Sunday, JULY 31, 2011

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

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

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

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

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

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

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