Chemo #1 ... again

Well, here we are again.

Back to chemo posts. Not something we had planned. But, thankfully, none of this is a surprise to God. He knew this would be happening long before Leanne was born. And I am thankful for the peace that brings.

Not that chemo can be fun, but Leanne had some fun visitors today! Her friend, Brandi, who is also battling breast cancer, stopped by with her sister, Ashley.

   

Ryan's boss said he could have every Thursday afternoon off so he could go to chemo with Leanne. What a gift!!!!!

   

My dad also stopped by, but we didn't get a picture of his visit. And Leanne go to FaceTime with this little cutie today!

   

Leanne will have chemo two weeks on and one week off. She also met with Dr. Bloom's nurse practitioner today. Her hemoglobin levels are low and that is a reason she is so tired.

Thanks for praying with us! Here are some more requests:

• Strength for Leanne as she continues to fight
• Stamina for Ryan as he balances work, taking care of his family, and taking care of himself
• Comfort for Leo as he is cared for by people other than Leanne and Ryan
• Maximum effectiveness of the chemo
• Minimum side effects for Leanne
• Praise! Leanne has had good sleep the past two nights and her pain is under control!
• Good sleep for Leanne and Ryan

Thank you to everyone who is signing up to bring meals on the Care Calendar! If you want another way to help bring meals, but live far away, check out Dining In. It is a website that allows you to buy a gift card so Leanne and Ryan can order meals from some of their favorite local restaurants. Check it out!

More info

Here is what we know so far:

The spot on Leanne's liver has grown. While the shingles was causing her pain, the extreme pain she was in was most likely from the cancer growing.

She started new chemo meds today. She hasn't had either of these meds before so other than fatigue, we are not sure what the side effects will be. Once we know how these meds will affect Leanne, we will most likely be posting more needs on the Care Calendar.

We are so thankful for the outpouring of love, support, and prayers over the past two days. THANK YOU! Leanne has such a peace which can only come from your interceding for peace on her behalf. While there will be many ways to help in the upcoming weeks and months, we ask that, for right now, you continue to pray with us. Please pray specifically for:

• Continued peace for Leanne and Ryan
• Stamina for Leanne as she continues to battle cancer
• Strength for Ryan as he leads his family
• Comfort for Leo when he is in the care of others
• Restful sleep for Leanne
• Wisdom for Dr. Bloom
• Maximum effectiveness of the chemo meds
• Minimum side effects
• Relief from the pain for Leanne
• Leanne's pain to be completely under control with meds in pill form so she can go home soon

While this journey continues to be longer than any of us wish it would be, we cling to God's promise that when we trust in Him our strength will be renewed. No matter what comes our way.

"But those who trust in the Lord will renew their strength; they will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary; they will walk and not faint." Isaiah 40:31 HCSB

If you ever have any questions about our faith and would like more info, please email us at teamchinny@gmail.com and we would love to talk more.

Results

We got the results from the CAT scan this morning and they showed that the cancer in her liver is growing. They are going to start a new chemo drug today. We will know more once Leanne meets with Dr. Bloom.

We will keep you updated once we know more. Please keep praying for relief from the pain and for rest and peace for Leanne.

Thanks for your partnership. We appreciate it more than we can say.

Another hospital stay

Wanted to let you know Leanne is back in the hospital due to the extreme pain. She had some lab work done today and everything came back clear. She also had a CAT scan and we are waiting for the results of the scan. We should know more in the morning.

Please keep praying for:

• Relief from the pain for Leanne
• Wisdom for the Dr.'s and that they are able to figure out a pain management plan
• Rest for Leanne and Ryan

Meals on the Care Calendar

Want to help again?

There is this amazing website called Care Calendar and it is a way to organize help for a loved one who needs it. So here is the link to the calendar we have set up for Leanne, Ryan, and Leo:

http://carecalendar.org/logon/98734

When you get to the site, please use the following information to log in to their calendar:

    CALENDAR ID:   98734
    SECURITY CODE :   8797

Right now we are only asking for help in bringing dinner to Leanne and Ryan. Per the recommendation of a nutritionist, Leanne and Ryan are working hard to eat a plant based diet. This means they are trying to eat LOTS of fruit, vegetables (green, leafy veggies are best), and lean proteins. They are trying to avoid white carbohydrates (whole wheat pasta is ok), red meat, lunch meat, and sugars. They are kindly declining desserts at this time. If you wish to bring a treat of some sort, please bring fruit. Thanks for your willingness to accommodate to their needs!

When you get to the calendar, you can click on a particular date you would like to help bring dinner. Then you will be asked to fill in some information. After entering your information, please scroll down and click Sign Up. Then, your name will show up on the calendar to let others know this need has been filled. You will also receive an email as a reminder that you signed up to help.

If you live far away, but would like to help here are some suggestions:

• Gift cards to Target to purchase groceries, cleaning supplies, etc.
• Gift cards to grocery stores in the area: Cub Foods, Wal Mart, and Rainbow Foods
• Continue to pray!

Prayer please!

Since being diagnosed with shingles, Leanne has been in significant pain. It is affecting almost everything she does, but is having the biggest affect on her sleep.

Will you please pray for:

• Complete relief from pain for Leanne
• Good, restful sleep every night for Leanne
• Strength for Ryan and Leo as they take care of Leanne
• Peace and strength for Leanne as she faces the pain

If you ever have any questions about our faith and would like more info, please email us at teamchinny@gmail.com and we would love to talk more.