Biggest Need

MONEY

It's not glamorous. It's not pretty. It's not fun. It's not creative. It's not ingenious. It's not smart. It's not comical.

It is endearing. It is powerful. It is helpful. It is necessary. It is provision. It is humbling. It is impactful. It is peace-providing.

You have two ways you can give: YouCaring & PayPal

Wednesday, October 12, 2016

Delayed Intensification Begins

First off, I want to SHOUT my thanks and praise to the Lord! I want to yell it in everyone's face, from the moutain tops, in all CAPS on social media, etc. The Lord is protecting my (our) baby in miraculous ways. Even when my humanity wins, the Lord is faithful and proves Himself loving, merciful, gracious, caring, protective, and- my favorite- PRESENT.

Second, I want to thank ALL OF YOU!! You continuously pray for Dempsey and I promise those prayers are heard and are even being answered in the affirmative. Dempsey is still thriving. Those negative side effects are still sitting on the bench, waiting to get into the game.  Here are photos to show you what life is like for our cancer kid.

DAY 1
Daddy took Dempsey to CHOC EARLY in the morning on Tuesday.

Our baby, post chemo (2 drugs) infusions and lumbar puncture, sleeping off the anesthesia.
It NEVER gets easier watching him lay there, so helpless,
not knowing what he'll feel like when he wakes up.

Just read. Your gut will tell you the rest. 

Our boy, awake, smiling. Hearts grateful.

Aaaaand, lunch. After 2 cups of smoothie between CHOC and the drive home,
Dempsey requested a grilled (toasted really) cheese sandwich.

My happy place.
I can cry looking at these images.

Another blessing from a dear, dear woman- Pam D.
I love how she didn't forget our Sawyer!

That's right, folks... this kid is going trike riding after having a needle in his spine just hours earlier.

Triking like a BOSS!

...because lets be real... hard days call for comfort food.
This is shepherds pie... almost like my late grandmother, June, used to make.

STOP! *whistle blows*
Another sweet and beyond generous gift from Pam D.
Seriously... how cute is this stud muffin?


DAY 2
Morning wii time. *ritual*

Dempsey's breakfast NEOLIFE Shake.
Yes, all those capsules get popped and their contents squeezed into and mixed in.
Ingredients: NEOLIFEShake Berries n Cream powder, almond milk, spinach leaves, Tre en en, Carotenoid Complex, Lecithin, Vitamin A, Vitamin E Plus, reverse osmisis water/ ice.

Lunch: grilled cheese sandwich for Demps; egg burrito for Sawyer;
grapes, strawberries, apple slices to be shared

Two of my babies... my oldest (fuzzy butt) Kamatz and my youngest (ginger) Dempsey.

Nap time. It was his idea to take a nap with me in my bed.
Sign me up!

Post-nap hydration.
Just look at that bod!!! *swoon*

Love me some handsome dude in a sweatsuit.
Muscles!

Brothers.

I can't get enough! This is him after a few laps of RUNNING.

Yes, that hair was blown dry.
Get out! Shut up! No way!
I swear.
I've been told it's going to fall out during this phase of treatement.
So, I will play with it, brush it, wash it, blow it dry, photo it as much as I can.


There you have it, friends. A glimpse or two into the life of Dempsey and his ever-loving family. This journey is a roller coaster. I know Scripture tells us to "fear not" or "have courage" or "do not worry"... but, damn, my humanity wins. A mother's heart is a wild thing! It is fierce and feels deeply. I am grateful to God for his continued protection and provision for Dempsey. I try hard to not worry and to live in the moment. It gets harder and harder the more run down I feel. I have a great man as my partner and I cannot beging to describe how utterly hopeless my life would be without him. He is incredible and strong. He loves his family well. We love him so much.

**COMING UP**
I am looking to do an Instagram auction (early November) to help us raise funds for Dempsey. We are coming up to a time where we will need a large amount of funds to cover Dempsey's medical bills.
If you are interested in donating quality items/ goods/ baskets or know someone you think would be willing to do so, please contact me (Coral) here.
If you are interested in posting flyers about this auction in public places/ community boards/ social media/ etc, stay tuned as I will post a PDF that can be printed and an image that can be shared.

Sunday, October 9, 2016

Gearing Up- Again

Please hit your knees in prayer, again. Dempsey starts a new phase of treatment THIS TUESDAY. It has the possibility of being a doozy. There are a few new-to-him chemo drugs... one of which is known to have a negative side effect that impacts the... wait for it... HEART!! I shudder as my mind runs away with all the horrible things this could mean for Dempsey.

Lord, hold me tight! Amen

Here is a breakdown of the next two months of Dempsey's treatment. Please be prayerful in both specifics and generalities.
Day 1 (Oct 11)

Day 2-7
  • daily dose of Dexamethasone
Day 8
  • Vincristine
  • Doxorubicin
Day 9-14
Day 15

  • Vincristine
  • Dexamethasone
  • Doxorubicin
Day 16-21
  • daily dose of Dexamethasone
Day 22-28
  • DEMPSEY HAS A BREAK
  • We will work to restore, detox, and strengthen him for the next round in this phase
Day 29
Day 30-32
  • Cytarabine (ARAC)
  • Thioguanine (TG)
Day 33-35
  • Thioguanine (TG)
Day 36
  • PROCEDURE: lumbar puncture (yet ANOTHER needle into my baby's spine)
    Intrathecal Methotrexate
  • Cytarabine (ARAC)
  • Thioguanine (TG)
Day 37-39
  • Cytarabine (ARAC)
  • Thioguanine (TG)
Day 40-42
  • Thioguanine (TG)
Day 43
  • Vincristine
Day 44-49
  • DEMPSEY HAS A BREAK
  • We will work to restore, detox, and strengthen him for the next round in this phase
Day 50
  • Vincristine
Day 51-56
  • DEMPSEY HAS A BREAK
  • We will work to restore, detox, and strengthen him for the next round in this phase
Day 57: BEGINS MAINTENANCE (IF his ANC is 500+ and his platelets are 75,000+)
________________________________________________

Supporters,
This phase is said to be easier than the previous one. I'm trying to hold onto that. However, there are two new drugs for Dempsey. Each of the underlined words above is a link to that drug's side effects. Please, take some time and read the pages those link to. Your eyes will be opened, your heart broken, your fear stirred, your faith tested, and your knees will beckon you to hit them... HARD. Those links will give you just a glimpse into this part of this journey.
Please pray that we will continue to hold onto the Lord during this phase, and every single day that follows until He calls us home. I TRY so hard to believe that HE IS ALREADY THERE in the future moments. That he already knows what is coming for Dempsey. I get scared when I think that he might allow something awful to happen to my baby in the fulfillment of his grand plan. Yes, God is still good if that is his plan. Yes, he still loves us if that is his plan. Yes, I will shake my fist at him... and kick... and scream... and cry... and wail if that is his plan.
Scripture is rarely comforting when I feel what I'm feeling right now. Not because it's not true. Not because it's not applicable. Because I can't accept it. My humanity is in the way in these moments. So, what do I do? I look over the past moments of this journey, look to find God's fingerprints- the proof of his presence, and then grab faith by the horns and stare it square in the eye as I let this fact take root... the fact that God IS in the past and that past was once the FUTURE and HE WAS THERE. God doesn't just show up in the past... that's just where we can actually see evidence of him. God is not bound by space and time... amen?! So, although my finite mind is on the verge of fragmenting, God is loving, gracious, merciful, present, perfect, and he sees the Big Picture.
These are the moments where I imagine myself, weak and weary from a flood of liquid emotions (tears), falling into my Father's arms as he strokes my hair and rocks me until I'm so exhausted I fall asleep. Then he speaks truth into my dreams and when I awake, still weak, but confident that the Holy Spirit will continue to place my feet one in front of the other just as he has been doing.
You see, we do not do ANY of this by our own strength. No. It is SOLELY (or soul-ly) by the Holy Spirit's abilities and God's orchestration that we manage. Your prayers are a HUGE part of that orchestration. Please don't ever think your prayers aren't being heard or that they are returning void. They are powerful and sustaining and we NEED them.
May God bless you in tangible and deeply meaningful ways. We love you and appreciate you more than my well-crafted words can convey!!

PRAYER REQUESTS
Pray for peace of mind and heart
Pray for miraculous healing
Pray for miracles along the way
Pray for safety
Pray protection over every organ of Dempsey's body
Pray protection over every facet of Dempsey (mind, spirit, emotion, potential)
Pray for Sawyer... this journey is hard on him too
Pray protection and depth over our marriage
Pray blessings and ability over each doctor on Dempsey's team
Pray for everyone touched by Dempsey's story
Pray that we will never miss an opportunity to spread the Gospel
Pray that God gives us platforms throughout this journey and that we allow the Holy Spirit to use us as needed
Pray against negative side effects (there are many possibilities)
Pray for wisdom
Pray for courage
Pray for strength
Pray for depth of character
Pray against agents of darkness that seek to steal our joy
Pray for a continuous RIGHT perspective
Pray for Kingdom vision
Pray as you feel led

___________________________
Click here for WAYS YOU CAN HELP