Category: Uncategorized

Tuesday

“Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly

above all that we ask or think,

according to the power that works in us,

to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations,

forever and ever.”

~Ephesians 3:20-21~

Callie Cole

Dear Friends and Family,
Callie has had an uneventful day, which is good.  No excitment but no set backs.  No report really on the MRI.  The doctor did not come to the floor today.  A resident doc did report that the MRI was not discouragin

g.  So, we say this is encouraging.  No double negatives please!!
One positive for sleeping beauty is she will most probably get her braces off this week.  This will allow the docs to get a clear picture of the mid brain.  Callie may wake up for this event! She has had braces for five years.
Another positive for Callie is she continues to do well weaning off the ventilator.  They actually turned the vent off for 2 hours before Callie could not tolerate it anymore.  Remember yesterday the vent was set on 8 breaths per minute.  Now the vent is set on 6 breaths per minute at 40% oxygen and Callie continues to breath over the rate at 17 breaths per minute.
The progress she has made is clearly the Lord’s hand.  Thank you, Lord.  Thanks to you for all the prayers.  Continue to pray without ceasing and without doubt.

Your brother in Christ,
Tom

Pray for the doctors to be able to learn more about Momma’s situation today.  Continue to pray for us as we take turns staying with her.
Continue to pray for the many others who are undergoing tests and planning surgeries.
Baptist Press
September 26, 2009

WASHINGTON–Muslims pray on Capitol Hill. http://bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=31342

WASHINGTON–Fertility clinic sued for destroying embryos. http://bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=31343

GEORGIA–34 relief teams deployed to Ga. http://bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=31344

KENYA–Kenyan villages overflow with famished hearts, stomachs. http://bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=31345

NORTH AFRICA–FIRST-PERSON (Don Graham): How God taught me to care about poverty. http://bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=31346

TENNESSEE–World hunger ‘thank you’ video, other resources available. http://bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=31347

ALABAMA–New “bread banks” help collect money for world hunger. http://bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=31348

INDIANA–FIRST-PERSON (Diana Davis): Sharing Jesus with Spiderman. http://bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=31349

Monday

“Look straight ahead with honest confidence;

don’t hang your head in shame.”

~Proverbs 4:25 TEV~

Eyvonne Ricks

Eyvonne will have surgey on both feet Tuesday 9-22-09 at the Brass Bldg. in B.R. 6:30 A.m. The surgey will be appx. 1 1/2 hours. Please add her to the prayer list.

Thanks Luther

Callie Cole

Sunday, September 20, 2009 8:27 AM, CDT

Callie had a good, uneventful night.  She is completely off all medications.

She had previously been on blood pressure meds to raise her pressure and sedatives.  Callie’s blood and intercranial pressure was and continues to be within normal range.
Callie is not out of the woods yet. So Tom and I want you to continue to pray for complete healing.  We are on the Lord’s time table not ours, so please be consistent and steadfast thru prayer and meditation.
Thanks so much for your prayers.
Love,  Frances
Adrianna Cavanagh
A number of people will be undergoing tests or treatment this week.  Please be in prayer for them.

KneEmail

Why?

WHILE APPEARING ON a panel with other bereaved parents, I was surprised at how much I learned by listening…

We were there to help a group of ministers help the grieving, but we ended up learning from one another.

One mom, who had lost her infant daughter to meningitis, shared a simple truth that touched me. She related that as she tried to work through the huge question of “Why?” she spoke to her dad about it. He told her that a better question to ask is “Who?” He explained that she may never know why her daughter was taken so early, but the help she needed most would come from pursuing who God is in this tragic situation.

Think of what this means to us in our difficulties. When we face unexpected grief and ask “Who?” we thus answer: “The Father of mercies and God of all comfort” (2 Cor. 1:3). When we face a period of weakness, we discover that “the LORD is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer” (Psm. 18:2). When the ungodliness of this world seems overwhelming, we can know that the “God of peace will crush Satan under your feet shortly” (Rom. 16:20). When “Why, God?” is on your heart, ask instead, “Who are You, God?” Then seek Him in His Word. (Dave Branon)

“Lord, all my desire is before You;

and my sighing is not hidden from You.”

~Psm. 38:9~

Posted by Mike Benson
Let’s seek God’s face as we all face the uncertainties of the week.
Anna Lee

Thursday

“I thank my God upon every remembrance of you,

always in every prayer of mine making request for you all with joy,

for your fellowship in the gospel from the first day until now.”

~Philippians 1:3-5~

Adrianna Cavanagh

Wednesday, September 9, 2009 10:59 PM, CDT

**September is Childhood Awareness month!

Day 2  Pre-Transplant:
Just laid down with Adrianna to try to get her to sleep, but it didn’t work.  Now she’s still tossing and turning, but I wanted to write a little tonight before I turn in.  I can’t believe she’s still up, given all the meds they have given her.
We’ve been adjusting pretty well, and so far Adrianna has not even missed a beat!  I know, unfortunately, that tomorrow or the next day will bring side effects, but we were happy to have several days to ease into this process, anyway.

Here are some of the rules of the transplant:
Adults must keep gloves and masks on at all times,  no using the restroom inside Adrianna’s room- must use public one at end of hall, no eating or drinking in room (except for Adrianna), nothing comes inside the room that has not been wiped down or sterilized, Adrianna’s food comes in wrapped up in a bag, all food or drinks must be opened inside the room for her, parents must eat in waiting room area or outside, no visitors except her mommy, daddy, and Nana
Meds:  swab her nose, ears, belly button, & behind with cream & powder under arms and in groin area-  this happens at 9 am, 1pm, 5 pm, and 9 pm, and then continues the next day.  Meds are given round the clock as always, but there are a little more meds this time around.
Luckily, Adrianna has been a champ at taking her meds by mouth.  However, when her mouth starts getting the sores (and we pray they don’t come, but they always do!), we are not sure if she’ll continue to take all these medicines like she has been.  They may have to put an N-G tube up her nose and down her throat to insert the meds and food if this happens…..
Before bed, Adrianna is given a sterile bath on the bed, then we clean her dressing where the central line is placed, and then we wrap her back up with a bandage that goes around her chest.  The central line area is still tender, so she screams when we have to clean it.
All in all, though, she’s really taken all of this quite well.  Her appetite is still great- she just finished her 2nd dinner- spaghetti-O’s- and then asked for some Goldfish!  This is a good sign.  As long as those mouth sores stay away….
She is on a continuous dose of chemo through Saturday, which is different b/c normally she has a break at night or during the day.  So it’s 4 days of chemo, then they give her 3 days of rest.
After the 3 days of rest, they will begin transplanting the stem cells!
It will be like she is being born again- all new cells running through her body.  They call it her “2nd birthday”.  She will be like a very fragile newborn baby all over again, only more fragile, and her immune system will be down for a long time.
I just learned that this is diff’t than her ANC number, which is what we were always worried about before, during regular chemo.
Now it will take her way longer to get her immune system up, regardless of the ANC.  The ANC is just a factor of her immune system.  It will take about 6 months to a year for her immune system to be high enough to go out in public.
She’ll only be allowed at the Hope Lodge (where they have air purifying system throughout), the hospital, and our home.
Her daddy came to stay last night and played with her all day.  She really enjoyed the Playdough Octopus set that one of my students had given her.  They played with that all day long.  I brought quite a few “new” things that she had not opened yet so they’d be more fun for her.  Along with lots of arts n crafts.  However, the nurses said in a few days, she will mostly be sleeping. They keep her on the Benadryl and other “sleepy meds” so that she won’t be so miserable when her counts are at 0.  Counts will take about 10 days before they start climbing above 0 again.  It’s gonna be a LONG, LONG 10 days, but we think we’re pretty prepared.  At least we know what to expect, and it’s not out of the ordinary!
Hope this helped.  I know a lot of people have been asking what transplant was going to be like, so wanted to clarify some things.
Cute story before I go:  Adrianna was asking who the King was in The Lion King movie and why Scar (the bad guy) wanted to be King.  I told her Simba and his dad were the kings.  Then she thought and said, “What is a king?”  I tried to explain that a king is kinda like a daddy, and he is in charge and tells everyone what to do, kinda like a boss.  She thought for a second and shouted, “No….Mommy’s the boss!!”  🙂
Gotta love ’em!
Thanks for your prayers & for all you cancer moms out there, thanks for all the advice as well!  Love to all!

P.S.  Please pray for Kylen Terron who is from Hammond, LA.  He is about 9 mths old and is in PICU, after having his transplant not long ago.  They think it may be a bacteria or infection, and are awaiting results.  He was doing a little better today- thank God!  Please pray for healing & strength for his parents. They are very nice people- my heart goes out to them!

Today, let’s focus our prayers on Adrianna and her family.  If you would like to read more and see pictures, please go to http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/adriannacavanagh.

God bless you in all you do today.

Anna Lee


Thursday

“Our lives gradually becoming brighter and more beautiful

as God enters our lives and we become like him.”

~2 Corinthians 3:18b MSG~

Please pray for Mrs. Bill Hughes.  The weather surely has made her health issues more difficult.

Pray for Mrs. Nat McKinney.  It’s not easy to leave your home to receive daily assistance.

Mrs. Annie Belle Harrell went to the doctor again yesterday.  He said it will now be five weeks before they know if the recent surgery was helpful.  Pray for her during this time.

Maggie Lee Henson

Jinny and I switched out at 1:30 this morning.  ICP is higher than normal but responding to what the doctors are giving her.  The upward trend and higher average, though, is of concern to them and so obviously to us as well.

Pray for Jinny to get good rest and for ICP trend to break.  Pray also more second winds for us.

–John

Encouragement

aaahands.jpgYEARS AGO AN experiment was conducted to measure people’s capacity to endure pain…

How long could a bare-footed person stand in a bucket of ice water? It was discovered that when there was someone else present offering encouragment and support, the person standing in the ice water could tolerate paiin twice as long as when no one else was present. (John C. Maxwell, Encouragement Changes Everything, 25)

Could it also be the case that elders could serve twice as long, preachers could work twice as long, and members could be faithful twice as long, if they had someone holding their hands and encouraging them? I believe that this is the case. As you know, the book of Hebrews was written to those who were discouraged and in danger of falling away. The inspired writer of this book often exhorted brethren to encourage one another ( Hebrews 3:13; 10:24-25). In the twelfth chapter, we read these words, “Therefore strengthen the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees” (v. 12). (Wade Webster)

“But Moses’ hands became heavy;

so they took a stone and put it under him, and he sat on it.

And Aaron and Hur supported his hands,

one on one side, and the other on the other side;

and his hands were steady until the going down of the sun.”

Exodus 17:12

Posted by Mike Benson at July 22, 2009

Wednesday Afternoon

It’s good to hear so many good reports from different Vacation Bible Schools!

Maggie Lee Henson’s pressure is increasing.  Her family asks you to pray NOW!

The North American Mission Boared is encouraging all to pray for 4 student missionaries injured in a car accident in Montana. Please remember NAMB missionary Brad Lartigue and other student missionaries as they minister to friends and family members. Read the full story: http://www.facebook.com/ext/share.php?sid=122040205688&h=9rvjx&u=pcVYJ&ref=nf

Thursday Evening Addition

Ann Trappey shared this information about Tiffany B. Currier.

Pam Bankston called me this afternoon. They are in Georgia with Tiffany and her family. Pam requested prayers from all of her friends and from any churches in the area.

Tiffany has thorax outlet syndrome. I am sure that I did not spell it correctly.

Tiffany’s rib was crushing a vein. She had surgery to remove the rib. Complications have occurred and Tiffany had a 4 inch blood clot in the vein. She has had 7 surgeries in three weeks and has been in the hospital for 17 days. Last weekend her chest filled up with blood. The doctors removed 2 litters of blood from her chest. One of her lungs collapsed. She is on Coumadin for the next 6 months and is very anemic.

Tiffany and Brad have two young children ages 2 and 4. Brad is from Amite.

Please put Tiffany on your prayer list and ask your church family to pray for her and her family as they experience this trial.

Ann

Ann also sent word that Riley Thomas Simmons was born today in Mississippi. He is the son is Stan and Bethany Simmons of Line Creek.

Saturday Afternoon



Luther Ricks

I have started RADATION for my Prostate cancer this past week. Four treatments down and 34 to go. I would like my name added to the Prqyer Link. I am like so many others, i need all the help i can get. Thanks for being there for us all. Have a Happy Mothers Day. Luther


Dentons

Just a quick update Don is doing better. He is on a high level of steroids. He is able to eat now. He is having some heart palpatations and they may move him to cardiovascular floor.

The doctors want to get him to a place where he can function. They are trying different meds to help with his dizziness.

Josh and I came home just for the day to take care of business.

Bolivar had a pretty bad storm with high winds. Some say a tornado touched down here in Bolivar. Our privacy fence came completely down on the back side of our yard.

Our air conditioner unit is not working either. We have allot of debris down in our backyard.

It looks like they will release Don from the hospital this next week. We are most thankful for this. Joshua’s birtday is Friday. I am hoping to keep things normal for the wonderful celebration of Joshua.

We are sooooooooooo……grateful to those who have just come to our rescue. There are so many who have just taken us in and helped us again.

I am humbled and touched so deeply by you all. Thank you for taking care of us in such a tangible, beautiful way.

For those women out there. Hold your children, love your husbands. We have so much to be thankful for this special Mother’s Day. I count today as a day that I have to be present with my family, be present with my friends and I am so thankful to God for his precious people.


Jakub (Prague, CR)

Dear Family and Friends,

Thank you so much for joining us in praying for our dear Czech friends (and national church planter), Martin and Olga and their 4 year old son, Jakub. We wanted to pass along this update to you. After more extensive examinations, the doctors are now saying that Jakub has sustained 3rd degree burns over 25% of his body. The burns are mainly on his head, neck, arms, hands and half of his face. They have him sedated and he has been calm so far. Praise the Lord that he is breathing on his own. Martin and Olga were able to see him today for the first time since the accident. Please continue lifting up this family to the Lord. We’ll try to send out another update on Monday after they meet with the doctors again.

Praising Him for the journey,

Steve & Cathy