Post Thanksgiving Update

Greetings, and salutations! (I know that’s redundant, but I heard a TV character say it like that once and it stuck in my head. I can’t even recall who it was. Oh, well.)

I hope you have all recovered from your Thanksgiving tryptophan induced comas. It’s been a week already. If you’re still groggy you might need to see someone about that.

Thanks for your prayers! Kyler never got a fever and had to go to the hospital. We were able to be home for Thanksgiving. Kyler was still neutropenic so we had to stay nearby but Sandie’s parents and sister plus one of her three kids came down to our house for the day.



It’s been a rough year for not only our immediate family but our extended family as well. However, we were still filled with gratitude as we sat around the table and answered the questions Sandie had written on our place setting cards. We even had a friend, who used to be a personal chef, bring over an 18-pound turkey all prepared and ready to throw in the oven. That was a huge blessing. One of the common links among our reasons for being thankful had to do with you. Yes, you - The people who have been praying consistently for us and whom God has used to bless and help us in so many ways. Each member of our family was most grateful for the people who have been tangible expressions of the love of Jesus in our lives.

Kyler’s last appointment (Nov. 28th) revealed that his ANC count is up significantly from the previous week. He is bouncing back well and none too soon for next Tuesday (Dec. 5th) is his next round of chemo.

Mrs. Hinnenkamp’s kindergarten class at Creek Side Oaks Elementary was glad to have Kyler back almost as much as Sandie was glad to get him out of the house for a few hours every day to keep him from pestering her to bake something so he could ‘help’.
You can only watch so many episodes of ‘Little House on the Prairie’ in a week.

The last audiogram Kyler had showed what they called ‘moderate to severe’ hearing loss in the uppermost frequency ranges of his hearing. This kind of freaked us out but it’s well outside the range of normal vocal frequencies and you can’t use hearing aids to help with those ranges either. Suffice it to say, Kyler can still hear us quite well, thank you, when we tell him it’s time to clean up his room and the apparent loss of hearing that we encounter is merely selective.

We again thank your for your continued prayers. They are most appreciated and needed.

Blessings,

Darrell

Twas the day before the day before Thanksgiving

Friday morning Kyler got red blood and platelets. It looked like he might spike a fever while he was there but his temperature stayed low enough for him to go home. Saturday morning around 2:00 AM Kyler woke us up saying he was hot. We had to monitor his temperature over the next few hours to see if it was going to get high enough to take him in. We called the doctor and he said if it stayed above 100.5° F for more than a few hours or if it got as high as 101° F we would need to come in right away. Thankfully it did not come to that. Sandie and the boys had to stay close to home for the weekend while I went to Redding to lead worship at Risen King Community Church on Sunday morning.

Today at his weekly appointment Kyler was talkative with the doctor and in good spirits. His ANC is still low (100) and considered neutropenic, but he seems to have good energy. It appears he has developed a bit of an problem in his ear. It’s probably from the radiation the doctor said. It’s gotten a little crusty with a bit of pus and Kyler has been scratching at it and irritated it. We were given a prescription for antibiotics for his ears to try and help clear it up. We’re hoping he doesn’t develop a fever from it. It would stink to be in the hospital over Thanksgiving. Sandie’s parents and sister are coming down from Redding.

Thanks to all of you who have gotten the bracelets. The individual who arranged for that has told us she is all out and the order she has coming is already reserved.

Kyler has another hearing test coming up a week from today. Please pray for the continued protection of his ears and they would not be able to detect any loss of hearing.

We appreciate your continued prayers for our family during this holiday season. God is leading us but we’re not exactly sure of the path.

Gettin' Blood

Kyler is getting red blood and platelets today. At his Tuesday appointment they told us he would need it by Friday so here we are again. His is neutropenic (ANC=0) so he will be laying low for the weekend. Today Sandie was told that it is common for patients to spike a fever while receiving blood and to be prepared for him to have to stay at the hospital for a few days. Kendrick and I are heading down there this afternoon.

Please pray that he does not spike a fever and have to stay in the hospital and that he would not get any infections at this stage.

Blessings,

Round 3 Done

Kyler has completed his third round of chemotherapy. He spent three days in the hospital this time. They spent time hydrating him and giving him red blood before they started the drugs. That took most of the first day. He checked in around 12:00 PM and they didn’t give him the first chemo drugs till 10:30 that night. The next round of drugs was started 24 hours after the first and then he was intravenously hydrated afterward and released at 5:00 PM the third day.

The reason they spend so much time hydrating him is because the drugs they used this time are very hard on the bladder. They had to give him some medications to protect the lining of his bladder and monitor his urine closely for blood. The large amount of fluid in his system would hopefully get it out of him quickly minimizing damage to his bladder. I’ve never seen a kid pee so much. He was going to the bathroom every 15-20 minutes. That made it very hard for Sandie and Kyler to sleep through the night. He did, however, manage to have some fun in the playroom making stuff and meeting other kids. Making goop was the highlight because Kyler liked the 'interesting noise' it made when squished in the bottle.

This round of chemo is unique from the first two for a couple of reasons. First, the drugs they used are less likely to make you nauseated, but they are much harder on your bone marrow, immune system, and blood counts. Therefore, they told us there is a greater chance for fever or infection than with the drugs used in the previous rounds of chemotherapy. Second, the drugs are quicker. They will impact those areas I mentioned more rapidly.

Unfortunately, his expected low point will be around Thanksgiving. Since we will need to stay close to home some family from Redding will be coming down to be with us.



Edamame and Lucky Charms - the breakfast of champions!



We’re so thankful for the individuals who have contacted us and initiated fund-raising efforts on our behalf. It takes some of the stress off of us as we are in a transition time as far as jobs go for me. Thank your for your continued prayers for God’s guidance in that area.

Your prayers are also appreciated for Kyler’s protection during this recovery period – strength and health of bone marrow, enhancement of his immune system, and reinforcement of his blood counts.

God’s grace and peace to you,

Darrell

Don’t Waste Your Pain

This weekend was a significant reminder for Sandie and I.

There are two ways to deal with pain, two kinds of sorrow. One brings things associated with death and the other brings about a change of mind and heart that leads to life. The difference between the two has to do with where you aim your emotions. You can aim them at people, yourself included, or toward God.

When we aim our sorrow toward people anger, bitterness, resentment, regret, and a host of other unpleasant things are given opportunity to gain a foothold in our life. It’s possible to allow others to control us through our response to their attitudes and actions, how they treat us.

On the other hand, when our sorrow is directed toward God something amazing happens. The pain or sadness doesn’t miraculously disappear in that instant, but God is big enough to handle our emotions and as we are oriented toward him in the midst of our pain we can hear his voice and sense his presence. Read any number of the Psalms. Many of them you could easily set to some gritty blues and sing in a club. The interesting thing to realize as you read the lyrics to those songs is that you discover the sadness, frustration, rage, and pain is addressed to God and is almost always ended with something of a turnaround that declares his goodness and a reaffirms the writers love for him.

We have a choice in the matter.

C.S. Lewis said, “Pain is God’s megaphone.” It’s amazing how God is able to use the pain that enters our lives to get our attention. He is able to take something that has the potential for bringing destruction and death, and speak to us in the midst of it in order to bring us towards life.

It takes regular recalibration to be oriented in the right direction. We would ask that you continue to pray for us that we would be properly oriented in this season so as not to waste the pain and miss God’s voice. We firmly believe that God will use this to make us more like him as we listen. He didn’t cause it, but he can redeem it.

Kyler’s next chemo is tomorrow (Tuesday Nov. 7th). He will be in the hospital two nights barring any unforeseen complications. Thank you for your continued support and prayer.

One of Sandie’s friends in the Lincoln Mom’s Club, Angela Turner, has initiated a fundraiser for Kyler. The details are below.

"Support Kyler" Bracelets are NOW AVAILABLE to help raise funds for Kyler's ongoing treatment as well as his continued fight to beat cancer. The bracelets are a beautiful yellowish-gold color (representing childhood cancer) and are embossed on each side with KYLER and HOPE.

There's something to say about keeping a friend in your thoughts and prayers. These bracelets are a wonderful way to keep the spirit of HOPE alive, even in the youngest of children. If you would like to participate in this very special "member to member" fundraiser, a suggested donation of $5.00 per bracelet is appreciated. YOU MAY GET MORE THAN ONE BRACELET. All donations will go directly to Kyler Haskins.

If you have would like to purchase a bracelet, or have any questions or comments regarding this special fundraiser, please contact me directly by email at turnar0und@hotmail.com or by phone at 543-9321.