At the Farm

Kara and John arrived at the farm yesterday. Kara plans on taking Emma and Luke to the St. Clare Monastery miniature horse farm in Brenham. The monastery is home to a group of nuns who support themselves by raising miniature horses. Emma and Luke both love the cows that run on the farm, and feed them "cow cookies" every morning and usually in the evening as well. The cows eat right out of Emma's hand! Emma and Luke have also discovered Aunt Jean's old My Little Ponies, which are apparently back in popularity as toys, so I'm sure they'll love the horses.

Matt plans on joining the family at the farm on the weekend.

Praises:
- Thank you God that Kara can enjoy this time with her children before beginning chemo again.
- Thank you God that the brain tumor had not grown, and that there were no new ones detected.
- Thank you God for Kara's doing so well with her treatment, better than anyone could have expected. Thank you for the reassurance and comfort that gives Kara, and all of us.

Prayer Requests:
- Please pray that the Novalis treatment be successful.
- Pleae pray that the cancer is eradicated from Kara's body, permanently.

Thank you.

Novalis Completed

Kara has completed her Novalis procedure. A CT Scan taken this morning showed that tumor wasn't any bigger than when last scanned. Kara will have her next round of chemo next Thursday. She is going to go back to the farm tomorrow and join the children while Matt finishes the work week and getting the house back to normal after everything was "hurricane-proofed."

Praises:
- Thank you God that the brain tumor had not grown, and that there were no new ones detected.
- Thank you God that Kara was able to receive her Novalis treatment without any further delay.
- Thank you God for Kara's doing so well with her treatment, better than anyone could have expected. Thank you for the reassurance and comfort that gives Kara, and all of us.

Prayer Requests:
- Please pray that the Novalis treatment be successful.
- Please pray for peace and comfort for Kara during this difficult time of waiting for treatment.
- Pleae pray that the cancer is eradicated from Kara's body, permanently.

Thank you.

Novalis This Morning

Kara went in this morning for her Novalis procedure. The doctors believe that the personnel will be there to complete the procedure, and we are all very thankful that this was rescheduled so quickly. Hopefully chemo can begin next week, but it hasn't been scheduled yet. Emma and Luke will stay at the farm until tomorrow, as the Novalis makes Kara headachey, and the quiet will make that pass more easily.

Praises:
- Thank you God for safety for the family this past week as they travelled out of Houston and back.
- Thank you God that Kara was able to receive her Novalis treatment without any further delay.
- Thank you God for Kara's doing so well with her treatment, better than anyone could have expected. Thank you for the reassurance and comfort that gives Kara, and all of us.

Prayer Requests:
- Pleas pray that the Novalis treatment be successful.
- Please pray for peace and comfort for Kara during this difficult time of waiting for treatment.
- Pleae pray that the cancer is eradicated from Kara's body, permanently.

Thank you for all of your concern and prayers over this past week. Your unfaltering presence in Kara's recovery and life means so much to her and to her family.

Kara is back in Houston

Kara and Matt left La Grange early yesterday to beat the rush of traffic back into Houston. They were fortunate to have a quick trip back home. They were also fortunate in that their house did not flood, nor was there any damage from Hurricane Rita. We are hoping that Kara can get her Novalis treatment rescheduled as soon as possible. Emma and Luke are still at the farm in La Grange. Aunt Jean is down from Austin.

Update

Thankfully it looks as though Houston was spared much of the brunt of Rita, and that Rita did not hit land as a Category 4 or 5, and seems not to have done the damage to the coast that Katrina did. Flooding may still be a problem, but hopefully things will continue to go better than the weathermen have predicted. John and Carrie left for the farm yesterday, making the trip in an hour-and-a-half! Kara and Matt are not sure when they will head back to Houston. There is some thought about getting back ahead of the pack, if possible, but I think they would also like to relax a bit with the children before heading back. I'll let you know what they decide.

Praises:
- Thank you God that this hurricane was not as violent and powerful as Katrina, and that Houston, including the Medical Center, will be able to get back to normal soon.
- Thank you God that Kara and her family were able to get out of town safely, without running into any problems on their trips.
- Thank you God for Kara's doing so well with her treatment, better than anyone could have expected. Thank you for the reassurance and comfort that gives Kara, and all of us.

Prayer Requests:
- Please pray that the family makes it back to Houston safely, and Kara is able to receive her Novalis this week, and chemo shortly thereafter.
- Please pray for peace and comfort for Kara during this difficult time of waiting for treatment.
- Pleae pray that the cancer is eradicated from her body, permanently.

Thank you.

In La Grange

Kara and Matt have made it safely to La Grange. They left at 12:50 a.m., and arrived at 9:00 -- it's usually a two-hour drive.

Please see the prayer requests below. Thank you.

Update

Kara and Matt are out of the Houston area now, and the traffic has thinned out. They should be at LaGrange in the next hour or two. I don't know exactly how long it's taken them to get that far, but Kara did say it took them two hours just to go the few miles from their house to Highway 290 out of town. I don't know if John and Carrie have left yet, but as we hear from people, we'll let you know.

Please see the prayer requests below. Thank you.

Novalis Cancelled

Kara's Novalis treatment tomorrow has been cancelled, as the hospital is not sure it will have the personnel to perform the test. Kara and Matt plan to leave Houston in a few hours. John will be leaving as well.

Prayer Requests:
- Please pray that Hurricane Rita does not cause further delay in Kara's treatment, and that she is able to get back on track with the Novalis and chemo next week.
- Please pray for comfort and peace for Kara during this difficult time of waiting to continue treatment and having concerns about her home.
- Please pray that the cancer be eradicated from Kara's body, permanently.

Thank you. A message from Kara had been posted shortly before this one; please scroll down to read it.

From Kara

Dear God,

I thank you for each day and praise you for your constant faithfulness. As you know, I was pretty disappointed about the little brain tumor, but I thank you Lord for the medical technology and the doctors that can restore my health. I see you working through them. It is amazing how quickly the Novalis treatment was able to be scheduled, in a shorter amount of time than anyone thought possible. And, as Hurricane Rita approaches, that timing has been perfect, as your timing is always perfect.

It is well with my soul, and I know everything will be okay tomorrow, and that things will work according to your plan.

I cannot express what an awesome God you are, but I know you know what's in my heart. You are a faithful, always-loving, always-present, awesome God.

I love you,

Kara

Novalis Tomorrow

Kara met with her neurosurgeon yesterday, who has scheduled an MRI for her this morning, and then Novalis tomorrow. Her neurosurgeon told her that he was frankly surprised to see her still here, given the severity of the tumors in February. Both he and her neurology radiologist were quite pleased with her response to treatment, and very glad to see her doing so well. Her radiologist informed her that they are able to do the Novalis procedure on other parts of the body besides the brain now, which should make fighting any additional tumors more effective.

They hope to be able to proceed with the chemo next week, though Hurricane Rita may make that difficult it if hits Houston. Mom and Dad are considering taking the kids to the farm, while Matt and John stay behind to board up the windows, try to move the furniture up in case it floods, and take care of Kara. They went to Sam's and there was a line just to wait for a cart. Water is flying off shelves, and all the usual pre-hurricane activity is going on down there. Since Kara and Matt's house flooded during Allison (when Kara was pregnant with Emma), they are concerned about flooding again. The Medical Center also flooded during Allison, and if that happens again, and if there is a major problem with the power grid, Kara's chemo could get postponed.

Prayer Requests:
- Please pray for good MRI results today, and a successful completion of the Novalis procedure tomorrow.
- Please pray that Hurricane Rita does not cause a delay in Kara's treatment or damage to their home.
- Please pray for comfort and peace for Kara during this hectic and difficult time -- waiting for test results, continuing her treatment, and having concerns about the hurricane and her safety and that of her family.
- Please pray that the cancer be eradicated from Kara's body, permanently.

Thank you for your prayers and words of encouragement for Kara. Kara is approaching all of this with faith and confidence in God, but it is a very difficult time for her. Her use of her hands is severely limited, and she has difficulty walking because of her neuropathy. She cannot hold Emma or Luke very well because of her weakness and her surgery. Your continued prayerful and encouraging presence in her life gives her great comfort.

Update

Just a quick update to let you know that Kara has a series of doctor's appointments this week. I believe she meets with her neurosurgeon tomorrow, and hopefully can proceed with getting the pinpoint radiation scheduled this week, and then start chemo on Monday. Today she will meet with her gynecological oncologist for a post-op checkup.

Kara had a good weekend with her family; I'll post more tonight.

Prayer Requests:
- Please pray for peace and comfort for Kara during this time.
- Please pray that Kara is able to receive the pinpoint radiation on her brain this week, and start the chemo soon.
- Please pray that the cancer be eradicated from her body, permanently.

Thank you.

Chemo Postponed

Kara's next round of chemotherapy has been postponed to schedule the pinpoint radiation this week, if possible. Her bloodcounts are low, so they won't do the radiation or the chemo until those numbers get better. Kara will use the time to continue planning Emma's party, the kids' Halloween, and doing some nesting around the house -- Mom and Dad brought down the piano so when Kara's neuropathy improves, she can show Emma and Luke how to play the piano.

Prayer Requests:
- Please pray for peace and comfort for Kara during this time.
- Please pray that Kara is able to receive the pinpoint radiation on her brain this week.
- Please pray that the cancer be eradicated from her body, permanently.

Thank you.

Results

Kara's scans showed a new spot on her brain, which they will treat with the Gamma Knife. It is smaller than any of the other tumors she had had in her brain previously. Her liver tumor is still inactive, and there are no other spots of cancer in her body. We had hoped there wouldn't have been anything new, but hopefully after getting this new spot taken care of, now that the primary site is out, there won't be any new growth.

Prayer Requests:
- Please pray for peace and comfort for Kara during this time.
- Please pray that Kara's chemotherapy (which starts again Tuesday) goes well.
- Please pray that the cancer be eradicated from her body, permanently.

Thank you. Your words of encouragement and prayers mean so much to Kara, especially at this time.

Scans Friday

Kara is having another set of scans Friday morning. These will be the first scans since before her surgery, and we hope that they show no new growth -- that would be truly wonderful news!

Kara will begin her next round of chemotherapy on Tuesday. She isn't looking forward to going through the side effects of the chemotherapy again, but she is ready to continue with her treatment and do all she can to get healed.

Prayer Requests:
- Please pray for good test results.
- Please pray for improvement of Kara's neuropathy.
- Please pray that that the cancer is eradicated from Kara's body, permanently.

Thank you for praying for Kara day in and day out. Your support, love, and encouragement mean so much to her and her family, and they are so greatly appreciated.

Good Times

Kara felt better by Sunday, and she and her family came to Austin to celebrate Cousin David's second birthday. The bloodtest results showed that she just had a bug, and her PICC line was not infected, thank goodness!

Kara and Emma
Originally uploaded by jeanjean78.

Kara's neuropathy had gotten markedly worse throughout last week, making walking very difficult and greatly limiting the use of her hands. But Monday the neuropathy seemed to be much better, and she was steadier on her feet and able to walk more easily.

Today she met with Dr. Lynch, and he seems pleased with the way things are going. They are going to try to schedule another set of scans on Friday, and to begin more chemo on Monday. Please keep her in your prayers this week for good test results.

Emma and Luke
Originally uploaded by jeanjean78.

Emma at Party
Originally uploaded by jeanjean78.

Cousin David's birthday party was a lot of fun for both the kids and the adults. Emma and Luke had a blast with all the fun outdoor activities and getting messy with the other children, and Kara and Matt enjoyed meeting Laura and Miki's friends, many of whom have been praying for Kara over the past months. Even though it was a short trip, it was a nice, welcome break from Houston. Kara loved Aunt Lois's jacuzzi tub, where she had a long bubblebath.

Bubblebath!
Originally uploaded by jeanjean78.

Prayer Requests:
- Please pray that Kara's neuropathy improves.
- Please pray for good scan results.
- Please pray that the cancer be permanently eradicated from her body.

Thank you for keeping Kara in your thoughts and prayers, especially as she is about to have another round of tests -- that is always nerve-wracking and stressful.

IMG_1144.JPG
Originally uploaded by jeanjean78.

This Weekend

Kara continued to improve and feel stronger this week until she came down with a bug. She was running a fever, so she had to go in and have her blood tested to make sure her PIC line (the permanent shunt in her arm that allows her to get medicine and fluids through the IV) isn't infected. A lot of times those lines can get infected and have to be removed. We hope that's not the case, b/c it's been very helpful for Kara to have it.

Matt's sister, Katie, has come to Houston to spend time with the family and help out, and Mom and Dad have headed back to Joplin to enjoy the cooler weather and start packing up the house.

Kara and the family were planning on coming to Austin on Sunday for our cousin Laura's son David's second birthday party. She hopes to be feeling good enough to go ahead with that plan, but we're not sure now. It will be a nice outing for the family, and I know Kara is looking forward to the change in scenery.

Kara has a meeting with her oncologist this coming week.

Prayer Requests:
- Please pray that Kara gets feeling better soon, and that her PIC line isn't infected.
- Please pray that Kara's neuropathy improves.
- Please pray that she gets a good report from her oncologist.
- Please pray that the cancer be permanently eradicated from her body.

Thank you for continuing to keep Kara in your thoughts and prayers.