Fight For Faith - October 24, 2011
Joshua 1:9 Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do
not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you
wherever you go.
Alot of times in life we stroll through the days living carefree or at least when all is going well. We live each day with "just enough" to get us into the next. Many think, "Why do I need to walk an extra mile when I only needed to go a few feet?" Some do this without even thinking about it. It appears that we oftentimes think life is supposed to be a never-ending vacation, because when something goes wrong we respond as if we never thought something bad would ever happen. When the problem occurs we immediately become filled with emotion - fear, anger, frustration, bitterness, depression. Suddenly our problem becomes more than just an experience in life. It becomes so life-consuming that we forget about what once were our priorities and things we cherished the most - sometimes including God. It becomes who we are. We allow our troubles to step into our lives only to take control, pushing us into a dark place that can feel suffocating and isolating all in one. At that moment, the enemy has made your life his new nesting ground.
“When something bad happens you have three choices. You can either let it define you. Let it destroy you, or let it strengthen you." - Unknown
The world has altered the idea of what is positive or good. Many people would probably call me crazy to hear that I have found good in Wes' diagnosis of stage 4 cancer. Like much in life, perception can determine your direction and your attitude. My son's illness has opened my eyes so I was able to notice that I was only walking what was required to make it through, when I could have been walking that extra mile. Even though it was not intentional, it prevented me from seeing what is truly important in life. Your bad experiences change your outlook on life, who you are, and your decisions for the bad, but can also be for the good! The choice is yours.
Since my son was diagnosed I have a greater appreciation for life, as I have previously mentioned. Every day we are given here on Earth is a blessing that should not be wasted. I feel a purpose for my life greater than I have ever felt before. We all spend so much time searching for our purpose in life or what we are supposed to do that it oftentimes causes soem to just settle for what is here and now. Because of this new life path, I have learned patience. We are all given gifts from God, and now more than ever I feel that mine is to help others. Wes' new journey has been a confirmation for my "purpose". Most importantly, the diagnosis of stage 4 cancer has given me strength. Strength to make it through anything, and knowing that I can... Strength to spread God's promise and do so with confidence, because I know He is working miracles in my son's life... Strength to stand up and be the Christian I should have been all along.
On June 24, 2011 my 5 year old son was diagnosed with stage 4 High Risk Neuroblastoma. On June 24th the challenge was laid in my lap as to whether I was going to give up or play for life on God's team in the fight against faith. On June 24th, I accepted that challenge. I will NOT let go. I will NOT let go of God.
“Be the kind of person that when your feet hit the floor each morning, the Devil says, "Uh oh! They're up!!" - Unknown
not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you
wherever you go.
Alot of times in life we stroll through the days living carefree or at least when all is going well. We live each day with "just enough" to get us into the next. Many think, "Why do I need to walk an extra mile when I only needed to go a few feet?" Some do this without even thinking about it. It appears that we oftentimes think life is supposed to be a never-ending vacation, because when something goes wrong we respond as if we never thought something bad would ever happen. When the problem occurs we immediately become filled with emotion - fear, anger, frustration, bitterness, depression. Suddenly our problem becomes more than just an experience in life. It becomes so life-consuming that we forget about what once were our priorities and things we cherished the most - sometimes including God. It becomes who we are. We allow our troubles to step into our lives only to take control, pushing us into a dark place that can feel suffocating and isolating all in one. At that moment, the enemy has made your life his new nesting ground.
“When something bad happens you have three choices. You can either let it define you. Let it destroy you, or let it strengthen you." - Unknown
The world has altered the idea of what is positive or good. Many people would probably call me crazy to hear that I have found good in Wes' diagnosis of stage 4 cancer. Like much in life, perception can determine your direction and your attitude. My son's illness has opened my eyes so I was able to notice that I was only walking what was required to make it through, when I could have been walking that extra mile. Even though it was not intentional, it prevented me from seeing what is truly important in life. Your bad experiences change your outlook on life, who you are, and your decisions for the bad, but can also be for the good! The choice is yours.
Since my son was diagnosed I have a greater appreciation for life, as I have previously mentioned. Every day we are given here on Earth is a blessing that should not be wasted. I feel a purpose for my life greater than I have ever felt before. We all spend so much time searching for our purpose in life or what we are supposed to do that it oftentimes causes soem to just settle for what is here and now. Because of this new life path, I have learned patience. We are all given gifts from God, and now more than ever I feel that mine is to help others. Wes' new journey has been a confirmation for my "purpose". Most importantly, the diagnosis of stage 4 cancer has given me strength. Strength to make it through anything, and knowing that I can... Strength to spread God's promise and do so with confidence, because I know He is working miracles in my son's life... Strength to stand up and be the Christian I should have been all along.
On June 24, 2011 my 5 year old son was diagnosed with stage 4 High Risk Neuroblastoma. On June 24th the challenge was laid in my lap as to whether I was going to give up or play for life on God's team in the fight against faith. On June 24th, I accepted that challenge. I will NOT let go. I will NOT let go of God.
“Be the kind of person that when your feet hit the floor each morning, the Devil says, "Uh oh! They're up!!" - Unknown
Cling to the Cross - September 9, 2011
James 1:2 -3 Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance.
In times of hardships we often find ourselves asking "How can we get through this?" or "What if...." and you fill in the blank. We often question God about why we are being taken through this rough path of life, many times forgetting that our lives are in His hands. We begin to have self-pity and think "what did I do to deserve this?" "Why God, why me?" We become fearful of the unknown future and fill our minds with endless possibilities of what could make our problems worse. We begin to worry and panic, slowly losing our trust in God without even realizing it. What we do not see is that with every negative thought that enters our mind, we are allowing the enemy to gain a foothold in the door. God has a plan for us, even though at times it may seem as if it is not going well. There is a purpose.
Back in the beginning of the year I would never have thought that my five year old son was going to be diagnosed with cancer. I never thought by sharing his story and photos with others that his good spirits and smile would touch the hearts of people all over the world. We have heard from others that they were down and upset about the way their life was going, but then saw Wes and realized that if Wes can be happy, why can't they? You never know when your bad experience or test in life will become a great testimony that will change the lifestyles of many. The question to God should not be "why me?" Instead we should be saying "God my life is in your hands, lead me". By choosing to not allow God to move in your life you never know when you may cause a stumbling stone in your own life preventing miracles from happening or even others from being saved. We should all live as an example of Christ, an example to others.
As a mom and wife, I have had my share of trials and tribulations in the past and even now. I have experienced the enemy trying to cause trouble in my marriage. I have experienced sickness and negativity surrounding me during bad times. I am experiencing being the only income for my family of 4 while going to school full time with bills piling up. I have been told my 5 year old has cancer with a 55-70% survival rate. I have had the enemy try to put the thought of death in the mind of my family
members. I have been torn by having to leave my 5 month old for weeks at a time to take care of my other son in the hospital. But I KNOW God has a plan for my family and I know He has been with me through it all. I TRUST that he will never give me more than I can handle. Knowing that, whenever something new is piled on my plate, I just say to myself, "God, according to Your word, I can handle this, so help me get through it." I know that with everything, God has my son in His hands. I trust with all of my being that Wes will be healed and will be a living testimony of God's will. We must believe it. We must stay encouraged and not let anyone's negative thoughts lead us astray. Don't burden yourself with "What if", just be expecting God to move in your life. Trust. Know. Pray.
'The most stunningly beautiful people I know have been broken by life and have fallen into the arms of God, to emerge stronger.' (Mark Brown)
(This photo shown was taken exactly 5 years ago today, Happy Anniversary, Myong. Love you. We will get through this.)
In times of hardships we often find ourselves asking "How can we get through this?" or "What if...." and you fill in the blank. We often question God about why we are being taken through this rough path of life, many times forgetting that our lives are in His hands. We begin to have self-pity and think "what did I do to deserve this?" "Why God, why me?" We become fearful of the unknown future and fill our minds with endless possibilities of what could make our problems worse. We begin to worry and panic, slowly losing our trust in God without even realizing it. What we do not see is that with every negative thought that enters our mind, we are allowing the enemy to gain a foothold in the door. God has a plan for us, even though at times it may seem as if it is not going well. There is a purpose.
Back in the beginning of the year I would never have thought that my five year old son was going to be diagnosed with cancer. I never thought by sharing his story and photos with others that his good spirits and smile would touch the hearts of people all over the world. We have heard from others that they were down and upset about the way their life was going, but then saw Wes and realized that if Wes can be happy, why can't they? You never know when your bad experience or test in life will become a great testimony that will change the lifestyles of many. The question to God should not be "why me?" Instead we should be saying "God my life is in your hands, lead me". By choosing to not allow God to move in your life you never know when you may cause a stumbling stone in your own life preventing miracles from happening or even others from being saved. We should all live as an example of Christ, an example to others.
As a mom and wife, I have had my share of trials and tribulations in the past and even now. I have experienced the enemy trying to cause trouble in my marriage. I have experienced sickness and negativity surrounding me during bad times. I am experiencing being the only income for my family of 4 while going to school full time with bills piling up. I have been told my 5 year old has cancer with a 55-70% survival rate. I have had the enemy try to put the thought of death in the mind of my family
members. I have been torn by having to leave my 5 month old for weeks at a time to take care of my other son in the hospital. But I KNOW God has a plan for my family and I know He has been with me through it all. I TRUST that he will never give me more than I can handle. Knowing that, whenever something new is piled on my plate, I just say to myself, "God, according to Your word, I can handle this, so help me get through it." I know that with everything, God has my son in His hands. I trust with all of my being that Wes will be healed and will be a living testimony of God's will. We must believe it. We must stay encouraged and not let anyone's negative thoughts lead us astray. Don't burden yourself with "What if", just be expecting God to move in your life. Trust. Know. Pray.
'The most stunningly beautiful people I know have been broken by life and have fallen into the arms of God, to emerge stronger.' (Mark Brown)
(This photo shown was taken exactly 5 years ago today, Happy Anniversary, Myong. Love you. We will get through this.)
Praise You In This Storm - August 3, 2011
Ephesians 5:20 At all times and for everything giving thanks in the name of our Lord Jesus
Christ to God the Father.
Many times in our lives we take things for granted. We do not take the time to cherish them, because we always expect them to be there. We go about our business, living for tomorrow instead of today. We always hear others talking about how we should not take things in life as a grain of salt. For a moment we feel sympathy for them, then move on with the thought that, "well, that's not me".
Unfortuntately, life can change at the blink of an eye. You lose your job. You experience a financial crisis. Something you thought was just an occassional "hobby" becomes life-consuming. You lose a loved one. You find out your son has cancer.
Suddenly, you wish you could go back. Go back to that day when life was "together". When you were in control. When you're biggest problem in life was you forgot to tivo your favorite show last night. At first, many may start to question, "why me?!" They see everyone else living their happy lives, and become jealous at times that they get to enjoy life. But we must always remember, God never leaves us. We are put through trials, tribulations, and hardships to strengthen our need for Him. Hard times will come, and each person experiences troubles at different times in their life. When days are good we thank God, but when a storm comes are you still thanking Him? We should be.
When Wes was diagnosed with cancer I saw many loved ones change their perspective on life, as well as myself. I heard, " things that once mattered no longer do, and things that I thought didn't matter now mean the most". A simple burst of energy from a 5 year old boy that sends him flying around the room making explosion sounds that at one point annoyed you, because it interfered with your movie you were watching, can one day seem like a blessing. When you find your child laying in a hospital bed curled in a ball from the pain, lifeless, you will wish you were back at the house watching him run around.
As I just watched the nursing staff come out and sing in celebration of a child's last day of chemotherapy, a thought came across my mind. When your child has cancer, suddenly you have more to celebrate. Some may question this, and think why would you say that? Your child is sick! Allow me to rephrase myself. What we should have been celebrating all along, suddenly becomes noticed. Praise God. The cancer is not all over his body. Praise God. He is at the lower end of stage 4. Praise God. He only threw up once this week. Praise God. His treatment only lasts a year instead of 3, like some others. You find yourself thanking Him each and every morning, for allowing another day to spend with your child. So when birthdays roll around and many begin to stress about "where are we going to have the party? What theme are we going to have? How are we going to pay for it this year?" We should stop and be happy that our child has been given another year.
For my son, I am thankful for his constant smile. Even though he has endured so much the past month, that smile has never left his face. I never thought I would find joy in a lightning bug, or a locust shell on a tree, or a dragonfly... but as I said, my perspective has changed. Wes' face could light up the night sky when he sees a lightning bug or as some call them, fireflies. Because of the happiness they bring to my child, I am thankful for them.
In life we are handed many things, some of which may cause you to feel like nothing could be worse. However, think positive. Be thankful that even though you have no money in your pocket, you have a roof over your head. Be thankful that while you may be depressed, you still have your family there to support you. Be thankful that even though your loved one passed away, you have memories to think back on. Be thankful that even though your son has cancer, his chance at life still remains.
Life is a gift, cherish every moment of it.
Christ to God the Father.
Many times in our lives we take things for granted. We do not take the time to cherish them, because we always expect them to be there. We go about our business, living for tomorrow instead of today. We always hear others talking about how we should not take things in life as a grain of salt. For a moment we feel sympathy for them, then move on with the thought that, "well, that's not me".
Unfortuntately, life can change at the blink of an eye. You lose your job. You experience a financial crisis. Something you thought was just an occassional "hobby" becomes life-consuming. You lose a loved one. You find out your son has cancer.
Suddenly, you wish you could go back. Go back to that day when life was "together". When you were in control. When you're biggest problem in life was you forgot to tivo your favorite show last night. At first, many may start to question, "why me?!" They see everyone else living their happy lives, and become jealous at times that they get to enjoy life. But we must always remember, God never leaves us. We are put through trials, tribulations, and hardships to strengthen our need for Him. Hard times will come, and each person experiences troubles at different times in their life. When days are good we thank God, but when a storm comes are you still thanking Him? We should be.
When Wes was diagnosed with cancer I saw many loved ones change their perspective on life, as well as myself. I heard, " things that once mattered no longer do, and things that I thought didn't matter now mean the most". A simple burst of energy from a 5 year old boy that sends him flying around the room making explosion sounds that at one point annoyed you, because it interfered with your movie you were watching, can one day seem like a blessing. When you find your child laying in a hospital bed curled in a ball from the pain, lifeless, you will wish you were back at the house watching him run around.
As I just watched the nursing staff come out and sing in celebration of a child's last day of chemotherapy, a thought came across my mind. When your child has cancer, suddenly you have more to celebrate. Some may question this, and think why would you say that? Your child is sick! Allow me to rephrase myself. What we should have been celebrating all along, suddenly becomes noticed. Praise God. The cancer is not all over his body. Praise God. He is at the lower end of stage 4. Praise God. He only threw up once this week. Praise God. His treatment only lasts a year instead of 3, like some others. You find yourself thanking Him each and every morning, for allowing another day to spend with your child. So when birthdays roll around and many begin to stress about "where are we going to have the party? What theme are we going to have? How are we going to pay for it this year?" We should stop and be happy that our child has been given another year.
For my son, I am thankful for his constant smile. Even though he has endured so much the past month, that smile has never left his face. I never thought I would find joy in a lightning bug, or a locust shell on a tree, or a dragonfly... but as I said, my perspective has changed. Wes' face could light up the night sky when he sees a lightning bug or as some call them, fireflies. Because of the happiness they bring to my child, I am thankful for them.
In life we are handed many things, some of which may cause you to feel like nothing could be worse. However, think positive. Be thankful that even though you have no money in your pocket, you have a roof over your head. Be thankful that while you may be depressed, you still have your family there to support you. Be thankful that even though your loved one passed away, you have memories to think back on. Be thankful that even though your son has cancer, his chance at life still remains.
Life is a gift, cherish every moment of it.
An Unfamiliar Path Guided by God - July 30, 2011
First know that my name is Krista. I was born September 25, 1986 and am currently 24 years old. I married Myong on September 9, 2006 after dating for 2 years. I work full time at Huntington Ingalls Industries as a designer for Aircraft Carriers. I go to school full-time online currently studying for my Bachelors in Psychology. I am the sole income of my household as my husband was laid off due to the recession. We are a multi-racial (Caucasian-Korean... SOUTH Korean!) family of four living in Yorktown, VA (Where freedom was won!) in a small two bedroom townhouse with two chihuahuas named Marley and Mixie. I am a Christian (What denomination? Non-denomination... I love God and I love people) and believe with all my heart, soul, and mind that God does not give us anything we cannot handle... and for that, my life goes on.
Wes is my first born child. He graced us with his presence December 21, 2005 at 5:29pm in Newport News, VA, two weeks before his actual due date. He was an adorable little baby weighing in at 7lb 1oz and 20.5" long. He was the first boy born into my dad's side of the family in 40 years! So you could say he is a little spoiled. He was an extremly healthy child, hardly ever even having an ear infection. He is very compassionate and bright for his age. Most children enjoy reading fictional stories about funny animals, Wes is much more interested in informational books about things such as insects. His latest learning interests consist of animals' defense mechanisms (and he refers to them as just that), the differences between mammals, reptiles, amphibeans, fish, insects, birds, etc, as well as omnivores, carnivores, and herbivores. He surprises me everyday with newly learned information.
God also touched him at a young age, and gave him a heart like no other. At four years old my child was laying hands on people, praying for them, and truly believing in his heart that his prayers would be answered. I will never forget the night on the way to bible study in the car. No one was saying a word. Out of nowhere Wes starting crying hysterically. When I asked him why he said between sobs that he was upset about what the "knights" (that is what he called the soldiers then) did to Jesus on the cross. At 4 years old my son was "broken" for God.
Wes also became a big brother on March 13, 2011 to a baby brother named Ebin! I was out of work for 7 weeks following the delivery and soon returned to work to find out that my gallbladder needed to be removed. June 15, 2011 I was out of work again for surgery.
On June 24, 2011 our lives changed forever. In May 2011 Wes graduated preschool. Shortly after he began to experience severe abdominal pain that would come and go alongside a loss of appetite. However, he did not complain. He would just hold his left side. We took him to an emergency medical center one evening. After doing an x-ray we were told that he was experiencing constipation and needed to give him Milk of Magnesia and suppositories. After two weeks he still had not improved, so we scheduled an appointment with his pediatirician. June 24, 2011 at 2:20pm we entered the doctor's office. The doctor started to repeat the previous diagnosis however, we mentioned that there was some hardness just under his left ribs. This triggered the doctor to request an immediate x-ray to "rule out the possibility of an enlarged spleen". We went straight to Sentara for the x-ray. As soon as the results came in to the doctor later that day he called us telling us they saw something on the x-ray and we needed to go straight to CHKD E.R. Not sure of what they saw we headed to the hospital. A CT Scan was done along with blood work. Wes was scared and upset from the IV that had to be done twice. I felt so terrible for him. Myong and I were asked numerous times, "Can we go home yet?"
At 11:24pm we were pulled into another room by the E.R. doctor. We knew it wasn't good. At that moment we were told that a large tumor was discovered in our child's abdomen consuming most of his left side. It was pushing on his organs causing him to feel full all the time. We were informed that it was most likely cancer and that it was too large to be removed at this point as it surrounded some of his main arteries. We were devastated. Our baby that was perfectly healthy was about to endure a long, hard road ahead. We were put in touch with an oncologist who scheduled a biopsy of the mass and his bone marrow as well as a bone scan. Bone scan and bone marrow came back clear! But the biopsy revealed that the tumor was stage 3 high risk unfavorable histology neuroblastoma, a form of childhood cancer. There was also some soft tissue discovered in his lymph node around his neck that they will be keeping an eye on bumping him to the low end of stage 4. Wes began his first cycle of chemo July 1, 2011 and tolerated it very well. 'We remained at CHKD for 3 weeks waiting for his fevers to cease. He was given a second CT scan to ensure there was not any fungus growing in his body which would cause fevers. July 16, 2011 we were finally sent home for a nine day break before having to return for round 2! However, just before leaving we received word that the second CT scan had shown that the tumor was stabilized! It was the nicest 9 days ever! After sleeping in a window sill for 3 weeks, our bed felt like a luxurious hotel. Wes truely enjoyed every moment spent at home. While we were home I finally cracked and allowed Wes (and my husband!) to get a mohawk as his hair would soon be gone anyways. He looked adorable!
July 25, 2011 we returned back to CHKD for round 2 of chemotherapy. After a long day spent at clinic waiting for a room Wes was very excited to finally be upstairs on the 8th floor. He did very well and was bouncing off the walls the whole week's stay. He did get sick once, but went right back to his normal self. While we were there he was visited by three astronauts from NASA which he found very cool. They brought him a bag of goodies, let him see and play with their space gloves, and they even had a praying mantis with them for some reason which he LOVED! That Friday we were released because he was handling it so well (They were able to give him Friday's chemo late Thursday night!). His blood counts are expected to drop (as usual) but we plan to attend church tomorrow which Wes stated he missed. We go back to clinic Monday, and if all counts are ok by Thursday his stem cells will be collected and frozen.
Even though the prognosis for what Wes currently has is 55-70% survival rate, I know in my heart, because of how big my God is, that his survival rate is 100%!
Trust in the Lord with all your heart, lean not on your own understanding. - Proverbs 3:5 ... This scripture has gotten me through everyday, through every bit of news we were told, and every opinion expressed by someone else. Have faith...
Follow Wes' Story on Facebook!
http://www.facebook.com/?ref=logo#!/pages/Wes-Fight-Against-Neuroblastoma/254186801265281
Donations can be made at www.giveforward.com/wespak or at any Wachovia/Wells Fargo bank under the name Wes Pak.
Wes is my first born child. He graced us with his presence December 21, 2005 at 5:29pm in Newport News, VA, two weeks before his actual due date. He was an adorable little baby weighing in at 7lb 1oz and 20.5" long. He was the first boy born into my dad's side of the family in 40 years! So you could say he is a little spoiled. He was an extremly healthy child, hardly ever even having an ear infection. He is very compassionate and bright for his age. Most children enjoy reading fictional stories about funny animals, Wes is much more interested in informational books about things such as insects. His latest learning interests consist of animals' defense mechanisms (and he refers to them as just that), the differences between mammals, reptiles, amphibeans, fish, insects, birds, etc, as well as omnivores, carnivores, and herbivores. He surprises me everyday with newly learned information.
God also touched him at a young age, and gave him a heart like no other. At four years old my child was laying hands on people, praying for them, and truly believing in his heart that his prayers would be answered. I will never forget the night on the way to bible study in the car. No one was saying a word. Out of nowhere Wes starting crying hysterically. When I asked him why he said between sobs that he was upset about what the "knights" (that is what he called the soldiers then) did to Jesus on the cross. At 4 years old my son was "broken" for God.
Wes also became a big brother on March 13, 2011 to a baby brother named Ebin! I was out of work for 7 weeks following the delivery and soon returned to work to find out that my gallbladder needed to be removed. June 15, 2011 I was out of work again for surgery.
On June 24, 2011 our lives changed forever. In May 2011 Wes graduated preschool. Shortly after he began to experience severe abdominal pain that would come and go alongside a loss of appetite. However, he did not complain. He would just hold his left side. We took him to an emergency medical center one evening. After doing an x-ray we were told that he was experiencing constipation and needed to give him Milk of Magnesia and suppositories. After two weeks he still had not improved, so we scheduled an appointment with his pediatirician. June 24, 2011 at 2:20pm we entered the doctor's office. The doctor started to repeat the previous diagnosis however, we mentioned that there was some hardness just under his left ribs. This triggered the doctor to request an immediate x-ray to "rule out the possibility of an enlarged spleen". We went straight to Sentara for the x-ray. As soon as the results came in to the doctor later that day he called us telling us they saw something on the x-ray and we needed to go straight to CHKD E.R. Not sure of what they saw we headed to the hospital. A CT Scan was done along with blood work. Wes was scared and upset from the IV that had to be done twice. I felt so terrible for him. Myong and I were asked numerous times, "Can we go home yet?"
At 11:24pm we were pulled into another room by the E.R. doctor. We knew it wasn't good. At that moment we were told that a large tumor was discovered in our child's abdomen consuming most of his left side. It was pushing on his organs causing him to feel full all the time. We were informed that it was most likely cancer and that it was too large to be removed at this point as it surrounded some of his main arteries. We were devastated. Our baby that was perfectly healthy was about to endure a long, hard road ahead. We were put in touch with an oncologist who scheduled a biopsy of the mass and his bone marrow as well as a bone scan. Bone scan and bone marrow came back clear! But the biopsy revealed that the tumor was stage 3 high risk unfavorable histology neuroblastoma, a form of childhood cancer. There was also some soft tissue discovered in his lymph node around his neck that they will be keeping an eye on bumping him to the low end of stage 4. Wes began his first cycle of chemo July 1, 2011 and tolerated it very well. 'We remained at CHKD for 3 weeks waiting for his fevers to cease. He was given a second CT scan to ensure there was not any fungus growing in his body which would cause fevers. July 16, 2011 we were finally sent home for a nine day break before having to return for round 2! However, just before leaving we received word that the second CT scan had shown that the tumor was stabilized! It was the nicest 9 days ever! After sleeping in a window sill for 3 weeks, our bed felt like a luxurious hotel. Wes truely enjoyed every moment spent at home. While we were home I finally cracked and allowed Wes (and my husband!) to get a mohawk as his hair would soon be gone anyways. He looked adorable!
July 25, 2011 we returned back to CHKD for round 2 of chemotherapy. After a long day spent at clinic waiting for a room Wes was very excited to finally be upstairs on the 8th floor. He did very well and was bouncing off the walls the whole week's stay. He did get sick once, but went right back to his normal self. While we were there he was visited by three astronauts from NASA which he found very cool. They brought him a bag of goodies, let him see and play with their space gloves, and they even had a praying mantis with them for some reason which he LOVED! That Friday we were released because he was handling it so well (They were able to give him Friday's chemo late Thursday night!). His blood counts are expected to drop (as usual) but we plan to attend church tomorrow which Wes stated he missed. We go back to clinic Monday, and if all counts are ok by Thursday his stem cells will be collected and frozen.
Even though the prognosis for what Wes currently has is 55-70% survival rate, I know in my heart, because of how big my God is, that his survival rate is 100%!
Trust in the Lord with all your heart, lean not on your own understanding. - Proverbs 3:5 ... This scripture has gotten me through everyday, through every bit of news we were told, and every opinion expressed by someone else. Have faith...
Follow Wes' Story on Facebook!
http://www.facebook.com/?ref=logo#!/pages/Wes-Fight-Against-Neuroblastoma/254186801265281
Donations can be made at www.giveforward.com/wespak or at any Wachovia/Wells Fargo bank under the name Wes Pak.