This next week starts a new phase in our journey with Clayton. I have scheduled his inpatient chemo at Cook Children's for Tuesday, May 1. During this visit, we will go see Dr. Nielsen, the radiation oncologist, and begin our treatment plan with her. We are scheduled to start his radiation therapy this week. All of the doctors conversed and have decided that traditional therapy is best for Clayton. They don't think that Proton therapy, which is the one done in Houston, is the best therapy for him. On the bright side, this allows us to be in Ft. Worth, which is much more convenient for us. So... with that said, we will be starting our 6 weeks of radiation treatments this week.
Tuesday Clayton will have what is called a simulation. He will be put to sleep and will be fitted for a "mask" that he will wear during radiation. The mask will help the doctors pinpoint the exact locations that the radiation will be given. During this experience, Clayton will have new scans performed. This should not scare me because I do believe the chemo is working and the tumor in his ear will be minimal, if not gone, but to be honest with you, It terrifies me. It's easy to sit here in my house assuming the chemo is working, but it's another story to find out for sure. The actual MRI should take place on Tuesday or Wednesday with results given to us within 24 hours.
I don't handle change well, and the coming six weeks are truly going to be hard for our family. The older three kids are finishing out school with projects, concerts, field trips, field days...., Chad is running a business, Kate has her dance recital, Cort is in the prime of his baseball season, and somehow we will be making daily trips back and forth to Ft. Worth. I'm so so grateful for the "cure" and the therapy, but I'm also a mom who feels like the next 6 weeks are really going to take a toll on our family. So, today, I'm a teary eyed, nervous wreck who is walking in fear. I'll just admit it. "I know that God has not given us the spirit of fear", so I guess we'll just have to pray for me in that because I AM afraid!
Please pray for our family. When your alarm goes off this week, please pray for the following:
1- Clayton to have excellent scans that prove his chemo is working.
2- This week would go smoothly for Clayton and me in Ft.Worth and my family here.
3- Big Chemo to not be hard on Clayton this round.
Please also just pray for our family in general. This is hard on relationships. Sometimes the first relationships to be harmed are ones within family. Please pray for our marriage to be stronger than ever through this and for our kids to be able to talk with us and let us guide them through this time. Satan would love nothing more than to take my son's miracle and transform it into something ugly. Just pray God's hand over our family. This coming week is going to be one of the hard ones... but... one step closer.
Praying praying praying!!!
ReplyDeleteI wish I could hold your hand or hug you. From one mom to another. I will pray for an abundance of strength for you and your family!!! I will pray for complete healing. I will pray protection over all your relationships. Much love to you and yours.
ReplyDeleteSarina Moore
praying for yall!
ReplyDeletePrayers lifted.
ReplyDeletePraying for you and your family. Praying for a week that is smoother than you ever thought possible. Love, Amy Richardson Kiger
ReplyDeleteKesleigh,
ReplyDeleteThank you for being so transparent about what y'all are going through and how it is impacting y'all. I wish there were some words that would make this all go away, but there aren't, at least no human words. There are some divine words spoken from the Father that bring healing, and just as Jesus commanded the storm to cease and Lazarus to come forth from the tomb, so too can Jesus speak healing into Clayton's life (and He is). He is also speaking His words of comfort and peace into your family. Your faith journey is an inspiration to us all and we are praying for you, Clayton, and your family.
A Fellow Pilgrim,
Joe Sherwin
I know I am repeating myself, but you are really such a great writer! And I am praying hard that this week will you'll have every reserve of strength that you need, that Clayton goes through his treatment like a champ, and that you will not be paralyzed by fear and anxiety but rather will be flooded with an unusual sense of God's presence and providence. My mother-in-law so loved the song "I sing because I'm happy" -- and she used it in the face of all threats. We'd hear her humming "His eye is on the sparrow" and know that even when she was fearful, she was reaching out, trusting. It's my prayer that you can do the same. Praying God's powerful intervention in the life of your family - I'm sure the stress is beginning to wear on everyone.
ReplyDeletePraying for you all, Kesleigh.
ReplyDelete