In the Loop . com

Friday

2009-12-11T10:42:00.002-05:00

Hello Prayer Warriors,
Thanks for the prayers! Erin had a good day yesterday and is looking forward to another good day today. She is trying to get all her running around done before school gets out so she can avoid crowds. Praise God she is able to get out and do things. Speaking of getting out, if any of you in the local area are out to the mall area this weekend, they are giving free swine flu shots at Mall of Ga upstairs by William Sonoma all day Sat and Sun. If you get the flu mist variety, please stay away from Erin. She can only be near folks that get the shot. Sorry. But I think it is a great idea to give them free at the mall, lots more folks will get immunized that way. Hope you have a great weekend. hugs, janet

"Taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the man who takes refuge in him. Fear the Lord, you his saints, for those who fear him lack nothing. The lions may grow weak and hungry, but those who seek the Lord lack no good thing. Come, my children, listen to me; I will teach you the fear of the Lord. Whoever of you loves life and desires to see many good days, keep your tongue from evil and your lips from speaking lies. Turn from evil and do good; seek peace and pursue it." Psalm 34:8-14

Thurs

2009-12-10T11:13:00.002-05:00

Dear Prayer Warriors,
Thanks as always for your prayers. We are still walking on cloud nine! Erin feels pretty good but didn't sleep well last night. too much excitement maybe. I just Thank God every single minute for His blessing!
A clarification on the electric blanket. As soon as the blog was posted, my Mom ran over to say NO electric blankets. Apparently they cause electromagnetic fields that are bad for you. So back to the store it goes. Grandmommy brought along a very hot blanket my grandmother made many years ago and that is now keeping Erin toasty.
Praise God for toasty blankets and blessings to also keep our hearts warm this winter. hugs, janet

"Delight yourself in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart." Psalm 37:4

AMEN

Wednesday

2009-12-09T13:29:00.004-05:00

Thank you all for your wonderful support. We are so excited about our great news. God has been so faithful throughout this journey to keep us uplifted by your prayers and encouragement. What a wonderful faith community we have!! Blessings on you all for your prayers! We just got back from the clinic and had a good visit as expected. The Dr confirmed that all the results are great. HER BIOPSY IS SQUEEKY CLEAN! We are still absorbing the impact of that awesome report. Erin's magnesium is still on the low side but that is what they expect until we get off of immune suppresants. They will start decreasing her prograf in January and see how she does at that point. We just danced around the clinic today with big smiles. Thank you Lord!! Now that we got our gift, let Christmas begin! love, janet

"Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift!" 2 Corinthians 9:15

Tues/ BIG UPDATE!!

2009-12-08T15:06:00.005-05:00

Blessings Prayer Warriors,
Thanks for your prayers. We have our appt tomorrow to get the rest of the results. Please pray for the cleanest possible results. Erin is doing well today, just very tired. We went out to Target today and got her an electric blanket. She is chilly to her bones 24/7 and wears several layers of clothing and 2-3 blankets all around the house. Lately since it has gotten cold, she lays on the floor in front of the fire and can't get away. You know how that goes, once you are toasted on one side, all you want to do is toast the other side and start over. Bill and I are comfortable, it's not like we live in the ice house, she is just so skinny and has no fat to keep her warm. Hopefully she will stay warmer now under her electric blanket. We are anxious to get our results tomorrow and will let you know as soon as we get home. hugs, janet

"And our hope for you is firm, because we know that just as you share in our sufferings, so also you share in our comfort." 2 Corinthians 1:7

BIG NEWS!! The nurse from Emory just called and said everything is NEGATIVE!! I asked if they did the FISH studies and they said they didn't need to because there was NOTHING to look at!! Thank you Jesus!! Praising God with all we have!! Thank you SO much for your prayers!! God is faithful and Erin is cancer free! Halleluia!

Monday

2009-12-07T16:08:00.003-05:00

Dear Prayer Warriors,
Thanks for the prayers. Erin is doing well, off and about again today, visiting. Gotta love it after all she's been through. We have not heard the final details about the biopsy but did get another call from the nurse saying that the info they have so far is good. They are just waiting on the FISH studies to come back. That provides the most important details they need to assess. We will let you know when we know. Erin is doing great, Praise God, at weaning off of her meds. I am hoping to be completely off of one by tomorrow and start weaning the next one on Wed. She doesn't want me to be in any hurry but she feels so good right now, I like getting rid of the extra medications. Please pray for energy, good magnesium levels, and no germs from all her outings. Thanks and blessings, janet

"We wait in hope for the Lord; he is our help and our shield. In him our hearts rejoice, for we trust in his holy name. May your unfailing love rest upon us, O Lord, even as we put our hope in you." Psalm 33:20-22

Sunday

2009-12-06T12:23:00.003-05:00

Dear Prayer Warriors,
Thanks for the prayers! Erin is doing well this morning. She is successfully weaning off of her pain medicine and for that we are grateful. We are anxiously waiting for Wednesday so we can get the full report on her biopsy. Other than that there is not much to tell. Halleluia! We count you in our blessings daily as you continue to support Erin with your prayers. hugs, janet

"The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they display knowledge. There is no speech or language where their voice is not heard. Their voice goes out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world." Psalm 19:1-4

Tree Day

2009-12-05T10:25:00.003-05:00

Good Morning Prayer Warriors,
Thanks for the prayers. Yesterday was a long day waiting on results. We appreciate you waiting with us. We are praising God for good news so far! Hopefully we will have all the rest of the results Wednesday. Today we are going to get our tree. Christmas will be here before you know it and there is so much to do. Blessings on you as you prepare your celebration of Jesus' birth. hugs, janet

"But as for me, I will always have hope; I will praise you more and more. My mouth will tell of your righteousness, of your salvation all day long, though I know not it's measure. I will come and proclaim your righteousness, yours alone. Since my youth, O God, you have taught me, and to this day I declare your marvelous deeds. Even when I am old and gray, do not forsake me, O God, till I declare your power to the next generation, your might to all who are to come." Psalm 71:14-18

Friday with update

2009-12-04T11:49:00.004-05:00

Dear Prayer Warriors,
Thanks for the prayers. We don't have any news yet on the biopsy. The practioners are all in New Orleans for a conference. I e-mailed our NP but she hasn't responded yet. We will update today if we hear anything. Erin is doing well. She shopped a little too long yesterday and was pretty wiped out, but she did all her shopping, and that is huge. Today she is at the movies again and out to lunch with a friend. Praise God for a normal Erin, out and about, having fun. Thank you Lord!! We are all on pins and needles waiting for results but trying to be patient and positive. God is calming our hearts every minute. Thank God He is big enough to handle all the details. Heaven knows I can't do it! We love you for your prayers. hugs, janet

"..we have not stopped praying for you and asking God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all spiritual wisdom and understanding. And we pray this in order that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and may please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, and joyfully giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the kingdom of light." Colossians 1:9-12

We heard from the NP by e-mail from New Orleans. She said the preliminary report looks good but everything isn't back yet. We will learn the full details next week. Praise God for a great start on the report. It puts our hearts at ease for the weekend. We can rest better knowing it looks good so far. Please continue to pray for the full report to be squeeky clean. Blessings, janet

Thurs

2009-12-03T12:39:00.003-05:00

Hello Prayer Warriors,
Thanks for the prayers. Erin is doing pretty good. Considering she is out Christmas shopping, I guess she is o.k. I know her biopsy site is very tender but it takes a lot to stop a shopper on a mission. She slept most of yesterday, o.k. ALL of yesterday. I guess it takes a while for the sedation to catch up to her. Anyway, all is well today. We will let you know if we hear about the biopsy results tomorrow. Our friend Megan got clear results today. That is a huge praise. God is working overtime for these sweet girls. We are thankful for His blessings. May you also be blessed! hugs, janet

"Strengthen the feeble hands, steady the knees that give way; say to those with fearful hearts, 'Be strong, do not fear; your God will come, he will come with vengeance; with divine retribution he will come to save you.'" Isaiah 35:3-4

Biopsy Day

2009-12-02T12:50:00.003-05:00

These are the beautiful women who ran the half marathon on Thanksgiving morning. so cool!

Hello Prayer Warriors,
Thanks for the prayers. We just got back from the clinic. Erin's bone marrow biopsy went smoothly. She requested her favorite practitioner to do it and it went fine. She was her usual chatty self through the whole procedure. I could hear through the door that she was telling stories on other practitioners and other incidents that have happened to her at Emory. She just talks up a storm when they give her sedation. She actually doesn't get "sedated" at all. It is so funny. When they came out of the procedure room I asked if she gave them all my bank account info too. Yikes! They may have results as early as Fri and they said we could e-mail them to ask. Otherwise we have to wait until next Wednesday's appt. Good news is that her magnesium was up to the lowest end of normal so she gets to decrease her magnesium from 4/day to 3/day. Praise God for small favors! She also got the o.k. to drive today! That is huge for Erin. Now that she feels so much better, she has places to go, people to see. Thanks for keeping us in your prayers today. Please continue to pray for sterling results. God is all over this! Blessings, janet

"You will keep in perfect peace him whose mind is steadfast, because he trusts in you. Trust in the Lord forever, for the Lord, the Lord, is the Rock eternal." Isaiah 26:3-4

WOW!

Dec 1

2009-12-01T14:05:00.003-05:00

Dear Prayer Warriors,
Wow, can you believe it is already December? Time flies, even when it crawls! We are praising God for another month of recovery checked off of our first year. Erin was feeling pretty good this morning until she ate lunch. Her cravings don't often match her stomach's tolerance. French bread pizza was not a hit. She has been doing some on-line shopping and planning her next adventure out in the world. I think she is going to see New Moon for the 3rd time this afternoon. What is it about sparkly pale vampires and hairy werewolves? We had her test drive her car last night, about a mile. I think she is safe to go out and about short distances. She is excited to get to drive again. Probably more excited to get out alone instead of being chauffeured everywhere. So that is another praise. Hope your day is going great. Thanks for the prayers. hugs, janet

"Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates." Deuteronomy 6:4-9

Monday

2009-11-30T15:10:00.004-05:00

Dear Prayer Warriors,
Thanks for the prayers. Erin is having a good day, just taking it easy after a busy weekend. Her nausea seems to be getting so much better. Hopefully after we get through this biopsy on Wed., we can drop a couple more pills off the list. Please pray for her magnesium level and her biopsy.

You all are such a blessing to us, I can't begin to tell you how comforting it is to know you are praying every day for her recovery. I know the daily update gets boring, but frankly I praise God that we are finally in the boring part of the recovery!! hugs, janet

"What other nation is so great as to have their gods near them the way the Lord our God is near us whenever we pray to him?...Only be careful, and watch yourselves closely so that you do not forget the things your eyes have seen or let them slip from you heart as long as you live." Deuteronomy 4:7,9

Sunday

2009-11-29T17:55:00.003-05:00

Hello Prayer Warriors,

Thanks for the prayers. We just got back from Fl, visiting Bill's Mom and the rest of the Blonshine clan. We got to see 2 new additions to the family, so that was very fun. Erin did great with the long trip, except for the Burger King incident! We got very little beach time because it was very windy and very cold there. We managed to stick our feet in the sand and one toe in the water. Very native of us. All the Canadians were out in their swimsuits running around and playing in the pool. Crazy Snowbirds!

Prayer requests for this week include her bone marrow biopsy on Wednesday, the procedure and the results of course, and her magnesium level. Thanks for your continued faithfulness to pray us through this ordeal. We love you, janet

"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

Sat 11/28

2009-11-28T15:58:00.003-05:00

Hello Prayer Warriors,
Thanks for the prayers. Today has been pretty good so far. Unfortunately, Erin had a headache last evening that led to an upset stomach. It may have been from eating Burger King for lunch. I admit I didn't feel so hot after that either. We should know better!! Erin went to bed at 7 and felt pretty good this morning after 14 hours of sleep. Who wouldn't! Hopefully the rest of her weekend will be better. We are so thankful for every minute she does feel well. God is good!

Go Dawgs! love, janet

"God is working in you to help you want to do and be able to do what pleases Him." Phil 2:13

Friday

2009-11-27T14:25:00.002-05:00

Hello Prayer Warriors,
Thank you for your prayers. Erin is having a good day despite not getting to shop on her favorite shopping day of the year. The sales are so tempting but the crowds are not. Hope you all are finding good deals and stimulating the economy for us. We are praising God for the blessings of health and happiness today. hugs, janet

"Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, his love endures forever." 1 Chronicles 16:34

Thanksgiving

2009-11-26T20:48:00.004-05:00

Happy Thanksgiving Prayer Warriors,
Thanks for the prayers. We are very thankful for an awesome Thanksgiving! The race was so cool. 15,000 people at O'dark hundred wrapped in plastic bags running a marathon or a half marathon! And we were there to cheer them on! The Team in Training was there in full force, running for the cure for Leukemia! Thank you Lord for the faithful athletes who raised money and ran. Jana and Erin did a great job! Jana even called Erin on her cell phone as she was getting close to the finish line so they could "cross the finish line" together. Boy did that cause a flood. They didn't end up getting on TV but, they were still our heroes and they definitely looked like Rock Stars! Thank you ladies!! It was cool to be there with our other Leukemia/Lymphoma society marathon runner from last year. Denise ran last year in San Diego. It was like we were getting to support her too in retrospect.
Erin enjoyed her Turkey dinner, both times! She has really had a some good days recently and we love it! Praise God for His perfect timing in all things. Hope you have had a blessed day. We love you, janet

P.S. We are thankful for confetti too. Nothing says "i love you" like a suitcase full of confetti. It lives forever!

Give thanks to the Lord, call upon His name, make known His deeds among the people."
1 Corinthians 16:8

Wed

2009-11-25T11:56:00.003-05:00

Happy Day Before Thanksgiving Prayer Warriors,

First I have to say Happy Birthday Jo! Yes, you are my favorite sister!!

Erin had a good evening last night. She is understandably sore from her procedure, Today she is off to the movies again after a baggy-free shower. We are so thankful to see her do normal things! Hope you are having fun with your Thanksgiving preparations and hope you have a blessed day tomorrow. love, janet

"For everything God created is good and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving, because it is consecrated by the work of God and prayer." 1Timothy 4:4

Central Line OUT!!

2009-11-24T10:24:00.002-05:00

Dear Prayer Warriors,
Thanks for the prayers. Erin just got her line out and everything went fine. She is now sleeping off the sedation. Thank you Lord!! She is looking forward to being able to take a shower without a baggie attached to her. And I am excited not to have to do dressing changes and line flushes all the time. Ahhhh, Freedom!! We are thankful.
Apparently Erin and her friends Erin Lace and Jana Bearden are going to be on 11 Alive News on Thanksgiving morning. The Leukemia/Lymphoma Society's Team in training is participating in the race on Thanksgiving morning and they found out about Jana and Erin running in Erin's honor. They are going to interview them for the show. So tune in and see if they look like movie stars. We are so humbled by the gift of their participation in this fundraiser. It is awesome to know they put in all the training and energy into this because of Erin. Help us pray that the researchers can find the cure we all so desperately need. Thank you Jana and Erin! Words cannot express our appreciation! Go Team Erin Blonshine!! love, janet

"Come. let us sing for joy to the Lord; let us shout aloud to the Rock of our salvation. Let us come before him with thanksgiving and extol him with music and song. For the Lord is the great God, the great King above all gods. In his hand are the depths of the earth, and the mountain peaks belong to him. The sea is his, for he made it, and his hands formed the dry land. Come, let us bow down in worship, let us kneel before the Lord our Maker; for he is our God and we are the people of his pasture, the flock under his care." Psalm 95:1-7

DAY 100!!!!!!

2009-11-23T13:50:00.007-05:00

Halleluia for Day 100!! Hello Prayer Warriors,
Thank you for praying us all the way to day 100. It is a huge milestone in terms of recovery. We just got back from the clinic and they were not able to fit her in to get her line out today. They have scheduled her for 8 a.m. tomorrow at Wesley Woods. She is bummed they didn't get it done today but very excited to get it out before Thanksgiving. Her magnesium level came up from 1.1 to 1.4, so that is great. 1.6 is the low end of normal so we are getting there. Unfortunately she had to use the bucket of opportunity when we got home. It is just part of the process I guess. We can't give everything up at once! She also lost another 4.5 pounds. What is that all about?? She is seriously "Twiggy" now. Please continue to pray for her line removal procedure, her nausea and her numbers. Thanks and we wish you all a Very Thankful Thanksgiving! Praising God for His rich blessings! love, janet

"Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him." Colossians 3:15-17

D

2009-11-23T13:50:00.001-05:00

+99 WooHoo

2009-11-22T12:17:00.002-05:00

Happy Sabbath Prayer Warriors,
Thanks for the prayers. Erin had a good day yesterday and is enjoying a rainy day inside today. We have praises again. She is doing great without her scopolamine patch and we reduced her nausea med from 3 pills a day to 2 and she did great. Thank you Lord!! She is still on the smallest amount of pain medicine and after her line gets out and things settle down, we will try to get rid of that too. Please pray that her magnesium level is back to normal. She is really struggling taking 6 huge mag pills a day. They said once her prograf started to come down, she wouldn't burn up as much magnesium. Let's hope each day brings less pills and more energy. Bless you for your prayers. We are thankful! janet

"I always thank my God as I remember you in my prayers, because I hear about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints. I pray that you may be active in sharing your faith, so that you will have a full understanding of every good thing we have in Christ. Your love has given me great joy and encouragement, because you, brother, have refreshed the hearts of the saints." Philemon: 4-7

Sat Day +98

2009-11-21T13:44:00.003-05:00

Happy Saturday Prayer Warriors,
Thanks for the prayers. Erin had a good day yesterday. She saw her movie and then topped it off with some food network. That was a full day. She is doing well today, supervising her Father's yard work. Sorry this is late, but I got waylaid by my sister, then by Bill and one of his projects. I am happy to focus on other things for a change. Erin did get a chance to walk outside on this, another beautiful day. Praise God! We are anxious to get her line out on Monday but as of yet, we don't have an appt. I guess a lot of people are trying to get procedures done before the Thanksgiving holiday. Please pray for decreased nausea and no motion sickness. We decided yesterday to stop her scopolamine patch and so far, she is doing well without it. Hope you are having a great weekend. hugs, janet

"I delight greatly in the Lord; my soul rejoices in my God. For he has clothed me with garments of salvation and arrayed me in a robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom adorns his head like a priest, and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels. For as the soil makes the sprout come up and a garden causes seeds to grow, so the Sovereign Lord will make righteousness and praise spring up before all nations." Isaiah 61:10-11

Friday

2009-11-20T10:23:00.002-05:00

Dear Prayer Warriors,
Thanks for the prayers. Erin's day yesterday started with 2 visits to the "bucket" but she ended up feeling pretty good. She even walked outside in the afternoon. Today she is up early and we are on our way to the movies. We have to go to the morning movies to avoid the crowds. Praising God for reasons to get up in the morning, even if it is a vampire movie. Please pray for no nausea and increased energy. Have a blessed day. love, janet

"Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be men of courage; be strong. Do everything in love." 1 Corinthains 16:13-14

Thursday

2009-11-19T11:49:00.002-05:00

Good Morning Prayer Warriors,
Thanks for the prayers. Unfortunately, the dimple forecast was not accurate yesterday. Erin did not end up having a good day. She had a stomach ache and felt sort of dizzy all day. She forced herself to eat dinner but was nauseous all night from it. I wish I could pinpoint what is causing this setback, but it's impossible. Please pray for a better day. I was really hoping we had turned the corner. But we will still praise God for the 6 days we had and strive to have a longer run next time. It would sure be nice to have a run of good days for Thanksgiving. Please pray also for discernment about getting her line out on Monday. We wanted to get it out before the holidays but if she is still puny, we might better wait. Give us wisdom Lord! love, janet

"If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given him. And when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind." James 1:5-6

Wed

2009-11-18T12:04:00.002-05:00

Woo Hoo Prayer Warriors,
One week of feeling good in a row! Praise God from whom all blessings flow! Erin had a good day yesterday. She just hung around the house but she felt good. She didn't sleep too good last night but that may be because we are still weaning her long acting pain medicine. We also changed the type of magnesium she takes. One of the those things probably caused a little stomach upset, not to mention the prograf level decreasing. Even so, I think today will be a good day too. It is all relative to months of crummy days. Perspectives change! If I can illicit a dimple when I wake her up in the morning, I consider that awesome. Thank you Lord for dimples!! Please pray for easy transitions for all of her medicine changes, a calm stomach and energy to exercise so she can get her muscles back. Thanks as always for your prayers. There is power in prayer!! Amen! We love you, janet

"Is any one of you in trouble? He should pray. Is anyone happy? Let him sing songs of praise. Is any one of you sick? He should call the elders of the church to pray over him and anoint him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise him up. If he has sinned, he will be forgiven. Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective." James 5:13-16