Sam Conquered A.L.L.: Day 19

It's a cloudy, dreary, rainy day this morning. We were up early to get to the Bioclinic to get some blood work done on Sam. I will find out later in the day if we need to go to Children's for blood or platelet transfusion tomorrow. On our way home Sam requested a warm bagel and hot chocolate from Tim Horton's. He had a difficult night with pain and did not sleep as well as he has been. Right now he is napping and later we'll go pick up some stuff from the pharmacy to help treat the pain.

Sam is amazed that people at school are willing to particpate in the Shave for the Brave to lend thier support and raise money for our family's needs. It really is a bold and bald-faced, or rather, bald-headed act of friendship and support. It's ironic that our schools mascot is an eagle, perhaps now some of you will be labelled the Cedars "Bald "Eagles! To the girls and women jumping on the baldwagon, you are especially brave and courageous...I know Rosie is getting scared. Check out her latest blog comments. You make us laugh Rosie!

This morning I was awake rather early, logged on to the blog, anxious to read your comments...they really do sustain us and entertain us. The blog comments from the Fast family had me laughing my head off. I wonder if I woke any of my condo neighbors up with my quiet, gentle, lady like laughter. Thanks for starting my day with such great medicine! Love you too Callie! You are too cute!

Here is something I read whcih resonates with me:

What Cancer Cannot Do (Source Unknown)

Cancer is so limited

It cannot cripple love
It cannot shatter hope
It cannot corrode faith
It cannot destroy peace
It cannot kill friendship
It cannot suppress memories
It cannot silence courage
It cannot invade the soul
It cannot conquer the spirit.

We are truely blessed by your words, prayers and actions...you really do comfort us. 2 Corinthians 1:3-4 says, "All praise to the God and Father of Our Lord Jesus Christ. He is the source of every mercy and the God who comforts us. He comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others. When others are troubled, we will be able to give them the same comfort God has given us." Thank you for allowing God to use all of you to minister and comfort us in so many delightful and meaningful ways. May we all be encouraged to spend time with our heavenly Daddy who longs to care and love us so intimately.

Blessings on your day,
love Debbie

Raining

The flower with all the petals and leaves on it is the healthy flower. It has a sad face because it is raining. The wilted, bald flower is the cancerous flower. It may be a little wilted and have no petals or leaves but it is happy to be alive even if it is raining. The healthy flower doesn't know how lucky it is to be alive and have all its petals. All it's worried about is the rain. This is true in real life as well. When I was getting my chemo in the hospital I would listen to what people were complaining about and I would think "If that's all you have to worry about then you are doing pretty well." People would act like it were the end of the world if the fan was blowing too hard on them or if they would get home in time for dinner but I was worrying about whether I would get better or would I die?
Melinda, age 13

Consolidation "Summer"

Day 1: (June 25) - LP- IT Methotrexate, IV - AraC, Mercaptopurine, Septra
Day 2-4: IV Ara-C, Mercaptopurine
Day 5-7: PO - Mercaptopurine
Day 8: LP- IT Methotrexate, IV - AraC, Mercaptopurine, Septra
Day 9-11: IV Ara-C, Mercaptopurine
Day 12 - 14: Mercaptopurine
Day 15: LP- IT Methotrexate, IM - PEG-Asparaginase, IV - Vincristine, Septra
Day 22: LP- IT Methotrexate, IV - Vincristine, Septra
Day 29 - 60: Repeat Day 1-29 except without the IT Methotrexate
Day 61: Recover and Wait for Counts to Improve to start Interim Maintenance Stage - Probably 1 week, maybe 2

Prayer

We have all enjoyed having a yard. We have played many games of croquet with friends and family.
We are really enjoying our second "home " here in Vancouver. It is close to the hospital, lots of trails to walk, run, and bike in, and just a few minutes from the beach.
We are thankful for the exceptional people we are surrounded with who are supporting us in prayer and in so many practical ways...you have blessed us tremendously.
Pray that Sam will not get an allergic reaction to the Asparaginase injections on August 13.

10 comments:

Anonymous said...: Good Morning, Goertzens
Sam, we're glad to hear that you are winning in the fight with nausea. We're glad the new medication is working for you. Now we keep praying that the results from Friday's tests will be more good news.

Just think, the "lousy" chemo that's making you sick and loose your hair is also the "wonderful" chemo that is killing the cancer. We pray that the chemo will win that fight.

I know it's a dreary day there today, Debbie, but we hope you'll have lots of moments of "Sonshine".

love, Mrs. VH; June 3, 2008 at 11:07 AM
Anonymous said...: Hey guys! I was at the Track Meet and Cedars is doing so well! We're winning lots of firsts and everyone is cheering for their team mates. That's exactly what Cedars is doing with the Goertzen's, too - cheering you all on. When Sam wins - with no more cancer we will celebrate BIG TIME! Looking forward to that day. Until then we will be praying for you and running with you! God bless your afternoon. Mrs. Kwiatkowski; June 3, 2008 at 12:39 PM
Anonymous said...: sam,

your new hair cut looks really good. How are you feeling???? me and my family are praying for you every day. hope you get better

from your friend,

alexis schulz; June 3, 2008 at 2:08 PM
Anonymous said...: Hi Debbie and Sam,

Just loved the little statement in the blurb about cancer that it 'is so limited'. So very true. All about the mindset.

Hope the weather turns around quickly so that you can get back to the beach. We laid on that same patch of grass that you posted of Sam down near the pier just last summer and have done so on many other occasions. It is great place to just relax, have an ice cream, watch the ocean, the boats, the people and an occasional train go by.

Sam, we missed you at volleyball again last night. All the kids seem to be getting better and Brian has them doing some fun drills with a little more skilled involved. Ayden is getting better too! When you are up to it, try to visualize the things you learned. See youself making a perfect SET (triangle hands, above your head, following through to the target), a perfect PASS (straight platform, bent legs, no swing in the arms, stepping through the ball) and a perfect SPIKE (driving both hands up, reaching back then reaching forward with wide, spread hand, high contact, swinging hard). Like above, it is all about the mindset! Your body might take some time to catch up because you are so tired but you can keep up in your brain by just thinking about playing. You can win the Olympics on a big spike from you if you think about it properly!

Have a great day today. God Bless.

Jp; June 3, 2008 at 2:15 PM
Anonymous said...: Hey sam it's lane just wanted to say that i will be shaveing my hair as well as the others.I also won first in two events in track meet. they were triple jump and relays I also got a candy bag,pop ,chips,hot dog and a ice cream sandwich. To bad you coudn't be there.from your buddy lane.; June 3, 2008 at 4:05 PM
Anonymous said...: hey sam

i hope things will get easier from here on and i'm sure I'll be amazed at how quickly you'll be better. I am already amazed at how fast your healing but that is what I should have expected you have always been strong physically.I think that you'll come back from this disease and just make it look like a common cold, dispite all the trials you are going through now.
Keep the Bible close, the LORD is the one who in the end you will realise that the LORD really is the one that got you through this.
(It took me 4 tries to spell the second last "the" in my previous sentence.)

sincerely

Josiah (no moods today); June 3, 2008 at 4:37 PM
Anonymous said...: Hi Sam
When I left school today the "Shave for the Brave" jar was at approx $282. There is now a thermometer with all our names on it on the bulletin board outside the staff room. I think that some more pictures will be put on it tomorrow. Praying that you will continue to feel God's loving arms around you. Looking forward to being a "Bald Cedars Eagle"

Cheers

Mrs. King

PS I will keep encouraging Rosie so she won't be so scared. I think that she will be an extra cute "Bald Cedars Eagle"; June 3, 2008 at 5:42 PM
Anonymous said...: HI SAM! I DECIDED TO USE ALL CAPS TODAY BECAUSE I'M EXCITED. GUESS WHY... ITS PROBABLY KINDA ODD, BUT ITS CAUSE I'M SHAVING MY HEAD. YUP! KAYLA GORDAN AND I ARE TOGETHER AT THE $2,400 MARK ON THE BIG THERMOMETER IN THE FOYER. I SEE MRS. GAUNT ALREADY TOLD YOU ABOUT THE LIBRARIAN JOKE, SHE BEAT ME TOO IT. EVERY TIME I HEAR A GOOD JOKE I THINK OF YOU. I WANT TO WRITE YOU A COMMENT EVERY DAY JUST BECAUSE I FEEL LIKE I SHOULD, BUT I'M JUST TOOOOO BUSY, ALTHOUGH ALL MY SPORTS AND PIANO IS DONE NOW SO I'LL HAVE MORE TIME. uuurrrrggggghhhhhh! (i stopped writing in caps because this part is sad, well, for me, you'll probably just laugh) the end of the year is coming up, it means SUMMER! but we have a big science thingy to do and exams coming up. be glad your in gr. 5 and down in vancouver, exams are TORTURE! BY THE WAY, DO YOU LIKE BOOKS? IF YOU LET ME KNOW WHAT KIND I COULD GIVE YOU SOME SUGGESTIONS ON TITLES, I'M MORE THAN JUST A BOOK LOVER, I'M A FULL BLOWN BOOK WORM, MOM IS TRYING TO FIND ME SOMETHING TO DO DURING THE SUMMER SO I DON'T SPEND IT ALL COOPED UP INSIDE WITH ONE OF MY *SIGH* BOOKS. I LIKED HER COMMENT ON THE BAGGIES, ITS SO TRUE, BEFORE SHE TOLD US ABOUT THE BABY, I THOUGHT SHE JUST HAD THE NEVER ENDING STOMACH FLU, WELL, TELL YOUR FRIENDS AT SCHOOL TO DONATE WELL, I WANNA SHAVE FOR THE BRAVE!
miss clutzy
i was running into 2nd base in PE this morning and twisted my stupid, demented, frustrating, aggrivating, never ceasingly out to get me ankle :B (that's supposed to be a grrrrrrrr face); June 3, 2008 at 6:47 PM
Anonymous said...: hi sam nice hair cut it looks good on you.Well today there was no real school work because allot of people were at track and field.Weel everyone strill really misses only this time we extremely and totally miss you.talk to you later!!; June 3, 2008 at 7:59 PM
Unknown said...: I am so grateful that George forwarded the blog site to us. I put it in my bookmarks so I can check and pray each day. "Took Sam" to my Stonecroft Prayer Connection, yesterday, where requests are then emailed to those who care and will add him and you all to our prayer sheet at our church Bible study, today.

Our Lord is still the orchestrator of our lives and His plans are for good. Hugs to all! Emmy Lou & Irv; June 4, 2008 at 8:28 AM