope you all had a wonderful day. I am thankful to all who sacrificed all to give us our freedoms; and to the ones who are still sacrificing all to help us keep it.

We have had a good weekend. We got to keep Elena all weekend; Jeremy and Lucy painted her bedroom! It is so cute and girlie!! I have actually only seen a picture of it, I can't wait to see it in person. They did a great job, and tonight Elena will be sleeping in a brand new room, decorated just for her!! So we had a great weekend with her.

David is hobbling along. He is using his cane less and less. Of course, he scares the bajeebees out of me all the time. His leg is very weak, so his leg buckles on him a lot! And it scares me when that happens! He just smiles at me and says, "what?" all innocently. He is a goof ball. He just can't wait to get those blasted stables out! Two more days!! I am tired of wrapping that leg every night. One night He went to bed after I did, and I forgot to wrap it~~~he didn't sleep well that night. I have NOT forgotten since! He is a little worried about the staple removal, it does hurt some. And the more embedded they are (and some are pretty embedded, let me tell you) the more painful the removal is. Please continue to pray for him.

We leave around 9am Wednesday morning. We hope to be home around 7pm~~~but we will see. We will probably hit Sacramento rush hour. And it always seems to take forever to get out of San Francisco!! *sigh* We are just sooooo glad that the surgery is behind us! Once the staples are out, it will really feel like it is over! Can't wait!

Bryon and David are in Sparks (next to Reno) watching fireworks. It is a tradition for Bryon to take the kids. This year it is just David. David's favorite part is the traditional Slurpee on the way home! I am sure they are having a great time. I am home washing diapers (I have Elena in cloth diapers, so I'm washing them) while the boys are gone.

I have a prayer request that I can't really go into at this time. Please pray for us as we make some decisions. Also, Rachel, in specific, needs prayer about some decisions she is making. She has some fantastic opportunities, and she wants to be in God's will as she makes these decisions. Actually, that is what we all want. Please pray that God will direct us to make the right decisions. Thank you so much. We just need all the prayers we can get!

Well, that's about it. Thanks for checking in. Have a wonderful evening, and a good day tomorrow. Thanks for the prayers. God bless you all. We love you. {{hugs}}

Kristi and the Koury Klan

In almost all cases, childhood cancers arise from non-inherited mutations (or changes) in the genes of growing cells. As these errors occur randomly and unpredictably, there is currently no effective way to predict or prevent them

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 29, 2011

2011-06-29T23:11:00.000-07:00

Good evening.

I finally got the picture up! Woo-Hoo!! Isn't he a great looking kid? I love his long hair. After being bald for a year, he doesn't want his hair cut. I cant say as I blame him. Man, he is a good looking kid.

I got a call from Ruben at UCSF Helen Diller Comprehensive Cancer Center today (that is Dr. O'Donnell's office). They have changed David's staple removal to July 6th. Yay! One less day with those staples. We were hoping to go to Pleasanton again, but there are no openings until July 15th, and that is too late. The doctor doesn't want the staples to be in there for over a month! So, we will be going to San Francisco. Again. *sigh* But the appointment is at 2:20, so we don't have to leave at the crack of dawn, and we won't be home too late! Perfect timing. We will just have to pay the stupid tolls again; and it will cost more for gas.......oh well. That's life. We will just be glad to have those staples out and be done with it. David will be glad to be able to take a regular shower, without the stupid shower chair. He can't get the staples wet, so showering is a royal pain in the butt!! One more week! Yay!

Just thought I would let you know that we only have one more week with the staples; and let you know I posted the picture, finally! Thanks for checking in. Have a wonderful day tomorrow. God bless you all. We love you.

Kristi and the Koury Klan

You never know how strong you are

until being strong is the only choice you have.

FRIDAY, JUNE 24, 2011

2011-06-24T22:24:00.000-07:00

Good evening.

My first post tonight is to ask for prayer for my older son, Jeremy. Today sucked! They had to put their dog down this morning. It was very sudden, and Jeremy is taking it pretty hard. He has had that dog for 10 years, and he was a good dog. He was very loyal to Jeremy, and Lucy, and it just happened so fast. Spike was ok a couple of days ago, and went downhill very fast. The vet said it was either his heart, an auto-immune disease, or possible something inside ruptured and he was bleeding internally (his gums were white). So I am asking for prayer for Jeremy. He said it was hard coming home to an empty house, without Spike to greet him (after he took Spike to the vet). Thank you.

David is recovering well. He is able to put some weight on his leg, just not full weight. He said when he puts full weight on it, it feels like it is 'shifting' inside. He thinks it was like that before, so we are just letting it heal and see how it goes. I hate to see him back on crutches again! And in the wheelchair when it is too far to walk. This sucks so much. But, we are also glad to see him recovering! He is such a trooper, and he just does what he has to do. Two more weeks until he gets the staples out!! He said they are getting pretty painful, and they are pulling. And his clothes rubbing against them are causing him some discomfort. So he can't wait to get those staples out!! I hate seeing my son in pain, so I can't wait till he gets them out, too!!

Thank you for visiting and checking in on David. Have a good evening. God bless you all. We love you. {{hugs}}

Kristi and the Koury Klan

*Teenagers are extremely under represented in clinical trials for cancer, especially the 15-19 age group. They tend to be excluded from both childhood and adult cancer studies due to their age.

TUESDAY, JUNE 21, 2011

2011-06-21T22:47:00.000-07:00

Good evening.

I wrote an update last night, but then my computer had an update and I lost it all! Grrrr.

Happy Father's Day (late) to all the dads out there. Happy Father's Day to my husband and father of our 4 children. And Happy 1st Father's Day to my wonderful son, Jeremy!! I focus on my husband (and now my son) on Father's day because the day is difficult for me as I don't have a dad to honor that day. I wish my dad was still alive, I miss him every single day. I hope all you fathers out there had a wonderful day.

David is doing ok. He is still in some pain, but he is tolerating it. He refuses pain meds; one reason is he doesn't like the way they make him feel. But he is such a trooper, and he just deals with the pain. But, poor kid, besides the normal surgery pain, he is also dealing with the pain of a horrible rash he has from the paper tape holding his nerve block catheter to his thigh. Clearly he is allergic to ALL adhesives! But sometimes he has to have things taped to him; like IVs, epidural catheters, and this nerve block catheter he just had. *sigh* Poor kid can't catch a break for anything. He can't have even one surgery or procedure go smoothly without any adverse effects!! Hopefully he won't need another surgery before this implant needs to be replaced in 10 years; and by then maybe his skin will have had a long enough break to not react to adhesives!! Overall, he is doing as well as can be expected. Thank you for the prayers, keep them coming!

Janet, it was great to hear from you! How is Nicole? Did you get the picture of all of us (taken at CHO) from Christine? I have it where I see it every day! I love Nicole's smile in that picture! Nicole is still in our prayers.

Lindsay; thank you for your input. I was not offended, we will do almost anything for our child (but we live in Carson City, Nevada, David's treatments and surgeries were done in CA because there is no pediatric oncology in Northern Nevada). With that being said, I don't totally agree with everything you said. However, we did look into the synthetic version of marijuana, Marinol, when David was unable to gain weight and was diagnosed with 'failure to thrive' when he weighed 94 pounds (before we had to resort to the feeding tube). The biggest issue we had is that our insurance doesn't cover it, and it would cost us $400/month!! We only have so much money, (my husband's income has been cut) and we don't have enough for all our expenses as it is. But I do appreciate you taking the time to write and offer suggestions.

That is about all that is happening here. Thank you for visiting and checking in on David and the Koury Klan. Have a good evening. Please continue to pray for David as he is trying to heal from this surgery. Pray he eats; we keep telling him he needs to eat to heal, but it is like talking to a brick wall. We have the Megase, and we keep threatening him with that. I have made my homemade brownies for him, and he eats those, so that is good. Please pray for him, and us! Thank you. God bless you all. We love you.

Kristi and the Koury Klan

Despite the success of chemotherapy for osteosarcoma, it has one of the lowest survival rates for pediatric cancer.

FRIDAY, JUNE 17, 2011

2011-06-17T23:14:00.000-07:00

WE'RE HOME

Good evening.

Sorry I haven't updated yet, it has been a bit chaotic.

We came home yesterday, well, last night. We left around 1:00pm. Bryon stayed with David on Monday night, Rachel stayed on Tuesday night, and I stayed on Wednesday night. So after Bryon and Rachel got to the hospital, Bryon and I ran over to the Family House to do the laundry. We have to wash all our sheets and towels, and fold the sheets on the end of the beds and hang up the towels. Then while the laundry was being washed we cleaned the room and the bathroom. Because I knew I was staying with David on Wednesday night, I had already packed my stuff up and put it in the car; with the exception of the toiletries I needed for Wednesday night and Thursday morning, and a change of clothes. Bryon and Rachel had already packed their stuff up, too, so we just had to clean the room. Then we had to go to the kitchen and get all the leftover food that we brought packed up and put back in the cooler. The doctor had come by earlier that day and changed David's dressing and given orders for our release. While Bryon and I were cleaning and packing the pharmacist came by with the prescription for David's meds. He has to take the percoset and mega dose colace. The over-the-counter dose of colace is 80mg. his prescription is for 250mg.!! We all know what those narcotics do to the body!! So, when everything was done it was about 12ish. Then we had to get everything packed up from the hospital and David had to get dressed. They also had to remove his IV. They had removed his nerve block earlier. Once all our ducks were in a row, we left!! Boy, did that feel good!! David is/was still in a bit of pain, but he handled the trip home ok. He is still a bit nauseous, so we are back to fighting him about the eating!! I can't tell you how tired I am of fighting that battle. He is down to 131 pounds. Hopefully he will get back to eating soon. We arrived home a bit after 5pm; just in time for me to make dinner! Actually, after having sandwiches two meals a day for 4 days, Bryon BBQ'd burgers last night! I was craving a burger!! David and I split one, and he only ate 2 bites of his. But it tasted sooooo good! I am not normally a sandwich person, so I was really ready for something else!! But we survived on sandwiches twice a day (usually apples and almonds for breakfast), and we saved a bunch of money!! So, it is great to be home!

David is sleeping downstairs, as it is exhausting for him to go up and down the stairs on crutches. He doesn't mind sleeping downstairs, we have a comfortable reclining couch. Plus, he is still somewhat afraid to bend his knee, and he is afraid the cats will jump all over him at night (the cats sleep in his room) and hurt his leg. So that is why he sleeps downstairs. Of course, we lost our tv, ha-ha. He had Bryon bring his PS3 down here and hook it up to the family room tv. That's ok, we don't watch that much tv anyway.

David is weight bearing as tolerated, and he isn't weight bearing yet. He says when he puts weight on it, it feels like things are 'shifting' inside. He said he thinks that happened before, too. He has had pain on the inside this time, too, not just the incision. So he will gradually be putting weight on it. I can't wait to see him walking 'normal' again. Like I posted the other day, he will never walk normal, but he will walk normal for him. I can't wait to permanently retire the crutches and the wheelchair!! Someday.......

Please continue to pray for his healing. We are so glad that this surgery is over. The doctor told us that he is young and healthy, but that the incision will take a while to heal. That is because they went through scar tissue; LOTS of it; and scar tissue takes longer to heal than fresh skin. He has to keep the incision covered because of that. They said they don't want dirt or germs getting in the incision and causing an infection that would go to the implant because there is no muscle between the skin and the implant. You can feel the implant when you touch David's leg; it is kinda creepy! Anyway, please pray for healing and for pain relief. Thanks.

Thank you for checking in. Please continue to pray for Sara's family as it is sinking in more and more that she is no longer here on earth, she is dancing and running with the angels. She is free from pain and from a disabled body (and Osteosarcoma), but that doesn't make it easier on her family. Please continue to pray for Rachel, who fights every single day to live! Thank you. Have a good evening. God bless you all. We love you.

Kristi and the Koury Klan

Three out of every five children diagnosed with cancer suffer from long-term or late onset side effects.

TUESDAY, JUNE 14, 2011

2011-06-14T22:12:00.000-07:00

Good evening.

I am sorry I haven't updated, it has been a rather rough ride. We left Sunday after church, and got here around 7:30. We were stuck in traffic from Berkley to San Francisco. It was a mess!! I hate San Francisco traffic!!!! Then we settled into the Family House, where we got a great room. What makes a room great at the FH is it's own bathroom! We are the only room on this floor with it's own bathroom. I don't know the situation on the other floors. Anyway, we went to the kitchen and made our dinner (remember, I packed food) and ate. Then we wound down before going to bed. We didn't have to wake up at the crack of dawn because David's surgery wasn't scheduled until 1:30. We had to be at the hospital at 11:30, and that is when we got there. None of us ate because David had to be NPO (nothing by mouth) since midnight Sunday night. So we were pretty hungry. David wasn't hungry because he was too nervous. They finally called us to the pre-op around 1:15 or so. They talked to us about pain management for David, so they suggested a nerve block. It involved placing an IV while he was awake and putting the nerve block catheter into his femoral nerve. He needed to be awake so they can know if it is in the right place. They check for the nerve by ultrasound, but he still had to be awake. Usually he goes to sleep by mask, and then they insert all IV's after he is asleep. Well, he agreed to the nerve block because they said it will work better than the epidural he usually gets. They gave him the 'Happy Medicine" (one nurse calls it the "brave medicine") once the IV was in, and he doesn't remember them placing the nerve block. I am glad about that! Then he was pretty loopy and funny! He kept falling asleep, and he said he wasn't even scared anymore! That made me happy! Well, he didn't go back to surgery until 3:30, so they had to give him more versed to take the fear away, again. He actually agreed to take it! Anyway, Dr. O said he will be coming to talk to us in 2 hours. So we left, went to the FH and made sandwiches. Then we went back to the hospital to wait. When 3 hours came and went we were getting a bit concerned. Dr. O called about 6:50 to say David was done and in the PACU. Everything went fine. Very little bleeding, no sign of infection, and David tolerated it well. We got to go to the PACU to see him about 8:00. He was in NO pain! First time! He often wakes up in pain; we decided that the nerve block was a great thing!! He got to his room around 9:00. It is a shared room, and he was by the door. Not acceptable. He has major depression issues when he is in a shared room, and he is by the door. Our roommates left today, so we moved him to the window. It isn't as ideal as a private room, but it is doable. We don't understand why people who are by the window always leave the blinds down. It makes the hospital room like a cold, depressing cave!! If you don't want to have the window blinds open, be by the door!! Anyway, things are a bit better now that he has been moved.

Today he got up and walked, twice. The first time he did it with the Physical Terrorist, and he did well. Then this afternoon the nerve block stopped working. He is on a dilaudid PCA (Patient Controlled Analgesic), but he won't push the button! He was for awhile, but then he said the dilaudid was making him nauseous and dizzy, so he doesn't want it anymore. The second walk was agony. He was crying and saying he didn't want to do it. His nurse brought in some oxycodone, and we waited for that to kick in before getting him up. He broke our hearts on the second walk. He didn't walk far at all, and he said, "I miss the lengthenings, they were easier. I miss walking normal, I forget what it is like to walk normal. I forget what it is like to run." No child should EVER feel that way. I HATE CANCER!! I am so tired of watching my baby in pain. I took for granted that children run and jump and play; my son can't do those things. But he is such a brave kid/young man. The things he has been through without complaining.....it's just not fair. Please pray that his pain can be controlled better. They did up the delivery on his nerve block, hopefully that will work better. They said they can up it even more if he needs it; we'll see. We were hoping to go home tomorrow, but I don't see that happening. He is in far too much pain to be able to sit for that long car ride home. Miracles happen every day, so we could get one, who knows?

Sorry this is so long, I just wanted to catch you up on what is happening. Please continue to pray for healing for him, and for better pain management. Thanks for checking in. Have a good evening. God bless you all. We love you.

Kristi and the Koury Klan

The only thing worse than being diagnosed with cancer is watching your child go through it.

SATURDAY, JUNE 11, 2011

2011-06-11T21:58:00.000-07:00

Good evening, everyone.

We are so glad that today is over!! The graduation went really well today. David did not have a mic when he read his speech, but he did great!! His voice was quiet, but strong. When he was done he got a standing ovation!! It was wonderful. He even said he was glad he did it. Even some of the kids said it was a great speech, and that they liked it. He is so glad that today is done and over with.

David even got an award that we were totally unaware of! He got a Certificate of Recognition "In recognition of outstanding academic achievement at Beacon Academy of Nevada." We were not expecting that, and we are just busting our buttons with pride!! All you cancer moms (and dads) know what an accomplishment it is for our children to get through school with all the roadblocks in their way. And for my son to be recognized for outstanding academic achievement......I couldn't be more proud to be his mom!!!

We are so thankful to Kirk and Trish for making the trip all the way from Colorado just to see David graduate. Bryon and Kirk go way back (actually, Kirk is Bryon's sister-in-law's brother) and it has been awhile since we have seen him. Kirk was in our wedding. Anyway, it was very special for them to have come all the way from Colorado just to come to David's graduation. It meant a lot to us to have them do that. David didn't even have extended family members acknowledge his accomplishments. But we are fine with that. We know who the people are who really care about David, not just say that they do. Anyway, thank you for all your prayers for him, he did fantastic!! We could not be prouder of him. Yes, it was a tear-jerker!!

Well, tomorrow we leave for San Francisco. Please pray for us the next few days. I am so tired of my baby going into surgery. This will be the 12th time I have had to put my child into someone else's hands and watch him be wheeled off to surgery. It does NOT get any easier. Please pray that David has good pain management when he comes out of surgery; that is the part he is most concerned with. Please pray for a safe trip tomorrow for us. Thank you.

I am trying to upload some pictures, hopefully I will be able to do it tomorrow. Be looking for pictures!

It is late, and we still have to pack. Thank you for visiting and for all your prayers. God bless you all.

Kristi and the Koury Klan

The overall incidence rate for childhood cancers has increased significantly by almost 33% during the period 1975 to 2001

FRIDAY, JUNE 10, 2011

2011-06-10T20:54:00.000-07:00

8:54 PM, PDT

Good evening.

Today was a very busy day. We did all the last minute shopping, and I just finished baking the cupcakes. David didn't want a cake, he wanted cupcakes. And that is perfectly fine. It's his party, and he can have what he wants.

Here is the speech David wrote for his graduation. It is a good speech coming from a 17-year-old. Here goes:

"In the fall of my Freshman year, October of 2007, I was diagnosed with Osteosarcoma, a bone cancer, in my right knee. The doctors found out that it was metastatic, meaning that it had also spread to my lungs. I had chemotherapy for about 4 months. Then in February of 2008, I had surgery to take the tumor out of my knee. They replaced my knee and two-thirds of my femur with a titanium rod. While I was in the hospital, I developed an intussusception, which,for lack of better words, is a condition where the small intestine telescopes in on the large intestine. Left untreated, a person typically will die in 2 to 5 days. The doctors don’t know why I got it, but on day 6 at 1 am on a Sunday morning I had an emergency surgery where they removed over a foot of my intestine and my appendix. I had another month of chemo and at the end of March I had surgery on my right lung to get 9 tumors out. Exactly two weeks later, the day before my birthday, I had surgery on my left lung where they removed 1 more. I spent my 14th birthday in the hospital recovering. I had chemo until that October. I believe God gave me the strength to endure a year of chemo and 11 surgeries over 33 months. In October 2009, a CT scan showed that I had a relapse. I have 2 more tumors in my right lung and 1 in my left. The tumors I have now are stable, so my doctors are just watching them. Beacon Academy of Nevada and its teachers helped me by excusing me from class when I wasn't able to attend because of surgeries and scans. They were understanding of my circumstances, and they helped me any way they could. Being at Beacon Academy and doing school online was a positive experience, because I was able to still attend school despite what I've been through, and they helped me be able to get my diploma. Today is Saturday June 11. 2 days from now on Monday June 13, I will be having surgery number 12 to replace my knee and femur again.

There will be a time in our lives when each one of us will have to face a trial or tribulation. When that time comes, we will have to decide how we handle it. We have a choice - do we fight or do we quit? The choices we make have a large part in how our lives turn out. Quitting is taking the easy way out. Anything worth value is worth fighting for. I didn’t choose to get cancer, but I did choose to fight. I am literally in a fight for my life. My life has value so I wake up everyday and choose to fight. This fight will last the rest of my life because metastatic Osteosarcoma is incurable. When problems face you, what are you going to choose? Are you going to fight? Or are you going to quit? The choice is up to you."

So, that is his speech. I think it is pretty inspirational. Please pray that he is calm when he gives his speech. He is VERY nervous, which is understandable. He doesn't want to give the speech, which is, again, understandable. Please pray for him. Graduation is at 1:00 pdt, so just adjust for your time zone. I don't know what time his speech is, but God does. Thank you for your prayers for him. Thank you for loving him, even if it is across many miles.

Thank you for visiting. Thank you for your prayers. Have a good evening. God bless you all. We love you.

Kristi and the Koury Klan

"You gain strength, courage and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face." - Eleanor Roosevelt

THURSDAY, JUNE 9, 2011

2011-06-09T22:10:00.000-07:00

Good evening.

David had a good oncology appointment. The bone scan said, "Aside from some increased tracer uptake at the margins of the prosthesis, there are no definite areas of abnormal focal increased tracer uptake in the rest of the skeleton to suggest metastatic disease." Woo-Hoo!!! Whew. So the bone scan is good. Now for the chest CT scan. It said, "There is a plaque-like area of nodular thickening of the pleura or lung adjacent to the spine at the right lung base on axial image 26 of 114. The lesion measures 7mm in diameter and is unchanged compared to the prior study. A calcification is present projecting over the dependent region of the gallbladder most consistent with a solitary gallstone." So his CT scan is stable!! Woo-Hoo! We are happy with this report. And all his blood work came back great. Next scans (in October) we will do the echo and check his B12 and Zinc levels. Otherwise, things are stable. Connie said she was talking to Dr. Raphael on the plane about David. She said they could see that David clearly fought hard to live. They didn't think he was going to survive this, and so far he has! He is a miracle child! They are very impressed with him.

David is holding at around 135 pounds, which is acceptable. Eating is still an issue with him, however. Today he only ate dinner. He wasn't hungry at breakfast, and he was carsick from the drive to Reno and back and couldn't eat lunch. So for dinner I made a new favorite of his, pepper jack mac! It is pretty good. He ate a fair amount of that for dinner. It is hard to see him so nauseous all the time. *sigh* At least he is holding his weight ok. We will take the 135 pounds. Sure beats the 92 pounds he was 3 years ago!!! Please continue to pray that his appetite picks up. Thank you.

David submitted his speech to the school, and the administration approved it! He is set to give that speech on Saturday. We plan on videoing (is that even a word?) his graduation. If I can figure out a way to post it here, I will. I will, however, print out his speech as an update tomorrow; be looking for it!!

Well, it is late and I am tired. We got to have our precious Elena spend the night last night, and she got up at 1am for a feeding, so I am tired today. I know why we have children when we are younger! But I can keep up with the rest of them, I just don't sleep that well as it is, and I am not used to getting up with an infant. But I enjoyed that time, just me and Elena. The house was quiet, I had a precious baby in my arms, she was all snuggled in a blanket, she smelled so good, etc. I was in heaven!! I didn't mind one bit getting up with her. Sorry, I digress. Anyway, thanks for visiting. Have a good night. Thank you for all your continued prayers, we sure need them!! God bless you all. We love you.

Kristi and the Koury Klan

Once you choose hope, anything's possible. - Christopher Reeve

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 8, 2011

2011-06-08T22:18:00.000-07:00

Quick update

Good evening.

Just a quick update to say that David is unofficially officially done with school!!! He hasn't graduated, but he is done with all his work. Tomorrow is the official last day of school, but he finished all his assignments today!!! We were hoping he would, he won't have a lot of time tomorrow. We have to go to Reno for his oncology appointment, and that takes a lot of time. The appointment is at 10:00, so we have to leave around 9:15, to make sure we have time to park and all that. Plus, we will have Elena and Emilee, so that will take a bit of extra time, too. Then who knows how long we will be there, but we should be home in time for lunch!! So that pretty much kills the morning for available time for school. We are so proud of David! He finished school, even after all he has been through.

I will post tomorrow what we find out about his last scans. Until then, thanks for checking in. Have a good evening. God bless you all.

Kristi and the Koury Klan

In almost all cases, childhood cancers arise from non-inherited mutations (or changes) in the genes of growing cells. As these errors occur randomly and unpredictably, there is currently no effective way to predict or prevent them

TUESDAY, JUNE 7, 2011

2011-06-07T21:24:00.000-07:00

Good evening.

I could/should put yesterday's post up every day to get the point across, but I won't. I will spare you that.

We got the tickets for David's graduation! We are so glad the graduation will be inside, but there is limited seating. Every student is only allowed so many tickets, and we took up most of them with just our family!! Oh well, we still had enough! Then we will be having a BBQ afterwards for the friends who couldn't make it to the graduation. David has invited his friends, I hope everyone comes! He is really looking forward to the BBQ!!! It should be fun. The weather is supposed to be good.....NO rain or snow!! Woo-Hoo!! I just can't believe my baby graduates in 4 days! We are so thankful that he has lived this long! This will be some celebration, let me tell you!!

Then on Sunday we leave for San Francisco. We will be leaving after church; we want the prayer coverage when we go. So that is why we will be leaving after church. We aren't on a time crunch, the Family House room is reserved for us, and we can get there when we get there. We will be packing food, certainly can't afford to eat out!! I will be making some homemade chicken salad for sandwiches, and we will bring lunch meat, chips, fruit, etc. I am not looking forward to sandwiches for lunch AND dinner (I don't really like sandwiches), but we do what we have to do. It won't be bad, it could be worse!!

Thank you for visiting and checking in on David and the Koury Klan. Have a wonderful evening. God bless you all. We love you. {{hugs}}

Kristi and the Koury Klan

Even with insurance coverage, a family will have out-of-pocket expenses of about $40,000per year, not including travel.

MONDAY, JUNE 6, 201

2011-06-06T21:01:00.000-07:00

The month of June brings awareness to Sarcoma/Bone Cancer

The American Cancer Society estimated that 2,570 people will be diagnosed with Sarcoma/Bone Cancer this year.

Bone cancer is caused by a problem with the cells that make bone. Bone tumors occur most commonly in children and adolescents and are less common in older adults. Cancer involving the bone in older adults is most commonly the result of metastatic spread from another tumor.

There are many different types of bone cancer. The most common bone tumors include osteosarcoma, Ewing's sarcoma, chondrosarcoma, malignant fibrous histiocytoma, fibrosarcoma.

The most common symptom of bone tumors is pain. In most cases, the symptoms become gradually more severe with time. Initially, the pain may only be present either at night or with activity. Depending on the growth of the tumor, those affected may have symptoms for weeks, months, or years before seeking medical advice. If you have been experiencing undiagnosed bone pain, please see your doctor. While these symptoms don't necessarily mean you have cancer, it is best to rule out anything serious.

Please remember to wear your Yellow Awareness Ribbon items to honor or memorialize those affected with Sarcoma/Bone Cancer.

That is pretty much all I have to say tonight. I will update when I find out the news on David's scans. Thank you for checking in. Have a good night. God bless you all. We love you.

Kristi and the Koury Klan

SATURDAY, JUNE 4, 2011

2011-06-04T21:38:00.000-07:00

Good evening.

Well, we made it to Oakland and back safely, thank you for your prayers. We left a little after 4am, and got there around 8am. We checked in, and waited for Christine to inject David with the radioactive dye. He was injected around 8:30, and then we waited for the chest CT scan. They called him back for the chest CT around 9. Then Christine told us to come back at 12 for the bone scan; or she would text me if she could get him in sooner. After the CT we went across the street to the oncology clinic to see Connie about his echo and oncology appointment. Well, Connie wasn't there, so no oncology appointment. Bryon talked to her, and she said we will just do the echo at the next set of scans in October. Then I talked to her, and she said we will have the oncology appointment in Reno on Thursday. So we went back across the street to the main hospital and went to the cafeteria to wait. We packed our lunch, so we ate around 11; just in case Christine called us early. We went to the nuclear med room at 12. Then Christine administered the bone scan. Then we left! We got home around 5! It was great to get home sooner than we thought we would!! It is cold and rainy here, but beautiful!! Oh, and Christine gave David a gift card to GameStop for graduation. She said it is also to help him as he recovers from surgery. She is so sweet!! We think the world of her. She clearly loves David. So, another set of scans done. We don't have any results of the scans, yet, we should know on Thursday. We really hate the wait, but what can we do? They have to be read by the radiologist, compared to previous scans, surgeon consulted, discussed with oncologists, etc. It takes time. I will let you know as soon as I do!!

Please pray for David, as always. He hasn't been feeling well these past few days. He said he has been nauseous for a few days, and he is not eating much (that's nothing new, I know). He can't get sick!! He graduates a week from today! I can't believe he has 4 more days of school. All four of my children will be High School graduates!!

Please pray that we get everything done. We have to do all the last minute stuff on Friday, payday! Please pray we are able to get everything done. Friday will be a VERY busy day. With all the shopping, decorating, pictures, etc. Please pray we can get it all done!!

Bryon got a call from the Family House in San Francisco, and we are all set for the week. We will be leaving here on the 12th, and we are reserved at the FH for the week. We don't know how long we will be there, but they tell us to plan for a week stay. Please continue to pray that David is placed on 7Long to recover. Thanks for all your prayers.

Thank you for visiting and checking up on David and the Koury Klan. Have a good rest of your weekend. God bless you all. We love you. {{hugs}}

Kristi and the Koury Klan

Pharmaceutical companies fund over 50% of adult cancer research trials, but virtually nothing for children's cancer!

MONDAY, MAY 30, 2011

2011-05-30T21:17:00.000-07:00

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

2011-05-24T21:51:00.000-07:00

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

2011-05-18T21:28:00.000-07:00

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

2011-05-09T20:57:00.000-07:00

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

2011-05-03T22:33:00.000-07:00

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.

Thursday, April 28, 2011

2011-04-18T21:32:00.000-07:00

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.

2011-04-18T20:39:00.000-07:00

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

2011-04-11T21:16:00.000-07:00

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

2011-04-06T21:15:00.000-07:00

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.

Monday, March 28, 2011

2011-03-28T21:09:00.000-07:00

Good evening.

Well, it looks like maybe spring will come this week......wonder for how long. It was a beautiful day today. The snow is all gone from our yard; bummer. David does enjoy spring, and it will be nice to take the babies outside. I just don't want summer.....David can NOT handle the heat anymore, and he gets nauseous. So the only thing bad about spring is it means that summer is right around the corner. Oh well. One day at a time.

David's English teacher has been very sweet. She wrote and told us she is also excusing David from the lesson #10 Elluminate session. They will be discussing the writing of the eulogies; and she is also telling the kids that they can write on a different subject if they prefer. She is really helping David get through this unit without having to think about his death. We will be telling her how much we appreciate all she is doing. Thank you for your prayers.

Last Friday, the 25th, we had another birthday. My daughter, Rachel, turned another year older. How is it that my children keep getting older, but I don't? Hee-hee. Please pray for her, she has some decisions to make regarding her future. God knows what they are. Thank you.

Please pray for my daughter, Jennifer. Now she is sick. Please pray that my beautiful granddaughter does not get this cold! She goes to the doctor tomorrow morning, so I am anxious to see how big she is getting. She is still a tiny thing to me. She is definitely getting longer, but she is a petite slender thing!! I can't believe how much fun she is! We are enjoying her so much. And I love getting to see Jeremy and Lucy every day!! It's a win-win situation for me!!

David is still doing well in school. He is getting all his work done, and doing well. I (we) are so proud of him. He works so hard, and it is paying off. Thank you for your prayers for him.

That is about all that's happening in the Koury Klan. Please remember to keep us all in your prayers. Please continue to pray for Rachel and Sara. Thank you so much. Have a good night. God bless you all. We love you. Kristi and the Koury Klan

'The aging process has you firmly in its grasp if you never get the urge to throw a snowball.'~~Doug Larson

Thursday, March 24, 2011

2011-03-24T21:07:00.000-07:00

Yup, still winter here. So far we have 3 inches of global warming on the ground, and it is still snowing!! I love it!!

We heard from David's teacher. Here is what she said:

Mr. and Mrs. Koury,

I first want to apologize on behalf of myself, and the Blackboard Lesson designers who wrote this lesson. I imagine they felt that high school students are so far away from the age in which most people die, that it would not have mental repercussions. Also most students have the easiest time writing about themselves. In this day and age it was very insensitive of them to use this lesson and it was insensitive of me to not change the format of the lesson as well. As a new mother myself, I can not even begin to imagine what you two have been going through and how hard it must be. Please accept my sincere apologies.

I just want to say that my intention was to never make David feel bad or uncomfortable with this assignment. The purpose of the assignment is to have students compose a speech and perform the speech in recorded form. Of course David is excused from the assignment. Maybe you could help me think of something he could write a speech about? Maybe something to help other kids who are going through the same things he has gone through or whatever you think is approrpriate for him.

Discuss it with David, and let me know what you come up with.

Monica Harris

Thank you for your prayers, they worked! We really didn't think she would have a problem with David not doing the assignment, but it was a nice note from her. We also knew it wasn't meant to hurt David, too many people are just so unaware of Childhood Cancer! So now we will talk to David and see what he wants to do instead. One of my Facebook friends, and fellow cancer mom, suggested a bio for a book jacket, and that sounds great. Thanks, Suzanna, for the suggestion.

Something was brought up in a discussion I had on Facebook about our cancer kids. We cancer moms and dads just wish people understood our situation more. We understand they don't, but we wish they wouldn't assume things that just aren't true. One of my fellow Osteo family moms and I were discussing this; how people just don't get it. We are so tired of hearing people say how our children "look so good!" Well, David looked great when he had this monster growing in his body. Other than a sore knee, he looked and felt great! He had no breathing problems, so we had NO idea it was in his lungs, too. Nobody would have known he had this aggressive monster growing in his young body! So when we hear, "He looks so good" we just smile and say, "yes, he does" but inside we want to scream!!! People, how he looks means NOTHING!!! He has 3 nodules in his lungs as I write this! Sure, they are stable, but for how long? I know people mean well, it is just frustrating.

Please pray that David feels better. I forgot to mention that he has a cold. He is almost over it, it is just in the coughing stage, and it hurts his chest to cough. Yup, that makes this cancer mom pretty nervous. I don't know if chest/lung congestion will activate those mets; I sure pray not!! Please remember to keep his health in your prayers. Thanks.

Wylene, thank you sooooo much for the quilt pieces! I will take them to church and ask Jackie to help me design something with them! I can't wait! Thank you, again!

Please keep Rachel and Sara in your prayers. Sara is on hospice, and the nurse said there are signs of disease progression; but Sara is amazing! Her attitude is very positive. She knows she is exactly where God has put her. She doesn't understand, and it isn't what she wants, but she is just trusting that God knows best. She is just amazing!!

Thanks for visiting. I wanted to let you know how David's English situation turned out. Thank you for the prayers. Have a good night. God bless you all. We love you.

Kristi and the Koury Klan

'A child's hand in yours~~what tenderness and power it arouses. You are instantly the very touchstone of wisdom and strength.'~~~Marjorie Holmes

Wednesday, March 23, 2011

2011-03-23T22:14:00.000-07:00

Happy Spring! Well, it is still winter here, but happy spring anyway!

There never seems to be a dull moment around here. There is another hiccup with school, sorta. Yesterday David was given an assignment in English that he is, with our permission and blessing, refusing to do. The teacher wants him to write his eulogy. (David really misses his old English teacher) We have contacted his teacher and let her know that he will not be doing this assignment. He doesn't even want to think about being dead. In case you are thinking this assignment is to write how the kids want to be remembered, it is not. The assignment will be graded on how it is written, she doesn't care what is written. To ask a child who has cheated death more than once; who knows this cancer might kill him; who needs to focus on living to write his eulogy is, in our opinion, irresponsible. Please pray that the teacher will understand our refusal to allow David to do this assignment. We are still in shock that this assignment was given. The unit they are studying is on life and death (why?), so why can't they write a paper on life? We just can't believe this. David said he really misses attending Fernley Christian School~~~so do I! We just couldn't afford private school anymore. I will (and have on facebook) confessed that I just might be a bit over sensitive about this, but I offer no apologies. The emotional ramifications of asking a child who stares death in the face every day to write his own eulogy are astronomical! Sorry for rambling on, I am just appalled about this. Please pray that everything works out. Thank you.

Otherwise, David is doing very well in school. He is getting 5 A's (counting PE), and 2 B's. As of the last progress report. He is so amazing! After all he has gone through, to still graduate a year ahead of his age. And guess what? We are so proud of him! He got a note from the school saying his cap and gown are in!! They will be in the mail to us by the end of this week; so we should be getting them next week! The announcements aren't in yet, though. Having the cap and gown in makes it so real. My baby is graduating from High School! Pretty amazing for someone who wasn't supposed to be alive right now!!! We will be celebrating on June 11th!! Then David has surgery June 13th! *sigh* We cannot wait to watch our son walk down the aisle and graduate. Please pray that he continues to keep his grades up. Thanks.

Please continue to pray for Sara and Rachel. This cancer is just so brutal! Thank you for visiting and checking in on David and the Koury Klan. Have a good evening. God bless you all. We love you.

Kristi and the Koury Klan

Angels dancing on the head of a pin dissolve into nothingness at the bedside of a dying child.'~~~Waiter Rant

Wednesday, March 23, 2011

2011-03-23T22:09:00.000-07:00

Tuesday, March 15, 2011

2011-03-15T21:53:00.000-07:00

Good evening. It is a beautiful, rainy evening. It has been 'gloomy' all day today. David and I don't think it is gloomy; we love it! The rain is gorgeous.

Yesterday David took the test to testout of PE. Today we heard from his principal that he got a 91%!! So he got an A on that test, and now that credit is not standing in his way of graduating!! Thank you for your prayers for him. He spent all morning studying for the test; he wanted to make sure he passed it. He, in essence, took a crash course before the test! We are so glad he passed it, and with an A!! Good job, son! Whew. Glad that's over!!

David is doing very well in all his other subjects, too. The comments his teachers give him on his assignments are wonderful. His teachers are very impressed with him, and his work. We are so proud of him, as usual. Please continue to pray that he continues to do well. Thank you so much.

I told David yesterday that I really miss his dog. You have to understand that I didn't really like his dog. You see, I just don't like chihuahuas. I don't like yappy, nervous dogs that are always under foot and in danger of being stepped on!! But our house just isn't the same without Oreo. I miss the love and devotion that she gave to my son. He told me that now, after a week, he can look at pictures of her. It still makes him extremely sad, but at least it is getting a LITTLE bit easier. Please continue to pray for him. We hate what he is going through. We can't help but wonder how much this child is supposed to take. He is moving on without his beloved dog, but his eyes are sad. We know he will get through this, it will just take time. He is an extremely sensitive child, and this is a very difficult time for him. Thank you for your prayers.

I am loving taking care of my beautiful granddaughter. Lucy went back to work last Wednesday, and now I have Elena full time. I am absolutely loving it!!! I am such a lucky grandma. I know what an honor and a privilege it is for me to take care of her. I do NOT take it for granted, believe me. She is such a bright spot in the Koury family. Our lives have been pretty horrible since October of 2007! Having Elena join our family was the best thing that has happened since October of 2007!! I just can't tell you how much I am loving being able to take care of her every day. And, I get to see Jeremy and Lucy every day! They drop Elena off, and they both come here on their lunch hour. I have the most wonderful granddaughter in the whole world!! She is such a joy.

Thursday is St. Baldrick's, again. That is where people shave their heads to raise money for Childhood Cancer Awareness and Research. Last year both my daughters and I shaved our heads; Jennifer is doing it again this year. She is a member of 'Team David' again. Actually, she is team captain. There are 5 people shaving on Team David. It is so fantastic to see that many people bonding to do something to help raise money in honor of my son. Jennifer, David, Elena and I are leaving at 1:00 to head to Reno; Bryon and Rachel will meet us there after work. Then we get to keep Elena overnight! That will be good because Jeremy has a test on Friday, and he will get a good night's sleep Thursday night. Please pray that he does well on the test. Poor guy, he is such a great kid (ok, I know he's an adult, but he is my kid, lol). He is working full-time, going to school, and has a brand new baby!! He is so dedicated to bettering himself, and we are so proud of him, too!! Actually, we are VERY proud of all of our children; Jeremy, Jennifer, Rachel, and David; and our daughter-in-love Lucy! We have THE best children! Thank you, God, for blessing us with these children; and now our gorgeous granddaughter.

Thank you for visiting and checking in on David and the Koury Klan. Thank you for all your prayers. Please continue to pray for Sara and Rachel. And please remember to keep Todd's family in your prayers. 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.

Sunday, March 13, 2011

2011-03-13T20:49:00.000-07:00

Good evening.

I hope you all remembered to put your clocks ahead one hour. We did, and I hated it! I just wish they would decide to keep the time one way or the other. It is just stupid to change it like we do. When it was six months either way, it was different. But now being 8 months one way, and 4 months the other; just leave it one way or the other!! I hate losing my hour!

David is doing ok after the loss of his dog. He is pretty depressed some days, and other days he is ok. We still have the other chihuahua and our german shepherd; but they aren't his dog. He really misses her a lot. We can't believe tomorrow will be a week since she died. It was just so sudden, and he tries to be strong, but he still cries sometimes. Please continue to pray for him. Thank you.

I have asked you to pray for Todd in the past. Well, he died Tuesday morning. Please pray for his wife, Karen, and both of their families. He fought so hard for so long, and I guess he just couldn't fight anymore. As I have said before; it is extremely difficult every time someone dies of the same cancer that is laying dormant in my son. We are always on 'high alert' waiting for those stable lung mets to decide to act up!!! Even if they never do, we still will never relax as long as they are there!! It always hits us so hard when this blasted monster takes another life. Please pray for Todd's family. Thank you.

Our weather has been beautiful. As we speak it is raining, and we love the rain! The mountains are still full of snow; and they said we won't have a drought problem this year! Yay!

Jennifer and I had a lot of fun yesterday at our quilt class. Jackie was really proud of the wall hanging that Jennifer made (and so was I)! She did a great job! Maybe a sewing machine is in order for her for Christmas?!?! We will see. She does enjoy sewing, as do I. We had a great time! I have fun doing things with my children. We have another class next month.........can't wait!!

Well, that is about all that is going on here. Thanks for visiting and checking in on David and the Koury Klan. Thank you for all 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.

Monday, March 7, 2011

2011-03-07T20:00:00.000-08:00

Good evening, everyone.

I can't believe it has been so long since I updated. Things are busy around here. I have had the wonderful privilege of taking care of my beautiful granddaughter a few times. Yesterday was one of those days. After church we had a potluck and a meeting with a group we belong to. Jeremy didn't go to church, but Lucy and Elena did; and Lucy asked if I wanted to keep Elena for the day~~~yeah, she really had to twist my arm: NOT! So we kept her until about 7:30pm and it was wonderful! It was good for Jeremy and Lucy to have some time together. We all love our 'baby time' that is for sure! And yesterday Jennifer sewed her wall-hanging quilt top; and she did great! This coming Saturday is our next quilt meeting, and Jackie will help Jennifer get her back and bindings on her wall-hanging. It will be fun. We have just been really busy lately.

On to sucky news. Please keep David in your prayers. This afternoon his dog acted really strange, and was breathing 'rattly.' Bryon and David rushed her to the vet (Emilee was asleep, so I stayed home), and they said she possibly had a heart attack; but she definitely had a LOT of fluid around her heart (congestive heart failure). There were some things they could try (for several hundred dollars), but the end result would be that she would still need to be put down. So.......David was able to be with his dog as she fell asleep (aka died). He is heartbroken. This emergency trip to the vet was not one we could afford; but we didn't know what to do with the way she was acting. I won't go into it; we just knew something was wrong. He got that dog for his 10th birthday (she was born 2 days before his birthday). He loved her so much, and she loved him. She was a 'one man' dog, that's for sure. She drove my girls crazy when we were gone for the better part of that year when David was in treatment. Anyway, please pray for comfort for him. Also, please pray for him physically. The nurse told Bryon that in cases of extreme grief, things could happen that we don't want to happen. The vet is very well aware of David's situation. They let the dogs stay there free of charge when David had his first limb-salvage surgery; and that ended up being for 2 weeks!! Anyway, we clearly don't want David's grief to cause any adverse physical problems. He is forcing himself to eat, again!! We hate to see him in pain. We can't help but wonder how much we have to watch our child suffer! We watched him suffer physically, now we have to watch him suffer emotionally. We know that pets die, and he will get through it, but still. Please just pray for his emotional and physical health. Thank you.

Tomorrow Lucy has her 6-week post-partum checkup; and I get to watch Elena!! I can't wait. It will be a good diversion for David, too. He loves that little baby girl sooooo much. So we will have some fantastic baby time! Lucy hopes to go back to work the end of this week; to kinda ease into it. For sure she goes back to work next week, and that is when I start having Elena full time. My days will be very busy, but fun and filled with love. David loves babies, so he will love having Emilee and Elena here all day! I am looking forward to it.

Thanks for visiting and checking up on David and the Koury Klan. Please keep David in your prayers, as I know you do. Thank you for your prayers. God bless you all. We love you. {{hugs}}

Kristi and the Koury Klan

The only thing worse than being diagnosed with cancer is watching your child go through it.

Thursday, February 24, 2011

2011-02-24T23:24:00.000-08:00

Good evening, everyone.

Wow, I can't believe it's been a week since I updated!

Our weather has been COLD, COLD, and COLD! Did I mention it has been cold? Well, it has also been FREEZING! We still have several inches of snow in our backyard, and more is coming! Today has been very windy, as it always is before a storm. Thank God for firewood that keeps us cozy.

David has started a new endeavor. He decided he wants to learn how to cook. So, this week he has been cooking dinner. Tuesday he made tacos (all but browning the meat); Wednesday he made Chicken Casserole; today he made chili in the crock pot. I have, without a doubt, THE best chili recipe, and we just put it in the crock pot to slowly cook all day. He really is enjoying learning to cook. So far he is making things that don't require him to stand for a long time~~his idea. He was saying last night that he couldn't be a chef because he can't stand for a long time. Anyway, he is really enjoying cooking, and then eating what he made! He is doing great in this new endeavor!

We can't believe Elena is 4 weeks old already! She will turn a month old on Saturday. She is such a joy; and a wonderful addition to our family. David is loving having a little niece.

David is doing well in school. He still hasn't taken the test for PE.....don't know when that will happen. Please continue to pray that he passes the test. Thanks.

The quilting class was cancelled last week, on account of a LOT of snow. Jennifer and I did drive down there, the roads weren't that great. I am thankful for my 4-wheel-drive Honda Pilot!! So the class was rescheduled for this Saturday. But...we have more snow coming, so we will see. I hope the snow doesn't keep us from the class on Saturday. Our high tomorrow is going to be 32*. Yes, I said our HIGH will be 32; then on Saturday our HIGH will be around 22!!! I love the cold. I love snuggling under a blanket, watching the fire, drinking something hot....sounds good to me!

That is about all that is going on here. Please continue to keep the Koury family in your prayers. Thank you for the prayers, and for your love. Have a good evening. God bless you all. We love you. {{hugs}}

Kristi and the Koury Klan

'A hospital should also have a recovery room adjoining the cashier's office.' - Francis O'Walsh

Thursday, February 17, 2011

2011-02-17T20:04:00.000-08:00

Good evening, everyone!

Sorry I haven't updated, we have been pretty busy.

Right now we are in the middle of a HUGE storm! We already had 7" of snow, and there is more on the way; it is snowing right now! They are expecting 10+ more inches! It is beautiful outside. Today I took Emilee outside and we had a snowball fight~~well, not a very fair one! She isn't even 2 yet! But she had fun, for a little while. It was really, really cold. But it was good to be out in the fresh air for a little bit! I bundled her up in her snowsuit and boots, and she was good to go. She is such a sweetie. Anyway, our Spring-like weather is over, for now. We are in the throes of winter! And we are loving it. With the exception of the fact that David's Bible study was cancelled tonight on account of the weather.

David is still doing well in school. He hasn't taken the exam to 'testout' of PE, hopefully he will soon. He would like to get that over with; not that I blame him for that! Please continue to pray that he will pass it with no problem. Thanks.

I was able to have some 'baby time' with Elena a couple of days ago. Lucy had some errands to run, and it was SUPER windy, and she felt better leaving Elena with Nana. She had to really twist my arm~~~NOT!! I love that baby girl so much. Like I said before, I love being a mom, why wouldn't I love being a grandma?? And I do love being a grandma. I have been talking to (and watching) other grandmas, and I know what kind of grandma I want to be!! And what kind I DON'T want to be! So I got to love on my granddaughter on Tuesday; it was wonderful.

Last Saturday Rachel and I went to church for a Women's Ministry meeting, and we made cookies! It was so much fun. This Saturday Jennifer and I are going to church to learn how to quilt! There is a woman at church who is leading a class, and I can't wait!! I have been wanting to learn how to quilt for such a long time; just didn't have anyone to teach me; now I do!! YAY! I am sure it will be fun. Hopefully the weather won't prevent us from being able to go.

Please continue to pray for Rachel, Sara, and Todd. This cancer sucks so bad! Thank you so much for your prayers. Thanks for checking in on David and the Koury Klan. Have a good evening. God bless you all. We love you. {{hugs}}

Kristi and the Koury Klan

'The world is full of suffering, but it is also full of people overcoming it.'~~~Helen Keller

Wednesday, February 9, 2011

2011-02-09T21:08:00.000-08:00

Good evening!

Well, 3 years ago right now David was at death's door, and nobody knew why. 3 years ago, in a few hours from now, David was rushed into emergency surgery! David and I have been talking about that today. He said out of all of his 11 surgeries he has had so far, the one 3 years ago was the ONLY one he was not afraid of. He was in soooooo much pain, and he knew surgery would take that pain away. Yes, it would cause a different pain, but the excruciating pain he was in would be gone. The only thing he was afraid of, at the time, was being put to sleep twice in the same day. He had had the endoscopy earlier in the afternoon, 3 years ago today. I cannot tell you how happy we are to still have David alive. We were told that an inutssusception as bad as David's, left untreated, will cause death to the patient in 2-5 days~~~David's surgery was on day 6! God definitely had His hand on David! And we are so very thankful! It isn't morbid for us to reminisce like this, it just shows us how far David has come, how hard he fought to live! How hard he continues to fight. He is our hero, let me tell you! Wonderful child. I can't tell you how proud of him I am. How proud I am to be his mother! Thank you, God, for the blessing of this child!

David (and I) got an email from his school counselor today. She told him how proud she was of the work he has done. She told him to keep up the good work. The principal will be contacting him to give him the test so he can 'testout' of PE. Amanda said it will be easy, and for David to not worry about it. What people do NOT understand, is how hard David has worked to be able to graduate. We have had people tell us that they are so impressed with him. This from people at Oakland Children's Hospital; they know what he has gone through. We were told that some kids just 'give up' and don't even finish school; and for David to not only finish but be a year ahead~~~~very impressive!! That just shows the character of my son. With everything he has been through~~~~I just can't express to you how amazing he is. Sorry, I guess I will quit gushing! LOL

Lucy and Jeremy took Elena to the doctor today. She is up to 8 pounds 2 ounces, and 22" long! She is growing like she should. She is still pretty tiny to me! I love that baby girl sooooo much. I am loving being a grandma! I mean, I love being a mom, so why wouldn't I love being a grandma?! We had so much fun with her on Sunday. She is just so precious!

David has Bible Study tomorrow night, and he can't wait. He is so funny. He gets borderline depressed when they don't have study, he just loves going. We don't mind so much when he has a break, it saves us money on the gas to get down there! But it is only money, and we will do what we need to do for David.

We got the official written reports on David's scans. Everything is stable; including his gallstone. The lung mets are still there, but they are stable. I don't care if they stay there forever as long as they stay stable! We also pray his gallstone stays stable! We don't want that thing growing or moving and causing trouble!

Thank you for visiting and checking up on David. He is doing good, all things considered. Please pray that he doesn't stress out too much over the test for PE. Also, please pray he passes it with no trouble! Thank you. Please remember to keep Todd, Sara, and Rachel in your prayers. Have a good evening. God bless you all. We love you. {{hugs}}

Kristi and the Koury Klan

*Young adults aged 15-22 have the lowest cancer survival rate of any age group.

Saturday, February 5, 2011

2011-02-05T22:14:00.000-08:00

Good evening.

Heard from Connie~~her exact words were; 'all is well in scan land. Will arrange for next imaging in late May.' So yay!! Scans are stable, no surprises! Woo-hoo! Thank you for your prayers. Whew. We can breathe again for a few months.

Three years ago today David was dying and nobody knew why. Three years ago yesterday David had his limb-salvage surgery. Then he got the intussusception, and nobody knew it. All we knew was that he was sick, vomiting, and bleeding internally and they didn't think to look for an intussusception because that doesn't happen to 13-year-old kids; just babies (unless there is a tumor in the intestines, which there wasn't). David is the one who brought up the subject of it being 3 years ago yesterday. I am soooo glad we aren't in that same place anymore. I am so glad that David is doing so well. We will never forget that time. It was a very dark time in our lives. And we are so thankful to be on the 'other side' of all that now.

Little Elena is doing great! She is such a blessing and a joy. We went over Jeremy and Lucy's last night for some baby time; and it was fantabulous!! She is such a sweet baby, and a cuddle bug!! I love her soooo much! And we get to take care of her tomorrow when Jeremy and Lucy go out for some alone time! I can't wait! That little girl will never lack for love, that is for darn sure!!

Thanks for visiting and checking in on David. I just wanted to let you know that I heard from Connie. Thank you again, so much, for your prayers. Please keep praying that David stays healthy. Have a good evening, and a good rest of your weekend. God bless you all. We love you.

Kristi and the Koury Klan

'Despite the success of chemotherapy for osteosarcoma, it has one of the lowest survival rates for pediatric cancer.'

Thursday, February 3, 2011

2011-02-03T22:55:00.000-08:00

Good evening.

Sorry I haven't updated, it has just been busy. Our trip to the Bay Area was good. We left Monday late morning, after getting some 'baby time' in! We got to the hotel in Emeryville before dinner, traffic wasn't too bad. It was a typical Monday California traffic, but it wasn't that bad. Anyway, we got there and checked in. Then we tried to figure out where to go to eat; David doesn't like to eat, and he is tired of Fuddrucker's. We wanted to find a place that is close, so we found California Pizza Kitchen across the street. We walked over there and David ate a whole pizza. Ok, it's not like it was a large pizza, but he still ate the whole thing. Then when we got back to the hotel, and David was in the shower, I got a call from Oakland Children's Hospital and they said that the nuclear medicine tech was sick, and wouldn't be doing David's bone scan. He was still scheduled for the chest CT and the oncology appointment, but the bone scan might need to be rescheduled. They didn't want us to drive all the way there for nothing. It wouldn't be for nothing, he still had the chest CT and oncology appointment, it would just mean ANOTHER trip to Oakland in the future. I was starting to freak out a bit! We can't afford extra trips like that. Well, we are pretty good friends with the nuclear medicine tech, so I texted her. She said not to worry, she will be there for us in the morning, just come as planned. I told her how much we appreciated her coming in, and she said she would get off her death bed to be there for us!! So, to make a long story short, everything went as planned. David had his chest CT around 9:30; the bone scan injection about 9:35; oncology appointment at 10:00 (got in early); and bone scan at 12:00. The appointment went well. David is up to 135 pounds, and we are all happy with that. Preliminary results from bone scan is all clear; no results from the CT yet. I plan on calling tomorrow. David will have scans again end of May. He will have all his bloodwork done then, so they can use the results for pre-op. After everything was done, we came home! It was a long day, as it always is when he has scans. Very stressful. Plus, I didn't sleep well the night before. We are so glad it is over for a few months!! Thank you for your prayers so far, please continue to pray that his lung mets are stable, and we hear no surprises! Thanks.

Elena is doing well. She was having some minor issues, but they are becoming resolved. She is such a sweet baby. Jeremy and Lucy are planning to go to church on Sunday, yay! Then, they have asked if I would watch her for a few hours while they have some 'alone' time! They really had to twist my arm......NOT!! I can't wait until Sunday!! Lucy is healing very well from her c-section. She tires easily, but that is to be expected with a new baby anyway!! Jeremy and Lucy are such wonderful parents! Elena is a lucky girl. Thank you for your prayers.

I will post when we hear about the CT scan. Please pray there are no new nodules! Please continue to pray for Sara, Todd, and Rachel. Thank you for being there for us. Thank you for visiting and checking in. Have a good evening. God bless you all. We love you.

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.

Sunday, January 30, 2011

2011-01-31T00:09:00.000-08:00

Good evening.

Well, we leave tomorrow for Oakland. Scanxiety has hit us! For a few days we were able to just put it on the back burner; with the new baby and all. But now that the time is here to leave......yikes! We have to be at the hospital at 8:30am. Then David has the injection for the bone scan at 9am, then chest CT scan at 10am, then oncology appointment at 10:30am, then bone scan at 12pm. I don't know when we will get the results, usually we have his oncology appointment after all the scans, and we get the results then. We will probably have to wait to hear the results. *sigh* Please pray that the scans go well, and there are no surprises! We don't like the surprises!! Thanks for your prayers.

David is feeling much better. He is still a little congested in his head, but not coughing hardly at all, and his throat feels better. Thank you so much for your prayers for his healing.

My precious granddaughter is adjusting to her life outside the womb. She is taking a while to adjust, but she is doing better and better each day (according to Jeremy). We spent quite a few hours at their house on Saturday getting some 'baby time' in. We will stop by to see them before we leave tomorrow. Jeremy has the next week off, which is wonderful. And then when he goes back to work, Lucy knows that I am only a mile away, and I will be there for her. Then, when it is time for her to go back to work, I get the pleasure of babysitting my precious granddaughter!! Please pray for little Elena. Please pray that she can get into 'the swing' of eating, sleeping, and adjusting to life. She is just so wonderful! Wylene, we had to think of what I want Elena to call me. She will call Bryon Poppa, and I will be Nana. But of course, that won't be for quite some time!!

Well, it is late, and I am tired. Thank you for checking in on David and the Koury Klan. Please pray for a safe trip tomorrow for us. I hope to be able to let you know how things go. Thank you so much for your prayers. God bless you all. We love you. {{hugs}}

Kristi and the Koury Klan

'Heaven is full of answers to prayer for which no one bothered to ask.'~~~Billy Graham

Wednesday, January 26, 2011

2011-01-26T22:26:00.000-08:00

Good evening.

Lucy had her baby!! She had her at 4:32 this afternoon, via c-section. Her name is Elena Renee, and she was 19" long and came in at 7 lbs. 12 oz. (one ounce bigger than her father). She is such a sweet baby. We got to get some 'baby time' this evening. Jeremy and Lucy are exhausted, but otherwise ok. Please pray that they are able to get some rest; I know, I know. But still.....Thank you for your prayers for a safe delivery and a healthy baby. She is just precious!

David was unable to go to the hospital tonight, he still has a cold. He knew he could go and just wear a mask, but he didn't want to risk getting the baby sick. After all he's been through, he knows how important it is to stay healthy and not spread germs unnecessairly. So he will see Elena when she comes home. Please pray that he is able to kick this cough/cold before Tuesday. Thanks.

We are so over-the-moon excited to have this granddaughter! My other children are so excited to have a precious niece. This baby means so much to us. She will never lack for love, that is for sure!

Please continue to pray for Teresa (Kenny's mom) and the other kids still fighting this battle. Please pray that David's scans come out with no surprises!! We would LOVE to have the nodules gone, but we will settle for stable. Thank you for your prayers.

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

Kristi and the Koury Klan

'A baby is God's opinion that life should go on.'~~Carl Sandburg

Tuesday, January 25, 2011

2011-01-25T22:58:00.000-08:00

Good evening.

We lost another child to this blasted monster!! Kenny died on Sunday. He put up a good fight. Please remember his mother, Teresa, in your prayers. Kenny was her only child. Thank you.

Here is a question for you. Think about it~~What would happen if a gunman went into a school today and shot 46 kids? What if seven of them died? It would be all over the news, every channel. But because it's cancer instead of a crazy shooter, you don't hear much about it.
NOW, WHAT WOULD BE THE OUTCRY IF IT HAPPENED EVERYDAY? WELCOME TO THE WORLD OF CHILDHOOD CANCER!!

As I posted on Facebook today; Lucy is, as we speak, in the hospital. Her doctor decided to induce her today. They are doing the induction very slowly. Jeremy said that the doctor said the baby will probably be born tomorrow, early evening. Then we will have birthdays on Jan. 6th, Jan. 16th. and Jan. 26th!! Kinda funny! We can't wait until the baby is born!! Jeremy will be calling us and telling us when the baby is born (and if it is a boy or a girl), then tell us when we can come see them. It won't be soon enough for us!! Please pray for a safe delivery of a healthy baby. Thank you.

Thanks for visiting. Sorry for the short post, my emotions are all over the place. Kenny's death makes me soooo sad and sick; I have the joy of the impending birth of my first grandchild; and we have the fear of David's upcoming scans! Please pray for all of us!! Have a wonderful evening, and a good day tomorrow. God bless you all. We love you.

Kristi and the Koury Klan

The cause of most childhood cancers are unknown and at present, cannot be prevented. (Most adult cancers result from lifestyle factors such as smoking, diet, occupation, and other exposure to cancer-causing agents).

Monday, January 24, 2011

2011-01-24T22:29:00.000-08:00

Good evening.

First off, Happy 30th Anniversary to my husband, Bryon! I can't believe we have been married for 30 years! Where has the time gone? So, I just wanted to tell my husband Happy Anniversary.

Well, no baby yet! Lucy is due today, and no baby. She has a doctor appointment tomorrow, and they will get a 'game plan' together to decide when the baby will come. We can't wait! We are so excited!!

David has a cold, AGAIN!! Grrrr. He is running a fever tonight, and he is very congested. He is not feeling his best. He started his last semester of school today!! Bryon will be faxing the 'note' to the school tomorrow; we'll see what happens. I will let you know. Hopefully David will feel better by Tuesday! Scanxiety is hitting us big time! We just never know what these scans will reveal. We have NO idea what is happening in our son's young body. So scary. Please pray that the nodules in his lungs are still stable; or better yet, gone! Thank you. I will let you know how it goes. We will be spending this week preparing to be gone overnite again. I have to make sure I have snacks for David that he will eat, make sure laundry is done, make sure that everything is ready for Rachel to hold down the fort!! And hope the money is there!!

Please continue to pray for Sara, Todd, and Rachel. They are struggling big time! This monster called Osteosarcoma is relentless!! It gets it grip on someone and doesn't want to let go until it takes their life from them!! Please, please, pray for these three. Thank you.

Thanks for checking in on David and the rest of the Koury Klan. Please pray that David feels better soon. Thank you for being there for us. Please pray for the safe delivery of Lucy's baby. Thank you.

Kristi and the Koury Klan

We are continuing to see late deaths of children presumed “cured” due to late relapses, toxicity and secondary malignancy.

Friday, January 21, 2011

2011-01-21T23:23:00.000-08:00

Good evening.

Well, we are home. It was a very busy day. We left a little after 6am and arrived there at 9:40. But then we had to get xrays before David's appointment. It was kind of a fiasco, we aren't used to Pleasanton. We know all the ropes in SF, so we know where to go to get the xrays. Well, after all the usual 'red tape,' we were waiting for xrays at 10:30 (David's appointment was for 10:00!), and they told us they were having a problem and wouldn't be able to get to David for about 1/2 and hour! So Bryon went back to Dr. O'Donnell's office and told them, so they just rescheduled David's appointment for 11:00. We got in there before 11:00, which was great. Then Dr. O'Donnell came in and checked David out. He said things look good, and the xrays show no sign of local recurrence! Woo-Hoo!! He did write a 'note' saying David is medically exempt from PE since October 2007. Let's see if that makes a difference with his school; prayerfully it will. He said David walks very well, even with the slight limp, and that with his long pants you wouldn't know he had this huge scar on his leg! He is the best! We love Dr. O!! He also said David's knee hurts because of the knee cap. He said it is to move along a groove, and it isn't the grove God made so it isn't perfect. Instead of cartilage on cartilage, it is cartilage on metal. So that is just something David has to 'deal with' for the rest of his life. There is nothing they can do about it. Anyway, David's revision surgery is scheduled for June 13th. Hopefully this will be his LAST surgery! It will be his 12th surgery in 3 1/2 years!! David graduates from High School on June 11th, then surgery! But we need to have the surgery before July 1st because of insurance. It really sucks that we have to have money decide when to put our son through another surgery! I mean, we could put this surgery off for awhile, but we can't afford to wait! We have already met all the deductibles for this fiscal year, so we need the surgery this fiscal year. Bryon's insurance is going to be pretty decimated come July 1st, so we need the surgery soon. Sorry for the rabbit trail. Anyway, then we went to Brentwood to visit some very dear, long-time friends. Rachel and Bethany have been friends for about 20 years!! Yep, most of their lives! So we figured we would stop and see them while we were so close. They came to SF and Oakland a few times when David was there. They were there when David was dying from the intussesception; they were there for us when David had the endoscopy. It was great to see them. We had lunch with them, they fed us yummy sub sandwiches. Then we came home. We got home around 6. It was a long day. Pleasanton was very nice. Thank you to all of you who wrote to tell us what to expect, we appreciate all the advice and encouragement we can get!

David's next scans are scheduled. They will be February 1st. We will have to leave on Jan. 31st and stay in Emeryville. We have to check in to Oakland Children's Hospital at 8:30am; and we just can't leave at 4:30 in the morning. We need to be safe, and it is just too long a day to leave that early. So we will leave Monday late morning to make sure we get there in time to relax and get a good night's sleep. It is always such a long day, and we have to make sure David gets enough rest. Please pray that the nodules in his lungs are stable; or better yet, GONE!! That would be sooooo wonderful! So, we will be making another trip to the bay area in a little over a week! *sigh*

Please pray for David's friend, Chris. We met him at Oakland Children's; he had Osteo in his left leg. Well, he is having some pain in his leg when he puts weight on it. He had an xray, and I have not heard what the results are, yet. Please pray that his prosthesis is ok, and he won't have to have it replaced. These children just go through way too much, ALL of them! Thanks for your prayers for him. Also, please continue to pray for Sara. She has 'good' days and bad days. Hospice came and met with them, and they hope hospice will be able to help. Thank you for your prayers.

Still no baby, yet. Lucy said the doctor said the baby is around 8.5 pounds; and she is due on Monday. We are praying that bundle of joy is born on Tuesday! I will keep you posted!

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

Kristi and the Koury Klan

Even with insurance coverage, a family will have out-of pocket expenses of about $40,000 per year, not including travel.

Tuesday, January 18, 2011

2011-01-18T20:45:00.000-08:00

Good evening.

Things have been rather busy around here. Sunday was Jeremy's birthday. I can't believe I have a 29-year-old child! YIKES! When did that happen? Jeremy and Lucy came over for lunch on Sunday after church. Jeremy wanted barbecued bacon wrapped flank steak to eat. So we had that, baked potatoes, green beans, and salad for lunch/dinner. By the time we ate, it was a late lunch, early dinner. And it was yummy. Then he wanted chocolate cake with chocolate frosting for his birthday cake. And he wanted the Tillamook Mudslide ice cream; both my boys love that ice cream. Good thing Bryon and I ran to Reno to go to WinCo to get some more ice cream on Saturday! David was out, so I bought all WinCo had~~~4 containers! It was a good day. Then yesterday everyone had the day off, so Bryon, Jennifer, and I went for a drive. We went to Squaw Valley. I was having a bit of 'cabin fever' and just wanted to get out! It was a beautiful day for a drive! So it was a rather busy weekend.

David is in a bit of pain right now. He and Rachel went for a walk yesterday, and I think he overdid it. His knee was very painful last night, he thinks he stepped wrong or something. Please pray that his knee feels better soon. He is not looking forward to our 'trip' on Friday. We are not going to San Francisco, but Pleasanton instead. Dr. O'Donnell has a clinic there on Fridays, and it is closer than S.F. And it saves us from having to drive in and to San Francisco! I don't know what the parking is like in Pleasanton; hopefully it will be cheaper than S.F.!! A couple of times we have been able to park on the street by UCSF, but usually we have to pay $20 to park! And, of course, the gas prices are skyrocketing again! So I hope it won't be too expensive to park on Friday! This appointment will be a full appointment! Besides the normal check-up, we will be getting that note from the Dr. about PE, and we will be scheduling David's 12th (and hopefully last) surgery. We need to have the revision done in June (after graduation) before the stupid insurance deductibles start again. We can't afford to wait until after July 1st. So, we will be scheduling his next surgery. Here is a prayer request way in advance. Please pray that we get the same room we had last time at the Family House in San Francisco; and please pray that David gets a room on 7Long! The last room we had, if you were around then, was on the 6th floor, and it was HORRIBLE!! He is supposed to be on 7Long, but sometimes there isn't a room. That's where he was for 2 weeks for his limb-salvage and emergency bowel resection, and that's where we want him to be for his next surgery. Thank you so much for your prayers.

This is the last week of the semester for David. He has one semester left of High School. I am trying not to 'freak out' about the PE credit, it is in God's very capable hands. I am sure it will work out. Thank you for your prayers for David.

Please continue to pray for Sara. I don't know how she is doing. Please pray for her family. Thank you so much.

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

Kristi and the Koury Klan

'Hope is ours for the taking every single minute. It's the assurance that things will make sense when there's no sense to make of things.'
~Luci Swindoll

Wednesday, January 12, 2011

2011-01-12T20:24:00.000-08:00

Good evening.

Thank you for the prayers. We are feeling much better. Now we just have the sinus congestion and cough, but it is getting better. Thankfully, nobody else got sick! Now I just hope Emilee doesn't get sick; we could pass this back and forth all winter!!

I have a prayer request about David's graduation. There might be a little 'glitch' in his credit situation. He technically doesn't have enough PE credits to graduate. He needs 120 hours of PT to take the place of PE for one year; he only has 96. The woman I am talking to about this said we will figure something out, but it still frustrates me. I mean, it is PE for crying out loud! It's not like it's math, or english, or something else. And it is also something he has NO control over. It isn't like he didn't study enough and flunked out, he is disabled and is not allowed to do PE!! I think it is so ridiculous for them to tell me NOW about the problem, not sooner!! Please pray that we get this figured out and fixed. Amanda said they will make sure he graduates, we just have to figure out where to go and how to get the required credits. David has worked soooo hard to get to this point, it would break my heart to have to tell him he can't graduate just because he had/has cancer!! Thanks.

David is doing very well with school. His teachers say they are proud of him, as we are, too. Unless you are here watching him, you have NO idea just how hard he works to keep on track. Like I have said before; that is hard for us. He is a child who school came easy to BC (Before Cancer), it is hard to see him have to work so hard now. But that just makes us that much more proud of him. We know that he knows what he has to do, and he is doing it. That shows a lot of maturity! I know adults who aren't willing to 'do whatever it takes' to get where they need to be. I am so very proud of my son. Please keep up the prayers for him. Thank you.

I told you before about Sara......please continue to pray for her family. Here is what her mom said most recently:
We are home. Sara is sleeping most of the time, and Woody and I are trying to get our bearings. Thoughts swirl constantly in my head, but I can't think of anything to say. Somewhere in between total denial and total panic is a path where we can walk this journey with God's grace. I think I speak for our whole family as I say we are prayerfully seeking that path. God please show us how to do this.

Basically, Sara is dying. She was sent home from UCSF with an oral chemo (not sure if it will work or not), pain meds, and oxygen. I cannot tell you how awful it is to read about a child that is dying (or has died) of the same cancer that is in your child's body. And when you have met the child, it makes it that much more personal. Please continue to pray for Sara and her family. Thank you.

No baby, yet! We are anxiously waiting!

Thank you for visiting and checking in on David and the Koury Klan. Thank you for all your prayers, they mean a lot. God bless you all. We love you. {{hugs}}

Kristi and the Koury Klan

Right now, this second, somewhere in America, there are 7 children fighting for their lives who won't live through the day.

Sunday, January 9, 2011

2011-01-09T20:01:00.000-08:00

Good evening.

I hope you all are having a good weekend. Unfortunately, David and I are sick, again. We were just sick on Christmas! Mine started with a sore throat, itchy nose, and sneezing on Friday: thought it was allergies. Not so much. Woke up Saturday with all the aches and congestion of a cold. Then David woke up yesterday with a sore throat and sneezing. Then today he has all the aches and congestion. So I am spraying my house with Lysol. Please pray that the rest of my family stays healthy; especially Lucy. She has that baby coming soon, we don't want her to get sick!

The weekend has been uneventful. Just a pretty normal weekend. Cleaning and shopping. I didn't really feel like shopping yesterday, but had to get some done. I am sure I forgot some things, but that is fine. I will just go shopping later in the week if I need to.

Lucy is due 2 weeks from tomorrow!! She says she doesn't feel like the baby will be early, bummer. Jeremy's birthday is next Sunday, the 16th, and Lucy doesn't think the baby will be here before that. Please pray that she stays healthy and that the baby stays healthy, too. Thanks.

Please pray for Sara. I have told you about her lots of times. She had some fluid drained from her lung, and now there is more. She was careflighted to UCSF today(she has the same surgeon as David, and had her treatment done at UCSF Children's Hospital) . Please pray for her. Thank you.

David is not ready for his weekend to be over. He hates being sick, but he hates it even more on the weekend. He says it is a waste of a weekend. Poor guy. Please pray that he is able to focus tomorrow. He is doing so well, so far, and we want to keep the momentum going. Being sick sucks, and it is hard to focus when you are coughing and sneezing all the time. Thank you for your prayers.

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

Kristi and the Koury Klan

'Cancer is not God's will. The death of a child is not God's will. Death from automobile accidents are not God's will. The only God worth believing in does not cause the tragedies but lovingly comes into the anguish with us.' ~ Madeline L'Engle

Wednesday, January 5, 2011

2011-01-05T21:39:00.000-08:00

Good evening.

Well, this year is screaming by!! David is doing very well this year in school. Yesterday he had all the assignments that are due today done! And today he took one of his final exams, two weeks early! He is really trying so hard. We are just so proud of him. He is doing real well in school this new year. He is caught up, and his grades are great! I heard from the school, and the woman who sets up David's 504 plan said he is on track for graduating! He was happy to hear that. So was I, since I bought all his graduation needs! I would hate to think that the $600+ we spent was useless!! He received his Senior T-shirt and Senior sweatshirt a few days ago. Their 'logo' is "The Ones" because the graduation year is 2011!! He was excited to get those things, now he can't wait until he gets his ring!! So, overall, he is doing great with school right now.

Our weather is very cold. We aren't even getting above freezing! And our low's are single digits!! Our fire is roaring all day long. Today David said he was hot, and it was only 67 degrees in the house! Of course, he was wearing his sleeper he got for Christmas. I found a website that sells sleepers for adults. Anyway, he still gets hot when it isn't even hot!! Poor kid. But he had a pretty good day today.

Tomorrow is Bryon's birthday, and we will be spending it in Garderville! David has Bible Study tomorrow night, so Bryon's birthday will be us taking David down there. David cannot wait for tomorrow! He loves going to Bible Study, and he has missed it the last two weeks. So it will be nice for Bryon and I to be together, and we will 'celebrate' his birthday sometime this weekend.

Thank you for visiting and checking up on David and the Koury Klan. Also, please forgive my delay, but I want to say 'thank you' to the person who made the generous donation to David's bank account. That will come in handy as we have to take David to his appointment on the 21st. With the price of gas going up, again......*sigh* So thank you, whoever you are. Have a good evening. God bless you all. We love you. <><

Kristi and the Koury Klan

'It is better to be hated for what you are, than loved for what you are not.'~~~Andre Gide

Saturday, January 1, 2011

2011-01-01T21:22:00.000-08:00

Good evening.

Well, 2011 is here. We woke up to a wonderful surprise~~~it was snowing! I wasn't sure if it was snowing; foggy; or what. But when I looked outside, it was snowing! We ended up with 4 inches! And the high was only 27 degrees! It was a very cold day today. It is, at this minute, 15 degrees outside. Brrrr.

Today was a busy day. Rachel and I had to run to the store to pick up a few things. We have a ham bone in the freezer from Thanksgiving, and I am going to make split pea soup, so I had to go get some split peas!! Then David needed shampoo, toothpaste, facial cleanser, etc. So Rachel and I took a trip to Walmart; in the snow! I am so glad I have my Pilot! It drives sooooo nice in the snow! Rachel and I were saying how we love the sound of the snow crunching under the tires. Anyway, when we got home I cleaned out the refrigerator; what a chore! It has been needing it for quite some time, it has just been so busy around here. Then I cleaned out the 'Tupperware' cupboard. Boy, was THAT a chore and a half! I didn't realize how messy it was. Then I cleaned off the counters (all but one) and made dinner. It was a busy day. Bryon watched football, go figure, and David played games all day. I did watch most of the Rose Parade this morning. I really like the Rose Parade; I am the only one that does. So I came downstairs and watched it in my quiet house with the fire going and drinking my coffee. It was a good day.

David was feeling a bit off today for awhile. We aren't sure if he was just too hot, or what. He was in his room, so he opened his window for a little bit, and felt some better. He might just have needed the fresh (COLD) air. He just still gets nauseous sometimes. It is frustrating. He took his prevacid, so I know it wasn't his ulcer acting up. Sigh. Some day, maybe, he won't get nauseous for no reason. I pray for that day. He didn't eat that great today. And his knee hurts in this cold. Poor guy, he is like an old man that hurts in the cold! Oh well. Such is life. More of the long-term effects of the 'gift that keeps on giving,' aka Osteosarcoma!

We continue to pray for our Osteo family members who are struggling at this time. This year is very uncertain for them. The ones who have NED living at their homes, we pray NED stays there, forever! For us, we pray 'stable' stays at our house forever. Of course we would love for David's lung mets to disappear, but if not, we will be content with them remaining stable. Please remember to keep David and all the others fighting this battle in your prayers this year. David has his appointment with the surgeon on Jan. 21; and we have been advised to ask for a PET scan to check those lung mets. We were told that if David was this person's son, she would demand the PET scan. But Oakland Children's Hospital doesn't do them. BUT.....UCSF does! So we were advised to ask the surgeon to request it. I am sure he will, if we want it. So we will see.

Thank you for checking in on David and the Koury Klan. We do continue to covet your prayers. Thank you for your support and prayers. God bless you all. We love you.

Kristi and the Koury Klan

'Enjoy the little things, for one day you may look back and realize they were the big things.'~~~Robert Brault

Friday, December 31, 2010

2010-12-31T23:10:00.000-08:00

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

Monday, December 27, 2010

2010-12-27T23:15:00.000-08:00

Good evening.

Tomorrow is Jennifer's birthday! I can't believe how fast the time is flying by. Tomorrow is the passing of another year in her life. Please pray that she has a great day. She is not working this week, neither is Bryon, because she (and Bryon) are on vacation~~~~'use it or lose it' vacation. She had to use this week before the end of the year or lose the paid vacation! So she doesn't have to work on her birthday. She is coming over for dinner, and we are going to bar-b-que the steaks I have in the freezer. Jeremy and Lucy will be here, and we will be all together as a family again! I am sure it will be a good day. David has been spending the days (and nights) at her place. So it will be great to have all the kids here for dinner tomorrow night.

That is all that is going on here. Thanks for visiting and checking in. Have a good night, and a great day tomorrow. God bless you all. We love you.

Kristi and the Koury Klan

Childhood cancer is devastating and creates unique pressures on the whole family.

Sunday, December 26, 2010

2010-12-26T23:28:00.000-08:00

Good evening.

I hope you all had a very Merry Christmas. Ours was very nice. We had a very enjoyable day, the last time just the 7 of us. Jeremy is still a wee bit sick, David is on the mend, and David gave it to me; so the biggest sound heard around here was all of us coughing and sneezing! David is sleeping with a humidifier in his room, as are Bryon and I! This sore throat just wants to linger on, as does the cough. We are passing it around, but I guess that is just what families do! We had a very small Christmas, in the gift category, but it was very nice. Lucy even spoke for all of us when she said the small ones are nice~~~not so overwhelming. Rachel bought us all quite wonderful gifts while she was in Israel. And Jeremy and Lucy gave Bryon and I an ornament each; his says 'Grandpa' and mine says 'Grandma' on them. They are cute snowmen ornaments. Overall, we had a wonderful Christmas. It was a beautiful day celebrating the birth of our Lord and Savior, Jesus. It wasn't technically a white Christmas; but we still did have residual leftover snow......does that count? It was a nice day. We just can't believe the day is over! Bryon, David, and I stayed home from church today because we weren't feeling well. But, like I said, we are on the mend. Thank you for your prayers.

It is unbelievable that 2011 is just 6 days away! Where has this year gone?!?! David has an appointment on January 21st with the surgical oncologist. But we don't have to go to San Francisco for the appointment. He holds clinic visits in Pleasanton, and that is closer that S.F.! Yay! And then David will have scans sometime in February; not sure when, yet. And the beginning of 2011 will bring a new member to our family!! We are so excited about that! Can't wait.

Thank you for checking in. Thank you for your love, prayers, and support. Please keep the Koury family in your prayers. Thank you. God bless you all. We love you.

Kristi and the Koury Klan

'America guarantees equal opportunity, not equal outcome.'~~~~Rush Limbaugh

Monday, December 20, 2010

2010-12-20T21:32:00.000-08:00

Good evening.

Thank you so much for all your prayers and words of encouragement. They are working!!! David is feeling much better today. His fever is down to 99.5, and he said he isn't as achy as he was yesterday. His throat is still sore, but even that is some better. He is coughing a bit, which, of course, panics us when we know he has those lung mets! But we know right now that this is just his 'cold' settling in his chest, and we are trying not to worry needlessly. He did have a flu shot in the fall, so if this is the flu we know it would be a LOT worse than it is now. It just seems like he has been through enough, he shouldn't ever have to get sick again! I know that is unrealistic, but all the other cancer moms (and dads) out there know how I feel!! Oh, Jeremy is doing better, too. Neither of my boys are 100%, but they are on the mend. Thank you again, so much, for your prayers.

Our weather is COLD! We still have snow, from last night, and the roads are rather icy in spots. The weather forcasters are not calling for much more snow between now and Christmas, so it is possible we will not have a white Christmas~~~sadness. We really want a white Christmas; we will see. God could still give us one!

Please continue to keep our Osteo family members in your prayers. Todd is doing better, but his prognosis really hasn't changed. But for now he is celebrating doing better. Please pray for Rachel (not my Rachel, an Osteo family member). She has a tumor in her chest that is causing her a lot of pain. Her mom took her to the hospital today to get some more pain medication. I will add her Care Pages site at the end of this post. She has been through sooooo much! She is a beautiful young lady, she is just a couple months younger than David. Also, please continue to keep Kenny in your prayers, his mom is really fighting the hospital! They seem to be very incompetent. We parents have to be our children's advocate, and we have to be so on top of things! I understand a lot of the nurses are overworked, but still. We parents are already SOOO stressed, and scared, and we just want our children to be safe, taken care of, and to get better! Anyway, please keep Kenny and his mom, Teresa, in your prayers, too. Thanks.

David is enjoying being off school. He spent most of today in bed, but that is just fine. He was able to play video games in bed, so he had a good day. He didn't eat much, but this is when I don't worry about that. He sorta made up for it at dinner~~he ate 5 tacos! Considering he hasn't eaten much for the last 2 days, 5 tacos is a lot! He is just really enjoying having this break from school! I miss him when he is on break, he spends all his time upstairs! *sigh*

Well, that is about all that is happening around here. Thanks for visiting and checking in on David and the Koury Klan. I hope you are all staying warm and dry. We sure are~~just love our wood-burning stove!! God bless you all. We love you.

Kristi and the Koury Klan

Whether their children are in remission, NED (No Evidence of Disease), 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.

www.carepages.com/carepages/rachelcollett11

Sunday, December 19, 2010

2010-12-19T22:54:00.000-08:00

Good evening.

Please pray for David~~~he is sick. He woke up yesterday with a sore throat. He sucked on some throat drops all day, and we were hoping he would feel better today. Well, not so much. He feels worse today. He has a sore throat, is achy all over, and is running a fever. His fever is up to 101.5, and we are not sure if we should call the doctor or not. We are in uncharted waters. We knew what to do when he was in treatment; we would have called the doctor (oncologist) by now!! But now that he is no longer in treatment, we aren't sure what the 'protocol' is. Please pray that he feels better soon. It sucks that just as his Christmas vacation is starting he gets sick!! We really don't want him to be sick for Christmas, of course. Thanks. Actually, my other son needs prayers, too. Jeremy is also sick! And he just started his new job, so he really can't call in sick! Please pray for my family. Thank you so much.

Otherwise, things are going ok around here. We had 9 inches of snow on Friday and Saturday. Then, in typical northern Nevada style, it rained all day today and melted most of the snow! Then tonight it started to snow again! So, we have a white ground again. We were soooooo loving the 9 inches of snow!! We are praying that we have the same thing on Christmas Eve, and a white Christmas. That would be so cool. But, we will see.

We can't believe Christmas is 6 days away. It is totally empty under our tree, but that is ok. Christmas isn't about the presents, anyway. Christmas is about celebrating the birth of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. And that is what we will do. And we are just so thankful that David is not in the hospital this year. Christmas of 2007 we spent in the hospital with David receiving chemo!! This will be a better year that way, that's for sure! It just seems so strange that this year is almost over. Less than 2 weeks left of 2010!! I mean, where has this year gone? It sure has screamed by!!

Again, please pray for David and Jeremy. Please pray that they both feel better soon. Please pray that David's fever goes away. Please pray that Lucy doesn't get sick! Thank you so much. Thank you for checking in. God bless you all. We love you.

Kristi and the Koury Klan

'I would rather be able to appreciate things I can not have, than to have things I am not able to appreciate.'~~~Elbert Hubbard

Wednesday, December 15, 2010

2010-12-15T21:16:00.000-08:00

Good evening.

We went to the Christmas party last night; and we had a lot of fun. The food was kid-friendly and yummy! The had a wonderful homemade mac and cheese! It was really good. David didn't eat much, go figure. All he had was about 2 1/2 chicken fingers. But he did come home and have ice cream. He got his picture taken with Mrs. Clause, and he got a Walmart gift card. It was fun. It just sucks that the whole room, of a lot of people, are there because they have been touched by childhood cancer. It was good to see the kids we know looking so good. We know how deceiving 'looking good' can be, however. David looked good when that blasted cancer was growing in his young body. Nevertheless, it is still good to see them looking good. It was a really nice party, and we had a good time.

David is doing so well with school. He had to write 2 essays for his Government class, one due today and one due on Friday. Well, they are both done! He is really trying hard to stay caught up. He has some really long days, but he is able to stay caught up. I am so very proud of him. He wants to make sure he stays caught up because this is his last week of school before Christmas vacation~~and he wants the full 2 weeks off!! Thank you so very much for all your prayers. Please continue to keep him in your prayers. I can't say thank you enough. All your prayers are what is getting us through this horrible nightmare that is our life.

David is looking forward to tomorrow night; Bible study night!! It will be the last one before they take the time off for the Holidays. He hates when they don't meet, he loves it so much. I am so glad he does. So we will be making another trip to Garderville tomorrow evening!! It is a bit of a drive (about 30 minutes), but well worth it.

I would like to ask prayer for two of our Osteo warriors; Todd and Kenny. They both got some very bad news this week, and aren't expected to live much longer. Please pray for their families. I will post their websites at the end of this post. Thank you for your prayers.

Thank you for checking in on David and the Koury Klan. Thank you for all your prayers. Please continue to pray for all the members of the Koury family, God knows what the needs are. Thank you so much. God bless you all. We love you.

Kristi and the Koury Klan

www.caringbridge.org/visit/kennymoffit
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Monday, December 13, 2010

2010-12-13T20:52:00.000-08:00

Good evening. I hope you are having a wonderful evening.

Saturday was a VERY busy day! Bryon had to work, and the girls and I went to Lucy's baby shower! I had to get gas in my car before we left for the shower. We had so much fun at the shower. The 4 of us all drove together~~no sense taking more than one car down to Gardnerville! Besides, with the third seat down in my Pilot there was room for all the gifts! It was a very nice shower. When we got home I needed to make some Biscotti. Well, I didn't HAVE to, but a woman from church wanted my recipe, so I thought I would make a batch to send with the recipe. Bryon was still at work, and wasn't sure when he was going to get home, but hoping it was before the Bighorns game! Well, he wanted me to just pick him up to save time (he works between home and Reno). I had just enough time to make the Biscotti; I literally pulled it out of the oven, put it on a cooling rack, and we left to pick up Bryon!! Then we went to the game. We had a great time at the Bighorns game! They lost, 122-126, but we still had fun. They throw things to the spectators; like clapping things (hard to explain) and Bighorn T-shirts. They threw a T-shirt right to Bryon, so now David has a Bighorn T-shirt!! They do that at the Aces games, too. They throw shirts and baseballs. Anyway, we had a lot of fun. Then, because we were in Reno, we had to stop at WinCo to pick up some Tillamook Mudslide ice cream for David. I wish they sold that ice cream in Carson City; but, alas, they don't! So now he has enough for a few weeks, hopefully! We didn't get home until about 11pm, so David had to get ready for bed soon after we got home because we had church on Sunday morning.

Then I had to get up early Sunday morning because I had to make my dish for our potluck! I made Mexacali Spaghetti Bake. Then I got ready for church while it baked, and then put it in the crock pot to take to church. Bryon got called into work, problems he had to fix, so I was just going to go to church without him. But, he got home just in time to leave to go to church! Then we went to church, had a wonderful potluck, then came home. Then I went shopping with my girls for a couple hours. Then they went to Reno to meet up with some friends for dinner. It was a very busy day!! Actually, it was a very busy weekend!! The only problem with busy weekends, is they go by soooo fast!! *sigh*

Tomorrow is our annual Christmas Party put on by the Northern Nevada Children's Cancer Foundation. It is being hosted and catered by the El Dorado Hotel/Casino again this year. It was fun last year with great food! It used to be held at Renown; but it was just too small. I am glad the El Dorado hosts it now. So we will have a busy night tomorrow, too. The party is from 6-8pm. The kids all get a present, the teenagers usually get a gift card. David really likes that part! This will be our fourth year going. The first year we were pretty new to the cancer world, and David was in a wheelchair, unable to walk. Three years later he is doing so much better! It is just amazing to me how fast the time has flown.

David is doing quite well in school, thank you for the prayers. His German teacher is very impressed with how well he does in pronouncing the difficult words! I read the comments to David, and they are always so positive and encouraging. My son is trying so hard, and I am so proud of him. He is really applying himself, and so far getting great grades. After all he has been through...............I am just so proud. Please continue to pray for him, that he is able to keep it up. Thanks.

Thank you for checking in on David and the Koury Klan. Your support means so much to us. Please continue to keep the Koury Klan in your prayers. Thank you so much for everything. Have a good evening. God bless you all. We love you.

Kristi and the Koury Klan

'Children are the hands by which we take hold of heaven.'~~~Henry Ward Beecher

Friday, December 10, 2010

2010-12-10T23:00:00.000-08:00

Good evening.

I want to say a great big 'Thank you' to all of you who gave me some suggestions to help David. Some of them we have tried, others we haven't. Sabrina, it was great to hear from you, I follow Becca's CB site! So glad to hear she is doing as well as she is, considering. Anyway, thank you for all the suggestions, and the encouragement!

David had a great time at Bible study last night, though he didn't eat, as usual. He said it is because he doesn't really like fried chicken that much, but also because I had made 6 dozen chicken enchiladas and he said he wanted them instead. So, the three of us ate dinner after we got home from Gardnerville. And then he ate 5 enchiladas. So that was great! He ate 5 more for dinner tonight (we had leftovers for dinner). Otherwise he hasn't eaten that great, but it could be worse. Thank you for your prayers.

Today I had to order David's class ring and his graduation package; you know, announcements, tassel, cap and gown, etc. Of course it had to be ordered at Christmas time, today was the deadline. Luckily I could put the ring on a payment plan (4 payments), but the other stuff I had to pay for up front. So, that is about $400 we can't really afford right now, but if we waited everything would have cost more! *sigh* At least everything is ordered and I can send out announcements to announce the proud accomplishment my son has achieved~~a year ahead of his age! He will turn 17 less than two months before he graduates. I am so proud of him.

I am so proud of all my children. I know I brag a lot, so I guess you will just have to deal with it, lol. I am just so proud of the people my children have become. The three older ones have become responsible, respectful, mature, moral adults. David is well on his way to being the same. They are children who love each other, and enjoy being together. Sure they argue, but they are always there for each other, no matter what. I saw a picture of a young woman on Facebook, and the picture she took of herself was of her 'flipping off' the camera. It made me sad. I thought to myself, "her mother must be so proud (sarcasm)." I am so proud of my children, and I love them so much. They are the best!!

Tomorrow is a baby shower for Lucy at church, I hope there is a good turnout. I am sure it will be fun. Then tomorrow night we are going to another basketball game! The Reno Bighorns. We had a good time last time, so I am sure we will have a good time this time, too. I really appreciate the Northern Nevada Children's Cancer Foundation, and the Bighorns, for giving us these tickets. The game starts at 7pm. It will be a busy, but fun, day.

Thanks for checking in on David and the Koury Klan. Have a good weekend. Please continue to keep us and our other Osteosarcoma family members in your prayers. Todd isn't doing so well right now, please say extra prayers for him. Thank you for your continued prayers, love, and support. God bless you all. We love you.

Kristi and the Koury Klan

'There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is.'~~~Albert Einstein

Monday, December 6, 2010

2010-12-08T20:04:00.000-08:00

Good evening.

First things first~~~HAPPY ANNIVERSARY JEREMY AND LUCY!! Today is my son and daughter-in-love's anniversary. I am so happy for the choice Jeremy made in a wife, she is THE BEST!! We praise God for bringing Lucy into our lives, we couldn't ask for a better daughter-in-love. I hope they had a wonderful day. This is their last anniversary without children!

I am so sorry I haven't updated lately. Things are just going same-o, same-o. Things are pretty much just status-quo around here.

David is doing ok with school. He is trying very hard to stay caught up, and he is doing a good job, so far. He has some pretty long days, but that is partly because he has to spend so much time re-reading things. I have heard that sometimes the memory loss gets better with time, I am hoping that David will be one of the lucky ones! So far that hasn't happened, but he is only 2 years out of treatment. Maybe it takes a few more years. Anyway, he is doing well in school.

His eating is still hit and miss. Lately, we are seeing a huge improvement in some of his meals. For example, yesterday for lunch he ate 2 homemade BBQ'd burgers!! And tonight for dinner he had some ham, corn, and 2 1/2 helpings of my homemade scalloped potatoes! So we are happy with those 2 great meals! Otherwise, he isn't doing that great. But, he is eating, so I am happy! He still drinks 2 huge glasses of milk every day, so I know that is good protein and calcium for him. And I am trying to get him to drink more water. Overall, he is doing ok.

Now that winter is here David's skin on his hands is pretty bad. He has eczema, and it is flaring up big time. The area that is the worst is his hands. He really hates lotion, and I found some special lotion that works great, so I now have to nag him to use it. His hands crack and bleed; he gets it from my dad. Please pray that he can tolerate using the lotion better. The older he gets the more he hates to use it. I hate to see his hands looking so bad. Thanks for the prayers.

We can't believe Christmas is only 19 days away! It will be a VERY small Christmas this year. I am the most fortunate parent there is. I have a family that is not materialistic, and they know times are really tight for us, so they don't expect much from us. They know we wish we could do something for them, but we can't. Maybe someday we will be better off financially; who knows. I really appreciate my children, more than I can say. I am so proud of each and every one of them. I love you, kids, all 5 of you!!

Thank you for checking in on David and the Koury Klan. Thank you for all the prayers, we sure do need them!! Please continue to pray for David's appetite to improve, and for him to stay caught up with school. Thank you so much. God bless you all. We love you. {{hugs}}

Kristi and the Koury Klan

'You won't be happy with more until you're happy with what you've got.'~~~Angel Blessing

Saturday, November 27, 2010

2010-11-27T21:18:00.000-08:00

Good evening.

I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving. Ours was good. It was great to have our last Thanksgiving as the 7 of us~~~~next year there will be 8!! Of course, we are praying that there will be 8, that is the plan. Our day was the normal Thanksgiving; football, food, family, and fellowship! It was so nice to be all of us together. We had a good day. It was cold, and white, but it was nice. The low was 4*!! Fantastic! We really had a nice day. Jennifer spent the night that night, in our guest room, and it was nice to have her back 'under our roof' for a night! We miss her. Then in the afternoon on Thanksgiving Bryon put up the Christmas lights on the house. We are still in the process of getting all the decorations out and up. So we had a wonderful Thanksgiving day. I hope you all had a nice day.

It has pretty much been snowing almost every day. It has been really cold. We got some more firewood yesterday, yay!! We will be warm for awhile. Our house is nice and toasty downstairs. David does have a room heater in his room, so he won't get too cold. I don't want him to get sick. Parents of children with cancer understand how worrisome it is when our children get sick. They aren't like 'normal' children; when they get sick it is far more worrisome for us. We can't just brush off a cold like other parents can. So I want to make sure he stays warm enough.

David was pretty excited to see the UNR (University of Nevada Reno) Wolf Pack beat Boise State last night! Sorry, Kim and Ty, we really didn't think Boise State would lose! We were pretty sure Nevada would lose, but David was very excited when they won!! It was quite surprising, and wonderful!! David is getting more interested in sports as he gets older. Too bad he can never do any.........sigh. He can be the loyal spectator/fan!! Overall, we have had a pretty good weekend.

Thanks for checking in. Have a great rest of your weekend. God bless you all. We love you.

Kristi and the Koury Klan

'Snowmen fall from Heaven---Un-assembled.'~~~Unknown