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Monday, April 12, 2008
Okay, Prayer Warrior’s, it’s that time again. We have an appointment this Wed. at 8:00 a.m. in clinic and then Alaina has her MRI scheduled for 10:00 a.m. We are really expecting everything to go well, but there is still that lump in our throats. They will scan her brain and spine and also do an Ultrasound of her kidneys, bloodwork, vitals, etc. and we will also see the Physical Therapist to get her inserts for her shoes. A few weeks ago, Alaina began complaining of her right foot hurting and it became increasingly more difficult to make her keep her shoes on. She was limping and there was a considerable change in her gait. I talked with them at CH about her symptoms, but decided to watch her for a few days. I had just bought Alise and Alaina both some new shoes and thought that could be the problem. We did end up going to clinic just to let them see her and also to see the P.T. there regarding possible inserts for both shoes because she pronates both feet. Well, her symptoms have totally subsided and she is not having any pain at all now....Praise the Lord!!! So, it must have just been the new shoes.

I really can’t tell all of you how much Alaina is enjoying life. Many of you see her on a regular basis and you will agree that she is making up for lost time. She is so happy, loves to sing, and dance, and giggle, and eat chocolate!!! Many times she will sing and hum when there is no music....she just has a song in her heart. I believe her very favorite thing to do is go to church. Anytime we mention going to church, she says, “I go church. I want to sing.” We have taking the kids with us to choir a few times recently and Alaina loved it!!! I truly believe in my heart that she has heard heavenly singing throughout her illness and she has a special place in her heart for church and music. I wish I could know exactly how God has comforted her during the past 1 1/2 years. The treatment she endured was so harsh, and yet she maintained a pleasant disposition. She will never be able to realize the impact that her precious spirit has made in my life.

Physical Therapy is going very well for Alaina and she loves them all. Both girls enjoy Speech Therapy and both are making improvements in that area. I was able to take the girls to The Rehab Center where I worked prior to my job as a full time Mama. It has been really good for me too. I loved work and I enjoy catching up with them.

Alise has an ENT appointment Thurs. It is my understanding that Dr. Kanzler will tell us if surgery may be required due to fluid. We have been using Nasonex and ear drops since our last visit in hopes this will correct her problem. So, please add this to your prayer list.

We have one more request. Trent has a bad sinus infection and just isn’t feeling himself. I took him to the Dr. this morning, so he has started Amoxicillin. His symptoms began last week with a low grade fever, then he developed a cough, and this morning woke up nauseated and vomiting. Please pray that he soon feels alot better.

Please continue to pray for our sweet friends that continue to fight cancer. They endure so much. We love you all!!!

Jerri and Jeff
 

Monday, March 3, 2008
I apologize for the delay in updating. We had good reports last week from our Dr.’s visits. Alise and Alaina went to each of the appointments and were very supportive of each other. During Alaina’s stick for her blood work, Alise held her hand, and during Alise’s hearing test, Alaina held Alise’s hand. It is such a blessing to see the two of them together and how they take care of each other. They truly are best friends!!! They enjoy other children, but they want to know right where the other is all the time.

Alaina’s blood work still isn’t normal, but it is improving and Dr. Reddy seemed pleased. We are going to continue Bactrim until around the end of this month and then we can stop!! As a mother, I’m anxious to get her off of it, but it’s not a problem giving it to her. She actually seems to like it, but I must say that we have been very blessed that Alaina has never given us a problem taking her medicine. Even when we knew that it tasted horrible, she would still open her sweet mouth without any resistance....What a girl!!!

One of the areas to monitor once treatment is complete is Alaina’s growth. Many children have to take growth hormones. Dr. Reddy said that right now Alaina is just where she should be. When first diagnosed, she was in the 25 % for height and now, almost 6 months post treatment, she continues to be in the 25 %. She is currently in the 75% for weight. She is almost 2 inches shorter than Alise, and weighs 1 pound more. Realistically, Alaina will more than likely be shorter than Alise. Everyone enjoyed seeing how happy Alaina is. She and Alise ran up and down the halls laughing and giggling....It was wonderful!!!

Now, for Alise....she was such a big girl for her hearing test. I was so proud of her!!! The audiologist agreed that she is not hearing well in either ear, but said that he felt once the fluid was resolved, her hearing should improve. We return to Dr. Kanzler (ENT) Wed. to see what he thinks we should do.

Thank you all for continuing to check on our family and for your continued prayers. The Lord has been so good to us!!

Jeff and Jerri

Monday, Feb. 25, 2008
Some of you may have read this poem before, but today was my first time. I’m unsure of the author, but thank you Danny Hankins for sharing this with me. It is so true!

It’s in the Valleys I Grow

Sometimes life seems hard to bear,
Full of sorrow, trouble and woe
It’s then I have to remember
That it’s in the valleys I grow
If I always stayed on the mountain top
And never experience pain,
I would never appreciate God’s love
And would be living in vain.
I do not understand
Why things happen as they do,
But I am very sure of one thing,
My Lord will see me through.
My little valleys are nothing
When I picture Christ on the cross
He went through the valley of death,
His victory was Satan’s loss.
Forgive me Lord, for complaining
When I’m feeling so very low.
Just give me a gentle reminder
That it’s in the valleys I grow.
Continue to strengthen me, Lord
And use my life each day
To share your love with others
And help them find their way.
Thank you for valleys, Lord
For this one thing I know
The mountain tops are glorious
But it’s in the valleys I grow!


As I read this, I am also reminded that every time I’m on the mountain top, there are many others going through their time in the valley. Tonight, I am lifting prayers up for all of you that are going through the valley. Heartaches present themselves in many forms and although I may not know who you are or what specifically is causing your pain, God does. May God bless you all!!

Jerri

Sunday, Feb. 24, 2008
Hello everyone!! I hope you all are doing well. The 5 of us are doing very well. The Lord has blessed us with good days. We have all managed to stay relatively well. Alaina is living life to its fullest!!! She is so happy, full of life, and seems to be getting stronger daily. She is receiving P.T. and Speech 2x/wk. (Alise is also receiving Speech).

Speaking of Alise, we took her for an ENT appointment on the 11th, as you have to go through an ENT to get a referral for a hearing test. Thinking that this visit would be a breeze, we were taken back when he said that Alise isn’t hearing well out of either ear due to fluid. We couldn’t believe it. The girls have only had one ear infection in their life and Alise has never acted as if she wasn’t hearing well. He explained, that her ears are not infected and prescribed ear drops and nose spray to attempt to treat this conservatively. We have our hearing test Wed. and a follow-up visit with our ENT soon. If the fluid hasn’t cleared, we could be looking at getting tubes. We are praying that the spray and drops will do the trick and Alise will start hearing better. Then maybe both girls will begin to speak more understandably. They told us in therapy that Alaina will pronounce the words correctly at times, Alise will pronounce it incorrectly, and then Alaina will repeat what Alise has said. It’s a vicious cycle!! Ha

Well, if all goes as planned, we gave Alaina her LAST dose of Bactrim tonight. We are scheduled for a check up Tues. at which time we will know if Dr. Reddy still thinks it’s time to stop. Then she will be taking NOTHING!!!!! What a blessing!!!! The only thing that I really dread on Tues. and all the appointments and MRI’s to come, is that since she doesn’t have a central line anymore, she will have to be stuck. This can be a time of stress for both of us if they have trouble getting a vein. Please pray that this is an easy process.

Trent is doing great!!! He continues to love school and of course, Mrs. Nora. He is happy, creative, and yes, a typical boy!!! It thrills me to watch he grow and mature. He loves to sing, listen to music, color and draw, and he is even beginning to enjoy playing with his sisters more!! Last Saturday was Trent’s last basketball game. He went out with a bang!!! HE RANG THE BASKET!!! He has at practice, but this was his first time to actually make points in a game. It was wonderful seeing the excitement on his face as he heard everyone screaming his name!!!

Tonight we practiced our Easter music. The kids went with us. Alaina sat with me, Alise with PawPaw (aka Tyler Barnes), and Trent played with some of his friends. As I sat in the choir singing, holding Alaina, listening to her sing and dance, watching the sweet smiles on Alise’s face, seeing Trent enjoying himself, and watching my wonderful and faithful husband play the guitar and sing, I thanked God for blessing my life so richly. We serve an incredible God. Tonight, I thank God for my wonderful family and I pray that I can be the wife and mother that they deserve.

Please remember so many of our friends that continue to fight cancer. We had another child with AT/RT to pass away this morning. Please pray peace for this family. As always, thank you for loving our family and keeping us in your thoughts and prayers. I will update following our Dr.’s visits this week.

Praising God for Restoring My Family!!!!
Jerri and Jeff

Sunday, January 27,2008
Hello everyone!! Just letting you all know that everything has calmed down a little bit here at the Atkins’ house.....THANK GOODNESS!!

Alaina is healing nicely at her central line site. We are loving not having any “noodles”!!!! It’s wonderful to just bathe her and dress her without worrying about cleaning and flushing her central line.

Alaina did have a Physical Therapy evaluation last Monday and she and Alise both received a Speech evaluation. We are going to have P.T. and Speech 2x/wk. Our next appointments are tomorrow.

The fluid-filled area on Alaina’s head is somewhat improved. It is still not causing any complications. Dr. Satchivi asked that I call him back in a week or so and let him know how it looks. I plan to do that tomorrow.

Otherwise, we are just coping with everyday battles...you know, fighting over toys, finding something everyone will eat, and getting the girls to go to sleep at a descent time. These are welcomed battles!!!!!

As well as we are doing, my heart and mind are very burdened tonight. One of our sweet friends, Claire Devins, who also is battling AT/RT, had a scan a few days ago. After receiving the news that all was clear, her mother, Liz, received a phone call that the Dr. wanted to talk with her. A small spot showed up that could be tumor returning. Please pray with us tonight and tomorrow that it is NOTHING. They will know more tomorrow. Please visit her site and leaving any encouraging words you may have.....www.caringbridge.org/visit/clairedevins

Jeff and Jerri
 

Friday, Jan.18, 2008
Sometimes when it rains...it pours!!!!!!!!!!!! Everything has been going so well. We were having absolutely no problems, until Tuesday night when Jeff found the fluid-filled area on Alaina’s head. We received good news from Dr. Reddy the following day, but decided to also call Alaina’s Neurosurgeon (Dr. Satchivi) to get his take on everything. They gave us an appointment for yesterday morning. He also feels that everything is okay as long as it remains the same size or decreases in size. If it should become more enlarged then he said we would do a scan to see what exactly was going on. He had a couple of explanations. He explained that when we get a bump on the head (if that is was happened), initially, the area becomes hard because the blood has clotted, but several weeks later, the blood returns to liquid, which could make it feel soft like the area on Alaina’s head. So, what we are feeling could be blood. But, he said it could be cerebral spinal fluid and explained that, since the area of concern was near the surgical site, and also the area that received the greatest amount of radiation, and also the fact that she has received such high doses of chemo, the healing of that area may be prolonged. He said that the incision itself had healed nicely and that the fluid should resolve as she has longer to heal. While visiting with Dr. Satchivi, he also commented on how well Alaina’s last MRI looked!!! That was encouraging to hear. I really can’t hear that enough. Sometimes I wish they would call me everyday and tell me how wonderful it looks...just for my peace of mind.

Okay, so the story doesn’t end here. Alaina and I came home around lunchtime. My parents were here with Trent and Alise. The kids ate lunch, my parents went home, and I put the girls in their room for a nap around 1:30-2:00 p.m. Trent was watching T.V. and I was trying to catch up on laundry. I happened to be in the living room and heard Alaina fussing. I looked in the girls room and they were both sitting on the bed, looking at me like the cat that ate the canary. I noticed Alise was holding the ends of Alaina’s central line, but Alaina was sitting too far away. Yes, it’s true, Alise pulled Alaina’s line apart. She didn’t pull it out of her chest, but pulled the two lumens off. For 2-3 minutes......I PANICKED!!! I grabbed the emergency kit that I’ve had for a whole year and never had to use. In it was the clamp they gave us in the event that something like this should happen. Since it is a direct line into a major vein, without clamping it off, it would continue to bleed. I just kept thinking, “If I can just get it clamped off, everything will be okay!!!” The clamp BROKE!!! Can you believe it?

Okay, now picture this.....I was at home alone with 3 kids, Trent was running in behind me...scared to death, Alise was totally unaware of what she had done and began to ride her scooter in the house, Alaina was actually giggling a little bit and bleeding alot....she kept trying to put her ace wrap back on. By this time, I had managed to get Alaina to the kitchen. We were sitting in the floor. I was manually holding the clamp to stop the bleeding. Once I was able to stop the bleeding I started thinking straight again. Trent brought me the phone and I called Jeff’s cell phone first. He came home immediately. Trent helped me get my cell phone that had all the emergency numbers. I was told to bring her back to CH and they would be calling the surgeon and they would probably remove her line that evening. When Jeff got home, he wrapped a rubber band around the clip and tied the end of the line with a bread tie.....It worked like a charm!!!! Jeff’s mother came from work to stay with Trent and Alise and we headed for Birmingham. It was now around 3:30 p.m. We arrived around 4:45 p.m and by 6:30 p.m. we had gotten in, filled out paper work, saw the Dr.’s, and the surgeon had removed her line!!!! Alaina, once again proved what a brave and big girl she is. They removed it without anesthesia. It was a little difficult initially, but after a couple of minutes, it slipped right out!!!! Hallelujah....WE ARE LINELESS!!!!! It feels great to hold her without anything attached. We are very thankful that Alise didn’t pull this little stunt while Alaina needed her line. Actually, we thank her for speeding things up a bit. We return to the surgeon for follow-up in a week. She hasn’t missed a beat. She is in no pain, and doesn’t seem to even be sore!!! Thank you Lord, once again for taking care of our baby!!!

We were able to visit with our nurses on 4th floor. It was great to see them all, talk and visit, watch Alaina play with them, and then GO HOME!!!! We also saw some of our friends in the hospital. Please remember Meredith Dyer (website on our links), as she is having surgery today to remove her adrenal gland. Also, remember our friend, Carly Parker (www.caringbridge.org/visit/carlyparker) she is also having surgery today. Brooke Routon (www.caringbridge.org/visit/brookerouton) is still in the hospital waiting for her counts to allow her to go home. Lily Porter (www.caringbridge.org/visit/lilyporter) is also back in the hospital with fever and possible shunt infection. Please pray for Joe Slater (he is from the UK) www.caringbridge.org/visit/joeslater Also AT/RT. He received bad news on his MRI this week.

Thank you all for your continued support and love and most of all the prayers. Yes, the past 3 days have been very trying, but today we are thankful that the place on Alaina’s head isn’t serious, that we don’t have a central line anymore, and that things are becoming more and more normal.......GOD IS SO GOOD!!!

Expecting an uneventful day!!!
Jerri and Jeff

January 16, 2007

Hi everyone. I hope we didn’t scare anyone too badly. Last night while bathing the girls, I noticed a fluid filled area around Alaina’s incision. It was about 2-3 inches long in a semi-circle shape. It is almost like a large blister under the skin.

Jerri took Alaina to Children’s this morning, and after looking at it Dr. Reddy feels like it is of no concern. Since it is between her skull and the deepest skin layer she thinks it may be from a “bump on the head”. That might be a reasonable answer, but Jerri and I feel like getting a second opinion. She is not experiencing any thing out of the ordinary, and we don’t remember her hitting her head on anything. Even though it is filled with about an 1/8 of an inch of fluid, it doesn’t even seem to bother her.

We decided to call her surgeon to get their take on things so, Jerri and Alaina are going back to B’ham in the morning. Weather permitting of course. It is actually snowing here! That may not seem like a shock to some of you, but for our area this is a big deal. People seem to forget the most basic driving skills when it snows. You know things like STOP, GO, SLOW DOWN, SPEED UP seem to go out the window.

Please pray that this will turn out to be a nothing at all. And that Dr. Satchivi can give us some answers. A special thanks goes out to Jared our web master for posting yesterday’s update for us on such notice.

We love all of you who have prayed us through so far.
Thank You, Jeff and Jerri

Wednesday, Jan.9, 2008
I’m sorry that I was unable to update sooner. We didn’t get home until around 4 p.m. Jeff had to return to work, the girls and I went to my parents house to get Trent, and then the kids and I headed to church.....What a long day. It is now 10:44 p.m. and everyone is asleep, so I can finally update.

Our appointment was at 8:30 a.m.. We went for the ultrasound of her kidneys first (around 9:30 a.m.). Alaina did great. She cried some, but never resisted. Alise, Jeff, and I were all in there with her, and it really helped that Dora was on T.V. Her MRI began around 10:30 a.m. and by 11:45 a.m., she was finished. She recovered well from the anesthesia, and by 12:00 p.m., we were back in clinic for blood work, vitals, etc. Dr. Reddy couldn’t see us until after 1:00 p.m., so we headed for lunch. We went to Capt. D’s and boy, did the girls eat!!!

We saw Dr. Reddy about 1:30 p.m. and her statement went something like this.....” Her brain looks GREAT!!!!” She actually said that she was so excited about how well the MRI of her brain looked that she completely forgot to look at her spine. After she examined Alaina, she reviewed the MRI of her spine and the results were CLEAR as well!!!! As were her kidneys!!!

Alaina’s blood work looked good. Her WBC was 3.53 (5.50-15.50 normal), HCT was 29.6 (34-40 normal), and platelets were 209, 000 (140-440,00 normal).

Alaina now weighs more than Alise!!! (Alaina=33 lbs. 8 ozs., Alise=32 lbs. 3 ozs.) Alise is still taller. (Alise=37.4 in., Alaina= 36.4 in.)

Our next appointment with Dr. Reddy is on Tues., Feb. 26th. and her next MRI will be Wed., April 16th. They will be calling us in a few days to schedule a time to remove Alaina’s central line!!!! Hallelujah!! Dr. Reddy said that in a couple of months we can stop taking Bactrim (antibiotic). Before too long, she won’t need any additional care other than what every other normal 3 year old requires!!! Thank you Lord for hearing our prayers!!!!

Dr. Reddy did say that her gait had improved since our last visit, but still agrees with us that O.T., P.T., and Speech are needed. We received an order for these services and will begin soon.

Thank you all for your continued expression of love to our family!!!

Resting a Little Easier,
Jerri and Jeff

Friday, Jan. 4, 2008
HAPPY NEW YEAR TO EVERYONE!!!! I’ve been meaning to get an update posted before now, but wow, have we been busy. I can’t believe it’s 2008!!!

We are all doing absolutely GREAT!!! Alaina is having the time of her life. It has been a blessing to watch all 3 of our kids have such a wonderful time this Christmas season. We are looking forward to this next year and praying that cancer is not a frequently used word.

Please remember Alaina is your prayers. Her MRI and ultrasound are scheduled for this Wed. We have to be in clinic at 9:00 a.m. (without eating anything before her MRI at 10:00). She will have the U.S. of her kidneys first, then the MRI of brain and spine. We will, of course, see Dr. Reddy, have blood work checked, etc. Let me say that Jeff and I expect nothing but FANTASTIC results, but this is still a very anxious time for us.

We were scheduled to see her G.I. Dr. following her MRI, but I canceled that appointment because Alaina is having absolutely no problems in this area anymore...praise the Lord!!!

There are some things that I’ve mentioned previously to Dr. Reddy and Allison concerning Alaina’s developmental skills and gross motor skills that we have noticed in the last several months as we have been challenging her more. Alaina is functioning well, but there are some areas in which we feel she can improve. It is obvious to us that she is weaker on her right side (upper and lower extremities). This would be effects of her brain surgery. She does correct her patterns of movement upon command and tactile cues. She has made improvements in the last couple of months as we encourage independent weight bearing on her right leg, using reciprocal stepping when going up and down steps, etc. We have also been encouraging her to cross midline when participating in upper extremity tasks and fine motor tasks. As an O.T., I am trying to be objective in seeing her deficits, but I want to be sure the “Mama” side of me doesn’t get in the way. That’s why we have requested a P.T., O.T., and Speech evaluation. Our feeling is, the more people involved, the better.

As far as Speech Therapy goes, this is an area of concern with Alise as well. Neither of the girls are speaking age appropriately, however this is improving. We will be talking with our Pediatrician regarding Speech for Alise too.

Recently, I’ve stopped keeping a daily diary for Alaina...the reason being that....I really didn’t have much to document!!! Thankfully!!! The only medication is Bactrim (antibiotic) 3x/wk. and cleaning (3x/wk) and flushing (daily) her central line. This is so routine to us, that writing it down really isn’t necessary. I can’t imagine how wonderful it will be once her line is removed. We have been so fortunate that she hasn’t had any problems with her line....another blessing from God! They will probably schedule it to be removed shortly following her MRI on Wed.!!!!

We are starting to get our “identical” twins back!! When Alaina was going through treatment, I remember looking at the two of them lying in their beds, and thinking the days of them looking alike were over. Alaina’s frail body, smaller features, no hair/eyelashes/eyebrows, her weak cry, a nose tube, poor appetite, nausea.......how could she survive, much less ever look like Alise again? We would come home from the hospital and I actually thought Alaina looked reasonably well....until I saw her next to Alise....then I just wanted to break down. Now, many times throughout the day, I look at Alaina and Alise together, and I want to break down, but now for a different reason. Now, with a humbled spirit, I thank my Lord and Savior for restoring my baby’s health. ALL THINGS ARE POSSIBLE WITH GOD!!!

The girls are now in a full sized bed TOGETHER!!! They LOVE being able to sleep together and many times play and giggle for hours before finally going to sleep. It’s just like I imagined it would be...I love lying in bed listening to them on the monitor...after all, they missed out on each other over the past year and have some catching up to do!!! It’s music to our ears!!

On Thurs. Trent will be 5 years old!!! Happy Birthday Trent!! We love you so much!! He has grown up so much this past year. During his prayers, he still thanks God that Alaina is feeling better. He has been one of Alaina’s biggest prayer warriors and is such a blessing to our entire family!

Please continue to remember all of the precious children battling cancer and the many that will be diagnosed during this next year. One of our neighbors was recently diagnosed with T-cell Lymphoma. Her name is Brooke Routon. She has a caring bridge site www.caringbridge.org/visit/brookerouton Drop her a line if you can. She is back in CH with shingles. Also, Bayleigh Phillips will be having an MRI on Monday. Meredith Dyer will be having tests also on Monday to see if she will require additional surgery. Congrats to Taylor Hendrix who had her port removed today and is doing well. One more step toward putting this past year behind her!!! Owen Lyons (AT/RT) will also be having his MRI this next week. He is one year post treatment and doing well!!! Carolyn Thompson is having trouble with her legs. Please pray that this will soon resolve. Janna Hamilton received stable results from her latest MRI, but is having blood pressure problems. Lindsey Ledwon (AT/RT) has recently relapsed. Please pray for her family as they await a plan. Joe Slater’s (AT/RT) last MRI showed a blemish that is concerning. He will be having another MRI soon. Julia Pinotti (AT/RT) is in the hospital with a virus.

I will be updating soon with the results of Alaina’s appointment. Thank you all for remembering her in your prayers. We love and appreciate you all so much!!

Jeff and Jerri
 

Wednesday, Dec. 26th
What a wonderful Christmas we had!!!! We are so thankful for where we are this year compared to last. God has been very good to us and brought us through in a way only He could.

On Christmas Eve we spent time with Jeff’s family and on Christmas Day my side of the family. The kids had so much fun and enjoyed EVERYTHING. It was wonderful for Jeff and me to see our children so happy after such a rough year. They went through this trial just as we did. Although they really can’t put it into words, they have been affected too. Our prayer is that this completes Alaina’s experience with cancer and that this happened when the kids were still young enough that they won’t have any memory of all that they have been through.

Just as I begin to breathe a little easier, our “AT/RT world” is hit with very discouraging news that one of our little friends, Lindsey, has relapsed. On Christmas Eve and Christmas Day she began to feel badly. A trip to the hospital and a scan revealed that her tumor has returned. Just a couple of months ago the scan showed that everything was CLEAR and now they are making decisions about the next course of action. Please pray for this family as I know how devastated they must be. Her website can be found under Alaina’s friends links.

I really need to apologize to everyone for the lack of updates and to many of you for not emailing in a timely manner. Please don’t think that it is a sign that we don’t need your continued prayers. To be honest, I’ve really needed to take a step back. It’s been really difficult for me to find a balance between the cancer world and a somewhat normal life. I hope that this is making sense to everyone. For over a year now, we have met many families dealing with a child having cancer, families who have lost children in their battle against cancer, and the possibility that Alaina could lose her battle. The emotions that surface are incomprehensible.....
I think about how quickly one can relapse and I get sick to my stomach. I look at how well Alaina is doing and I’m ecstatic. I think about what my life would be without her and my heart is flooded with sadness. I see how much love she has in her heart and I’m amazed. I watch the three of our children playing and laughing together and I’m thankful. I hear of another child who has been recently diagnosed and I feel for that family and recall the nightmare of the day we were told. I think about our next scan coming up and I become anxious and fearful. I watch the peaceful expressions on my children’s faces as they sleep and I become calm.
This Christmas has taken on a totally different meaning and my thoughts have, not only focused on the birth of our Savior, but also on the emotions of Mary. Until this year, I never really had a grasp of what Mary, the mother of Jesus, was feeling as she felt the excitement of holding her precious baby in her arms, while knowing that, in order for His purpose to be fulfilled, she would experience much sorrow. She was still His mother, and she loved Him with a mother’s love, even though He was the Savior of the world. When I hold Alaina in my arms, I know that as much as I love her, God loves her more and has a purpose for her life. Do I understand it? No, but I don’t have too. My responsibility as her mother is to help her be the best she can be and to rejoice as the Lord uses her (and Trent and Alise) for His honor and glory!!

As we enter this new year...2008! Let’s make resolutions to God. Of course, we each have some personal resolutions, but let’s all think about how we can serve our Lord and Savior more effectively. I know that I could really use some improvement in this area. Thank you all for allowing me to use the website to express what’s on my mind. It truly is helpful in sorting out my emotions. I love you all and wish you all a VERY HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

DON’T FORGET ABOUT ALAINA’S UPCOMING APPOINTMENT......JAN. 9TH!!

Admiring the Strength of Mary!!
Jerri

Wednesday, Dec. 19th
I hope everyone is having a wonderful holiday season. We have been enjoying all of the Christmas cheer that we missed last year. Thinking back, I don’t think we even played any Christmas music last year. Boy, are we making up for lost time!!! Every time we get into the car the kids start requesting their favorite song.....Trent’s favorite is Santa Claus Is Coming To Town, Alise likes Here Comes Santa Claus, and Alaina LOVES Frosty The Snowman. I love to hear the 3 of them singing, dancing, and clapping, and most of all the huge smiles on their faces!!!

Alaina is just doing remarkably well. No problems, no complaints, and NO CANCER!!!! She only takes Bactrim (antibiotic) 3 days/wk. Of course, she still has her central line, so we have to care for that, but otherwise we do normal, everyday things. Alaina’s next appointment is JANUARY 9TH. She will be having another MRI of her brain and spine, ultrasound of her kidneys, as well as bloodwork and a check-up with Dr. Reddy.

Alaina is so happy. She is happy to go and do ANYTHING!! She loves taking Trent to school and picking him up, she loves playing outside, she loves going shopping, she loves going to church. She even likes to help with the house work and especially the laundry. (I’m anxious to see if she feels the same way in about 10 years!! Ha!) She is always happy!! She amazes me with how much love she has for everyone....even perfect strangers. There are times she will just hug and hug Jeff and me. You know, one of those hugs where you grunt at the end.....it’s wonderful. We receive voluntary kisses alot and she loves to tease us about who’s girl she is. If I ask her if she is Mama’s girl, she grins and says, “No, Daddy’s girl!” and if Jeff asks her, she is suddenly my girl again. Every now and then she is Trent or Alise’s girl. We are all very blessed to have our “old” Alaina back!!!

Now, for another praise report. As many of you know, Jeff and I have been concerned about Alise, and her chances of having problems since she and Alaina are identical. Several months ago, we began noticing some changes in Alise that were concerning to us, and as time went on, became more and more of a concern. She has had a change in her personality. She was our content, easy going child, but lately has become whiny, irritable, and hard to manage at times, her eating habits have changed, and at times we would notice her lying down, holding her head, etc. We talked with Allison (nurse practitioner) about these concerns about a week ago. There is such a fine line between normal and abnormal. All of the things we are noticing are NORMAL (most of the time), but we also remember Alaina doing these things. Jeff and I were finding ourselves more and more fearful and anxious about Alise, so Monday, I called again and they made us an appointment for today with Dr. Reddy. They are so wonderful to listen to the rambling of paranoid parents. Dr. Reddy evaluated Alise and saw no reasons for concern, but very graciously said that she understood how we felt and would order a CT scan if we wanted her to. We were definitely in agreement. We needed a little peace of mind....and we got it!!! They scanned her today and everything is fine!!! We are praising God that now we can relax about Alise and enjoy Alaina being cancer free....That’s the best Christmas gift we could receive!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Hope you all have a very Merry Christmas!!! Please remember Alaina on Jan. 9th. PRAY FOR CLEAR RESULTS!!!

Thanking God for the gift of Jesus!!!
Jerri and Jeff

Monday, Dec. 10th
Hello everyone!!! Hope you all are having a wonderful Christmas Season. We have been so busy and it’s been great. We’ve enjoyed being busy and away from the hospital!! We had several Christmas parties to go to this past weekend. We’ve enjoyed catching up with some of our friends and having some laughs. Jeff and I have been able to return to choir practice at church, the kids are enjoying being more involved with their friends. All 3 of our children love church, but Alaina really gets excited when we say it’s time for church!! It has been such a blessing to see her blossom into the little girl we once knew....God is so good and has so richly blessed us!!!

Trent has started playing basketball with our R.A.’s at church and they had their first game Sat. morning. It was so much fun watching him. Right now, he really doesn’t understand exactly what to do and uses the time on the court to socialize...Thank you Coach Greg for your patience!!! One thing we forgot to warn him about was the buzzer...THE LOUD BUZZER!!! The first time it went off, I thought he was coming out of his skin. Trent and Jeff sang in church yesterday. What a joy to watch my husband and my little boy sing praises to God together!!! Trent loves to sing and it just blesses my heart to watch him sing with such passion.

We really are having some wonderful days. The only problem right now is trying to keep the girls in bed at night. About a week ago, we had to take them out of their baby beds (something we really needed to do much sooner) because Alise climbed out of hers. Anyway, the girls love being able to get to each other and now bedtime has become playtime. They get into each others bed, laugh, giggle, play with toys, and talk constantly!!! It is so precious to hear them with each other, but after about 5-7 trips into their room to tell them to go to sleep, put them back to bed, and cover them up, it’s not quite as precious! ha! One thing that they love to do is lie in the floor together and hold hands, so in order to keep them in bed, I think we may have to put them in one big bed. It is wonderful having situations like this as one of our biggest challenges. I’d much rather be up until 1 a.m. (like I was last night), putting the girls back in their beds, than I had Alaina and I being in the hospital away from Jeff, Trent, and Alise.

There are so many things that I count a joy now, that a year ago would have been so much more frustrating. I enjoy so many of the “small” things in our lives now....playing outside, playing games, running down the hill in our front yard, playing with our neighbors dogs, going shopping, all 5 of us wrestling in bed, voluntary hugs and kisses, and my kids happy faces!!! I thank the Lord for His goodness in giving us 3 wonderful kids and teaching me how to fully enjoy life!!! There are also some things that I would have never done before, such as this morning, letting Trent wear his Halloween shirt (with a skeleton on it), just because he wanted to. I know many people today will think I’ve lost my mind by letting him wear a Halloween shirt at Christmas time. I initially told him, “No, it’s Christmas. We don’t need to wear a Halloween shirt today.” His response was, “But Mama, my friends will like it.” He’s right.....we don’t have to be like everyone else and so what if people look at us funny. Ha!

Thank you all for loving us so much and checking on us. Enjoy this Christmas like never before and hug and love your kids....even when your busy and stressed!!! And don’t forget what Trent has taught us.......do something fun and different to make people look at you funny!! What will it matter a few days from now, or a week, or month from now.....ENJOY LIFE!!!

Thankful to be CANCER FREE!!
Jerri and Jeff

Monday, Dec. 3rd
As you can tell from my lack of updates, we are staying pretty busy. We are all doing very well. Alise has had a bad cold and cough, but she is getting much better.

Alaina is loving life and reminds us constantly to enjoy each moment....and believe me, we are!!! We had a wonderful time this past Saturday at church. We had something this year that was a fantastic idea....Breakfast with Santa. We all enjoyed a very good breakfast, pictures with Santa, and there were several craft tables set up for the kids!!! All 3 of our kids had a great time and the girls went around hugging everyone...even people they didn’t know. I thank God for the love He has placed in their hearts....What a blessing!!!

This year we are enjoying Christmas like never before!! I’ve always enjoyed this time of year. I really expected that “cancer” would forever linger around the Christmas holiday, always thinking about last year, and living more in the past than the present. I can honestly say that, yes I still think about “this time last year”, but praise God we have so many blessings to count. I find myself thinking about all of the families that have lost their children and are spending their first Christmas without them. Please say a prayer for these families, that God would show them extra love and give them a peace which we can’t understand.

Something else has really been on my mind lately....As an Occupational Therapist, I have treated many children with special needs. Some that had strokes, brain surgeries, CP, developmental delays, and many other challenges. I always had a special place in my heart for these kids and their families, but now I have a better understanding of what they go through on a daily basis. I’d like to take time right now to say how much I love each of them and admire them greatly. Many of the parents had, not only a child which required extra care, but other children, a full-time job, and many other responsibilities.....WOW!! I can’t imagine the stress they were/are under, yet still managed to have it all together. Let me urge you, if you know of a family that has a child with special needs, put your arm around them and tell them how much you admire them. It may be just the boost they need to get them through the day. To all the families that I’ve had the privilege to work with throughout the years....I LOVE YOU ALL VERY MUCH!!!!

Please remember...Alaina returns for an MRI of her brain and spine and ultrasound of her kidneys Jan. 9th. We have no reason to expect anything but excellent results, but still my nerves are on edge....I guess they always will be.

We still have many friends in the middle of treatment. Please continue to lift them in prayer.

Thankful for the gift of Jesus!!
Jerri and Jeff

Wednesday, Nov.28th
I am sorry that it has been so long since my last update. Thank you to everyone who has been faithful to continue to check on Alaina. As our lives have become more normal, it has been very difficult to find the time to update. I’m sorry.

Alaina is getting stronger, happier, and healthier every day....Praise God! She is having NO difficulties. Even the problems that I’ve shared regarding her stomach and bowel problems have subsided. Thank you all for praying for this to get better. Once again the Lord has been faithful to answer our prayers!!! The only medication Alaina is taking on a regular basis is Bactrim (antibiotic), which is only 3 days/week!!! It is my understanding that she will continue to take Bactrim for several months after the completion of her treatment because her immune system is still compromised.

She is still eating very well and playing and laughing with Trent and Alise alot. Any of you that have been around her recently, know that she is not clingy to me at all now. She goes up to perfect strangers and gives them hugs. Initially, during and following treatment, she was very reluctant to be around others. It was as if crowds of people, especially other children (who were obviously more active than she), made her very nervous and uncertain....NOT NOW!!!! She gets right in there with them. Once again I thank God that she is more and more like a normal 3 year old (even when she is testing limits).

The Praise Party was fantastic!!! Thank you to everyone who was able to come. What a blessing it was to see so many people who were celebrating with us. We had a sign in sheet and a matted picture for everyone to sign, but we still weren’t able to get an exact count of how many came. Jeff and I estimate that it was somewhere around 250!!! Thank you to everyone who so willingly gave of their time to help us decorate, plan, clean up, etc. Thank you to Johnny Phillips and Top ‘O The River who donated food. Thank you to Glenn Williams and his band who gave of their time to play for us....It was great!!! We really were surprised at how so many of you came to spend the entire party with us!! You can never imagine how much that meant to us. We are so happy and it is wonderful to have so many of you that are happy right along with us. It has been and continues to be a long journey, but with all of you beside us, we gain tremendous strength!!! WE LOVE YOU ALL SO VERY MUCH!!!

I asked Trent what his favorite part of the party was. I really expected him to say, playing on the inflatables or something like that. His answer was, “When we let all those balloons go!!” That was definitely one of my favorites. As we all congregated outside, each of us holding balloons, and then to release all 306 of them (the number of days Alaina was in treatment). It was a tangible way to let go of the past year. It was more healing than I ever imagined it would be as we all hugged and cried and thanked God for Alaina’s healing. We will never forget that it was our Lord and Savior who ultimately saw Alaina through this past year!! God has so richly blessed us!!!

I have to mention something else that really blesses my heart. As we are out in the community...Wal-mart, restaurants, etc., I am touched by the people who approach our family (people we have never met), that say that they have been following Alaina’s progress....THANK YOU SO MUCH!! For strangers to take the time to keep up with a little girl, whom they have never met, and to pray for God’s healing touch, blesses my heart beyond words!!! We were in Wal-mart the other day and a precious lady came up to us very excited, saying that she had been reading our website throughout the year. Thank you Regina Vargus for loving our little girl. Thank you to the lady in the parking lot of Gadsden Regional who recognized us and told us of her prayers. Thank you to the lady last night at Logan’s Restaurant who said, “I’ve seen her picture. That’s Alaina, right? And she’s cancer free!” Please don’t hesitate to speak to us and tell us of your support. It is such a blessing and a constant reminder of how God’s people should stick together during a storm!!!

As we have gone through this Thanksgiving Holiday and are now approaching Christmas, I tend to dwell on how this last year has brought us blessings in the midst of turmoil. This year is so different from where we were last year. I think of all the families who have just recently received the devastating news that their child has cancer, those who are going through very uncertain days. My heart aches for them. Before all of this with Alaina, I am embarrassed to say, that I never thought about those spending holidays in the hospital, those grieving over their children’s pain....I do now. It reminds me to be thankful EVERYDAY. Every time I’m able to go to church, shopping, to the movies, enjoy time with family/friends. Because as I am enjoying blessings, there are others in pain/sorrow. Looking back over the times we were in the hospital, we only spent ONE major holiday away from home....that’s a blessing in itself!!

Just a little bit about where we were this time last year. On Nov. 27th (which would have been yesterday), we went for our follow-up appointment with Dr. Satchivi. Alaina received a good report as far as how she was healing from her brain surgeries, but it was from him that we first heard the diagnosis of Atypical Teratoid Rhabdoid Brain Tumor. Following our visit with him, we were sent to Dr. Reddy (neuro-oncologist), who really told us about how horrible this cancer really is, and the intense treatment it required. There we were, sitting in the room with a NEURO-ONCOLOGIST. You never think you will be discussing putting poison in your baby’s body. Alaina was feeling good, recovering well from brain surgery, but yet we weren’t finished. Dr. Reddy was very kind, compassionate, and spend what seemed like hours with us, as we tried to process everything. She warned us that anything we read on the Internet would paint a very grim picture, but that the treatment had been revised significantly.

On Nov. 29th (tomorrow) we were scheduled for an MRI of her spine and kidneys to be sure it had not spread to those areas....PRAISE GOD IT HAD NOT!!!

Please continue to remember Alaina in prayer. It is my fear that people will think since she is cancer free that she doesn’t need as much prayer....SHE DOES!! We have our next scheduled MRI on Jan. 9, 2008. Please start praying now that it will be CLEAR!!!

Horrified of the past, BUT Hopeful for the future!!!

Jerri and Jeff


Friday, November 16th
We are all doing well. The girls have a cold and cough, but otherwise...GREAT!!! We are finishing up with some last minute preparations for the BIG Celebration tomorrow!!!! We are looking forward to a fun-filled afternoon!!! We hope to see many of you there!!!

We are so thankful for how well Alaina is doing now compared to a year ago. I hope that I’m not boring everyone with all of my “this time last year stories”. It’s just what is consuming my thoughts right now. On Nov. 15, 2006, we had a post surgery MRI. Around 5:00 p.m., Dr. Satchivi returned to our room with the news that some of the tumor still remained and that he wanted to go back to surgery the next day...Thurs., Nov. 16th. I remember asking him, “Does it look like you will be able to get all of it?” This was the same question we asked before the first surgery and he could not say. Thinking I would probably receive the same answer, but also hoping for reassurance, I asked it again. His response was, “Yes!” Having learned his character, we knew he wouldn’t say it if he didn’t absolutely believe it. This was some relief, but I was a wreck knowing that my sweet little girl faced yet another risky brain surgery. It seemed at this time that none of our prayers were being answered. Not the way we had hoped. We prayed that once in Birmingham, they would find nothing...it was still there. We prayed that all of the tumor would be removed with the first surgery...it wasn’t. And now...another surgery! I recall going into the bathroom and crying until there were no more tears to cry. I felt that all of my dreams for Alaina were vanishing before my eyes. Everything was spinning out of control...my control. Of course, I feared the obvious...that she wouldn’t be strong enough to go through another surgery, but I also feared how disabled she would be after 2 brain surgeries. We had no doubt that Dr. Satchivi was the best surgeon we could have. We were very confident in him, so if he said that he felt we needed to go through this one more time....our answer was, “We’re with you.”

The surgery was scheduled for the afternoon of the 16th. They began around 4:45 p.m. Prior to the surgery, Dr. Satchivi once again was very willingly to allow us to pray with him. The separation from Alaina was a little better this time. Because of how hard it was the first surgery, they suggested that we allow them to give her a “don’t care drug”. Why this is not a standard procedure, I don’t know. It sure makes it easier on the parents and the child. Many friends and family were there again, remaining throughout the surgery, and staying with us until Dr. Satchivi came out with the news.....HE THOUGHT HE GOT IT ALL!!!! After 2 1/2 hours, I felt I could breath again. It wasn’t long before we were able to see her in recovery and then we were moved to the PICU again. She had no complications and the only thing they were giving her for pain was Tylenol....what an amazing little girl!!! We watched for any signs of problems...she was moving all extremities, talking, looking around, and drank 2 cups of juice that evening!!!

Although we didn’t understand why Alaina was having to go through so much, God still continued to show us that He was with her, and us, and that He loved us very much. Tonight, I thank God for His unfailing love. We love Him more each day and thank Him for carrying us during our weak times. During uncertain times, one thing is certain....He is our Father and He hurts when we hurt.

Thankful for the gift of Salvation,
Jerri and Jeff

Wednesday, Nov. 14th
Alaina currently is doing very well. She has a little bit of a cold and not eating quite as well, but otherwise, no complaints.

We are getting ready for Alaina’s big day on Saturday, as we celebrate God’s goodness. Her End of Treatment Praise Party is for everyone. We are not sending out invitations. We chose to put the invitation on her website instead, so everyone that has been praying for her (even those we haven’t had the opportunity to meet) would be invited. Please come and enjoy some refreshments, a blue grass band, inflatable activities in the gym (for all ages), and just some good fun and fellowship. At the conclusion of Alaina’s party, we will be releasing 306 balloons, representing the 306 days she was in treatment. We will be letting go of the past year and looking forward to the years to come, as we believe God has wonderful plans in store for Alaina.

On this day last year, Alaina was recovering in the PICU from her first brain surgery. She was recovering very well with no significant deficits. She was moving all 4 extremities, talking, waving, playing, and eating. We found out on this day that her CT of her chest, abdomen, and pelvis were CLEAR....Some wonderful news that we so desperately needed to hear!!!

Please continue to pray for our friends that are still going through treatment, those who are trying to find a new “normal” (like us), and also those who have lost there precious little ones.

Enjoying Seeing Alaina’s Fuzzy Head!!!

Jeff and Jerri

Tuesday, Nov. 13th
They came to our room around 7:30 a.m. Jeff, Alaina, and I, and both sets of grandparents were there waiting, and I think Jeff’s sister was there by this time. My memory of everything is so foggy. They let me carry her and hold her before they took her back. Jeff and I requested to talk with Dr. Satchivi before the surgery began. He graciously came. We were in the holding room...Jeff, Alaina, me, Dr. Satchivi, and a couple of nurses. Jeff did the talking for both of us and I held Alaina tightly in my arms. He shared with Dr. Satchivi a little about our faith and that we put Alaina, first in God’s hands, and secondly in his. Jeff told him, that during the surgery, he could know, without a doubt, that he was being lifted up in prayer. Then Jeff asked him if he could pray with him right then. I will forever remember how we formed a circle.....I was holding Alaina, Jeff on my right, and Dr. Satchivi on my left. Jeff had his arm around the Dr. on one side and I did on the other. After the prayer, Dr. Satchivi gave us a calm, peaceful smile and said that he would treat her as his own and left to prepare to save our baby’s life. I thank God that he was willing to have prayer with us that day, because the peace that was felt in that room got Jeff and me through the next 7 1/2-8 hrs. as we waited for the completion of surgery.

After a few minutes a nurse came to the room and said that it was time. She would allow me to carry her only to the large red line and then came the hardest thing I’ve ever had to do....Hand my baby to a perfect stranger, with Alaina crying, “Mama”. I did it quickly and without hesitation, Jeff and I turned and walked one way and the nurse and Alaina the other. As we walked what seemed like a mile, I could hear Alaina’s voice fading with every step. I wanted to keep hearing her. I wanted to hold her one more time.

Over the next 30-45 mins., the waiting room was absolutely flooded with family and friends. There were so many people, and the waiting room so small, that people were lining the hallway. I was given several gifts that were very special to me that day....an angel pin that I wore on my shirt from Betty Pruett and a prayer cross that I held tightly from Margaret Fails. They are two very special ladies in our church. I also met Carol. She was a friend of one of my very dear friends and she is a mighty prayer warrior and also a cancer survivor. She stayed for hours, leading the entire group of us in prayer every 30-1hr. Thank you Carol for being a very special angel sent to us that day. Thank you all for taking time to be there with us for so many long and painful hours. It’s times such as this that the presence of wonderful caring family and friends is priceless. There were many of you that I knew wanted to be there, but were unable...thank you for praying throughout the day (right where you were). I know that many who were with us were constantly on their cell phones giving updates. Thank you all for loving us so much!!!

Throughout the surgery, they would call us from the O.R. to give us updates on Alaina. Every time the phone would ring, I would grip the cross I held in my hand even tighter, and listen as Jeff talked with them. If you haven’t figured it out yet, Jeff is the calmer one of the two of us. I love you Jeff, and thank you for being the strong, loving husband you are, and for holding me up throughout all of this. Even when you felt weak, you were still strong for me!! Between phone calls from the O.R. and prayers led by our new friend Carol, I read 3x5 cards that Molly had written scripture on for me to draw strength from. Let me tell you, there is strength that comes from reading scripture in a time of crisis. Thank you Molly for the scripture you handed me throughout the day. It was such a comfort on that day, but also from time to time throughout Alaina’s treatment. I still have those cards. They have been very special to me over the past year!!!

During Alaina’s surgery, Dr. Reddy (Neuro-oncologist) and Allison (Nurse Practitioner) came to talk with Jeff and me. At this time, they really didn’t tell us alot, but gave us papers to read and sign if we were in agreement to letting them send the tissue removed for studies. Of course, Jeff and I signed without any hesitation. Everyone was talking cancer and malignancies, but us, we were still praying that the results would be benign. It was at this meeting that we were given a book about brain tumors and treatment. I began reading and was getting sicker by the page at what possibly lied ahead for us.

Alaina came through the surgery beautifully!!! Once in there, Dr. Satchivi said the tumor was into her Left Parietal and Occipital Lobes. He was very pleased with the outcome and said that he thought it was possible that he removed it all. They would perform another MRI the next day to see. She spiked a temp. of 101 a couple of times, had to receive a unit of blood, and a dose of steroid during the surgery. He sent several biopsies, all of which he said still looked malignant, but the final pathology report would reveal more detail and should be back in a couple of weeks.

When we first saw Alaina, as they wheeled her out of recovery, she was trying to open her eyes, holding our hands, and saying, “Mama”. Oh A Distant Memory

Jerri and Jeff

Monday, Nov. 12th
Today was when we met with Dr. Satchivi (Neurosurgeon) and were shown pictures (in 3-D) on the computer of Alaina’s tumor. (On the 11th Alaina had an MRI of her brain/spine and a CT of her chest, abdomen, and pelvis) I recall that Alaina was sleeping while Jeff and I, and our parents were in the hall with the Dr. Here was where we received many details. The tumor originated from the Choroid Plexus in the Left Lateral Ventricle. It was very deep and very large. Because of the location, he said we could expect some deficits, but we wouldn’t know the extent of the damage until after the surgery. Hearing all the possibilities of complications as a result of surgery, we asked were there any other options. He told us that really the only option was surgery. Dr. Satchivi informed us that two types of tumors grow from the Choroid Plexus...one benign...the other malignant. He said that the tumor had characteristics of a malignancy, so he wanted to attempt to remove as much as possible, rather than just biopsy it. Jeff and I had many questions at this time. It had been 2 days since she was diagnosed, so we had time for everything to sink in a little. He could not give us any guarantees about any thing. We asked if he felt he could remove it all? His response was, “I won’t know anything until I’m in there.” How long would the surgery last? He assured us that he would not stay any longer than 10 hrs., but the longer the surgery lasted the better, because it would mean that he was removing as much of the tumor as possible, safely. He said that he would stop any time he felt Alaina’s safety would be jeopardized. I think back to this conversation, and I’m amazed that Jeff and I had the mentality to actually be discussing our 25 month old daughter’s BRAIN surgery. I’ve said this before, and I will keep saying it...IT WAS GOD!!! Through all of your prayers, the Lord kept our minds clear enough to ask the questions we needed to ask and to stand upright while doing so.

I would like to say a word about Dr. Satchivi...He was GOD SENT!!! Many times, you’re asking your next question and the Dr. is turned heading out of the room. Dr. Satchivi took so much time with us. He was very caring, concerned, and compassionate, yet stated the facts in a very professional, confident way. You don’t get much better than that. Jeff and I felt very confident that Alaina was in very good hands from the very beginning. Thank you Dr. Satchivi for using your talent and skill and being so instrumental in saving Alaina’s life!!

Alaina’s surgery was scheduled for the next morning. It would be Dr. Satchivi’s first and possibly only surgery, depending on how things unfolded.

Now, after we got all of the facts and new that surgery was the next morning, we headed back to Gadsden to see Trent and Alise. We had no idea how everything would go during Alaina’s surgery or when we would be able to spend time with them. They were with Jennifer and Greg Edge (A.J., Eric, and Eli) and very happy. They had gone for Sun. lunch at Jennifer’s parents house, so we saw them there for a couple of hours. Some other friends, Jason and Kathryn Rogers (Jake and Hannah), came over to get Trent and Alise to go home with them. Thank you to Jennifer, Greg, Jason, and Kathryn, and all of our friends that so willingly and lovingly took Trent and Alise into your home and helped them adjust as much as possible to their world being turned upside down.....Kelly and Scott Moore (Will), Kim and Kevin Hill (Dani Rae and Ryan), Barb and Jared Coker (Abby), Paula and Jeff Hopper (Tyler and Abigail), Felicia and Glenn Williams, Jennifer and Brian Kilpatrick (Noah and Ben). Thank you all for taking such good care of them, getting them to where they needed to be, and taking them to special places. It was very difficult to be away from our other two children, but knowing they were safe with friends made it so much easier...WE LOVE YOU!!! There were so many of you that offered to help with Trent and Alise in so many ways...Thank you!!!

Upon returning to the hospital, we had many friends and family that were there. I won’t try to name everyone, but thank you for being there with us. I do remember that the room was full and Alaina was having a ball. It was hard to think that this, seemingly healthy child, had a tumor that took up, what looked to be 1/4 of her brain. April Gilbert took Alaina for many rides through the halls, in a rolling chair...she was laughing and playing and hugging on everyone....and ate like a little horse (McDonald’s cheeseburger, apples, and milk). Felicia Williams (my beautician) came to visit. Felicia was going to be the one to cut the girl’s hair for the first time. Since she was there, I asked her if she would cut a couple of curls for me. It was very special to me to have her cut her hair, rather than to think that her first cut was in the O.R., by a stranger, and me not be there. God cares about even the smallest concerns of a mother, doesn’t He?

Thank you all for enduring these long entries. As we have hit the “1 Year” mark, I have many details to share. Looking back now, I can see how the Lord worked. Thank you to Marie Barnes for telling me to write things down as they happened and as the Lord revealed Himself. I have seen first hand that the Lord is EVERYWHERE and in EVERYTHING!!!

This would be our last night with Alaina before her surgery. As Alaina’s parents, many thoughts ran through our heads that evening...”Would she be the same little girl mentally and physically?” “How would she look following surgery?” “How long would she be in surgery?” “Would we ever hear her talk again?” “Would she ever move the right side of her body again?” “Would her vision be greatly affected?” and, the big one “Would Dr. Satchivi be able to remove it ALL?” With all of this on our minds, this was one of the longest nights in our journey.

During these few days prior to her surgery we were blessed with Tracy. She was a wonderful nurse, who really took time to talk to and listen to a devastated family. Tracy has been very special to us from the beginning and still is!!!! Thank you Tracy for the love you show Alaina, but also for loving our entire family....WE LOVE YOU!!!

Around 4 a.m., I opened my bible. You’ve heard of people taking the Bible, opening it up, and reading the first verse they put their finger on, and it being a verse that was just meant for them at that particular time? Well, it didn’t happen that way, not exactly, but God did give me something that helped me in a way that only He could. Since it was Sunday, I hadn’t gotten to go to church or hear the Sunday School lesson, I decided I would read the lesson for that day. I pulled out my Sunday School book and low and behold...It was about Job!! What better story, in my opinion, to read at this particular time in my life. The very first sentence read, “WHY Did This Happen? How should I respond to various explanations for suffering and loss?” How many times have I listened to the story of Job? Suddenly this story had so much more meaning!! Until this point, my faith had never really been tested. Job had suffered tremendously, and from the human perspective, there was no obvious reason for his suffering. I read through 4 weeks of lessons and it was just what I needed. Did it instantly take all of the pain away, or change or situation? No, but what it did, was give me the strength I needed for the next several hours. It taught me that many times things happen that we don’t understand, don’t have answers for, and are uncertain of what is to follow...BUT my God knows!!! There is comfort in that!! A prayer at the end of one of the lessons stated, “Father, help me to remember that nothing will happen today that You and I cannot overcome together.” That gave me the peace that passed all of MY understanding. Thank you God for speaking to me early that morning, as I sat quietly in the restroom, crying, searching for answers as to why my baby had to go through this.

Later that day, after Alaina’s surgery, I shared with Jeff how interesting it was that our Sunday School lesson the day prior to Alaina’s surgery was about Job. Wasn’t that perfect timing on God’s part? Then Jeff pointed out the date on the book.....Fall 2005!!! It was last year’s lesson!!! It had been in my bible an entire year!!! The date on the lesson was Nov. 13th. Last year, the 13th was on Sunday, but this year the 13th was on Monday....the day of Alaina’s surgery!!! I will probably never remove this book from my bible, it was a reminder to me that God is always on time!!

Until tomorrow....The day of surgery

Blessed Beyond Words,
Jerri and Jeff

Saturday, Nov. 10th
It was a year ago today that our baby was diagnosed with a brain tumor. At this point, we had no idea what type of tumor. All we knew was that she had a very large tumor and we headed to Children’s Hospital in Birmingham. A flood of emotions fill my heart today. We’ve made it through this past year!! It seems like an eternity, but then again, it seems that this year has pasted so quickly. Jeff and I have discussed that it is hard to remember life prior to “the tumor”. It seems that we have been dealing with cancer all of her life. It is difficult to remember the Alaina we once knew, but from time to time, something will happen to trigger a thought of “normal”. I cherish those times.

Last night was a night of reflection for Jeff and me. We spent the evening together, just as we did last year. Trent, Alise, and Alaina spent the evening with my parents and Jeff and I watched “Facing The Giants”. Wow!! We didn’t realize how the Lord was preparing us for our giant....the very next day. As we watched the movie, I noticed that it came to the theaters in Sept.....was it a coincidence that it was Nov. 9th before Jeff and I saw it...we don’t think so. God has such a big plan. Bigger than we as humans can fathom. He had us right where He wanted us that evening, as we were reminded of His power and that nothing is impossible with Him. If any of you haven’t seen this movie, I urge to you do so. It deals with real life struggles, and the peace that comes from giving our struggles to God. God is good, even when life doesn’t seem fair. One thing that stood out in the movie, was that they made a conscious decision that they would praise God in the good times, as well as the bad. No matter what the outcome, they would praise and love God.

I remember when I made the conscious decision to give Alaina’s health to God. I say conscious, because it isn’t easy. It is something that I’ve tried to take back from God many times in the past year, thinking I had to get some control of the situation. The fact of the matter is, we think we are in control of our lives....we are not. We plan when we will get married...when we will have children...how many children we want to have...where we will work...when we will retire. We often leave God out of it. I have been guilty of thinking I have more control over my life than I really do. God can put us anywhere at anytime. The saying “Grow where planted” means so much more to me now. We are planted...right where God wants us. I give God many thanks for the life He has given me...in the happy times and the sad. It has been amazing to feel God’s power and His unfailing love since Nov. 10, 2006.

The evening before, Alaina had become quite sick. At this point, we knew that it was something more than just reflux or a hypersensitive gag reflex. I had gotten on the computer to see if I could get a piece of mind about what was happening. Up until this point, a brain tumor never crossed my mind. We thought, if anything, it would be a mild concussion. I looked up the signs and symptoms of a brain tumor, but found she only had 1 or 2 of the symptoms. Of course, last year, the 10th was on Friday. There are so may things that I can remember well, but so many that are a blur. I was at home, alone, just as I am right now. Jeff was working and we had planned that I would go pick up Alaina from my parents and meet him at the Gadsden Pediatric Clinic around 1:00 p.m. I called a couple of friends, crying, asking them to pray for Alaina that I felt something was bad wrong. It was as if the Lord was preparing my heart.

We were fortunate that our regular Pediatrician was at the clinic that day and we were able to see him. While we were talking with Dr. Griffith, Alaina was perfect..normal..no sickness..and very playful. I remember how happy she was. We explained everything to him and once again said that we relate her intermittent vomiting back to the fall she sustained on Oct. 21st. We were prepared to ask him to PLEASE order a CT scan, but this was something he suggested without us asking. I remember his words well, “We will do a CT scan to ease your minds. I really don’t think we will find anything.”

Feeling that everything would be fine, Jeff went back to work, and Alaina and I went for the CT scan. She ate a cereal bar, a sucker, enjoyed watching the fish in the aquarium. I, along with several nurses, held her still as they scanned her. My fears began to escalate as they returned wanting to do more scans with contrast. They said they saw something and wanted to get a better look. Of course, I was in agreement. My mind was racing..what were they seeing? No one would tell me anything. They all remained very calm, as I began to cry, “What are you seeing?” I remember one of the nurses saying, as she hugged me, “Everything will be okay.” What did that mean? I called Jeff and told him to please come be with us, that they saw something. Jeff got there, it seemed like within minutes. By this time, I was holding Alaina as she slept. The 3 of us sat quietly in the hall as people passed us, unable to make eye contact. We were given a sealed envelope with her scans in it and instructed to return to Dr. Griffith and he would explain everything.

We were officially in “shock” mode. And now is when everything becomes blurry for me. I just remember bits and pieces over the next few days. We entered the Pediatric clinic and were taken immediately to a room where we met with Dr. Griffith. His words were, “Well, it is more than what we thought. She does have a tumor.” I was holding her, looking at the scans in disbelief. It seemed as if the room was spinning. I just remember him saying, “This has taken us all by surprise. I have called a Pediatric Neurosurgeon at Children’s Hospital. He said you could wait until next week for an appointment in his office or come to the hospital now. I took it on myself to tell him to expect you tonight.” Jeff and I left quietly. We asked no questions. We didn’t fall apart. We called family and a few close friends. Alaina feel asleep in the car and remained asleep while Jeff and I packed a few clothes and left for B’ham. This was the longest night of our lives. By this time, I had talked with some friends, Jennifer and Greg Edge, about Trent and Alise staying with them a night or two. Shortly after we arrived at the hospital our pastor and his wife, Steve and Susie Trader, were there. We also had visits from several other church members, Lynn and Gerald Rogers, Scott and Kelly Moore. I can remember talking with others, but I can’t recall who it was. After a short period of time both mine and Jeff’s parents were there. Please forgive me if I’ve left someone out, but my memory of all of this has many gaps.

I will continue tomorrow....I’m sorry for the long entry today. As I said, I have many emotions. Thank you for letting me vent and bring some emotions to the surface. I love you all!!!

DON’T FORGET ABOUT ALAINA’S PRAISE PARTY NEXT SATURDAY!!!!!!

Jerri and Jeff

Thursday, Nov. 8th
It’s been a while since I’ve actually gotten an update posted. I’ve tried several times, but something always comes up before I complete it, then it is old news. I’m sorry for the delay in letting you all know that ALAINA IS GREAT!!!! Alot has happened since my last update on Oct. 26th.

We had a very good Halloween. I really wanted the girls to be a princess or something, but I got Elmo (Alaina) and Cookie Monster (Alise) instead. I got the costumes a couple of weeks before Halloween and the girls loved them. They have carried them on trips, slept with them, and even tried to feed them. We have more than gotten our money out of them. Trent went back and forth trying to decide between Batman or Spiderman. Spiderman won!!! We enjoyed going to our church for a wonderful time of eating, jumping, playing games, and being with friends and family. It was a time of reflecting as last year this was the last big, fun time we all had before Alaina was diagnosed. It was wonderful to see her having a good time after such a tough year.....God is good!!!!

Last Friday, Nov. 2nd, we were invited to come enjoy the Gaither Homecoming in Chattanooga. The theme of their tour this year is “Giving Back”. As many of you know, Gordon Mote, who so willingly gave of his time and talent, at Alaina’s Benefit Singing, also plays the piano for the Gaither’s. They shared Alaina’s story and how Gordon had helped our family. It was thrilling to hear thousands of people clapping as Bob (Gordon’s manager) announced that Alaina is CANCER FREE!!! Thank you to Bob and Gordon for making this happen for us. We had a great time!!!!

Sunday, Nov. 4th the kids got to enjoy Nemo On Ice!!! All 3 of them sat with mouths open, squealing with excitement. This was Alise and Alaina’s first time to experience Disney On Ice. Last year, Jeff and I took Trent, just to spend a little time with him.

Now, this brings me to Alaina’s Dr.’s appointment yesterday. All went well. Her WBC was around 3500 (still not normal, but they say it can take a while sometimes). Her Neutraphils, however are high enough that they are not worried about her being around others at this time. Her Hct was 30 (also below normal, but improved since last time her counts were checked), and her Platelets are normal!!!

We took Alise with us and plan to do so each time, as she is a wonderful comparison of where Alaina should be. Alaina weighed 32 lbs. (Alise 33 lbs.) and was 35 1/2 “ (Alise 37”).

We talked with them about how much Alaina is eating. Literally, she is eating “man-sized” portions at times. It’s not that we are looking for things to worry about, but we know that treatment can often times cause thyroid problems. They are wonderful about listening to us as the parents, and doing tests to ease our concerns. Thank you Allison for enduring my “list” of questions!! Ha! They drew additional labs to check Alaina’s thyroid, but we don’t have those results yet. If they notice any concerns, they plan to refer us to an Endocrinologist. Please pray that she is just “catching up” and that there won’t be any problems.

We also asked if Alaina would have any additional hearing tests. The Dr.’s answer was that if she hasn’t had any significant problems with her hearing so far, that we probably wouldn’t see any other big changes from the chemo!!! Praise God!!!

Alaina did receive the first of 2 flu shots yesterday. Last year, she only received the first one, so she has to have 2 this year. They also said that they rarely have the children repeat any of there vaccines, they just have them catch up with what they missed during treatment. Because of when Alaina was diagnosed, she hasn’t missed any shots, so as of now, she won’t have to make up any!!!

Unless we have complications or any concerns, our next visit will be Jan. 9, 2008 for her MRI of her brain and spine and ultrasound of her kidneys!!!!!!!!! Wow!! Although, very excited to go without appointments, it also sends me into a small panic. After a year with appointments almost daily, it’s hard to relax.

Alaina will probably have her central line removed sometime after her next MRI!!!! How wonderful it will be to hold her and love her without anything attached!!!! However, I think Alaina will miss her routine of flushing and cleaning her lines. She often times goes to get all the supplies before it’s time!! Oh, how I love that girl. It’s also very sweet how Trent and Alise want to help. We do let them help with flushing, but the cleaning has to be sterile, so we don’t take that chance.

After our clinic visit yesterday, we also had an appointment with Dr. Morris (GI Dr.). He seemed very pleased with how Alaina was doing and said we didn’t have to come back for a couple of months. We made our next appointment with him on Jan 9th as well.

Currently, Alaina is only taking a few medications....Bactrim (antibiotic) 3 days/wk. and Senna (stool softener) and Miralax (laxative) as needed. We are able to skip days of giving her the Senna and Miralax now, so that is an improvement!!

Everyday, things are seeming a little more normal, which is a great feeling, but I think Jeff and I will forever get a sick feeling in our stomachs around Halloween and Christmas. We feel the crispness in the air, see the decorations, participate in some of the same activities, and we can’t help but feel a sadness in our hearts. This time last year we had no idea what was growing inside our baby’s head. Tomorrow night (Nov. 9th), is when it all started to unfold last year. Jeff and I had a date night, while my parents kept the kids over night. We went to dinner and then to see the movie “Facing The Giants”. This movie would prepare us for the months to come, as we would find out the next morning the giant before us. After the movie, we called to check on the kids. Alaina was better at the time, but had been very sick earlier. Jeff and I decided then, that the next day we would take her back to our Pediatrician.

We have so many things to be thankful for and we are. God has been so good to us throughout this past year. Something we find we have to do daily, hourly, and often times minute by minute is turn everything over to God. I’m not going to tell you that we do this without a struggle. It is hard. There are times that the hurt is so deep and the concern for Alaina’s life so strong that I want to fold. That’s were your prayers come in to play. If we functioned on our own strength, we would have quit a long time ago, but because we have wonderful, godly, people praying for us.....we know that God will continue to give us the strength we need. You see, cancer never goes away. Once it enters your life, you forever wonder when it will show it’s face again. Now that treatment is over, Jeff and I are facing alot of emotions that we haven’t had time to deal with up until this point. We were in survival mode, actively fighting this disease, but now we are going longer between appointments and waiting for each MRI to reveal how well the treatment is working. The fact is that this type of cancer usually comes back, and when it does it is fast. It is very hard to type those words, but that is what statistics tell us. I want each of you to understand what we have been told so that your prayers continue. As each year passes, the probability of relapse lessens, however it won’t be until she is 5 years cancer free that she will be considered a long term survivor. It is our prayer that as you see Alaina in the days, months, and years to come that she be a constant reminder of God’s goodness and His grace and mercy. We realize that NOTHING is too big for God, but we have those human emotions that bog us down sometime. Miracles are still a huge part of what God is all about!!!!

We hope to see you all at Alaina’s Celebration Party!!!
Jeff and Jerri

Friday, Oct. 26th
We are doing great!!! Alaina couldn’t be any happier. She runs around the house laughing and playing with Trent and Alise. Things really are getting back to normal. Alise and Trent don’t treat Alaina any differently than they do each other, which means, I’ve had to break up a few arguments. Alaina doesn’t hold back either....she is making up for lost time!!! All in all, they are all very happy to be back together.

Alaina is really packing on the pounds!!! Often times, she eats more than Alise or Trent. It is wonderful to see her really enjoying her food. That’s the way all 3 of our kids have always been. They get it from their mother....we love our food!!! We weighed the 2 girls yesterday and Alise was 34 lbs. and Alaina 32.7 lbs.!!!!

We had an appointment yesterday with Alaina’s Radiation Oncologist, Dr. Fiveash. All went very well and he was extremely pleased with the progress she has made. He did mention that he noticed some “enhancement” on the last MRI (Oct. 2nd), that he didn’t see on the July MRI. He said that really he feels that it is just effects of the treatment that she has had rather than anything of concern. He will be reviewing her MRI’s every 3 months as well, just to keep a check on things. The way Jeff and I feel about it is that the more Dr.’s reviewing her scans, the better!!! We don’t have to return to Dr. Fiveash until Oct. of NEXT year!!!

I did talk with Dr. Morris, Alaina’s GI Dr., a few days ago regarding her x-rays. He said that everything looked great and that there were no concerns. We will see him again on Nov. 7th for a follow-up. For now, Alaina’s practically painfree!!!! We continue to give her a stool softener and a laxative on a regular basis. Hopefully, we can begin to taper off of the medicines, as her diet is improving everyday. She is eating a variety of fruits, raisins, veggies, etc.

Along with seeing Dr. Morris on Nov. 7th, we also have a regularly scheduled appointment with Dr. Reddy (Neuro-oncologist). We have no reason to expect anything but good news.

We are blessed and every day we realize more and more how blessed we are. We wouldn’t have chosen this road for our family, but through it all we have seen the Lord work, we have meet some wonderful new friends, and we have realized how every day is a gift from God!!!

Thank you for your prayers. Please continue to pray that Alaina will remain cancer free and that the effects of her treatment will be minimal.

Loving the Laughter Around Our House,
Jerri and Jeff

Monday, Oct. 22nd

WHAT A WONDERFUL TRIP!!!!! We got back home from the Lighthouse Family Retreat last night. We had an unbelievable time. We left for Watercolor early Wed. morning (5:00 a.m.) and made perfect time. We arrived for check-in around 12:00 noon and were greeted by a group of smiling people. We had what they called “Family Partners” (one per child) who helped us the entire time we were there. They helped feed, entertain, and play with the kids, as well as helped us unload the car, get to our house, do our laundry, etc. Our Family Partners were wonderful and Trent, Alise, and Alaina felt comfortable with them from the beginning. Thank you Lynn, Steven, and Carla for your hard work in making this such a special time for our family. I had really been concerned with how Alaina especially, would react to being away from us. I knew Trent and Alise would be fine. Within minutes, Alaina was playing, laughing, hugging, and pushing me away to get to Steven!!!!! I knew right away, this was going to be a relaxing and fun time for all of us.

They had wonderful activities planned for the kids during a time known as “Flip Flop”, while all the parents went to “Common Ground” meetings. This was a time for the parents to share their stories and connect with each other. It was a very safe and comfortable place to talk. All of the other parents became friends immediately as we laughed, cried, and help each other heal. There were 11 families (us included) that were pampered during our 4 night/5 day stay. There were 6 states represented. We are all in different places in our treatment....some of us have completed treatment, some are in maintenance, and some in remission. It really didn’t matter where we were, we all could relate to what everyone else was experiencing...the heartbreak of having a child with cancer.

The weather was beautiful on Wed.....rained on Thurs. and Fri.....and was sunny again on Sat. and Sun. The rain didn’t hinder the amount of fun we had at all. We were able to relax a little and they still had fun activities planned. Some of the activities we were able to enjoy were Beach Olympics, swimming in the pool, riding bicycles, singing, morning devotions. The kids got to decorate gingerbread houses, play, watch a movie outside, eat pizza, and the highlight of the trip was the talent show the kids had on Sat. night. We had “Parents Night Out” and went to a restaurant there in Watercolor called “Fish Out of Water” and had a fantastic meal. Thank you to the staff at Watercolor for providing this for us. All of the mothers experienced a wonderful time of relaxation, as we were given foot, hand, and neck massages, while sipping on iced coffee and eating a few snacks. Thank you to all the volunteers that were so willing to provide such a time of stress-free relaxation to us mothers...You made us feel so special!!!!


The facilities were outstanding and would not have been available without some very wonderful people so generously allowing strangers to stay in their homes. We never met the owners, but are so thankful to them....What a blessing!!!

I have to share something which only the Lord could orchestrate. Several months ago, my mother found the website of a little girl, Julia, also with an ATRT brain tumor like Alaina. She and I began following her story, but had never contacted Julia’s family. A few days before we left for the retreat, I was reading Julia’s site and decided to email her parents and tell them that we would like to try to meet them sometime, or at least talk on the phone. Our stories have so many similarities....Julia is a twin...they are only 8 months older than our girls...Julia was diagnosed only 6 months prior to Alaina....both of our girls experienced a fall which we feel expedited the diagnosis. Since our families live only 2-2 1/2 hours apart, Jeff and I were excited about the possibility of actually meeting another family with the same diagnosis. Tues. night, before we were to leave the next morning for the retreat, my mother calls me to ask if I had read Julia’s update. With all the last minute things to do before our trip, I had not been able to get on the computer. My mother, in tears, informs me that Julia and her family also have a trip planned.......guess where they were going??? THE LIGHTHOUSE FAMILY RETREAT!!!!! Our families not only were able to meet, spend time together, and share our journeys, but they had put us in the same house!!!! Our God provides what we need at just the right time. The Pinotti Family, in just a few shorts days, has become very dear to us. We are thankful that God put us together. Please pray for Julia. She has an MRI scheduled for Nov. 8th. If any of you would like to follow her story, her website is www.caringbridge.org/visit/juliapinotti

I could go on and on about what a great time we had. I do want to say a little about how this retreat came to be. Melinda (a Pediatric nurse), who was also on the retreat with us, had a vision of providing a retreat with a mission to serve children with cancer and their families at a seaside retreat and help them to laugh, restore family relationships, and find hope in God. Melinda......let me say that you accomplished your goal with us.....IT WAS EVERYTHING WE IMAGINED AND MORE!!!! Thank you...Thank you...Thank you!!! The Lord is using you in a mighty way to help heal hurting families....We love you!!!!

Thankfully, there is not alot to say regarding Alaina, except that she is doing absolutely wonderful!!! Her pain is much better. Dr. Morris (GI Dr.) and I have been playing phone tag, so I haven’t gotten the results on her x-ray yet. I plan to call him again tomorrow.

Last week, they took her off Diflucan (anti-fungal). She is only taking Bactrim, Senna, Miralax, and Culturelle!!!!

We went to Rainbow Ped. today and received excellent news on her blood work. WBC = 3400, Hct = 27.9, and platelets 181,000. Everything but platelets is still a little low, but we received a call from CH today saying that her counts had recovered enough that we didn’t have to get them checked again until our next clinic visit....Nov. 7th!!!! PRAISE GOD!!!! I also weighed the girls today...Alaina 31.6 lbs. and Alise 33.2 lbs.!!!!!

Physically, Alaina looks great...chubby face....rosy cheeks.....good color...eyelashes are starting to grow....stubbly head....and A GREAT BIG SMILE!!!!

We choose to believe that our Lord and Savior has healed Alaina and we would like for anyone who can to come celebrate with us at her Post Treatment PRAISE Party!!! It will be held at our church, Dwight Baptist, on Nov. 17th., from 3 pm-6pm. We will be posting more info. a little later. Until then, please mark your calendars and plan to help us celebrate that Alaina is CANCER - FREE!!!!

I’m sorry that I was so long winded, but I really appreciate everyone keeping up with us and loving us the way you have. Please remember the kids that we met on our retreat. They and their families need your prayers...Jonah 5 yrs.(Osteosarcoma), James 11 yrs.(Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia), Florence 10 yrs.(Acute Myelogenous Leukemia), Michala 9 yrs.(Angiosarcoma), Zoe 7 yrs.(Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia), Tierra 5 yrs.(Wilms Tumor), Logan 5 yrs.(Leukemia), Julia 3 yrs.(ATRT brain tumor), Mitchell 7 yrs. (Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia), and Drew 7yrs.(Medulloblastoma).

Also, please continue to pray for all of our other friends that we’ve mentioned in previous updates. It breaks my heart that our list of friends battling cancer continues to grow.

Blessed by God’s Goodness,
Jerri and Jeff


Saturday, Oct. 13th
Hello to everyone!!!! We are having some very good days!!! We took the girls for their 3 year old well visit yesterday. It felt so good to take both girls together for a WELL Dr.’s visit. We saw Dr. Rutland. We really like him. He took time to talk with us about things concerning both girls. He feels that we should see an Ophthalmologist about Alaina’s vision. I think I’ve mentioned before that we feel she has a field cut from her brain surgeries, and during his exam yesterday, he felt the same way. Also, he discussed seeing an Endocrinologist soon. I know they have mentioned this in Birmingham, but we haven’t discussed when this would take place. Dr. Rutland said that one of the biggest effects that he has seen with children who have had chemo and radiation is problems with growth, especially in height. Right now, Alise measured only 1 inch taller than Alaina and only 3 lbs. heavier!!!!

Something that has been a concern from the beginning, is having Alise tested just for our peace of mind, and even Trent, but especially Alise since she and Alaina are identical. Dr. Rutland said that all the studies out now, the Journal of Pediatrics, etc. discourage having CT scans unless it is absolutely necessary, because of the amount of radiation that is involved. He feels we should further consult with Dr. Reddy regarding this issue. The other alternative would be to have an MRI, which wouldn’t have the radiation risk, but would have the risk of being put to sleep. Jeff and I will talk with Dr. Reddy, weigh our options, and then trust that the Lord will give us a peace about what to do.

Thank you all for your continued prayers, cards, phone calls, love gifts, emails, and visits. Please continue to remember all of our friends that are at different stages in treatment and recovery from treatment. They have all become very special to us!!!

Praising God Daily!!!!
Jerri and Jeff

Thursday, Oct. 11th
The girls had a great birthday!!!! We had a small party with our family and had a wonderful time. The girls went to bed for a nap (sleeping 2 1/2 hrs.!!!) and when they got up, I had the dining room decorated with BARNEY!!!! They were both SO excited. It was one of the best times we have had lately. To see them both so happy and smiling ear to ear saying, “Barney Birthday” (in their own words of course) was the greatest. We ordered Pizza Hut pizza and they loved it. Alaina ate 1 1/2 pieces of cheese pizza!!!!! We had to have ketchup to dip it in, but what ever works. She has never eaten pizza. Even before she was sick, she wouldn’t eat it.

We made it to CH this morning for her x-ray of her abdomen to see if she had passed all of the rings/markers. We haven’t heard from the Dr.’s office yet, but maybe tomorrow. We went by the clinic at the hospital to have counts since we were already there. Her counts have come down considerably since we stopped the Leukine shots, but this is something we expected. WBC = 2730 (was 8300 on Monday), ANC = 1400 (was 5,000), Hct = 24 (was 26), and platelet increased at 115,000 (was 53,000).

I have to say a little more about Alaina’s appetite......IT IS GREAT!!! She is now on a chicken and french fry kick.....or should I say, she likes a little chicken and fries with her ketchup!!!! She has eaten as many as 8 chick-fil-A nuggets at a time!!! She is also enjoying banana pancakes for breakfast, eating sometimes 3-4 at a time. We are so thankful that today she weighed over 30 lbs.!!!!!! Thank you all for praying about her appetite. We were very worried going into this final round.

While at clinic today, we saw Meredith Dyer and her mother, Ginger. Meredith looks great and is so happy!!! It was wonderful to see them. Please continue to pray for her. They were packed and ready to be admitted to continue with chemo, but her counts weren’t where they needed to be yet. They return for counts on Monday.

We also made a quick visit to 4 Tower (our home away from home) and saw some of our wonderful nurses. We love them all so much and can’t say enough how blessed we have been to have them walk with us throughout Alaina’s treatment. We also checked in on our sweet Carolyn. She is in with fever and a gram + infection. It looks like they will be there receiving antibiotics and waiting for some neutraphils. Please pray for them. Days turn into weeks sometimes before neutraphils start kicking in.

We are very excited about an upcoming FAMILY trip next week. The Lighthouse Family Retreat provides this get-away to children with cancer and their families. We will be leaving Tues. evening after Jeff gets off work, traveling a few hours, spending the night, traveling a few more hours Wed. morning to Santa Rosa Beach, FL. Check-in time is 12 noon. We will not return home until Sunday!!! We are looking forward to spending quality family time, as well as meeting other families and enjoying the activities they have planned for us. They have told us that all we have to do is bring ourselves and our clothes.....they take care of everything else!!!! WOW!!!

Except for having bloodwork every few days and occasional phone calls from clinic, we are living life pretty normally!!! We are so blessed!! Every time I see the kids together, playing and having fun and watch Alaina laughing, running, climbing, sliding, swinging....I say, “Thank you Lord for giving us our healthy, happy little girl back!!!!” Yes, through all of this, we have had a wonderful medical team. We are thankful for their knowledge about this type cancer and their ability to give Alaina the best treatment possible, but God and only God has healed her!!!! Please continue to pray for God’s protective hand on Alaina as her little body continues to fight!!!

Living life with a new appreciation for the blessings God gives!!!!

Jerri and Jeff

Monday, Oct. 8th
NO MORE LEUKINE SHOTS!!!!!! We went to have blood work this morning before taking Trent to school. Counts were better, but still not completely normal. WBC = 8300 with an ANC of over 5,000, Hct = 26, and platelets = 53,000. So, one more thing behind us!!!!!! Her counts will now just take time to recover. It is felt that the shots have done all they can do to help at this point.

We still have to flush her lines with Saline and Heparin daily and clean her central line 3x/wk. The oral meds we are giving her are Diflucan (anti-fungal), Bactrim (antibiotic), Senna (stool softener), Dicyclomine (abdominal spasms), Miralax (laxative), and Culturelle (probiotic). In addition, we continue to use Biotene and Peridex to clean her mouth. This is something that we have done 1-3x/daily throughout her treatment to help prevent mouth sores. For all that she has been through, we really feel blessed that this is all the special care she needs!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Initially, we were told that Alaina would have to keep her central line for at least 6 months following treatment, but Dr. Reddy told us last week that we may be able to remove it sooner. I can’t wait to hold her and play with her without anything attached!!!!!!!!!!! She has been so good not to pull on it (and so have Trent and Alise).

Well, our girls will be 3 YEARS OLD Wednesday!!!! I can’t believe that they are growing up so fast. We are planning to have some family time with grandparents, great grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins. It will be great to be with family that we haven’t been able to see as much this year. The girls are loving Barney, so that will be our theme. I’m so glad that we are finished with treatment and Jeff and the kids and I can be together for Alise and Alaina’s birthday. Last year at this time, we had no idea what we would face in one short month. It was exactly one month after their 2nd birthday that Alaina was diagnosed. Birthdays and Holidays will forever be special after enduring the past year!!!

Many of you have asked what Alaina is like now. I imagine that the picture you may have in your mind is much like what we were expecting at this point also...... a thin, unhealthy looking, unhappy little girl, with no hair, and not looking anything like her twin sister. We are pleasantly surprised at how well she has recovered. She runs around laughing, teasing, playing, and yes, even arguing with Trent and Alise!!! She is full of energy, gaining weight, and HAPPY, HAPPY, HAPPY!!! Now, the “no hair” part is correct, but it is growing (slowly). I try to keep a hat on her, but after a short amount of time, she starts saying “Hot!!” and pulling it off. She only pulls that little trick while we are either indoors or in the shade. She knows that she HAS to wear it in the sun. When Alaina has her hat on, she looks alot more like Alise, but otherwise there is a big difference in appearance (I never really thought about how much of a difference hair makes).

Alise and Alaina are really making up for the time they have been apart. We put them to bed and sometimes it is HOURS later before they actually go to sleep. They are giggling and talking and passing blankets and stuffed animals back and forth to each other. Alise will get quiet and the next thing I hear on the monitor is Alaina calling her.....VERY LOUDLY and then they start jabbering all over again and singing their ABC’s. Last night, it was 11:30 p.m. and they were going strong, I went in their room to find a pile of stuffed animals and blankets between their beds, both of them standing up, and neither of them had pants or socks on. When they saw me, they smiled and started jumping up and down on their beds. It is exactly what I always thought they would do growing up together.....Thank you Lord that they are enjoying each other. Last year, I didn’t know if this day would ever come!!!!

Trent is doing extremely well. He is learning so much in school and loves Mrs. Nora (we all do). He is very excited about skating tomorrow. It will be his first time. He is ALL boy....loves Spiderman, Batman, Power Rangers, cars, playing ball, and getting dirty. He is getting better (at times) in practicing patience with his sisters, but it’s hard when you are outnumbered.

I’m sorry this is such a long update. Thank you all for taking time to continue to check on us. I’ve said it before, but you all will never know how very blessed we are by having you close to us during this time!!!! The ministry that you all have been to our family has been unbelievable!!!

Enjoying NORMAL days!!!
Jerri, Jeff, Alaina, Alise, and Trent
 

Tuesday, Oct. 2nd
WE ARE
CANCER-FREE!!!!!
We had our MRI of the brain and spine and Ultrasound of the kidneys. Dr. Reddy said that everything couldn’t look any better!!!!! We also went for a consult with Dr. Morris (GI Dr.). He seems to think that we are on the right track, but wants to perform some additional tests....a Breath Hydrogen Test, which will test her lactose tolerance, as well as another test where I will break open a capsule that has about 15-20 tiny rings in it, put it in her food, and 5 days later go for a KUB (x-ray) to assess the mobility of her digestive system. It sounds terrible, but these rings are so tiny. These tests have been scheduled for next Thurs. (Oct. 11th). He also told us to stop the Zantac and give her additional fiber in her diet.

We will continue to go on a regular basis to Rainbow Ped. Clinic for blood work until she has completely recovered. There is still a possibility that she will require additional blood products within the next few weeks or months. We are to continue giving the Leukine shots for several more days to increase WBC. Unless we have problems, it looks like we won’t have to return to see Dr. Reddy for about a month!!!!

This time last year, we had no idea what we were destined to face. The Lord has seen us through!!!! We praise Him, and Him alone that today Alaina is cancer-free!!!!

Thank you all for your continued prayers.....Thankful for a God of Miracles!!!!
Jerri and Jeff

Saturday, Sept. 29th
Yesterday was a great day!!!! We went to Rainbow Ped. Clinic around 9:30 a.m. just in case we had to go to B’ham for blood or platelets. Her counts were so much better than we expected...WBC = 2100 with an ANC of over 1000, Hct = 31, and platelets = 26,000. Of course all of these counts are still low, but the good thing is that she is recovering very well.

We are planning to enjoy the next few days together. Jeff will be off Sun., Mon., and Tues. As I mentioned in a previous update, Tues. is going to be a big day for us. Alaina will have an MRI of her brain and spine, an ultrasound of her kidneys, blood work, as well as go for a consult with a Gastrointestinal Dr. Please pray for Alaina.....that she will receive EXCELLENT results and will be CANCER- FREE!!!!

Have a wonderful weekend!
Jerri and Jeff

Tuesday, Sept. 26th
We are home!!!! How wonderful it feels!!! Alaina slept better last night than she has in many days. We enjoyed last night....AS A FAMILY!!! After eating supper, Jeff, the kids, and I all went outside and played on the swing set, went for a short walk, laughed, hugged and kissed each other. We are more and more thankful every day for our family. I awoke this morning thankful...thankful for 3 wonderful children, a very loyal and loving husband...thankful that Alaina was excited about going home...thankful that Trent and Alise were happy to see us, that Trent was silly with happiness and instigated several “group” hugs. I am thankful that today I was able to take Trent to school and pick him up...thankful that I have enjoyed hearing the laughter of my children, that Alaina is able to play normally with her brother and sister....I’m thankful for the wonderful teachers at Trent’s school that voluntarily come to the car to get him and bring him to the car when Alaina’s counts are low...thankful for the employee’s of Jerry’s Pharmacy who bring Alaina’s medications to the car since I’m unable to bring her in. I’m thankful that I am able to see God’s love through so many areas of my life!!!!!

Today, the kids and I have enjoyed life. I have found a new happiness as I act silly with my kids. A year ago, I would have been embarrassed to pull up to a red light beside someone while, singing, dancing, clapping with my music loud, but this morning the kids and I celebrated, as we sang kid’s Bible songs. So, let me warn you, if you see a gray Honda Oddyssey riding down the road with alot of arms waving, hands clapping, singing, and maybe the music turned up a little loud, it’s probably the Atkins. It feels really good to turn loose like that....you should try it!!!

Alaina rec