SATURDAY, AUGUST 13, 2011

YAY

Good evening.

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

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

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

Kristi and the Koury Klan

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

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THURSDAY, AUGUST 11, 2011

Good evening.

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

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

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

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

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

Kristi and the Koury Klan


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

WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 3, 2011

Please pray!

Good evening.

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

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

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

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

Kristi and the Koury Klan

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

Sunday, JULY 31, 2011

Good evening.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Kristi and the Koury Klan

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

SUNDAY, JULY 24, 2011

Good evening.

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

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

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

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

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

Kristi and the Koury Klan

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

WEDNESDAY, JULY 13, 2011

Good evening.

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

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

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

Kristi and the Koury Klan

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

MONDAY, JULY 11, 2011

Good evening.

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

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

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

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

Kristi and the Koury Klan

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

THURSDAY, JULY 7, 2011

Good evening.

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

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

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

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

Kristi and the Koury Klan

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

TUESDAY, JULY 5, 2011

Good evening.

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

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

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

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

Kristi and the Koury Klan

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

MONDAY, JULY 4, 2011

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Kristi and the Koury Klan


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

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 29, 2011

Good evening.

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

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

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

Kristi and the Koury Klan

You never know how strong you are

until being strong is the only choice you have.

FRIDAY, JUNE 24, 2011

Good evening.

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

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

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

Kristi and the Koury Klan

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

TUESDAY, JUNE 21, 2011

Good evening.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Kristi and the Koury Klan

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

FRIDAY, JUNE 17, 2011

WE'RE HOME

Good evening.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Kristi and the Koury Klan


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

TUESDAY, JUNE 14, 2011

Good evening.

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

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

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

Kristi and the Koury Klan

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

SATURDAY, JUNE 11, 2011

Good evening, everyone.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Kristi and the Koury Klan


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

FRIDAY, JUNE 10, 2011

8:54 PM, PDT

Good evening.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Kristi and the Koury Klan

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

THURSDAY, JUNE 9, 2011

Good evening.

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

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

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

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

Kristi and the Koury Klan

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