Monday, September 14, 2009

Junction City Fundraiser

Ally continues to do very well. She had a great day at school today and also playing with her friends outside after school! We enjoyed Evan's soccer game tonight and also enjoyed all of us going to bed under the same roof. I am starting to get a pit in my stomach when I realize that our "honeymoon" is almost over. We only have two more nights together. And tomorrow is probably our last day of normalcy. It is so nice to not have to worry about every little thing. Like when the next time is that she will break out in tears. Or have a belly ache. Or cry out in the middle of the night (well, she still does that). The normalcy is good, of course, but then when it gets pulled out from under us here in a couple days it will be that much harder to swallow. It is hard to explain...this whole disease and the seriousness behind it is very hard to explain, but I try to do my best. It might give someone a glimpse of what it is like to walk in our shoes for a day. This whole journey is like a rollar coaster. We rode the coaster with my mom's illness...and I can assure you that the highs are so so high, but likewise the lows are very low. The ups and downs take a toll on everybody. I think even more so then if everything was just status quo all the time.

I need to start some serious prayers going for our girl. If all goes as planned, she will undergo a bone marrow aspiration on Thursday. They will test this bone marrow sample for any minimal residual disease. (MRD) We are hoping and praying with every ounce of energy that we have that her MRD is undetectable. They will send the sample over to Johns Hopkins in Baltimore and we will wait an agonizing week to hear the results. It is not a typical test...it is part of her research study that she is involved in, so our doctor has agreed to call them personally and get a verbal number from them. Regardless of what the number may be, it should not change the treatment plan for Ally. She still has to do 11 months of intense chemo rather than the typical 7. But if it is undetectable we have a higher chance of her not going into relapse and of being cured. This is especially scary for me as they are testing it after she has not had an ounce of chemo in her body in 20 days. God help us. Please pray that her MRD will be ZERO. That one little number could make a world of difference to this family. Undetectable would provide great peace of mind for Janel and Jerad and the rest of our family.

Finally, I am posting a flyer here on another fundraiser being held in Jerad's hometown of Junction City. Jerad's high school friends Sheri Cobler and Jenny Shiplett have been working hard on this and a few other ways of raising money for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. I know I have a lot of followers out there in Perry County and we would love to have you stop by the event if at all possible. As long as Ally is doing okay, Jerad is planning on coming home for it. Being able to have a drink and a laugh with Jerad should be reason enough to come...but they are also having a sweet DJ playing some '80's music. Wish I could go too...but I will stay here with Miss Ally.

Thanks to everyone for continued prayers.

7 comments:

  1. What a GREAT idea for a fundraiser!! How fun! If anyone from the Village is roadtripping to Junction City let me know. :)

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  2. An 80's party?? What a great idea! Wish we could all go too! We could wear our shoulder pads and big hair...

    Prayers continue to be said for Ally and can't wait to hear how Hat Day went at school today.

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  3. Janel,
    Is Jared going to wear parachute pants, Z Cavaricci's (sp?), or pegged jeans with high top Reebok's to the party? I'd get my big belts and scrunchies out for sure!
    You are lucky to have so much information, although it is probably a curse sometimes too. I am praying for an undetectable MRD- especially after so many chemo free days. Then you would know it is untainted by left over chemo. But, like you said, it doesn't change the treatment path, so if it isn't perfect news, it doesn't mean that all of the progress since May is lost. Our thoughts continue, every day

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  4. Terri Barnett ShumakerSeptember 15, 2009 at 2:55 PM

    All Staff of the New Lexington City School District will know about this event by Friday because I just stuffed them in all the paychecks!
    Should be a fun evening.

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  5. Hi - will be praying extra hard for our dear girl! What a trooper she is! Very inspiring, as is the ENTIRE family!

    I was at the Popcorn Festival on Sunday and saw a booth called LilliTopps or something like that - CUTE hats! I thought of Ally immediately. They have a big flower on the side and are VERY darling. Have you ever heard of them?

    LOVE YOU ALL!!!

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  6. Hoping that lots and lots of you blog followers are able to make it to the American Legion on the 26th. It's going to be a lot of fun, and we're hoping not only to raise a lot of funds for Ally's Army and the Leukemia/Lymphoma Society, but also to raise awareness. Come on out and help raise some money for the Army!!! And if Jerad is able to come and wears parachute pants, that will definitely have to be a picture that will be forwarded to Janel for the blog, as well as all local papers. ;o)

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  7. I have always wanted to see Junction City! :-)
    The 'serious' prayers started back in May and have never stopped...

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