Day One Hundred Twenty-four

"When tragedy strikes—and it is not a matter of if, but when—it will have one of two effects in our lives. Either we will have our faith strengthened, and we will turn to God for comfort, or we will become angry at God and turn away from Him.

Hardships in life either will make you better or bitter. You decide which one it will be, because character is not made in crisis; it is revealed. "  - Greg Laurie Daily Devotions

Ryan was in good spirits and healthy today, and that is what's most important!  

Mirjan had a little excitement today.  Five kids and her in the car with a flat tire.  There was a nice big nail in the tire, so I told her she needs to watch where she is driving.  What is interesting is that she received an email with a coupon for tires this morning. She said she has never received one of those before.  I told her that God was watching out for her, and she needs to pay attention to those subtle signs.  :)  Thank God that she wasn't out on the highway.

When we got home, the house was sparkling clean.  Thank you for all that you do, Mirjan!!  We love and appreciate you! 

Random thought:
I find it interesting that when we try to set plans in motion, there is a reason that they don't get started or don't go as expected, but we don't really understand why until later.  As we talked about changes today, we realized that we are where we are for a reason that is so obvious now.  I had no intentions of living in this part of town (or in this town), but we are here and it has turned out to be wonderful.  Great relationships, great friends, a good place for the kids, down to earth people.  We visited several churches and ended up at ours after we went to a baptism of our neighbor's child.  As a result, I couldn't think of a better place to be at this time or around any other people.  Especially during this journey, we are reminded every day that we are blessed to have such loving and caring people in our lives.  I truly believe that God guided us here for a reason.  We have continually tried to set certain plans in motion, and it's good to realize that sometimes we just need to be patient, and trust that the Lord will kickstart those or other plans when the time is right.  

I was proud of Davianna today, as she finally took out her leap frog books and was reading without any prodding.  We are making progress! 

Emma was beautiful today.  I could sit and watch her all day.  Her fascination at little things, little challenges that she encounters and how she overcomes them, and how she will stop in the middle of what she is doing, give me that huge smile, say hi, and run to kiss me. 

Ryan was a handful, but that's nothing new.  Trying to get him to eat and dealing with his new excuses every day is a challenge for us.  At least we (Mirjan) experiences an accomplishment each day when he has finished his meal.  I told her that in 10 years, she will look back and realize that trying to get him to eat was better than him finishing off the groceries in an afternoon.  Ryan and I read an 'I Spy' book again tonight, and he is becoming more competitive and asking more questions.  I called him Captain a couple of weeks ago and saluted him, and now he insists that I salute him and call him "Captain Ry" before I leave his room each night. 

I did some more research on peripheral neuropathy, and found some interesting information.  We started seeing this in Ryan with signs of drop foot.  It looks like he walks just a little differently, and he doesn't run as fast as he used to.  I saw that there was a lot of research over the past 5 years which indicates that synthetic cannabinoids and inhaled cannabis are effective treatments for neuropathic disorders.  Hmmm, Dora the Explorer says don't do drugs, but research says pot is good for you.  How do I explain that to a 4 year old?  I did read that vitamins E, B1, B6, B12 and niacin are essential to healthy nerve function.  I also read a journal of a cancer patient that said since she had started taking B50, she has experienced significant improvements from her peripheral neurophathy.  The doctor says Ryan's case is mild and temporary, but I still want to understand more.   I also want to know how do you tell that it's going from mild, to medium, and then to severe.  And can you only tell that after it ends up in the severe category?  Roller-coaster ride.  Here is some more information from one of the links on the right side of the blog:

What is peripheral neuropathy and how is it related to chemotherapy?

The body's nervous system is divided into two major systems; the central nervous system and the peripheral nervous system.  The peripheral nervous system is also divided into two major parts, the somatic nervous system and the autonomic nervous system.   The somatic nervous system consists of peripheral nerve fibers that send sensory information to the central nervous system and motor nerve fibers that send signals to skeletal muscle.  The autonomic nervous system controls smooth muscle of the viscera (internal organs) and glands.

Peripheral neuropathy results from some type of damage to the peripheral nerves.  Certain chemotherapy drugs can cause peripheral neuropathy such as vinca alkaloids (vincristine), cisplatin, paclitaxel, and the podophyllotoxins (etoposide and tenoposide).
Other drugs used to treat cancer such as thalidomide and interferon also can cause peripheral neuropathy.

So, what I always thought was the best drug in regards to the least immediate side affects on Ryan, and the only one that he takes every week, is the one that causes this (and hair loss). I just remind myself that God is in control and taking care of my little boy!!

Father, thank you for blessing Ryan with another healthy day!  Thank you for the love of a beautiful woman and the great mother that she is.  I ask that you continue to guide us with decisions and direct us along the path that you would have us follow, living the life that you desire us to live, making the choices that honor you, and giving and serving in your name.  We want and need that guidance and your love each and every day.  Father, I ask in Jesus' name that the side affects of this treatment are minimal and that you continue to heal my little boy.  Amen.