Thank you to everyone who has been asking about Cade and how to play a part in the journey we are beginning. We feel truly surrounded by help and hope and we are so so grateful.
Many people have asked about what is going on with Cade, wanting specifics and dates and names and things. Basically, names can be scary, dates change, and specifics aren't really that important for anyone but God and his oncologists. Y'all mind that?
The bottom line is, buddy had unfavorable histology in a Wilm's tumor that was growing out of his left kidney, and tumors found in his lungs as well. We initially discovered the tumor the Tuesday before Thanksgiving, and within 24 hours that bad boy was out and Cade was down one tumor and one inoperable kidney. Praise God. WE ARE SO THANKFUL FOR THAT SURGEON AT RILEY. (Side note: we were initially told by the surgeon that the tumor wouldn't be able to be removed without chemo on the front end, and we were also told by the oncologists that the tumor had ruptured...we prayed specifically against those things. The tumor was removed intact and had not ruptured. I MEAN HOW GOOD IS GOD??)
We spent about a week in the hospital, and Cade was thrilled to be back home. We waited and prayed while a pathologist sectioned through the tumor to determine treatment plans. They also removed four lymph nodes that looked enlarged during surgery. The tumor had unfavorable histology, and one lymph node looked to have suspicious cells in it as well, which radically changed the shape of our treatment moving forward.
For 36-ish weeks, we will have chemotherapy to kill these nasty and aggressive cancer cells (we have one round of chemo under our belts and Cade was puke-free and handled it honestly like a champ). Cade also has already completed two radiation therapy treatments for his left flank and his lungs, and has 12 left. He will finish the radiation on December 22nd, just in time for Christmas and his birthday (the day after Christmas).
Here are some practical ways to pray and help during this time:
1. RADIATION PRAYER: We are asking for people to commit to pray every morning for the next 12 week days from 7 am eastern time to 10 am eastern time.
2. CHEMO PRAYER: We are also asking for people to pray for Cade every Thursday for the next 9 months. Thursdays will mostly be chemo days where we see oncologists and receive both in and outpatient chemos. The bottom line is, we want all of the right effects of chemo (killing every cancer cell) and none of the bad effects.
3. FASTING THURSDAY: For the Navy Seals of our friends, we are asking for people to commit to fasting one or all meals or social media or something else that is on your heart each Thursday as well. Some of you will jump on this like white on rice, and some of you will think I'm nuts. If you're up for being the elite force of prayer around us and engage fasting, I'd love to know about it, so please email me at crfreije@gmail.com. I'll send you specific prayer points.
4. FOOD HELP: We are basically radically changing our diets, trying to couple science and nature and do all we can on our end to get our buddy to health. Ultimately, his life is in God's hands but we are going to do all we can on our end to be the best stewards of Cade's health. For this reason, we won't be setting up a meal train. Germs are real and for a chemo-kid, the difference between staying at home or being hospitalized. If you're one of those amazing people who love to help, we would love grocery store gift cards- specifically to Fresh Thyme, Costco, Kroger, Meijer, Whole Foods, or Target.
5. GIFTS FOR CADE: Cade loves puzzles, fun activity coloring books, cars, trains, action figures, etc. So many of you have already sent him gifts. THANK YOU SO MUCH!! The oncology unit also has a Wii in each room, and most of the good kid games are claimed by more permanent patients, so if you're up for sending him a game, he loves sports, cars, and anything nonviolent. (He actually doesnt know what violence is but that's my own preference). ;-)
6. FAMILY PRAYER: Doing life with six people in a family is a lot. Doing life with 6 people in a family in crisis is a lot. Eden, Haven, Lilyan, Cade, Chad and I need prayer in this long journey. I am most burdened for Eden, as she is our emotional barometer and has been most aware of everything going on. Eden is a beautiful 1st grader, feeling all the normal first grade things and encountering all of life that is unpacking itself for her. She loves her brother a lot...like, a lot. Please be praying for her heart as this season changes how we do normal life. If you'd like a prayer list specific to our family life, I will have a list of verses handy to email you, just let me know in an email titled "family".
We have been surrounding ourselves with sermons, worship, verses. Here are some of the podcasts that have been most useful to us during this time:
1. The Discipline of Thankfulness by Bill Johnson
2. Engaging Hope in Seasons of Disappointment by Melissa Helser :"the power I've given you is your testimony, but the authority I've given you is because you made a choice to REJECT DISAPPOINTMENT."
3. How to Use Attacks to your Advantage by Steven Furtick
Each of these radically different podcasts will give you a glimpse into what is fueling us, firing us up, and fine tuning our focus right now.
This week I was reminded that almost nine years ago, we had these verses written on our wedding programs because we felt the Lord gave us them as promise for our marriage:
7 “Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord,
whose trust is the Lord.
8 He is like a tree planted by water,
that sends out its roots by the stream,
and does not fear when heat comes,
for its leaves remain green,
and is not anxious in the year of drought,
for it does not cease to bear fruit.” Jeremiah 17:7-8
We are asking God that our family would be like trees planted by water, sending our deepest roots into the soil of God's presence, drinking up His promises, so that our lives can remain fruitful and unscorched even by the fiercest trials. Please pray that for us. We want Cade healed, and we want to look back on this season and see only the kindness of the Father.
Many people have asked about what is going on with Cade, wanting specifics and dates and names and things. Basically, names can be scary, dates change, and specifics aren't really that important for anyone but God and his oncologists. Y'all mind that?
The bottom line is, buddy had unfavorable histology in a Wilm's tumor that was growing out of his left kidney, and tumors found in his lungs as well. We initially discovered the tumor the Tuesday before Thanksgiving, and within 24 hours that bad boy was out and Cade was down one tumor and one inoperable kidney. Praise God. WE ARE SO THANKFUL FOR THAT SURGEON AT RILEY. (Side note: we were initially told by the surgeon that the tumor wouldn't be able to be removed without chemo on the front end, and we were also told by the oncologists that the tumor had ruptured...we prayed specifically against those things. The tumor was removed intact and had not ruptured. I MEAN HOW GOOD IS GOD??)
We spent about a week in the hospital, and Cade was thrilled to be back home. We waited and prayed while a pathologist sectioned through the tumor to determine treatment plans. They also removed four lymph nodes that looked enlarged during surgery. The tumor had unfavorable histology, and one lymph node looked to have suspicious cells in it as well, which radically changed the shape of our treatment moving forward.
For 36-ish weeks, we will have chemotherapy to kill these nasty and aggressive cancer cells (we have one round of chemo under our belts and Cade was puke-free and handled it honestly like a champ). Cade also has already completed two radiation therapy treatments for his left flank and his lungs, and has 12 left. He will finish the radiation on December 22nd, just in time for Christmas and his birthday (the day after Christmas).
Here are some practical ways to pray and help during this time:
1. RADIATION PRAYER: We are asking for people to commit to pray every morning for the next 12 week days from 7 am eastern time to 10 am eastern time.
2. CHEMO PRAYER: We are also asking for people to pray for Cade every Thursday for the next 9 months. Thursdays will mostly be chemo days where we see oncologists and receive both in and outpatient chemos. The bottom line is, we want all of the right effects of chemo (killing every cancer cell) and none of the bad effects.
3. FASTING THURSDAY: For the Navy Seals of our friends, we are asking for people to commit to fasting one or all meals or social media or something else that is on your heart each Thursday as well. Some of you will jump on this like white on rice, and some of you will think I'm nuts. If you're up for being the elite force of prayer around us and engage fasting, I'd love to know about it, so please email me at crfreije@gmail.com. I'll send you specific prayer points.
4. FOOD HELP: We are basically radically changing our diets, trying to couple science and nature and do all we can on our end to get our buddy to health. Ultimately, his life is in God's hands but we are going to do all we can on our end to be the best stewards of Cade's health. For this reason, we won't be setting up a meal train. Germs are real and for a chemo-kid, the difference between staying at home or being hospitalized. If you're one of those amazing people who love to help, we would love grocery store gift cards- specifically to Fresh Thyme, Costco, Kroger, Meijer, Whole Foods, or Target.
5. GIFTS FOR CADE: Cade loves puzzles, fun activity coloring books, cars, trains, action figures, etc. So many of you have already sent him gifts. THANK YOU SO MUCH!! The oncology unit also has a Wii in each room, and most of the good kid games are claimed by more permanent patients, so if you're up for sending him a game, he loves sports, cars, and anything nonviolent. (He actually doesnt know what violence is but that's my own preference). ;-)
6. FAMILY PRAYER: Doing life with six people in a family is a lot. Doing life with 6 people in a family in crisis is a lot. Eden, Haven, Lilyan, Cade, Chad and I need prayer in this long journey. I am most burdened for Eden, as she is our emotional barometer and has been most aware of everything going on. Eden is a beautiful 1st grader, feeling all the normal first grade things and encountering all of life that is unpacking itself for her. She loves her brother a lot...like, a lot. Please be praying for her heart as this season changes how we do normal life. If you'd like a prayer list specific to our family life, I will have a list of verses handy to email you, just let me know in an email titled "family".
We have been surrounding ourselves with sermons, worship, verses. Here are some of the podcasts that have been most useful to us during this time:
1. The Discipline of Thankfulness by Bill Johnson
2. Engaging Hope in Seasons of Disappointment by Melissa Helser :"the power I've given you is your testimony, but the authority I've given you is because you made a choice to REJECT DISAPPOINTMENT."
3. How to Use Attacks to your Advantage by Steven Furtick
Each of these radically different podcasts will give you a glimpse into what is fueling us, firing us up, and fine tuning our focus right now.
This week I was reminded that almost nine years ago, we had these verses written on our wedding programs because we felt the Lord gave us them as promise for our marriage:
7 “Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord,
whose trust is the Lord.
8 He is like a tree planted by water,
that sends out its roots by the stream,
and does not fear when heat comes,
for its leaves remain green,
and is not anxious in the year of drought,
for it does not cease to bear fruit.” Jeremiah 17:7-8
We are asking God that our family would be like trees planted by water, sending our deepest roots into the soil of God's presence, drinking up His promises, so that our lives can remain fruitful and unscorched even by the fiercest trials. Please pray that for us. We want Cade healed, and we want to look back on this season and see only the kindness of the Father.
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