| Author |
Hogs & Quiches & Prayers Round-up:  My 5 year old has cancer  |
|
violetrose
True Blue Farmgirl
960 Posts
Ruth
Epworth
GA
USA
960 Posts |
 Posted - Jan 06 2011 : 6:19:09 PM
|
Elizabeth, You and your family are on my heart and in my prayers constantly! Thanks for the update - know you are covered in love and prayers! Big hugs to Jacob!
Ruth
Farmgirl Sister # 1738
God loves each one of us as if there were only one of us!
St. Augustine |
 |
|
|
Mommyswanson
True Blue Farmgirl
463 Posts
Laura
Waukegan
IL
USA
463 Posts |
Posted - Jan 07 2011 : 09:56:59 AM
|
Elizabeth
Praying for you & your family!!
Laura
"That which does not kill us makes us strong!" "I cast all my cares upon you Lord." |
|
|
|
OneHippieChick
True Blue Farmgirl
195 Posts
Susan
Huntsville
AL
USA
195 Posts |
Posted - Jan 08 2011 : 12:51:17 PM
|
Elizabeth,
Keeping you all in my thoughts and prayers!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Susan ~ Farmgirl Sister #1978
Fiber artist, spins, knits, crochets, sews, weaves, quilts, soap maker, as well as various beauty products and some natural cosmetics
Working on getting my Etsy website and blog up and running - stay tuned!
|
|
|
|
levisgrammy
True Blue Farmgirl
9590 Posts
Denise
Beavercreek
Ohio
USA
9590 Posts |
Posted - Jan 08 2011 : 7:04:19 PM
|
Elizabeth,
Just want you to know we are praying for you and your family.
God can give you strength like no other.
hugs and love,
Denise
farmgirl sister#43
O, a trouble's a ton or a trouble's an ounce,
Or a trouble is what you make it!
And it isn't the fact that you're hurt that counts,
But only--how did you take it?
--Edmund C. Vance.
|
|
|
|
dutchy
True Blue Farmgirl
4427 Posts
4427 Posts |
Posted - Jan 08 2011 : 11:16:26 PM
|
Still praying here as well for you and your brave boy, Elizabeth
Hugs from Marian/Dutchy, a farmgirl from the Netherlands :)
http://pinkprincessdecorating.blogspot.com/
Almost daily updates on me, my home and my crafts
Farmgirl sister # 2410 |
|
|
|
debtea2
True Blue Farmgirl
1853 Posts
deborah
nutley
nj
USA
1853 Posts |
|
|
Lady Woodworker
True Blue Farmgirl
259 Posts
Karen
Chamberlain
Maine
USA
259 Posts |
Posted - Jan 10 2011 : 4:17:02 PM
|
Dear Elizabeth,
I'm overwhelmed by your story.
I will keep you all in my prayers. Your prayer circle grows and grows...
you will all get through this...
Hugs,
Karen
Farmgirl Sister # 2419 |
|
|
|
Sheep Mom 2
True Blue Farmgirl
1534 Posts
Sheri
Elk
WA
USA
1534 Posts |
Posted - Jan 10 2011 : 4:32:41 PM
|
Keeping you and your family in my prayers and sending you good thoughts and support. I hope all continues to go well.
Blessings, Sheri
"Work is Love made visible" -Kahlil Gibran |
|
|
|
babysmama
True Blue Farmgirl
931 Posts
Elizabeth
Iowa
931 Posts |
Posted - Jan 10 2011 : 5:00:11 PM
|
6 radiation treatments down, 5 more to go! I love seeing that number get smaller and smaller. He had some tummy ache after treatment today but I don't know if was because of the radiation or not. At least he hasn't gotten sick after we started giving him the anti-nausea medication about an hour beforehand.
Jacob has both chemo and radiation tomorrow. It is just one chemo drug tomorrow so hopefully we can get in and out pretty quick...though they do have to draw blood for the blood counts beforehand. Please pray for safe driving for us tomorrow as it sounds like lots of snow may be headed our way.
Thank you all, again, for the cards, prayers, and gifts you have sent. It is uplighting after a long day to come home and find hugs in the mailbox. I'm continuing to update my blog as time allows so you can see updates at www.trenchesofmommyhood.blogspot.com
-Elizabeth |
|
|
|
violetrose
True Blue Farmgirl
960 Posts
Ruth
Epworth
GA
USA
960 Posts |
Posted - Jan 10 2011 : 5:41:17 PM
|
Praying for safe travel and that Jacob does well with his treatment tomorrow.
Hugs and prayers, Ruth
Farmgirl Sister # 1738
God loves each one of us as if there were only one of us!
St. Augustine |
|
|
|
nubidane
True Blue Farmgirl
2971 Posts
Lisa
Georgetown
OH
2971 Posts |
Posted - Jan 10 2011 : 6:29:53 PM
|
Elizabeth
I am following your blog & also your mom's. Think & pray for you several times daily. Your mom has a gift with words.
|
|
|
|
kristin sherrill
True Blue Farmgirl
11303 Posts
kristin
chickamauga
ga
USA
11303 Posts |
Posted - Jan 11 2011 : 05:07:39 AM
|
Elizabeth, have you heard of ginger candy? My friend had breast cancer and she sucked on ginger candy and it really helped her get through all that your son has to go through. Also she got sores in her mouth and drank aloe juice. It helped her throat and stomach also. Just thought I'd mention this. I think you can find the ginger candy at pharmacies. Probably the aloe juice too or at health food stores. Also he could drink ginger tea.
I am amzed at how strong your little boy is. He sounds like he's going to fight his way through this. And you too. I think of y'all daily. Saying prayers too.
Hugs, Kris
Happiness is simple. |
|
|
|
sherrye
True Blue Farmgirl
3775 Posts
sherry
bend in the high desert
oregon
USA
3775 Posts |
Posted - Jan 11 2011 : 06:42:48 AM
|
good idea kris, sending hugs and love and prayers still. sherrye
the learn as we go silk purse farm
farm girl #1014
|
|
|
|
eggfarmgirl
True Blue Farmgirl
253 Posts
Kristy
Melvern
KS
USA
253 Posts |
|
|
earthmamaT
True Blue Farmgirl
96 Posts
Tammy
portola
California
96 Posts |
Posted - Jan 16 2011 : 2:03:59 PM
|
Elizabeth ~ Please know that light, love and healing thoughts are being sent to your entire family.
Tammy ~
"Be the change you want to see in the world" Gandhi |
|
|
|
missusprim
True Blue Farmgirl
400 Posts
Karen
Fostoria
Ohio
USA
400 Posts |
Posted - Jan 16 2011 : 4:25:50 PM
|
Elizabeth, I'm just catching the tail end of this post - but please know that you, Jacob and family are in my thoughts and am hoping for good good good despite the bad.
Be strong and please keep us posted!
Karen
http://onceinnabluemoon.blogspot.com/
"Never trust a fart." Jack Nicholson in The Bucket List |
|
|
|
Meg
Moderator/Farmgirl True
974 Posts
Meg
Idaho
USA
974 Posts |
Posted - Jan 17 2011 : 12:47:48 PM
|
Thinking of you and all your little ones today, Elizabeth. Many hugs and much love...
MaryJane's daughter,
Meg
megan@maryjanesfarm.org
|
|
|
|
buffypuff
True Blue Farmgirl
1183 Posts
Claudia
Deer Park
WA
USA
1183 Posts |
Posted - Jan 17 2011 : 4:45:59 PM
|
continuing on in prayer...much love to your family
Buffypuff/ Claudia
Farmgirl & Sister #870
"Half of success is the assurance of support along the way." cr
|
|
|
|
eggfarmgirl
True Blue Farmgirl
253 Posts
Kristy
Melvern
KS
USA
253 Posts |
Posted - Jan 17 2011 : 8:22:26 PM
|
Hello Sisters..
Elizabeth posted on her blog that little Jacob is losing his hair now. Crocheters of Knitters.. how about some bright caps for him ? Just a thought. I know how much they meant to my husband and all that I met while we were going through treatment. I'm learning to knit and it's beyond me at this point !! lol !!
Hugs...Kristy
"Live like you were dyin'"
Sis #2339
Scattered Prairie Gals Chapter
http://www.myhealingthroughartstory.blogspot.com
My studio Blog- http://www.lostcreekstudio.blogspot.com |
|
|
|
Ninibini
True Blue Farmgirl
7577 Posts
Nini
Pennsylvania
USA
7577 Posts |
Posted - Jan 17 2011 : 10:28:36 PM
|
Praying and thinking about all of you every day, Elizabeth! Hugs - Nini
God gave us two hands... one to help ourselves, and one to help others!
Farmgirl Sister #1974 |
|
|
|
sherrye
True Blue Farmgirl
3775 Posts
sherry
bend in the high desert
oregon
USA
3775 Posts |
Posted - Jan 18 2011 : 07:13:52 AM
|
sending you hugs and prayers today. sherrrye
the learn as we go silk purse farm
farm girl #1014
|
|
|
|
violetrose
True Blue Farmgirl
960 Posts
Ruth
Epworth
GA
USA
960 Posts |
Posted - Jan 18 2011 : 6:54:22 PM
|
Elizabeth, I just read your latest blog and my heart hurts. Jacob has such a positive attitude, I just want to hug him close and tell him it's all going to be better real soon. Such a journey for a 5 year old to go on, but you know kids are amazing in the way they take life in stride.
Just wanted to let you know that, you, Jacob and your whole family are in my heart and prayers, not just daily, but many times during the day and night.
Hugs and prayers,
Ruth
Farmgirl Sister # 1738
God loves each one of us as if there were only one of us!
St. Augustine |
|
|
|
julia hayes
True Blue Farmgirl
1132 Posts
julia
medical lake
wa
USA
1132 Posts |
Posted - Jan 19 2011 : 10:50:49 AM
|
My dear friends~
Elizabeth has been on my mind. I know she's been on everyone's mind. Still, I wanted to take a moment and share with you exactly what my thoughts have been. I suppose my over-inflated ego is what drives me to do this. I have a deep desire for those on the outside of the journey to no longer feel the need to say things like, "I can't imagine." or "only someone on the journey can truly understand." I don't believe either of those statements to be true--there is an element of truth there but it is by no means a whole truth.
I want you to be able to imagine it because by putting yourself in there you are closer to those you are trying to support who already feel horribly alone. I want you to be able to glean some understanding because this leads to greater patience, tolerance and compassion when things get really hard...and they do..they'll get harder in ways not fully understood and certainly rarely explained.
However, there is something so bright on the horizon of all of this and it is the infinite capacity of people, which never ceases to amaze me. I am certain, absolutely positive that when situations, even those that are mind-boggling and impossible, are somehow explained people tap into the human experience that we all share in some way or form. When we do this, everyone benefits.
Here's what's been on my mind:
This past Saturday January 15th marked 3 years since Aria's diagnosis. 1-2-3 y.e.a.r.s! I'll never forget asking a woman in the play area of the outpatient clinic on that shattering day how long she and her daughter had been coming to clinic. She looked at me knowingly and said, "5 years." I thought I had hallucinated and imagined picking myself up from the floor. I had no idea a cancer journey could take 5 years even more! I'm certain my eyes were blinking uncontrollably and when I was finally able to take a deep breath, suppressing an overwhelming need to vomit, she asked, "How long has it been for you?" I said, "15 minutes." She stared at me for a long-long time. She nodded and said, "You're gonna be ok." Her daughter died on December 10th of that year and I was with her 4 days before she died. I can't tell you what a privilege it was for me to be with her. She was with me at our beginning and I was with her at their end. There was nothing to do...nothing to say...there was only the simplicity of 'being.' I will never forget the profoundness of that single lesson.
I've thought about it constantly ever since. I've written about it extensively and I'm writing about it now because of Elizabeth.
She has been on the journey for a month. It seems much longer, doesn't it? It is incredible how people adapt..how they cope..how they carry on. Trust me, it isn't always pretty but it always happens. People rarely miss the mark when crisis happens. Oh, they may stumble and falter and try all kinds of escape attempts but in the end, people hit the mark. It is the most extraordinary thing!
Right now Elizabeth is approaching a critical point. It is a turn on the path and one that she must take. She knows this. She wrote about it on her blog under "Manic Monday." It was beautiful. She said, "My emotions are still like a roller coaster...I have my high moments and my low moments. Sometimes I don't even know what I'm feeling. I know that we will enter a new normal soon but right now my life seems to be in limbo at times...mourning the loss of what was and hesitant to enter the new life of cancer. Some moments I'm almost there and ok with it and others I bounce back to wishing it away."
Imagine walking along a path and you see the turn coming but you can't see where it leads. Imagine that the path behind you doesn't exist. Every step forward erases the step you just took. There's no going back..there's nothing there. Imagine that in front of you there are no alternative routes...no side roads..no scenic routes..no other choices. The turn is coming into something unknown and you have to go there. I've taken this turn...many of you have...This is what Elizabeth now faces. Heading straight into a new life of cancer..Cancer for breakfast, lunch, dinner...every breath..every waking sleeping dreaming thinking moment is cancer. That's where she's headed. She's already been doing this..cancer as a full-time occupation that is, but the turn represents the reality that This is it. Cancer is the new normal. Cancer has defined and will continue to define everything--absolutely everything.
Imagine that it's awful. Imagine that it is even worse than what you just imagined. Now you understand.
I know you don't want to know this. Elizabeth doesn't. She's still wishing it away...can you blame her? I don't want to know this. I'm still wishing it away. It's been 3 years and Aria's doing great and what I wouldn't do to take it all away...But there's no going back..there's only going forward...
It may seem dark and scary. It is. But the miracle is that it doesn't stay that way! There are brilliant moments, unbelievable experiences to have, extraordinary people, surprises galore that bring meaning to life in technicolor. A blessing? A good thing? Some people talk that way. I think they think it's inspiring. I gag on those words. Jacob's cancer a blessing? The experience to get him well a good thing? Nope. People of course don't mean it like that...they're talking from the safety of having made it and when you get to that point it is so easy to forget the struggle that got you there....
Elizabeth is extraordinary. We all know this. She is doing it. She's amazing. She's traveling 4 hours a day for a few hours of appointments..not once is cancer off her mind..She's managing her home and her family. She's processing that her world has crashed and she's putting it back together. This is what people do. It's the most incredible thing. I'm in complete awe of her.
She's grateful for the cooking and the cleaning. You might be thinking, "Julia, we know this. What's your point?" My point is that now is when people start leaving the journey! They look like they've moved on...They send 'thoughts and prayers' but fewer and fewer stick around to get messy. They assume she has it covered. It's a routine now. She's got it down. I SO would have thought this too had I not experienced it myself.
She does have it down. She's had to. We all do. But this doesn't make is any easier. She chokes it down..we learn that as we go. No one talks about how sick of it they are. No one talks about how tiring it is to live in red alert all the time. Fever? no fever? Cold? Sniffles? Sore Throat? Is that a lump? Are you sick to your tummy? Your hair is falling out. You now scream I have cancer! The looks and stares. The fright in peoples' eyes. The wanting to ask questions but being too nervous to intrude. The complete sorrow and the fake joy so that others don't worry. The gardens that go untended, the house that's a mess, the complete lack of control..This goes on for months and months and years......
So what is there to do? I have said many times that everything helps and nothing helps. Every word is a gift and yet there's nothing to say. My thoughts for Elizabeth and why I've taken up so much space here is to encourage some of you if not all of you to consider taking the turn with Elizabeth. It will require that you shed the false notion that you can't understand and therefore can't go any farther. It will require that you try to imagine. It will require that you accept there are no fixes and sometimes helpful suggestions are exhausting. It will require one of the most difficult things..something few of us are really well equipped to do...it will require just being present...just being you.
I am so grateful for this venue..to be able to share what I have learned.
This is for you Elizabeth. I'm with you. ~julia hayes
being simple to simply be
Farmgirl #30
www.julia42.etsy.com
www.about-aria.blogspot.com |
|
|
|
babysmama
True Blue Farmgirl
931 Posts
Elizabeth
Iowa
931 Posts |
Posted - Jan 19 2011 : 1:44:22 PM
|
Julia-
Thank you, thank you, thank you for your wisdom. I don't even know what else to say right now except YOU ARE SO RIGHT!
When you wrote "Imagine walking along a path and you see the turn coming but you can't see where it leads. Imagine that the path behind you doesn't exist. Every step forward erases the step you just took. There's no going back..there's nothing there. Imagine that in front of you there are no alternative routes...no side roads..no scenic routes..no other choices."
I had to shudder. Because this is exactly my journey. It is a deep dark cave and as you enter you get further and further into it without being able to turn around and go back. It's dark and scary. You try to remind yourself that there will be a light at the end of the tunnel but your mind keeps saying "What if there isn't?" Every step deeper into the cave you take the harder it is. You truly don't know what is around the next bend.
There are days when the cave seems a bit lighter, a bit less scary, a bit more like our "normal life" was. And then there are days when the cave seems so dark and cramped and you feel completely alone.
I don't even know what to say except that Julia is completely right. I think you all CAN imagine it. All mothers have at one time or another - thought about our worst fear and what it would feel like. It does feel exactly like what I imagined. I used to think "I would never be able to handle something like that." When it happens, you realize, there is no other choice. You HAVE to handle it.
Thank you all for being along for the ride.
-Elizabeth |
|
|
|
julia hayes
True Blue Farmgirl
1132 Posts
julia
medical lake
wa
USA
1132 Posts |
Posted - Jan 19 2011 : 2:01:13 PM
|
Elizabeth, in tears I am deeply deeply humbled. You are welcome..In this moment, all that I am is for you...
I've learned that I'm not a torch bearer. My light is never that big. Rather, I carry a small ember that I gently stoke with wispy breaths. It is a small light but it is always present and it has helped me when I have been in the cave you described. I've written about that cave..I know it well. I thought at one time that I must have caught the ember from somewhere or someone. I was mistaken. It wasn't until I was far-far away from that cave that I realized the tiny light I have with me came from me.
You will find your light. My sense is that you already have....always near, ~julia
being simple to simply be
Farmgirl #30
www.julia42.etsy.com
www.about-aria.blogspot.com |
|
|
|
Hogs & Quiches & Prayers Round-up: My 5 year old has cancer |
|
My 5 year old has cancer
