Prayers HELP :-)

Here is a short update upon Elisabeth!

Just a quick update. Elizabeth is still doing good. Her pain from surgery is getting better, and she is still on pain meds to help manage it.

We had to pull Chris from Football...he nearly collapsed early this week! Not sure if it was some mild form of asthma that we were unaware of??? Or the start of a heat stroke...either way it gave me a real scare! Until we get him to the doctor...no more football :-(

Thank you for the prayers and love that our family has been blessed with by all of you. We are grateful!

Today, we will take the kids to see a movie...maybe some over-priced popcorn and candy (in the air conditioned theatre) will help us all feel better.

Elizabeth has labs on Thursday, then another week of rest I think before chemo round 6. We will keep you posted.

Much Love,

Westberry Tribe

http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/elizabethwestberry

With friendship,
Anamaria

Elizabeth is doing well. Her pain is getting less each day and her playing schedule is filling up to it's normal again. Her belly does hurt some from the pain meds causing constipation, but we are treating that as well.

Yesterday she has to get a finger poke (counts are great) and they removed the bandage from where her chest tube was post surgery. She did ok...it was kind of stuck to the wound a little, she fussed quite a bit, but got over it quickly.

Took Chris to the doctor: He had a mild heat stroke Monday! We had to take him back again today for a sore throat. The blood test was negative for mono and culture negative for strep...but the doctor put him on an antibiotic just to be safe. He was running a low grade fever and his white count was 11k...so she felt pretty sure there is an infection we were not seeing.

Elizabeth will be enjoying another week off, to recover before chemo again late next week. It is going to be hard explaining to her Monday when Chris goes back to school. She misses school very much...she SHOULD be starting kindergarden next week...not getting chemo!!! This disease sucks!

Please keep her in your prayers. Also please pray for the Boyte and Runde families, both of these kids disease has progressed. Pray for their comfort and joy.

Thank you for all of the love,

Westberry Tribe

http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/elizabethwestberry

All scans are negative for NB! Duke shared the results of all tests done in the past few weeks, and they cannot "detect" cancer in Elizabeth. Thank God! Now, this does not mean she is done...in fact, this just gives her the oppurtunity to enter the hardest part of treatment so far. We signed consent forms today to place her in transplant on October 3rd. Without continuing aggressive treatment now, it would not be a question of "if, but when" the cancer would return. Such a bitter sweet day. A wonderful feeling to know that she does not feel effects of cancer in her little body, while at the same time having to make a decision to continue with a treatment plan that will make her feel more sick than she EVER has.

We saw the gastro-specialist about her g-tube today. He did not feel like it was normal to have so many problems with it, even while neutropenic, but there was no reason to remove it now. It would not heal before transplant anyway, and she will need it to continue oral meds and to help suppliment her nutrition. The plan for now is to have my cells (if they match and are clean) ready to give her granulocytes as needed.

They drew my blood today, and Elizabeth loved it! She laughed as I pretended to cry and make a big fuss while they took like 10 viles of blood. She picked a sticker out of the prize basket for me (and a couple for herself) and just laughed and laughed. Dr. Driscoll does not think I will need a central line placed. My veins should be able to hold up to apheresis with a line in each arm. This avoids a surgery for me, and added risk of infection to the cells. Please pray that my cells will work as a match (I do not even know my blood type) and are clean for transplant.

We came home this afternoon and enjoyed some family time...we ALL miss Chris alot. This weekend we plan to have a very small birthday party for Elizabeth (early) and eat cake. We still have a bunch to do before transplant next week, and energy is in short supply for Lisa and I. Elizabeth has plenty of energy...if we could just borrow some from her.

Today I am grateful for so much. Please keep praying for Elizabeth. Thank you for caring enough to check on her.

Westberry Tribe

Let us all Pray together for Little Elizabeth and for her surgery to end up as well as everything went untill now!

You may read more, or leave your encouragemts here! 

With lots of friendship,
Anamaria