Hair Cuts :)

 

Nonna's Visit!

There is nothing quite like a grandparent to make fun around the house just that much more fun :)

 

  

 

Treatment Update

Another treatment day down, 49 to go! We are so very proud of Samuel for packing on almost an entire pound since his last treatment 10 days ago - that's our boy! And, a true testimony to the goodness of the cooking + eating we've been blessed with.

Today marks Nonna's first excursion to the Hem/Onc Clinic with us. The kids had a great time showing her all the great puzzles, toys, and video games they get to entertain themselves with while we're there. All in all, a great day. Samuel's WBC + platelet counts were in the "low" range today, as the doctors expected, but his hemoglobin was back up to normal. Over the weekend, we did notice the beginnings of his hair thinning out some, and even still he is as handsome as ever :)

 

We are making a very concerted effort this week to discuss with both Samuel + Trinity all the new changes to life. They are both coping extremely well; however, certain subtle behavioral shifts are definitely present, and we want to make sure they understand to the best of their abilities the truths about what's going on - as well as making sure they are able to talk about or express the emotional aspects. They're both such sensitive little people, and we are going to help them deal with all the questions + feelings + concerns so they learn + grow through all of this, too.

My only disappointment came from presently not having a resource for Trinity that is well-suited to our circumstances. There is a great book they gave us for siblings of "chronically ill" children, but I'm not satisfied with its handling of our specific adventure - funny side note, the book was titled "A Book For The Healthy Siblings Of Chronically Ill Children", which I of course IMMEDIATELY blacked out and re-wrote as "Of Healed Children Going Through Treatment" ;)

In any case, so I have decided I am re-writing it in large part so that Trinity will have a printed book to read that addresses in every way her exact situation. She deserves nothing less, and I'm very excited about getting that done for her.

Day of rest, relaxation, and FUN tomorrow! 

A wonderful week

We find ourselves this week in the midst of what our doctors have advised could be Samuel's "down" week, meaning: 10-14 days post the treatments including Actinomycin through day 20 is the time frame during which Samuel's immune system may be the most compromised and he may feel the most fatigued or "sick".

Happy to report that as we have confessed, Samuel is at full speed with great appetite, drinking, playing as normal, and without trouble having bowel movements. Thanks in large part to some of our AMAZING friends for bringing over absolutely yummy healthy food for us and storing up our larder to the full! We've got vegetable soups, seasoned beans, organic cherry cobbler, organic pudding, organic Jaipur vegetables, organic meatloaf (well, no, mommy ate that all so it's gone! haha), baked ziti, macaroni salad, fresh guacamole (ohhh yeah!), and MORE! Thank you, thank you, our wonderful friends - Carol Perkins, Carla Hall, and "Aunt Sharyn" (whom we can always count on for guac + chips!).

Nothing but weekend antibiotics until Monday's treatment. Looking so very forward to having Nonna (mommy's mom) here on Saturday! It will be a great blessing for the kids to see someone else's mug all day long besides their mom's - and a really great blessing for Mom to be able to make it to the gym finally, especially with all this very high calorie eating going on :)

Treatment Update

We head in to Nationwide Children's Hospital tomorrow morning for our very first outpatient treatment. Our little trio of musketeers will venture in and experience it all together - as we are usually inseparable, it seems only fitting :)

Samuel is thriving with an uplifted spirit, hearty appetite, and toddler testosterone that keeps him moving + shaking despite my best efforts to keep him somewhat "quiet". I've decided that he shall just go on being his wonderful boy self, tackling + torturing his sister (as she does him), and not worry about any potential for injury. With wisdom, we'll just monitor to make sure they are both safe, rested, and well-nourished... their routine is shaken up enough for now, no sense taking away the joys of being siblings!

Trinity is adjusting, although she does have moments complaining of various "hurts" which she, of course, very adamently insists require her to go down to the "Children's place". Thus far, I've been able to satisfy her that it is better to be healthy and only go there for fun. I am so grateful for the resources given to us regarding productive methods to help siblings process and positively navigate this type of scenario. Twins don't skip a beat, and these two are proving their mettle as quite uniquely bonded little people.

Always, God's Hand is on us, and we all are at peace knowing it. We talk about how great He is, and how much He loves us and cares for us all the time. Trinity is training herself in the art of healing prayer, and Samuel is so filled with the Presence of God, it is simply awesome. We are honored for everyone's prayers + encouragement, and we most certainly feel blessed + covered in love.

A secret to living a worry-free life

I can only control two things in life: I control my actions and my attitude.
So, I don't waste time worrying about or trying to control anything (or anyone) else.
With a positive attitude, I take positive action, and life always goes in a positive direction.

Faith...for starters

"Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen." 
"Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see."
"Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen."
-Hebrews 11:1

Faith is unwavering, unquestioning, undisturbed by what things "look like". Faith is seeing what may not actually appear in the natural, physical world just yet. Faith is knowing it is still there and still happening. Faith in God is knowing without any doubts or uncertainties that He is faithful, He is loving, He has a Good Plan and it is always in effect when we walk in His Will. When troubles come:

"Let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith,... Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for He who promised is faithful.... So, do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded. You need to persevere so that when you have done the Will of God, you will receive what He has promised. For,... we are not of those who shrink back and are destroyed, but of those who believe and are saved[!]"
-Hebrews 10:22-23, 35-39

I like to think of the story of the woman with the issue of blood. She just knew, just had complete absolute confidence knowing, that Jesus could heal her; and that all she needed to do was 'touch' Him, and her healing would be manifest. At the moment she brushes the hem of his garment, God acknowledges her faith by confirming to her that, indeed, it was her faith that brought about the physical healing. She had already been healed, you see, the act of touching His robe was simply a natural moment in which God could make an example of her faith. 

Take the faith of the centurion whose daughter died, her body resting at his home. He had faith knowing Jesus' authority extended beyond the natural realms, so He did not need to physically go to the soldier's home; Jesus could simply command healing in the spiritual, and it would be. And, it was. Healing by faith.

Of course, faith is no joke, and it must be sincere, and it must be acted upon:

"Without faith it is impossible to please God."
-Hebrews 11:6
"Faith, by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead."
-James 2:17

So, what is a believer to do? Well, can I state the obvious? BELIEVE :)
Simply believe that whatever we ask according to the Will of God (we'll get into this later), in the Name of Jesus, has already been done so we thank Him NOW for the manifestation of that thing. Healing has already taken place, so we thank Him as we ask Him for it in faith KNOWING that our faith itself is PROOF that it is happening.

I can't not get excited about a God like that and the authority He gives us access to in His Name. There is SO much power in faith, but I think plenty to process here for now :)

Resources of Value

www.curesearch.org
www.cancer.gov

A Thought

"Every adversity, every failure, and every heartache carries with it the Seed of an equal or a greater benefit" 
-Napoleon Hill

(thanks, Jill!)

Some initial convictions

The defeated enemy CANNOT have this Righteous Seed. No way, no how. We stand on the Promise of God's Word that assures us of hope and a future, of abundant life, of long and healthy life for the upright, that undeserved curses will NOT come to rest, of protection and safety abiding under the shadow of the Most High. We have no fear because we possess a spirit of power and serve a God who uses ALL THINGS for good for those of us who love Him and are called according to His Purpose. We rest confident knowing that Samuel is a righteous tree planted by Rivers of Water who will bring forth fruit in due season, and his leaf shall not wither, and whatsoever he does shall prosper...and, we confess, believe, and receive all these things in the Name of Jesus.

A beginning...

May 31, 2005 at 4:04 pm on a beautiful late Spring day, Samuel McKinley Godsey emerged - well, was extracted - into this world. A newborn son who had been named and foretold while his parents were still avowing we'd remain that fun, footloose uncle + aunt who'd spoil everyone else's children with no responsibilities of our own. Not the first nor last time we were so very wrong, by the way ;)

From day one, Samuel has been so cool. Aren't many words better to describe him. Smiling since anyone can remember, even his ultrasounds showed a little dude without a care in the world and happy to show off his cuteness! Quite simply, the Crown Prince. A true blessing in every way. So much so that we figured, "Hey, he's pretty awesome, pretty easy going, this parenting this is a cake walk. We ought to go ahead and have two so he'll have another cool person to do his chilling out with." (Can you hear the dreaded "Da Da Dummmm"? haha).

October 11, 2006 at 11:45 pm on a cold, blustery late Fall night, Trinity Michal Godsey decided to arrive - then changed her mind and, too, was extracted - into this world. One week ahead of her scheduled caesarian date, which was in turn almost a week before her actual due date. And not much has changed since...

If a remarkably beautiful little girl can embody a whirlwind of hurricane force, that'd be our precious Trinity. Incredibly smart, she watches life like a hawk and never misses a beat. She is passionate about everything, even about being apathetic when she so chooses. No one takes a stand quite like her. Her Nonna (maternal grandma) likes to use the word "precocious", which seems more polite than "rambunctious". We'll let you decide ;)

A little over four years later, the "twins" as we lovingly call them since they are each other's spitting image, almost identical in size, and share that incomprehensible-to-the-outside-world twin "thing" are as fiesty and fabulous as ever. They love anything that moves, airplanes, trains, cars, horses, bikes, trikes, skate boards, boats, and more. Samuel is a master of engineering bridges, tunnels, and elevated thoroughfares with combinations of plastic tracks and blocks or legos. Trinity loves the challenge of puzzles, and they are both happily absorbed when drawing, reading, singing, or dancing.

Three days before Christmas, Samuel had a cancerous tumor (called an embryonal paratesticular rhabdomyosarcoma) removed from his scrotum, along with all the contents of his scrotal sac on the right side including the testicle. Fifteen days later, after medical confirmation the cancer had not spread to any other site of his blessed little body, we commenced a year long treatment with chemotherapy. This blog is about our journey and the power of faith to overcome.