In checking the website that updates us on what drug trials are available, we have discovered that our doctor is finally approved to do a trial with the drug combo we have been waiting for! It is an all-oral treatment (no miserable shots) and Interferon-free (nasty drug with particularly bad side effects, both while in treatment and long-term afterward). And it is exciting to see that so far, it looks like the treatment will only be 24 weeks, instead of the 48 weeks that is mandatory with all drugs presently available (which would mean Alan feeling like he had the flu for almost an entire year).
The website also listed qualifications to be included in the study, and based on everything listed, it looks like Alan will qualify for the treatment. We are afraid to get excited yet...but cautiously speaking, it looks like great news! :)
So, we don't know when yet, but it looks like we will be able to start the treatments soon (likely January or February). Alan will have appointments with two specialists in Atlanta on January 2, so we should know more after that.
Also, my friend Susanne Vyhmeister has been working diligently on getting approval for nonprofit status for the ministry she is setting up to help us and others like us who are in ministry and are unexpectedly bombarded with treatment expenses. Immediate, huge expenses for the MRI, biopsy and other things are past for right now, and so far Susanne's huge efforts have helped raise $1,125, for which we are immensely grateful! Things like eating organic food, juicing, and child care while we are gone to appointments in Atlanta add up bit by bit, but if Alan is able to get accepted into the drug trial, that will help with at least some of the costs regarding drugs.
So, thank you all for your prayers and support! I can't tell you how much they mean to us. Over and over I am learning that when we invest in loving others, the investment comes back to us with great returns, just when we need it most.
Blessings and merry Christmas to you all!
Nicole
Thursday, December 20, 2012
Friday, November 30, 2012
A fiery preacher
"Dear Jesus, make us like fireworks. Amen."
Seth prayed this puzzling prayer, then opened his eyes and looked up at me. "You know how we should be like fireworks? We need to light lots of other people's lights, and then they will go out everywhere to preach the Gospel all over the world!"
Seth prayed this puzzling prayer, then opened his eyes and looked up at me. "You know how we should be like fireworks? We need to light lots of other people's lights, and then they will go out everywhere to preach the Gospel all over the world!"
Thursday, November 29, 2012
Update on Alan's health
Just a quick update: Alan is at Eden Valley Institute in Colorado for nine days. He is getting natural treatments to detoxify his body and boost his liver function. While some of the treatments are challenging (hour-long hot baths with your temperature hovering around 103.5, anyone?), we are hopeful that this will boost his body and help him to regain energy and immunity. Getting sick is a constant threat, as the doctor has warned that a bout with the flu or other serious illness could be life-threatening. So we appreciate your support and prayers as we continue soldiering through this ordeal. God has blessed with overall very few significant side effects from the hepatitis C so far. Alan's previous growing fatigue has not returned so far since his anointing in September.
We are still waiting to hear more about the potential for medical treatment in the near future. We have not heard yet whether he will be eligible for the drug trials starting in January or February in Atlanta, but there are several indications that there are several promising drugs coming in the near future that will have neither the intense side effects during treatment nor the long-term negative potential effects that are inevitable with the treatments currently available. So we are waiting uneasily. Please pray that God will guide us to exactly what treatments will work best for Alan.
Thank you all!
We are still waiting to hear more about the potential for medical treatment in the near future. We have not heard yet whether he will be eligible for the drug trials starting in January or February in Atlanta, but there are several indications that there are several promising drugs coming in the near future that will have neither the intense side effects during treatment nor the long-term negative potential effects that are inevitable with the treatments currently available. So we are waiting uneasily. Please pray that God will guide us to exactly what treatments will work best for Alan.
Thank you all!
Shrewd insights or shrewed insides? Yes...
The other day I had the kids out working in the garden with me when the boys disappeared. After a few minutes, I sent Anaya around the front of the house to look for them and bring them back. I heard shouts, and Anaya came running back around the corner of the house.
"Mommy, we can't come now! School is happening in the front yard!"
When homeschooling mommies hear announcements like that, there is a momentary thrill of, "Yes! They get it! Life is meant to be crammed with learning!" followed by a "Whaddaya mean, 'school is happening'? I said come to the garden!"
"The cat caught a little animal, like a mouse or something!"
Muttering under my breath about who gets to decide when school happens and whether people need to come when I call, I ventured around the house and joined the kids, who were crouched, enraptured, watching the cat toy with a shrew that had apparently already gone toward the light. After a few minutes, I decided we had gleaned all the "school" possible. "Let's get back to the garden now."
"No, Mommy!" shrieked Skyler. "We want to see its insides!"
Now, I am firmly committed to welcoming my children's curiosity. I don't ever want to give them the impression that blood and guts are gross and disgusting. I want them to embrace life and learn to explore. I am committed to helping them discover whatever is laid upon their precious little hearts.
But not enough to ooh and aah at the guts of a shrew.
"We're not staying here to watch the cat eat it."
"But Mommy," wailed my youngest, "how will we ever know what's inside it?"
"We'll look it up on the Internet," I suggested cheerfully. "Come on, let's go."
"Mooooommmy..."
Suffice it to say, I persuaded the budding surgeons to reluctantly abandon their science project to its just owner, and come back to the garden and resume work (if you could call it that). But about half an hour later, Skyler came bounding delightedly back from an excursion to the front of the house. In one hand, he held a makeshift platter of nameless trash, with the carcass of the shrew perched on top. In the other hand he held a large rock.
"Look!" he shrieked in unabashed glee. "The kitty left it! Now we can see what's inside!" He set his platter down and lifted his rock ominously.
"Augh! No! That's not how you see what's inside!"
It took some persuasion, but I finally agreed we'd figure out what was inside the shrew. (But not by smashing it.) And the next day found a cheerful nursing student (Thanks, Deborah!) ready to dissect the shrew with the kids--only to discover that the original murderous mortician had reclaimed the body for her own scientific exploits.
Whew.
"Mommy, we can't come now! School is happening in the front yard!"
When homeschooling mommies hear announcements like that, there is a momentary thrill of, "Yes! They get it! Life is meant to be crammed with learning!" followed by a "Whaddaya mean, 'school is happening'? I said come to the garden!"
"The cat caught a little animal, like a mouse or something!"
Muttering under my breath about who gets to decide when school happens and whether people need to come when I call, I ventured around the house and joined the kids, who were crouched, enraptured, watching the cat toy with a shrew that had apparently already gone toward the light. After a few minutes, I decided we had gleaned all the "school" possible. "Let's get back to the garden now."
"No, Mommy!" shrieked Skyler. "We want to see its insides!"
Now, I am firmly committed to welcoming my children's curiosity. I don't ever want to give them the impression that blood and guts are gross and disgusting. I want them to embrace life and learn to explore. I am committed to helping them discover whatever is laid upon their precious little hearts.
But not enough to ooh and aah at the guts of a shrew.
"We're not staying here to watch the cat eat it."
"But Mommy," wailed my youngest, "how will we ever know what's inside it?"
"We'll look it up on the Internet," I suggested cheerfully. "Come on, let's go."
"Mooooommmy..."
Suffice it to say, I persuaded the budding surgeons to reluctantly abandon their science project to its just owner, and come back to the garden and resume work (if you could call it that). But about half an hour later, Skyler came bounding delightedly back from an excursion to the front of the house. In one hand, he held a makeshift platter of nameless trash, with the carcass of the shrew perched on top. In the other hand he held a large rock.
"Look!" he shrieked in unabashed glee. "The kitty left it! Now we can see what's inside!" He set his platter down and lifted his rock ominously.
"Augh! No! That's not how you see what's inside!"
It took some persuasion, but I finally agreed we'd figure out what was inside the shrew. (But not by smashing it.) And the next day found a cheerful nursing student (Thanks, Deborah!) ready to dissect the shrew with the kids--only to discover that the original murderous mortician had reclaimed the body for her own scientific exploits.
Whew.
Tuesday, November 6, 2012
The dangers of teaching children to write...
NOTE: The views and opinions expressed herein are those of the 9-year-old author and do not necessarily reflect those of the parents of said author. (This was not an assignment; Anaya just wrote it in her free time. I had no idea she was writing it until she presented it to me.)
Freedom for woman
Woman have a lot of freedom but men have more. Men can be pasters woman can in some places but not all places. can woman own a house. but who takes care of the house? woman do. when a woman marries a man that his last name is parker the woman last name is parker. Men have more power. If men have more power what do woman have? Nothing. If men are the ones Who own almost anathing. What do women have? the things men don't own.
Freedom for woman
Woman have a lot of freedom but men have more. Men can be pasters woman can in some places but not all places. can woman own a house. but who takes care of the house? woman do. when a woman marries a man that his last name is parker the woman last name is parker. Men have more power. If men have more power what do woman have? Nothing. If men are the ones Who own almost anathing. What do women have? the things men don't own.
Friday, November 2, 2012
Latest MRI results
After nearly 2 1/2 weeks' wait, we got back the results of Alan's MRI. No cancer! There is still evidence of cirrhosis on it (we expected that), but we are praising God for the blessing of not having cancer. Alan will have to have screenings every 6 months for the rest of his life watching for cancer, but as long as he doesn't have it, his chances of recovery (or at least stability) are strong.
We got a few other pieces of info from the doctor, but I'll update you more later. Just wanted to keep you all posted and thank you again for your prayers.
We got a few other pieces of info from the doctor, but I'll update you more later. Just wanted to keep you all posted and thank you again for your prayers.
Sunday, October 28, 2012
Update on Dr. Parker's health
For those of you who are following our blog and praying for Alan's health: thank you all SO much! Despite Alan carrying a full load of work this semester, since his anointing, he continues to have energy equivalent to what he had before the accident in March (when he was hit by a car while crossing the street--the painkillers he had to take after that accident apparently affected his liver pretty severely, and we were unaware at the time he had hepatitis C). This energy boost is a direct answer to prayer. Before the anointing, he was exhausted by lunchtime and had to have at least one nap nearly every day. Now, he only needs naps if he doesn't get enough sleep at night.
Last week we went to the (fourth) specialist. Dr. Pearlman is an expert hepatologist (not herpetologist) and a very friendly, warm man. His passion is helping hepatitis C patients, and it is clear he knows exactly what he is doing. He is hoping to be able to help with a drug trial starting in January/February of 2013, with a drug combination that will be considerably less damaging and miserable for Alan than any other treatment presently available. Every other option we have includes interferon, a substance the body produces when a person has the flu. Interferon treatments basically make a person feel like they have the flu throughout the treatment. Fevers, chills, exhaustion, nausea, headaches, low red or white blood cell count, and other draining side effects are the norm. Worst of all, if a person does not respond to interferon treatments, or the treatment has to be discontinued (which happens frequently because of the severe side effects), the patient is far less likely to ever respond to any treatment in the future. But it looks like it is possible we will be able to do a treatment without interferon. Please pray that this will work out, if it is best!
We have been told there is about a 60-70% chance that any treatment available, interferon-based or otherwise, will be able to conquer this particular strain of the hepatitis C virus (1b). However, Dr. Pearlman was very encouraging as he shared his enthusiasm about the latest developments in treatment for hep C. He feels confident that even if Alan does not qualify for this treatment (and we should know next month if he does), within the next year there will be several good options for other drug trial treatments.
For those who are enthusiastically encouraging us to try natural remedies, we are doing what we can in the midst of our busyness. We have started juicing with organic vegetables, and Alan has been walking to work whenever he can. He also has started going to the gym to work out (since it is getting cold now). We don't have the money (or the faith) to invest in a lot of the expensive therapy courses that have apparently done wonderful things for other people, though we are thankful that so many people care about us enough to share the information. (Thank you all!)
Some kind and generous friends of ours, Susanne and Bryan Vyhmeister, have started a fundraising campaign to help us raise money to help with our unexpected medical expenses. Whatever you donate will go toward the cost of organic food for juicing and eating, child care during doctor's appointments, etc. If we get enough, it will help us cover the cost of sending Alan to Eden Valley in Colorado for treatments (hopefully in January when he has a little more time). But please don't feel obligated to give. We know that God will provide for our needs, as He always has.
There is also a wonderful FB page that the Vyhmeisters have started for us, PrayforAlan. It is exciting to me to see how many people are praying for us (451 right now!), and that is also a way to get brief, regular updates on our progress.
This week we should get back results from Alan's blood work last week, and also from the MRI. The doctors are wanting to be sure he doesn't have any signs of liver cancer, but so far we haven't seen any, so we are optimistic on that front. We will let you know, here and in the PrayforAlan group.
Thank you all! Blessings!
Last week we went to the (fourth) specialist. Dr. Pearlman is an expert hepatologist (not herpetologist) and a very friendly, warm man. His passion is helping hepatitis C patients, and it is clear he knows exactly what he is doing. He is hoping to be able to help with a drug trial starting in January/February of 2013, with a drug combination that will be considerably less damaging and miserable for Alan than any other treatment presently available. Every other option we have includes interferon, a substance the body produces when a person has the flu. Interferon treatments basically make a person feel like they have the flu throughout the treatment. Fevers, chills, exhaustion, nausea, headaches, low red or white blood cell count, and other draining side effects are the norm. Worst of all, if a person does not respond to interferon treatments, or the treatment has to be discontinued (which happens frequently because of the severe side effects), the patient is far less likely to ever respond to any treatment in the future. But it looks like it is possible we will be able to do a treatment without interferon. Please pray that this will work out, if it is best!
We have been told there is about a 60-70% chance that any treatment available, interferon-based or otherwise, will be able to conquer this particular strain of the hepatitis C virus (1b). However, Dr. Pearlman was very encouraging as he shared his enthusiasm about the latest developments in treatment for hep C. He feels confident that even if Alan does not qualify for this treatment (and we should know next month if he does), within the next year there will be several good options for other drug trial treatments.
For those who are enthusiastically encouraging us to try natural remedies, we are doing what we can in the midst of our busyness. We have started juicing with organic vegetables, and Alan has been walking to work whenever he can. He also has started going to the gym to work out (since it is getting cold now). We don't have the money (or the faith) to invest in a lot of the expensive therapy courses that have apparently done wonderful things for other people, though we are thankful that so many people care about us enough to share the information. (Thank you all!)
Some kind and generous friends of ours, Susanne and Bryan Vyhmeister, have started a fundraising campaign to help us raise money to help with our unexpected medical expenses. Whatever you donate will go toward the cost of organic food for juicing and eating, child care during doctor's appointments, etc. If we get enough, it will help us cover the cost of sending Alan to Eden Valley in Colorado for treatments (hopefully in January when he has a little more time). But please don't feel obligated to give. We know that God will provide for our needs, as He always has.
There is also a wonderful FB page that the Vyhmeisters have started for us, PrayforAlan. It is exciting to me to see how many people are praying for us (451 right now!), and that is also a way to get brief, regular updates on our progress.
This week we should get back results from Alan's blood work last week, and also from the MRI. The doctors are wanting to be sure he doesn't have any signs of liver cancer, but so far we haven't seen any, so we are optimistic on that front. We will let you know, here and in the PrayforAlan group.
Thank you all! Blessings!
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