On Tuesday, April 9th, we received the great news that the result of Jayson's bone marrow biopsy and CAT scan from April 5th were negative. We praise God for this wonderful news! We are so thankful that the cancer hasn't returned to his bone marrow or spread to his brain. This would have been a much tougher situation to treat.
Jayson & I met with his oncologist yesterday morning (Wed, April 10th) and decided on the treatment plan for Jayson. He will be receiving chemotherapy every 3 weeks which require only 1 overnight stay at the hospital. He is scheduled to have 12 cycles using 2 chemo drugs different from the ones used in the previous treatment plan. After 2 cycles, he will be evaluated to see if the treatment is helping. If the treatment is working, we will continue with the plan. If the cancer is getting worse, then he will be referred to a sarcoma center for further treatment and study. Of course, we hope that the chemo will help get rid of these cancer cells that were resistant to the first treatment. Chemotherapy is the main treatment for the cancer on his back. For the nodules on one of Jayson's lung and calf, we have the option to do surgery combined with radiation if the chemotherapy isn't helping these areas. We will know after the evaluation if this will be required. We will just continue to pray that the chemotherapy will help.
Jayson is scheduled to have surgery this afternoon at 12:30 p.m. to place a port-o-cath on his chest which will be used for his chemo treatment. He will be admitted to the hospital afterwards and tomorrow morning, his chemo treatment will begin. He will remain in the hospital until Saturday morning. His dad will be staying with him during the night and I will be with him during the day. We pray that God continues to minimize any pain Jayson may feel and to help him maintain the positive attitude.
One way that will help him stay positive is have life be as normal as possible. Unlike the first round of chemo treatment he underwent, Jayson, will still be able to continue going to school at Westview. He will be missing a few days every three weeks as he gets his chemo treatment, but at least he'll be able to be around friends on a regular basis. We know it's been beneficial for him to enjoy life as much as possible and being around his family and friends gives him joy and support.
Right now it's almost 9:00 a.m. and Jayson is still asleep. I will be getting him up soon to to take him in for his surgery. We will continue to keep you all updated. Thank you for your prayers and thoughts. God knows how grateful we are and we feel your prayers helping us deal with this setback. Until the next post, take care and God bless you all. - Jessie Adams
Thursday, April 11, 2013
Sunday, April 7, 2013
More Tests and Make-A-Wish
Jayson had an MRI done on his left calf this past Friday morning, April 5th. The same day around noon, a bone marrow biopsy was done to check if the cancer is in his bone marrow again. The surgery took less than 30 minutes, but I had to wait until he woke up from the anesthesia before he could be discharged. After this surgery, he then had a CT Scan of his head to make sure the cancer hasn't spread to his brain. One of his doctor said that the results of the biopsy and CT Scan should come out by Tuesday.
On Wednesday, April 10th, Jayson has a follow-up appointment with his surgeon to check and see if the biopsy incision done on March 29th on his right upper back is healing properly. Hopefully, we'll also be able to talk to his oncologist to see if they have decided on a treatment plan. There's a lot of uncertainty at this time and we're both anxious and nervous to find out the results of his last tests. We will just continue to pray and hope that Jayson's test results will be negative. Please pray with us.
We also wanted to share that this past Wednesday, April 3rd, our family met with two representatives from the Make-A-Wish Foundation. The goal of this foundation is to try to grant wishes of children who are dealing with life-threatening illness. I, personally, remember seeing stories on the news about this foundation and some of the wishes that have been granted to kids in the past. Never thinking that one day a child of mine would be one of those kids.
During this first meeting, the representatives talked about the foundation. They explained the type of wishes Jayson can ask for and gave examples of creative wishes that have been granted to others in the past. They also got to know Jayson and our family. They asked Jayson about some of his favorite things, i.e. food, color, hobbies, etc. When asked what he enjoyed doing, it was his younger sister, Keilani, who answered: "playing video game, going on the computer, playing guitar and sleeping" and Jayson just smiled and agreed. Keilani knew her brother so well.
Since Jayson didn't know what to wish for, he asked for one month to come up with his wish. Jayson is a very simple teen who doesn't ask for much, so coming up with a wish is tough for him. The representatives encouraged him to think BIG and be creative. His brother and sisters are helping him brainstorm some possible ideas - going on a Disney cruise, seeing how video games are developed & shopping spree. Unfortunately, Keilani's idea of meeting One Direction, will probably not be Jayson's wish. The representative will be back in a month to meet with us once again to see if Jayson has decided on a wish. This is definitely one thing he can look forward to as he most likely begins treatment.
Earlier this evening he announced on his facebook that the cancer has returned. Many have already offered their prayers and support. He is aware that there are many people who are thinking and praying for him.
He is staying positive and continues with life despite this setback. He spent this weekend attending his youth group meeting and a music ministry event. He has finals tomorrow and Tuesday, then begins a new quarter on Wednesday. However, he will most likely return as a home-hospital student when treatment begins. He's taking it all in stride and has faith that God is with him always.
Thank you and God bless you all.
Jessie Adams.
On Wednesday, April 10th, Jayson has a follow-up appointment with his surgeon to check and see if the biopsy incision done on March 29th on his right upper back is healing properly. Hopefully, we'll also be able to talk to his oncologist to see if they have decided on a treatment plan. There's a lot of uncertainty at this time and we're both anxious and nervous to find out the results of his last tests. We will just continue to pray and hope that Jayson's test results will be negative. Please pray with us.
We also wanted to share that this past Wednesday, April 3rd, our family met with two representatives from the Make-A-Wish Foundation. The goal of this foundation is to try to grant wishes of children who are dealing with life-threatening illness. I, personally, remember seeing stories on the news about this foundation and some of the wishes that have been granted to kids in the past. Never thinking that one day a child of mine would be one of those kids.
During this first meeting, the representatives talked about the foundation. They explained the type of wishes Jayson can ask for and gave examples of creative wishes that have been granted to others in the past. They also got to know Jayson and our family. They asked Jayson about some of his favorite things, i.e. food, color, hobbies, etc. When asked what he enjoyed doing, it was his younger sister, Keilani, who answered: "playing video game, going on the computer, playing guitar and sleeping" and Jayson just smiled and agreed. Keilani knew her brother so well.
Since Jayson didn't know what to wish for, he asked for one month to come up with his wish. Jayson is a very simple teen who doesn't ask for much, so coming up with a wish is tough for him. The representatives encouraged him to think BIG and be creative. His brother and sisters are helping him brainstorm some possible ideas - going on a Disney cruise, seeing how video games are developed & shopping spree. Unfortunately, Keilani's idea of meeting One Direction, will probably not be Jayson's wish. The representative will be back in a month to meet with us once again to see if Jayson has decided on a wish. This is definitely one thing he can look forward to as he most likely begins treatment.
Earlier this evening he announced on his facebook that the cancer has returned. Many have already offered their prayers and support. He is aware that there are many people who are thinking and praying for him.
He is staying positive and continues with life despite this setback. He spent this weekend attending his youth group meeting and a music ministry event. He has finals tomorrow and Tuesday, then begins a new quarter on Wednesday. However, he will most likely return as a home-hospital student when treatment begins. He's taking it all in stride and has faith that God is with him always.
Thank you and God bless you all.
Jessie Adams.
Thursday, April 4, 2013
Facing Another Setback
After just a few months in remission, we are sad to announce that Jayson's cancer has returned...
On Sunday evening, March 24th, as Jayson laid on the living room sofa, he asked his dad to scratch his back. Afterwards, my husband began examining Jayson's back for any possible lumps. He came across one and asked me to take a look at it. I confirmed that it did feel like the skin nodules that he had when he was first diagnosed. I then continued to feel around his back and found another smaller lump.
The following morning, we brought him in to see his oncologist to examine the lumps we found. She said neither of the lumps felt similar to the skin nodules he had before and they were too small to do a biopsy on. However, she ordered blood to be drawn to check his blood count. She also ordered a PET Scan which was scheduled for Wednesday morning.
On Wednesday afternoon, his oncologist called with the results of the PET Scan. The areas where we found the suspicious lumps at did not light up. However, there were 3 hot spots (areas of concern) that did light up on the PET Scan - a lung, a calf and right upper back near his shoulder. His doctor ordered an MRI of his chest and back for the following morning. Jayson had plans to go to Disneyland on Thursday with his older sister and some of their friends, so he was very disappointed when he found out he had an appointment for that day. However, I told him that I would take him to Disneyland after the appointment to meet up with his sister and friends. We expected to be done by 10:30 that morning.
The MRI took a little longer than what we expected. When he was done, we were told to meet with a pediatric surgeon for a possible biopsy the following day. The surgeon examined the lump on his back and ordered us to go to get an ultrasound of the back shoulder to give us a better picture of the area. After the ultrasound, we met with the surgeon once again and she sent us to the complete the paperwork for the surgery which was scheduled for 10:30 on Friday morning. It was about 2 pm when we left the hospital and we drove straight to Disneyland.
On Friday morning, Jayson was taken to the operating room to get the lump on his back removed. During the biopsy, Jayson's blood pressure went down and he was given medication to counteract this. However, after administering this medication, his heartbeat went down dramatically and an EKG was immediately done. A pediatric cardiologist was called in to check Jayson's heart. I was told that Jayson's body was sensitive to the medication given and had overreacted to it. The cardiologist confirmed that Jayson's heart was strong enough for them to proceed with the biopsy. The biopsy was completed and the sample was sent to Pathology for testing. Jayson was kept overnight for observation and was given antibiotics to prevent an infection. He was discharged Saturday morning.
On Wednesday evening, April 3rd, one of his doctors called to give us the result of the biopsy. It was positive for cancer. Our world was once again turned upside down. After feeling a sense of normalcy for the past few months, we now have to go through all this again.
His doctor will be scheduling him for another bone marrow biopsy and a CT scan of his head to make sure that the cancer hasn't returned to his bone marrow or spread to his brain. We anticipate this to be done on Friday, April 5th. He then needs to get an MRI done this weekend on his leg, the other hot spot on the PET Scan.
Jayson took the news very well, much better than my husband and I. Instead of us comforting and reassuring him, it was him who was comforting us and telling us that he'll be fine. I was just so amazed at how strong, calm and confident he was - quite the opposite of how I felt at that moment. But... then again, I shouldn't be so surprise because Jayson has always had the positive attitude and outlook. We should all learn from him.
So now, we have to face the reality that the cancer is back and Jayson will most likely be going through another round of treatments. Although the break from the treatments has only been 2.5 months, we are grateful that we had that time to enjoy as much of a normal life as possible. Jayson was able to return to school and be with his friends. He also joined a catholic youth group during this time and got a chance to go on a weekend camping retreat with the group. He's met many new friends and has enjoyed their Friday evening meetings. It's great to see him so happy, socializing and enjoying life.
We will continue to count our blessings despite this devastating setback and we ask for your prayers for Jayson and our family. Thank you and God bless you.
On Sunday evening, March 24th, as Jayson laid on the living room sofa, he asked his dad to scratch his back. Afterwards, my husband began examining Jayson's back for any possible lumps. He came across one and asked me to take a look at it. I confirmed that it did feel like the skin nodules that he had when he was first diagnosed. I then continued to feel around his back and found another smaller lump.
The following morning, we brought him in to see his oncologist to examine the lumps we found. She said neither of the lumps felt similar to the skin nodules he had before and they were too small to do a biopsy on. However, she ordered blood to be drawn to check his blood count. She also ordered a PET Scan which was scheduled for Wednesday morning.
On Wednesday afternoon, his oncologist called with the results of the PET Scan. The areas where we found the suspicious lumps at did not light up. However, there were 3 hot spots (areas of concern) that did light up on the PET Scan - a lung, a calf and right upper back near his shoulder. His doctor ordered an MRI of his chest and back for the following morning. Jayson had plans to go to Disneyland on Thursday with his older sister and some of their friends, so he was very disappointed when he found out he had an appointment for that day. However, I told him that I would take him to Disneyland after the appointment to meet up with his sister and friends. We expected to be done by 10:30 that morning.
The MRI took a little longer than what we expected. When he was done, we were told to meet with a pediatric surgeon for a possible biopsy the following day. The surgeon examined the lump on his back and ordered us to go to get an ultrasound of the back shoulder to give us a better picture of the area. After the ultrasound, we met with the surgeon once again and she sent us to the complete the paperwork for the surgery which was scheduled for 10:30 on Friday morning. It was about 2 pm when we left the hospital and we drove straight to Disneyland.
On Friday morning, Jayson was taken to the operating room to get the lump on his back removed. During the biopsy, Jayson's blood pressure went down and he was given medication to counteract this. However, after administering this medication, his heartbeat went down dramatically and an EKG was immediately done. A pediatric cardiologist was called in to check Jayson's heart. I was told that Jayson's body was sensitive to the medication given and had overreacted to it. The cardiologist confirmed that Jayson's heart was strong enough for them to proceed with the biopsy. The biopsy was completed and the sample was sent to Pathology for testing. Jayson was kept overnight for observation and was given antibiotics to prevent an infection. He was discharged Saturday morning.
On Wednesday evening, April 3rd, one of his doctors called to give us the result of the biopsy. It was positive for cancer. Our world was once again turned upside down. After feeling a sense of normalcy for the past few months, we now have to go through all this again.
His doctor will be scheduling him for another bone marrow biopsy and a CT scan of his head to make sure that the cancer hasn't returned to his bone marrow or spread to his brain. We anticipate this to be done on Friday, April 5th. He then needs to get an MRI done this weekend on his leg, the other hot spot on the PET Scan.
Jayson took the news very well, much better than my husband and I. Instead of us comforting and reassuring him, it was him who was comforting us and telling us that he'll be fine. I was just so amazed at how strong, calm and confident he was - quite the opposite of how I felt at that moment. But... then again, I shouldn't be so surprise because Jayson has always had the positive attitude and outlook. We should all learn from him.
So now, we have to face the reality that the cancer is back and Jayson will most likely be going through another round of treatments. Although the break from the treatments has only been 2.5 months, we are grateful that we had that time to enjoy as much of a normal life as possible. Jayson was able to return to school and be with his friends. He also joined a catholic youth group during this time and got a chance to go on a weekend camping retreat with the group. He's met many new friends and has enjoyed their Friday evening meetings. It's great to see him so happy, socializing and enjoying life.
We will continue to count our blessings despite this devastating setback and we ask for your prayers for Jayson and our family. Thank you and God bless you.
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