James has Wilms' Tumors (Update 3)

On our last update we shared that James was going to have a biopsy to learn more about the kidney tumors and try to understand why the tumor on the right kidney did not shrink as much as expected. The doctors wanted to rule out a possibility that the tumor cells were a particularly aggressive and chemotherapy-resistant type they called anaplasia cells. If the biopsy had revealed that the tumor had those cells, the doctors would have needed to ramp up the chemotherapy treatments for James to something much more aggressive (basically the highest James could tolerate). Great news was that they did not find this type of cancer tissue, but instead learned that James had some other rare cancer tissue that had matured to be more like muscle tissue that isn't dividing rapidly. This understanding helped explain why the right kidney tumor did not shrink as much as expected. The doctors told us that the tumor would not shrink much more from the next round of chemo and the surgeon will be able to remove this tumor when they do the surgery for James. We now have a surgery date for September 8th. James's next scan to help prepare for the surgery is September 1st. Please continue keeping James in your prayers. 

The doctors decided to bump up James's second 6-week round of chemotherapy treatments to a more moderate plan to help continue shrinking the tumors in James's lungs to hopefully be able to avoid surgery there and only need to do additional targeted radiation on his lungs. Some of this new regimen requires what the doctors described as a heavier dose of chemotherapy where he receives chemotherapy daily for five days. On the first time of this week-long treatment we stayed in the hospital so that the doctors could monitor James to make sure they had the right amounts of nausea medicines so that James would not vomit out the feeding tube, but that if James did, he was at the hospital and a nurse could be there to help. I got to stay with him that week and we had a very nice, uneventful stay, which is exactly what we had hoped for. James met a friend at the oncology section of the hospital who was his age and they had a lot of fun playing together and being spoiled by the nurses and other caretakers at the hospital. We feel grateful for the people at Seattle Children's hospital who are working to help James beat this cancer. 

James tends to have pretty high energy and seem pretty happy throughout his chemotherapy treatments. The doctors told us that some kids with Wilms Tumor do just have energy throughout treatments. 

Thank you again for your continued love and support-- we are praying that the scans will go well, that the surgeon will be able to have steady hands to perform the tumor removals, and that the doctors will be correct in their belief that James will be able to be better sometime end of January (have completed the chemotherapy, recovery time, and be cancer free). We feel really encouraged by what James's team of doctors have shared with us.

There have been a lot of acts of service and kindnesses that our family has received since learning about James's cancer. Something that I have found comforting in this journey is a friend who has shared with me a few scriptures here and there alongside encouraging thoughts and messages. In her last message to me she shared with me a quote about how Christ suffered alone so that we don't have to. I'm very thankful for the many people who are supporting James and our family during this time.  Here's a scripture that I enjoyed thinking about today:

2 Nephi 31: 19-20

19 And now, my beloved brethren, after ye have gotten into this strait and narrow path, I would ask if all is done? Behold, I say unto you, Nay; for ye have not come thus far save it were by the word of Christ with unshaken faith in him, relying wholly upon the merits of him who is mighty to save. 

20 Wherefore, ye must press forward with a steadfastness in Christ, having a perfect brightness of hope, and a love of God and of all men. Wherefore, if ye shall press forward, feasting upon the word of Christ, and endure to the end, behold, thus saith the Father: Ye shall have eternal life.

We love you guys. Please keep helping us feel loved.