Cade The Warrior

(Chad brought this medal for Cade he won in go-cart racing, and Cade wore it every. single. day. whil we were in inpatient.) (This basketball hoop was installed the hour before we drove Cade home and he is basically the next Michael Jordan.) (This is Cade and Bunny happily sleeping last night in their own big bed.) (And this is a typical glimpse of the kind of "guys' nights Chad and Cade have in the hospital complete with popcorn, football, and no pants...for Cade at least). We are happy to say that everyone is asleep in their own beds, out of the hospital. We wrapped up our final 5 day in this protocol, and finished out the final expected hospital stay. It was our shortest stay yet, and at it also felt the most routine out of all of them. After this long, we seem to have established a great system, including the most amazing grandparents around us. Chad and I have incredible parents, who willingly do things like spend hours with Cade at the hospital help...

We wrapped up Cade's last five day Friday, and he got to play with his sisters all weekend and do lots of normal things. Monday morning hit, and so did the wave of chemo. He spent most of the day sleeping and getting sick, but still was his very pleasant precious little self. We are praying that he will be able to get transfusions this week outpatient so we can avoid an inpatient stay, but we clearly want whatever is best and safest for Cade.  Please pray that these chemos effectively knock out any remaining cancer cell and memory of the cells in his lungs, and that his little body obeys God's voice and command for LIGHT in his inmost being.  Please pray for our family to continue to trust God, and not give our minds permission to think or worry about things over which we have no control. I read a quote yesterday by Billy Graham I thought was worth sharing: "This should be the motto of every follower of Jesus Christ. No matter how dark and hopeless a situation ...

Cade finished his first day today of his last 5 day chemo in this protocol. My mom is here taking care of the girls in the morning, and like everyone else we are back in the swing of the school year. Eden told me today was "real school", as opposed to last week's fake school. Our scans last Monday led us into a very tumultuous week of waiting, but looking back I am extremely thankful for the delay. It meant when we did get the phone call, Eden was back in school, and our hearts were prepared. We explain in the video in more detail, but the bottom line is that they saw four new small nodules in Cade's lungs that they assume are tumor. There will be no certainty until they can surgically removed and put under a microscope. We are praying that by the end of the next six weeks, these nodules have completely disappeared. And if they haven't, that upon resection they show only dead cells.  On Wednesday, our oncologist meets with the solid tumor team and will pre...

Week 30 is upon us, and scans were yesterday. Cade was relaxed during the actual scans, but that was only after he had gave the technician a real show when she was trying to put an IV in his arm. We haven't heard results yet but we do anticipate news today sometime. The waiting is never my best moment. As Chad and I both said in the video, we vacillate between different extremes all throughout the day. This morning we spent a minute processing that together. It is really precious to work out this stuff alongside my best friend. He is a great man, and thinks very differently than I do so it is helpful in circumstances like this to compare notes. I can write a post like last week, asking for my stuff back with the Lord, totally confident He loves me and He's a good Father and wants his kids to be repaid for all of their trouble, and simultaneously I can also realize there are many who never get their stuff back on this side of life. They die without ever seeing the recompense...

We rolled into tonight's video exhausted in the best way. Eden turned 8 today and we had a party for her complete with Cade in the water, swimming like a little bald fish. I think we've been in the midst of a miracle for about a week now, and while at first I was wary of trusting it, I can now confidently say Cade's response to this past week was amazing. He did NOT get sick, he did not get sores, and he has been able to enjoy life, despite a big treatment. We mention this in the video, but I am firmly convinced that the prayers of many many people made this week what it was. A few days ago Chad and I were talking about how we can't wait for Heaven, to see the film of all of this in the spiritual realm. Like, what is actually happening when we pray and fast? What are we actually doing? What angels are released, what doors are opened and which ones are shut, how many things are set in motion simply because we pray and God responds? It's not a formula, but there is ...

Last week was AMAZING. By the generosity of some friends, we spent a few days near Bloomington at a lake where we boated, played, and all three littles shared the same bunk room and LOVED it. It is hard to express how much that trip meant to us. To me. It felt like a direct gift from the goodness of the Father, played out in the lives of people around us whose generosity and compassion are remarkable. We are so thankful. I feel like I keep saying the same three things: God has been way kinder than I ever guessed, we are so thankful, and we are expectant. I guess its because those things are always very true. I spent last year obsessing over how old 30 was, and a million other stupid, vapid thoughts probably crossed my mind during that birthday. This week I turned 31, and I keep finding myself looking back at this year seeing the wisdom of God. At the very beginning of this journey I felt like I had a visual of God taking back the chessboard of our lives, and studying it with...

Making it through last week in itself is a big big relief. Cade wasn’t eating, and was unable to stop vomiting until mid-Wednesday. In striking contrast, he now can’t stop eating and is jumping around like a wild man. We are on VACATION! WHAT A GIFT! We are staying at a beautiful lake house, and are so thankful for the reprieve and change of location. Next Monday we begin one of the three last major treatments in Cade’s protocol. Thank you all for tracking with us for so long. Please pray Cade’s body is prepared for Monday, and his echo this Friday shows a strong and healthy heart that is ready to receive whatever chemo his body will get. And please pray that he has strength to endure and the blessing of peace over his stomach, his GI tract, and his whole body. These chemos cause a number of side effects, but we are still fervently praying Cade “skates on through”. Thank you for praying with us!