Good evening.
Today was a better day for David. His fever is hovering right around 100 degrees. I am still giving him the Bactrim. He said his pain isn't as bad, but the leg still really throbs sometimes. He is still on the Percoset, even though he really doesn't like taking meds! I hope this isn't TMI, but he finally had a BM today!! After what happened last time with his limb-salvage (the intussusception) we were pretty anxious for his bowels to function properly!! Praise God everything seems to be working!! He is on a pretty strong dose of Colace as long as he is on the Percoset. Of course, he hasn't really been eating, so I guess if nothing is going in, nothing can come out, right? Anyway, we were happy about that!
David ate a little bit better today. I made breakfast burritos for brunch today, and he ate about half of it. Then for dinner I made orange chicken, rice, green beans, and salad. He had a fair amount of rice, a spoonful of green beans, and about 5 bites of chicken. I was sooo happy to see him eat! Thank you for your prayers for him. We tell him that each day will be better than the day before; but it is still so hard to see him suffering. He is such a great kid!!! I feel like my 'job' as his mom is to protect him from all the crap (excuse my language) that has been happening him the past 2 years. I just hate so much what he has been through. And what is still in store for him in the future. That is why I can't worry about the future; just take one day at a time.
Thank you for checking in on David and the Koury Klan. Thank you for your prayers; please keep them coming. We hope to go to church tomorrow, please pray that David is up to it (I will just drug him with lots of Percoset, lol). Have a good evening. God bless you all. We love you.
Kristi and the Koury Klan
Saturday, October 31, 2009
Friday, October 30, 2009
Friday, October 30, 2009
Good evening.
David is doing a little bit better. His fever hasn't spiked again; it is hovering between 100 & 101 degrees. I have put him on the Bactrim I still have. He said he is achy, nauseous, and has chills. I hope the Bactrim will take care of whatever is trying to get him down. Thank you for your prayers.
I was so stressed yesterday I forgot to mention that it was one year ago yesterday that David got his broviac out!! Yay!
Please continue to pray for him. He still isn't eating like he should; like we need him to. Maybe once this 'bug' is gone he will start eating again. He is still in pain from the surgery, I can't even imagine going through what he has been through. He is allowed to put weight on his leg, he just is afraid to at this point. His muscles have atrophied quite a lot over the past 6 weeks that he has been unable to walk on his right leg. Please pray he is able to be walking again soon. I am so tired of my baby being unable to walk. I am so tired of watching my son go through what he has gone through. It doesn't matter how many surgeries he has, it doesn't get any easier watching them wheel him off to surgery. It doesn't get any easier to 'allow' them to do something to him that is going to cause him pain. It doesn't get any easier knowing my son is going to be cut up, and into, and his body scarred up. There are some wounds that time does NOT heal. It stinks knowing that we are forever parents of a child with cancer. Ok, maybe he doesn't have 'active' cancer (or however you want to say it); but cancer will forever be part of our life. We will go on and live our life, but there will always be this cloud hanging over our head~~~the cancer could always come back!! *sigh* That is why we try to life each day to the fullest.
Please continue to pray for our 'special request.' Also, please pray for our finances. David was taken off prilosec and put on a stronger dose of prevacid because the prilosec doesn't always work very well for him. He still often complaines of a stomache ache with the prilosec. Well, the prilosec costs us $5 co-pay for a 30 day supply. The prevacid is $90 co-pay for a 30 day supply!! But what are we to do? Please pray for us as the medical expenses just seem to grow, even though David is not in 'active' treatment at this time. Thanks for your prayers.
Thank you for checking in on David and the Koury Klan. Thank you for your prayers, please keep them coming. God bless you all. We love you.
Kristi and the Koury Klan
For the patients' parents, a cancer diagnosis can launch a balancing act between the toughness needed to hold together the family and demand the best medical care, and the gentleness needed to stay collected and positive with the child. The ordeal of treatments creates a bond among families who go through the experience.
David is doing a little bit better. His fever hasn't spiked again; it is hovering between 100 & 101 degrees. I have put him on the Bactrim I still have. He said he is achy, nauseous, and has chills. I hope the Bactrim will take care of whatever is trying to get him down. Thank you for your prayers.
I was so stressed yesterday I forgot to mention that it was one year ago yesterday that David got his broviac out!! Yay!
Please continue to pray for him. He still isn't eating like he should; like we need him to. Maybe once this 'bug' is gone he will start eating again. He is still in pain from the surgery, I can't even imagine going through what he has been through. He is allowed to put weight on his leg, he just is afraid to at this point. His muscles have atrophied quite a lot over the past 6 weeks that he has been unable to walk on his right leg. Please pray he is able to be walking again soon. I am so tired of my baby being unable to walk. I am so tired of watching my son go through what he has gone through. It doesn't matter how many surgeries he has, it doesn't get any easier watching them wheel him off to surgery. It doesn't get any easier to 'allow' them to do something to him that is going to cause him pain. It doesn't get any easier knowing my son is going to be cut up, and into, and his body scarred up. There are some wounds that time does NOT heal. It stinks knowing that we are forever parents of a child with cancer. Ok, maybe he doesn't have 'active' cancer (or however you want to say it); but cancer will forever be part of our life. We will go on and live our life, but there will always be this cloud hanging over our head~~~the cancer could always come back!! *sigh* That is why we try to life each day to the fullest.
Please continue to pray for our 'special request.' Also, please pray for our finances. David was taken off prilosec and put on a stronger dose of prevacid because the prilosec doesn't always work very well for him. He still often complaines of a stomache ache with the prilosec. Well, the prilosec costs us $5 co-pay for a 30 day supply. The prevacid is $90 co-pay for a 30 day supply!! But what are we to do? Please pray for us as the medical expenses just seem to grow, even though David is not in 'active' treatment at this time. Thanks for your prayers.
Thank you for checking in on David and the Koury Klan. Thank you for your prayers, please keep them coming. God bless you all. We love you.
Kristi and the Koury Klan
For the patients' parents, a cancer diagnosis can launch a balancing act between the toughness needed to hold together the family and demand the best medical care, and the gentleness needed to stay collected and positive with the child. The ordeal of treatments creates a bond among families who go through the experience.
Thursday, October 29, 2009
Thursday, October 29, 2009
Please pray for David. He isn't feeling well. I took his temperature, and it was 102.0 in one ear, and 102.8 in the other. I averaged it to be 102.4. I gave him some Tylenol; but if he isn't feeling better tomorrow, I will give Connie a call. Gee, could it be that having 2 sick babies in his room was not such a good idea?!?! He was there before they brought the babies into his room. I guess we will see how he is doing tomorrow. I will let you all know. Gotta go. Have a good night. God bless you all. Thanks for the prayers. We love you.
Kristi and the Koury Klan
Kristi and the Koury Klan
Thursday, October 29, 2009
Good morning.
We are home!! They let us go yesterday. We figured they aren't doing anything for him there that I can't do for him here. Why waste the money staying in the hospital? Plus, now I have a sore throat and am not feeling the best~~~go figure. Two sick babies in the room with us? I couldn't get David out of there fast enough! It is a good thing he got a powerful antibiotic after surgery! The room situation was a major contributor to us leaving ASAP!! We had two nurses tell us they don't know why David was put there. Oh, well.
Bryon and I went upstairs to the 7th floor to say hi to a nurse David had back in Feb. 2008. She was the nurse who was the most pro-active about finding out what was wrong with David and why he was dying. She remembered David, she will never forget an intussusception in a 13-year-old child!! She said she had never seen it before, and has never seen it since! So it was good to see Amber.
They discharged us about 11:00. Then we had to go check out of the Family House. What that means for the S.F. Family House is clean the room (of course) and wash all the sheets and towels and put them back in the room. Well, by the time we got all that done; and had lunch while the laundry was washing; we left San Francisco at 3:45! If any of you get news from the Bay Area, you know the Bay Bridge was closed because it was broken. Well, that means we had to take the long way home. We stopped for a total of 1/2 hour to get gas and grab food to go; and we got home at 10:30 last night! We were soooooo exhausted!! It took almost 7 hours to go 4 hours away! But we were glad to be home.
For a year when David was on chemo it always snowed when we were gone, and then 'warmed up' when we got home. Well, it did it again! It snowed Tuesday night here! We missed it! Although there is still snow in our backyard. When we got home Bryon was saying that I will get David situated and he will start a fire. Well, Jeremy and Lucy had come over and started a fire for us! That was so sweet and thoughtful of them. So we came home to a blazing fire! Lucy said the house was 49 degrees!! It was so nice to come home to a warm fire. David just slept downstairs~~~he isn't into tackling the stairs yet.
The dressing change went well yesterday. His incision looks good. The doc put another dressing on it, and said we wouldn't need to change it unless it got really bad inside, and then in a week we can take it off for good. Well, it is weeping a little bit, but not too bad. The incision is the same length as the old one, minus about an inch at the top. David's pain is ok. The Percoset is working ok; just can't get his pain below a 2. But it is tolerable, so he is doing better. Thank you so much for your prayers. Keep them coming.
That is about all the news for now. Thank you for checking in on David and the Koury Klan. Have a good day. God bless you. We love you.
Kristi and the Koury Klan
Cancer is like a roadtrip. You begin your journey knowing the destination, but do not know what's in store. Detours, pot holes, exciting adventures around every turn! But you still drive on! (This pretty much sums it us for us!!)
We are home!! They let us go yesterday. We figured they aren't doing anything for him there that I can't do for him here. Why waste the money staying in the hospital? Plus, now I have a sore throat and am not feeling the best~~~go figure. Two sick babies in the room with us? I couldn't get David out of there fast enough! It is a good thing he got a powerful antibiotic after surgery! The room situation was a major contributor to us leaving ASAP!! We had two nurses tell us they don't know why David was put there. Oh, well.
Bryon and I went upstairs to the 7th floor to say hi to a nurse David had back in Feb. 2008. She was the nurse who was the most pro-active about finding out what was wrong with David and why he was dying. She remembered David, she will never forget an intussusception in a 13-year-old child!! She said she had never seen it before, and has never seen it since! So it was good to see Amber.
They discharged us about 11:00. Then we had to go check out of the Family House. What that means for the S.F. Family House is clean the room (of course) and wash all the sheets and towels and put them back in the room. Well, by the time we got all that done; and had lunch while the laundry was washing; we left San Francisco at 3:45! If any of you get news from the Bay Area, you know the Bay Bridge was closed because it was broken. Well, that means we had to take the long way home. We stopped for a total of 1/2 hour to get gas and grab food to go; and we got home at 10:30 last night! We were soooooo exhausted!! It took almost 7 hours to go 4 hours away! But we were glad to be home.
For a year when David was on chemo it always snowed when we were gone, and then 'warmed up' when we got home. Well, it did it again! It snowed Tuesday night here! We missed it! Although there is still snow in our backyard. When we got home Bryon was saying that I will get David situated and he will start a fire. Well, Jeremy and Lucy had come over and started a fire for us! That was so sweet and thoughtful of them. So we came home to a blazing fire! Lucy said the house was 49 degrees!! It was so nice to come home to a warm fire. David just slept downstairs~~~he isn't into tackling the stairs yet.
The dressing change went well yesterday. His incision looks good. The doc put another dressing on it, and said we wouldn't need to change it unless it got really bad inside, and then in a week we can take it off for good. Well, it is weeping a little bit, but not too bad. The incision is the same length as the old one, minus about an inch at the top. David's pain is ok. The Percoset is working ok; just can't get his pain below a 2. But it is tolerable, so he is doing better. Thank you so much for your prayers. Keep them coming.
That is about all the news for now. Thank you for checking in on David and the Koury Klan. Have a good day. God bless you. We love you.
Kristi and the Koury Klan
Cancer is like a roadtrip. You begin your journey knowing the destination, but do not know what's in store. Detours, pot holes, exciting adventures around every turn! But you still drive on! (This pretty much sums it us for us!!)
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
Good afternoon. I will try this again.
We left Sunday after church. The sermon was good, and then there was a special prayer for David. That was very sweet. Then we left for San Francisco.
We got here around 5:30. We got a fantastic surprise when we checked into the Family House. We walked in the room and Jennifer said, "We have our own bathroom!" I thought she was kidding~~~~shouldn't kid about a thing like that, tho. But she wasn't kidding~~~a private bathroom attached to our room! For a year in Oakland we lived in the Family House with a community bathroom. It is amazing how something so 'simple' can make us soooo happy! But we got the biggest room, and it has a private bathroom. After we got settled in we went to Taco Bell for dinner. Then we just kinda vegged-out until bedtime.
About David's surgery. I was told his surgery was at 10am, so check in at 8am. Then I was told that surgery was at 12pm, and to check in at 10am. Then I got a letter saying surgery was at 10am; check in at 8am. So we got up (didn't sleep well, anyway) and got here at 8am. The receptionist said, "wow, you guys are here early," so I assumed the surgery time had been changed to 12pm. Well, we asked, and apparently David was scheduled for surgery at 2:10!!! Yeah, I guess we were there early! Well, Dr. O'Donnell came to see us around 11:30 or so and said they would be bringing David back in about an hour. Then David showed him his trick, and Dr. O just laughed! He said, "I have to get a picture of that! I have to show my Resident!" He loved it!! He thought it was great. Of course, it reinforced the need for the revision. So anyway, they took David into surgery at 1:30. Not too bad, I guess. But David was pretty hungry by that point. But he is such a great kid, he went back to surgery WITHOUT the versed! No 'happy medicine' for him this time. He was so scared, but so brave at the same time. Then they told us we could go back to the PACU at 4:00pm. Surgery was over!! YAY! We spent forever in there waiting for his room to be ready. The 7th floor (oncology floor) is full, and they put on the 6th floor. His nurse said they don't usually do the orthopedic oncology kids, so she wasn't 100% sure of the 'protocol' for his meds and stuff. Sounds strange, I guess you had to be there (lol). Anyway, our room is HORRIBLE!!! It is a room with 3 beds and NO bathroom! When we got here there was just one boy in the room. He was fine, his mom was fine, no complaints there. I just think it is really stupid to make these kids go down the hall to use a 'public' bathroom. Very strange. . . . . . . Anyway, things were going ok, at best, then at midnight they brought in a baby. A very sick, congested baby. A very cute, fussy baby. And NO PARENTS for said baby. So sad. But they moved him in the room at midnight like it was the middle of the afternoon!! They were soooooo loud! The other boy left this morning, and they brought another crib in here!! What is up with that?!?!? We are praying, HARD, that we get to go home tomorrow. David was in a LOT of pain this morning. They pulled the PCA around 7am. Then his pain got up to a 9 before they got oral meds on board. But you see, he had to eat something before he could take the oral meds. So now that he has the Percoset on board, he is doing better. The Physical Therapist just came by and David was up and walking. He walked across the room and back. YAY! He is doing great. He ate a pretty good lunch, for him, and we are on the 'every four hours' schedule for pain meds. I am so proud of him. He is doing fantastic. This morning they took off the knee immobilizer, and tomorrow morning they are going to take the dressing off and change the bandages. So we will see what his leg looks like. Oh, I forgot to tell you~~~~DAVID GOT TO KEEP HIS PROSTHESIS!!! Dr. O took it to pathology, they did their thing with it, then they cleaned it up, autoclaved it, and gave it to David. He was so excited about that! Thank you so much for your prayers to have him keep it. It is very strange to see it. It is very heavy! And it was definitely broken. Dr. O said he was surprised it didn't collapse after it broke. Still not exactly sure what happened. Except that it is David. But he (David) told us his new 'curve ball' was doing everything the right way! Doing everything the 'easy' way and having things go the way they are supposed to go. We totally approve of those curve balls! So that is the haps on the surgery.
Rachel is staying with David tonight. We are REALLY hoping to go home tomorrow. I know we are pre-approved to stay until Saturday, but we would really like to go home tomorrow. This surgery has gone much better, for David, than the last leg surgery. No intussusception this time!! Woo-hoo!! The pain is finally under control, and life is plugging along here. Please pray for a good night tonight. Please pray that they have a good night tonight. Please pray they get more sleep than I did (that shouldn't be too hard). And please pray that we are able to go home tomorrow. Thank you.
Thank you for checking in on David and the Koury Klan. God bless you all. We love you.
Kristi and the Koury Klan
P.S.~~They are bringing another patient in here. We gotta go home tomorrow!!
We left Sunday after church. The sermon was good, and then there was a special prayer for David. That was very sweet. Then we left for San Francisco.
We got here around 5:30. We got a fantastic surprise when we checked into the Family House. We walked in the room and Jennifer said, "We have our own bathroom!" I thought she was kidding~~~~shouldn't kid about a thing like that, tho. But she wasn't kidding~~~a private bathroom attached to our room! For a year in Oakland we lived in the Family House with a community bathroom. It is amazing how something so 'simple' can make us soooo happy! But we got the biggest room, and it has a private bathroom. After we got settled in we went to Taco Bell for dinner. Then we just kinda vegged-out until bedtime.
About David's surgery. I was told his surgery was at 10am, so check in at 8am. Then I was told that surgery was at 12pm, and to check in at 10am. Then I got a letter saying surgery was at 10am; check in at 8am. So we got up (didn't sleep well, anyway) and got here at 8am. The receptionist said, "wow, you guys are here early," so I assumed the surgery time had been changed to 12pm. Well, we asked, and apparently David was scheduled for surgery at 2:10!!! Yeah, I guess we were there early! Well, Dr. O'Donnell came to see us around 11:30 or so and said they would be bringing David back in about an hour. Then David showed him his trick, and Dr. O just laughed! He said, "I have to get a picture of that! I have to show my Resident!" He loved it!! He thought it was great. Of course, it reinforced the need for the revision. So anyway, they took David into surgery at 1:30. Not too bad, I guess. But David was pretty hungry by that point. But he is such a great kid, he went back to surgery WITHOUT the versed! No 'happy medicine' for him this time. He was so scared, but so brave at the same time. Then they told us we could go back to the PACU at 4:00pm. Surgery was over!! YAY! We spent forever in there waiting for his room to be ready. The 7th floor (oncology floor) is full, and they put on the 6th floor. His nurse said they don't usually do the orthopedic oncology kids, so she wasn't 100% sure of the 'protocol' for his meds and stuff. Sounds strange, I guess you had to be there (lol). Anyway, our room is HORRIBLE!!! It is a room with 3 beds and NO bathroom! When we got here there was just one boy in the room. He was fine, his mom was fine, no complaints there. I just think it is really stupid to make these kids go down the hall to use a 'public' bathroom. Very strange. . . . . . . Anyway, things were going ok, at best, then at midnight they brought in a baby. A very sick, congested baby. A very cute, fussy baby. And NO PARENTS for said baby. So sad. But they moved him in the room at midnight like it was the middle of the afternoon!! They were soooooo loud! The other boy left this morning, and they brought another crib in here!! What is up with that?!?!? We are praying, HARD, that we get to go home tomorrow. David was in a LOT of pain this morning. They pulled the PCA around 7am. Then his pain got up to a 9 before they got oral meds on board. But you see, he had to eat something before he could take the oral meds. So now that he has the Percoset on board, he is doing better. The Physical Therapist just came by and David was up and walking. He walked across the room and back. YAY! He is doing great. He ate a pretty good lunch, for him, and we are on the 'every four hours' schedule for pain meds. I am so proud of him. He is doing fantastic. This morning they took off the knee immobilizer, and tomorrow morning they are going to take the dressing off and change the bandages. So we will see what his leg looks like. Oh, I forgot to tell you~~~~DAVID GOT TO KEEP HIS PROSTHESIS!!! Dr. O took it to pathology, they did their thing with it, then they cleaned it up, autoclaved it, and gave it to David. He was so excited about that! Thank you so much for your prayers to have him keep it. It is very strange to see it. It is very heavy! And it was definitely broken. Dr. O said he was surprised it didn't collapse after it broke. Still not exactly sure what happened. Except that it is David. But he (David) told us his new 'curve ball' was doing everything the right way! Doing everything the 'easy' way and having things go the way they are supposed to go. We totally approve of those curve balls! So that is the haps on the surgery.
Rachel is staying with David tonight. We are REALLY hoping to go home tomorrow. I know we are pre-approved to stay until Saturday, but we would really like to go home tomorrow. This surgery has gone much better, for David, than the last leg surgery. No intussusception this time!! Woo-hoo!! The pain is finally under control, and life is plugging along here. Please pray for a good night tonight. Please pray that they have a good night tonight. Please pray they get more sleep than I did (that shouldn't be too hard). And please pray that we are able to go home tomorrow. Thank you.
Thank you for checking in on David and the Koury Klan. God bless you all. We love you.
Kristi and the Koury Klan
P.S.~~They are bringing another patient in here. We gotta go home tomorrow!!
Monday, October 26, 2009
Monday, October 26, 2009
Good evening. I just wrote the whole events of the past two days~~~and lost it!! Grrr. I am tired, so I will put it all in a nutshell and write more details tomorrow. David's surgery went well. Please pray that his Dilaudid PCA helps; his pain at it's lowest is a 4 (on a 1-10 scale). They would like to discontinue the PCA tomorrow and just do oral Percoset. I am staying with him tonight. We got a fantastic room at the Family House; we got a lousy room in the hospital. I will write more details and fill in the blanks tomorrow.
Some very sad news; we lost another of our Osteo children today; Shane Christiansen. His website is; www.caringbridge.org/visit/1shane. Please pray for his family. Thank you for checking in on David, and thank you for your prayers. God bless you all. We love you.
Kristi and the Koury Klan
Some very sad news; we lost another of our Osteo children today; Shane Christiansen. His website is; www.caringbridge.org/visit/1shane. Please pray for his family. Thank you for checking in on David, and thank you for your prayers. God bless you all. We love you.
Kristi and the Koury Klan
Saturday, October 24, 2009
Saturday, October 24, 2009
Good evening, everyone.
Today was a very busy day. Bryon worked all day. I donated blood this morning. My appointment was for 9:45, and I didn't get in the chair to start the donation until after 10:30! Of course I had better things to do than sit there, but oh well. Then I got home and David and I left to go to the Pumpkin Patch. We were told it was real close to where we live..........not so much. It was about 40 minutes away!! But that was ok. It was a little rough for David to be walking on the uneven ground with his crutches; but he managed. He got a good pumpkin. He said he doesn't want to carve it until we get home, tho. It will be after Halloween, but that is ok. Then we got home and Jennifer and I went and got some good walking shoes~~~~we will be doing a LOT of walking in San Francisco. The Family House is about 8 blocks away from the hospital; up and down hills. So we need good walking shoes. Bryon met us at Big 5 (he got some shoes, too). Then we went to church. It was soooooo good! The sermon really spoke to Bryon and me. Pastor John talked about prayer and why our prayers might not be being answered. The part that spoke to us was he said that when people tell you that the reason your very sick family member isn't healed is because you don't have enough faith, that is WRONG!!! It was a good sermon. Then we had dinner, and Rachel and I had to run to Walmart real quick for some last minute stuff. Now I am doing the laundry so we can finish packing. Whew. Busy day.
Please pray for us tomorrow. We will be leaving to go to San Francisco after we go to church. Please pray for a safe trip for us. Please cover David in lots of prayers~~~he is getting very nervous. He wishes he didn't have to go through this again. But he is such a great kid. I don't blame him for how scared he is getting. Please pray that this surgery is an easy surgery for him; NO complications!! I will try to post tomorrow and let you know how the trip went.
I will keep you all posted in the hospital as soon as I know anything. I will keep you abreast of the situation as it unfolds.
Thank you for checking in on David and the Koury Klan. Thank you for your love, prayers, and support. Have a good evening. God bless you all. We love you.
Kristi and the Koury Klan
Do not be afraid of tomorrow; for God is already there. ~Author Unknown
Today was a very busy day. Bryon worked all day. I donated blood this morning. My appointment was for 9:45, and I didn't get in the chair to start the donation until after 10:30! Of course I had better things to do than sit there, but oh well. Then I got home and David and I left to go to the Pumpkin Patch. We were told it was real close to where we live..........not so much. It was about 40 minutes away!! But that was ok. It was a little rough for David to be walking on the uneven ground with his crutches; but he managed. He got a good pumpkin. He said he doesn't want to carve it until we get home, tho. It will be after Halloween, but that is ok. Then we got home and Jennifer and I went and got some good walking shoes~~~~we will be doing a LOT of walking in San Francisco. The Family House is about 8 blocks away from the hospital; up and down hills. So we need good walking shoes. Bryon met us at Big 5 (he got some shoes, too). Then we went to church. It was soooooo good! The sermon really spoke to Bryon and me. Pastor John talked about prayer and why our prayers might not be being answered. The part that spoke to us was he said that when people tell you that the reason your very sick family member isn't healed is because you don't have enough faith, that is WRONG!!! It was a good sermon. Then we had dinner, and Rachel and I had to run to Walmart real quick for some last minute stuff. Now I am doing the laundry so we can finish packing. Whew. Busy day.
Please pray for us tomorrow. We will be leaving to go to San Francisco after we go to church. Please pray for a safe trip for us. Please cover David in lots of prayers~~~he is getting very nervous. He wishes he didn't have to go through this again. But he is such a great kid. I don't blame him for how scared he is getting. Please pray that this surgery is an easy surgery for him; NO complications!! I will try to post tomorrow and let you know how the trip went.
I will keep you all posted in the hospital as soon as I know anything. I will keep you abreast of the situation as it unfolds.
Thank you for checking in on David and the Koury Klan. Thank you for your love, prayers, and support. Have a good evening. God bless you all. We love you.
Kristi and the Koury Klan
Do not be afraid of tomorrow; for God is already there. ~Author Unknown
Friday, October 23, 2009
Friday, October 23, 2009
Good evening.
Today was a busy day. David had a pretty fun day. We went to his Physical Therapy office because he wanted to show Linda his new 'trick' that he does with his leg. He got the desired response from Linda, Amy, and Tanya. They were very freaked out by it!! And Mike, after he took pictures, said, "Put that thing away now!" It was quite funny. David got such a kick out of showing them what he can do.
Then we came home and dropped David off and Bryon and I took Berlynn to the boarders. They aren't open on weekends, so we had to drop her off today.
Then we came home and I finished making apple pies. I baked one last night because Jeremy and Lucy came over for dinner and we had a pie for dessert. I gave 3 of the frozen ones to Jeremy and Lucy, I baked one and gave it to my friend, and we now have 6 in the freezer!! Yay!
David had such a blast freaking out Jeremy and Lucy last night! He is such a goofy kid!! Typical teenage boy~~~~loves to make people scream when they see his trick!! He always gets exactly the response he wants from people!
Tomorrow Bryon has to work; and I am going to donate blood. After I donate I am going to take David to a pumpkin patch. My friend is going to take her kids, and we will caravan there. It will be fun. David picked out a 'ghost' pumpkin last year; so we will see what he gets this time.
I think that is about all that is happening in the Koury Cancer Ward. David is starting to get nervous about the surgery. Please pray hard for him. This sucks so bad. Thank you for checking in on David and the Koury Klan. Please keep him in your prayers. Please pray that this will be a 'cut and dry' surgery~~~~no complications!! No curve balls!! Thanks. Have a good night. God bless you. We love you.
Kristi and the Koury Klan
Courage is being afraid but going on anyhow. ~Dan Rather
Today was a busy day. David had a pretty fun day. We went to his Physical Therapy office because he wanted to show Linda his new 'trick' that he does with his leg. He got the desired response from Linda, Amy, and Tanya. They were very freaked out by it!! And Mike, after he took pictures, said, "Put that thing away now!" It was quite funny. David got such a kick out of showing them what he can do.
Then we came home and dropped David off and Bryon and I took Berlynn to the boarders. They aren't open on weekends, so we had to drop her off today.
Then we came home and I finished making apple pies. I baked one last night because Jeremy and Lucy came over for dinner and we had a pie for dessert. I gave 3 of the frozen ones to Jeremy and Lucy, I baked one and gave it to my friend, and we now have 6 in the freezer!! Yay!
David had such a blast freaking out Jeremy and Lucy last night! He is such a goofy kid!! Typical teenage boy~~~~loves to make people scream when they see his trick!! He always gets exactly the response he wants from people!
Tomorrow Bryon has to work; and I am going to donate blood. After I donate I am going to take David to a pumpkin patch. My friend is going to take her kids, and we will caravan there. It will be fun. David picked out a 'ghost' pumpkin last year; so we will see what he gets this time.
I think that is about all that is happening in the Koury Cancer Ward. David is starting to get nervous about the surgery. Please pray hard for him. This sucks so bad. Thank you for checking in on David and the Koury Klan. Please keep him in your prayers. Please pray that this will be a 'cut and dry' surgery~~~~no complications!! No curve balls!! Thanks. Have a good night. God bless you. We love you.
Kristi and the Koury Klan
Courage is being afraid but going on anyhow. ~Dan Rather
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
Good evening.
We have had fairly uneventful days. Tonight was our support group meeting (missed you, Roseanne), and it was pretty good. David had Bible Study and thoroughly enjoyed it. He really enjoys going, and I am glad.
David is really getting the hang of online school. He is doing quite well. He is catching up quite fast. He is a great kid, and he tries so hard. Please continue to pray that he is able to get completely caught up with his peers. He really enjoys the Elluminate sessions. So that is how the school situation is coming along.
Tonight David showed us his new trick. The picture shows what he can do with his leg. Isn't it freaky!?!? When we got home from the support group meeting he was already home (Jennifer took the boys) and he showed us his new trick!! I about threw up when I saw him do it! He said it doesn't hurt at all when he does it; he can just feel the skin twisting. He is so goofy; he said it is kinda sad that he is getting the knee fixed!! He liked freaking out the kids at Bible Study! He like freaking out the adults, too. He is such a goofball. Jeremy and Lucy are coming over for dinner tomorrow night, David can't wait to show them what he can do!! Isn't he funny? Just had to tell you what he can do now. He said, "If the knee has to be broken, I might as well have fun with it!" And having fun he is!!!!
Thank you for checking in on David and the Koury Klan. Have a good evening and a good night's sleep tonight. God bless you all. We love you.
Kristi and the Koury Klan
P.S. Check out the new pictures!!
We have had fairly uneventful days. Tonight was our support group meeting (missed you, Roseanne), and it was pretty good. David had Bible Study and thoroughly enjoyed it. He really enjoys going, and I am glad.
David is really getting the hang of online school. He is doing quite well. He is catching up quite fast. He is a great kid, and he tries so hard. Please continue to pray that he is able to get completely caught up with his peers. He really enjoys the Elluminate sessions. So that is how the school situation is coming along.
Tonight David showed us his new trick. The picture shows what he can do with his leg. Isn't it freaky!?!? When we got home from the support group meeting he was already home (Jennifer took the boys) and he showed us his new trick!! I about threw up when I saw him do it! He said it doesn't hurt at all when he does it; he can just feel the skin twisting. He is so goofy; he said it is kinda sad that he is getting the knee fixed!! He liked freaking out the kids at Bible Study! He like freaking out the adults, too. He is such a goofball. Jeremy and Lucy are coming over for dinner tomorrow night, David can't wait to show them what he can do!! Isn't he funny? Just had to tell you what he can do now. He said, "If the knee has to be broken, I might as well have fun with it!" And having fun he is!!!!
Thank you for checking in on David and the Koury Klan. Have a good evening and a good night's sleep tonight. God bless you all. We love you.
Kristi and the Koury Klan
P.S. Check out the new pictures!!
Monday, October 19, 2009
Monday, October 19, 2009
Good afternoon.
It is a beautiful day!! It is VERY windy, rainy, and gorgeous! All the beautiful leaves on the trees are almost gone. The wind has a way of removing all of them! But it is still a beautiful fall, so far.
We only have one more week with the broken knee!! Yay! I got all the paperwork today for David's surgery. It is to start at 10:00am on Monday, October 26. He is scheduled to be discharged on October 31st. We aren't holding our breath on that one, tho.......We know how David works! Hee-Hee! But that is the day he is scheduled to be released. We probably won't be home in time to greet the Trick-or-Treaters, though. By the time we get released, check out of Family House, and fight traffic~~~~we for sure won't be home before well after dark. But that is ok. Noreen, we are staying at the 10th street Family House. I wish we were at the Irving St. one! And I assume David will be on 7 long; that's where he was last time. That is the oncology floor of the Children's Hospital; and he is still a cancer patient; his surgery is 'cancer related;' so that is where I assume he will be. I am sooooo bummed that we will miss seeing you, again!! Hopefully we will be able to meet up soon!
I am sorry I didn't update over the weekend. A friend of mine graduated from a trade school, so she and her husband treated Bryon and I to a night (Saturday) at the El Dorado in Reno. The four of us had a really good time. But it made for a busy weekend. When we got home last night we were pretty tired. The girls took great care of David. I know I can trust them, so I don't worry about him when Bryon and I are gone. Of course, we don't really get a chance to get away much~~~don't have the money! So we really appreciated my friend doing that for us.
Friday I ended up making two more apple pies; actually Rachel helped me make one of them; so now I have four apple pies in the freezer!! All ready for the holidays!
Since I know God cares about all the details of our life, I have another prayer request for you. Please pray for our pets. We are just leaving the Chihuahua's and the cats at home; and we have to board Berlynn. She just can't be trusted to be home all day. The Chihuahua's will be lonely, but fine. They have the doggie door and the whole outside, plus the inside, so I don't worry too much about them. They don't destroy stuff. The cats are fine, too. But Berlynn, the German Shepherd, isn't trustworthy. So we have to board her. I didn't want to have to (it is quite expensive), but we just don't have much choice. I know I will be able to relax more and just focus on David if I am not concerned about what the dog is destroying at home! The dogs are used to me and David being home all day; for the most part; and Berlynn stresses too much when we are gone all day, and that is when she gets into trouble!! Please pray that they will all be ok, and that we can afford the boarding. Jeremy and Lucy will check on the dogs daily; and quite a few of my neighbors are home all day and will be watching the house; but that won't stop Berlynn from being a 'Holy Terror!' LOL Thank you for your prayers.
Thank you for checking in on David and the Koury Klan. Thank you for your love, prayers, and support. Have a good day, and a good night. God bless you all. We love you.
Kristi and the Koury Klan
It is a beautiful day!! It is VERY windy, rainy, and gorgeous! All the beautiful leaves on the trees are almost gone. The wind has a way of removing all of them! But it is still a beautiful fall, so far.
We only have one more week with the broken knee!! Yay! I got all the paperwork today for David's surgery. It is to start at 10:00am on Monday, October 26. He is scheduled to be discharged on October 31st. We aren't holding our breath on that one, tho.......We know how David works! Hee-Hee! But that is the day he is scheduled to be released. We probably won't be home in time to greet the Trick-or-Treaters, though. By the time we get released, check out of Family House, and fight traffic~~~~we for sure won't be home before well after dark. But that is ok. Noreen, we are staying at the 10th street Family House. I wish we were at the Irving St. one! And I assume David will be on 7 long; that's where he was last time. That is the oncology floor of the Children's Hospital; and he is still a cancer patient; his surgery is 'cancer related;' so that is where I assume he will be. I am sooooo bummed that we will miss seeing you, again!! Hopefully we will be able to meet up soon!
I am sorry I didn't update over the weekend. A friend of mine graduated from a trade school, so she and her husband treated Bryon and I to a night (Saturday) at the El Dorado in Reno. The four of us had a really good time. But it made for a busy weekend. When we got home last night we were pretty tired. The girls took great care of David. I know I can trust them, so I don't worry about him when Bryon and I are gone. Of course, we don't really get a chance to get away much~~~don't have the money! So we really appreciated my friend doing that for us.
Friday I ended up making two more apple pies; actually Rachel helped me make one of them; so now I have four apple pies in the freezer!! All ready for the holidays!
Since I know God cares about all the details of our life, I have another prayer request for you. Please pray for our pets. We are just leaving the Chihuahua's and the cats at home; and we have to board Berlynn. She just can't be trusted to be home all day. The Chihuahua's will be lonely, but fine. They have the doggie door and the whole outside, plus the inside, so I don't worry too much about them. They don't destroy stuff. The cats are fine, too. But Berlynn, the German Shepherd, isn't trustworthy. So we have to board her. I didn't want to have to (it is quite expensive), but we just don't have much choice. I know I will be able to relax more and just focus on David if I am not concerned about what the dog is destroying at home! The dogs are used to me and David being home all day; for the most part; and Berlynn stresses too much when we are gone all day, and that is when she gets into trouble!! Please pray that they will all be ok, and that we can afford the boarding. Jeremy and Lucy will check on the dogs daily; and quite a few of my neighbors are home all day and will be watching the house; but that won't stop Berlynn from being a 'Holy Terror!' LOL Thank you for your prayers.
Thank you for checking in on David and the Koury Klan. Thank you for your love, prayers, and support. Have a good day, and a good night. God bless you all. We love you.
Kristi and the Koury Klan
Thursday, October 15, 2009
Thursday, October 15, 2009
Good evening.
It was another beautiful day today. David did well in school today. He is getting caught up.
I hope you all got a chance to view David's youtube video of his knee. Pretty freaky, huh? 11 more days until we get that knee fixed!! Woo-hoo! I have a strange prayer request for you. David wants to keep the prosthesis. Keep in mind, he kept his chest tube (from his right thoracotomy), and he kept his broviac. Selena (from Dr. O's office) said she will give Dr. 0 a 'heads up' and she will see what she can do to add the prosthesis to his 'collection' (her words!). Please pray that he will be able to keep it. I know it is a strange request, but my son is a goofball! Thanks for the prayers.
Please pray for Sara. She is struggling with this round of chemo. And please keep Sammie's family in your prayers. Her funeral is tomorrow. Emma's funeral was today; please continue to pray for her family. Thank you so much.
Thank you for checking in on David and the Koury Klan. Have a good night. Sleep tight. God bless you all. We love you.
Kristi and the Koury Klan
It was another beautiful day today. David did well in school today. He is getting caught up.
I hope you all got a chance to view David's youtube video of his knee. Pretty freaky, huh? 11 more days until we get that knee fixed!! Woo-hoo! I have a strange prayer request for you. David wants to keep the prosthesis. Keep in mind, he kept his chest tube (from his right thoracotomy), and he kept his broviac. Selena (from Dr. O's office) said she will give Dr. 0 a 'heads up' and she will see what she can do to add the prosthesis to his 'collection' (her words!). Please pray that he will be able to keep it. I know it is a strange request, but my son is a goofball! Thanks for the prayers.
Please pray for Sara. She is struggling with this round of chemo. And please keep Sammie's family in your prayers. Her funeral is tomorrow. Emma's funeral was today; please continue to pray for her family. Thank you so much.
Thank you for checking in on David and the Koury Klan. Have a good night. Sleep tight. God bless you all. We love you.
Kristi and the Koury Klan
Thursday, October 15, 2009
Good morning.
Just a quick update to show you David's broken knee. Warning~~~this video is disturbing (except for the fact that the knee is fake!)
www.youtube.com/watch?v=potWkUXXyZI
Notice his hips are flat on the bed. YIKES!! Anyway, I just wanted you to see the 'trick' he can do with his leg. Aren't you glad you can't do that!?!?
Have a good day. God bless you.
Kristi and the Koury Klan
Just a quick update to show you David's broken knee. Warning~~~this video is disturbing (except for the fact that the knee is fake!)
www.youtube.com/watch?v=potWkUXXyZI
Notice his hips are flat on the bed. YIKES!! Anyway, I just wanted you to see the 'trick' he can do with his leg. Aren't you glad you can't do that!?!?
Have a good day. God bless you.
Kristi and the Koury Klan
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
Good evening.
Today was a beautiful day here in Carson City. Cool, Cloudy, and Windy!!!! After the rain yesterday it was a gorgeous day today.
Today was spent making zucchini bread~~~~~all day! A friend of mine grew a zucchini in her garden; a HUGE zucchini!!! So today we made a bunch of zucchini bread. It is really good, too. I have quite a bit in the freezer! It was fun.
I got a call from UCSF today. David's surgery is on for October 26th at 10:00am. We have to be there at 8am to check him in. We will get the pre-op phone call the day or two before surgery. It is always a phone consult because we live so far away. I can't believe how fast the time is going!! It is amazing! We want the time to go fast to get this over with, but at the same time we are dreading this! I hope that makes sense. Just wanted you to know that we are right on schedule for the surgery.
Thank you for visiting and checking in on David and the Koury Klan. Have a good night. God bless you. We love you.
Kristi Koury
Today was a beautiful day here in Carson City. Cool, Cloudy, and Windy!!!! After the rain yesterday it was a gorgeous day today.
Today was spent making zucchini bread~~~~~all day! A friend of mine grew a zucchini in her garden; a HUGE zucchini!!! So today we made a bunch of zucchini bread. It is really good, too. I have quite a bit in the freezer! It was fun.
I got a call from UCSF today. David's surgery is on for October 26th at 10:00am. We have to be there at 8am to check him in. We will get the pre-op phone call the day or two before surgery. It is always a phone consult because we live so far away. I can't believe how fast the time is going!! It is amazing! We want the time to go fast to get this over with, but at the same time we are dreading this! I hope that makes sense. Just wanted you to know that we are right on schedule for the surgery.
Thank you for visiting and checking in on David and the Koury Klan. Have a good night. God bless you. We love you.
Kristi Koury
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
Good afternoon.
After the 'run around' with phone calls, our oncologist finally called me back this afternoon. She said she was sorry, she thought we already knew the answer. Anyway, the verdict is.........drum roll please........the scans are good. She said no change. No new metastases! We are breathing a little easier. It is just hard to be 'happy' when there is so much pain in our Osteo family right now. But we are relieved. Thank you for your prayers.
David is so funny. I called him to tell him the results, and he said, "cool." I told him he was clear for another 3 months and he said, "yay." That was it. We wanted to tell him in person, but it is too hard for him to get up and down the stairs on the crutches. We don't make him do it any more than he has to. Now we just have the surgery looming in his future. Poor kid. But at least we aren't looking at chemo any time soon!! Again, thank you for your prayers.
It has been a gorgeous fall day today. It has been raining all day~~~very hard at times! We need the rain for a good base of moisture for the snow!! Can't wait until it is snowing. When the sky is all dreary-looking the trees look so much more vibrant! The fall colors this year are amazing!! God is awesome!!
Thanks for checking in; I need to go make dinner. I am making Chunky Chicken Potato Soup for dinner on this cold, wet night!! Perfect! Thank you again for the prayers, love, and support. Keep them all coming! Have a good night. God bless you all. We love you.
Kristi and the Koury Klan
The National Cancer Institutes federal budget is about $5 Billion. Less than 3% of the budget goes towards all pediatric cancers combined. The rest goes toward adult cancers. Breast cancer alone receives 12%. Prostate cancer receives 7%.
After the 'run around' with phone calls, our oncologist finally called me back this afternoon. She said she was sorry, she thought we already knew the answer. Anyway, the verdict is.........drum roll please........the scans are good. She said no change. No new metastases! We are breathing a little easier. It is just hard to be 'happy' when there is so much pain in our Osteo family right now. But we are relieved. Thank you for your prayers.
David is so funny. I called him to tell him the results, and he said, "cool." I told him he was clear for another 3 months and he said, "yay." That was it. We wanted to tell him in person, but it is too hard for him to get up and down the stairs on the crutches. We don't make him do it any more than he has to. Now we just have the surgery looming in his future. Poor kid. But at least we aren't looking at chemo any time soon!! Again, thank you for your prayers.
It has been a gorgeous fall day today. It has been raining all day~~~very hard at times! We need the rain for a good base of moisture for the snow!! Can't wait until it is snowing. When the sky is all dreary-looking the trees look so much more vibrant! The fall colors this year are amazing!! God is awesome!!
Thanks for checking in; I need to go make dinner. I am making Chunky Chicken Potato Soup for dinner on this cold, wet night!! Perfect! Thank you again for the prayers, love, and support. Keep them all coming! Have a good night. God bless you all. We love you.
Kristi and the Koury Klan
The National Cancer Institutes federal budget is about $5 Billion. Less than 3% of the budget goes towards all pediatric cancers combined. The rest goes toward adult cancers. Breast cancer alone receives 12%. Prostate cancer receives 7%.
Monday, October 12, 2009
Monday, October 12, 2009
Sorry for the second update tonight.
It was two years ago today that we were sent to Oakland Children's Hospital. We only knew David had a 'bone tumor' we had NO idea what was in store for us.........
Can't believe it has been two years!
It was two years ago today that we were sent to Oakland Children's Hospital. We only knew David had a 'bone tumor' we had NO idea what was in store for us.........
Can't believe it has been two years!
Monday, October 12, 2009
Good evening.
This has been a tough week for our Osteo family. We have lost four children in four days. We lost Emma and Sammie on Friday; Cullen on Sunday; and little Ben today. My stomach hurts and my heart aches for these families. This has GOT to stop!! We have GOT to find a cure for this monster!
We still don't know the results of David's scans. I called Children's Hospital and she transferred me to Renown. She thought David had his scans here. So I talked to Tia and she said she will call Children's and let them know that we had the scans in Oakland, not Reno. Then Children's called me back and said that they put a call in to Connie (who is out of state) and told her that we are anxious for the results. She said that she will try to call Renown and have Tia give us the results. Well, I never heard from Tia. So. . . . we are still in limbo. But I know Connie will call me tomorrow; she already said she would when I talked to her last week. I am trying to relax; but it is so hard with all the recent deaths! FAR too many!!! Of course, one would be too many. I will post as soon as I find out anything about David's scans. Thank you for the prayers. And please pray for the families of these four children (by the way, Ben has a twin brother) as they try to go on without their precious children. Thanks.
I have to brag on my daughter. When we got home on Saturday, Rachel had made an apple pie; all by herself!! I am so proud of her. It was very good, too. So, good job, Rachel!!!
I really don't have much else to say. Just trying to process all the facts of four children in four days dying of a disease that is a part of my life!! A disease that could be, even now, lurking in my son's body. Please continue to pray for us. Thank you.
Thank you for checking in on David and the Koury Klan. Have a good night. God bless you all. We love you.
Kristi and the Koury Klan
This has been a tough week for our Osteo family. We have lost four children in four days. We lost Emma and Sammie on Friday; Cullen on Sunday; and little Ben today. My stomach hurts and my heart aches for these families. This has GOT to stop!! We have GOT to find a cure for this monster!
We still don't know the results of David's scans. I called Children's Hospital and she transferred me to Renown. She thought David had his scans here. So I talked to Tia and she said she will call Children's and let them know that we had the scans in Oakland, not Reno. Then Children's called me back and said that they put a call in to Connie (who is out of state) and told her that we are anxious for the results. She said that she will try to call Renown and have Tia give us the results. Well, I never heard from Tia. So. . . . we are still in limbo. But I know Connie will call me tomorrow; she already said she would when I talked to her last week. I am trying to relax; but it is so hard with all the recent deaths! FAR too many!!! Of course, one would be too many. I will post as soon as I find out anything about David's scans. Thank you for the prayers. And please pray for the families of these four children (by the way, Ben has a twin brother) as they try to go on without their precious children. Thanks.
I have to brag on my daughter. When we got home on Saturday, Rachel had made an apple pie; all by herself!! I am so proud of her. It was very good, too. So, good job, Rachel!!!
I really don't have much else to say. Just trying to process all the facts of four children in four days dying of a disease that is a part of my life!! A disease that could be, even now, lurking in my son's body. Please continue to pray for us. Thank you.
Thank you for checking in on David and the Koury Klan. Have a good night. God bless you all. We love you.
Kristi and the Koury Klan
Sunday, October 11, 2009
Sunday, October 11, 2009
Quick update~~~it is late and we are tired.
Please pray for us as we get the news tomorrow about the results of David's scans. Please pray for us that we will be able to deal with whatever those results are. We are nervous, of course, but still trusting God. Thank you for your prayers; keep them coming. I will post tomorrow when I find out what the results are. Have a good night. God bless you. We love you. Thanks for checking in.
{{hugs}}
Kristi and the Koury Klan
Please pray for us as we get the news tomorrow about the results of David's scans. Please pray for us that we will be able to deal with whatever those results are. We are nervous, of course, but still trusting God. Thank you for your prayers; keep them coming. I will post tomorrow when I find out what the results are. Have a good night. God bless you. We love you. Thanks for checking in.
{{hugs}}
Kristi and the Koury Klan
Friday, October 9, 2009
Friday, October 9, 2009
Good afternoon.
We are sitting here in Emeryville at the Courtyard. David is done with all his testing. He had the injection for the bone scan at 8:00 (Bryant and Christine always get us in early!!). They were hoping to get us in to an earlier CT~~~not to be. So after the injection we walked down to the cardio area and asked what time David's echo was scheduled for. They said 2:15; but since we were there already maybe they would be able to do it then. So we waited and had his echo around 9ish. Oh, when Christine gave David the injection for the bone scan she left the IV in his arm because they were told that CT was with contrast (it wasn't). David was unable to use his crutches, so we got a wheelchair for him. Anyway, then we went to the cafeteria and hung out there. His CT appointment was for 10:00; so at 10:05 we went back to Radiology. Well, they still weren't ready for David. We sat there until around 10:40 when Christine came and said she would have time to do David's bone scan while they were finishing up with the baby that they were doing a CT scan on. So we went and got David's bone scan. Then they were ready for the CT scan. So he had the CT scan (where they removed the IV). After that we walked across the street to find out what time the audio was scheduled for. Well, the orders were NOT received for an audio for David. It was around 12:00 by that time. So the receptionist suggested that we go get some lunch and come back and they will try to squeeze David in before 4:00. So we went to the cafeteria again, and ate lunch. Then we were back in the clinic at 12:55. We were squeezed in at 1:15!! YAY!! So after he had his audio we were out of there!!! All his scans are done! Woo-Hoo!! The only one we know the results of for sure is the audio~~~his hearing hasn't changed; he still has 'selective hearing.' Otherwise his hearing is perfect!! Thank you Jesus for that! We did see Dr. Raphael in the cafeteria, and we should know the results of all the other scans on Monday. Keep praying! Thanks.
I didn't sleep well at all last night. I did get up at 2:30am so we could leave at 3:30am. I was checking my email (via my phone) all night as two of our osteo children were in the fight for their lives. Well, Emma died at 1:30am; and Sammie died at 3:00am. I guess my heart was just unsettled all night; so was my mind. I just couldn't shut my mind off. I just kept praying for the families of these two precious girls. Emma went peacefully; not so much with Sammie. Sammie fought so hard. My heart is just breaking for the families of these two little girls. I know the girls are no longer in pain; but the pain for the families continues; and intensifies. Please continue to pray for the Hartsfield and Koertzen families. Their websites are:
www.caringbridge.org/visit/sammiehartsfield &
www.caringbridge.org/visit/emmakoertzen.
Our Osteo family has lost WAY too many children this year. Just since David was diagnosed we have lost over 25 children that I know of. This sucks! Pardon my language, but there is no other way to say it. 'Cancer' is not a nice word. And it definitely doesn't belong next to a child's name!! I NEVER thought I would be saying 'David' and 'Cancer' in the same sentence. I am so sad and angry at the same time!! Thank you for your prayers. Keep them coming for these two families, and for all the other families fighting cancer! Thank you.
Thank you for checking in on David and the Koury Klan. I will close before I ramble even more than I already have~~~I am so tired. Have a good evening. God bless you all. We love you.
Kristi and the Koury Klan
We are sitting here in Emeryville at the Courtyard. David is done with all his testing. He had the injection for the bone scan at 8:00 (Bryant and Christine always get us in early!!). They were hoping to get us in to an earlier CT~~~not to be. So after the injection we walked down to the cardio area and asked what time David's echo was scheduled for. They said 2:15; but since we were there already maybe they would be able to do it then. So we waited and had his echo around 9ish. Oh, when Christine gave David the injection for the bone scan she left the IV in his arm because they were told that CT was with contrast (it wasn't). David was unable to use his crutches, so we got a wheelchair for him. Anyway, then we went to the cafeteria and hung out there. His CT appointment was for 10:00; so at 10:05 we went back to Radiology. Well, they still weren't ready for David. We sat there until around 10:40 when Christine came and said she would have time to do David's bone scan while they were finishing up with the baby that they were doing a CT scan on. So we went and got David's bone scan. Then they were ready for the CT scan. So he had the CT scan (where they removed the IV). After that we walked across the street to find out what time the audio was scheduled for. Well, the orders were NOT received for an audio for David. It was around 12:00 by that time. So the receptionist suggested that we go get some lunch and come back and they will try to squeeze David in before 4:00. So we went to the cafeteria again, and ate lunch. Then we were back in the clinic at 12:55. We were squeezed in at 1:15!! YAY!! So after he had his audio we were out of there!!! All his scans are done! Woo-Hoo!! The only one we know the results of for sure is the audio~~~his hearing hasn't changed; he still has 'selective hearing.' Otherwise his hearing is perfect!! Thank you Jesus for that! We did see Dr. Raphael in the cafeteria, and we should know the results of all the other scans on Monday. Keep praying! Thanks.
I didn't sleep well at all last night. I did get up at 2:30am so we could leave at 3:30am. I was checking my email (via my phone) all night as two of our osteo children were in the fight for their lives. Well, Emma died at 1:30am; and Sammie died at 3:00am. I guess my heart was just unsettled all night; so was my mind. I just couldn't shut my mind off. I just kept praying for the families of these two precious girls. Emma went peacefully; not so much with Sammie. Sammie fought so hard. My heart is just breaking for the families of these two little girls. I know the girls are no longer in pain; but the pain for the families continues; and intensifies. Please continue to pray for the Hartsfield and Koertzen families. Their websites are:
www.caringbridge.org/visit/sammiehartsfield &
www.caringbridge.org/visit/emmakoertzen.
Our Osteo family has lost WAY too many children this year. Just since David was diagnosed we have lost over 25 children that I know of. This sucks! Pardon my language, but there is no other way to say it. 'Cancer' is not a nice word. And it definitely doesn't belong next to a child's name!! I NEVER thought I would be saying 'David' and 'Cancer' in the same sentence. I am so sad and angry at the same time!! Thank you for your prayers. Keep them coming for these two families, and for all the other families fighting cancer! Thank you.
Thank you for checking in on David and the Koury Klan. I will close before I ramble even more than I already have~~~I am so tired. Have a good evening. God bless you all. We love you.
Kristi and the Koury Klan
Thursday, October 8, 2009
Thursday, October 8, 2009
Good afternoon.
I have heard from the moms of Jenna and Sonya. They both had clear scans!! Thank you for praying for them. Now it is David's turn. We are praying for clear scans. We were told that to get him clear a year after treatment would be a BIG thing. Partly because they didn't expect him to make it past this past summer. Guess what? He is still here. Of course, that in essence means he is on 'borrowed time' but we don't dwell on that. I know that God is in control; but I am still a human. I don't have a crystal ball, I don't know the future. No human being does. I pray that David will be fine, but I don't KNOW that, NOBODY does!!! I just have to trust that I will be able to handle whatever comes my way.
On that note; please, please continue to pray for Sammie and her family. She is having a very rough time. Her parents are worn out. She doesn't have much time left. Here is her site, again. www.caringbridge.org/visit/sammiehartsfield. We have been told that death from Osteosarcoma is a very painful death. They are trying to get and keep her comfortable. Please pray for her. She is only 12. Thanks.
We will be leaving tomorrow at 3:30am. Please pray for a safe trip for us. We are going to try to go to bed early tonight~~~~we will see how that works out!! I have all the laundry done, just the packing left to do. It will be an overnighter. We don't really have the money to do that, but we can't drive home tomorrow after getting up so early and having a full day of testing for David. We have to check into Children's Hospital at 8:30; things start at 9:00. David has to have the injection for the bone scan (that wonderful radioactive junk), that takes a while to get through his system; while we are waiting he has the CT scan; and I am not sure when the audio and echo are. The audio is in a different part of the hospital (across the street in the clinic) so we will be all over the place. Please pray that David will be able to handle all the walking we will have to do. He is on crutches, of course, and he gets tired easy as it is. Walking on the crutches just takes a lot of his energy!! And with his lack of energy now........just please pray that he won't be too tired. Thank you.
I actually made 2 apple pies today~~~put them in the freezer. Gotta make some more, just not today. Need to use the apples before they go bad. The kids want me to make some more apple butter.......we'll see. It has been a busy day.
Please pray for Jennifer. She is sick. She stayed home from work this afternoon. It is a cold, and we are keeping her away from David! We can't have him getting sick; not with surgery looming!! Please pray that she feels better soon, and that David stays healthy. At least he already had his flu shot! We get ours next Friday.
Well, I will post tomorrow, if we aren't too tired. I will let you know how the tests went; and if we know anything. Please keep us in your prayers. Thank you so very much. Have a good evening and a good night. Thank you for checking in on David and the Koury Klan. God bless you all. We love you.
Kristi and the Koury Klan
I have heard from the moms of Jenna and Sonya. They both had clear scans!! Thank you for praying for them. Now it is David's turn. We are praying for clear scans. We were told that to get him clear a year after treatment would be a BIG thing. Partly because they didn't expect him to make it past this past summer. Guess what? He is still here. Of course, that in essence means he is on 'borrowed time' but we don't dwell on that. I know that God is in control; but I am still a human. I don't have a crystal ball, I don't know the future. No human being does. I pray that David will be fine, but I don't KNOW that, NOBODY does!!! I just have to trust that I will be able to handle whatever comes my way.
On that note; please, please continue to pray for Sammie and her family. She is having a very rough time. Her parents are worn out. She doesn't have much time left. Here is her site, again. www.caringbridge.org/visit/sammiehartsfield. We have been told that death from Osteosarcoma is a very painful death. They are trying to get and keep her comfortable. Please pray for her. She is only 12. Thanks.
We will be leaving tomorrow at 3:30am. Please pray for a safe trip for us. We are going to try to go to bed early tonight~~~~we will see how that works out!! I have all the laundry done, just the packing left to do. It will be an overnighter. We don't really have the money to do that, but we can't drive home tomorrow after getting up so early and having a full day of testing for David. We have to check into Children's Hospital at 8:30; things start at 9:00. David has to have the injection for the bone scan (that wonderful radioactive junk), that takes a while to get through his system; while we are waiting he has the CT scan; and I am not sure when the audio and echo are. The audio is in a different part of the hospital (across the street in the clinic) so we will be all over the place. Please pray that David will be able to handle all the walking we will have to do. He is on crutches, of course, and he gets tired easy as it is. Walking on the crutches just takes a lot of his energy!! And with his lack of energy now........just please pray that he won't be too tired. Thank you.
I actually made 2 apple pies today~~~put them in the freezer. Gotta make some more, just not today. Need to use the apples before they go bad. The kids want me to make some more apple butter.......we'll see. It has been a busy day.
Please pray for Jennifer. She is sick. She stayed home from work this afternoon. It is a cold, and we are keeping her away from David! We can't have him getting sick; not with surgery looming!! Please pray that she feels better soon, and that David stays healthy. At least he already had his flu shot! We get ours next Friday.
Well, I will post tomorrow, if we aren't too tired. I will let you know how the tests went; and if we know anything. Please keep us in your prayers. Thank you so very much. Have a good evening and a good night. Thank you for checking in on David and the Koury Klan. God bless you all. We love you.
Kristi and the Koury Klan
Wednesday, October 7, 2009
Wednesday, October 7, 2009
Quick update~~~I made a mistake last night. It was Nick and Taylor who have received bad scans, not Kenny and Taylor. Sorry, Nick! I knew it didn't sound right when I wrote it, but I was having a scanxiety moment and wrote the wrong name down! Thanks for understanding.
Have a good day everyone!
Kristi
Have a good day everyone!
Kristi
Tuesday, October 6, 2009
Tuesday, October 6, 2009
Good evening.
Today has been a rough day. We found out that there are now 3 more children who are losing their battle to this dreaded disease. Please remember to pray for the families of Sammie, Ben, and Emma. All of these children are under 13. They are so young. And a couple more have received bad scans~~Kenny and Taylor. Our Osteo family is having a really bad week. Jenna had scans today (don't know the results, yet) and Sonya has scans tomorrow. Please pray that these young women get good results, and that David gets good news on Friday. Well, we won't know the results of David's scans on Friday~~~we will probably know on Monday. Thank you for your prayers for our osteo family members. Also, please remember to keep Shane in your prayers; he has a tumor that has totally invaded one of his lungs. When he does any kind of activity he needs the oxygen. Thank you again for your prayers.
I talked to Connie today. She was quite surprised that David's knee is broken. When I told her he has to have the implant replaced, her words were, "I am so sorry." Then she asked how David is doing with that news. That is one of the reasons we love her; she really cares about David. And as a mom, when someone cares about your child, they hold a special place in your heart!! She said that she is going away for the weekend; and won't be back until Tuesday; so we can just call Dr. Hastings' office to get the results of David's scans. But she said she will be calling anyway when she gets back. The 'scanxiety' is really kicking in!! It doesn't help that so many children are not doing well.
Today marks the one year anniversary of our last chemo trip to Oakland. One year ago today we came home from David's last chemo. As of today David has been out of treatment for as long as he was in treatment. He was in treatment for a year; and he has been out of treatment for a year. Wow. Like I said before, sometimes it seems like just yesterday, and at other times it seems like a lifetime ago. *sigh*
To those of you who have posted in the guestbook; thank you for the support, understanding, and encouragement. You all have proven what I said to be true, it happened to you. You truly understand how tough this is. I even had a 'friend' say to me, "Better you than me!" What is that all about!?!? I would rather it be me than my son, that is for sure!!! Anyway, I am sorry that these things have happened to you, too, but it does make me feel not so alone in my struggles.
Thank you again for all your love, prayers, and support. Thank you for visiting and checking in on David and the Koury Klan. Please continue to pray for us and all these other families.
Kristi and the Koury Klan
Today has been a rough day. We found out that there are now 3 more children who are losing their battle to this dreaded disease. Please remember to pray for the families of Sammie, Ben, and Emma. All of these children are under 13. They are so young. And a couple more have received bad scans~~Kenny and Taylor. Our Osteo family is having a really bad week. Jenna had scans today (don't know the results, yet) and Sonya has scans tomorrow. Please pray that these young women get good results, and that David gets good news on Friday. Well, we won't know the results of David's scans on Friday~~~we will probably know on Monday. Thank you for your prayers for our osteo family members. Also, please remember to keep Shane in your prayers; he has a tumor that has totally invaded one of his lungs. When he does any kind of activity he needs the oxygen. Thank you again for your prayers.
I talked to Connie today. She was quite surprised that David's knee is broken. When I told her he has to have the implant replaced, her words were, "I am so sorry." Then she asked how David is doing with that news. That is one of the reasons we love her; she really cares about David. And as a mom, when someone cares about your child, they hold a special place in your heart!! She said that she is going away for the weekend; and won't be back until Tuesday; so we can just call Dr. Hastings' office to get the results of David's scans. But she said she will be calling anyway when she gets back. The 'scanxiety' is really kicking in!! It doesn't help that so many children are not doing well.
Today marks the one year anniversary of our last chemo trip to Oakland. One year ago today we came home from David's last chemo. As of today David has been out of treatment for as long as he was in treatment. He was in treatment for a year; and he has been out of treatment for a year. Wow. Like I said before, sometimes it seems like just yesterday, and at other times it seems like a lifetime ago. *sigh*
To those of you who have posted in the guestbook; thank you for the support, understanding, and encouragement. You all have proven what I said to be true, it happened to you. You truly understand how tough this is. I even had a 'friend' say to me, "Better you than me!" What is that all about!?!? I would rather it be me than my son, that is for sure!!! Anyway, I am sorry that these things have happened to you, too, but it does make me feel not so alone in my struggles.
Thank you again for all your love, prayers, and support. Thank you for visiting and checking in on David and the Koury Klan. Please continue to pray for us and all these other families.
Kristi and the Koury Klan
Monday, October 5, 2009
Monday, October 5, 2009
Good evening.
It was a gorgeous day today. Cold, cloudy, and beautiful. We had a fire in the fireplace all day. It is so cozy in the house, while it is wintry outside. But, it is supposed to get into the low 70's later in the week. Gotta love Northern Nevada!!
David had a pretty good day. He did school, as usual. He had two elluminate classes today~~one in English and one in Math. He is getting caught up. He will get 'behind' again when he has surgery; but that can't be helped. He will do school as he is recovering, if he feels like it. I am NOT going to push it. He will be recovering from a very major surgery, for crying out loud! So we will play it all by ear.
I am getting so frustrated with this stupid cancer! We found out another one of our osteo family members had scans today; didn't get such good news. This cancer is so persistent and deadly! Please pray for our children!
We have been chatting with our osteo family via our support group website; and it is so interesting how things are the same for most of us. The abandoned friends, family, and co-workers. Not all of us have been abandoned by all the above, but we all have been abandoned by some. It is very interesting. Our children can't run away from what's going on, but the people who aren't involved do. You would think that friends and family would be there for you no matter what, wouldn't you? But I have found that not to be true. Very sad. Please pray for our osteo family members, especially the children, as they (we) all deal with the feelings of abandonment. Like I have said before, I guess it just gets too hard for people to stick around. The novelty wears off, and they are tired of the day-to-day c**p that we deal with. They only want to hear when things are going good. They don't REALLY care enough to stick around when things aren't going so good. Too bad our children can't just 'check out' like the friends/family/etc. do. You truly do find out who your friends are; and those who truly love your child. And those who truly love you, too! But we have all decided that the ones who abandon us are the true losers! They miss the opportunity of watching our children battle this cancer with courage, bravery, and determination! And from mere children!!! I am so proud of all of our osteo children. They are our families. They rejoice with us, weep with us, and are there for us~~~always! I want to say 'Thank you' to my osteo family members. And all my 'C' family members; it doesn't have to be just osteo.
Please continue to pray for our 'special request.' Bryon got an email from the lawyer, and things are moving. Thank you.
I need to go make David a milkshake. Thank you for checking in on David and the Koury Klan. Have a good evening. God bless you. We love you.
Kristi and the Koury Klan
P.S.~~Happy Birthday yesterday to my brother, Mike, and my niece, Ashley!! I hope you had a good one!
It was a gorgeous day today. Cold, cloudy, and beautiful. We had a fire in the fireplace all day. It is so cozy in the house, while it is wintry outside. But, it is supposed to get into the low 70's later in the week. Gotta love Northern Nevada!!
David had a pretty good day. He did school, as usual. He had two elluminate classes today~~one in English and one in Math. He is getting caught up. He will get 'behind' again when he has surgery; but that can't be helped. He will do school as he is recovering, if he feels like it. I am NOT going to push it. He will be recovering from a very major surgery, for crying out loud! So we will play it all by ear.
I am getting so frustrated with this stupid cancer! We found out another one of our osteo family members had scans today; didn't get such good news. This cancer is so persistent and deadly! Please pray for our children!
We have been chatting with our osteo family via our support group website; and it is so interesting how things are the same for most of us. The abandoned friends, family, and co-workers. Not all of us have been abandoned by all the above, but we all have been abandoned by some. It is very interesting. Our children can't run away from what's going on, but the people who aren't involved do. You would think that friends and family would be there for you no matter what, wouldn't you? But I have found that not to be true. Very sad. Please pray for our osteo family members, especially the children, as they (we) all deal with the feelings of abandonment. Like I have said before, I guess it just gets too hard for people to stick around. The novelty wears off, and they are tired of the day-to-day c**p that we deal with. They only want to hear when things are going good. They don't REALLY care enough to stick around when things aren't going so good. Too bad our children can't just 'check out' like the friends/family/etc. do. You truly do find out who your friends are; and those who truly love your child. And those who truly love you, too! But we have all decided that the ones who abandon us are the true losers! They miss the opportunity of watching our children battle this cancer with courage, bravery, and determination! And from mere children!!! I am so proud of all of our osteo children. They are our families. They rejoice with us, weep with us, and are there for us~~~always! I want to say 'Thank you' to my osteo family members. And all my 'C' family members; it doesn't have to be just osteo.
Please continue to pray for our 'special request.' Bryon got an email from the lawyer, and things are moving. Thank you.
I need to go make David a milkshake. Thank you for checking in on David and the Koury Klan. Have a good evening. God bless you. We love you.
Kristi and the Koury Klan
P.S.~~Happy Birthday yesterday to my brother, Mike, and my niece, Ashley!! I hope you had a good one!
Friday, October 2, 2009
Friday, October 2, 2009
Good evening.
Bryon and I were talking today, and we were commenting on what a wonderful child David is. He just does everything that is asked of him, no matter what. He didn't complain when he found out he had to have the revision. He is not happy about it, but he didn't fuss, fight, argue, get angry, nothing. He is so incredible. I, on the other hand (if I was him), would want to say,'just leave it broke until you put in the permanent implant.' I mean, he knows he has to have this revision, AND another one in a couple years. And he just takes everything in stride. I am just blown away by that child of mine. He impresses the heck out of me! He is one amazing young man, let me tell you!
We had a fantastic answer to prayer today. The social worker at UCSF paved the way to get us in the Family House!! Woo-Hoo!! Bryon talked to the guy at the Family House this morning and we are in. We were totally not expecting that! So we will be able to stay there after all. Jill, thanks again for all you did to get us the discounted rate at the Hyatt! I want to publically thank you; you went above and beyond the 'call of duty' to help us. Us Osteo family members need to stick together, don't we? So that is a load off my shoulders. Thank you for the prayers.
We are getting some firewood tomorrow, yay! It is getting very cold here, and we LOVE it! Fall is finally here. They are predicting snow for us on Saturday night into Sunday morning! The high for Sunday could only be in the high 40's!! I love fall, it is my favorite season (with winter in a very close second)!! David is happy, he loves having a fire every day. We have had a fire the last 2 days, so we really need the firewood. Thank you in advance, Alan and the men from Life Point church (formerly CVC).
Please continue to pray for Sammie. She is struggling big time right now. Please keep her family in your prayers. Thank you.
Please continue to pray for our 'special request.' Thank you. Wylene, thank you for all the cards and money that you send David. Please forgive me for not thanking you sooner. David loves getting mail, and being a kid, loves money! lol. Thank you for thinking of him.
Thank you for checking in on David and the Koury Klan. Have a good night. God bless you. We love you. {{hugs}}
Kristi and the Koury Klan
Bryon and I were talking today, and we were commenting on what a wonderful child David is. He just does everything that is asked of him, no matter what. He didn't complain when he found out he had to have the revision. He is not happy about it, but he didn't fuss, fight, argue, get angry, nothing. He is so incredible. I, on the other hand (if I was him), would want to say,'just leave it broke until you put in the permanent implant.' I mean, he knows he has to have this revision, AND another one in a couple years. And he just takes everything in stride. I am just blown away by that child of mine. He impresses the heck out of me! He is one amazing young man, let me tell you!
We had a fantastic answer to prayer today. The social worker at UCSF paved the way to get us in the Family House!! Woo-Hoo!! Bryon talked to the guy at the Family House this morning and we are in. We were totally not expecting that! So we will be able to stay there after all. Jill, thanks again for all you did to get us the discounted rate at the Hyatt! I want to publically thank you; you went above and beyond the 'call of duty' to help us. Us Osteo family members need to stick together, don't we? So that is a load off my shoulders. Thank you for the prayers.
We are getting some firewood tomorrow, yay! It is getting very cold here, and we LOVE it! Fall is finally here. They are predicting snow for us on Saturday night into Sunday morning! The high for Sunday could only be in the high 40's!! I love fall, it is my favorite season (with winter in a very close second)!! David is happy, he loves having a fire every day. We have had a fire the last 2 days, so we really need the firewood. Thank you in advance, Alan and the men from Life Point church (formerly CVC).
Please continue to pray for Sammie. She is struggling big time right now. Please keep her family in your prayers. Thank you.
Please continue to pray for our 'special request.' Thank you. Wylene, thank you for all the cards and money that you send David. Please forgive me for not thanking you sooner. David loves getting mail, and being a kid, loves money! lol. Thank you for thinking of him.
Thank you for checking in on David and the Koury Klan. Have a good night. God bless you. We love you. {{hugs}}
Kristi and the Koury Klan
Wednesday, September 30, 2009
Wednesday, September 30, 2009
Good evening.
Before I forget, again, I need to say a big THANK YOU to those of you who sent David Subway gift cards. We received some gas cards and with the Subway gift cards our trip yesterday only cost us $8!! And that was for the toll bridge~~~~$4 each way. Gas was taken care of, and lunch and dinner were on the gift cards. I just want you to know what a HUGE blessing that was. Thank you so much.
David is feeling better today. I forgot to mention that he got quite carsick yesterday. He got sick going to S.F. and he got sick on the way home. He had his window down for part of the trip; and it was freezing!!! Luckily, I always have my Winnie the Pooh blanket in the car with me! I love Winnie the Pooh (smile). So I just covered up with my blanket and I was ok. Plus, my car has heated leather seats. But it was still pretty cold in the car~~~~~we gotta do what we gotta do! At least it made David feel better. I am really tired of him getting sick all the time, still. My friend said his ulcer could be acting up. That wouldn't surprise me; he is pretty stressed out about another surgery. And a huge surgery at that! Poor kid.
Right now David is at his Bible Study. He opted to put his brace back on his leg to protect his knee. I kinda don't see the point; the knee is already broken. But he says it makes him feel more secure, so that is fine!!! Because the leg is unstable, and 'loose,' he feels better with it imobilized. That is perfectly fine with us.
Thank you for all the words of encouragement; both here and to me via email. Also for the encouragement on Facebook. I really appreciate all you guys! Thank you so much. I know we will get through this, we are just very tired and emotionally drained. It just seems like we can't catch a break! The last 2 years (almost) have been the roller coaster ride that everyone warned us about; and I just want to get off! It is so much worse than we could ever imagine. We look at pictures of David when he was first admitted to Children's, and I can't help but think, 'we had no idea what was in store for our precious son; and the rest of the family.' Our family has been forever changed by this uninvited monster. We can NEVER go back to the way it was. This isn't like a broken leg, the flu, or an earache. David won't just 'get over' this and go back to life as usual. NOTHING is the same. It will NEVER be the same again. Yes, we have grown as a family. Yes, we have learned from this whole experience. But, all things being equal, I would have rather learned these things some other way!!! Or just not learned them at all! I just feel so bad for my poor son. This just sucks sooooo bad. *sigh* He has lost so much through all this. Like I said before, he has lost his innocence, his childhood, his natural femur and knee, his ability to walk normally, his 'unscarred' body, some friends, and even some lung tissue! But he continues to be a trooper, and he trusts us; his parents; to do what is best for him. He is such a fantastic child. I am so glad he is mine!!!
Well, I need to get his medicine ready; he will be home soon. Thank you for checking in on David and the Koury Klan. Thank you for all the love, prayers, and support. We still need prayer for our 'special request.' Thank you for being there. God bless you. We love you.
Kristi and the Koury Klan
P.S.~~~I forgot to tell you that finally one thing is working in our favor! Yay! Our insurance for the next fiscal year kicks in November 1st. David will most likely have surgery October 26, so we won't have to come up with the deductibles......yet! With the tens of thousands of $$$$ in medical bills we already have, this helps! Can we all say a collective 'yay' together? I know it is just putting off the inevitable, but still.
Before I forget, again, I need to say a big THANK YOU to those of you who sent David Subway gift cards. We received some gas cards and with the Subway gift cards our trip yesterday only cost us $8!! And that was for the toll bridge~~~~$4 each way. Gas was taken care of, and lunch and dinner were on the gift cards. I just want you to know what a HUGE blessing that was. Thank you so much.
David is feeling better today. I forgot to mention that he got quite carsick yesterday. He got sick going to S.F. and he got sick on the way home. He had his window down for part of the trip; and it was freezing!!! Luckily, I always have my Winnie the Pooh blanket in the car with me! I love Winnie the Pooh (smile). So I just covered up with my blanket and I was ok. Plus, my car has heated leather seats. But it was still pretty cold in the car~~~~~we gotta do what we gotta do! At least it made David feel better. I am really tired of him getting sick all the time, still. My friend said his ulcer could be acting up. That wouldn't surprise me; he is pretty stressed out about another surgery. And a huge surgery at that! Poor kid.
Right now David is at his Bible Study. He opted to put his brace back on his leg to protect his knee. I kinda don't see the point; the knee is already broken. But he says it makes him feel more secure, so that is fine!!! Because the leg is unstable, and 'loose,' he feels better with it imobilized. That is perfectly fine with us.
Thank you for all the words of encouragement; both here and to me via email. Also for the encouragement on Facebook. I really appreciate all you guys! Thank you so much. I know we will get through this, we are just very tired and emotionally drained. It just seems like we can't catch a break! The last 2 years (almost) have been the roller coaster ride that everyone warned us about; and I just want to get off! It is so much worse than we could ever imagine. We look at pictures of David when he was first admitted to Children's, and I can't help but think, 'we had no idea what was in store for our precious son; and the rest of the family.' Our family has been forever changed by this uninvited monster. We can NEVER go back to the way it was. This isn't like a broken leg, the flu, or an earache. David won't just 'get over' this and go back to life as usual. NOTHING is the same. It will NEVER be the same again. Yes, we have grown as a family. Yes, we have learned from this whole experience. But, all things being equal, I would have rather learned these things some other way!!! Or just not learned them at all! I just feel so bad for my poor son. This just sucks sooooo bad. *sigh* He has lost so much through all this. Like I said before, he has lost his innocence, his childhood, his natural femur and knee, his ability to walk normally, his 'unscarred' body, some friends, and even some lung tissue! But he continues to be a trooper, and he trusts us; his parents; to do what is best for him. He is such a fantastic child. I am so glad he is mine!!!
Well, I need to get his medicine ready; he will be home soon. Thank you for checking in on David and the Koury Klan. Thank you for all the love, prayers, and support. We still need prayer for our 'special request.' Thank you for being there. God bless you. We love you.
Kristi and the Koury Klan
P.S.~~~I forgot to tell you that finally one thing is working in our favor! Yay! Our insurance for the next fiscal year kicks in November 1st. David will most likely have surgery October 26, so we won't have to come up with the deductibles......yet! With the tens of thousands of $$$$ in medical bills we already have, this helps! Can we all say a collective 'yay' together? I know it is just putting off the inevitable, but still.
Tuesday, September 29, 2009
Tuesday, September 29, 2009
Good evening.
Today was a long day. David had his orthodontist appointment at 8am. His teeth look great, and the orthodontist is pleased with his progress.
Then we left for San Francisco around 9:30am, and we got home around 10:00pm. We found out what the problem is. Are you sitting down? If not, please do. This might be a long post. Ready?
Ok, here goes. As we feared, the knee is broken. Dr. O had David lay on the table, then he was holding David's leg down at the thigh, and he could rotate David's lower leg so his foot is rotated 90 degrees!! He said, "That isn't supposed to happen." It looked very bizarre to see his upper leg facing up, and his toes facing the wall!! There was no rotation from the hip, it was all the knee; which is what led him to the conclusion that the knee is broken. The xray looked ok, so he was very surprised that the knee is broken. He also said something very surprising.....NOT! He said, "I have never seen this before." Really? Wow, that shocks me!! Not really. We are really tired of hearing that sentence! David is our curve-ball thrower; but still! Why does all the 'never seen this before' have to pertain to David? So, the way to 'fix' this problem is to put him through a revision. He will be having another expandable implant put in. He will have another revision in a year or two to put in a non-expandable implant. Yes, he will have the whole thing redone~~not just the knee. It is all one unit. The tentative date we have is October 26th, but it could be as early as October 19; or as late as November 9th; it all depends on how soon Biomet can get the custom-made prosthesis made. And the other factor we are looking at is the financial aspect of it. We can't stay at the Family House because David isn't in 'active treatment' at this point. So we will have to stay in a hotel~~~only one person can stay with David. We don't know where the money for that is going to come from, but we can't worry about that. We are more concerned with David going through his 10th surgery in two years! He is NOT looking forward to it, of course. But, the trooper that he is, he will deal with it. The one positive thing is he isn't undergoing chemo, so he should heal faster this time. And we know that the dilaudid works really good for pain control. Please pray for David in these next few weeks as he prepares himself, emotionally, for another major surgery. Also, please pray for our finances, that we will be able to somehow afford a week of staying in a hotel. Yes, David will be in the hospital for a week. Thank you for your prayers up to this point; please keep them coming!!
I am tired, so I want to go to bed. Thank you for checking in on David and the Koury Klan. Please keep praying for us. God bless you all. We love you.
Kristi and the Koury Klan
Today was a long day. David had his orthodontist appointment at 8am. His teeth look great, and the orthodontist is pleased with his progress.
Then we left for San Francisco around 9:30am, and we got home around 10:00pm. We found out what the problem is. Are you sitting down? If not, please do. This might be a long post. Ready?
Ok, here goes. As we feared, the knee is broken. Dr. O had David lay on the table, then he was holding David's leg down at the thigh, and he could rotate David's lower leg so his foot is rotated 90 degrees!! He said, "That isn't supposed to happen." It looked very bizarre to see his upper leg facing up, and his toes facing the wall!! There was no rotation from the hip, it was all the knee; which is what led him to the conclusion that the knee is broken. The xray looked ok, so he was very surprised that the knee is broken. He also said something very surprising.....NOT! He said, "I have never seen this before." Really? Wow, that shocks me!! Not really. We are really tired of hearing that sentence! David is our curve-ball thrower; but still! Why does all the 'never seen this before' have to pertain to David? So, the way to 'fix' this problem is to put him through a revision. He will be having another expandable implant put in. He will have another revision in a year or two to put in a non-expandable implant. Yes, he will have the whole thing redone~~not just the knee. It is all one unit. The tentative date we have is October 26th, but it could be as early as October 19; or as late as November 9th; it all depends on how soon Biomet can get the custom-made prosthesis made. And the other factor we are looking at is the financial aspect of it. We can't stay at the Family House because David isn't in 'active treatment' at this point. So we will have to stay in a hotel~~~only one person can stay with David. We don't know where the money for that is going to come from, but we can't worry about that. We are more concerned with David going through his 10th surgery in two years! He is NOT looking forward to it, of course. But, the trooper that he is, he will deal with it. The one positive thing is he isn't undergoing chemo, so he should heal faster this time. And we know that the dilaudid works really good for pain control. Please pray for David in these next few weeks as he prepares himself, emotionally, for another major surgery. Also, please pray for our finances, that we will be able to somehow afford a week of staying in a hotel. Yes, David will be in the hospital for a week. Thank you for your prayers up to this point; please keep them coming!!
I am tired, so I want to go to bed. Thank you for checking in on David and the Koury Klan. Please keep praying for us. God bless you all. We love you.
Kristi and the Koury Klan
Monday, September 28, 2009
Monday, September 28, 2009
Good evening.
Well, tomorrow is the day!! Finally! It will be a long day. David as an orthodontist appointment at 8:00! Way early. Then when we get home from that we will be leaving for San Francisco. I don't know how the traffic will be; hopefully we will miss it all. David's appointment is at 3:40; so by the time we get out of there we will probably hit rush hour traffic. Like I said a few months back, I don't know why they call it 'rush hour,' NOBODY is rushing! They are pretty much sitting and inching along. And it lasts longer than an hour, too. *sigh* We will get home as soon as we can. the traffic is out of our control, as is everything else in our life!! It will just be a really long day.
Yesterday was a good day. Jeremy and Lucy came over for lunch. I made shredded pork enchiladas, and they were good. Then we had present time; yesterday was my birthday. It was a good day with my children. I don't know how the years just keep going faster and faster! This time last year David was still having chemo. In some ways it seems like a loooonnnng time ago; and in other ways it seems like just yesterday! Time is a strange thing.
Please pray for us to have a safe trip to San Francisco tomorrow. David doesn't want to go, as usual. But we need to get this leg/knee thing figured out and fixed! Thank you for your prayers.
Thank you for checking in on David and the Koury Klan. Have a good night. God bless you all. We love you.
Kristi and the Koury Klan
Please keep praying for Sammie. Thank you.
Well, tomorrow is the day!! Finally! It will be a long day. David as an orthodontist appointment at 8:00! Way early. Then when we get home from that we will be leaving for San Francisco. I don't know how the traffic will be; hopefully we will miss it all. David's appointment is at 3:40; so by the time we get out of there we will probably hit rush hour traffic. Like I said a few months back, I don't know why they call it 'rush hour,' NOBODY is rushing! They are pretty much sitting and inching along. And it lasts longer than an hour, too. *sigh* We will get home as soon as we can. the traffic is out of our control, as is everything else in our life!! It will just be a really long day.
Yesterday was a good day. Jeremy and Lucy came over for lunch. I made shredded pork enchiladas, and they were good. Then we had present time; yesterday was my birthday. It was a good day with my children. I don't know how the years just keep going faster and faster! This time last year David was still having chemo. In some ways it seems like a loooonnnng time ago; and in other ways it seems like just yesterday! Time is a strange thing.
Please pray for us to have a safe trip to San Francisco tomorrow. David doesn't want to go, as usual. But we need to get this leg/knee thing figured out and fixed! Thank you for your prayers.
Thank you for checking in on David and the Koury Klan. Have a good night. God bless you all. We love you.
Kristi and the Koury Klan
Please keep praying for Sammie. Thank you.
Saturday, September 26, 2009
Saturday, September 26, 2009
Good evening.
Today was a very busy day. All the kids cleaned their rooms today! And I washed David's sheets. It is so great to have all the upstairs clean!! And Bryon and I cleaned downstairs. Bryon did all the 'deep' vacuuming~~~you know, the walls, ceiling fans, silk plants, etc. I guess you could say we did Fall cleaning! Then we went to church. We really like going there; David really enjoys it. The sermon tonight was great~~~it was titled 'Why pray when you can worry?' I have to admit, I spend too much time worrying and not enough time praying. I wasn't always like that; but having my child diagnosed with cancer kinda messed me up a bit. I really needed to hear that sermon tonight. So it was really good. Then we came home and made spaghetti, garlic bread, and salad for dinner. And now we are relaxing~~~chores are done! Yay!
David said his knee is the same. He did say his leg went really weird (way off to the side) when he was trying to get on his bed, and it kinda scared him. 3 more days!!! Then we will hopefully have some answers. Those 3 days can't come soon enough for me! It just stinks that we have to make an extra trip to the Bay Area. We weren't planning on that. So that is why I really appreciate the money that was deposited into David's account. Thank you again, whoever you are. Please continue to pray that David's knee is fixable without having to be replaced. I know he has to have the whole prosthesis replaced in a couple years, but still. He has already had way too many surgeries!! Thank you for your prayers.
I forgot to tell you, last night Rachel and I made an apple pie. So we are going to have some tonight, just as soon as Jennifer finishes the dishes. Rachel has been nagging me for some since we made it! (smile) She did a great job.
Thank you for checking in on David and the Koury Klan. Thank you for all your love, prayers, and support. Have a good night. God bless you. We love you.
Kristi and the Koury Klan
Today was a very busy day. All the kids cleaned their rooms today! And I washed David's sheets. It is so great to have all the upstairs clean!! And Bryon and I cleaned downstairs. Bryon did all the 'deep' vacuuming~~~you know, the walls, ceiling fans, silk plants, etc. I guess you could say we did Fall cleaning! Then we went to church. We really like going there; David really enjoys it. The sermon tonight was great~~~it was titled 'Why pray when you can worry?' I have to admit, I spend too much time worrying and not enough time praying. I wasn't always like that; but having my child diagnosed with cancer kinda messed me up a bit. I really needed to hear that sermon tonight. So it was really good. Then we came home and made spaghetti, garlic bread, and salad for dinner. And now we are relaxing~~~chores are done! Yay!
David said his knee is the same. He did say his leg went really weird (way off to the side) when he was trying to get on his bed, and it kinda scared him. 3 more days!!! Then we will hopefully have some answers. Those 3 days can't come soon enough for me! It just stinks that we have to make an extra trip to the Bay Area. We weren't planning on that. So that is why I really appreciate the money that was deposited into David's account. Thank you again, whoever you are. Please continue to pray that David's knee is fixable without having to be replaced. I know he has to have the whole prosthesis replaced in a couple years, but still. He has already had way too many surgeries!! Thank you for your prayers.
I forgot to tell you, last night Rachel and I made an apple pie. So we are going to have some tonight, just as soon as Jennifer finishes the dishes. Rachel has been nagging me for some since we made it! (smile) She did a great job.
Thank you for checking in on David and the Koury Klan. Thank you for all your love, prayers, and support. Have a good night. God bless you. We love you.
Kristi and the Koury Klan
Friday, September 25, 2009
Friday, September 25, 2009
Good evening.
Today was a busy day. I had to walk my friend's son to school again today. I walked Berlynn with me. When I got home Bryon had to take my car in for an oil change. I was behind on that, didn't have the money to do it. Anyway, I made David breakfast and got some housework done. Then my phone was acting up, big time, so we had to go to apple store to have it looked at. Well, they just ended up giving me a new one. I hate getting a new phone! I lost some information that was on the old one. Plus, I am very sentimental; and it was David's old phone. When he got a new one I got his old one. So it was kinda sad for me to get the new one. I just wanted the old one fixed! *sigh* Then we got home and made dinner. Then we had to take Berlynn to training. Rachel gave Bryon the training for a Father's Day present. It just seemed like a very busy day.
David is doing the same. I can't wait to get that leg looked at so we can get it fixed! Poor kid is tired of being on crutches again. It always seems to be something. Please continue to pray that he stays out of pain. Thanks.
Please remember to pray for Sammie. Here is her website, again. www.caringbridge.org/visit/sammiehartsfield. Thank you.
Thank you for checking in on David and the Koury Klan. Have a good night. God bless you. We love you.
Kristi and the Koury Klan
Today was a busy day. I had to walk my friend's son to school again today. I walked Berlynn with me. When I got home Bryon had to take my car in for an oil change. I was behind on that, didn't have the money to do it. Anyway, I made David breakfast and got some housework done. Then my phone was acting up, big time, so we had to go to apple store to have it looked at. Well, they just ended up giving me a new one. I hate getting a new phone! I lost some information that was on the old one. Plus, I am very sentimental; and it was David's old phone. When he got a new one I got his old one. So it was kinda sad for me to get the new one. I just wanted the old one fixed! *sigh* Then we got home and made dinner. Then we had to take Berlynn to training. Rachel gave Bryon the training for a Father's Day present. It just seemed like a very busy day.
David is doing the same. I can't wait to get that leg looked at so we can get it fixed! Poor kid is tired of being on crutches again. It always seems to be something. Please continue to pray that he stays out of pain. Thanks.
Please remember to pray for Sammie. Here is her website, again. www.caringbridge.org/visit/sammiehartsfield. Thank you.
Thank you for checking in on David and the Koury Klan. Have a good night. God bless you. We love you.
Kristi and the Koury Klan
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
Good evening.
David had a 'regular' day today. He did his schooling and then played games. He really needs to clean his room.........Anyway; tonight is his Teen Bible Study. He really likes it! They even feed the kids before class. He told me that he really enjoys going; I am sooooo glad. This is the first time he has had an opportunity to go to an 'age-appropriate' Bible study. I am so thrilled that he really enjoys it, too! They make it fun, too. They give the kids raffle tickets for wearing a special shirt, for bringing their Bibles, and for doing the lesson. David has the whole Bible downloaded on his iPhone, so he always has it with him. He is even real diligent about doing the work daily, along with his school work. Such a great kid. Have I told you that before? He really is a fantastic kid, and we are so proud of him.
We are starting to get a bit of 'scanxity' going already. David has scans on October 9. I feel such pressure with his surgeon appointment on Tuesday, then scans the next week. We are not sure how things are going to go, time-wise, but it is all in God's hands. I mean, if he has to have surgery on his knee, can it wait until after scans? I mean, it kinda has to. The scans need to be done at rather specific times. He is classified as 'high risk' to relapse, so we want to make sure the scans happen when they need to. Please pray with us that everything works out the best way for David. Thanks.
Please continue to pray for Sammie. Her pain is increasing, which is expected, but not good. She is scared, poor thing. I don't blame her. I guess the pain is only going to increase as she gets closer to losing her fight. Her hospice upped her meds, but she is still in a lot of pain. Thank you for praying for her.
Not much else to report. We have to get ready for bed; Bryon has to be at work tomorrow at 5am!! Thank you for all your prayers, love, and support. Thank you to whoever deposited money in David's account. You have no idea how much that is appreciated. We have another overnighter on October 9, and the money is greatly needed and tremendously appreciated. I pray God blesses you 100-fold for your generosity. 'Thank you' just doesn't seem adequate.
You all have a good night tonight. God bless you. 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.
David had a 'regular' day today. He did his schooling and then played games. He really needs to clean his room.........Anyway; tonight is his Teen Bible Study. He really likes it! They even feed the kids before class. He told me that he really enjoys going; I am sooooo glad. This is the first time he has had an opportunity to go to an 'age-appropriate' Bible study. I am so thrilled that he really enjoys it, too! They make it fun, too. They give the kids raffle tickets for wearing a special shirt, for bringing their Bibles, and for doing the lesson. David has the whole Bible downloaded on his iPhone, so he always has it with him. He is even real diligent about doing the work daily, along with his school work. Such a great kid. Have I told you that before? He really is a fantastic kid, and we are so proud of him.
We are starting to get a bit of 'scanxity' going already. David has scans on October 9. I feel such pressure with his surgeon appointment on Tuesday, then scans the next week. We are not sure how things are going to go, time-wise, but it is all in God's hands. I mean, if he has to have surgery on his knee, can it wait until after scans? I mean, it kinda has to. The scans need to be done at rather specific times. He is classified as 'high risk' to relapse, so we want to make sure the scans happen when they need to. Please pray with us that everything works out the best way for David. Thanks.
Please continue to pray for Sammie. Her pain is increasing, which is expected, but not good. She is scared, poor thing. I don't blame her. I guess the pain is only going to increase as she gets closer to losing her fight. Her hospice upped her meds, but she is still in a lot of pain. Thank you for praying for her.
Not much else to report. We have to get ready for bed; Bryon has to be at work tomorrow at 5am!! Thank you for all your prayers, love, and support. Thank you to whoever deposited money in David's account. You have no idea how much that is appreciated. We have another overnighter on October 9, and the money is greatly needed and tremendously appreciated. I pray God blesses you 100-fold for your generosity. 'Thank you' just doesn't seem adequate.
You all have a good night tonight. God bless you. 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, September 22, 2009
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
Good evening.
There is something going around the 'cancerland' we live in. I am going to post it here. Please read it very carefully; it is true, and also tragic!
"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.
The end of September is approaching and Childhood Cancer Awareness Month has 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.
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.
I am grateful for the pink that signals the arrival of October in our day and time. I just wish there was a wave of gold -- more in terms of funding for research, but also in terms of awareness -- to usher in the pink.
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 faceook, your twitter. Write a letter to a corporation or a legislator. Or to an editor."
Please do whatever it takes to get the word out. 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. Thank you.
Thank you for taking the time to read this. God bless you. We love you.
Kristi and the Koury Klan
There is something going around the 'cancerland' we live in. I am going to post it here. Please read it very carefully; it is true, and also tragic!
"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.
The end of September is approaching and Childhood Cancer Awareness Month has 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.
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.
I am grateful for the pink that signals the arrival of October in our day and time. I just wish there was a wave of gold -- more in terms of funding for research, but also in terms of awareness -- to usher in the pink.
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 faceook, your twitter. Write a letter to a corporation or a legislator. Or to an editor."
Please do whatever it takes to get the word out. 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. Thank you.
Thank you for taking the time to read this. God bless you. We love you.
Kristi and the Koury Klan
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