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Past Updates
On May
2 at 5:05pm Michael, surrounded by his mother father and sister, holding his
hands, went to be with our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. We will all miss
Michael immensely.
Michael was
in good spirits all morning long.
Michael relayed this story to me about three hours before he died.
… Bobby, his childhood friend
from Philadelphia
had flown in to visit with Michael and they decided to go to the movie
theater yesterday (Tuesday). When they arrived at the ticket booth, no one
was there to sell them a ticket, so Michael and Bobby went inside (where
they take the tickets stubs), and again, no one was there. Michael grinned at Bobby and said
“well, it looks like its free movie day!”. You guessed it, they went in and watched the movie and
alls Michael had to pay for was the $10 coke and popcorn. That’s our
Michael. So many great memories to
hold on to.
Towards the
last few hours, Michael began having problems breathing. Coach Johnson, Bret ,Uncle Jeff and I were all taking turns helping
him. Michael’s father arrived
home and Tom, Lacene and Ashley stayed close to
Michael’s side, holding him and letting him know how much they loved
him. Michaels courage continued to
the very last moments of his life when his father whispered in his ear “Michael,
it’s ok, don’t be afraid, we are all here with you now, your
safe, go to Jesus now and know that we love you”.
If you have a
memories or a story about Michael you would like to share, please forward
it to me dstuart@michaeldowning.org and I will post
these to Michaels web site.
Please
continue to pray for the family. Lacene’s birthday is May 5. Tom and Lacenes
20th wedding anniversary is the 9th of May. Ashley has lost her best friend and big
brother, at 16 years old this just is not suppose to happen. Their grief is
immense, more then anyone should bear but our Lords love is greater then
all things.
With all my
love to Michael,
Uncle Danny
March 24 2007
This update is long overdue,
and as you can see by some of the guest book entries, Michael’s
health has been deteriorating.
It’s so painful to sit down and write an update when things
look so grim…..but then we remind ourselves that God is in charge,
and that no matter what the outcome, He has promised us in His Word, that
everything works out for the good for those that know and love Him. We are a family that knows and loves God,
so our faith lies in Him and his promises.
Back in December, our family
took a trip to California
in order to spend Christmas with Aunt Peggy and Uncle Mike. Papa, Uncle Mike, Tom and Michael spent
New Years at the Rose Bowl, in which Michael was so excited to see Michigan play.
(Although they lost, Mike was still happy that they went) During the visit, Michael would cough a
lot, and hold his left side with a look of pain on his face. Of course this worried us, and as soon as
we got back home, we went to the Oncologist and had scans taken. The results were not good. As Pastor Kyle, Tom, Michael and I sat
with the doctor; we were told that the cancer was spreading rapidly. If that news wasn’t bad enough, we
were also told that there was nothing more that they could do. Chemotherapy and surgery are no longer
viable options for us. The news hit
all of us very hard and Michael begged the doctor not to give up on
him. Dr. Palmer, with all the grace
and humbleness he’s shown our family all along, told Michael that he
would never give up on him, and that he would continue to be his doctor and
friend and would continue to pray for him, but that medically he could not
do any more to help fight the cancer.
After a lot of crying, praying
and soul searching, our close friend Mitch Johnson, Tom and I approached
Michael with one question. Was there
anything that he wanted to do that he hasn’t already done? Mike’s answer was “Graduate College, have a career, get married
and have a family of my own.”
I don’t know why this surprised any of us, because Mike has
always been a fighter….and he was obviously not going to give up
easily. After some time, Michael
said that he wanted to see two of his best friends, Jarvis McMichael
and Bobby Sanders. The very next
weekend, Bobby flew out from Louisiana,
where he’s going to college and working as an intern for a
Judge. He spent two days with Mike
and they had a great time visiting, watching movies, playing Madden and
going out to eat. When Bobby was
ready to leave, he talked with Tom and told him that he didn’t know
what to do with his life now. Tom
told him to honor Mike by being the best student, friend, son, brother and
when the time came, to be the best father and husband that he could
be. Without a doubt, I know he will
do just that.
After Bobby left, Michael went
into crisis. We called Hospice in,
and by Friday Michael was in the in-care Hospice facility. We were told that his body was shutting
down, and that he would not be with us very much longer. Friends and family surrounded us with
their love and support continually.
Michael’s closest friends were at the hospital every day,
reading to him, praying over him, and letting him know how much he’s
loved. Also a bunch of the kids got
together and filmed a tribute to him. I can’t begin to describe what
this means to our entire family. We
still can’t look at it without crying.
After a week in Hospice,
Michael all of a sudden woke up and told Coach (Chris) Paddock that he
wasn’t ready to go yet. To our
amazement, Michael asked us what he needed to do in order to be able to
come home. Tom explained that his
body needed to start responding and that he needed to start eating food and
drinking liquids. Michael said
“No problem…..I want to go home because I still have some
things to do.” Within two
days, Michael was back at home. We
were told by Hospice that this is quite normal for a patient to rally for a
while, so we cautiously kept a very close eye on him for several days. It soon became obvious to us with each
passing day, that though Michael’s body was weak that his spirit and
determination was becoming stronger and stronger. By Tuesday the following week we met with
the Radiologist and Michael told him that he wanted him to do everything he
could to give him more time to live.
The radiologist did not recommend that Michael undergo any more
radiation, but after hearing Michael’s request, decided to honor his
wishes. Michael is now on his final
week of radiation. Although he is
weak and tired, Michael continues to go to the holistic clinic and the
radiation clinic every day.
This past Thursday was another
special day for Mike. His best
friend Jarvis flew in from Georgia
to spend spring break with him. We
haven’t seen Jarvis in six years, but it was as if no time had
passed. He came in the door, with his
big beautiful smile that has always lit up our hearts. Michael and Jarvis
have spent every day doing something like going out to eat, visiting
friends, going to the movies, or watching March Madness and talking smack
about each others favorite teams. Tonight
they are with Tom and Ryan Higgins at the Air-Force basketball game. The first night that Jarvis was here,
Mike invited a bunch of kids over that knew Jarvis back in junior high
school. Heather and Ryan ended up
making smoothies for everyone while the rest of the kids visited with
Jarvis. It was a good night. Infact
it’s been a good week. I
haven’t seen Michael this happy in a long time.
People constantly ask us
“How do you do it?” The
answer is: One day at a time. Each morning when we wake up, we praise
God for giving us another day with our son.
Just a few weeks ago we thought that we were going to lose him, and
today he hugged me and told me that he loves me, and tonight he’s
with his father and friends at a basketball game. We never know what tomorrow is going to
bring, so our family has learned to focus on the day at hand. Weather it be Ashley’s grades,
cheerleading or love life, Michael’s doctor’s appointments or a
sports event that he wants to go to, Tom’s day at work or my concerns
over our new home, we stop what we’re doing and focus on what’s
important to each of us. Each day
has become so precious to us. We
have learned not to take anything for granted, and to be thankful for all
that we’ve been blessed with.
If I could leave a thought
with everyone that is reading this, it would be from my viewpoint as a
mother of two wonderful children and a wife of a wonderful Christian
man: Never let the sun go down on
your anger, because you never know if you’ll get the chance to make things
right tomorrow; Be thankful for all the good in your life, and don’t
focus on the negative; and lastly, make each moment count with those that
you love. I do this by making a mental scrap book of memories with my kids
and husband. (ie: Tom yelling at the TV when his
team is about to score; Michael’s shocked look on his face after
dropping the last piece of cake on the floor and then his mischievous grin
when he said “2 second rule is now in effect!!” and picked up
the cake and ate it; Ashley’s excitement each night as she updates me
on her grades, (Which by the way, she has a 4.25 GPA as of today. Woohoo!!) or
when she shows me a new dance that the cheer squad is doing. At the end of each day I reflect on
moments spent with each person, and I write in a journal about specific
memories that make me smile. I find
that it helps to look back on what I’ve written when I start to feel
sad or overwhelmed.
I would like to thank everyone
for your continued prayers and support.
With love and appreciation,
Lacene
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October 24, 2006
First of all, I’d like
to thank everyone for their prayers these past few months. We all know that God answers prayers, but
it’s amazing to actually see it happening.
About seven weeks ago we
received terrible news from the doctors.
Mike and Tom had just returned from a two week baseball trip, where
Mike was able to meet the Detroit Tigers.
Though it was a trip of a lifetime, and Mike enjoyed it very much,
he was very sick and weak when they returned home. The next day I took Mike to CHOA, and
that’s when we found out that the cancer was spreading rapidly
through Mike’s left lung. We
were also told that there was fluid on the right side of Mike’s chest
cavity which is a sign that Mike was in much worse shape then we thought. I can’t begin to tell you how we
felt, because there are no words to describe the horror, pain or
devastation that each one of us were feeling.
That night, we received many
phone calls from friends and family that were praying for Michael. Tom and I requested that everyone pray
specifically for a miracle….which all of you did. Let me tell you......God was faithful,
and granted us that miracle. Michael
woke up during the night, complaining that his body was tingling. Tom knelt down beside him, and whispered
in his ear that it was going to be ok, because people from all over the
world were praying for him, and that he just needed to relax and let his
body tingle. The next morning at
6:00am, I drove Mike to the hospital where he underwent a chest
x-ray/CT. At around 2:30pm, we
received a phone call from Dr. Cook (oncologist), with the results of the
chest x-ray. There wasn’t any
fluid on the right side of Mike’s chest cavity. Though Dr. Cook couldn’t explain
why the fluid was there the day before, and wasn’t the next day, we
knew why.
Friends….it’s
because of you and your faithful prayers.
It’s because God was faithful and answered all of your prayers
that night. This terrible disease, Ewings Sarcoma, dictates that Mike shouldn’t have
lived this long with this disease, but he has. It dictates that he shouldn’t be
with us right now, but he is. And it
certainly dictates that he shouldn’t be making plans to go to college
in January, but he’s going to.
This is because our Lord God is much bigger then any disease. Michael has never lost sight of this
fact, and he’s living proof that God listens and does answer our
prayers. We don’t know what
God’s plan for Michael is, but we know that HE is in control.
Right now, Michael is still
undergoing chemotherapy.
Recently a good friend of mine
called me with some information about a clinic here in Colorado Springs that has had phenomenal
results in beating cancer.
It’s called “Future of Wellness”. Michael has been going there for just over
three weeks now. It’s a
holistic alternative medicine place, which focuses on nutrition, and
getting the body back to a healthy state so that it can fight off diseases
the way our bodies were designed to do.
For three weeks now, Mike has been taking a natural supplement
called “PolyMVA”, along with other
natural supplements as well. Every
other day he sits in front of a machine called “The Vibe
Machine” and undergoes a footbath that pulls the toxins and heavy
metals from his body. I know this
may all sound like “hippie” treatments, like Mike refers to
them, but the results are amazing.
Michael not only looks great, but he feels great too! He feels better then he has in the past
three years. He has the energy of a
normal eighteen year old, and is starting to live a life of a normal
eighteen year old. (Going to parties
with his friends, staying out late at night, driving his parents
crazy…etc….)
Michael has not stopped going
to chemotherapy, and he just finished his radiation a couple of weeks ago. The holistic treatment is something that
is taken in conjunction with the modern medicine. We won’t know how the cancer is
being effected until Mike goes in for scans on November 7th,
however we are so happy to see our son enjoying life for the time being.
Please join with us in prayer
that God will heal our son, and that the PolyMVA
will continue to give our son the energy to live life to the fullest!
God Bless,
Lacene
For more information on the
Vibe Machine you can go to www.vibemachine.com
For more information on PolyMVA you can go to www.polymva.com
Aug 27 2006
Michael and Tom just
returned from a 2 week tour of 5 sport stadium's and a visit with Grandma
in Michigan. An update with the details of his trip will be coming soon.
Plans to send Michael
and his Dad to see other NFL and College Football Games across the U.S. are
being made now. If you can help with plane flights, hotel stays, car rentals
or tickets, please contact Dan Stuart at 770-631-0696 for details.
Thank you for all your prayers,
Uncle Danny
Merry Christmas and thank you for your continues love
and support
Dec
23 2005
Well Michael
finished surgery, 39 days of radiation, and another few months of the
nastiest, most toxic chemotherapy he has experienced year to date.
Last week we had full body scans, MRI's,
chest scans, and post treatment exams to check the results of his
treatments.
The results were not good. Michael has two new
tumors that have developed in his lower left lung. He is scheduled
for surgery immediately. This Wednesday the 21st of December in the
early afternoon at Memorial
Hospital. For
those of you new to our company, Michael, our son, has been battling Ewing
Sarcoma cancer for the past two years. He was diagnosed as a fifteen
year old sophomore in high school. He was a four sport athlete and is
a strong Christian. Today, he is a senior and plans to graduate on time.
The surgery has us very concerned, more than
any surgery before. His left lung has been operated on multiple times
and the integrity of that lung is weakened after each
surgery. Over the past six months, Michael's body has broken
down faster, and taken longer to recover. Because of depleted red
blood cells, and platelets, Michael had a period of time where he needed
five blood transfusions in a two week period. When his body is low on
these necessary cells his immune system is down, and he is very vulnerable
to disease.
We always believe in praying specific. I am
thoroughly convinced "man", does not have the answer to cure our
son. We are tired of his body being cut up, radiated, and
poisoned with chemicals. The healing is going to take a miracle from
GOD. While Michael is on the operating table this week, pray for the
doctors performing the surgery. Pray they get all the
tumor. Pray for Michael's speedy recovery. There is a good
chance right now we will be in the hospital over the Christmas holiday.
However, if the surgery goes well, and he does not develop an air leak in
the chest cavity, his recovery could be sooner.
For Lacene and I, we have
been dealing with emotions of fear, disheartedness,
condemnation, guilt, hurtfulness, unfaithfulness, frustration and
anger. All of these emotions are normal, but right now we both have a
peace about what GOD is about to do.
I ask that you lift us up, for strength, patience,
love and faith as we go through another journey with our son Michael this
week. We are blessed with family, and a great church family to
support us. Our meals are already taken care of. Michael will
be in pediatric intensive care starting Wednesday. If you're out
Christmas shopping and want drop by for a visit this week please do.
If you want to drop a positive message or prayer on Michaels website, i Please do. He has a guest book.
Michael has had an incredible year. He lettered
in football again, though he never played a down. He stayed fully involved
at every practice and game. He is still on the honor roll, and has
kept up with his studies. He stayed involved with student council and
young life to help out with food drives, toy drives, he and
volunteered on neighborhood projects. He plans to win this battle
with this horrible disease. He is applying for colleges like every
other senior in high school this year. Why? Because he has plans
and things to take care of.
Cancer has been an inconvenience for him. He has
proven to be a warrior, and been resilient in his battle, but please lift
him up in your prayers. Because I know this: Michael was diagnosed
with cancer just a couple of weeks before Christmas two Christmas's
ago. The prognosis was not good, and we weren't sure if that was
going to be his last Christmas. A year went by and we celebrated a
second Christmas. This year, the Lord willing, we will celebrate
a third Christmas, on bought time from the reverent prayers of
Christians all over the world praying for our son.
Jimmy Valvano put it best
when he said "Everyday we should laugh, we should cry, and we should
think. If you have done all three of these things in one day, you
have lived a full day." He left us with the encouraging statement that
says, "Don't give up, Don't ever give up." My family
hasn't.
Someone asked me the other day if I was angry with
GOD. Folks, that is an easy answer for me. GOD didn't give my son
cancer. However, he had one son, and he loved me so much, he allowed
his only son to die for me, and my sins. How could I be mad at a GOD
who loves me that much? No I'm not mad at GOD, I'm leaning on him as
we go through the most challenging trial of our lives.
God Bless You and Your Families and Have a Merry
Christmas,
Tom and Lacene Downing
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June 22 , 2005
Well
let us first say thank you for all of your prayers, before,during,
and after Michael's surgery to have five tumors removed from
his left lung. Praise GOD. We planned on a ten to twelve day
hospital stay, and Michael recover in 48 hours. The surgery went
very well and they were able to remove all the tumors without opening him
up. That means the surgeon went between two ribs
instead of opening his chest cavity up.
Unfortunately the pathology report did not go well. All the tumors removed
were cancerous. By taking out margins they tested
what looked to be healthy tissue and it too was full of cancer cells.
They can tell by studying this under a microscope the cancer
is trying to escape the lung and spread to the lymphocyte system.
This is very scary for us.
Michael started his day this morning in amazing way. He woke up
between 5:30 and 6am. He went down stairs
and packed a
lunch, so his mother wouldn't have to worry about it. He then
packed some inspirational movies like "Coach Carter" and
Remember the Titans" to keep him motivated today. He went to
football practice for an hour to help his coaches and team on the
field, and in the weight room. It always amazes us as parents how
he consistently try's to make it easier on us, and not
inconvenience us with caring for him.
When he got home he headed to Memorial
Hospital for his
radiation treatment. After an intense high dose treatment of
radiation,
he went to he Colorado
Springs Cancer
Center to sit in a
clinic today to have Chemotherapy all day.
What is the plan? Well as always we ask you to pray specific.
Michael has to endure high dose radiation treatment to his left
lung
to try and fry the cancer cells. He will receive this treatment for
the next 28 days. While going through radiation treatment he will
also be going through chemotherapy for the next four to six months.
The risk is though they are targeting spots in his lung, part of
his heart will take on the radiation as well. He is in risk of
future
heart problems, but the situation is serious enough to warrant the risk.
His lungs could inflame due to the radiation, and
hospitalize him with pneumonia. Some of the Chemo side affects
include permanent hearing loss.Please pray for
his heart to be
protected by a shield of faith. Please pray for his strength in
recovery. Please pray for his continued positive attitude and
energy
level.
As a Christians, we pray and wait. We hope with a determined faith
the treatments kill every cancer cell, and give our son his life
back. As a father and mother it kills us to watch them burn vital
organs in his body, and pour poison into his body. We are
tired
of hearing about the resistant cancer cells that didn't respond to
treatment.
Pray specific and pray often. As Michael battles today pray that
the radiation and Chemotherapy does its job and kills every
cancer cell.
When we started this trail in life our family met other families whose
children have been fighting cancer for over eight years. I
remembering thinking how horrible is that, these kids had to suffer for
so long. Now I understand, it is not the suffering you need
to focus on. My family and I have been blessed with a year and a
half more of life with our son Michael. At one time we didn't
know if he would be alive another year. It is a blessing each day
with him, not a curse. Praise GOD for the day.
Inspection reports, car problems, financial stress, and closing issues
don't seem that important today. Thank you for your
continued support.
God
Bless Tom and Lacene
June 01, 2005
The results that came back today from the pathologist was not the
news anyone wanted to hear. Apparently all 4 tumors were
cancerous and in the same exact spots that the last set of tumors were
in, making the doctors believe that they did not get all the
cancer and surrounding tissues the last time.
This time around the cancer is spreading out more and appears to be
affecting the lymphocytes.
The doctors plan on treating the cancer aggressively and will start
radiation on Monday and it will be for 2 weeks followed by 4-6
months of chemotherapy. Some of the drugs that they will be using
this time around can cause possible hearing loss and for him
to be left with kind of a limp to his walk. Instead of walking heel
to toe it would be like him having a flat foot.
Michael has just finished the 11th grade and will be starting back to
school for his Senior year in August as his chemo treatment
allows.
May 20, 2005
Hi RE/MAX Properties
Family,
It breaks my heart to write this email, but bad news regarding our son
Michael. His post exams this week revealed he has four
new tumors in his left lung.
He is scheduled for surgery tomorrow at Memorial Hospital
at 10am to have them
removed. It is a pretty intense surgery that will
include opening his chest fully, exploring the rest of the lung, and of
course cutting out the cancerous tumors.
It will take about a week to ten days for him to recover from this
operation in Pediatrics Intensive Care at Memorial Hospital.
Lacene and I will be staying with him at night
sleeping in the chair bed, and switching off to be with our daughter at
home.
How are we doing? Well, my family is exhausted physically and,
emotionally. We are a little frustrated, a little angry, a little
nervous, a little anxious, and little scared. Nevertheless, we are
a whole lot faithful.
We believe in praying specific, so please pray for the wisdom of the
Oncology team as they research, and study for the next
round of Chemotherapy, and radiation treatment Michael will endure.
Please pray for Michaels attitude and peace of mind before
and during surgery. Please pray for the health and focus of the
doctors and nurses during the operation. During the last
operation they found a tumor that wasn't detected via x-ray, by exploring
and taking their time. Please pray for our family to
include my daughter Ashley, who I know thinks this whole situation is so
unfair.
The bottom line is we are told that it is likely that there were
resistant cancer cells in his lung, that did not die, and developed into
another tumor. Please pray for mercy, and a miracle that his body
will be fully healed so he can live a normal life. It has only
been three months of normally for Michael. He did get his drivers
license, and enjoyed the prom. We are thankful for the
blessing as they come.
He can plan on spending his summer in the Cancer Center
as he did last summer. A lot of people ask me
Tom what can we do besides prayer. Folks I know from living a full
life, prayer is an action, not a thought, GOD listens and
answers (not always on our time line) prayers. The biggest thing
you can do for our family is prayer. Some days it is the strength
of an encouraging word, nice action or hug that gets us through the day.
Every meal, offer to help, sincere concern for Michaels
health, and of course prayer is sooo
appreciated. Please feel free to drop by the hospital, or call
963-3494 (my cell), to see how
we are doing.
God
Bless Tom and Lacene
May 20 2005
First let me apologise for not getting the
site updated. I have had some network communication problems that
have prevented me from getting
updates posted. I hope to have a new update from Tom and Lacene soon.
Michael had been enjoying some much needed vacation from treatments but
he recently returned for a SCAN to see if the Cancer was in
remission.
Unfortunately the scans revealed several new tumors. Michael will
be going into the hospital for surgery as soon as they can get it
scheduled.
Michael needs your prayers. Tom and Lacene
and Ashley also need your prayers. If you have a prayer partner or
a prayer list at your church please
ask them to place Michael on it.
A more specific update will be coming in the next few days.
Thanks so much for everyone's support. Be sure to drop Michael a
message on his guest book.
Thanks,
Uncle Dan
January 1, 2005
I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas Holiday.
I want to thank all of you who took a gift request off the giving tree at
the south office and provided our son Michael with an extra
gift or two under the tree. He is really enjoying the video games,
movies, music, and new jerseys.
I also want to thank those of
you who sent cash, and shopping cards for him to shop. Our family had a
wonderful Christmas.
For those of you that our new to our company, my son Michael was
diagnosed with Ewing Sarcoma (A bone Cancer) last
December. It was by far the most difficult Christmas our family had
ever experienced. We didn't know if it was going to be his last
Christmas with us, and were really shocked by the situation. With
the support of family and friends (To include Joe, Linda, Jim,
and many Agents here at RE/MAX
Properties), we got through a very difficult holiday.
Michael had just finished football season, and was into wrestling
season when he developed a limp. We took him in for a doctors
appointment thinking he had a sports injury, and found out our son had cancer.
Michael is an athlete, and a young man very
strong in his faith. To this day he has never asked why. He
knows the Lord will give him strength and courage through this fight
for his life.
This year Michael had to endure Chemotherapy and radiation five days a
weeks sometimes nine hours a day. He had three
surgeries to remove cancerous tumors from his body. He was removed from
school, and had to finish his school year via tutors.
At the end of the first round of Chemotherapy, our family was hoping for
a period of remission for his young body to recover.
However, post exam MRI's determined the cancer wasn't gone, and he had to
endure an open chest surgery to remove four new
tumors found in his lungs. Two days after an extensive stay in intensive
care, he went to the homecoming dance with his friends
with stitches in his back. His schoolmates voted him Prince of his
homecoming court.
Michael returned to school this fall. He lettered in football,
after not missing a practice (to include summer work outs) with his
team. He could not play, but he worked with young receivers,
teaching them plays, and routes. He helped out from the sidelines,
and press box. For a kid who never scored a touchdown this season,
he inspired many kids at his school. He is a member of the
Fellowship of Christian Athletes, and Key Club at his high school.
He enjoys going to school more than any kid in the city. It
is
amazing how you respond when something is taken from you. He is on the
honor roll, and returned to school in residence for two
classes, and completed two other classes via tutors. Michael is a
member of the Mayor's Top one hundred teens here in
Colorado Springs.
Michael is still receiving Chemotherapy treatments for cancer.
However, instead of sitting in a clinic five days a week, he is now
able to take one round of Chemo via oral pills at home. The other
round of Chemo we give him through an IV at home, while he
rests in his bed before he goes to sleep at night. His clinical
visits are primarily for checkups, and blood transfusions to help his
body recover. This process allows him to sleep off the cruddy feeling
Chemo gives him, from his bed, not at a clinic.
Michaels last chest MRI,
and body scans show no tumors in his lungs or body at this time. He
has another couple of months of
Chemo treatments, before we take post treatment exams and scans again.
Our families hope, and prayer is that the tests will be
clear. He has had no break in his treatment this year, this
prolonged treatment has not allowed his bone marrow, or body to
recover. He is physically tired, but spiritually strong.
This year our family has had a very blessed year, here at RE/MAX Properties. My wife Lacene needed to stop working to care
for Michael full time. The Lord has provided for our families needs
through another successful year here at RE/MAX
Properties.
It was an answer to our prayers.
What a difference a year makes, everyone in our family is full of the
Christmas Spirit. It wasn't because of all the presents under
the tree. The best present our family received this year was that
my son Michael is alive, and our family is together.
As you prepare for the new year, reflect on the blessing your family has
been blessed with. I usually fall asleep at night before I
can finish counting all the blessing in my life. It is an amazing
thing in my life. If you fall asleep counting your blessing, you
wake
up the next day with an excitement in your heart, you will look forward
to the day ahead of you. I challenge you to wake up with a
different perspective tomorrow morning, and make a positive difference in
someone's life
October 7, 2004
“THE BATTLE RAGES ON”….as a new
friend and prayer partner said recently.
Michael ended up spending 7 days in ICU, but was released from the
hospital in time for the Homecoming weekend. The news we
received from the doctor’s was not what we had hoped. Three
out of the four tumors came back positive for cancer. The
surgeon ended up opening Mike’s chest because one of the tumors
came back negative….and he was worried that maybe he
hadn’t got it all. Upon doing this, he found the fourth one.
(The tumor that was negative at first….remained negative)
The
surgeon called it “luck”, but our family knows different.
It was God….not luck. Although we are all devastated by
the news, we are
not letting it keep us down. It’s time to do battle
again….that’s all. Mike started a new regimen of
chemotherapy on Monday. It
consists of four new chemo drugs and it will last approximately 15 weeks.
The drugs that were administered on Monday are
Gemzar and Taxol.
Michael will receive these once a week for two weeks in a
row, then will take a one week break to let his blood
counts rebound. The side effects to these have already raised their
ugly heads. Michael was nauseous both Monday and
Tuesday and then started experiencing bone pain on Wednesday. It
became so severe that he ended up pulling the car over to
let his mother take over because his feet and knees were throbbing with
pain. This is one of the side effects to Taxol,
which we
knew ahead of time; though we had no idea it would come on so quickly or
be so severe. Mike dealt with it like a champ
though
and insisted on going to school this morning and attending football
practice this afternoon. As the day progressed, Mike said the
pain lessened and he was walking normal by this evening…Praise
God!!
As mentioned earlier, Michael was out of the hospital for home coming.
He was the “Grand Marshall” at the Home Coming
Parade. Michael was also a member of the Homecoming Court.
He represented the Jr. Class as this year’s homecoming
Prince.
Lacene and I were proud to escort Michael on to
the field during the half time Homecoming Ceremony when the King and
Queen
were crowned. Saturday night Michael was blessed with a Limo
for him and eight of his friends to enjoy going to dinner and to
the dance. Thank you to the Angels at Edward Jones who provided
that! You made it very special for a great group of kids.
Michael continues to amaze us with his grace and strength.
His perseverance and faith are amazing. I know GOD will
heal him,
just continue to pray daily for his protection, and strength.
It is very difficult for all of our family to see the
struggle Michael goes
through, but we feel your prayers over us and reflect daily how blessed
we are with so many generous and special people
surrounding us.
Thank
You and God Bless,
Tom
and Lacene
September 22 2004
Michael had surgery yesterday. The surgeon, Dr. Patel did a
great job. He was able to get all three tumors and found a fourth
and removed it as well. Unfortunately he had to open Mike’s
chest so the recovery time will be longer and more painful. During
the surgery, Dr. Patel had a “freeze biopsy” done on two of
the tumors. One came back negative and the other came back
positive for Ewings. (Cancer) We
will get the final pathology report back within the next three to four
days. Mike will be in the
hospital (Pediatric ICU) for the rest of the week, and possibly through
the weekend. He is disappointed about the news
concerning the cancer, but we know that he will stand up to the challenge
just like he did this past year. We’re not sure what
treatment he will undergo next, but we’re fairly certain that it
will entail radiation and some kind of chemo. Please continue to
pray
for strength for Michael and that God will heal him of this horrible
disease
September 20 2004
Hi everyone,
We have been praying our hardest for Michael to make a complete recovery,
but it seems we all need to pray more than ever.
Michael recieved a CAT
scan last week, where three small nodules (tumors) were discovered in his
left lung. Surgery is hopefully
sometime this coming week, and a biopsy will be conducted on the tumors
to see if they are dead or alive. If the tumors are alive,
Michael will more than likely have to undergo more chemo; however, if
they are dead, they will hopefully not pose a threat since
they are non cancerous tumors. Despite this major setback, Michael is
still as strong as ever. He is still attending school, where he
has become a sight of hope and determination to students as well as
faculty. . Seeing his smiling face everyday, no matter what,
has made many people forget their own troubles, myself included.
Despite everything that Mike has to deal with this next week,
he still plans on going to the Homecoming Game on October 1st and dance
(with Cynthia) on October 2nd. He has been asked to
be the Grand Marshall this year, and he graciously accepted, saying it
would be an honor and that he appreciates the opportunity
to represent the student body in this way. Please, everyone, pray
as much as you possibly can, and hope for a miracle...we will
all be keeping Michael and his family in our prayers and thoughts.
Holly
September 18 2004
Michael has undergone scans to tell of his progress in his battle
with Ewings. The hope was that the scan
would be clear and
what's left of the tumor in the hip would be dead. However, the
doctors found three more tumors in the lungs. Please pray for
Michael during this difficult discovery of more cancer.
August 04 2004
Michael finished his five-day round of chemo last week! Each
treatment lasted between seven and eight hours per day, which
tired Michael out, but he has little time to rest! Michael currently has
family visiting for the remainder of the week. His
grandparents (Tom's parents), Uncle David, Aunt Jennifer and his cousin
Sarah are all visiting the family and having loads of fun!
In addition to spending time with family, Michael has been attending
morning football practice three times a week at the High
School. He has been helping the team as well as the coaches in any
way he can. Also, when he has the energy, Michael does
upper body workouts at the high school weight room. He always looks
forward to practices so he can talk to his former teammates
and have fun with friends!
On Thursday, Michael had a platelet and blood transfusion which, along
with his WBC being down, causes Michael to be very
tired and worn out. Luckily though Michael has one-one day and one-five
day chemo rounds left and he will then go to his doctor
to see if the cancer has gone into remission. We are all hoping and
praying that he has gone into remission! The next two rounds
of chemo should be completed by early September.
On a couple of light notes, Michael will be returning to Fountain-Fort
Carson High School this fall! Although he will only be
attending one class (History) per day, while the rest will be tutored at
home, he is very excited to get back into the high school
atmosphere and see all of his friends every day! Also, Michael no longer
has to take the Doxirubisen (sorry if the
spelling is
wrong!) since he has had his lifetime supply. The Doxirubisen
is a chemo drug which causes severe jaw pain and mouth sores, so
Michael could not be happier to be off of that!
Thank you to everyone who sends the Downing family anything and
everything. From small gifts to prayers to large meals, the
Downing family cannot express enough how grateful and thankful they are.
Please, as always, keep Michael in your thoughts and
prayers and hope for a speedy recovery!
Holly
July 23, 2004
Well Michael seems a bit tired lately. He has enjoyed the warm
summer and likes to be outdoors visiting with friends. He is
currently dealing with severe bone marrow fatigue, in English his bone
marrow is tired of reproducing more white blood cells every
time we break it down with the Chemotherapy. We ask for your
continued prayers of protection for Michael. In the beginning his
treatments would knock him down and he would bounce back up very fast.
Now as expected his body is taking longer to recover
and he needs blood transfusions more often. His attitude is great
as always. We enjoyed a Rockies game recently and it is good
to be outdoors. Michael has started to learn to drive, and Lacene and I are doing are best to be patient and
supportive. We are
going to let Michael take one class in residence in a couple of weeks and
a couple other classes with tutors. He has enjoyed
being around his team mates and class mates this summer since football
camp has started. He won’t be able to play this year,
but he enjoys helping out at the practices. Please continue to pray
for his protection.
God
Bless Tom
June 6, 2004
Recently Mike had another MRI
and CT scan. The MRI
showed that everything is consistent with radiation treatments (meaning
that the radiation did its job) and the CT scan showed no more tumors in
Mike’s lungs. Praise God!
Michael just finished another long week of Chemo treatments. He
slept three of the four days, and slept another 12 hours each
night, which concerns us a little. But then when we think about all
he’s going through and it’s a wonder he doesn’t sleep
more!
Jean, a nurse at the CHOA clinic, assured us that this is quite normal.
Mike’s grandfather, Papa, (Lacene’s
father from California) took Mike to his Chemo treatment on Friday.
This seemed to lift Mike’
s spirits a lot. That night, the Fountain / Widefield
area had a “Cancer Survivor” night at Mesa Ridge High School.
One of the
teachers, Leah Armilijo, at Fountain Fort
Carson High School called us to let us know that they were marching in
honor of Mike
and asked if we would attend. Mike, Lacene,
Papa and Gram all attended, and Michael and Papa made the first lap
around the
track together. (Papa is a cancer survivor as well) It was very
touching. They then had dinner with the other cancer survivors
and listened to two speakers talk about their personal battles with
cancer and how they managed to overcome it. Both speakers
were full of hope and inspiration, which made everyone feel better.
A local newspaper reporter approached Mike and asked him if
he would do the honors of cutting the cake, and proceeded to do an
interview with him. We are hoping to get a copy of the
article when it comes out and we’ll be sure to post it here on the
website.
A while back, when this whole thing started, Tom and Lacene
were approached by Jan Koester, (she taught Ashley in the 5th
grade) about looking into a vitamin supplement program called
“Manna Relief”. Being as busy as we were, we never got
a chance
to look into it, but Jan never gave up. Finally, about a month ago,
Jan and Lacene sat down, and talked about it.
Lacene
presented the plan to Dr. Palmer, Mike’s oncologist, and got it
approved. Jan began working on raising money for Mike’s first
six
months worth. ($750) She went to the High School and spoke
with the Student Council to see if they would be interested in
supporting Mike by raising the money needed to pay for the supplements.
They gladly said they would. In the mean time, the
“Manna Relief” board of directors met and looked over
Mike’s case. They decided that it was very important for Mike
to start the
program right away and agreed to fund the first six months.
We received the first box right away, and Mike is now on the
program. Last week we received word from Heather Lazano, (a friend and class mate of Mike’s)
that they were able to raise the
money needed. She was so excited and pumped up about it, and
said if we needed anything else to let them know. It’s very
touching to know that there are so many people out there willing to help.
Thanks to them, Michael is now set for a whole year to
receive this wonderful supplemental program that will be instrumental in
helping to keep his immune system up to par.
A few weeks ago, Mike and Lacene stopped by
Donna O’bryant’s office (regional
leader for Edward Jones) so that Mike could
meet Donna and her BOA’s, Ruth, Libby and Deanna, and to thank them
for the region’s support of our family. Donna took them
over to “Outreach of Hope”, which is owned by Dave Drevecky, a major league base ball player who
developed cancer. (Dave
spoke with Michael several months ago on the phone, and his staff
continues to pray for him and send him cards.) The staff was
excited to see Mike and made him feel right at home. They gave
Donna, Mike and Lacene the grand tour of the
building. There
were pictures of Dave in all sorts of settings. Pitching for the
Giants, standing beside England’s past Prime Minister, Margaret
Thatcher; the Pope; and shaking hands with other well known Celebrities.
They gave Mike and Lacene each a
nice green, long
sleeve, denim type shirt with the “Outreach of Hope” logo on
them. They also invited the family back out when Dave is there so
the two of them can meet. It was an exciting time for Mike,
one he said he will always remember. Thank you Donna and the
“Out
Reach of Hope” staff!!!
Please continue to pray for healing for Mike. He continues to
need blood transfusions after the Chemo treatments and
occasionally needs a platelet transfusion. He is
feeling more nauseous and tired lately and he is sleeping so much more
then he
ever has. Please pray for strength and a renewal of hope.
Michael has had such a good disposition through all of this but
lately it’
s starting to thin which is understandable seeing all he’s going
through. If you live near by and you have time, please stop
by to
see Mike. He appreciates those visits so much and his spirit is
lifted every time. Also, please pray for the rest of the
family. Tom
is working very hard to make ends meet, Lacene
continues to give home care to Michael and to get him to all his
appointments
and Ashley is chipping in around the house where ever needed in order to
make things easier on the family. It’s been hard on
everyone, but our faith in God is strong and we know He’s going to
see us through this.
Thank you for your support!
May 4 2004
Radiation is finally over! Mike has a large burn on his hip from
the radiation; however it is healing with each passing day.
It hurt
him quite a bit last week but now his only complaint is that it itches a
lot. Michael will be getting an MRI
and CT scan in about 3
weeks after the radiation stops working. We will then find out how
much the tumor has shrunk and what the next course of action
will be.
Mike had to have a blood transfusion last Tuesday and it went very well.
His red blood cell count was up by Thursday; however
his white blood cell count was VERY low so he ended up spending the
entire weekend indoors. Tomorrow we’ll find out what
his
white blood cell count is and if his platelets have increased. If
they are too low then Mike will have to undergo a platelet
transfusion this week. We’re praying that this will not
be the case! If everything looks good and all his blood
counts are up then
Mike may be starting another round of chemo by the end of this week.
The doctors have now put Mike on a new medicine called Megace. It is suppose to stimulate his
appetite. We’re not sure if it’s
working yet. He shows signs every now and then of an increased
appetite, but then at other times we’re struggling to get him to
eat anything at all.
Please continue to pray for Mike. As summer approaches Mike is
getting really antsy to get outside and enjoy the weather. This
is possible when his blood counts are good, but he is limited on what he
can do. This is very frustrating for him as I’m sure
everyone can understand. He can play miniature golf and go to
the movies, but that’s about it. If anyone has any
suggestions
about activities that will not require Michael to use his leg very much
and that will not include crashing into objects (bumper cars,
racing cars etc….) we are open to them!!
For those of you that are praying with us for Mike’s recovery,
please keep a very special family in mind. The Esch’s.
(Kim
Graham (Esch) is the one that has been sending
out updates via email on Mike to a group of you and letting you know
specific
prayer requests concerning his condition.) Kim and her family
have been going through a very tough time for the past couple of
weeks. Her brother Terry has been very ill and is in the hospital.
Kim and her mother Joyce have been taking turns staying at the
hospital with him around the clock. Joyce has become very weary and
tired, and really needs our prayers. Please pray for
healing for Terry and for strength and peace of heart and mind for this
wonderful family. Also, Sherry who is the receptionist at
the CHOA clinic and one of Michael’s favorite people lost her
husband two weeks ago. He passed away suddenly so we don’t
know all the details, but we do know that Sherry needs our prayers.
Please pray for comfort in this devastating time, that she may
feel the love and support of everyone around her.
April 17, 2004
Radiation is almost done! Michael will complete his thirty-one
day cycle a week from Monday. Though Michael has done better
than expected through his radiation treatments, it has started to take
it’s toll on his body. This past week, Michael became
extremely tired and a little nauseous every day. During the
second week of radiation, Michael also underwent his five day chemo
cycle. Talk about a grueling week! But Mike tackled it like a
champ! That Monday night, after having both radiation and chemo
he went to a Nugget’s game with his friend Ryan and CHOA’s blood technician Fran and her family.
Mike and Ryan wore
matching Nugget jerseys, ate yummy junk food and had a great time rooting
for their favorite Nugget player, Carmello
Anthony.
The next evening, after day two of both radiation and chemotherapy Mike
and Tom went to an Avalanche game, courtesy of Greg
Pippin with Edward Jones. By this time Mike was a little
tired, but wouldn’t let that stand in the way. He and Tom had
a wonderful
and memorable time.
Mike continued into week three and four of his radiation treatments with
little side effects. His skin developed a burn but the
doctor gave us some cream which has helped. His blood counts also
dropped dramatically so he needed a blood transfusion as
well as a platelet transfusion. This past Monday was the
beginning of week five and Mike began another round of chemo.
That
afternoon we noticed a significant difference in Mike. He started
sleeping a lot. Every day since then Mike will sleep in the car
wherever we go, and will generally snooze a little while waiting to see
the doctors. He has had little energy to even play PS2,
however yesterday he got a burst of it when Sully, the youth pastor came
over. They played Madden and Tekken which was the
most fun Mike had all week seeing as how he had to go to the hospital
every day, and even had to go to the dentist office to get
his teeth cleaned and have a filling replaced. Yuck!!
ReMax Properties and Fountain Fort Carson High
School both had blood drives for Mike this past month. Both had a
tremendous
turnout which we are truly grateful for. Edward Jones
has also been organizing times for people to donate blood during the past
few months. Mike and I stopped by ReMax
on the day of the blood drive and saw how everything was set up.
They had three
main rooms designated for the drive. The first room was where the
donor would fill out the necessary paper work. The second
was for screening the donor, and the third was where the blood was
actually given. There was a line when we arrived and it
continued to get bigger in just the short time that we were there.
Mike and I were so amazed to see all the people. Not
only were
ReMax agents there, but also people from all
over the Springs who heard about the blood drive. What do you
say to people that
are willing to give of themselves like this? “Thank
you” doesn’t seem like enough. We are so thankful
for each and every one of
you though. From family, friends and co-workers to perfect
strangers……you have touched our lives in such a significant
way.
Please pray for Michael this next week. He will begin week six of
radiation and possibly another five day round of chemotherapy.
(if his blood counts are good.) Please pray for strength to get
through the week with as much energy as possible. Also, please
pray for Mike’s emotional well being. When he’s tired
so much of the time, he tends to start feeling down. He only
has seven
more days of radiation left, however the radiologist said that he will
probably continue to feel tired for about three to four weeks
after the radiation is complete. His attitude has been so
positive since the beginning of all of this, and we feel that it has
contributed to his getting through the treatments so well. Please
continue to lift Michael up in prayer, that he will feel the Lord’s
presence and know that he is being taken care of.
March 24 2004
"RE/MAX
Properties, Inc. Holds Blood Drive"
On March 30, RE/MAX
Properties, Inc. and Memorial Hospital are holding a blood drive to
benefit Michael Downing, a fifteen year
old who has recently been diagnosed with Ewing's Sarcoma.
Michael is the son of RE/MAX
Properties agent Tom Downing. The blood drive, which will be held
at the 2630 Tenderfoot Hill
Street location of RE/MAX
Properties, is open to donors with all blood types. The slogan for
the drive is "Give blood to help
Michael Crush Cancer!"
To thank donors for their support, RE/MAX
Properties, Inc. will present every donor with the two tickets to see the
new Colorado
Arena Football team, the Colorado Crush. The tickets, which were
generously donated by the Colorado Crush, are for the Crush
home game against the Indiana Firebirds on Saturday, April 3rd.
Donors are asked to make an appointment for their donation at
719-576-5000. The blood drive is scheduled to run from 9am to
3pm.
Well folks as I speak to you Michael is enjoying a Nuggets game with his
favorite lab/tech from the Children's Cancer Center
"Fran". Fran and her husband took Michael and his friend
Ryan to the game. Thank you for that.
Please pray for Michael's strength this week as he has radiation in the
morning, followed by a full day of chemotherapy, all five
days this week. Thank you all for all your prayers and support.
God Bless Tom
March 16 2004
"Prayer Vs.
Probability"
Well Michael had a very nice weekend. Lacene
took Michael for a check-up on Thursday afternoon with plans of a Friday
blood
transfusion. God is good and Michaels blood counts were good, he
was cleared to go watch his high school team compete in the
State Playoffs in Boulder.
So we dashed on to Boulder Colorado to watch the Fountain Trojans
dismantle the Pueblo South Colts. We decided to stay up
there a couple nights, and not to travel back and forth. The next
day we enjoyed a relaxing lunch and movie day. We saw the
longest movie ever made " The Lord of the Rings".
The only reason the film ended, after seven ending was
because they ran
out of film in New Zealand. The movie is about ten hours long, so
if you have a short lay over on a trip, save money on a hotel
just go see the latest Lord of the Rings movie.
The Trojans were in the State Championship game with an impressive 26-0
record. They played against a hard working
Broomfield team. The Trojans suffered their first loss of the
season in a heartbreaker 51-45. The score doesn't begin to show
the heart and character of a wonderful group of men who played on that
team. The team consisted of four of the five starters who
played football together this year.
All scholarship athletes who took the time after basketball practice to
play a little play-station two with Michael. After each game,
before leaving the gym they all would come by Michael, and give him
encouragement and support.
The whole city would have loved to celebrate a state championship.
However take pride as parents, teachers, and coaches what
fine men you all have developed on the Trojan basketball. They will
amount to a lot more in life than a championship game soon
forgotten. Their influence on our son's morale and desire to achieve is
immeasurable. Our family really appreciated the time and
commitment of these fine young men put forth this season.
All season long Michael has looked forward to every game he could attend.
Names like "Big Phil", Bucki,
Ryan, Jerry, and Ronald
were the guys he was looking forward to seeing that night after a long
day of Chemotherapy. He was motivated to heal and get
out of the hospital to get to the next game. Thank you Trojans for giving
him something to look forward to every week. Thank you
for including him in your world. To the classy young coach Anthony Ribaudo, the coach's mom, all the starters and
reserves, my
family wants to thank you from the bottom of our heart.
Michael met with three doctors yesterday at three different clinics.
The oncologist said Michaels case is remarkable. He couldn't
be doing any better. His tumor in his hip has been reduced, and the
tumor in his right lung is removed. He said Michaels attitude
is awesome and encouraging.
His radiogist is hopeful that radiation on the
hip five days a weeks for next six weeks will reduce Michaels Hip tumor
to the point
where surgery won't be necessary.
His general surgenh who removed the tumor in
his lung (which was Ewging Sarcoma that had
spread) was not as optimistic and
felt it was "Probable" more tumors would develop in his lungs.
"Probable", whatever!!! As I prayed with Michael last
night I tell you "Probable" doesn't mean anything to our God.
Folks we are
praying for a miracle, I have never lost sight of that. Michael is
tenacious in his commitment to return to the field as a "Mighty,
Mighty, Trojan". Don't doubt him for a second, "He will
be back!!"
Please continue to pray for Michael over the next six weeks of radiology
and chemotherapy combined. Pray for the radiation and
drugs to attack the cancer and give my son, your beloved student a second
chance.
Thank you and God Bless you.
Tom
When you get a chance please send Michael a message on his guestbook
March 9, 2004
Michael’s surgery went very well. He woke up in the
recovery room around 11:15 am and didn’t stop talking until after
midnight!
(no joke) Since he was so sick after the first surgery back in
December the doctors decided to try something different with the
medications that were administered during this one. It worked!!
After surgery, Michael had a chest tube in him that stayed there for 24
hours and was removed Wednesday evening. That was
the only thing that he complained about, if you could call it that.
When he started to get uncomfortable he asked the nurses for
Tylenol instead of morphine through the IV because he figured that if he
could manage the pain with just the Tylenol then he
would be able to go to the high school basketball game that Thursday
night. They quickly assured him that the morphine was
better for him, and would help him recover quicker by keeping him out of
pain. He soon agreed with them, when the pain got a
little intense! Michael was very happy the next morning
when Dr. Patel gave him the green light for the basketball game. He
said he was very happy to see how well Michael was doing and that if he
felt up to it….to “Go for it!”
Michael started his 5th round of chemo therapy on Thursday. On
Friday Dr. Patel called with the results of the biopsy. The tumor
came back positive for Ewings Sarcoma.
This wasn’t the news we were hoping for, however, we
did receive some good news.
During the surgery, Dr. Patel saw a mass under the tumor that they were
removing that he said “looked strange”, so he took a
biopsy of it. It turned out to be “NOTHING”. He
also assured us that they got the entire tumor in Mike’s lung.
Dr. Smith (an oncologist in Denver who was visiting CHOA in the Springs)
sat down with Lacene and Michael and explained
to
them that Michael is on the best protocol nation wide for this type of
cancer. He also shared with them a couple of cases that they’
ve dealt with in the past two years that are
very similar to Michaels and all had great results. He said that he
feels that Michael
has a very good chance of beating this. We know that this is
in God’s hands and that He’s in control; however it’s
nice to hear
such positive comments.
Tomorrow morning we will be meeting with the radiologist that will be
giving Michael his radiation treatments. He will need to
assess Michael’s case and come up with a treatment plan. (How
much radiation, and pinpoint exactly where) We are hoping to
start the treatments very soon. On Thursday we will go back
to the clinic to see how Michael’s blood counts are. He may
need to
have another blood transfusion on Friday to help his red blood cells
recover.
Michael has done so well this week! Today, (since Michael’s
blood counts were REALLY high yesterday due to the Neupogen)
we were able to go shopping at the Chapel Hills mall where Michael was
able to use a gift certificate that was given to him. He
bought Tekken 4 for his PS2 and has already started beating his mom at
it!
We would like to thank all those that came to visit Michael in the hospital.
It means so much to all of us that you took the time to
come by. We would like to thank Aunt Peggy for being here
these past two weeks. You have been very helpful and we will miss
you so much when you leave. We love you!
We would also like to extend our heart felt thank you to the following:
Jan Perry for spending Wednesday evening with Ashley, for the delicious
dinner that you made us and for the fun – filled bag of
goodies that you brought! Mom Hughes for bringing over the
cane and walker for Michael to use. He uses the cane every day! ;
Edward Jones for the wonderful Chinese dinner that was delivered to us on
the eve of Michael’s surgery. It was nice not to worry
about cooking that night, not to mention how much we all enjoyed it! ;
Annabel Widney and Libby Guerro
for the delicious lasagna
dinners that you cooked for us. ; Donna and Dan O’bryant
for the card and King Soopers gift
certificates. Michael has already
told us that we have to get some Corned Beef and Roast! (two of his
favorites); Mr. Leyba for the FFCH baseball cap; Mr.
Johnson for the autographed picture of Ed McCaffrey; Papa’s Sunday
School class for the Super Mario Brothers Game Boy
Advanced game; and last but not least, thank you to Kathy (Brody’s
Mom) for the wonderful dinner that you brought over tonight.
If we have forgotten anyone please accept our apologies.
The past two weeks have been emotionally draining and busy with Doctor
appointments almost every day since the surgery, so it
can be hard to recall all the wonderful things that are being done by
everyone. But please know that nothing goes unnoticed and
that we appreciate the visits, cards, phone calls and especially the
prayers so much.
Lacene
February 27, 2004
This week has been a tough one! We received the results back
from Michael’s MRI,
chest CT and pelvic x-rays. Wednesday
afternoon we met with Dr. Palmer who sat the three of us down and showed
us in detail exactly what Michael’s scan’s look like
compared to his first scans taken in December. Good
news…….the tumor in his right pelvic has shrunk remarkably
and his tumor
in his right lung is about 50% smaller! Praise God!! The next
morning Dr. Palmer took the scans and Michael’s case history to a
board of Dr.’s and Surgeons in Denver and they came up with a
course of action that they feel is best for our son.
First of all, they feel that the tumor in Mike’s lung needs to be
removed as soon as possible. The surgery has already been
scheduled for this Tuesday morning at 9 o’clock. We are
praying that the surgery will go well and that Michael will recover
quickly. Secondly, they do not feel that surgery on Mike’s
pelvic is the right thing to do right now, due to the fact that the tumor
is
in Mike’s joint and they would not be able get any margins around
it. So instead, Michael will undergo radiation for 6 straight
weeks. (Monday thru Friday) He will also be receiving Chemo
therapy at the same time. This is going to be very hard on
Mike’s
body and we expect him to be very tired.
Right now, Mike is feeling pretty positive about the whole thing.
When I told him about the surgery he said “Mom, I’m
ready! Bring
it on!” He said he can’t wait for all this to be over
with so he can get back to school and sports. He was able to
go to the Trojan
basketball game with his Dad last night and the students in the crowd
started chanting “Win it for Mike!” You can
imagine how it
made Mike feel. It lifted his spirits so much! (It even
brought tears to Tom’s eyes! J )
We have a challenging week coming up. We will meet with the Surgeon
on Monday morning, surgery will be performed on
Tuesday morning and Michael will receive Chemo starting on Wednesday or
Thursday. We will then meet with the radiologist in
preparation for the radiation treatments.
Please keep us in your prayers especially on Tuesday when Mike will be in
surgery. If anyone would like to be with us during this
time please feel free to come by. Mike will be admitted to Memorial
Hospital at 7:00 am on Tuesday morning. I’m sure he
would
appreciate the encouragement and I know we would too!
God Bless,
Lacene
February 24, 2004
Good Morning,
Today is the day that we h | |
