sat 5/31

Happy Saturday everyone, Erin is doing well today. She is smiling and eating and playing lots of backgammon. It makes such a difference to have Laura home! Erin is entertained! During the week, Laura is working (babysitting) and so Erin gets bored with just the T.V. and me. Thank you all for the prayers, I can see the difference from day to day as I offer prayer requests and you all faithfully help me pray. Isn't it amazing to watch? God is so good! Each day is a blessing filled with hope! And His mercies are fresh every day! Thank you Lord!

"For the Lord your God is a merciful God; he will not abandon or destroy you or forget the covenant with your forefathers, which he confirmed to them by oath." Deut 4:31

Blessings, janet

Fri 5/30

Hello everyone, Can you believe May is practically over? We are glad to see it go because we are really looking forward to July and this gets us one month closer! Is that bad? Anyway, bring on June! Erin is feeling SO TIRED today. Just laying around is wearing her out. I figure her numbers must be low. I think there is a fatigue that goes with chemo that other people just can't imagine. Just moving from the couch to the kitchen table is a chore. Her stomach has moved into second place behind the fatigue, so I think that is good. Maybe they will give her blood products on Monday. That should help. Thank you all for caring so much about the details of Erin's ordeal. I know I must bore you to pieces some days but I am just trying to keep you in the loop. We are so thankful for all your prayers, cards, and gifts. The timing is always perfect to keep her spirits up. We are blessed to have you all loving on her. Thank you so much!

"Do you not know? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom. He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint." Isaiah 40:28-31

Blessings on you! janet

Thurs 5/29

Hello Prayer Warriors, Thanks for checking in with us. Erin still has a pretty bad stomach ache. She says everything tastes the same..like dirt. I guess that is common with chemo patients. It doesn't keep her from beating us all at Backgammon though, or at least trying. She is getting a lot of reading done also. She is on top of her summer reading assignment so I hope all you Peachtree Ridge students are too. She can't wait to get back to her normal life. The countdown is now 44 days until she should feel normal after her last chemo and have her central line out. Talk about goals, this girl has big ones. No pressure but she has things to do, places to go and people to see. She may never want to sit at home again! And I don't blame her! Thanks as always for the prayers for her healing and recovery. I think the one thing she has on her heart now is that her organs would be protected from any long term damage due to the chemo. It is hardest on the liver and kidneys, but can also effect the heart and brain. Please join us in praying for protection from these side effects. Love to all, janet

"Dear friend, I pray that you may enjoy good health and that all may go well with you, even as your soul is getting along well." 3 John:2

Wed 5/28

Good morning. Sorry about the low spirits yesterday. God in His infinite wisdom sent my friend and some family over at just the right moment to pick us up. My friend Ramona (Ramonja) said one of the things she had heard from another friend to pick you up when you are down is to count your blessings using the alphabet. So I started this morning at 5:30 and it took me 2 hours to find something for every letter but it worked! God changed my heart and lifted my spirits. For instance, I was stuck on "I" for the longest time and then I remembered Itching-Erin is not itching this time like she did last round, so that is a huge praise. Coming from the chief back scratcher, it is really huge! Anyway, thank you Lord for the alphabet blessings! The chemo Erin got this last round was royal blue and so we have been mercilessly teasing her about being "blue", royal blood, Queen Erin, smurfy, etc. But as you can imagine, it ain't easy being "blue". We just got back from the clinic and her numbers were fine, we have to go back on Monday. She is feeling o.k. today, still nauseous but o.k. considering. Thank you all for your encouragement through the rough days as well as the good! We are blessed!

"May my cry come before you, O Lord; give me understanding according to your word. May my supplication come before you; deliver me according to your promise. May my lips overflow with praise, for you teach me your decrees. May my tongue sing of your word, for all your commands are righteous. May your hand be ready to help me, for I have chosen your precepts. I long for your salvation, O Lord, and your law is my delight. Let me live that I may praise you, and may your laws sustain me." Psalm 119:169-175

Love to you all, janet

Tues 5/27

Hello everybody, Thank you for your prayers! We feel them. Erin is feeling nauseous today and she says everything tastes really weird. I have to force her to eat something so her pills won't hurt her stomach more than it already hurts. I guess it is just par for the course. She is so tired of all this. It is hard to see the end from here. She told the Dr. she wanted to skip the rest of the chemo (thanks Jeff!) and he told her absolutely not. He said the reason they are achieving the success they are is because they follow the protocol to the letter. He said other cancer centers have tried to cut corners because they feel sorry for their patients when the chemo is so rough, but that they don't get the higher cure rates when they do that. It was just what she needed to hear because she was ready to throw in the towel a couple of days ago! I know one more round sounds like it should be encouraging, and it is to you and me, but to Erin it is torture. All our spirits are in need of a lift, so I guess that is our prayer request today. Thank you so much for standing firm on that prayer wall for Erin. We are blessed!

"May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you a spirit of unity among yourselves as you follow Christ Jesus, so that with one heart and mouth you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ." Romans 15:5-6

Thanks again for all the love and encouragement! You all are the best! love, janet

Home Again Home Again!!!

Hey gang....Bill here,

So happy to report we are back home this evening! Round 4 is in the books and we have one round to go!! Erin did pretty well the last 2 days getting in 2 miles yesterday and another mile today. Once again the three sisters provided the entertainment for the staff as they found very creative and different ways to do each lap including speed walking ( got to move those hips), Charlie's Angels (crouched with hands clasped like guns covering each other as they moved from one position to the next), longest stride contests, one piggyback round, break dancing, grapevine walk, lunges....well you get the idea. One of the staff actually snitched on me for taking a shortcut through the kitchen on the speedwalking round!!

All in all even with the nausea and body aches over the first few days this round seemed to be more emotionally challenging than physically. I think the sadness of missing out on so many things that over the past 5 months including her friends wedding this weekend just caught up with her. We figured out that she has been in the hospital 60 days since we started and that doesn't include the twice weekly clinic visits during the times she has been recovering at home. Needless to say that we are thankful to be closing in on what will hopefully be the final round of treatment on the way to being completely cured. If all goes according to plan, we will have 3 weeks of recovery at home before round 5. Our prayer for the coming days is for Erin to continue to have minimal side effects as her counts come down and that her counts will return to normal quickly so she can have some freedom before the final assault and stay on schedule to get done with no delays. We are thankful to God for all the blessings he has provided us on this journey including the presence of so many faithful friends and strangers who always seemed to lift us just when we needed it most!

"Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us." - Hebrews 12:1

Thanks for being our cloud of witnesses that help us to persevere!

Blessings..... Bill

Sun 5/25

Happy Sunday, Erin is feeling better today. Yesterday she was just down because she was missing another important event, her friend's wedding. I tried to figure out how to sneak her out but it just wasn't to be. It is hard to be sick and watch the rest of the world go on with life and you be the one stuck on the sidelines. But I praise God she is able to be patient for His timing. Anyway, the cloud passed and she feels better today. They did an x-ray last evening to rule out any sources of infection. They still don't think she has one but they have to check all possibilities. We are still hoping to go home tomorrow evening after her last dose of chemo. Please pray that we can go home, it's just easier to rest at home. Thanks for your prayers for the nausea, whatever combo of pills and prayers she is on is working! God has been so faithful to Erin during this whole process and we are grateful to be witness to the stream of miracles He is providing!

"Your ways, O God, are holy. What god is so great as our God? You are the God who performs miracles; you display your power among the peoples." Psalms 77:13-14

Yes, He performs miracles every day! We just have to watch and believe! love, janet

Sat 5/24

Hello and Happy Wedding Day to Andrew and Kristin,
Erin had a really rough day yesterday. She was miserable all day until they started some steroids. They also gave her a new drug called Emend for the nausea and one or the other or the combination of the two worked and she felt well enough to eat some cheerios for dinner. Then she spiked a fever of 101 around 8:30. We were scared but after some tears and fears, the nurse came in and said they decided it was just the 2 chemos reacting together and they didn't consider it an infection yet. Of course they did blood cultures but her fever went away so it was probably nothing big. What a rollercoaster of emotions we ride. We are halfway through this round though and that is a praise. We have a list on the white board and celebrate crossing off each day!

On another subject, Aunt Debbie has committed to ride her bicycle 100 miles for the Leukemia/Lymphoma society in October. To do that she has to raise $2000. If you would like to check it out, she has a web site where you can get the details.
http://pages.teamintraining.org/sun/waterway08/dsolanes
Erin is so blessed to be her honorary teammate and we are proud of her for undertaking such a big task! It is quite a testiment to her love of the Lord and Erin to tackle this ride. I hope you all can help us support this fundraiser which also helps others now and in the future who are struggling with this disease.

May your day be blessed. Thanks for the prayers! love, janet

Round 4: 2 Days Down - 4 days to Go

Good morning dear friends....Bill here,


Erin has been experiencing bouts of pain and nausea that come and go. The meds seem to work for a couple hours and then wear off before the next scheduled dose. I have learned that each round of chemo is different in terms of side effects and effective meds and there is an art to finding the right combination of meds, dosages, and intervals to try to keep Erin somewhat comfortable. The med that seems to alleviate the discomfort the best right now also makes her sleepy...but at this point sleepy seems to be an acceptable alternative to pain. Erin was able to get a mile in yesterday so that is a praise!


This round of chemo is comprised of hi-dose Cytarabine administered over a 2 hour period every 12 hours on days 1-4. Erin has had this in prior rounds. A new chemical, Mitoxantrone, that she has not had before is administered once a day on days 3-6. Our prayer today is that there will be no additional severe reactions or side effects with the introduction of this new chemical, for clean results from the spinal tap, and for Erin's complete healing. We praise God that he is a God of love, grace, mercy, miracles, and healing.

Blessings,

Bill


".... but the crowds learned about it and followed him. He welcomed them and spoke to them about the kingdom of God, and healed those who needed healing." - Luke 9:10

Thurs 5/22

Hello bloggers, Erin is doing o.k. She just completed her mile for today. Yesterday she did her mile before any chemo and actually skipped a whole lap with Amanda. The Drs were standing there with their chins on the floor in amazement. She has had some nausea already and her back is sore from the spinal tap, but other than that, so far so good. We are hoping she doesn't get the bad rash again like last time. Thanks for your prayers. Knowing you are out there praying is so comforting to us all.

"And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints." Ephesians 6:18

Blessings on you! love, janet

5/21

Hello, Erin is finally getting started after a few delays. We came in last night but they didn't start anything because they wanted her to have an echocardiogram before they started and that couldn't be done until today. So she had her echo today and it was fine. She just finished her last spinal tap!! Big praise!! They will start her chemo at 6 p.m. tonight. We had hoped to go home after 4 days and do the last 2 days outpatient but it turns out the clinic is closed on Memorial Day so we will have to stay here the full 6 days. Another big praise is that her bone marrow results from last friday are all clear. We are very excited to get great results! Please pray for minimal side effects and a quick recovery. Thanks again for being a vital part of Erin's team!

"I will say to the Lord, "He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust." He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart." Psalm 91:2,4

love, janet

Round 4 begins

Hey all, We just got in our room, E618. It was a long day waiting on the phone call to come in. Uncle Jim made Erin a poster of her skiing on Lake Burton and it is inspiring her to be done so she can get back to the things she loves. We praise God for bringing us this far and continuing to guide us through this journey. It may take us a while to actually explore the depths of what we have been learning. The details are so overwhelming right now it is difficult to see the whole picture, but we know God is and will continue to use this to grow us all in our faith. Thank you all for your continued prayers for Erin. Please pray for minimal side effects and a quick recovery. She will be on a new medicine this round and we pray that it will be gentle on her body while still effectively doing it's job against any rebel cells. Our God is mighty to save! love to all, janet

Waiting for a Room

Hello Friends....Bill here,

Well, the hospital called and told us that they are still waiting for a room to open up for Erin and it would probably be tomorrow. The good news is that Erin is feeling good and can still get out and about, but we are all anxious to get on with this so we can be done. So, instead of going to the hospital today, Erin, Janet, Laura, Amanda, and JoJo took the dogs and bikes to Mulberry Park and played outside enjoying the beautiful weather. Erin and Amanda rode bikes while Janet, JoJo and Laura walked the dogs. Erin has been able to get a good dose of freedom over the past week and see so many of her friends, which has been great for her morale!

I know it has been a while since I posted the update but I don't want you to think that I have not been keeping up with the blog and I just want you all to know that it has been such a blessing for all of us! It's hard to believe that we have been on this journey with all of you for almost 5 months and we praise God for your faithfulness to be with us every step of the way to cover us in prayer, and to constantly lift our spirits!

Thank you and we pray God's richest blessings on each of you.

Bill

"Let love and faithfulness never leave you; bind them around your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart." - Proverbs 3:3

Sunday 5/18

Thank you Lord for the outpouring of love at the blood/ bone marrow drive! We collected 90 units of blood and 60 folks signed up for the bone marrow registry. That is awesome and we are so grateful for all of you who gave of yourselves in honor of Erin!! She enjoyed getting to pass out cookies and juice and support all of you in return. What an awesome show of unity in Christ. It really blessed our hearts to see all of you today. Glory to God for such a wonderful church family.
Erin starts round 4 tomorrow so we are again asking for prayers for minimal side effects and strength to go through it all. She is getting really excited to be done with it all. We are counting down the days! Thanks again everyone! love, janet

sat 5/17

Dear friends, thank you for your vigilence on the wall! Your prayers have been a constant source of comfort and support to all of us. God's love is so evident in your faithfulness. We just want to say thank you, it means more than you will ever know. Erin is feeling sore today as expected but a little retail therapy works wonders! Hope you are having a great weekend. See you tomorrow at the blood/bone marrow drive!

"A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another." John 13:34

Love you! janet

Fri 5/16

Thanks to all for the prayers! Erin came through her biopsy just fine. We just got home and she is sleeping off the good meds. They confirmed again that they cannot admit her until Monday because of the bed crunch. We were hoping for tomorrow so we could stay on schedule but what can you do? Anyway, Monday it is for round 4. This way she can be at church on Sunday and pass out cookies to the blood donors! :-) Praise God for all the folks signed up for blood donation and those who are going to sign up for bone marrow registry. We are so blessed by your faithfulness and friendship!

"From everlasting to everlasting the Lord's love is with those who fear him, and his righteousness with their children's children - with those who keep his covenant and remember to obey his precepts." Psalm 103:17-18

I love the word everlasting, don't you? blessings, janet

Thurs 5/15

Hello, hope you are loving the rain, we are! Erin is out and about trying to make the most of her few days "off". Her bone marrow biopsy is tomorrow at 1p.m. She is not looking forward to it but she knows we need that info to keep going toward the goal. The goal is in sight, only 2 more treatments! She is feeling better today, thanks so much for the prayers! Please remember the blood drive and bone marrow drive on Sunday from 8-12:30 at First United Methodist church in Lawrenceville. If you want to worship our Lord with us, and a really cool guitarist(Bill), come to the service at 9:30. We would love to have you there!

"One thing I do; Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus."

Not sure Erin will forget what she has gone through but she is definitely straining toward her goal! Thanks for cheering her on! love, janet

Wed 5/14

Hello friends and family, Erin is doing fine today, just some stomach pain. Bill and I were able to help with the bone marrow drive at Scientific Atlanta/Cisco today. We added 35 donors to the National registry!! Praise God for such a great turnout. I think they had around 100 blood donors, so that is another praise!! We are praying that we get a great turnout at church this weekend also. If you are unable to attend but would like to get in on the bone marrow drive while it is free, check out marrow.org. Bill said he saw that it was free on there now too, for a few more days. Thanks to all of you who signed up, it is such a blessing to see people excited to give of themselves-literally.

"Give and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you." Luke 6:38

Wow, that pretty much spells it out. blessings, janet

Tues 5/13

Hello, Erin had a clinic appt today and she got good numbers, Praise God! Her white count is 4.2 and her ANC is 1200! WooHoo. So she can go out and about for a couple of days before round 4 starts. They have scheduled a bone marrow biopsy for Fri. This would give them the info they need by Mon to admit her. If the schedule opens up on Thurs, they may squeeze her in then and she would have the info needed to be admitted on Fri. or Sat. We really hope this happens so we can stay on schedule. Either way, God is in control and we know His timing is perfect! This also gives her a couple of days to get some of her antibiotics etc. out of her system. When her counts are low, she has to take 4 different anti-whatevers to keep her from getting an infection. Ooooh she hates taking pills, so it is a real gift to get a couple of days off from that chore. :-) So all in all, a great day. Yes, she went straight to the mall. It does a girl good! Please remember our blood drive on Sunday at Lawrenceville 1st United Methodist church from 8-12:30 and the bone marrow donor drive. It only involves a cheek swab! Join us and be a life saver!

"For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith - and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God - not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God's workmanship created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do." Ephesians 2:8-10

love to all, janet

Mon 5/12

Hey! Thanks for checking in. Erin is doing well today. She feels like her numbers are up which makes her feel better all over. We go to the clinic tomorrow to get labs. They should schedule a bone marrow biopsy later this week. If she is able to stay on schedule, she may start round 4 at the end of the week. Of course it all depends on her lab values. Round 4 will be 6 days of chemo and 3 weeks of recovery. Again she will receive drugs she hasn't gotten before so we won't know how she will respond as far as side effects. Please pray she can stay on schedule, because the sooner she starts, the sooner she is done. We are so thankful for all of you and your continued support. God is evident in the details of Erin's experience and the friendships He has provided us in you.

"As for God, his way is perfect; the word of the Lord is flawless. He is a shield for all who take refuge in him. For who is God besides the Lord? And who is the Rock except our God? It is God who arms me with strength and makes my way perfect." 2 Samuel 22:31-33

Yeah for strength in God! love, janet

Mother's Day

Happy Mother's Day to all. Thanks for checking in with us. Erin is doing fine! She feels good. Her stamina is low as you would expect, but she is doing well. During her low count days she used to always take a nap, but now she tries not to nap so she can sleep better at night. However, last night she didn't get much sleep. Bill was in the basement practicing his guitar for Sunday morning as usual but Laura didn't know it and locked him in. Well, to give her the benefit of the doubt, she has been away at school a while, and Bill stayed up longer than the girls, which is unusual. Anyway, on her way to bed, she locked the basement door. Yes, I have them well trained. So, around 12:30am, Bill couldn't get in and he had to go outside and come around in the front door. Apparently, he made a little noise and scared the girls to death. They both thought someone was breaking in and locked themselves into their rooms. Did they call me? No, let the burglar get Mom, she's asleep! Thanks a lot. So they both lost a little sleep. I guess we are going to have to get a key lock for the basement and remember to give him a key - this isn't the first time this has happened. Oh well, long story. Have blessed day and kiss your Mom! Blessings, janet

Sat 5/10

So sorry to be late blogging. We moved Laura home from UGA today. Erin is so glad to have her home. Erin is feeling fine today. We praise God for each day and all the many blessings that come with it. We heard Relay was fun! Have a great Mother's Day! Love to all, janet

Relay For Life Day

Hello all, Erin is o.k. but not up to going to Relay today. She just has that all over yucky feeling. She is really sad to miss it though! Before she decided she didn't feel well, we had already decided it would be safest to stay home anyway because her white count is still so low. Thank you to all you relay folks out there walking for cancer! May God bless your fundraising with a CURE!

"Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze. For I am the Lord, your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior;" Isaiah 43:1-3

That verse never ceases to move me. Praise God for His living word! blessings, janet

Thurs 5/8

Well, we just got back from the clinic and her numbers are not up. I think they are on the way up, they just have a way to go. Her WBCs are 1.0, Plts 219, ANC 30. This is pretty much what we expected, but we were hoping for higher numbers. So, the decision is hard regarding Relay for Life. She would have to wear the big hot uncomfortable blue mask to go and I am not sure she is willing to do that, plus there is a risk of infection. Bottom line is her health of course, so, we will see how she feels tomorrow. Her bone pain is gone which is a HUGE praise. Her itching and stomach ache are pretty constant though.

"Every word of God is flawless; he is a shield to those who take refuge in him." Proverbs 30:5

Scientific Atlanta/Cisco is having a blood drive next wednesday. Thanks to our friend Melissa, they just added a free bone marrow drive also. So those of you that work with Bill can give at work and get tested for the bone marrow registry. Thanks in advance for your faithfulness.

Blessings from the Blonshines! janet

Wed 5/7

Hello dear friends, Erin is feeling fine today. Minor bone pain, a little itching but all in all fine. She thinks her numbers are at the bottom because of the bone pain. We will find out tomorrow. Please pray for good numbers so she can go to Relay. We got posters today for the blood drive and we are very excited for the response, especially for the bone marrow drive portion. I know since God put this together for us that He has special plans for great results.

"I will declare your name to my brothers; in the congregation I will praise you. You who fear the Lord, praise him! All you descendants of Jacob honor him! Revere him, all you descendants of Israel! For he has not despised or disdained the suffering of the afflicted one; he has not hidden his face from him but has listened to his cry for help." Psalm 22:22-24

Thank you Lord for listening to our cries for help! hugs, janet

Tues 5/6

Happy Tuesday! Erin is doing fine, the same. She is still itchy and has a stomach ache, but the Dr says she will just have to wait until her WBCs climb before she will feel better. Hope it is soon.

We are excited about the blood drive coming up on May 18th. God has worked another small miracle and we are going to be able to offer a bone marrow donor drive for free that day. So if you are able to come support Erin in giving blood or getting registered to be a bone marrow donor, come to First United Methodist church in Lawrenceville on Sunday May 18th from 8-12:30. If you need more details, call us or the church at 770-963-0386.

I was thinking about the parable of the talents as it relates to being a blood donor. In the parable, the master gives his servants talents (money) to take care of while he is away. He is pleased by those who are able to increase the amount by the time he comes back. God has given us this precious gift (talent) called life. Sharing your blood or marrow seems like a way to multiply that gift to the Glory of God. If we use it this way to save others, I feel sure God will be pleased to say, "Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful with a few things, I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master's happiness." Matthew 25:21. Maybe that is a stretch for an interpretation, but it works for me.

Thank you all for being good stewards of the talents you have been given. love, janet

Cinco de Mayo

Buenos Dias Amigos, Feliz Cinco De Mayo! O.K. I'm out of spanish. Erin says I was out a long time ago. Sorry. We just got back from the lab. Her while count is 0.5, Platelets 29 and Hemoglobin 29 also. So she didn't need any blood products but she is definitely bottomed out on her numbers. Please pray for a big jump before Thurs which is when we get labs next. If her numbers jump dramatically, she can go to Relay. If not, she would have to wear a big mask and she doesn't want to do that. Also, if we jump up quick, we can hopefully stay on schedule for round 4 coming up soon. We really want to stay on schedule so we can all get back to our normal lives. Not that normal is normal anymore but you know what I mean. We praise God for all of you and your continued faith and prayers that have seen us through all of this.

"Make sure to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverence; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love. For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ." 2 Peter1:5-8

We are blessed by all of you and your kindness and love! They have helped us perservere and grow in the knowledge of our Lord! Congrats to the graduating seniors! You are the best! Love, janet and erin

Sun 5/4

Happy Sunday, Thank you for checking in on Erin. She is fine, still the itching and stomach ache but all in all, fine. Cabin Fever is setting in again, especially with the beautiful weather. We rejoice in Erin's health and the remission is still like a shiny gift we look at in awe. Thank you Lord! And thank you all for the continued prayers!

"Praise the Lord. Blessed is the man who fears the Lord; who finds great delight in his commands. He will have no fear of bad news; his heart is steadfast, trusting in the Lord. His heart is secure, he will have no fear." Psalm 112:1,7-8

Oh yeah, another good one. I love the Psalms! blessings, janet

Sat 5/3

Hello blogger friends, Erin is doing fine today. She had a bit of nausea last night after eating a burrito. Just for the record, she asked for mexican! Anyway, she is fine today, still itchy but fine. She and Bill have taken up chess. Their first game lasted 2 hours, not because they didn't know how to play, but because they were thinking too hard. I think I saw smoke come out of their ears. I don't have patience for that game. Anyway, all is well. Thank you for your continued prayers. Erin is really getting excited about Relay for Life. Hope the weather holds and her numbers rise so she can go.

"Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful." Hebrews 10:23

Thanks for helping us hold on! love, janet

Fri 5/2

Dear friends, Thanks for your loving support. It is amazing how far this blog has reached, even back to my college buddies. Call anytime Susie! Erin is doing well today, her stomach is feeling better and her itching is just enough to keep me busy scratching. I am so thankful she got blood yesterday, I think it will help her feel better through the weekend.

"You turned my wailing into dancing, you removed by sackcloth and clothed me with joy, that my heart may sing to you and not be silent. O Lord my God, I will give you thanks forever." Psalm 30:11-12

We are giving thanks every day for His faithfulness! As we count our blessings, they always include you! hugs, janet

Thurs 5/1

Happy May Day everyone, Erin and I just got back from the clinic. Her labs were low as expected, so she received one unit of platelets and 2 units of blood. Thanks again to you life savers out there who give and give! Erin usually gets hives from transfusions so she is sleeping off her Benadryl right now. Other than all that, Erin is fine. She is hoping to be on the upswing by Relay for Life on May 9th. I know she really wants to walk the survivor lap. I don't know if there are enough tissues to cover that sight! Round 4 should start the week after that. We are so thankful for all of you cheering Erin on as she perseveres. It is definitely a tough road to walk.

"He has showed you, O man, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God." Micah 6:8

Hope your May day is full of colorful ribbons! hugs, janet