Round 2: #6

And a happy chemo day to all the TEAM CHIN readers! It truly was a happy day for Leanne! She was pretty anxious about her appointment with Dr. Bloom (her oncologist) today, but she also knows that God is good no matter what happens.

Dr. Bloom was very pleased with the results of this round of chemo! He was almost in tears he was so pleased :) When Leanne was first diagnosed she had some blood work done to check the level of the tumor markers in her blood. They were around 150 when initially tested and after her first round of chemo that number was down to around 110. In the month after Leo's birth, when Leanne did not have any treatment, the number rose to 200. But today, the number was down to 50. Yes, you read that right! FIFTY! And for all of you (like me!) who have no idea what those numbers mean, they consider anything under 40 to be normal. Praise God for allowing the chemo to be so effective to shrink the tumor so much!

In light of those results, Dr. Bloom wants to do two more months of chemo. However, he will check in with Leanne at the end of April and the end of May. And as we have learned in the past, we are holding loosely to those plans because they can change at any time!

Chris, Fran, Leanne, and Ryan went to the appointment with Dr. Bloom, but only Fran and Ryan went with Leanne to chemo. Thanks Kathy for spending the afternoon with Leo!

 Thank you so much for your faithfulness in prayer for Leanne and TEAM CHIN. God is doing big things and it is amazing to watch His plan unfold in the lives of Leanne, Ryan, Leo, and their families. Please keep praying for:

• The tumor to continue to shrink
• Continued wisdom for Dr. Bloom and the other oncologists as they treat Leanne
• Strength, patience, and contentment for Leanne and Ryan as they continue on in the battle against cancer
• Leo to start sleeping longer stretches at night
• God to continue to show Himself faithful to Leanne, Ryan, and their families

Round 2: #5

Today is Thursday and you know what that means, it is chemo day. Leanne had her 5th post pregnancy chemo treatment today. It was extra short because they only had to do one type of chemo and extra special because of the visitors!

Fran went to chemo with Leanne while Grandma Miller stayed with Leo! Deb has been in Eden Prairie helping Leanne, Ryan, & Leo out for the past few days and they are soooooooooo thankful she is there. I am sure she enjoyed her afternoon with Leo :)

This guy visited Leanne at chemo today and brought some shamrock shakes with him! Thanks Dad!

Leanne also spent some time face timing with Tim.

 Leanne has an appointment with her oncologist next Thursday before chemo. They will reevaluate the treatment plan and decide where to go from there. There is a lot up in the air right now and Leanne and Ryan need your prayers.

• Pray that Leanne's white blood cell counts stay in the high range so she can still have chemo
• Pray for wisdom for the doctor's as they make treatment decisions
• Pray for patience for Leanne & Ryan as they continue on in this journey
• Pray for peace and contentment for Leanne & Ryan
• Pray that Leanne would have the strength to fight the mental battle that comes along with cancer
• Pray for Leo to start sleeping longer at night :)

Round 2: #4

 Leanne had her 4th post pregnancy chemo treatment yesterday. While Fran and Leanne were at chemo, Mrs. Schuh stayed with Leo. (thank you!) 

The plan is still to do two more treatments and then meet with the oncologist to discuss the next step. Please keep Leanne & Ryan in your prayers. Please pray for:

• Peace and contentment for Leanne, Ryan, & their families as they trust God's plan.
• Good health for Leanne.
• God to give Leanne the strength to continue to fight the mental battle that comes with cancer.
• Leanne to stay ahead of any pain and side effects from the chemo and other medications she is on.
• Continued wisdom for the doctors and nurses as they plan Leanne's treatment.

Hijacking this Blog!

Hey everyone!  It is Leanne.  My older sister Katie usually updates the blog but I knew she would not post about this in the way I wanted to so I decided to hijack the blog and post myself :-)  These two wonderful people came to stay for a whole week two weeks ago. 

 

God sure knew what he was doing when they decided to visit because that was the week I ended up in the hospital.  WHAT A BLESSING to have such awesome help while I was not feeling well and not able to keep up with the things I wanted to be able to do.  I was lucky enough to have Mollie to help me hold Leo. . . 

 

She helped me feed Leo and gave me diapers. . .

 And she also helped me look at him and give him some love. . .

On a more serious note, I am so thankful for Katie and Mollie and the help they were while I was not feeling well.  Katie, along with Aimee (my younger sister), and my mom were amazing!  They took turns getting up with Leo in the middle of the night for a whole week so I could get rest and get better. . . Seriously, these people are amazing!

I am going to be real with you (not that we aren't usually) but I am going to be brutally honest and ask for some very specific prayer requests, :
*Cancer is a tough mental battle.  I struggle each day with fear and doubt and the devil attacks my mind in crazy ways.  These attacks come when I am tired and when I am alone and my mind just begins to race.  Please pray that I would continue to fight this mental battle and trust God and his awesome timing and plan.  (I have been working really hard on this but it is a constant struggle)
*One of the medicines that I take for three days before chemo causes pretty intense bone and muscle pain.  Like pain I have never felt in my life.  Please pray that I would be able to stay on top of the pain and that it would not increase with each dose of the medicine.
*The plan for my treatment is constantly evolving and changing based on what happens in my body.  This is tough as lots of people (including us) want to know the plan.  Pray for patience and trust as we let our knowledgeable doctors and our great physician in heaven lead us down this road. 


Thanks for being a part of my team.  I can't even begin to explain how much it means to know that I have the love and support that I do from all over the world!  I CAN do all things through Christ who strengthens me!!!!!!!!

Update

Leanne had an appointment with her oncologist this week to check how her tumor is responding to the chemo and to make sure her white blood counts are up where they need to be. While the oncologist is pleased with the effects of the chemo thus far, they would like to do another round of chemo. So, she will have three more treatments then a week off. Then back to the oncologist for another check.

Please continue to pray for TEAM CHIN:
-Pray for continued health and strength for Leanne
-Pray for peace for Leanne as she struggles with fear
-Pray for Leanne, Ryan, and their families to continue to trust God's plan
-Pray for Leanne to continue to find her strength in God

Taking the Plunge!

Last Saturday the youth group from St. Paul's Lutheran Church in Henning, MN held their annual Polar Plunge fundraiser. A few of the kids jumped in honor of Leo and a couple of other babies with health issues. Here are some pics of the event.

Yes, the boys are wearing diapers!

What a great event! TEAM CHIN is so thankful for the support! Please keep Leanne, Ryan, and Leo in your prayers. Pray that they would continue to stay healthy and strong.

Round 2: #3 and Home!

Leanne has had quite a busy week! After a too long 3 day stay in the hospital for an infection in her stomach, Leanne was discharged from the hospital after completing her 3rd round of post pregnancy chemo. And I was the lucky chemo buddy!!

Yes, I am aware this pic is blurry. But we were in a hurry to pack up to head home when we remembered to take a picture.

Leanne is feeling much better! As she put it, she feels a million times better than she did on Monday. She also decided that she was going to stay home for a while and not risk getting sick and ending up in the hospital again! Leanne was sent home on an antibiotic which will continue to treat her stomach infection and a self given shot (boo) to boost her white blood cell count after chemo. She will have a week off from chemo next Thursday (!!!!!!!!!!!!!), but will go in for a check of her blood counts.

Thank you so much for your prayers! Praise the Lord she is home and feeling better. Please keep praying for her:

• Pray for continued healing for Leanne
• Pray for continued health and good growth for Leo
• Pray for Leanne to rely on God's truth and not be tempted to have a spirit of fear

Thanks for all of your support, love, and encouragement! Leanne loves all of your comments on the blog and on Facebook!

visitor!

Leanne had a sweet little visitor to brighten her day!

We ask that you would continue to pray for her in the following ways:

• Health for Leanne; for the infection to go away completely
• Continued growth for Leo
• For Leanne to find peace in God's plan 
• Leanne to rely on God's truth and not be tempted to have a spirit of fear

hospital stay

On Sunday Leanne began feeling a little under the weather. By early Monday evening, she was feeling ill enough to warrant a call to the doctor and a visit to the ER. She had a high fever, an achy body, and lots of drainage in her throat. Once her oncologist was called regarding her condition, she was admitted so they could try to find the cause of her fever. She was admitted on the oncology floor and had a sweet room! Look at all this space :)

Fran spent the night with Leanne. Here she is hooked up to her IV.

Thankfully, they found the source of her infection! The good bacteria in her stomach was destroyed during chemo which led to an infection. She is in isolation in the hospital and will get to have Ryan spend the night tonight (Tuesday)!!! So thankful they will get to spend time together.

Please pray for:

• Health for Leanne; for the infection to go away completely
• Continued growth for Leo
• For Leanne to find peace in God's plan 
• Leanne to rely on God's truth and not be tempted to have a spirit of fear

Round 2: #2

First, some pics of the sweetest little member of TEAM CHIN!

He likes to help Daddy with his bottle

Oooooh look at that precious face!

Ok, back to a chemo update. Grammie Fran went with Leanne to her second round of post pregnancy chemo yesterday. Prior to chemo she had a few appointments earlier in the day. Leo had a Dr appointment to check his weight and make sure he is growing like he should. He is up to 5lbs 15oz! Keep up the hard work Leo! (and Leanne & Ryan!) Leanne also met with her oncologist, Dr. Bloom, and he said the chemo is working like it should (!!!!!!) and they are going to continue with the treatments for the time being. He is optimistic about how the tumor is responding to the chemo! A crazy little lady got to skype with Auntie Leanne during chemo :)

It has been a busy week for TEAM CHIN, but we have not stopped giving thanks for your partnership with us! Please continue to pray for us:

• Praise God for good growth for Leo!
• Praise God for the support shown to Leanne & Ryan by the Cobbers this week!
• Praise God for all the generosity show to TEAM CHIN!
• Pray for Leo to continue to grow
• Pray for chemo to shrink the tumor drastically
• Pray for wisdom for the doctors as they care for Leanne
• Pray for continued peace for Leanne, Ryan, and their families
• Pray for Leanne as she struggles with relying on God to overcome fear

Thank you! We could not do this without all of you!

Cobber night!

Leanne and Ryan (plus Ryan's parents, Leanne's dad, and sister) made the trip up to Moorhead last night for the Cobber women's basketball game in honor of Leanne's fight against breast cancer.

There were t-shirts for sale, TEAM CHIN wristbands, and some stories about Leanne's past few months. Needless to say, Leanne and Ryan felt incredibly loved by their Cobber family. Prior to the game, Leanne's former coach shared Leanne's story with the crowd.

Here is Leanne with Coach Rahman.

Leanne was amazed by the number of people who came out to show their support. Former teammates, former teammates parents, former professors, family members, former coaches, Leanne's family she nannied for in Fargo, and many more.

And to top it all off, the Cobber's won! TEAM CHIN is so thankful for the Cobber's support for Leanne and for dedicating their game to her.

P.S. One lucky lady got to spend the night with a special little guy :)

Coming tomorrow: a chemo update and some more pics of Leo!

A couple of links

Of course we already know this, but apparently word is getting out that Leanne is kind of a big deal :)

Her Alma Mater, Concordia College, is dedicating its annual Cancer Awareness/Think Pink game to her fight against breast cancer. In the past two days, two articles have been written about the game. I thought I would post the links here and here.

And just in case you are not able to attend the game in Moorhead tonight, you can watch it online here. Once you click on the link, scroll down and click on the link that says Women's Basketball vs. Gustavus - 5:45 p.m.
 

Cobber love for TEAM CHIN!

**Just a little background: Leanne played basketball for 4 years at Concordia College in Moorhead, MN**

Attention all Cobber fans, TEAM CHIN fans, residents of the Fargo/Moorhead area, or anyone interested in a fun road trip on Wednesday:

Thanks for the pic cobbersid123 :)

On Wednesday, February 15, 2012 the Concordia College women's basketball team will dedicate its Pink Zone breast cancer awareness game to Leanne and her fight against breast cancer. (How awesome is that?!?!)

If you are interested in coming, the women will play at 5:45pm in Memorial Auditorium on the Concordia College campus.

Please join a few members of TEAM CHIN on Wednesday to show your support for Leanne. Hope to see you there!

Round 2: #1

Leanne had the cutest little sidekick at chemo today! (sorry Ryan)

 Leo went with his mommy as she started her second round of chemo. Leanne's oncologist said that the side effects from this type of chemo typically are not as harsh as the last round. So hopefully that will be the case :)

I am just going to make it easy on you :) and just copy & paste the prayer requests from yesterday.

• Peace for Leanne and Ryan as they begin the next phase of treatment (John 14:27)
• Leanne, Ryan, and their families to depend on God during this time (Isaiah 26:3 and Psalm 55:22)
• God to continue to work good in this situation, even though it may not seem like it to us at the time(Romans 8:28)
• Leanne, Ryan, and their families to trust God's plan for their lives (Jeremiah 29:11)
• Continued good health and growth for Leo
• The chemo would drastically shrink the tumor quickly
• Continued wisdom and knowledge for the doctors as they treat Leanne

It starts again ...

Chemo .... Thursday morning.

The appointment with the oncologist today was not quite what we were expecting to hear, but God doesn't promise that. Dr. Bloom said that part of the tumor was responding to the hormone therapy, but the rest of it was not. So, in order to do surgery and get the cancer out of Leanne's body, she will start chemo on Thursday. She will have chemo once a week for 3 weeks and then will have a week off.

Please pray for us. We know that we can claim God's promises about these things and ask that you would partner with us in praying for the following:

-Peace for Leanne and Ryan as they begin the next phase of treatment (John 14:27)
-Leanne, Ryan, and their families to depend on God during this time (Isaiah 26:3 and Psalm 55:22)
-God to continue to work good in this situation, even though it may not seem like it to us (Romans 8:28)
-Leanne, Ryan, and their families to trust God's plan for their lives (Jeremiah 29:11)
-Continued good health and growth for Leo
-The chemo would drastically shrink the tumor quickly
-Continued wisdom and knowledge for the doctors as they treat Leanne

home!!!!!!

After much waiting, this little guy (who was tuckered out after enjoying a good bottle)

got to go home today!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 Praise the Lord for allowing Leo to come home so soon! 

We continue to be so thankful for your partnership in prayer! Please keep praying for Ryan, Leanne, & Leo. Here are some specific requests:

• Pray for confidence for Ryan & Leanne as they begin life with their baby boy at home
• Pray for peace for Ryan & Leanne as they adjust over the next days & nights with a newborn
• Pray for continued health for Leo
• Pray for wisdom for the Dr's as they meet with Leanne on Wednesday to discuss the next step in her treatment

Someone ...

Passed their car seat test!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! It was this little big guy!

As long as he does not have any apnea spells between now and Sunday, he will get to come home without a monitor!

Someone else took a CPR class today. It was these two ...

And Grammie Fran was also there. Please keep praying that Leo will be apnea free so that he can come home on Sunday!

sweet baby!

We are so thankful for every one's prayers! It is so evident God was working in this little guys body before he was born, preparing him to come early.

Lots has been happening in this little guys world! He is feeding tube free, eating from a bottle at every feeding. Praise God! Leo is now in a bassinet, not the isolette. He gets to wear lots of cute clothes to keep warm :) And this little hefty guy is up to a whopping 4lbs 8oz!

Initially, we thought Leo would be in the hospital for a minimum of 4 weeks. However, he is doing so great that he could possibly come home on Sunday! Leo will take his car seat test on Thursday. He will have to sit in his car seat for 1 hour and not have any dips in his heart rate during that 1 hour span.
If he does not have any apnea (meaning he will stop breathing for a short period of time) episodes he should come home Sunday. If he has an episode he will come home with a monitor and maybe some medicine.

We appreciate your continued partnership in prayer. Please keep Leanne, Ryan, and Leo in your prayers. Please pray for:

• Continued growth and health for Leo
• Leo to come home on Sunday
• Leo to pass his car seat test
• Leo to be apnea free
• Wisdom for the Dr's as they make decisions about Leo
• The tumor to keep shrinking
• Wisdom for Leanne's Dr's as they make treatment decisions for Leanne at next weeks appt.
• Peace for Leanne and Ryan as they prepare for Leo to come home

Now for what you really want, more Leo!

more Leo!

Leanne updated her blog today with lots more pics of Leo! Check it out here!

guess who?

drank out of a bottle this weekend?

This guy did! He drank 10 ml from a bottle and then got the rest in his feeding tube. Leanne got to feed him his first bottle! Leo is continuing to do great! Thanks so much for praying for Leanne, Ryan, and Leo. Please keep praying!