Taylor Update

I talked to Jennifer yesterday evening.  She sounded so very tired which she should be with all that is going on.  BUT, there is some much better and encouraging news to report about Taylor's cancer!

His bone marrow testing all came back negative!  Yay!  Hooray!  This means that the cancer staging is still a 2B which is what everyone was hoping for.  It is not as advanced as they had suspected it could have been.

He began his chemo on Thursday and held up okay.  Because his levels were stable, he didn't have to have an IV yesterday as they had planned, and if the levels remain stable, he has an IV push next Thursday and after that his next IV chemo won't be for 21 days instead of 2 days each week.  This is such wonderful, wonderful news!  We participated in the fast this past Sunday in his behalf and I am confidant that these blessings are a direct result of it and Heavenly Father is in control and watching over Taylor!  It strengthens my testimony that He knows each of us and is mindful of what is going on in our lives.

(picture of T at his first chemo appt. from Jennifer's blog)

Hodgkin's Lymphoma

Jennifer called me early this morning.  They got word yesterday that Taylor does have Hodgkin's Lymphoma.  Not the news that we were hoping for.  He will go back to the hospital next Wednesday for what they call 'staging'.  That is where they will do several more tests, scans, etc. to determine where exactly all the cancer is in his body, how aggressive it is, what stage it is in:  1,2,3,or 4, and what course of treatment they will follow.

It was so thoughtful of Jenn to call me and give me a head's up before Christine found out so I could prepare to tell her.  They are close cousins.  Just 2 1/2 months apart.  Divinely, she was the only one in the carpool today so we were alone.  She was silent at first then I glanced over and saw the tears starting to run down her face.  Then she cried really hard.  We were on the toll road driving home from school.  Something so normal but inside the car it was anything but normal.  I put my hand on her arm and let her have her tears.  Sometimes all you can do is have your tears.

We are prayerful and hopeful that he can beat this.  He is strong in spirit.  And we have the gospel teachings that we know are true of a Heavenly Father who knows all and loves us more than everyone else combined.

Taylor

Update on cousin, Taylor. (Jennifer & Shane's son) He is out of Primary Children's Hospital now and home. He has a condition called ulcerative colitis. What a blessing that they were FINALLY able to pin it down. He has suffered for the last 3 years with this, but the doctors weren't able to diagnosis it properly as he was so young and his symptoms weren't so advanced. Now it has a name and a treatment. It will be a process, but they are sure he will most likely be able to live a full, fine life. Interesting note though, when Shane was growing up he apparently had the same thing and so did some of his brothers, but it never got so advanced, then went into a remission and resurfaced later as adults. Also, the disease hadn't been given a 'name', and the thought was that it was food poisoning and that some people were more susceptible to it.

Technology and medical advances are a great thing!

Taylor and family are very grateful for all our thoughts, prayers, and phone calls.