Update: Thanksgiving and a Look at December

I shared about Dempsey's recent procedure day (click here) and I caught you up on photos (click here). Now, let me share about Thanksgiving and give you a look at what December holds for Dempsey.

THANKSGIVING
A time of year dedicated to intentional thankfulness. At times this feels like an absolute crock... why do people wait to be thankful until this season is upon us? Wouldn't it be healthier, on all fronts, if we were thankful every single day? Just a thought.

Anywho... Thanksgiving Day was simple. We purchased the meal from Sprout's (next year we'll try Lucille's) and my parents hosted us at their house. I made apple crisp for dessert to round out the festive meal.
We went around the table, each sharing something we were thankful for. Sawyer started... and then also finished because he wanted a redo. Bless his heart. Then... wii. The boys and Jake played some Nintendo wii. A favorite past time that gets little attention since our family entered a season of "tech fasting".

Personally, this time of year is hard. I have to actively and intentionally WORK to remain thankful. This is our second Thanksgiving since Dempsey's diagnosis and it is still such a stress to overcome.

DECEMBER
December holds my birthday (12/2), two co-op days (12/1 & 12/8), a visit with Gram, an infusion day (12/12), a Christmas performance at the The Warehouse OC (12/9 & 12/10), and Christmas.
Such a busy time of year. Such a wonderful, holy time of year.


NEW ITEMS TO MENTION
Cancer Kid Famous is coming to Instagram! It is a store that will only offer a handful of unique items for one week each month. Something for Mom. Something for Dad. Something for Kid. Something for the Fans. Be sure to check back each month to see what items are available! Click here to follow Cancer Kid Famous on Instagram.
Cancer Kid Famous will eventually be more than a store. 😃

I, Coral, became a Wildtree Independent Representative. Why? Simply because it completes the holistic lifestyle my family and I embody and promote. Clean ingredients, no GMOs, largely allergen-free, no MSG, no dyes, no additives, no trans fats, no preservatives, no artificial flavors, low sodium, low sugar, and no high fructose corn syrup! How could I not do this?!

WE STILL NEED YOU!

YouCaring || PayPal

PRAYER REQUESTS:

pray against negative side effects

pray for peace

pray for wisdom

pray for protection

pray for miraculous healing

pray for strength

pray for love

pray for faith

pray for thankfulness

pray for obedience

pray for endurance

pray against the enemy's attacks

pray for our marriage

pray for Sawyer

pray for Dempsey's emotional heart

pray for the medical team

pray for CHOC

pray for those involved in Dempsey's treatment

pray over the future

pray that we can remain present in the now

pray for normalcy

pray for understanding from those watching this journey

pray for grace

pray for the Fruits of the Spirit to ripen

pray for our mission field (the cancer world)

pray that we don't waste one moment or opportunity within this journey

pray that finances would multiply and extend beyond us to others

pray God is always glorified through this

pray as you feel led

Procedure Day || Cycle 5: Month 1

Today marks the beginning of Cycle 5 in the Maintenance Phase of Dempsey's treatment. A phase is three months, so there are four phases in a twelve month period.
Starting this cycle:

• month one has a procedure day (needle in his chest for access, sedation, needle in his spine to inject chemotherapy into his cerebral spinal fluid)
• months two and three have a visit to OPI (OutPatient Infusion) for a needle in his chest and a short chemotherapy infusion.

If my math is correct, Dempsey goes to Cycle 11.

Remember, his treatment will not end until AUGUST 5, 2019.

That is 629 days remaining.

Dempsey will be 12 days shy of turning 8 when he's done and will have spent 1,215 days in treatment (3 yrs, 4 mos).

For more "fun" facts, see his page on Facebook.

Here are photos of this week's procedure day. Thank you for praying over him!

Driving to CHOC

Waiting to get the party started (on an empty stomach)

Post accessing (needle in his chest)

Post procedure, coming out of sedation. Mommy usually has 2 heads and 4 eyes.

The top photo popped up on my Facebook as a memory... poignant.

So, I had to do a comparison of then (6 yrs ago) and now.

My guys.

Of course Chick fil-A!

Reward for a job well done... a battle won... another feather in his cap... another box checked...

At home, after some play with Sawyer.

He and I played UNO while Daddy slept and brother listened to Burns and Allen.

I posted the following on my Facebook wall:

It is still so surreal that this is our life. Days like today, when I'm grieving other things in life, it is hard to give thanks for this journey.
I honestly don't want to give praises for a smooth journey because that still means there is a journey.
Deep down I am thankful for a smooth journey... deep down I know this is all for God's glory... but today, in this moment, I just want it to stop. I want to scoop him up and run far, far away from medical anything.
If you can relate, solidarity.
If you cannot relate, just pray for us and support us as we ask.
#cancersucks #childhoodcancer #leukemia

Each month our precious boy takes prednisone for 5 days following his CHOC appointment. Doctors say that the steroids "assist the chemo, increasing its effectiveness". I'm not sure I believe them but I have to give my boy the steroids because they are a mandatory part of treatment (at least at our hospital). It sucks. Steroids in such a tiny frame... *Lord protect my baby! Protect his precious, still-maturing organs. Guard his emotions and fill him with peace.*

I'm in a darker-than-normal place right now. Other things in life march on, change, fall apart, and cancer is overlaid atop it all. It is too much! You would think that after the success and "ease" Dempsey has had and continues to have I would have more peace. Nope. Every single time there is fear. Every single time there is the possibility of awful happening. Every single time there is anger that we have to do this- AGAIN. Every time there is the benching of my pride and ego as I ask for help- AGAIN, ask for monetary support- AGAIN, ask for prayers- AGAIN, ask for people to walk with me on this craptastic journey-AGAIN. The release comes when the procedure is done and all is "well". When we go to Chick fil-A and devour our feelings in chicken and waffle fries and watch the boys jump and climb around the PlayPlace. Sure, there's release but that also means I'm flooded with emotions.

The emotional onslaught chips away at the shell I'd been constructing and reinforcing since the last appointment. Like a hammer and chisel against a barely set piece of pottery... I crack and crumble. This time, it's even hard to pray. I'm just so weak and angry I don't want to talk to God. I don't want to be thankful. I want to be selfish and throw a tantrum- despite knowing it does no good. It may be a way to shove all the ucky feelings out of my body but it can do some real damage to those in the near vicinity. So, I try to hold it together but that has problems of its own. I get quite. I go deep inside. I withdraw. Through the darkness I try to find the thread that leads to thankfulness and gratitude. The thread is clearly frayed because I keep finding pieces of a once tight and strong strand.

Welcome to this mom's journey with childhood cancer.

Prayer requests:
Pray as you feel led

My Website || YouCaring

Photo Catch Up 1 || We know pictures are worth many words

A field trip to Riley's Apple Farm.

Sleepy boy.

 

Lazy morning.

A dolpin and echolocation.

Dempsey enjoys Baby Blues almost as much as Sawyer.

Legos.

Brothers wrestling.

Little Darth.

Dinnertime giggles.

Stocking up at NeoLife.

We take health SERIOUSLY.

Morning snuggles and silly-ness.

 Lego building.

Visiting our favorite Naturopath and having Sawyer's RBTI numbers run.

We discovered he was a tad alkaline, so we needed some

Calcium Lactate to move him to a better pH.

Soccer practice with Youth Kicks.

Comics and pancakes.

Daddy doing the nightly essential oil routine.

The acceptable carbonated beverage at Kenagyville.

Spiralizer and "zoodles" (zucchini noodles).

Dempsey writing a new language.

This kid loves Star Wars.

Homeschool art class.

It took a year, but Dempsey wore through his first pair of legit Crocs.

Such a fun event with MaxLove Project and Whole Foods in Brea.

Artist Kelsey Montague painted that mural and we got to meet her and paint with her.

(The boys met the cast of Disney's Stuck in the Middle...

we have no clue who they are since we don't watch television.)

Artist Kelsey Montague.

Dempsey's "art". Batman and Mr. Freeze.

Group shot.

One of my favorite people in the cancer world.

This is Audra. She is Max's mama and head of MaxLove Project.

More art. More Star Wars.

Making roller bottles for Sawyer to help his kidneys and intestines.

Made grilled shrimp with Wildtree spices.

Dempsey drew ALL the Batman villains.

Can you find and name them all?

Goofy kids at Uncle Steve's house on stairs Uncle Nathan and I used to run up and down daily.

Last pool photo at this pool.